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PRIMER: How are Disaster Recovery and Backups Different?

April 16th, 2013
Posted by: Donna Hemmert

So, you are working through your go-forward IT strategy and need to make sure that you have things covered should something go wrong. Pretty quickly, you notice that the terms “Backup” and “Disaster Recovery” are quite often being used interchangeably. But, the truth is, they are different. Related, yes, but different.

Backup

Backup really can be defined very simply. Backup is just a copy of your files on another disk (or tape, cloud, etc.). In fact, if you copied each and every file to a DVD (and we are not sure why you would do that), that would be a backup. Having a full backup that is up-to-date means that when you lose a few files or a whole drive or more, you can take the time it takes to copy those files back once your systems are ready to rock. But, it can be a time-consuming disruption. You will likely need to setup a new server(s), re-install the OS, and reinstall all the applications, etc. There are two ways to backup your systems:

  • Onsite Backup: This is when you backup locally to some kind of physical storage option. These solutions are capable of imaging servers and storing data locally so you can recover from incidents.
  • Offsite Backup: This is when you backup your data to an entirely different location. This, of course, helps protects you in the case of an entire geographic location being affected by a disruption. Also, often organizations need offsite backup to be in line with compliances such as those rules defined by Sarbanes-Oxley, HIPAA, FISMA, NASD and NYSE, etc.

Disaster Recovery

So, what is Disaster Recovery? Disaster recovery is beyond backup. The big benefit of disaster recovery is that rather than taking what may be days or months to recover for an unplanned outage, Disaster Recovery will greatly shorten that time.

With Disaster Recovery, a complete image of your disk drives and servers are mirrored. This is sometimes referred to as a “bare-metal” backup, meaning the backup isn’t just the files, but the OS and everything. For example, with AISN’s Disaster Recovery service, we replicate the “bare-metal” backup image to another geographic site so in the event of a disaster in one geographic location, it can be restored from an entirely different geographic location. This gives you added protection and the image(s) allows you to restore systems more quickly – there is no need to reinstall an OS and copying files. The amount of time it takes to actually continue operations after a disaster also depends on whether you choose “Hot Site” or “Cold Site.” So what is the difference?

  • “Hot Site”: Environments are available at a moments notice. So, in the case of an outage, all data processing can quickly be moved to the “Hot Site” and operations continue.
  • “Cold Site”: Critical applications are available at a secondary location. This is similar but is supplied as basic office space, but with “Cold Site” the customer provides and installs all the equipment needed to continue operations. It is less expensive but will take longer for full operations to continue.

So, that’s really all there is to it from a high level. You really need to understand what your goals and objectives are. Do you need systems available in minutes, hours or would days be just fine? Is backup just fine, or do you need Disaster Recovery? And what level of Disaster Recovery do you need? There are lots to consider, but remember, we are always here to help you think through your IT plans.

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Windows Server 2012: Navigating the New Licensing Structure

March 20th, 2013
Posted by: admin

 

By Bill Peters, AIS Network Director of Sales

Windows Server 2012, which was released last fall, is the latest among Microsoft’s Windows Server product offerings, and it delivers a dramatically simplified licensing experience.

What went away? Away went the Enterprise edition, which was retired.  Windows Server 2012 Standard edition includes all the premium features previously included in Enterprise edition.    Away went the Web Server, and now web workloads running on a Windows Server 2012 edition will continue to receive the “CAL waiver” that is in effect for these workloads today.  Windows Server CALs will not be required to access the licensed server if it is only being used to run web workloads.  Away went HPC Products.  Microsoft will now deliver the HPC Pack 2012 as a free download that can be used with any Windows Server 2012 Standard or Datacenter license.   HPC workloads running on Windows Server 2012 Standard or Datacenter editions will continue to receive the “CAL waiver” that is currently in effect for these workloads.

So what’s new? Well, now there are just four Windows Server 2012 editions from which to choose.  And, shaped by feedback from customers and partners, the new Windows Server licensing approach should help make choosing the right Windows Server a whole lot easier too.

