Month: August 2013

An IronOrbit Hosted Desktop appears and performs the same, for the most part, as a Windows operating system installed on the hard drive of a PC.

Four characteristics that IronOrbit Hosted Virtual Desktops and Windows desktop operating systems have in common are:

• Interface.
  The default visual schemes of IronOrbit Hosted Desktops are similar to that of Windows XP, Windows 7, or Windows 8 (businesses can choose which desktop OS they want their hosted desktops to resemble). Likewise, interaction with either an IronOrbit Hosted Desktop or a Windows desktop OS takes place via a mouse (represented onscreen as a cursor), a keyboard, and/or a touchscreen.

• Functionality.
  IronOrbit Hosted Desktop users can do all of the things they can do in a Windows desktop OS: install, access, and utilize applications (several of which can be open at the same time); send and receive emails; browse the Internet; and save files. In addition, any Windows-compatible application can be installed on an IronOrbit Hosted Desktop.

• Performance.
  IronOrbit Hosted Desktops perform as well as locally-installed Windows operating systems, even when they’re processing resource-intensive applications like CAD or video editing software.

• Persistence.
  Each registered IronOrbit user is assigned to his or her own permanent Hosted Desktop. Like a Windows desktop OS, an IronOrbit Hosted Desktop retains all of a user’s files, settings, and applications even after (and no matter how many times) he or she logs out.

At the same time, there are several ways in which IronOrbit Hosted Desktops differ from Windows desktop operating systems that make IronOrbit Hosted Desktops the more appealing option:

• Accessibility.
  IronOrbit Hosted Desktops can be accessed from anywhere with any Internet-connected device. A Windows desktop OS, however, can only be accessed on the device on which it is installed.

• Manageability.
  IronOrbit Hosted Desktops are organized onto a small number of interconnected servers and contained within a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) framework. Their centralization makes them much easier to protect, monitor, and maintain than decentralized, PC-based Windows desktop operating systems.

• Cost-efficiency.
  With IronOrbit Hosted Desktops, businesses don’t have to purchase any onsite servers or PC workstations. Users can access their Hosted Desktops from low-cost devices such as thin clients, tablets, and notebooks. Meanwhile, the IronOrbit Hosted Desktops themselves cost only a low, flat monthly fee.

• “Deploy-ability”.
  IronOrbit Hosted Desktops can be deployed quickly (sometimes in as little as a few minutes) and don’t require any large upfront costs. PCs take at least a day to acquire and cost about $700 each (not including monitors and peripherals, much less the servers and storage devices required with any onsite IT infrastructure).

Other unique features of IronOrbit Hosted Desktops and Application Hosting include Atomic Speed Technology, customizability, and 24x7x365 all-inclusive technical support. Contact an IronOrbit sales representative at [email protected] or (888) 753-5060 to seize the “Hosted Desktop Advantage” today!

Businesses can significantly lower their IT hardware costs by switching to a Hosted VDI from IronOrbit.

With an IronOrbit Hosted VDI, businesses don’t have to purchase any on-site servers or storage devices. And because Hosted Virtual Desktops are accessible from anywhere and the IronOrbit servers handle all of the processing and storage of our Hosted VDIs, businesses don’t have to purchase a fully-equipped, $1,000 PC workstation for each employee—instead, they can institute a BYOD policy and let employees use their personal laptops or tablets at work; or procure low-cost thin clients or refurbished desktops.

Of course, businesses are still paying for servers and storage devices indirectly when they sign up for IronOrbit Hosted VDIs, but the costs of a Hosted VDI are still much lower than on-site IT infrastructures because of the former’s higher efficiency and economy of scale.

The other ways that IronOrbit Hosted VDIs decrease hardware costs include:

• Atomic Speed Technology.
  With IronOrbit Hosted VDIs, businesses can maintain a high-performance IT infrastructure without having to purchase any expensive end-user devices. IronOrbit Hosted Virtual Desktops—built with Atomic Speed Technology—perform better than locally-installed operating systems and application, even if they’re accessed from old or low-cost devices.

• Included data backups.
  We perform automated daily backups of all our Hosted VDIs. Our clients don’t have to purchase any additional storage hardware.

