AMS.NET Blog

Come to work and BYOD!

A new trend has emerged in business; BYOD or bring your own device to work. With the increase in remote and mobile workers and the rise of mobile devices such as smart phones and tablets in the consumer market, workers expect these tools and access in the workplace. One way organizations are providing these tools is through BYOD programs that subsidize the cost of the device and service plans. With these programs in place, businesses can allow employees to pick their device of choice and eliminate some of the maintenance and desktop management headaches of maintaining PCs and other devices.

Security, management and device ownership should be carefully considered with this model. Employees using a subsidized laptop, smart phone or tablet will undoubtedly be using the device for work and personal use putting the device and corporate intellectual property at risk. If IT manages these devices, maintenance becomes more complex when mixing different types of devices. If employees use a subsidized service plan, IT steps away from the desktop management and at the same time gives up some control and security.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI, allows you to provide a BYOD program and retain control and more importantly provide secure access from many types of devices. With a VPN connection and a browser, users can securely access company resources from anywhere, using any device.

In a VDI environment, data and applications reside in the data center and users are provided a centrally controlled desktop image on demand. Employees can work from home, in the field or from a hotel room. Contract workers or visitors can gain temporary access without sacrificing security.

In the event of a security breach, the VDI session is ended and upon login a new clean VDI session is initiated. Instead of focusing on a long recovery process, the focus is on productivity and getting the user quickly back to work.

Centralized management tools allow IT to setup profiles based on user type and security requirements to ensure the appropriate rights and access. Virtual desktops can always be reached for software maintenance activities such as patches, upgrades, and removal of unsupported software to further enhance security.

VDI not only supports the BYOD model, it provides increased security and minimizes desktop management for both BYOD users and organizations with traditional PCs or thin clients.

 

Public or Private Cloud Computing? You don't have to decide.

When we talk to our customers about virtualization or cloud computing, their answers to the question, “private or public?” are somewhat cloudy.  Public clouds have raised some security and compliance concerns while private clouds often require new operational processes. Both cloud computing models have their strengths and weaknesses therefore most organizations will likely use both or a hybrid cloud architecture.

Private Cloud
Private clouds or virtualized data centers reside on-premise or virtually outside of the enterprise data center. Users can access the private cloud via a secure HTTP browser or if outside the firewall via VPN.  Private clouds are inherently more secure than other models because data resides in the enterprise data center. IT remains in control and can maintain regulatory compliance. There are some operational process changes that can be challenging. With the integration of server and network operations in data center, the distinct roles of a server administrator and an IT administrator now overlap.

Public Cloud
A public cloud is a model where a service provider makes resources, infrastructure and applications, available to one or more organizations over the Internet for a fee. This model allows an organization to handle resource peaks and valleys but security and control become concerns with critical data being transmitted over the internet into the cloud.

Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud takes advantage of both models and allows organizations to maintain secure sensitive or critical applications on their private cloud and utilize the public cloud for additional resources in high peak periods. While a hybrid cloud sounds ideal, there are still challenges with interoperability and with management that can monitor both platforms. Many organizations are waiting until standards are developed before embracing a truly hybrid cloud infrastructure. 

There are many considerations when deciding whether a private cloud, a public cloud or a hybrid cloud best fit your organization. Building a cloud infrastructure is a journey and often an organizations first step is virtualizing the enterprise data center and building a private cloud infrastructure. AMS.NET can help you evaluate your current infrastructure, discuss your applications and business challenges and help recommend a solution that will meet your current needs and allow for an integrated hybrid cloud in the future.

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Top 5 VoIP Implementation Triggers

Technology runs business and some may argue runs the world! Organizations large or small invest in computers, data networks, applications and other technology to run their business. A communication system is also a critical component of business operations. Just as you refresh computers and servers or upgrade applications, you should assess and upgrade your voice and phone system to support scalability and worker productivity.

