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Month: October 2018

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Scalability in Cloud Computing
Hosted Virtual Desktops

Cloud Computing Scalability

 

Scalability in cloud computing is the ability to quickly and easily increase or decrease the size or power of an IT solution. A scalable cloud is why you can sign up and use most cloud solutions in just a few minutes – if not seconds. It’s why you can add resources like storage to an existing account just as quickly.

There are usually two ways to scale a cloud solution up or down:

  1. Contact the cloud provider to request it
  2. Add the resources yourself via an online portal

Some cloud solutions can also be auto-scaled. This means you can set them up to scale up or down automatically based on certain conditions, like when your cloud solution is running out of storage space.

 

Key Features of Cloud Scalability

 

  • Grow or shrink. Scaling is a change in size. It can mean increasing or decreasing

 

  • Sizeable difference. You don’t use a cool word like “scalability” to describe a minor change. It should mean adding a significant amount of users or data, or hardware-like assets such as vCPUs and vRAM.

 

  • Non-disruptive. Scaling doesn’t mean replacing. You’re adding resources to an existing deployment, so there should be minimal downtime or learning curve. Adding seats to your Google Apps deployment as you grow – that’s scaling. Switching to Office 365 because Google Apps can’t support you any longer, not so much.

 

  • Relatively fast. Not at all cloud solutions scale up in minutes or with the click of a button, but scaling with the cloud should at least be faster than buying and setting up the hardware yourself.

 

  • Relatively easy. If scalability was easy in every case, we’d all be AWS Architects making a sweet $100,000+ per year. But the architecture of the cloud still makes things easier than scaling locally. Without virtualization, you’d have to run your largest apps on expensive, difficult-to-maintain mainframes.

 

You Already Know, You Just Don’t Know It

 

The prediction is that 41% of enterprise workload will be run on public cloud platforms by 2020. Another 20% will be private-cloud-based, while 22% will rely on hybrid cloud adoption.

Even if you’ve never heard the term scalability before, you’ve probably done some scaling of your own without realizing it. If you’ve ever done any of these things:

  • Created a Gmail account
  • Added storage to your Dropbox account
  • Watched something on Netflix

Then you’ve done some scaling, at least in a limited, frontend sense. What you’ve done is create an IT resource – an email account, storage, or a streaming video – without buying any additional hardware.

There’s a lot happening behind the scenes here, too. With the Gmail example, Google’s cloud automatically sets aside space for your new email account – which it probably does millions of times per day, for its millions of other new users. Google is probably doing this without purchasing any new hardware, either. It probably has a surplus of hundreds or thousands of servers, all set up and ready to host millions of Gmail accounts.

 

6 Key Benefits of Cloud Scalability

 

1 – It makes you feel like a god. There’s something pretty cool about being able to deploy thousands of servers or terabytes of data with a single click. You start to think, “Today, I deployed and configured all the servers I needed. Tomorrow…the world.”

2 – It makes your job easier. Don’t tell your boss about this one, but adding resources with the cloud takes less time than doing it locally with physical hardware – a lot less time. You can then spend a lot of this extra time “working.”

3 – It makes disaster recovery easier. Not every business can afford a hot or cold site. But scalability allows any business to rebuild their IT in just a few hours; you just have to deploy new servers and copy over your data. It can take weeks, on the other hand, to rebuild your local IT with new physical servers.

4 – It gives your business incredible speed and flexibility. Want to open a new branch? Add a new team? Start a new project or campaign? Scalability lets you add the IT resources for initiatives like this in minutes, not months.

5 – It lets you avoid costly, disruptive migrations. You don’t want to deploy your IT on a platform, only to find that it can’t support you after several years of solid growth. With a scalable platform, you only migrate when you want to – not when your underlying platform lets you down.

6 – It saves you money. There are no large upfront costs with the cloud. No $5,000+ servers, SANs, or networking equipment to buy. And you only pay for what you use. On a large scale, scalability reduces waste. It’s why cloud providers can offer secure, reliable business email hosting for $5 per month and still be in business.

 

Why Cloud Computing Is Scalable

 

scalability cloud computing

Virtualization is what makes scalability in cloud computing possible. Virtual machines (VMs) are scalable. They’re not like physical machines, whose resources are relatively fixed. You can add any amount of resources to VMs at any time. You can scale them up by:

  • Moving them to a server with more resources
  • Hosting them on multiple servers at once (clustering)

The other reason cloud computing is scalable? Cloud providers already have all the necessary hardware and software in place. Individual businesses, in contrast, can’t afford to have surplus hardware on standby.

2021 UPDATE*

Virtual machines have evolved over the past few years. Operating systems have added more functionality and compatibilities allowing for every industry to have a more productive workflow. Technology has made tremendous leaps in progress as well, especially with increased internet speeds and 5G decreasing latency times exponentially. Using a virtual machine(remote desktop) has now become cost-effective and more productive for all industries, and all businesses.

