Cloud Computing: Why education and classrooms should embrace it

cloud computing why education and classrooms should embrace it
Cloud Computing in Schools

It’s a classic cliche: “There is one constant in the universe: Everything Changes.” Some changes are small, but then there are changes like cloud computing, which have the potential to thoroughly change the industry.

Cloud computing in schools started being used in larger universities first, but slowly filtered down into elementary schools as people got more comfortable with the technology. Cloud computing takes advantage of a shared, virtual server to work on. This saves money because you can share software licenses while increasing capacity and adding capabilities. But what can you do with it?

You can use cloud computing for just about anything you would normally do as a group on a computer. For example, as part of an IT class you might work on a program together. Each person can log onto their own computer, access the shared, virtual server with the software, write their bit of code, then upload and save it onto the server space for the others in the group to access.

You can even do something similar for an English class. If each student has a part in a story to write, then they can use the same system using different software. This can also be used for group presentations and many other things.

Let’s take Taunton’s Bristol-Plymouth Regional Technical School, for example. This high school has decided to make their own private cloud, and move all their infrastructure onto it.

“This cloud network will be accessible from anywhere and from any device providing full school workstation environments including access to applications, printers and file storage,” Lisa Roe, the director of technology said.

This isn’t as hard as it sounds, either. At AE Technology Group, we understand the importance of security, safety, and usability for schools. Contact us to learn more about what solutions you can integrate within your school and on your budget. We’re looking forward to seeing your cloud computing dreams a reality.

IT Support Why Cloud Network Migration Requires Guidance

cloud computing the future of disaster recovery
Cloud Computing

The business buzz surrounding cloud computing has the tendency to make it sound like an instant cure for every IT conundrum. Make no mistake, an effective cloud network migration will improve all of the following difficulties that dent the IT budget:

  • total cost of ownership (TCO) of IT resources
  • recurring expenses for proprietary software licenses
  • software upgrades and configurations management
  • cost of securing data resources, including malware protection, security architecture, and certified personnel
  • cost of hardware and labor needed to manage data storage
  • recurring costs and potential liabilities for backup and disaster recovery

However, cloud migrations require strategy. Leading cloud infrastructure providers have actually made it possible to spring up a fully-functioning virtual server in a matter of minutes. However, it is a tremendous folly to start signing up for services without any expert advice.

Cloud technology has taken years to mature, and has grown in scope and complexity. There is a small but knowledgable community that has come to the forefront of this field. The following issues, for example, are all questions that an experienced IT migration partner can resolve:

  1. Is it necessary to build a custom network with infrastructure as a service (IaaS), or can applications be simplified with the platform as a service (PaaS) model?
  2. Which storage solutions and software as a service (SaaS) applications will fit best with the business model and give the best ROI?
  3. How will data management and disaster recovery be addressed?
  4. Is scalability going to be an issue? Does the company have reasonable expectations of growth and, if so, is the IT infrastructure able to scale with it?
  5. Are there areas of the business model that have never been boosted by IT, and can a cloud migration reveal opportunities for any efficiency that has been looked over?

Rather than attempting a migration on your own, contact a trusted partner such as AE Technology Group.

AETG has a proven record of improving operations via a strategic and tailored move to the cloud, and can also manage the newly adopted services so that you can focus on your business mission.

How Can a Customer Relationship Management Software Help Me Get Serious About My Sales Process?

how can a customer relationship management software help me get serious about my sales process

Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software is an especially useful solution for any business to utilize, as long as they do so with a strategy in mind. Let’s go over why this strategy is so important, and how it should be shaped. Let’s begin by defining what Customer Relationship Management really is, and how it can help you get serious about the sales process.

THE CONCEPT OF A CRM STRATEGY

Using CRM software has a pretty low bar for entry. Basically, you just have to procure it and populate it with the data you have collected. The purpose of a CRM strategy is to really use your solution to the fullest extent that you can, which allows you to optimize your outcomes.

There are a few ways that your CRM strategy can enable you to do so:

  • It condenses data in context to help you reference it as you make decisions and set goals.
  • It makes customer service efforts more comprehensive, which can boost retention and loyalty.
  • It assists you in making sales by scaling your process properly and eliminating redundancy.

Naturally, these are benefits that can assist any business in its pursuit of its goals, so it is important that you create a proper CRM strategy to guide you. Here is a simple process for you to follow:

UNDERSTAND YOUR GOALS AND STRATEGIZE FOR THEM

  • What is it, exactly, that you want your business to accomplish?
  • What is your intended use of your CRM software, and what do you want to achieve with it?
  • How will each department use it to do strive toward their goals?
  • How will your offering be distributed?