Companies upgrade their phone system to a VoIP or Unified Communications solution for a variety of reasons including mobility features to support remote and mobile workers, presence and single number reach to improve productivity, call center, web conferencing and more. In addition to communication and productivity reasons, there are 5 main triggers that prompt organizations to move to a VoIP phone system.

1. Upgrading Your Data Network
   VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) is the transmission of voice traffic over the data network. If an organization is upgrading their data network with new routers, switches or upgrading their ISP connection, they may want to consider moving to a VoIP phone system. By coordinating these projects, you can ensure that your network equipment has the proper QoS and your pipe is sufficient to handle both data and voice traffic.
2. Moving Locations
   During a move, network cabling has to be coordinated, ISP service need to be ordered among other technology considerations. Coordinating these services and making these decisions once makes your VoIP implementation easier.
3. Merger or Acquisition
   Often one of the biggest challenges in a merger or acquisition is merging the two companies resources including employees, locations and technology. Consideration of a VoIP system makes sense at a time when you are replacing equipment and making technology investments.
4. Obsolete Equipment
   One of the most common triggers to moving to a VoIP system is existing equipment reaching end-of-life, end-of-support and becoming obsolete. Keeping outdated equipment that is no longer supported by the manufacturer becomes a costly prospect.
5. Business Communication Problems
   If an organization is experiencing call overload, an increase in contact center wait times, missed calls or employees are playing phone tag, a VoIP communication system might be warranted. In addition to solving business communication programs, a new system improves communication, streamlines processes and increases productivity.

If you haven’t already upgraded your traditional phone system to a VoIP system, it’s likely one of these trigger events will cause you to make the move in the near future. As you look for tools to get a competitive edge, existing equipment becomes obsolete or you experience one of the other VoIP implementation triggers, you’ll find that upgrading to a VoIP phone solution will allow you to run your business more efficiently.

 

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Should You Replace Your Legacy TDM Phone System?

As technology solution providers, we often consult with our customers and prospects about their current technology landscape and business challenges. A question that often comes up is if they should replace their legacy TDM phone system. We hear, “We have a dial tone and it works so why replace it?” or customers say, “Isn’t a VoIP system complex and costly?” Let me clear up these questions and misperceptions.

While the basic functionality of a phone system is dial tone to make phone calls, today’s VoIP and Unified Communications solutions provide so much more. VoIP systems not only provide call connectivity, they deliver communication and productivity features that eliminate communication bottle necks and allow small and mid-size businesses to gain a competitive edge.

Features such as Single Number Reach allow you to publish one phone number that will reach you wherever you are located and on whatever device. Executives that travel or sales individuals that are often on the road can be easily reached. Presence indicators allow colleagues to see who is available to take a customer call or to quickly answer a question. These VoIP and Unified Communication features allow businesses to streamline communications, speed up decisions and improve productivity.

Several years ago, VoIP solutions were being adopted by primarily enterprise and public sector entities and since then the perception in the market place is that these solutions are too complex and costly for mid-size businesses’. Recently, Cisco Systems has developed a line of Business Edition solutions which are purpose-built, single box appliances specifically for this market. Small and mid-size organizations now have access to superior call performance and productivity tools of large enterprise companies.

These integrated server and voice gateway appliances provide voice, mobility, messaging and voice gateway services on a single appliance for reduced costs and ease-of-use.

Business Edition VoIP solutions deliver:

• Voicemail
• Conferencing
• Auto Attendant
• Call Control Features- Park, Hold Calls, etc.
• Single Number Reach
• Extension Mobility
• Presence
• Video Collaboration
• SIP Trunking Capabilities
• Simple Web-based Administration
• All-in-One Appliance
• Portfolio of Phones Available
• Soft Phone Support
• Cisco WebEx  Web Conferencing Support
• Future Upgradability

If complexity and affordability were holding you back, now you can upgrade to a VoIP solution and obtain tools for better communication and increased productivity. AMS.NET can deliver solutions built for the mid-market that are affordable and provide enterprise-class functionality and the foundation of Unified Communications.