Windows Server 2012 Licensing Overview

Microsoft holds that its new licensing approach will deliver the following benefits to its Windows Server customers:

Simple. It’s easier than ever to determine the right Windows Server edition for you.  Choose from just four editions of Windows Server 2012, based on the size of your organization and your requirements for virtualization and cloud computing.

Economical. All editions of Windows Server 2012 deliver excellent economics and ROI for your business. For example, the Datacenter edition, with its unlimited virtualization rights, provides the benefits of cloud-level scale with predictable, lower costs. The Standard edition now offers all of the same enterprise-class features as the Datacenter edition and is differentiated only by virtualization rights.

Cloud-optimized. Businesses today are rapidly adopting a hybrid approach across private and public cloud computing.  Windows Server 2012 offers the right edition for you, no matter where you are on your path to the cloud.  Use the Datacenter edition for highly virtualized cloud environments, the Standard edition for lightly virtualized environments progressing toward cloud, or the Essentials edition for an ideal cloud-connected first server.

Here’s the Windows Server 2012 licensing at a glance:

*CALs are required for every user or device accessing a server. See the Product Use Rights for details.

Why a streamlined licensing model for core infrastructure? In short, this new model enables easier assessment and management of your server environment.  For one thing, a single licensing model makes it easier for you to purchase the right product for your organization’s needs and also compare the cost of alternatives.  Another plus is that it allows for a single, familiar and easy-to-track metric for all infrastructure products (reducing management overhead).   Finally, as part of the alignment with the Microsoft private cloud licensing model, Windows Server 2012 and System Center 2012, as well as Enrollment for Core Infrastructure (ECI), now all have the same licensing and packaging structure.  Simple and convenient, right?

Choosing Between the Windows Server 2012 Standard and Datacenter Editions

Obviously, the Foundation and Essentials editions are for small business.  If you are a mid-size business or a large enterprise, like the majority of AISN customers, your choice lies between Standard and Datacenter.  When it comes to determining which of the two editions is best for your enterprise, there are only two words to keep in mind: virtualization rights.

Both the Standard and Datacenter editions provide the same set of features (including high availability features like failover clustering).  The only differentiator between the editions is the number of Virtual Machines (VMs) being used.  If your strategy calls for a highly virtualized environment, then the Datacenter edition provides you with optimum flexibility, since it allows for unlimited virtualization.  If you aren’t ready to heavily virtualize your environment, a Standard edition license entitles you to run up to two VMs on up to two processors.

Calculating Your Windows Server 2012 License Needs

So, how do you decide how many licenses you’ll need? Good question.  Because the Datacenter edition allows for an unlimited number of VMs, only physical processors need to be counted when determining licenses for the Standard edition.  Here’s a quick formula:

1 license = 2 physical processors

To determine the number of licenses needed to fully license a physical server, simply count the number of physical processors in the server and divide that number by two.  That will tell you the number of licenses you need.

Each Standard edition license provides you with the right to run up to two VMs.  If you want to run additional VMs but do not require the highly virtualized environment that Datacenter provides (which is unlimited VMs), then you can simply purchase additional Standard edition licenses and assign them to a single physical server in order to increase your VM entitlements on that server.

Now for the nitty gritty.  What activities are NOT allowed under theWindows Server 2012 licensing?  You cannot:

  • Mix Windows Server 2012 Standard and Datacenter licenses on the same server.  All of the processors on a given server must be licensed with the same version and edition.
  • Split your Windows Server 2012 license across multiple servers.  Each license can only be assigned to a single physical server.
  • Assign a Windows Server 2012 license to a virtual machine.  A license is assigned to the physical server and each license will cover up to two physical processors.
  • Use your Windows Server 2008 CAL to access Windows Server 2012. The CAL accessing the instance of Windows Server must be equivalent to or higher in version than the server being accessed.

