Cloud Platforms are Deteriorating the Need for Onsite Computing

a man is standing in front of a cloud with circuit boards on it

Cloud computing has been a major topic of discussion in the business world, but many IT professionals have been skeptical of the practice over the years due to security concerns and issues with management. However, technology advancements have allowed businesses to implement cloud computing in previously unforeseen ways, leading to more convenient, flexible, and affordable solutions as a whole. 

Why is Cloud Computing is So Valuable 

You likely use the cloud for certain resources within your infrastructure, many of which are perhaps hardware-related, and it’s an incredibly helpful solution in comparison to renewing your entire in-house infrastructure on the regular. Cloud computing is valuable in that it can help you cut costs associated with running enterprise-level applications and hardware systems, essentially distilling these costs into a per-month or per-GB offering. It’s a great way to streamline your computing strategy. 

 

Many of the resources you utilize on your computing infrastructure can be accessed through the cloud, so it’s effective for setting up your business just the way you want it. You can cut costs while implementing the resources you need to thrive. Furthermore, cloud-based tools give you enhanced flexibility and the ability to implement platforms that you might not otherwise consider, as well as allowing you to scale solutions to meet your business’ demands. All you need is an Internet connection to make sure that your employees have access to the tools they need to succeed. 

However, there are some drawbacks to cloud computing. 

When It Makes Sense to Stay In-House 

On-site computing is the traditional way of doing things for business. You implement server units that host your application and data, and they essentially create a central hub for your business’ technological resources. On-site computing is not that rare for many businesses that have been around the block a time or two. These businesses need uninterrupted access to their resources, and even though cloud computing uptime has increased dramatically over the years, downtime does still exist. 

 

Security is also a factor that must be considered with cloud resources. On-site computing gives your business greater control over access, network traffic, and so much more than your typical public cloud might. You don’t want to be caught in a position where your business’ most delicate information is hosted in the cloud and it gets compromised as a result. Some companies simply don’t want to take the risk due to compliance and other various factors, which is completely understandable. 

 

No matter how you want to set up your computing infrastructure, AE Technology Group can help you keep it safe and optimized. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 536-5006

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3 Major Benefits of Cloud Computing in Business

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If you have to rely on remote workers as a small business, you might fear what they represent to your operations: a lack of control, security challenges, and of course, productivity issues. However, in today’s remote workplace, it is important to acknowledge that remote workers played a critical role in saving countless organizations throughout the course of the pandemic and businesses can benefit from cloud computing.  

To offer some context, let’s examine just how the shift to cloud computing made remote work not only possible, but critical to the continued success of businesses in the face of a global pandemic. 

Cloud Computing Boosts Collaboration 

The first benefit that cloud computing provides for businesses is a collaboration boost. Through the use of cloud platforms, employees can work together on projects even if they are not physically in the same location. All they need is a solid Internet connection to gain access to all the files they need to go about their work, together. 

Cloud-hosted collaboration applications also have communication tools built right into them. Users can share files and work together in real-time, boosting productivity, efficiency, and project fulfillment turnaround. This type of cloud collaboration is a breakthrough that is not disappearing, even long after the pandemic fades into memory. 

Providing Access 

Remote workers also need access to applications and data that can put a strain on their company’s computing infrastructure. Cloud computing gives businesses the ability to host applications and data storage in the cloud, then delegate access to that infrastructure as needed. With a simple login (and often two-factor authentication), employees can leverage the same applications for productivity they would as if they were physically in the office, along with the data storage needed to ensure they stay productive. Collaboration solutions also aid in this process. 

Flexibility Over IT 

Cloud platforms are incredible for remote teams, but the flexibility they afford workers also helps the business itself. Through Software-as-a-Service, or SaaS, businesses gain the ability to pay per user per app, meaning they can more easily add or drop users compared to your traditional software procurement process. Cloud applications can also be canceled at any time, giving businesses much more flexibility and control over costs, even for short-term projects. 

The cloud has changed the way businesses operate forever, so it’s time to start thinking about what it can do for your own operations. To get started, give us a call at (516) 536-5006.