IronOrbit INFINITY Workspaces is our “remote desktop” solution. Find out how powerful these workspaces really are.

 

 

 

Or give us a call at (888) 753-5060 to learn more about cloud computing from one of our cloud experts.

 

Managed Cloud Services: Why Are They Essential To Business Growth?
Managed Cloud Services

Managed cloud services are instrumental in surviving and thriving in a digitally-enabled marketplace. Recent advances in technology have changed the way businesses serve customers.

The Internet era makes it possible to complete transactions at your fingertips. For your company to stay relevant, it’s either you adapt or perish. A classic case of digital Darwinism. Technological evolution becomes the name of the game.

One of the major advantages of managed cloud services is its capacity to keep data safe and secure. Although the transformation to the cloud requires an investment, the pros outweigh the cons. In fact, data security is only one of the many benefits of managed cloud services.

What You Might Not Have Known About Managed Cloud Services?

Googling managed cloud services

  • It’s more secure and less hassle for you

You might think that a managed cloud is all about accessibility and storage. But, the best thing about a managed cloud services provider is that they also offer related services that are beneficial to your business.

Your data and other business assets are secure in a cloud environment. This means that you’ll no longer have to worry about updating your software on a regular basis. Your cloud service provider will take care of that.

Data backup is also a major concern for establishments. With a cloud-based managed services, backing up your data is automatic. As a business owner, you will have the peace of mind knowing that your data sits in a secure cloud environment.

  • It saves you time and money

The cloud managed services market also provides a cost-effective solution for small businesses.

Are you struggling with managing the IT aspect of your business? A cloud service provider will end the complex process. Hiring in-house experts to manage software security can be costly and time-consuming.

The fact that you save money in IT staff makes cloud services a smart solution.

  • It allows for digital collaboration

Cloud services promote collaboration in the workplace. You’ll have the ability to link your company data to the electronic devices of your employees.

Aside from linking your important files and documents, the cloud also syncs information. This means you don’t have to think about saving your documents. The system does it for you.

Each time you revise or change your documents, the cloud syncs them for you.  Cloud’s sharing capabilities are the stand-out developments in cloud technology. This is why many businesses are taking advantage of these perks.

Even if your employees are across the country, they don’t have to be present to attend meetings. Your staff can go over spreadsheets and make changes using of cloud-based applications.

Cloud managed services providers reduce paperwork and simplify business processes. If you have not tapped into cloud services, now is a perfect time.

Managed Cloud Services Are The Future Of Digital Transformation

Today’s digital landscape has changed for the better. And the best way to cope with these changes is to embrace the advancements of modern technology.

Technologies like artificial intelligence augmented reality, and blockchain relies on cloud-based technology. And there’s no doubt that managed cloud services market is the driver for going digital. 

Cloud was once perceived as a mere component of building the information superhighway.

But, due to the complexity of the IT environment, the cloud has become a multi-purpose solution for business growth.  

For managed cloud services to thrive, it has to depend on the expertise of support staff.

Managed Cloud Services Are Instrumental To Business Growth

If you are aiming for exponential growth, make it a priority to improve your processes. This will help serve clients better and using cloud can help you achieve this.

Cloud and managed services should act as your partner in digital transformation. It shouldn’t be just another item on your budget.

According to the most recent study conducted by IBM, 70% of businesses admitted that they were able to provide better service to clients and customers by opting for managed cloud services.

This is good news because it provides plenty of room for business growth. Managed cloud services let you simplify the processes of a traditional work environment. Technology has its own limitations, but it’s a critical component in your business.

Just when you have learned to adopt new technology, changes emerge to improve your business process. Managed services cloud computing addresses these rapid changes by giving you an ability to scale your workload.

As soon as the new technology becomes available, you can easily upgrade as needed. For start-up or small businesses, manage cloud providers can provide guidance and direction. This will help fledgling businesses meet their goals faster.

Choosing A Managed Cloud Services Provider

manage cloud services guy working on a laptop

When shopping for a managed cloud service, it’s essential to test each provider. Doing your due diligence will ensure that they meet your business needs.

Here are five steps to choosing the provider that’s right for you:

  • Know Your Requirements

Make a list of must-have services that a managed cloud service provider should offer. Because there are many services for you to explore depending on the goals you want to achieve.

It’s practical to choose a provider that can offer all services under one roof. Look for a provider that offers virtual servers, data centers, and private cloud.

  • Assess The Hardware Capability Of Your Service Provider

There’s no one-size-fits-all solution for your company. Each company has unique needs based on your requirements.

This is why you have to determine the hardware capability of your service provider to find out if it works for you. Cloud service providers with strong reputations and wide approval are the best choice.

Furthermore, you will also need features like in-house IT services, 24/7 data management, and monitoring, reliable disaster back-up, recovery systems and more.

So, take time to ask the company about the features they offer, and if you have the option to customize them. Provide extensive details on your operations so you can get a reliable recommendation.