• Unlimited flexibility.
  Businesses will never have to purchase their own hardware in order to add solutions, capabilities, or storage to one of our Hosted VDIs. Any IT solution (applications, email clients, VoIP/Hosted PBX, etc.) can be integrated with an IronOrbit Hosted VDI. IronOrbit Hosted VDIs can also be scaled up to support an unlimited amount of hosted desktops, users, or storage space.

With an on-site IT infrastructure, businesses have to purchase and maintain all of their own IT hardware. The upfront costs of an on-site IT infrastructure are substantial: $1,000+ for each server, $500+ for each storage device, $1,000+ for advanced networking hardware, and $1,000+ for each PC workstation. All of these devices have to be replaced every 3-5 years. In contrast, with an IronOrbit Hosted VDI a business’s only upfront cost is the first of its low monthly payments, and it doesn’t have to pay anything extra if we have to replace the hardware containing its Hosted VDIs.

Meanwhile, the hosted virtual desktops of other hosting providers lack the Atomic Speed Technology, data backups, flexibility, and scalability of IronOrbit’s Hosted Virtual Desktops. This forces their clients to purchase thousands of dollars in additional hardware (high-end PCs, network-attached storage devices, servers, etc.) to raise the performance, functionality, or storage capacity of their Hosted VDI to acceptable levels.

For a cost-effective Hosted VDI that exceeds the performance and functionality of an on-site IT infrastructure, contact an IronOrbit sales representative at [email protected] or (888) 753-5060 to sign up for Hosted Virtual Desktops or Application Hosting today!

Analyst House Gartner predicts that Hosted Virtual Desktops will grow up to fourfold by 2016 to 49 million units. This trend is already growing in the business market with several benefits offered by hosted desktops service providers.

1) Businesses are understanding the benefits of hosted desktops

Many businesses are growing rapidly and so is the data generated within their organization. The focus for any successful organization needs to be on its efficiency and performance. However, the data in the systems is valuable too. Many companies are understanding the need to adopt the hosted desktop model that takes care of all their data at an affordable rate rather than taking the risk of losing massive crucial information. A hosted desktop is of great help to cut down unwanted costs, manage data safely and focus more on enhancing the company’s efficiency with the data back up available on cloud storage anytime!

2) Unbound access

Businesses consider moving to the cloud so that their data can be accessible from anywhere, anytime. Imagine you can access the desktop in your office, exactly the same way it appears even if you are miles away! This distinct feature of virtual desktops provides a great opportunity for many firms to expand globally where individual professionals can work for the company, the connecting point being the hosted desktop and a good internet connection! A hosted desktop also guarantees full security for the company’s information through strategic data management planning and recovery.

3) Virtual but safe

The damaged caused online by people with malicious intentions turns many businesses to depend on virtual services. Hosted desktops feature a user permission management system and user permission tools under a secured IT infrastructure. Moreover, virtual desktops offer a high storage capacity and are designed to store repeated events with high input/output demands like antivirus scans, log on/off options, booting etc. Some common benefits of hosted desktops include guaranteed data security with encrypted internet connection and a 24/7 data monitoring team. Most importantly Virtual desktops are efficient in providing data backup.

4) Availability of larger options

Virtual Desktops offer flexible functionality while adhering to strict requirements and security standards. They provide several options to ensure flexibility while working on your desktop. For instance, an organization may either adopt a customized desktop allowing each user to use their system according to individual suitability or adopt a generic interphase for organizational convenience. The desktop hosting service offers several applications to ensure timely enhancement of company’s system performance. There may be several applications running on your system, but with a hosted desktop, any application can be accessed from anywhere within seconds. åÊ

5) Uncomplicated operating system

Operational system helps isolate your apps from each other as well as from the operating systems, keeping the settings on your desktop constant. The flexibility to run multiple applications simultaneously or avoiding the clash of two different operating systems is what makes desktop hosting a user friendly system. This feature is an added advantage as it ensures no overlapping when several applications are being operated by single or multiple users.

