Businesses Can Have Partial Cloud Solution

Having a Cloud Solution is not an all or nothing scenario and most often business owners opt for a partial cloud solution for three main reasons.

1. First, a business needs to replace an old server. The owner has the option to either make an investment on a new server, which can be significant or they can be moved to a hosted cloud solution . This requires a monthly fee based on usage. Businesses save money on capital expenditures for  new hardware while still utilizing their preexisting technology.
2. Another reason for a partial cloud solution is that certain proprietary software does not perform well in a hosted cloud environment. Some software programs, like CAD, require large amounts of memory and processing power and will perform better if they are located on the client machine.
3. A third reason businesses choose a partial cloud solution is when they try it out. Many are interested in moving to a cloud solution but aren’t convinced on the technology. The client may choose a project before committing to cloud environment which helps when a full Cloud environment is implemented.

If your business has dated technology call Sun Digital at 352.369.9600 and request your free cloud consultation. Sun Digital can help you determine the best options for your business.

3 Situations Where a Cloud Solution Is The Best Decision For A Business

3 Situations Where a Cloud Solution Is The Best Decision For A Business

There are 3 optimum scenarios where moving into a cloud solution is clearly the best and most cost effective choice for small and medium sized businesses.

1. When new a business is just starting and has no technology infrastructure. Before hosted cloud solutions were readily available, for a business to get set up with email, applications and servers, the minimum start-up was around $10K. With Hosted Cloud Solutions, businesses pay a flat monthly rate versus a large up front capital investment.
2. When IT equipment is at or approaching its End of Life (EOL).  Servers reach EOL after 5-6 years and workstations around 3 years.  As in the first scenario, prior to cloud solutions a business would have to make a large capital investment to replace old IT equipment.
3. When a business is trying to stabilize their expenses.  With a hosted cloud solution by Sun Digital there is one flat monthly cost, which adjusts to the size of your business. For example if you have 5 employees you pay a monthly fee for technology that supports just those 5 employees.  A Traditional IT environment in this scenario would be severely underutilized.

If your business is in any of the 3 above scenario’s or considering Cloud Solutions, Sun Digital can help.  Please call us at 352-369-9600 for a free consultation.

For other FAQ’s about Hosted Cloud Solutions please visit Sun Digital Cloud FAQ’s.

 

Do I have To Maintain My IT System In The Cloud?

Questions about how to maintain IT systems in The Cloud are always part of the first conversation Sun Digital has with clients when it comes to explaining the advantages for a business to go into The Cloud. For hosted cloud solutions by Sun Digital is that the entire IT maintenance responsibility is owned by Sun Digital.

Sun Digital’s Hosted cloud solutions uses Virtualization technology. This technology gives us the ability to  maintain and monitor multiple IT systems and users under the same interface.  Virtualization technology also allows Sun Digital to deploy system maintenance, security patches and application software updates seamlessly.

Why is the important to businesses? Conservatively businesses spend 1 hour a day on IT system maintenance, doing such things as data backup’s, routine patches, virus scans or application updates.    Conservatively, that is 22+ hours a month and 14% if the IT staff persons time on of just maintaining the health of your IT system!

This means that when businesses use a hosted cloud solution by Sun Digital they can better utilize their IT person(s) for addressing end user issues more quickly, or performing other IT functions that help the business run better and more efficiently.

In fact, a Gartner Special Research Team, conducted a study that shows how business IT strategies are shifting to Cloud (or Personal Cloud Solutions, as they have termed it) and predicting that the Hosted Personal Cloud Solutions will take over the traditional business IT environment by 2014.

Call Sun Digital at 352-369-9600 for a Free Consultation and Quote for a Hosted Cloud Solution and help your business run more efficiently.

Remember To Recycle Electronics When You Spring Clean

On March 14^th from 7am-1:30pm, Sun Digital is hosting a “Do the right thing when you spring clean” electronics recycling charity event.  Sun Digital is trying to bring community awareness to properly disposing of electronics as we clean out our homes and offices this spring.  This gives the community the ability to conveniently drop off their unwanted electronics at the downtown Ocala location, where the items will be properly disposed of, in addition to raising money for a local charity.  The alternative to this is to truck those items out to the dump on Baseline (484) where toxic chemicals from the electronics can potentially leach into our local water table.  This is a great idea for the community, the environment and also local charities.

The Sun Digital proceeds from this event are going to benefit Habitat For Humanity of Marion County, who works to eliminate poverty housing in the Marion County community.  Habitat For Humanity is a wonderful organization that provides decent housing solutions for the impoverished. As we know from working with Brothers Keeper on the last event the impoverished and homeless in our community is a growing concern.  Sun Digital believes that home ownership creates better citizens for our community, so they are excited that this event benefits the Habitat For Humanity of Marion County.

Sun Digital also announced their new recycle partner, Recycle All Electronics who is taking eRecycling to a new level.  RAE is HIPAA certified, they are also EPA registered and in the process of securing AAA NAID, R2 and ISO14001 certifications.

Please come out and show your support for Habitat For Humanity of Marion County and the environment.  For details on the item that will be accepted and event locations and driving directions, please see the Sun Digital Community and Events Web Page.