  • Check The Level Of Security

Don’t risk choosing a cloud service provider that lacks reliable security protocols. A weak prevent exposing sensitive data, applications, and other mission-critical resources to threats.

A good service provider should have strong security protocols to keep your data safe.

Hence, ask your cloud providers about their security protocols. This is how you’ll know if they can protect your data from human error, malicious attacks, and hardware failure.

  • Negotiate A Service Level Agreement (SLA)

Finally, you’ll need to make sure that you’ve signed up for the service you paid for.

Don’t forget to secure a contract for cloud-based managed services. This step is important to ensure that the work promised materializes.

With a contract-bound agreement, your service provider is more likely to maintain accountability. The services must include regular performance reporting, uptime and outages updates, and logging essential information like your bandwidth usage.

Therefore, an SLA is a critical way for you to assess the capability and reliability of your cloud service provider.

Managed cloud services can level up your business whiles simplifying laborious tasks.

Do you think your business can benefit from the cloud? Drop a comment below.

 

Virtual Private Servers
Services

Hosted Virtual Private Server

When looking for the right kind of server to host your company’s applications, websites, and databases you are faced with several options: physical servers, dedicated hosted servers, and virtual private servers. Physical servers tend to be expensive and difficult-to-maintain while dedicated hosted servers prove to be inefficient for most business IT requirements. Virtual Private Servers from IronOrbit, on the other hand, fulfill your organization’s need for a server that is cost-efficient, flexible, secure, low-maintenance, and high-performance.

How VPS Works

Virtualization makes it possible to divide a single physical server into multiple virtual machines. A virtual private server (VPS) is a virtual machine with semi-permanent dimensions commonly used to host applications and store data. The virtual private server of one user cannot be accessed by the user of another VPS on the same physical server. The resources of a VPS—its CPU, RAM, storage space, and bandwidth—aren’t shared with a physical server’s other virtual servers, either (in other words, a virtual private server will always possess its allotted amount of Random-Access Memory, even if another VPS on the same physical server has maxed out its available RAM). Though a virtual private server only has so much processing power, storage capacity, and bandwidth, IronOrbit users can add or subtract computing resources from their VPS at any time.

IronOrbit Virtual Private Server Features

  • Meets your exact requirements: CPU, RAM, storage capacity, and bandwidth
  • Monitoring and maintenance of your entire IT infrastructure 24x7x365
  • Exclusive Atomic Speed Technology for superior performance
  • Orbital Security provides 4 layers of security to safeguard and protect your IT
  • 24x7x365 expert, local support: no call centers

Server Hosting Business

A Managed Solution

With IronOrbit, all you have to do is sign up and sign on. Our team of experts will make sure that your virtual private server is always up and running and accessible. They will monitor, maintain, and protect the hardware and software of your solution around-the-clock.

A Multitenant Environment, But Still Private and Secure

A virtual private server usually shares the resources of a physical server with other virtual private servers. Even in a multitenant environment, however, a user of one VPS can’t view, much less access, the VPS of another user. Our VPS can be considered as private and secure as an unshared physical server.

A Server That’s Accessible from Anywhere

Virtual private servers are web-based. As a result, administrators can monitor and control them remotely, and users can access the files, applications, emails, websites, and platforms hosted on the VPS via the Internet.

An Empty Canvas with No Limits

A virtual private server can be used to host an IT solution of any type or size and with any technical requirements. It supports applications, virtual desktops, websites, email accounts, and more. If your IT solution requires additional CPU, RAM, storage capacity, or bandwidth, simply contact IronOrbit to add more.

Benefits to Your Business

No on-site servers. There’s no purchasing or maintaining any on-site IT hardware with virtual private servers; you just sign up and sign on.

Lower IT costs. It’s a fraction of the cost to sign up for a virtual private server from IronOrbit compared to purchasing and maintaining an on-site server.

Raise employee productivity and collaboration. Employees can work from anywhere and off-site and on-site workers can collaborate with a web-based virtual private server.

Outsource management but retain control. There’s nothing beyond your visibility or control with the root-level access of a virtual private server.

Optimal performance, security, and reliability—without lifting a finger. There’s no need to hire any on-site IT personnel with one of our Virtual Private Servers; our technicians work around-the-clock to ensure that your VPS is as fast and secure as possible.

Terminal Server Hosting
Services

What an IronOrbit Terminal Server Can Do for You

Lower your IT costs. You don’t have to purchase or maintain any on-site servers with a hosted terminal server from IronOrbit. It isn’t necessary to hire any on-premise IT personnel, either. For a low, flat monthly fee, IronOrbit will provide all the hardware, IT management, and technical support required by your terminal server.

Improve the performance, security, and reliability of your applications. IronOrbit provides the fastest, best-protected, and most reliable hosted solutions due to our unique combination of advanced technologies (including Atomic Speed Technology and Orbital Security) and the unmatched dedication and skill of our personnel.