Remote Work: 3 Challenges and Solutions

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For the past year, remote work has been basically the only option for some businesses. If the pandemic has proven anything, it is that all of our preconceived notions of remote work being impossible for certain industries and sectors are simply not true. Most businesses can leverage remote work in some capacity, so in a post-COVID world, it is your responsibility as a business owner to act on the many benefits that working remotely can pose for organizations like yours as well as mitigate the challenges of remote work.

The Challenges of Remote Work

Let’s discuss some of the challenges of remote work, as well as how technology can help you address them.

Staying Connected

It’s one thing when you can just pop over to someone’s office and pick their brain about something on the spot, or turn around and ask a coworker a question. It’s another when you are in two different locations and physically separated from one another. Staying connected in the ways that matter—building community, rapport, and healthy working relationships—proves to be difficult in an online environment.

Data Access

Many employees have multiple devices, like company-issued smartphones, laptops, and of course, their work desktops. Files might be spread out across these devices, and if the employee is out of the office with no way to access important files, there is a chance that work might not get done. Therefore, staying connected to important documents and files is incredibly important when out of the office.

Security

One of the biggest pain points of businesses when working outside the safety of the office is security. Without the protections of the in-house network, who knows what threats could target your employees’ devices—devices that might not have security solutions installed on them. It’s critical that you take this into consideration when planning your approach to remote work.

Technology to Address The Challenges of Remote Work

As usual, technology offers several solutions to the above dilemmas. Here are some ways that modern technology solutions can help you keep your organization running in the face of remote work.

Voice over IP

Having an all-in-one communication platform like VoIP is a great way to stay connected while out of the office. VoIP lets you use an Internet connection to do everything you would normally do with your in-house telephone system, plus more. Some VoIP solutions also have video and IM chat functionality, giving you and your team more ways to stay connected even while out of the office.

Cloud Computing

Wouldn’t it be great if all of your business’s important data and information could be found in a place where you can access it on any approved device, be it a laptop, desktop, or mobile device? The cloud allows your organization to do just that by taking advantage of an online environment for everything from application hosting to data storage. The possibilities for how your business can use the cloud are quite limitless.

Virtual Private Network

To aid in network security while working remotely, you can use a virtual private network, or VPN, to securely connect to your in-house network. What this does is encrypts data traveling to and from a device, keeping it secure from any prying eyes. This is especially important for employees who might have to work in public locations due to disruptive home lives or travel.

Let Us Help!

Implementing technology that helps your business be successful in and out of the office is critical to staying competitive in today’s economy. To this end, a managed service provider like AE Technology Group can help your organization implement the best tools on the market. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 536-5006.

Cloud-Hosted Tools Your Business Should Consider

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The cloud has provided organizations with countless ways to innovate and improve operations. Still, for those who are just now jumping on this great opportunity, you might have some questions about how to get the most out of the cloud or how even to get started. Let’s discuss some of the major benefits of cloud-hosted tools, as well as why it’s critical to consider them in the years to come.

This is especially important right now, while the world is reeling from a global pandemic. So how can cloud-hosted tools help your organization navigate this territory and optimize operations, despite the circumstances? Let’s find out.

Data Storage

Business professionals often run into a situation where important files are located on one of their devices but not on the others. Even if files are stored on an in-house network, that doesn’t necessarily help you out of the office. The answer to this dilemma is surprisingly simple: implement a cloud-based data storage system.

Cloud-based data storage allows your organization to access data on any connected device, provided the accounts have been outfitted with appropriate permissions. You can work on any file, anytime, from anywhere. When it comes time to travel or work remotely, a cloud-based data storage system means that you will never have access issues again. Since hosting on-premise can be expensive and time-consuming, we recommend hosting your data in the cloud.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

If your business is not prepared to handle data loss scenarios, your future is most certainly in jeopardy. Data stored across different devices can be difficult to keep track of, but if it’s all housed in the same location, i.e., the cloud, it becomes easier to back up and recover in the event of a disaster. While tape may have been the gold standard for a long time, it was prone to several inconsistencies that make it pale compared to the cloud, such as the possibility of user error, risk of natural disasters, and the sheer amount of physical space the tapes can take up.