6) A good system manager

All businesses would want their data availability in the fastest possible way without losing out on crucial information. A hosted desktop as such, ensures speedy accessibility and security of information from anywhere you work with an internet connection. Desktop hosting thus saves an organization’s time and money with the systems secured from viruses, crashes or any other mishap that would degrade the computers functioning.åÊ A hosted desktop takes care of data and file management, so that an organization’s key requirement to deliver its information to the target users in the most mobile and efficient manner is fulfilled

7) External hosts a blessing

An obvious question for any business would be, why hire an external hosted desktop when an organization can host its own data within its working environment. On the flip side, a lot of organizations are opting for external hosted desktops to reduce the burden of the IT department for massive data handling. External hosted desktops services specialize in performance enhanced data management. They charge a fee according to a subscription which is much cheaper than the burden a business firm would bear to maintain its own system of desktops.

8) The pride in Going Green

Virtual desktops can help boost an organization’s status as ‘environment friendly’. Instead of buying several desktops it is wiser to handle data on a virtual desktop, ensuring cost cutting and saving tons of energy that would otherwise harm the environment. Many organizations are flexible, allowing their employees to use notebooks or tablets. Such companies are called ‘thin clients’ for a hosted desktop service provider who only require software to be installed in their system thereby saving even more energy. Using virtual desktops is a smarter way to obtain dual benefits- saving money and reducing your company’s carbon footprint.

Hosted Desktops are the future of any successful business in terms of boosting efficiency, performance and security. If you are ready to move to the cloud and want the easy way, feel free to contact us at Ironorbit.com

IronOrbit Hosted Desktops and Hosted Applications perform at least as well as on-premise IT solutions, even though our solutions are hosted at offsite datacenters and accessed via the Internet. Our offsite and network-based solutions are able to outperform locally-installed operating systems and software as a result of our Atomic Speed Technology, a painstakingly-developed set of technologies, protocols, and best practices that helps us maximize the speed of our servers and networks. IronOrbit hosted solutions not only perform better their onsite, self-hosted counterparts, however; they’re also more cost-effective, secure, reliable, scalable, and environmentally-friendly; are accessible from anywhere and with any Internet-connected device; and don’t require businesses to purchase or maintain any on-premise servers.

For many businesses, the ability of IronOrbit hosted solutions to perform as well as onsite, self-hosted solutions is reason enough (considering that IronOrbit is also more convenient, cost-effective, accessible, secure, reliable, scalable, and eco-friendly) to sign up for our Hosted Desktops, Hosted Applications, or Managed Hosted Servers. The performance speed of our hosted solutions isn’t as important to some of our clients, however; these clients are instead concerned with how reliable, scalable, and secure our hosted file servers are. In any event, though, businesses have many reasons to prefer IronOrbit Hosted File Serversover onsite, self-hosted file servers, as well. The hosted file servers of IronOrbit come in three different forms:

• Managed Hosted Servers. Instead of using our Managed Hosted Servers to self-deploy applications, virtual desktops, or websites, businesses can turn them into file servers.
• Hosted Virtual Desktops. Hosted VDIs can be set up to have shared storage, so that users that are part of the same deployment of Hosted Desktops can access each other’s files and data.
• Document Management Systems (Microsoft SharePoint). Hosted document management systems such as Microsoft SharePoint have the same storage and sharing features as hosted file servers.

The benefits of selecting IronOrbit Hosted File Servers include:

• Better data security. We protect our Hosted File Servers with enterprise-level security measures such as firewalls, antivirus, spam blockers, and intrusion prevention and detection systems.
• More accessibility. IronOrbit Hosted File Servers can be accessed from anywhere with any Internet-connected device.
• Added reliability. Our Hosted File Servers are monitored and maintained 24x7x365 and backed with a 100% uptime guarantee. We also perform complete data backups of all of our Hosted File Servers on a daily basis.
• Unlimited scalability. Any amount of extra storage can be added to a Hosted File Server at any time.

Whether a business is looking for a Hosted Application or Hosted Desktop that performs like an onsite solution or a Hosted File Server that’s secure, reliable, and scalable, it should always rely on IronOrbit as its hosting provider: no one matches the quality and cost-effectiveness of our IT solutions.