Raise the productivity and collaboration of your employees. You can access your IronOrbit terminal server from anywhere, at any time, using any Internet-connected device (including Windows, Mac, and Linux PCs, as well as Android and iOS smartphones and tablets). As a result, your employees can work from anywhere, and off-site workers can share the same applications and files as on-site workers.

IronOrbit Terminal Servers Feature:

  • Microsoft Windows Server 2008, 2012, or 2016
  • Atomic Speed Technology
  • Orbital Security
  • 24x7x365 technical support
  • 100% uptime guarantee
  • Flat rate pricing
  • Automated backups
  • Disaster recovery

Terminal Server Basics

Terminal Server Hosting Client

Every version of the Windows operating systems since Windows NT has included a feature alternately referred to as terminal services or remote desktop services. Thanks to this feature, users on the same network have the ability to access each other’s operating systems. This includes the operating systems of servers. A server running terminal services—that is, a terminal server—can be used to host applications. Reasons why a business might want to choose a terminal server over other kinds of servers or hosted solutions include:

Familiarity

The user interface of a terminal server should be pretty familiar to anyone that has ever come into contact with a Windows operating system: it basically has the same appearance and features as Microsoft’s OS. In addition, the IT personnel of a business should be equally familiar and comfortable with the Windows Server operating system.

Flexible

Terminal servers will host any Windows-compatible application. They can also be scaled up to support any amount of users, processing power, storage space, or bandwidth.

Trustworthy

Terminal services isn’t a fringe technology. It has been around for over a decade. Microsoft and Citrix, two of the largest and most successful software companies in the world, developed the technology, which has been shown to be extremely versatile and dependable. Microsoft also provides ongoing support for terminal services in the form of updates, security patches, and the occasional new operating system.

Server-Side Processing

With terminal services, all the applications’ processing takes place on the terminal server. This method utilizes less bandwidth. It also lets users access their applications from any device including thin clients, tablets, and smartphones without experiencing a drop in performance.

Single-Tenant Architecture

With a terminal server, businesses don’t share a physical server with other businesses like they do with a virtual private server. Even though single-tenant and multi-tenant architectures are both equally secure for terminal server hosting, there are some data security regulations that require businesses to store data on a single-tenant server. Single-tenant infrastructures can also be more powerful, predictable, and reliable.

Intuit QuickBooks
Services

Your Accounting Experience, Perfected

Our QuickBooks Hosting solution is perfect for businesses that want the functionality and ease-of-use associated with Intuit’s popular program, but that don’t want to spend their time or resources installing, maintaining, and monitoring the software. IronOrbit Hosted QuickBooks provides you with the same functionality as your desktop version of QuickBooks, plus all the benefits of our hosted solutions. Hosting your QuickBooks with IronOrbit allows you and your employees to securely access your financial application and data from anywhere in the world, with any Internet-enabled device.

Hosted QuickBooks by IronOrbit Benefits Include:

QuickBooks Hosting

Customization

We know that every business is unique, that is why IronOrbit can tailor your QuickBooks Hosting solution to your company’s needs. We host any version of QuickBooks, including QuickBooks Pro, QuickBooks Enterprise Solutions, and QuickBooks Premier, so that you can choose whichever version best meets your needs. Furthermore, the scalability of our Hosted QuickBooks solution allows you to start off with the exact number of deployments you need and add more as needed.

No Hassle

When you choose Hosted QuickBooks, you eliminate the hassle of having to install, update, backup, and troubleshoot the software. Our team of dedicated experts installs and monitors your company’s QuickBooks for you, and provides regular backups of your data. And with 24x7x365 comprehensive technical support, someone will always be available to help you with any problems or questions you may have.

Reduced Costs

By hosting your QuickBooks with IronOrbit, your business will see IT costs drop. You no longer have to purchase expensive servers, storage devices, or end-user devices; pay for new licenses; or hire someone to maintain your IT infrastructure. You simply pay a fixed monthly fee!

A Multi-User Environment

With our dedicated QuickBooks hosting solution, all of your company’s authorized users can access your data from anywhere. Gone are the days of having to email documents back and forth; now each user can access the exact same files wherever they are.

The Fastest Solutions

All of IronOrbit’s Hosted Solutions come equipped with Atomic Speed Technology. This unique combination of technologies, best practices, and protocols allows us to deliver the fastest QuickBooks hosting solutions around. In most cases, you can launch your Hosted QuickBooks in as little as one second. Contact us today to learn more about our QuickBooks Hosting Solutions or schedule a live demo.

Citrix XenDesktop and XenApp Hosting
Services

Citrix Servers

Citrix XenApp

Hosting applications on a shared server is much more efficient than the old-fashioned method of deploying applications. Installing applications individually on each employee’s computer used to be the only way but now, a multi-user hosted application only has to be installed once, and it’s easier to manage, secure, and back up due to its centralization. But simply installing an application on a server won’t magically turn it into a hosted application; this is where Citrix XenApp comes into play, transforming applications into hosted applications.