An automated data backup system that does not rely on anyone setting tapes is the ideal solution, and it’s thanks to the cloud that it is possible. Backups stored in the cloud provide more redundancy than tape, so you will never have to worry about whether or not the data is available. In addition, you can know with confidence that a copy of your data exists for you to recover in the event of an emergency.

Cloud-Hosted Tools

Why limit what the cloud can do for your business to just your data and backup? Instead, imagine what you can accomplish by using the cloud in more creative ways, such as hosting your business’ email or productivity suite on it. Hosting these solutions in the cloud allows for easy access on any approved device, meaning that you are truly freed from the constraints of the office.

You can also apply this principle to hardware solutions to an extent. For example, if you have certain legacy software that only runs on a specific instance of a server operating system, you might normally require an individual server unit for that software alone. Instead of running more hardware, you can instead use a virtual machine with partitioning through the cloud, allowing you to host-specific instances of an operating system in a virtual environment, saving you the headache and frustration of maintaining yet another server unit.

Get Started with the Cloud!

Don’t wait any longer to get started with cloud-based technology. AE Technology Group can help you with the entire process, from conceptualization to implementation. To learn more, reach out to us at (516) 536-5006.

Cloud Words – IaaS, SaaS, PaaS – What Do All These Mean?

iaas saas paas what do all these cloud words mean

Many industries have a wide array of acronyms they employ in order to define certain industry-specific concepts, products, and services, and the field of information technology is no exception. While technology experts are typically well-versed in the meaning of the various cloud words, for the average layperson, they can present a definite challenge.

Of course, in order to determine which technology services will deliver the best results for a business, it’s important to understand all the various options available. In this post, we will discuss three acronyms used to define cloud services, specifically, IaaS, SaaS, and PaaS, to bring about a clear understanding of what these services have to offer to a variety of corporate settings.

Defining IaaS

IaaS is an acronym for “infrastructure as a service”

Companies who decide to select this type of service often do so because they don’t want to invest in substantial amounts of hardware in order to support their various software packages and apps. Instead, they invest in cloud services such as virtualization and server space to meet their needs. Buying hardware does mean more accessibility and control, however it also comes with a hefty price tag that smaller companies often find off-putting.

While IaaS provides the benefit of reduced costs and the time involved in maintaining hardware,  business owners are still responsible for maintaining their software. This means they either must have some degree of technological expertise to manage this on their own, or they need a dedicated IT person or perhaps a team to provide software support.

Defining SaaS

SaaS stands for “software as a service”

SaaS allows smaller companies to take advantage of pre-built cloud-based apps that have a defined purpose.  Rather than creating a custom software package to perform a task, smaller companies can simply incorporate third-party apps such as Dropbox for their file sharing requirements, or they can use Shopify if they need an eCommerce site platform. While outsourcing certain tasks does have certain advantages in that it may allow companies to get a certain project up and running faster, and they won’t be responsible for maintaining third party applications, there are some downsides.

Employing third-party software apps means a business will have little to no opportunity to customize the app to suit their specific needs.  They also have no control over third-party apps, which lessens their degree of control over potential security issues as well.  In addition, integration may be challenging with SaaS, since third party software may not work with a company’s current overall platform, or a new platform if they decide to change at some point in the future.

PaaS

Last but not least, PaaS stands for “platform as a service”

If a company wants customized software to meet their needs, PaaS  can provide them with the cloud-based tools they need to build their own customized software. With PaaS, developers are given access to a vast library of pre-built elements, so they don’t need to code every process from scratch. Developing, testing, and deploying all happen in one environment, making it generally faster and easier to pump out software applications.

A downside to PaaS is that it is not a good option for companies who work with confidential data, which they may be required to keep on-site by law. Also, for businesses who already have some existing frameworks they would like to keep, this may present a significant challenge when trying to integrate them into a new PaaS platform.  

We’re Here to Help

When it comes to cloud-based platforms and services, there truly isn’t one right or wrong solution. The beauty of having the options such as PaaS, SaaS, and IaaS, is that it allows companies to choose the best solution to meet their specific needs.

If you would like more information on how to select the right cloud-based services for your unique setting, please contact us.