Factoring in Software Assurance

A number of enterprise customers will be concerned about how Software Assurance will work with Windows Server 2012.  Here are some scenarios.

Software Assurance and the Datacenter Edition. If you have Software Assurance on the Datacenter edition, you are entitled to the Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition.  On the old version, a Datacenter license covered up to 1 processor.  With Windows 2012, a Datacenter license covers up to 2 processors.  So, for every two current Datacenter licenses with Software Assurance, you will receive one Windows Server 2012 Datacenter edition license.

Software Assurance and the Enterprise Edition. If you have Software Assurance on the Enterprise edition, you’re entitled to receive two Standard edition licenses for each Enterprise edition license that you have.

Software Assurance and the Standard Edition. If you have Software Assurance on the Standard edition, you’re entitled to receive one Windows Server 2012 Standard edition license for each Standard edition license that you already have.

Software Assurance and the Web Server Edition. If you have Software Assurance on the Web Server edition, you’ll receive an additional Windows Server 2012 Standard edition license to use while also maintaining your right to run your current Web Server license.  For every two Windows 2008 R2 Web Server edition licenses, you’ll receive one Windows Server 2012 Standard edition license.

What if I want to upgrade to the Datacenter edition? Remember that the Step-Ups from the Enterprise edition to the Datacenter edition are being removed from the price lists.  Therefore, if you’ve decided to move to a more highly virtualized or private cloud environment, you should consider taking advantage of the Software Assurance Step-Up benefit to upgrade to the Datacenter edition prior to the Windows Server 2012 General Availability.

Purchasing Windows Server 2012 Licensing

Okay, now how do you get going?

You can purchase Windows Server 2012 licenses through multiple channels, which provides you with optimum flexibility and choice to acquire the software.  Microsoft Hosting Partners like AIS Network are an excellent resource in evaluating your Windows Server 2012 licensing needs.  We can help you evaluate, plan, deploy, and manage any type of hosted system—from a small business implementation to supporting the largest enterprise applications built on the latest technology.

At AISN, we recommend Service Provider Licensing Agreement (SPLA) licensing (as opposed to other volume licensing), based on ease of deployment.   How does it work?  AISN tracks and manages the licensing for you.  We provide a monthly subscription-based pricing plan, including software assurance.  This eliminates any large, upfront costs needed to purchase the right amount of licensing as well as the over-purchasing of unused licenses.  However, if you own volume licensing we can utilize those licenses in our hosted environments.

Why so many options for licensing?  The various licensing options enable you to choose the program that works best for your management and operational needs.  We’d be happy to discuss with you in more detail all of your options and how they can be delivered via a custom hosted solution.  For a conversation about this and a free quote,  email me now and let me know your needs.

AISN is ready and eager to work with you on all of your hosting needs and on helping to save your business money too.

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What is Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)?

March 16th, 2013
Posted by: Donna Hemmert

 

By Donna Hemmert
AIS Network Vice President, Strategic Development

If you don’t want to own the equipment that supports your operations, and want increased flexibility, especially when it comes to expanding or downsizing, you may want to consider Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)** from a provider such as AISN. In contrast to having to purchase all the equipment for your infrastructure such as storage, hardware, servers and networking components, you can pay on per-use basis and avoid the headache and capital costs.

The difference between IaaS and PaaS (Platform as a Service) is often confusing so let me clarify. In an IaaS model, the underlying infrastructure is provided which includes network, storage, compute resources and virtualization technology. This means you are responsible for the additional operational tasks. With PaaS, the underlying infrastructure is provided, but also the application development platform. This includes automation to deploy, test and integrate applications. Your vendor also handles operational tasks such as configuration and updating your environment.

IaaS has been experiencing huge growth and, in fact, according to Gartner’s latest report on public cloud adoption***, the biggest part of cloud growth is coming from IaaS. This interest in IaaS, according to Gartner, is driven by enterprise and government growth in IT, and the new and more cost efficient options that IaaS public clouds are offering these days.