Top 5 Questions About Cloud Solutions For SMB’s

Over the past 5 years of providing cloud solutions to our clients we have found that the same questions are commonly asked that we have summarized below.

1. Is my data and systems secure in the cloud?- The answer is yes,  Virtualization technology is what makes the cloud run, which is inherently safer than a traditional server environment.

• A virtual server can hold 7x as much as a traditional server
• Fewer points of entry into your network for malicious intent
• Fewer servers to monitor, making it easier to access and fix a security breach
• See server redundancy question for additional security benefits

2.   How do you backup our data in the cloud?

• Backups are frequent and automated.
•  There is no human error element, that for example “Bob” from IT was sick today and no else changed the tapes. Back-ups are sent digitally offsite to another location. This means your data is better protected against natural and man-made disasters, like hurricanes, fire or theft.
• Data/System recovery is much faster.  If something were to happen to your data in the cloud, that data can easily be recovered and brought back online

3.  Is there server redundancy in the cloud?

• What is redundancy? Having a computer system or network device that takes over when the primary unit fails.
• Redundancy is built into the virtualization technology itself.
• If one system goes down it automatically rolls to a new one.
• With the Cloud SMB’s have access to a technology that in the past has been complex and expensive.
• Business is up and running 100% of the time, equaling no loss in revenue or employee productivity.

4.  Can my legacy applications run in the Cloud? Yes, the cloud actually preserves legacy applications they are ideal candidates to move to The Cloud.

• Many legacy applications are built and only run on outdated technology.  If a problem or upgrade is needed for the application it is very expensive or impossible to move or upgrade the technology.
• By installing a “copy” of the application and server onto virtualized server in the Cloud, it allows it to run in a faster and less volatile technology platform.

5. How do cloud solutions cut energy cost?

• Virtualization, the technology that runs the cloud is 60% more energy efficient than traditional servers.
• Virtualized servers can be < 80% utilized. Versus traditional servers at 25%-30% utilized. Fewer servers are needed = less energy used.
• Using a Hosted Cloud Solution you could see a 30%-40% reduction in your electric bill

What questions do you have about the Cloud? Let us know!

 

How Is Server Redundancy Easier In The Cloud?

Many times Sun Digital is asked “how does server redundancy work in the cloud” and “is it easier to ensure our IT systems have not down time?”  This is usually asked by an IT person but there is a benefit to IT, as well as to the overall business and owner

First, what is redundancy for those of you non-IT people? According to PC magazine redundancy is having a secondary peripheral, computer system or network device that takes over when the primary unit fails. There are benefits and drawbacks of redundancy solution for both traditional servers v. the Cloud, here are.

Redundant cluster-Benefits	Redundant cluster-Drawback
Data privacy	Expensive
Full control on software/hardware	Major hardware crash on multiple servers would result in a lot of downtime
True redundancy and virtually zero downtime	Complex and long to deploy
Better performance with premium hardware

 

Cloud Redundancy-Benefits	Cloud Redundancy-Drawback
Relatively cheap	Performance capped, generally slower than a premium cluster
Little to zero downtime with a proper failover installed	Data privacy
Scalable	No zero downtime possible
Instant or fast deployment

Its great to know what your options are but the fact is, that most small and medium sized businesses (prior to the cloud) had no true redundancy solution deployed because of the expense and complex nature of such a solution. With Cloud Solution technology, the world of redundancy has changed and is in a sense built in to the technology itself.

For the IT person this means IF something happens to the server it does not take days or weeks to bring IT systems back online.

For the business owner (and IT), they have a cost effective technology solution that keeps their business up and running 100% of the time, which equals no loss in revenue or employee productivity.

Sun Digital has been helping businesses keep their business up and running with our cloud solutions and we can help you too.

How Do Cloud Solutions Cut Energy Costs?

By now I’m sure you have heard or read that the cloud makes your business more agile, available and reduces cost.  What many people forget about is how the cloud can also help them cut their energy costs.  Cloud solutions can cut energy costs in 4 ways but the level of reduction really depends on the type of cloud and/or the applications running in the cloud.

1. The Virtualization technology that runs the cloud and is 60% more energy efficient than a traditional server.
2. Virtualized servers can be up to 80% utilized, versus a traditional server which is at best 25%-30% utilized. Meaning you will need fewer servers for your business.  Less servers = Less Energy Consumption!
3. Cutting energy cost can further be reduced by 30%-40% (your monthly electric bill) with Cloud solutions when you are considering a public, hybrid, hosted cloud solution.  With these cloud solutions, businesses can partially or completely eliminate onsite servers, thereby reducing the energy cost associated with maintaining them.
4. Cloud solutions utilizing a virtualized cloud environment, are able to use “thin client” desktop computers for employees.  Thin Clients are 70% more energy efficient that a traditional desktop computers and used only to access the files and applications in The Cloud,

Sun Digital uses a cloud cost savings calculator that accurately calculates, all of the costs as well as savings for hosted and private cloud solutions that helps, you the business owner, make the best possible cloud solution decision.