Citrix XenDesktop

Applications are not the only aspect of computing that becomes more efficient and secure by being hosted on a shared server. Your desktop operating system can be centrally hosted and accessed as well. Like with applications, it’s easier to manage, secure, and back up operating systems that are consolidated onto a single server. What’s more, they can be accessed from devices without a desktop-level OS, including thin clients (low-cost, modem-sized, hard drive-less computers), tablets, and smartphones.

Citrix Servers by IronOrbit Features Include:

Citrix XenDesktop

Accessible from Anywhere

Citrix Servers let you access your applications and/or virtual desktops from anywhere with any web-enabled device (including desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones).

Customizable

Choose between XenApp and XenDesktop, host any application you want (including legacy apps), and scale up to any amount of users, processing power, storage capacity, or bandwidth.

Fully-Managed

We provide 24x7x365 technical support, around-the-clock performance monitoring, Orbital Security (including firewall, antivirus, IPS/IDS, and content filter), and automated data backups with your Citrix Server.

Stay in Control and Forget the Hassles

There are a few downsides to managing your hosted applications or hosted desktops yourself. The costs and hassles of managing your own IT infrastructure can overshadow the advantages. It takes large amounts of time to monitor and maintain the infrastructure; furthermore, repairs and replacements of the hardware and software can be expensive.

Fortunately, there’s a way to outsource the management of your IT infrastructure but still maintain control over your hosted applications and/or hosted desktops—by signing up for the Citrix Servers of IronOrbit.

Reasons to Switch to IronOrbit Citrix Servers

Stay in control. You have just as much control over and access to your applications and virtual desktops as you would if you were hosting them yourself.

Keep your focus on your applications and virtual desktops. We will take care of building, managing, and maintaining the infrastructure. No on-site servers or IT personnel required. All you have to pay is a low, fixed monthly fee, we take care of all the expensive parts— purchasing, repairing, and replacing hardware and hiring technical support personnel.

No drop in performance, security, and reliability. IronOrbit hosted solutions are faster, more secure, and reliable than on-site solution thanks to our Atomic Speed Technology, Orbital Security, and dedicated team of experts.

Contact us today to learn more about Citrix Severs by IronOrbit.

Eco-Friendly Green IT Alternative
Services

Go Green with IronOrbit

We’re living in the era of green technology. As the world becomes more populated, the need for environmentally-friendly technology is increasing, with electric cars, solar power and wind turbines being among the more commonly cited examples.

One of the most important (yet overlooked) green technologies is cloud servers. The cloud helps to reduce waste, carbon emissions and electrical consumption, by reducing business’ reliance on physical infrastructure.

At IronOrbit, we pride ourselves on moving the green revolution forward, by providing environmentally-friendly cloud technologies to businesses. By hosting your servers with us, you will reduce your carbon footprint as well as your waste output, giving you good karma (as well as considerable savings).

The Top 5 Ways IronOrbit Green Solutions Save Money (And The Planet)

Cloud Benefits Environment

Less waste. By hosting your servers and desktops with IronOrbit, you’ll reduce the physical assets (computers, servers, etc) stored in your office, lessening the waste and pollution generated by your business.

Less power consumption. Cloud servers take advantage of economies of scale, reducing power consumption by storing key infrastructure in one location. In addition, the superior scalability of the cloud means you will never use more server resources than needed, thereby reducing your carbon footprint.

Lower vehicle emissions. With IronOrbit, employees can access their files and applications from anywhere in the world. This reduces the number of times they have to commute to the office, which in turn reduces carbon emissions.

Superior hardware efficiency. Cloud infrastructure increases CPU utilization, which reduces per-unit power consumption by ensuring that computers are not wasting electricity when idle.

Better space usage. Cloud infrastructure uses space efficiently, storing servers and other IT assets in one centralized location. This means less space needed for storage, and more room for mother nature to breathe.

What Studies Show…

A recent study led by the WSP Environment & Energy and the National Resources Defense Council indicates that cloud infrastructures are more environmentally friendly than traditional on-premise systems.

The report concluded that even the least environmentally friendly cloud infrastructure would produce less than half the carbon emissions of the average on-premise system. This is great news for our planet and the protection of our waterways!

Hosted Virtual Desktop: Access Your Computer Anytime, Anywhere From Any Device
Hosted Virtual Desktops

Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) revolution has taken businesses to the next level. If you have not tapped into BYOD, consider hosted virtual desktop as a jumping off point.

If you’re used to the traditional workplace environment, a hosted desktop might be foreign to you.

A hosted desktop refers to a Windows operating system, which is accessible via the Internet. It’s the clone of a Windows operating system with the same capabilities as the operating system on a PC.