** Sometimes called Hardware and a Service (HaaS)
*** Forecast Overview: Public Cloud Services, Worldwide, 2011-2016, 4Q12 Update Published: 8 February 2013

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What Do Our Microsoft Competencies Mean?

February 3rd, 2013
Posted by: admin

 

By Laurie Head
AIS Network Vice President

What do our Microsoft competencies mean?  They are something we’ve worked very hard to achieve and we’re quite proud of them.  There are 640,000 partners in the Microsoft Partner Network, but only 5 percent of partners worldwide can distinguish themselves with a competency and having attained this high degree of proficiency.

AIS Network has attained Microsoft competencies in hosting and in mid-market solutions.  AISN’s Microsoft competencies show you our demonstrated expertise — and our commitment — to staying deeply informed about the latest Microsoft products and technologies.

AIS Network Microsoft Competencies

Attaining Microsoft competencies is a rigorous process but the outcome is highly rewarding.

By attaining our Microsoft competencies, we have met extensive requirements through rigorous exams — culminating in Microsoft certifications.  And, we have also been recommended by our customers for our skills, support and knowledge.  A Microsoft competency allows us to accelerate our customers’ success by serving as technology advisors for their business demands.

When customers look for an IT partner to meet their business challenges, choosing a company that has attained Microsoft competencies is a smart move.  These are highly qualified professionals with access to Microsoft technical support and product teams.

See how we can put our expertise to work for your business.  Contact us today.

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Cloud Events: Where Can I Find Them?

November 8th, 2012
Posted by: Donna Hemmert

By Donna Hemmert
AIS Network Vice President, Strategic Development

If you are looking for events at which to network and learn more about the Cloud and related topics, whether you are a newbie or an expert, there is an excellent source to find (and broadcast) those events.  Check out Cloud Events (sponsored by @TheCloudNetwork), who hosts a calendar for the industry.   They gather events from the community through email here.

You can find their calendar here.

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The Datacenter Tiers – What Are They?

October 20th, 2012
Posted by: Donna Hemmert

By Donna Hemmert
AIS Network Vice President, Strategic Development

We’ve heard from some of our clients recently that there is some confusion about what the hosting tiers are and why they matter.  Well, we’d love to shed some light.

So, why are there tiers at all? The tiers help people understand the capabilities of a datacenter by describing the availability of data from the hardware at the datacenter. The Tiers are the requirements for “each level” of data center infrastructure. Overall, the higher the tier, the greater the availability.

Tier One

  • Basic site infrastructure with expected availability of 99.671%
  • Single non-redundant distribution path with non-redundant capacity components
  • Planned work and outages will require most or all of the site to be shut down

Tier Two

  • Meets or exceeds all Tier 1 requirements
  • Redundant site infrastructure capacity and single, non-redundant distribution path with expected availability of 99.741%

Tier Three

  • Meets or exceeds all Tier 1 and Tier 2 requirements
  • Concurrently maintainable site infrastructure with expected availability of 99.982%
  • Multiple independent distribution paths, but only one path required
  • Equipment is dual-powered & fully compatible with the topology of site’s architecture

Tier Four

  • Meets or exceeds all Tier 1, Tier 2 and Tier 3 requirements
  • Fault-tolerant site infrastructure with electrical power storage and distribution facilities with expected availability of 99.995%
  • Fault-tolerant with multiple, independent, physically isolated systems that provide redundant capacity components and multiple, independent, diverse, active distribution paths simultaneously serving the computer equipment.  Independently powered Cooling and power provided after infrastructure failure.

I hope that answers some of  your questions.  Feel free to comment with questions.

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SharePoint 2010 Hosting vs. In-House Deployments? What Is the Cost Benefit?

August 13th, 2012
Posted by: admin

 

By Laurie Head
AIS Network Vice President

SharePoint managers everywhere are asking themselves, “Why should I spend money on SharePoint servers?”

