The Benefits of Managed Services
Many growing business owners and managers are overwhelmed by the increasing complexity of their IT environment—between an ever-expanding array of desktops, notebooks, servers, handheld devices, and software and the new demands of remote access (that add significantly to IT management complications).
With this evolution of ever more byzantine, yet critical applications, businesses need to support operating systems, desktops, and servers that are also continually evolving. For many businesses, outsourcing IT management is a lifeline.
Managed services is the practice of contracting out everyday IT management for a variety of specific functions. Ideally the managed services provider (MSP) is able to perform those functions more efficiently—from both a cost and work perspective— and also more effectively than the client.
For many businesses, the primary advantage of MSPs is that the business retains control of its IT assets—deciding exactly what they want the MSP to monitor and manage.
While MSPs perform a number of services, today the term most commonly refers to those that provide daily technology support and maximization operations. Most MSPs bill a flat or nearly fixed monthly fee—providing clients with predictable, easy to budget IT support costs.
MSPs deliver and manage network-based services, applications, and at times equipment. In addition to core network management, services often extend to the management of virtual private networks (VPNs), VoIP, unified messaging, call centers, video networking, firewalls, servers, and Web hosting.
Most of these services can be performed remotely (off the client’s premises). Among other benefits, this allows clients to save precious workspace footprint.
Basic benefits of managed services include:
-Increased flexibility,
-Cost savings
-Low entry costs
-Customized contracts
-Preventing problems and reducing risk
-Quickly resolving problems that do occur
-Managing IT systems more proactively
-Managing IT systems more cost-effectively
-Reducing IT-related business interruptions.
-Freeing up the client’s IT staff to focus on more profitable, more beneficial projects
-Increased security through timely patching and increased visibility of exposure
-Hosted email services, spam and virus protection
-Assistance with forecasting IT expenditures.
-Online ticketing systems
MSPs help clients maximize their IT investment by getting the most out of everything they’ve paid for. A typical menu of client services includes:
-An initial assessment of the IT environment
-An initial assessment of management requirements
-Providing ongoing alerts on servers, workstations, laptops and network connectivity
-Providing ongoing security and patch management
-Providing assistance with backup and recovery
-Onsite support where necessary and logistically feasible
Basic services start with monitoring and notifications that include problems that clients agree to resolve themselves. More comprehensive services span the spectrum from alerts to problem resolution.
MSPs usually perform these services remotely from a central network operating center over the internet and price their services on a subscription basis. Because MSPs perform the same services for many clients, they can execute these functions more cost-effectively than companies could perform them internally. The fees are often based on the number of devices or the number of users in combination with the desired service level.
Choosing a Managed Services Provider
Not all MSPs have the same capabilities and offer the same services. The best providers have relevant experience; the infrastructure to provide continual management, maintenance, and monitoring; and are keyed into the technology marketplace.
Look for an MSP with a highly experienced IT staff that has a proven track record. Find a provider who is honest about costs and will clarify any additional charges upfront. Value added resellers (VARs) are often a good choice. Most offer expertise across a wide array of devices and applications and consistent support for customers with multiple locations. Additional key advantages of a VAR include their ability to acquire equipment in the event of an urgent need, and their strong relationships with a wide variety of technology vendors.
Michael Theriault is President and CEO of B2B Computer Products LLC – a multiple award-winning technology single-source provider of products and manufacturer-certified services that include virtualization, VoIP systems, data deduplication, disaster recovery, SAN storage. managed services, and managed print services. Visit the B2B Computer Website: http://www.B2BComp.com.
Which is Better Poly Banding or Steel Banding?
At one time, steel banding was the only choice for heavy duty applications. Now polyester (plastic) banding is another option. Advances in polyester technology have resulted in banding materials that—compared to steel banding—have some advantages, but also some drawbacks.
Polyester is often promoted as more environmentally friendly because some percentage usually comes from recycled materials. However, steel banding often contains recycled material as well.
Advances in application equipment have made polyester more reliable, more consistent and more user friendly for some applications. Given all this, there are still good reasons to choose steel banding.
Steel Banding
Steel banding comes in rolls that are about a half-inch to three-quarters of an inch wide and about an eighth of an inch thick. It comes in regular duty and high tensile grades. The primary advantage is that steel banding is relatively stable—it stretches very little after it’s applied to a load. It is also tolerant of sharp-edged loads like flat sheets of steel.
Steel banding is used to bear heavy loads and withstand rough handling. This is a significant advantage in applications where the load is stable (not prone to settling) and will be transferred multiple times before it reaches its destination. High tensile steel banding has the additional advantage of being carbon reinforced. High tensile steel is suggested for situations where the load is subject to a jolt and/or additional break strength is required.
Steel banding (even when smoothed and de-burred) is a safety hazard for inexperienced users. Carelessly cutting a tightened steel band will cause it to lash and inflict deep gashes—the face is especially at risk. Because steel banding coils average 100 pounds each, it’s difficult for some users to load them into a dispenser without incurring injuries. By comparison, the average polyester coil weighs about 50 pounds.
Steel banding can also scratch and tear the load—which means it’s not a good idea to use it for loads with exposed paint or other vulnerable surfaces. It can also rust and stain the load.
Although steel banding doesn’t stretch once applied, this can be a downside. If the load settles as a result of transportation or storage, the banding perimeter remains the same while the load perimeter becomes smaller. The result is that the banding is no longer holding the load tightly. It’s not uncommon to see steel-banded pallets sitting in warehouses with the banding hanging loosely from the load.