This means that a hosted desktop lets you install and launch Microsoft Office applications, web browsers, and even email programs such as Microsoft Outlook.

Hosted desktops or also referred to as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS) allow you to enjoy the freedom of working remotely. You don’t have to be chained to your desk to carry out your task. Since it’s not installed on the machine, it’s like taking your PC anywhere minus the physical device.

Although each one of you is working on an independent PC, you’ll still have the opportunity to collaborate because all of your virtual PCs are hosted on interconnected servers.

ideation room meeting

Hosted Virtual Desktops vs Traditional In-House IT

With a traditional in-house IT, all assets, from drivers to servers are located onsite. Businesses with in-house IT solutions have a dedicated team of individuals responsible for resolving issues with the IT system and infrastructure.

Hosted desktops are the exact opposite of in-house IT. Windows applications are moved into the cloud to enable remote access. This is made possible by IT hosting company.

Having your OS installed on the server enables you to access your files, applications, and documents from any Internet-connected device.  So long as you have Internet access, you’ll be able to run applications with a hosted desktop.

Why Make The Switch?

More and more companies are now embracing digital transformation for a good reason-reduce manual task and increase productivity. Having the ability to work anywhere helps you to accomplish tasks. Aside from flexibility, hosted desktops also offer these benefits:

  • Cost-Effective IT Solution: Hosted virtual desktop services no longer require you to purchase expensive PCs just to maintain workplace productivity. You can access hosted desktops even from an old PC. It doesn’t affect the user experience because your OS is stored on the server of your hosting provider. Managing email, applications, and file storage has never been this easy.
  • Improved Security: Hosting companies consider security as a top priority. More often than not, the monthly fee you pay for a hosting company already includes patch management, data backups, and hosted virtual desktop security maintenance. That said, there’s no need to spend thousands of dollars on protecting, your sensitive files and documents from threats.
  • Maintenance-Free: When your operating system is locally installed, you’ll have to be responsible for maintaining your PC to preserve their optimum performance. A virtual hosted desktop spares you the headache of maintaining your servers and PCs because you can host your applications on the server of your hosting provider.

Hosted Virtual Desktops-The Emergence Of Advanced Technology

Virtualization exists even in the ’60s. However, it has some limitations that deter such technological concept from soaring high. One limitation is that hardware virtualization could only cater to one task at a time.

This means that the rest of the tasks have to be queued in batches. Just like most inventions, it wasn’t long enough when experts decided to improve the features of software and hardware virtualization.

With the emergence of new features after a few decades, managing multiple computers became easier. Hence, the use of virtual machines. How did this innovation change lives?

Well, for one, it enabled businesses to increase efficiency, and address stability and security concerns. Imagine eliminating the burden of depending on one device. It’s a whiff of fresh air for everyone. You don’t have to think about the safety of your data, especially when machines have been compromised.

Sensitive data becomes impervious to natural disaster and human error because you’re not storing them on individual machines. It’s a clever way to ensure data is in good hands. You’re not using a shared network.

That said, only people who have been granted access to your resources can view your files and applications. You decrease the likelihood of file corruption because employees access data from a separate operating system.  The VMware hosted virtual desktop is one of the providers that offer this feature.

Between the ’60s-’90s, you won’t notice any significant difference on hosted virtual desktops except gaining access to data, which is centrally stored. As the concept of hosted virtual desktops became popular in the late ’90s and early 2000s, the IT needs to kick the strategy up a notch to combat new security threats.

It’s a turning point for providers to implement cloud technology or cloud-hosted virtual desktop that will shield files and documents against complex security threats.

So when your files are stored in the cloud, you’re also reducing the likelihood of your sensitive data being hacked. Why? Simply because you could only access your files with an Internet connection.

In 2004, virtualization gained traction when new rules regarding management responsibilities were put in place. How did this come about? High-profile security threats paved a wider way for IT experts to come up with a more stringent rule that will not only increase the functionality of a hosted desktop but also create a security tool.

Providers are continuously releasing updates and revision up to the present. Each update will also require businesses to comply with the security requirement to cope with the changes in technology.

hosted virtual service business

Who Can Reap The Benefits Of Hosted Virtual Desktops?

The primary purpose of hosted desktops is to remove time-consuming tasks by simplifying processes. Here are the key industries that can benefit from hosted virtual desktops:

  • Professional Services

If your company offers professional services, such as legal or financial, there are many ways your company can benefit from the hosted desktop software. You can migrate industry-specific applications into the hosted desktop software to streamline business operations and processes.

You don’t have to keep on reminding yourself to perform an upgrade because most providers will update the applications and software for you.

Law and accountancy firms store sensitive files, which require strict data management practices. An advanced personal hosted virtual desktop has the ability to store data in a specific data center governed by data protection laws. With security measures in place, it will be difficult for hackers to steal your data.

