Cloud Source

The Factors Influencing Utilities’ Cloud Migration

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You may not think of utilities as being technology leaders, but there are certain factors that are causing utility companies to adopt cloud solutions. Utility companies are increasingly identifying ways that cloud technology helps them achieve disruptive efficiencies or cost reduction, as well as regain some lost profitability. Here are several of the factors driving utilities’ migration to the cloud:

The Internet of Things (IoT): Utility companies are embracing the use of sensor-equipped devices that help them uncover new efficiencies, reduce the number of technicians in the field, and process data more effectively. The amount of data moving between devices and processing centers requires a cloud solution. In addition, cloud security and network solutions are often necessary to manage the access points and prevent congestion in the network.

Energy savings: One of the reasons utility companies must invest in disruptive technology that provides cost savings is to make up for profits lost in generation. Developments such as LED lights, energy efficient appliances, and technology that optimizes home energy use have significantly reduced energy usage. While it’s good news for energy use-reduction efforts, generation is the primary way utility companies make money.

Competition: Retailers like Wal-Mart and Amazon are also eating into the profits of utilities companies by offering energy-producing products, like solar panels, completely off the grid of the regular utilities industry. As a result, utilities companies can no longer get away with simply “keeping the lights on” to keep their customers. They have to be able to demonstrate value. By offering cloud technology, they have the ability to improve the user experience and showcase their understanding of users’ needs.

Capital expenditures: Utilities companies have generally been able to pass along the cost of a capital expenditure, such as the building of a new plant, to consumers. When they invest in cloud technology, they are not only able to pass on the cost of that investment, but also offset it by the efficiencies that the consumer experiences as a reduction in their bill.

There are other areas where utilities are making use of cloud technologies. For instance, the advance of electric vehicles not only provides revenue in the way of charging stations, but the charging stations also present an opportunity for utilizing blockchain technology for charging expensing.

Whether your needs are related to connectivity, disaster recovery, communications, or another area of cloud technology, Cloud Source helps you find the right solution for your company. Contact us for more information.

Cyber Security: Establishing a Protection Strategy

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Regardless of the size of your organization or the industry in which you’re working, systems and data face cyber security challenges that must be addressed. Working out a protection strategy has to be at the top of the list of IT priorities because the threat is too severe to ignore.

In its simplest terms, cyber security is the practice of keeping all your data protected from cyber criminals who possess the means to hold your unsecured data hostage. However, cyber security can also include protection against power outages and hard drive failures.

Unintentional failures can be safeguarded against quite easily, yet cyber criminals are constantly coming up with new ways of breaking through. For many IT professionals, it’s not a question of if data will be compromised – it’s only a question of when.

Addressing the Weak Links
To err is human. We know this because code developers include unintentional bugs in their work that gives cyber criminals access to systems. However, it’s often non-code writing employees that fail to adhere to cyber security protocols, leaving the door open for attack.

Ongoing training is required to ensure this doesn’t happen, or happens less frequently. Employees need to know what to look for in order to identify a phishing email. There needs to be an established set of rules that are well known to the point of memorization, such as those regarding authentication practices.

Securing the Network
One of the problems with locking down a network so it is fully protected is that doing so can stifle productivity. Access controls are put in place to keep malicious attackers out, but the give and take means you’re slowing down your workflow.

There are tools that can be used to keep an eye on your network, but the process creates a great amount of data, which means alerts can be missed. The advent of machine learning has created a method through which these alerts are missed far less often.

There are also application security protocols that can assist in shoring up weak links, particularly in web application processes. Putting a team in place to monitor application development and deployment is a good idea for ensuring security remains a priority.

At Cloud Source, we know organizations have a tough time finding the right technology for their business needs. We work to simplify the vendor selection process for your IT operations and find the right solutions at the right prices. Contact us today to discuss your cyber security needs.

Cost Savings Dominates the Reasons for Implementing SD-WAN

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When it’s time to improve operational efficiency or streamline any business process, the main motivator is always cost savings. It’s no different when considering the deployment of a software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) solution for the enterprise network.

When it comes to connectivity, one of the costliest expenses is maintaining legacy equipment. Legacy network solutions often block an enterprise from taking advantage of cloud solutions that could help achieve a new level of performance and efficiency. Investing in SD-WAN removes the roadblocks that burden the company with expensive legacy maintenance. There are several ways in which the application of SD-WAN technology can be effective:

Hybrid WAN: A hybrid solution allows the enterprise to utilize existing equipment and legacy network solutions to optimize internet traffic based on link availability and the importance of the transmission. This reduces costs by allowing the enterprise to better manage bandwidth.

Connectivity for Cloud Infrastructure: Many enterprises use SD-WAN to support Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), in which some workloads are moved to the cloud.

Connectivity for Cloud Software: Another common use of SD-WAN is the support of software applications housed in the cloud. SD-WAN allows for a direct connection to cloud providers from each branch location.

Each of these instances is designed for cost savings, and that remains the main benefit of SD-WAN deployment. Enterprises also enjoy better performance and agility, along with a centralized control panel for network management.

Here are the main ways in which SD-WAN helps reduce costs:

WAN Connectivity: Paying monthly for multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) can become cost-prohibitive as a company scales. SD-WAN allows companies to effectively manage all possible network connections to full capacity without having concerns about idle links for backup. SD-WAN allows for the same performance, security, and management flexibility while also saving money.

Equipment: Every time your organization purchases a router, you need to factor in the acquisition cost as well as configuration and maintenance. SD-WAN allows for a significant reduction in hardware and maintenance costs.

Network deployment and management: Centralized management of the network is one of the key ways that organizations achieve cost savings with SD-WAN. In many cases, other network solutions require skilled network engineers at branch locations for configuration of the network or to troubleshoot problems. SD-WAN allows the enterprise to bring a new location online quickly and configure and troubleshoot from a central location.

SD-WAN has emerged as an agile way to optimize network connectivity. At Cloud Source, we first help you determine if SD-WAN is right for your business, then we help you sift through SD-WAN providers to find the right fit. Contact us for more information.

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.

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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