Well, with on-premise IT costs soaring, they’re absolutely justified in asking that question.  On-premise hosting has become much less cost effective than outsourced hosting.  Quite simply, hosting SharePoint 2010 with an experienced hosting provider saves you money and worry.

Sharepoint Hosting

It's important to ask yourself a few key questions when you're weighing moving your SharePoint from an on-premise environment to an outsourced hosting environment.

In belt-tightening times, the combined expense of SharePoint 2010 servers, technical staff and data security can be painful to a company. Why have the IT staff spend half their day fixing, patching and managing SharePoint servers, when they could utilize their time in better ways to help grow the company?  Hosted SharePoint, which typically comes with a team of SharePoint hosting experts, is simply “better, faster and cheaper.” What’s not to like about that?

That’s my opinion, anyway, but how do you decide for yourself?  Well, ask yourself a few questions first.

  1. Capital. How much up-front capital is required to deploy and maintain your SharePoint infrastructure? How much does it cost you to upgrade it on a regular basis?  (After you figure this out, the predictable monthly costs of hosting may be highly appealing.)
  2. Agility and flexibility. Can you adapt to change quickly?  Can you move rapidly to deploy new features of your SharePoint infrastructure and/or make changes (we’re talking days, not weeks or months)?
  3. Maintenance. Do you have adequate resources to maintain your SharePoint installation?  Are you comfortably budgeted for staff and training?  Do you have a cushion for unanticipated expenses?  Do you have enough real estate in your data center to accommodate your growing SharePoint infrastructure?
  4. Confidence. Can you say, confidently, that your data center is physically secure, disaster resilient, fully compliant, highly available and capable of providing superior uptime?  Can it withstand a destructive storm?
  5. Expertise.  Do you have highly trained staff who can build out, configure, deploy and administer your infrastructure?

With fully managed SharePoint hosting services, you’ll never again have to buy another SharePoint server and figure out where to locate it in-house. You’ll never have to hassle with a flawed SharePoint deployment or wait months to deploy new features.  You’ll never have to deploy, patch, update, troubleshoot, monitor or administer your SharePoint infrastructure again. You’ll never have to shell out big bucks for storage or staff training.  Moreover, licensing is so much easier when you’re working with a hosting provider.  And, it’s highly unlikely that you will have to worry about bad storms, physical security, performance and reliability.

Most of all, however, doing it all in-house can be cost-prohibitive.  Hosted SharePoint can be a much cheaper alternative.

For example,our SharePoint hosting plans can help you get off the SharePoint-spending treadmill and save you up to 91% in hardware and support costs when compared to in-house SharePoint deployment.  Have a look at this brief chart.

SharePoint 2010: Hosting vs. In-House?

A Comparison of Major SharePoint Hardware & Support Costs. 

Hosting With AISN Slashes Your Hardware and Support Costs Significantly.


Hosted Solution On Premise
SharePoint Deployment SharePoint Deployment
Hardware Servers (each) Included ! $15,000
Software Included ! $5,000
Backup Included ! $5,000
Connection Multi – Gigabit Internet Included ! $25,000
Staff Expert Staff Included ! $75,000
Support Redundant Equipment Included ! $ ? ? ? ?
Monitoring Included ! $ ? ? ? ?
Total One Low Monthly Cost! $125,000 or more

Now, need help comparing your costs?  Bill Peters, who is in our Chicago office, is great to work with and can offer you expert guidance in this area.  Contact him now for a free hosted SharePoint quote.

Further information about hosted SharePoint is also available in our whitepaper.

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Going Green with Cloud Computing

August 8th, 2012
Posted by: admin

 

By Julia Uglietta
Associate, Marketing and Sales

“Going green” is a phrase that has become increasingly popular over the last decade.  Among many businesses, it has become a major focus to become more green by becoming less wasteful and paying more attention to the environment when making decisions about products, resources, and energy consumption.   At the same time, the use of cloud computing has also taken off recently. And although both movements are not directly associated with one another, there are a number of green benefits that come along with cloud computing.

