U.S. Government to Switch to Cloud Hosting

According to an article on TMCnet.com, the U.S government has plans to start implementing cloud hosting solutions. While some organizations are reluctant to make the switch, it seems as though the government has "hopped aboard the cloud train with two solid feet." The biggest motivator, according to the article, is the cost savings associated with adopting cloud technologies. This decision couldn't come at a better time, as the federal government continues to be scrutinized for its budget mess and spending beyond its means by its own members and taxpayers alike.

Perhaps companies that are reluctant to switch to cloud hosting technologies should take a close look at the amount of money the government could save on expensive physical data centers by implementing cloud computing networks. Currently, the federal government spends $80 billion on information technology every year; however, by eliminating 40 percent of its computer centers in the next four years, they could end up saving $5 billion annually. Some federal agencies have already adopted cloud-based services and they're reaping the benefits. For example, the Department of Agriculture transferred 140,000 email accounts to the cloud which saved the government $42 million.

The Chairman of the U.S. Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board, Earl Devaney, explains in the TMCnet.com article that "moving to the cloud allows us to provide better service at lower cost." By moving their Recovery.gov site to a cloud hosting infrastructure, the Board enjoys more efficient operations and improved security. Devaney says he hopes the development "will inspire other government entities to accelerate their own efforts." Those who criticize the government for overspending will be happy to hear that, according to Devaney, "American taxpayers would be the winners" if more government bodies decide to move to the cloud.

If cloud hosting solutions can help the government cut back on spending during a downturn in the world economy, imagine what switching to a cloud server could do for your business. At Server Intellect, we can take the hassle of server management off your hands, optimize your infrastructure, streamline processes, and ultimately save you money. To learn more about our cloud servers, read the information we have provided on our website or feel free to contact us.

Cloud Hosting: the Importance of Planning Ahead

Companies across all industries are making the switch to cloud hosting solutions because of the many benefits the platform has to offer. From reducing costs to optimizing performance, the advantages of cloud hosting are easy to see. However, in order to get the most out of this solution, it is important to carefully plan ahead for the switch. Otherwise, employees will be unprepared for the change and companies could run into unforeseen obstacles that hold back their efforts. Here are a few ways to brace for the impact that a change in technology can bring to business operations and employees' responsibilities for the best long-term results.

Operations
Cloud hosting solutions include services such as managed backups, website monitoring, web statistics, and email hosting. These services are meant to streamline business processes, but they can only reach their potential with the proper planning and implementation. The goal is to make the transition as seamless as possible, as opposed to causing a disruption in daily operations. The most effective way to accomplish this objective is by transforming the business to manage the technology. And at Server Intellect, we have the resources to do just that. We clear up some of the confusion about cloud servers with our cloud hosting "facts" page, and we have a support team standing by to discuss all of your specific needs.

Employee Responsibilities
Part of planning ahead for the switch is making sure employees are properly informed about their new roles and responsibilities. Cloud hosting services take the hassle of server management off IT departments so they can focus on other initiatives; however, they still have some influence when it comes to maximizing the performance of these solutions. For example, who will be the person responsible for communicating with the cloud hosting provider? Without a plan, responsibilities could be blurred, and subsequently, employees could become frustrated and ultimately performance could suffer. The only way to avoid these problems is by putting a process in place ahead of time. All it takes is discussion and consultation to create a framework that satisfies employees and reaches full ROI potential.

Public Cloud Hosting Solutions: Email

Our blog gives us the opportunity to put some of our services into perspective and explain them more in depth. With that in mind, we want to discuss how our email hosting service streamlines day-to-day business functions and saves time, money, and stress.
Businesses rely on email to communicate with each other as well as with clients and prospects. With an increasing amount of critical data being sent across networks, the need for businesses to secure employees' email accounts is important, to say the least. Cloud hosting offers email solutions that businesses need to stay connected in a cost-effective and reliable way. With Server Intellect managing everything behind the scenes, here are some of the ways your business can improve:

• Increased mobility. When employees can access their email from anywhere – whether it's their mobile devices or a web browser – they can stop searching for the information they need and start working more efficiently. This cloud hosting solution is accessible by iPhone, Blackberry, and other types of smartphones.  

• Security enhancements. We have built-in anti-spam features that keep employees' inboxes clutter-free. With our email solution, people are able to stop wasting time sorting through unwanted emails. Plus, the anti-virus feature keeps computers safe from potentially dangerous infections. These two advanced security features bring peace of mind to the user, which is important in a world where hackers and cybercriminals seem to be more prevalent than ever.

• Ensure availability. As is the nature of cloud hosting and managed servers' solutions, our mail servers are redundant and use backup technology for maximum accessibility. You can rest assured that email will be there exactly when you need it through our reliable platform.

The Importance of Disaster Recovery Services during Hurricane Season

The 2011 hurricane season is in full swing and is forecasted to have above-average activity. From now until November, United States coastal areas are particularly vulnerable to floods, extremely high winds, and power outages. The potential for disaster for businesses in Hurricane Alley is fairly easy to predict.  It's the way these businesses react to the damage that is less certain. The best way for businesses to survive in the wake of these storms is by developing a comprehensive disaster recovery plan – one that goes far beyond boarding up the windows and doors with plywood.