Once you have conferred with your team and answered these questions, it is time to consider the business landscape and who your ideal clients are. Then, determine what makes your offer different, and commit to providing this difference each time in the way that best suits your prospects.

ANALYZE AND ORGANIZE YOUR TEAM

How will the introduction of your new CRM software impact your team? Speak with those whose job responsibilities will be affected by your new solution, and look for any past experience with such platforms for their impression of different options.

You will also need to identify those team members who will be using the software to collaborate and be sure that everyone understands their particular roles. It is also helpful to determine the goals that each department should strive toward, and identify the key performance indicators that will help measure their progress.

IMPLEMENTING YOUR NEW SOLUTION AND STRATEGY

Determine how different contacts will be divided within your CRM, and establish a policy of collecting all the information you need from a contact that is going to be included. You should also strongly consider mapping out your sales processes for each of your services so it is easier to manage your brewing business.

It is also a good idea to keep your software requirements in mind when selecting your CRM, as you will want to select a title that plays nicely with your existing solution. Is your chosen email platform Outlook? Make sure to find a CRM that integrates with it for optimal benefits.

AE Technology Group is here to help you with these considerations, and more. To learn what we can do to assist your customer relationship management through IT solutions, or any other of your business processes, reach out to us at (877) 771-2384.

Cloud Network Migration is the Wave of the Future

cloud network migration is the wave of the future

Having all of your personal, or business files on your computers hard drive takes up a lot of space. Most people run out of their computers hard drive space eventually. One option is to set up your own network, but that is difficult and time consuming. Migrating your files to a secure cloud based service is the wave of the future.

When you take part in cloud network migration, you’re migrating your files from your computer, onto a cloud. A cloud is a server center where files are stored, processed, and shared through, rather than a local network.

Why should you choose to use the cloud? First of all, it is much more convenient than having your own server in your work space or home. That can take up a lot of money, and space. When you use a cloud, you don’t have to host the network, and someone else monitors it for you. It takes the stress off of you, but still leaves you with the advantage of storing your files onto a network. If you were previously just using the hard drives in your office’s computers, then you know how hard it is to manage space. Hard drives only have so much space. Clouds have much more room to store data onto.

Some people are worried about clouds not being secure. This isn’t true. Clouds are just as secure as your very own network would be, and they’re often even more secure.

One thing you can do to minimize the chance of a hacker getting into your files is creating a password that is very hard to guess. Make it case sensitive, with numbers, and as long as you’d like. Remember, the harder the better, because it’s being used to protect your files.
Altogether, getting your files onto a cloud network can be very helpful. Clouds are just as secure as your own network, and it also takes the stress off of you to manage a network. Migrate your files to a cloud today!

Why There Should Be No Fear of Completely Cloud-Based Operations

Scared-of-the-cloud

In a Computer Weekly round table featuring IT executives discussing the most important transformations occurring in data centers, UK CIO at City broker ICAP Jack Scard-Morgan, had the following to say about cloud computing:

“There are 20 different definitions of what cloud is and we have different comfort zones of what we are happy to put in the cloud, but we are all using some sort of software-as-a-service.”

This encapsulates current attitudes towards cloud computing very well; many companies have hesitations about cloud solutions based upon factors as diverse as performance, security, training, and in some cases the classic “if it isn’t broken, don’t fix it” mentality. However, the benefits in terms of agility and potential cost saving with a cloud network migration are too great to ignore, meaning that we will be hard-pressed to find an enterprise that is not leveraging at least one SaaS solution.

However, a growing number of startups are rolling out entire operations onto IaaS/PaaS platforms. Organizations such as Netflix have shown that it is possible to run a stable, world-class service organization almost entirely from a cloud platform, and this arrangement is now becoming more of a default option than an overtly risky venture.

Of course, this does not mean that there are no considerations to be made with cloud platforms. An organization has to be able to trust the security guarantees of the vendor, relinquish some of the control that comes with complete ownership of infrastructure, and make sure that its business model accounts for all recurring costs of cloud services. However, we are rapidly seeing that some of the greatest fears with these platforms are often exaggerated.

This also does not imply that every business needs a cloud migration just for its own sake. Not all business models nor functions map over very well to cloud services. However, this fact happens to tie into the cloud philosophy very well; there is value gained in mixing and matching the best available solutions for specific business needs and lowering the barriers to entry in leveraging them.