It doesn’t matter what the IT solution is—IronOrbit is the ideal hosting provider for businesses of all types and sizes. Managed data backups, 24x7x365 all-inclusive technical support, Orbital Security, and Atomic Speed Technology are included at no extra charge with all of our hosted solutions, which cost only a low, flat monthly fee. Our IT solutions are the perfect combination of cost-efficiency, performance, flexibility, and support. In addition to the unmatched quality of our hosted solutions, we also have an unparalleled variety of offerings. Among the solution that we offer are: hosted desktops, hosted applications, application hosting, managed hosted servers, industry specific solutions, business productivity applications, and VoIP. IronOrbit can customize any aspect of these solutions, too, including the amount of data storage and the number of permitted users.

At the same time, we’re also aware that some of our clients couldn’t care less about the variety of our offerings—their only concern is how well IronOrbit hosts Windows applications and virtual desktops. In addition to the general advantages (listed above) of selecting IronOrbit as one’s hosting provider, the reasons that IronOrbit is especially well-qualified to host Windows applications and virtual desktops include:

• We’re Microsoft Certified Partners. We’ve maintained a long-running partnership with Microsoft that has allowed us to provide the best-supported and most cost-effective and fully-featured Windows applications and hosted desktops available.
• We’re Windows compatible. We designed our hosting infrastructure to be optimally compatible with Windows applications and virtual desktops. For example, the majority of our servers are equipped with Windows Server operating systems; and our hosted desktops all mimic the appearance and behavior of Windows XP, Windows 7, or Windows 8 operating systems. In addition, any application that can be installed on a Windows operating system can also be hosted by IronOrbit. (It should be noted that these are the full desktop versions of these programs and not the stripped-down “cloud” versions hawked by first-party developers.)
• We’re Windows experts. Our technicians know all the ins and outs of Windows operating systems. Many of them possess advanced Microsoft certifications, as well.
• We’re Mac OS compatible. Many IronOrbit users access their Windows applications and hosted desktops from Apple computers and mobile devices. Businesses with Apple workstations will use IronOrbit hosted solutions to access critical yet Windows-only applications, for example.

To sign up for the most cost-effective and fully-supported Windows Application Hosting and Windows Hosted Desktops, contact an IronOrbit sales representative today!

IronOrbit Hosted Desktops are web-based IT solutions that resemble Windows desktop operating systems. Like IronOrbit Hosted Applications, our hosted desktops can be accessed from anywhere and with any Internet-connected device; they don’t require any on-site servers; and they are backed by 24x7x365 technical support, Orbital Security, and managed data backups. Hosted desktops are more flexible and dynamic than hosted applications, however. For example, the settings and applications of virtual desktops can be customized; and hosted desktops can provide users with access to file systems, email clients, and web browsers. In addition, multiple applications can be installed on a single IronOrbit Hosted Desktop.

IronOrbit Hosted Desktop users therefore avoid the inefficiencies and inconveniences of signing up for multiple hosted applications—such as having to remember multiple logins, having to sign in multiple times, having to close one application before opening another, or having to perform some kind of complex operation just to transfer files between them. (The simplicity and streamlined performance of IronOrbit Hosted Applications make more sense for businesses that want to host only one or two programs.) Being deployed with IronOrbit Hosted Desktops will increase the accessibility, security, and centralization of any application. Certain applications benefit even more than others from being hosted with IronOrbit Virtual Desktops, however, and these include:

• Microsoft Office. With an IronOrbit Virtual Desktop with a version of Microsoft Office installed on it, users can access Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access, and Publisher from anywhere; can switch between the Office programs with ease; and exchange Office files with their colleagues via the shared folder of their Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI). Any version of a Microsoft Office can be installed on an IronOrbit Hosted Desktop, including the Home, Standard, and Professional editions of Microsoft Office 2013.
• QuickBooks and Sage 50 (formerly Peachtree Accounting). The work of a typical accountant involves more than just inputting data and crunching numbers—it also entails communicating with clients, designing and filling out forms, and looking things up online. The advantage of an IronOrbit Hosted Desktop is that it allows accountants to access their financial software and all of their other applications (Microsoft Outlook, Microsoft Word, Internet Explorer, etc.) from anywhere and from a single, easy-to-understand-and-use interface.
• Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint. It’s better to install Exchange and SharePoint with an IronOrbit Hosted VDI—our storage of the files of these programs is centralized and secure, and the applications that are required to open and edit all of the file types that are shared on these platforms are compatible with our hosted desktops.

