Cloud Source

The Two Biggest Risks in Your Hybrid Cloud Environment

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Large enterprises implement a hybrid cloud solution with lowered costs, increased performance and agility, and better scalability in mind. They almost never do it in order to improve security. For most companies, the security question is the first topic of discussion once a hybrid cloud solution is on the table.

The implementation of hybrid cloud solutions can reveal gaps in security, and working with multiple vendors with public and private cloud solutions can require extensive monitoring of the security situation. In every enterprise, there are two risks that should be evaluated immediately:

Human administrators: When you’re implementing a new hybrid cloud environment, you need a good handle on which administrators are accessing each part of your public and private cloud, as well as on-premise software. This means you need to conduct an assessment of the level of access your administrators have been granted in the past.

As you know, this can get a little murky. For instance, people are often granted short-term access to a particular application’s guru-level security because a supervisor went on vacation — but most organizations forget to change the security back after the vacation is over. In many cases, there’s good reason not to allow widespread guru-level access to administrators.

Before implementing a hybrid cloud environment, take inventory of the security levels each of your administrators and revert them back to appropriate levels. This may cause some frustration, but security must be the priority.

Data: You need to know which parts of your data are most critical. Depending on your industry, this could be a lot of different things. No matter what business you’re in, your customer database should be considered critical. Take time to evaluate what’s necessary for business continuity in a disaster recovery situation, then determine where that information is located.

If your data backups are not adequately labeled, this could turn into a time-consuming process. Fortunately, there are tools on the market that can assist with data backup identification.

Identifying your security risk areas is a critical step in your hybrid cloud implementation process. If you need guidance in your digital transformation strategy, contact us at Cloud Source. We can help you with each step of the process, from determining areas of risk to evaluating and choosing your cloud vendors.

How to Improve VoIP Call Quality

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These types of experiences put some on edge. They were hesitant to embrace Internet-based calling as VoIP call quality could easily be less than stellar. When the call was taking place between a business and its customers, the opportunity to ensure a quality experience was even more crucial.

Today, many of the old VoIP call quality issues no longer exist. We have access to better solutions, much broader bandwidth, and consistency in network performance where audio signals receive preference in traffic prioritization. Plus, mobile employees have instant access to the same phone capabilities they enjoy at the desktop, regardless of location.

Still, we know technology isn’t perfect and issues can occur that contribute to VoIP call quality that may be less than ideal. The good news is these issues are fairly common and can easily be handled. Let’s take a look at a few common challenges and how they might be addressed.

Network Issues

Unfortunately, there are a number of variables that can contribute to VoIP call quality. Poor quality is often attributed to modems, firewalls, routers, or other hardware that is outdated. When this happens, calls may be dropped or delayed, or poor quality may be experienced.

To prevent these issues, initiate firmware updates to the network hardware. If this doesn’t work, it may be time to replace some of the hardware, especially if the pieces in place can no longer support call volume. If that doesn’t clear it up, you may need to look at network configuration. Simply adding a VoIP-capable router sometimes resolves the issues.

Jitter

Jitter happens when communication is broken into packets to traverse the network and these packets are not delivered in the correct order. The audio then becomes scrambled, or you may experience echo or poor sound quality. A jitter buffer can help with this problem as it purposely delays incoming packets so they can be delivered in the correct order.

Connectivity Issues

There’s a big difference between having a connection available and having enough bandwidth to support the type of communications you’re sending over the network. This is especially true if you’re sending video through your VoIP connection. It’s important to have enough bandwidth to support common communications so you don’t have the majority of your bandwidth consumed by other types of traffic that will degrade VoIP call quality. Work with your Internet service provider to determine the best plan to fit your needs.

When it comes to leveraging the best solutions online, Cloud Source is the company to call. Our experience spans industries, services, and solutions. Contact us and we’ll help you determine the type of package you need to optimize operations.

Digital Transformation Is Creating a XaaS Mindset

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Digital transformation is changing the way enterprises make business decisions. Outsourcing used to be relegated to functions like payroll and cleaning services, but the advance of cloud technology has allowed for the consideration of a wider variety of possibilities. Companies are embracing the Everything as a Service (XaaS) mindset, and it’s not just for technology decisions like data storage and software platforms. Across business and consumer culture, XaaS is becoming a way of life.

Botmetric predicts that XaaS will grow 40 percent by 2020 as a global market, and companies that are slow to adopt a digital transformation plan may be left behind. There are benefits that come from cloud technology that will provide a game-changing edge on the competition, forcing some companies into obscurity as others make rapid gains.

Mobile access: Remote access to systems is becoming more important, with companies capitalizing on the ability to hire talent without regard to geography. The remote workforce is growing, and even employees that work on-site appreciate the ability to access information anytime and from anywhere, whether from a lunch meeting or a business trip.

Small companies access innovative technology: Smaller companies are no longer at a disadvantage when it comes to technology because cloud software is sold by subscription. There’s no big investment in hardware or IT support, giving small and mid-size businesses access to the same tools that big corporations can implement, democratizing the business world.