“The cloud” is a metaphor for the Internet that may connote a strong impression of nature and the sky.  And, while nature may not be the underlying purpose of this new technology, the cloud is fairly associated with environmental stewardship.

Cloud Computing giving off a green advantage today

The Cloud is already a symbol representing nature and the sky, and while nature may not be the underlying purpose of this new technology, the cloud is fairly associated with environmental stewardship.

First, cloud computing is all about extending your existing IT capabilities and capacity on the fly without the hassle of investing in new infrastructure, licensing new software, training new staff and so forth.  That’s a pretty good value proposition, especially when you consider that moving to the cloud might lead to IT cost savings as well.

Now, factor in the energy savings and resource conservation that you may achieve by using cloud computing as an energy efficient approach to data center consolidation.  Cloud hosting providers are increasingly becoming competitive about their eco-friendly status and rightly so.  More data centers are doing all they can to make their building and hardware as energy efficient as possible. Their facilities are being designed with power conservation in mind as well as energy efficient hardware and equipment, and cloud providers are promoting environmentally conscious internal programs and policies (such as recycling bins, green certified office cleaners, employee education programs, etc.).  Also, with cloud computing, server virtualization makes datacenters more agile by enabling more efficient use of existing software and hardware resources. Less hardware leads to less waste and reduced power demand/ energy consumption.  In this way and others, “less is more” can finally be accomplished through cloud computing.

And, that is also evident in the workplace.  For example, since some businesses are moving to cloud-based virtual desktops, they can cut down on the number of devices they need. One physical machine can now be configured to access multiple different desktops.  Moreover, the cloud has also enabled a new wave of telecommunicating and video conferencing.  This is clearly saving time, money and energy. With fewer people having to travel to a physical location, less energy is being used in the daily work routine.

It’s important to remember that cloud computing environmental benefits go hand in hand with economical benefits as well.  In the Forbes article, “Cloud Computing’s Hidden Green Benefits,” the author states, “By 2020, [the Carbon Disclosure Project] estimates large US companies that use cloud computing can achieve annual energy savings of $12.3 billion and annual carbon reduction equivalent to 200 million barrels of oil.”

Many hosting companies are making it their mission to become as green as possible and still more is yet to come from the industry.  For our own part, we take the environment seriously.  While we don’t claim to have all of the answers, we are committed to doing our part, daily, to foster eco-friendly leadership and contribute to making this industry greener.  Cloud computing will continue to grow rapidly throughout the decade, and hopefully, the green benefits will only increase with it.

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Cloud Security and Privacy for eGov

June 14th, 2012
Posted by: admin

 

By Laurie Head
AIS Network Vice President

As we embark on a path toward cloud hosting for state government, I’ve been in search of solid resources that will help inform our new role as a contracted hosting provider to support Virginia’s eGov Services.

The National Association of State Chief Information Officers has been very helpful in this regard.  If you haven’t seen their site, take a look now.  NASCIO is an excellent resource for information about state government and technology, and they have made available a wide range of publications for download.

I particularly like NASCIO’s series of reports about leveraging cloud technology.  These reports — four so far — are designed for state chief information officers (CIOs) and other senior IT decision makers, and they highlight the cloud’s potential for reducing costs, optimizing system efficiencies, and enhancing overall service delivery.  They are as follows:

For a discussion of issues related to cloud privacy and security, last month’s report (May 2012) is excellent in its examination of how individual agencies within the state infrastructure are coming together and how “all of this activity is converging on a developing government strategy for maturing and harvesting the value of cloud computing.”  The authors use Delaware and Michigan as examples.