Enhance your applications by contacting an IronOrbit sales representative and signing up for our Hosted Desktops (in combination with Hosted Microsoft Office, QuickBooks Hosting, and Peachtree Hosting) today!

For a low-cost IT infrastructure that’s secure, flexible, and can be accessed from anywhere, nothing beats a hosted VDI from IronOrbit. Similar to other hosted IT infrastructures (like our own Managed Hosted Servers), it can be used as a hosting platform for any other IT solution, including applications, email clients, and business productivity tools such as Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Lync. At the same time, IronOrbit Hosted VDIs can supplant desktop operating systems as employees’ primary virtual workspace, due to the fact that hosted desktops look and perform the same as a Windows desktop operating system installed on the hard drive of a PC.

With IronOrbit Hosted VDIs, businesses don’t have to purchase any expensive on-site IT hardware or hire any on-premise IT personnel. Companies can reduce their IT costs further by letting employees access their hosted desktops at work from their personal devices (laptops, tablets, or smartphones) or by switching out their PC workstations for thin clients or refurbished computers, all of which are compatible with hosted desktops. In addition, all IronOrbit Hosted VDIs come standard with comprehensive IT security, managed data backups, and 24x7x365 all-inclusive technical support, so our clients don’t have to worry about signing any additional contracts with a managed services provider or data backup service. IronOrbit Hosted Desktops are also scalable, so the amount of users and storage capacity of an initial Hosted VDI deployment can always be adjusted up or down.

IronOrbit Hosted Desktops can be adopted by any business in any industry due to their flexibility, ease-of-use, and the speed and simplicity of deploying them; they can be adopted by any size of business due to their scalability; and they should be adopted by businesses due to their unique combination of cost-efficiency, out-of-the-box functionality, and IronOrbit’s top-to-bottom IT support. Industry-specific benefits that businesses in the sectors listed below can expect to gain by signing up for IronOrbit Hosted Desktops include:

• Legal. Lawyers can use IronOrbit Hosted Desktops to access and store case documents, communicate with clients, and track billable hours from anywhere. Our hosted VDIs are compatible with law practice management software such as Abacus and Amicus, as well.
• Medical. With IronOrbit Hosted Desktops, doctors can access EMRs and EHRs from their tablet or smartphone as they travel from one examination or operating room to another. In addition, our hosted desktops are flexible enough that they can host the applications (Microsoft Office, QuickBooks, CRMs, ERPs, etc.) of administrative healthcare workers, too. Our hosted VDIs comply with HIPAA and “meaningful use” standards, as well.
• Accounting. IronOrbit Hosted Desktops are compatible with any accounting application, including all versions of QuickBooks and Sage 50/Peachtree. Our hosted desktops let accountants access their financial applications and data from anywhere with any Internet-connected device. As a result, accountants can (for example) input data remotely into their QuickBooks with their iPad when performing on-site audits, or provide clients with access to a QuickBooks-equipped hosted desktop so that the clients can input the data themselves. In addition, IronOrbit Hosted VDIs are PCI DSS and SOX compliant.

Experience the benefits of IronOrbit Hosted Desktops and Application Hosting yourself by contacting one of our sales representatives and signing up for a FREE 30-day trial today!

According to a new report by a technology research firm, the global hosted desktop market will grow at a 65.7% compound annual growth rate between 2012 and 2016.

The report identifies financial pressures (“the increasing need to reduce desktop infrastructure costs”) as one of the principal causes of this growth. Aside from cost-efficiency, anywhere-availability and heavy-duty IT security are also characteristics of hosted desktops that are commonly cited by journalists and industry leaders as motivations for the hosted desktop market’s explosive growth.

For example, hosted virtual desktops are under consideration (in the form of a 7,500-user pilot deployment) by the United States Navy as a cost-saving measure that “offers the additional benefit of an improved network user experience.” Hosted virtual desktops provide “centralized security patching and updating” and “increased security achieved by establishing a secure, non-persistent operating environment,” according to the Navy.

Hertz Rent-a-Car, a Pennsylvania school district, and a state government agency in Iowa, on the other hand, have already been able to benefit from hosted desktops, according to a blog post on CIO.com by VMware. By switching to desktop virtualization, Hertz more than doubled the lifespan of its desktops, the school district was able to add new technologies to its art and music departments rather than simply replenishing its supply of PCs, and the Iowa government agency decreased its IT costs by $6.5 million. In a separate article, an Ohio school district IT director also praised desktop virtualization as being capable of extending the lifecycle of old PCs by instilling them with “new hardware speed.”