  • Healthcare

In 2017, WannaCry ransomware crippled the healthcare industry due to its unpatched system. With more than 230,000 Windows OS computers affected across 150 countries, such damages incurred billions. This hacking scandal only proves that you need to be one step ahead of cyber criminals.

Data breaches occur when unauthorized individuals can freely access your files when the staff connects to unsecured networks. Hosted virtual desktop providers can lock down files as a way of protecting your data from being stolen. Hospitals also have heaps of paperwork that medical staff has to carry to consultations or around campus. Why risk losing some of these essential files when you can reduce the paper trail by moving important files into the cloud?

  • New Businesses

Running a small or start-up company is no excuse to let data security to take a backseat. This is one misconception that has led many small businesses to fall victim to cyber crimes. Your files are important even as a startup.

A hosted virtual desktop for small business gives you a significant amount of savings because you’ll no longer have to worry about hiring a support staff to maintain your IT environment or pay upfront server costs.

Both of these services have a comprehensive hosted virtual desktop pricing and they can be outsourced at a flat monthly rate. Scalability is one of the stand-out benefits of hosted desktop service. You can also consider hosted virtual desktop free of charge, but it has some limitations.  It makes your IT environment more sustainable with the option to scale up or down your service.

Hosted virtual desktops provide a streamlined business process to get things done in a timely fashion. You’ll also gain greater peace of mind because the minimal IT management responsibilities allow you to focus on other aspects of your business that matter.

What to Look For in a DaaS Provider
Desktop as a Service

One of the misconceptions about Desktop as a Service (DaaS) solutions is that they are less secure than virtual desktop infrastructure.

A DaaS provider can address potential compliance and security issues. You just need to make sure that you know what your security requirements are so you can find a provider that is capable of fulfilling your business needs.

It starts with evaluating your DaaS options. You should also look at the providers’ confidentiality, integrity, and availability so you can make an informed decision.

Does your DaaS provider tick all the right boxes?

Is your DaaS provider reliable?

Before you move forward with your provider, it’s best to check a few aspects of their service to find out whether or not they are trustworthy.

Since you’ll store client’s information, a provider should have a confidentiality protection in place to limit other companies from accessing sensitive information. On-premise directories can be compromised when hackers gain access to the unified directory.

Aside from confidentiality, you should also evaluate the availability of your provider because the service may not be up and running all the time.

Your service can be interrupted due to internet connection issues. DaaS also allows employees to work remotely through a reliable internet connection, but if other tenants are sharing the same infrastructure, the performance of your company’s DaaS service will also be affected.

Is your DaaS provider secure?

Cloud services have now been proactive in implementing stronger security measures to keep cyber threats at bay.

However, on-premises systems and infrastructures only focus on the needs of your business. Make sure you check how cloud services are dealing with potential threats. Some providers can isolate your records so they won’t be accessible to other employees.

You can also configure your compliance and security requirements based on the specific needs of your company.

Benefits of DaaS

DaaS does not rely on an existing hardware infrastructure to get services to work. This service is a more affordable option because it can lower the total cost of ownership.

Even virtual desktops don’t require new hardware because you can just use the available technological resources. You’re not only saving money but a great amount of time installing replacements as well.

Since BYOD has its own policy, you need to keep in mind that data can be stolen or compromised anytime. If you allow employees to store business files on their unsecured devices, you’re increasing the risk of data breach. DaaS addresses this concern by storing your data in the data center.

Human error is one of the reasons businesses have been suffering from the data breach, data loss, and fraud. With traditional setup, you will need to carry around your device wherever you want to work.

DaaS eliminates this risk by keeping everything within the cloud. Virtual desktops give you access to your files on any device. With improved mobility, you’re also increasing the productivity of your business.

Choose a DaaS provider with a disaster recovery strategy in place because hackers can easily penetrate into your infrastructure if you fall short on providing strong security for your business assets.

Cloud Migration Strategy: Why You Should Move Into The Cloud?
Cloud Migration

Cloud migration refers to the process of deploying some or all of your data, services, applications, or other essential business assets into the cloud, which is run by a cloud service provider.

When it comes to implementing your cloud migration strategy, two things usually come to mind: planning and execution. Before you consider migrating your data to the cloud, it’s vital to be aware of the implications of the migration.

Once you have a solid plan, the next step you need to take is to execute your migration. When carrying out your migration, you’ll face some challenges such as minimal disruption to your normal business operation. Since the migration will render your data inaccessible, you need to be prepared for the risk involved that can seriously impact your business operations.

Successful cloud computing migration strategy means that your data have been kept secure and optimized. Since it’s a critical infrastructure, real-time monitoring of changes is essential.

Migration strategy for cloud also requires meeting regulatory compliance such as GDPR. Make sure you perform an assessment regarding the security of your data to ensure it’s going to work in a cloud-based environment.

cloud migration strategy meeting

The Benefits of Cloud Migration Strategy

  • Data Protection

Data loss due to power failure, virus, or natural disaster is costly and can affect business productivity and continuity. Moving your data into the cloud will spare you the headache of recovering everything from scratch because the cloud can store backup copies of your data in a secure location so you can access it from the cloud.