The aftermath of a hurricane can have devastating effects on businesses: power outages can cause losses of critical data, floods can destroy servers and hardware, and debris from the storm can prevent key employees from getting to the office to keep the company up and running. First and foremost is employees' physical safety, so the disaster recovery plan should address maintaining their protection. In today's increasingly computer-driven business world, backup and recovery solutions for your server should be a priority as well. The plan should also focus on maintaining productivity between vendors so the business can continue to function as seamlessly as possible.

At Server Intellect, we have a Disaster Recovery service that addresses some of these important issues. Our complete backup and recovery solution uses enterprise-level backup software that covers your entire server. If your hardware happens to fail, you will have the option of recovering selected files or everything included in the cloud servers. We believe it's better to be ready for a failure that never occurs rather than to be caught unprepared. After all, hurricane shutters are important, but they won't replicate mission-critical data or communicate to your customers for you.

Website Monitoring Services Keep Your Business Online

If your website becomes unavailable, even for a short amount of time, you could experience losses in revenue and customer satisfaction. And, due to the highly competitive nature of web-based businesses, there's an unwavering need to keep customers satisfied with easy-to-use, efficient websites. In order to maximize uptime and ultimately stay ahead of the competition, Server Intellect's website monitoring services work hard to keep you online at all times. Here's how we do it:

• We understand your needs. We respect and understand the needs of your business. Our goal is to help you create a plan of action to remedy issues before they affect your reliability. Instead of getting angry calls from clients, keep inflows of customers coming with website monitoring solutions.  

• We deliver in-depth monitoring services. Our user experience tests check web servers' abilities to accept incoming sessions and create customized reports every fifteen minutes that display these results. Conveniently, these reports can be viewed online at any time.

• We send notifications if problems arise. We send notifications via email if we detect a problem with your website. One of the benefits of our customizable services is that you can choose the method of contact. Additionally, you decide who should receive the notifications based on which people are responsible for taking action to remedy the problem.

• We take action to resolve issues immediately. We have a technical support team that will work to resolve the problem if you can't do it quickly enough. Our website monitoring services are meant to minimize the impact of website disturbances while maximizing accessibility, accuracy, and most importantly, customer relations.

Does Your Business Have a Disaster Recovery Plan in Place?

With IT budgets shrinking and Recovery Time Objectives shortening, businesses are being forced to think of ways to recover critical information quickly and affordably, in the wake of a disastrous event. According to a recent article on EnterpriseStorageForum.com, online backup in the cloud supports cost-effective business continuity and disaster recovery efforts. Keeping data in another physical location is a practical way to keep it secured, and cloud hosting ensures rapid restoration in an economical way. Here's how Server Intellect's redundant and scalable server management services support the article's claim:

• Scalability. This refers to the flexibility that exists within the cloud to increase or decrease capacity quickly and effectively. When companies only pay for what they use, they will never waste money on extra database storage. The ability to scale the package to meet their individual needs is one of the things that attract our customers to our cloud hosting solutions.

• Redundancy. Our cloud hosting services are inherently redundant, which means clients' files won't be lost in the event of a hardware failure. We recognize the importance of protecting critical information for disaster recovery purposes, so customer data is stored with up-to-date firewalls and virus protection in place.

• Availability. In the wake of a disaster, it is just as important to be able to access information, as it is to protect it. When it comes to business continuity, the goal is to have as little interruption as possible; therefore, cloud hosting solutions must be able to meet Recovery Time Objectives. Server Intellect's ability to deliver critical data quickly and effectively minimizes losses – a key objective of disaster recovery plans.

Mixing Cloud Hosting with Current IT Infrastructures

Since the cloud hosting discussion began, two main camps have emerged. The first camp believes cloud computing is an absolute must. This group of people thinks that companies that do not move to this “platform of the future” run the risk of being left behind.  The other camp is full of skeptics, who view this cloud hosting “solution” as more of security problem than anything else.

Why does cloud hosting have to be so black and white? The answer is: It doesn’t.

The misconception about cloud computing is that it renders existing IT systems obsolete. The truth is that businesses that add cloud hosting solutions shouldn’t abandon their existing IT infrastructures. Instead, they can be used to compliment current servers and software in a way that boosts ROI, and allows businesses to take advantage of the other benefits that cloud hosting has to offer.

While many businesses have made the switch to cloud computing – whether fully or partially – others are still reluctant. For companies that are hesitant to take the first step, experts in the industry recommend trying to move to cloud hosting solutions gradually. This can be done by simply testing the model, using it on non-critical data is a safe way to begin the process. As business owners start to see the benefits of data backup, website hosting, and other solutions, they might be more confident that cloud hosting offers more for less. 

Cloud hosting is more like an ever-evolving shade of grey, than a black and white issue. Whether or not businesses fully integrate their current IT infrastructures with cloud hosting solutions or simply use them to enhance certain parts of their existing systems, one thing is certain: this "platform of the future" is more like the platform of the present – and it is here to stay.