Further, the report outlines 12 recommendations for state CIOs moving toward the cloud.  According to NASCIO, state IT leaders must:

  1. Mobilize internal support for cloud adoption through education and awareness, while clearly articulating the new security and privacy risks.
  2. Weigh the benefits and risks of cloud computing in terms of cost versus security and privacy concerns.
  3. Continue to temper expectations about savings opportunities and to examine risks and requirements.
  4. Educate policy makers on the differences between consumer cloud requirements versus the industrial-strength requirements of state government.
  5. Examine the state’s standard terms and conditions for procurement and consider modifications to address cloud computing.
  6. Communicate and educate government officials on the terms of service presented and assumed for third-party cloud services.
  7. Start with a private cloud solution first, particularly where state data is highly sensitive.
  8. Develop an enterprise security policy that controls unauthorized use of cloud services while enabling legitimate business needs.
  9. Expect compliance issues and scan network traffic continually to uncover the use of unauthorized cloud services.
  10. Consider a cloud broker approach (i.e., develop roles specific for cloud management, like “broker” and “service portfolio manager” in ways that will enhance security/ efficiency).
  11. Work with the federal government to develop a common interpretation of security requirements so that comprehensive cloud requirements can be identified and relied upon.
  12. Stay tuned to the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) as it evolves and leverage approved vendors (i.e., the program will provide a list of approved cloud providers for states beginning their cloud strategy).

Thanks to NASCIO for offering some very valuable research.  I encourage you to read the report.  Let me know what you think by commenting here.

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Outsourcing Hosting: Talking Points for the C-Suite (Part II)

June 2nd, 2012
Posted by: admin

By Laurie Head
AIS Network Vice President

We are often asked, “How do I make the case to upper management that outsourced hosting of our mission-critical data and apps is the way to go?”

AISN

If you are considering outsourcing your hosting, you may need to prepare some talking points for your C-suite executives.

First, because many businesses rely upon their Web site as their primary public face and their IT infrastructure as their office backbone, Internet downtime is simply not an option. “Always on” is mission-critical to business performance.

Next, if you are dealing with aging IT assets, growing application portfolios to manage, or capital spending cuts due to the economy, then you are like most businesses evaluating hosting solutions for your mission-critical data and applications, and we can help guide you through that process.  IT departments everywhere are finding it’s tough to do more with the same or even less staff.  That’s why hosting has major appeal.   It minimizes your operational risk exposure, makes your business more efficient and agile, and knocks down the high fixed cost of IT.

Here are some talking points to consider:

Better—Hosting decreases your risk

  • Frees up your capital for other projects
  • Guarantees you’re always online (with a 100% Service Level Agreement)
  • Helps you avoid poor server purchasing decisions
  • Offers complete scalability, freeing you to upgrade your server or capacity without service interruption
  • Deploys your solution rapidly and provides expert monitoring, 24x7x365
  • Allows you to focus on growing your business by managing operational and strategic risks that you would not be able to handle in the event of a catastrophic loss

Faster—Hosting extends your resources

  • Cuts your labor/staff training costs to stay ahead of the technology curves
  • Enables you to tap more expert talent, faster and for less cost
  • Allows your people to focus on core business needs that accelerate business growth
  • Provides instant staffing for the “what if” scenario that may occur
  • Improves your access to new technologies while eliminating the need to hire more expertise
  • Offers increased flexibility, so that your IT can be more agile and move as the business does

Cheaper—Hosting delivers the best dollar value

  • Delivers consistent, affordable IT coverage 24x7x365 with virtually no downtime
  • Eliminates big capital expenditures on hardware and data centers
  • Frees up your IT budget and staff for other strategic initiatives
  • Enables you to better predict monthly IT costs and therefore reallocate precious resources
  • Grows with you as you grow—at the same superior service level and without requiring you to over-purchase capacity upfront
  • Provides a quicker return on your investment that’s provable

Clearly, just how much you improve your risk management and exposure, efficiency, and cost savings depends on the hosting provider that you select.

We can help you draft your internal proposal or determine honestly how—and if—your company would benefit from hosting services—either traditional or in the cloud. Contact us!

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