  • Complete Document Control

Cloud stores your document via a centralized data center. You don’t have to go through a series of tedious processes just to share your document with the rest of your team. Anyone who has access to a document can edit or view the file depending on the type of access you have permitted. Circulating the same file allows better collaboration across workers, partners, customers, and companies.

  • Data Security

Saving and storing your sensitive data on your machine or laptop are not good practices to follow. If someone gains access to your device, you could lose your important files at the drop of a hat.  When you store your data in the cloud, you’ll be able to access your document from any device and reduce the risk of exposing your data to cybercriminals.

  • Scalability

Another reason why it’s a good idea to implement a cloud strategy migration is its scalability. You can scale up or scale down your storage based on your business needs. If your business belongs in a fluctuating market, cloud enables you to add or reduce the space on your cloud environment.

Key Points To Remember Before You Migrate

Cloud Migration Only Takes Minutes

Migrating your resources into the cloud is not as complicated as it may sound. In fact, it only takes a few minutes to move everything into the cloud. Unless, of course, your project needs planning. There are several variables that you need to take into account to determine how long it would really take to complete the migration process.

The size and components of your migration project can affect the process.

Evaluate your company’s readiness to embrace cloud data migration strategy

You can’t just wake up one day and decide that you want to migrate your files and applications into the cloud. It requires mapping out a strategy that will address downtime and other challenges associated with migration. The purpose of migration is to minimize challenges and not the other way around. This is where performing a cloud readiness assessment comes in.

Performing the assessment is the first step to your journey through cloud adoption. The assessment will help you to gauge the current situation of your business and its ability to achieve goals. So what will you accomplish from the assessment? You’ll be able to know the aims and drivers of your business, the benefits you’ll obtain from the migration, and the effort that the process will require.

Migration also requires communicating with everyone who is involved in your business operation. You need to discuss how the migration is going to affect your clients, customers, and employees. Your discussion should focus on the effects of cloud migration on your business operation, the benefits it will bring to the company and the opportunities for upskilling and training.

Know what to include in cloud migration strategy

Migration is easier said than done when you don’t have a strategy in place. After performing a cloud readiness assessment, you should start defining your data migration strategy to cloud so you and your team can work towards a common goal. Determine the success you want to measure and the solution to problems that you may face along the way.

You may or may not need cloud consultants

Switching from traditional to cloud-based environment isn’t easy. This is why some businesses prefer to engage the services of cloud consultants. It enables them to identify areas for improvement within the business and the skills and training required for everyone in the company to successfully implement cloud technology.

man pointing at a laptop

Public, private, or hybrid cloud?

Migration strategy from cloud services will not be complete without choosing from the cloud models-public, private, and hybrid. When choosing cloud models, make your business and its objections as a basis for making an informed decision:

  • Public Cloud

Public cloud makes your resources available to everyone. It’s managed by third-party providers, which enable you to make use of external software and hardware over the internet, which saves you from maintaining your own. The company that provides the cloud services owns the infrastructure.  If you want to have more control over your data and applications, the public cloud is not a suitable option because it has limited visibility and controlled from the provider’s data center.

You also share the computing infrastructure with other organizations. Although the applications, infrastructure, and data are only accessed by the authorized individuals, all of these resources are separated. Some of the known advantages of the public cloud are scalability, reliability, low cost of ownership and automated deployments.

  • Private Cloud

Private cloud, on the other hand, gives exclusive access to your business. It has a highly secure environment, which resolves the security issues that a public cloud model may not be able to provide. It’s the type of cloud model suitable for government and financial sectors. However, you’ll be held responsible for managing, maintaining and updating the cloud.

The costs of purchasing and maintaining all the IT infrastructure of a private cloud is more expensive than a public cloud. This is why a private cloud migration strategy is ideal for organizations that require strict data privacy and security levels. If your company is large enough to cover the costs associated with next-gen cloud data center, a private cloud model works for you.

  • Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid gives you the best of both worlds. It combines the affordability of public cloud and the multiple layers of security of the private cloud. For businesses that choose to migrate sensitive applications while the non-sensitive application can operate through a public cloud environment, hybrid cloud migration strategy provides this option.

Are you going to choose, public, private, or hybrid cloud? You might want to start with assessing your environment and identifying the factors that affect cloud migration. These factors may include application interoperability, legacy data, and application data.

Keep in mind that the type of data migration strategy for cloud you choose has its own advantages and disadvantages. If you intend to move your data into a public cloud, security is going to be in question. Since the public cloud is run on a public server, you cannot control data access. Putting a solid plan in place will help you decide which type of cloud is suitable for your business.

If your company is still embracing traditional IT infrastructure, it’s about time you implement cloud migration strategy to improve data security, increase productivity, and promote business growth.

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