Change is constant: It’s nearly impossible for legacy, on-site systems to keep up with the improvements in speed and efficiency that tech companies produce on an almost daily basis. Digital transformation allows companies to always have the latest tools available, without disruptive updates or investment in new systems.

Cost effectiveness: Not only are companies able to escape the heavy initial investment of on-premise systems when they use a cloud solution, but they also eliminate the need for ongoing management and the headaches that come with updates or implementation. Digital transformation also results in productivity and efficiency improvements that significantly impact the bottom line.

Alternatives can be easily vetted: When a company considers a transition to another on-site system, they can only guess how the solution will work with their processes. With cloud solutions, companies can easily test-drive new software options; if one doesn’t work, it’s easy to pivot to a different solution.

Are you embarking on a digital transformation process? Cloud Source partners with you through each step of your cloud transition, helping you identify the best potential vendors and sticking with you through each implementation step. Call us today to learn more.

 

Multi-Cloud Strategies and the Challenge of Accessing Big Data

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Whether you have a multi-cloud strategy in place or simply an issue with shadow IT, it’s likely your company is suffering the effects of data fragmentation. The sprawl of data across multiple cloud platforms and on-site systems can create new challenges for enterprises just as they’re coming to recognize the need for access to quality data.

Managing a multi-cloud environment is no longer simply about being able to view your infrastructure and how workloads are being processed. It’s not even just about security and making sure that as information travels between your on-site server and that of a public or private cloud, there’s no security breach.

It’s also an issue of data and how it is being stored, transmitted, and communicated in reporting functions.

Data and Personalized Marketing

Companies are increasingly identifying data as their most important asset. Personalization and individualized marketing have reached a fever pitch, and in order to reach customers in a highly personalized way, companies need access to data. They need to know browsing and buying patterns, price history, and whether a customer is more likely to buy if they have a coupon in hand.

Even if you’re not coordinating access to big data at your company, you’ve likely experienced the effects of these techniques in your own online shopping. You browse a certain brand of watches for a few minutes on Friday, and when you go to check scores on ESPN.com, you have watch ads following you to that site.

For your company to remain competitive, you have to hone your personalized marketing. Doing so begins with the ability to access as much data as possible on your customers.

Managing a Multi-Cloud Environment

It’s important for your company to develop a multi-cloud solution for protecting the integrity and accessibility of your data. Large enterprise-level IT companies use specific strategies to move and protect large sets of data, and those same tools and principles can be applied to a company of any size. Keep in mind, however, that it’s not as simple as employing a multi-cloud management tool and walking away.

The effective management of a multi-cloud environment requires the same level of attention that a company gives its brand message. You need to invest in internal or external expertise that will develop a multi-cloud strategy and make the necessary adjustments to prevent data fragmentation. This is essential if you want to drive value and realize the benefits data management can provide.

To learn more about data management solutions for a multi-cloud environment, talk to our specialists at Cloud Source. We can help you identify areas where your data is at risk and develop strategies for protecting its integrity. Give us a call for an appointment.

Choosing the Right SD-WAN Vendor

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Implementing a software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) provides many benefits, including the ability to access any number of transport technologies to connect users, quickly launch new branch offices, and increase agility. Utilizing SD-WAN is also a great way to reduce network costs.

Even as enterprises are seeing the need for SD-WAN, they also must take care to choose a vendor that can meet their needs. Finding the right solution can be time-consuming, because implementing SD-WAN may take lower priority than other items in your digital transformation timeline. As time goes by, the products available are subject to innovation and change, making the selection even more confusing and complicated.

As a result, many companies are hiring providers to manage their SD-WAN. This choice allows for not only the security, maintenance, and updates that come with any as-a-service IT solution, but it also comes with the insight of specialists for whom SD-WAN conversation is their native language.

Questions to Ask When Selecting a Vendor

There are a few questions you should consider before choosing your SD-WAN vendor. You must know whether your vendor can support your current needs as well as future requirements that come up as your company grows and implements a digital transformation plan. Ask these questions before settling on an SD-WAN vendor:

  1. Does the SD-WAN service provider have the ability to guarantee predictable performance on all applications, whether SaaS (Software as a Service) or on-site?
  2. Will the service optimize connectivity to any type of cloud?
  3. Are there high availability alternatives?
  4. Can the provider support new and custom applications?
  5. Is the SD-WAN service compatible with integrated WAN optimization at various company locations?
  6. How will SD-WAN interact with your current routers, secure web gateways, and firewalls?
  7. How will the use of SD-WAN help streamline branch office infrastructure?
  8. Will the provider supply a centralized orchestration console for your use in managing various applications’ QoS and security?

Carefully consider how your vendor will meet each of these qualifications, particularly if your enterprise embraces the need for increased performance and agility through cloud migration. Changing vendors after you’ve realized your SD-WAN solution isn’t meeting your needs could be costly and time-consuming.

If you’re struggling to find the right technology for your business, talk with us at Cloud Source. We help you simplify your vendor selection process and choose a set of solutions that supports your business and provides the agility and performance you want.

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328 S. Jefferson St. Suite 603
Chicago, IL 60661
Ph: 312.753.7880
E: info@CloudSourceServices.com

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