In contrast, Michael Endler of InformationWeek stresses mobility as the most attractive aspect of hosted desktops to businesses; Endler even quotes Forrester analyst David Johnson as arguing, “The number-one driver for VDI has shifted from cost savings to supporting the ability to work from anywhere. More companies are investing for a flexible work style.” With hosted desktops, employees can access their files and applications from anywhere and with any Internet-connected device (including desktops, laptops, thin clients, tablets, and smartphones). Despite the greater mobility and wider availability of hosted desktops, however, a virtual desktop infrastructure has the potential to be even more centralized and standardized than an on-site IT infrastructure—a point highlighted by Endler when he mentions that hosted desktops would allow a business with a Windows XP infrastructure to use whatever computers it wanted (i.e., computers running Windows 7, Windows 8, Mac OS, or Linux) as workstations.

Unmentioned in these articles about the appeal of desktop virtualization is how easy it is to switch to hosted desktop—that all businesses have to do to switch to accomplish this is sign up for Desktop Hosting from IronOrbit. From there, IronOrbit will design the solution based upon the business’s requirements and preferences; deploy the solution; perform whatever data migration the situation calls for; continually maintain and monitor the infrastructure of the solution; and supplement the Hosted Desktop Solution with 24x7x365 technical support, comprehensive Orbital Security, and managed data backups. The upfront costs of IronOrbit are minimal, too (they’ll only owe us small setup and migration fees and the first of their low, flat monthly payments). Our hosted desktops aren’t just fully-supported and cost-effective, however; they also perform and scale better than any other version available (they were designed and built in collaboration with the Citrix VDI-in-a-Box development team). For more information or to commence a free 30-day trial of any of our hosted solutions, businesses should contact an IronOrbit sales representative today.

QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, Sage 50 Quantum Accounting (formerly Peachtree Accounting), and Microsoft Dynamics GP are midrange accounting applications. These accounting programs are ideal for businesses that have outgrown the basic versions of QuickBooks or Sage 50 or for small-and-medium-sized businesses (SMBs) with sizable inventories or that conduct a high volume of transactions on a regular basis.

Businesses that want to upgrade from small business accounting software or to start from scratch with more advanced accounting software have several options when it comes to selecting brands and versions of applications (Kathy Yandal of PCMag recently evaluated five of them), but when it comes to choosing a hosting provider, IronOrbit is the only one they’ll need to consider. IronOrbit Hosted Applications are secure, accessible, convenient, low-cost, scalable, and customizable.

The benefits of accounting application hosting from IronOrbit include:

• It doesn’t require businesses to purchase or maintain any on-site servers or PCs
• IronOrbit will protect and back up your financial data
• You can access your financial application from anywhere, at any time, and with any Internet-connected device
• It costs only a low, fixed monthly rate
• Our hosted applications are scalable

All of our hosted applications come with Orbital Security (firewalls, IPS/IDS, antivirus, spam blocker, patch management, and content filter) and are compliant with PCI DSS and SOX. None of them require the purchase or maintenance of any on-site servers or PCs; in fact, they can be accessed from anywhere with any Internet-connected device (including thin clients, tablets, and smartphones). A deployment’s number of supported users and its total storage capacity can be upgraded at any time without affecting the application’s availability or performance. In addition, IronOrbit hosted applications—even midrange and enterprise-level accounting software—perform as well as locally-installed applications. Also included with our hosted applications are 24x7x365 technical support and managed data backups.

If a business is looking for a more flexible or dynamic hosted solution than application hosting, it should consider signing up for IronOrbit Hosted Virtual Desktops. A hosted desktop lets users access more than just a single application: as with the Windows desktop operating system that it resembles, users can access multiple applications from a hosted desktop (including fully-functional email clients and web browsers). Consequently, with hosted desktops a business can outsource the hosting of more than just a single application: it can outsource its entire IT infrastructure.

To sign up for IronOrbit Hosted Desktops, Application Hosting, or QuickBooks Hosting, contact an IronOrbit sales representative today.