Steel banding is also more expensive than polyester banding and the cost fluctuates because it’s dependent on the price of the base metal—making it difficult to budget.
With all these downsides, you might wonder why steel banding is still so popular. The answer is that right now, there is nothing that can hold a heavy load over a long distance quite as well.
Polyester Banding
Polyester (plastic) banding tends to be less expensive than steel banding and safer to use. There are fewer user injuries. Lower price and fear of liability claims are both driving a large global shift to polyester banding. The band’s rounded edges will generally not scratch paintwork, damage other surfaces, or damage the tires on handling equipment such as forklifts. The edges allow it to fit smoothly around irregularly shaped packages
Polyester banding stretches (it can stretch as much as 25% after it’s applied). While this has some negative implications, this property also allows it to continue to conform to a settling load much like a rubber band.
The biggest downside is that users need to purchase a new set of tools for polyester and this tooling can be expensive. Commonly used battery tools, which are the best choice for most volume users, can cost up to $3,000 per tool. Polyester cannot be used on flat sheets of steel without edge protection because the sharp edges can eventually cut through the polyester.
Up until very recently, polyester could not be effectively applied to smaller rounded loads. But a tool was developed to solve the problem.
Next Generation Polyester
The newest polyester banding, such as High-Strength Tenax(TM), combines the strength and stability advantages of steel and with the user-friendly, damage resistant advantages of plastic.
It is also fully recyclable.
Ultimately, decisions on which type of banding to use should be based on experience and what the specific application calls for. Some considerations include:
-How stable and heavy is the load? Light, unstable loads favor polyester. Heavy, stable loads favor steel.
-How far does it need to travel? Long travel times favor steel.
-How many times will it be loaded and unloaded before it reaches its destination? Multiple loading and unloading operations favor steel.
-Will scratches and abrasions devalue or ruin the load? Loads susceptible to devaluation or ruin from scratches and abrasions favor polyester.
-How experienced is the user in applying banding? Inexperienced users are better off with polyester.
Cost is actually a relatively minor consideration because the cost of the banding will always pale in comparison to the cost of the contents of the load. The primary consideration must always be whether or not the banding material will increase the chance that the load will arrive unscathed.
Choosing a Distributor
Among these 2 banding materials, there are many excellent product options. You should look for a distributor with packaging expertise who will take the time to strategize the best products and equipment for your specific needs.
Michael Theriault is President and CEO of B2B Industrial Packaging LLC – B2B Industrial sells packaging products, such as banding carts, strapping carts, steel strapping, polyester banding, steel banding seals, and stretch film. They operate a banding tool repair-strapping tool repair facility at their Addison, Illinois headquarters. Visit the B2B Industrial Website: http://www.B2BInd.com.
Today’s Best Data Storage Solutions
In order to safeguard your data, it’s important that you have a robust storage solution that will grow with your business. To that end, you’ll want to consider storage requirements in terms of both capacity and physical location.
While there is no one right storage solution for every business, key considerations include:
-How much data needs to be stored and shared?
-What are your performance requirements?
-How much storage will you need in 5 years?
-How critical is data availability and reliability?
-What are your backup and recovery requirements?
-What is your budget?
-In terms of staff, level of expertise, and availability, what IT resources do you have?
Fortunately, for every set of requirements, there’s a good option or combination of options. These include:
-Storage Area Networks (SANs)
-Network Attached Storage (NAS)
-Backup to Disk (B2D)
-Content Addressable Storage (CAS)
While one type of storage is usually enough for small companies, larger companies will often have a mixed storage network with different types for different departments, responsibilities, and branches.
Storage Area Networks (SAN)
A SAN is essentially a high-speed system of shared storage devices that allows all servers on the same network to access all of the storage devices. In more technical terms, the SAN works either by using SCSI (small computer system interface)I commands to latch onto the interface; or by using FCoE (Fibre Channel over Ethernet) deployment.
A SAN is usually part of an enterprise’s overall network of computing resources. When additional storage devices are added to the SAN, they are also accessible from any server in the network. While a SAN is usually situated close to other computing resources, it can also extend to secondary locations for backup and archival storage—very handy in the event of disaster recovery.
A SAN’s storage-sharing capabilities simplify storage administration and add flexibility since cables and storage devices do not have to be physically moved to reallocate storage from one server to another. And because stored data is not directly on any of a network’s servers, it frees up server power and network capacity; files can be backed up without using servers.
SAN networks also handle problems more efficiently and effectively than other storage solutions. A hard drive failure will not cripple the system, since other storage units can maintain the network until the problem is remediated. SANs also expand easily to increase storage and/or capabilities. SANs have a wide variety of failover and fault tolerance features that safeguard uptime. Also, SANs have fewer bandwidth jamming problems.
Even with all the benefits, there are issues of complexity, lack of standardization, and management. Since the right management software is the key to performance, working with an experienced provider is crucial.
SANs are more expensive and complex than other storage solutions, but they are ideal for organizations that have large storage needs. In short, SANs are the best way to ensure predictable performance and continuous data reliability and availability.
Network Attached Storage (NAS)
NAS is a very good option for growing businesses that need an economical, robust, scalable, and secure solution. Because NAS solutions are easy to deploy, centrally manage, and consolidate, they are well-suited to businesses that lack IT departments. It provides fast, simple, reliable access to data in an IP network that multiple users can share.
NAS is an array of hard drives directly attached to the network and is less expensive than most SAN solutions A NAS solution may include 2 or more hard drives in a single network-connected device. Files written to the main drive are automatically written to the second drive as well, creating automated redundancy.
More sophisticated versions provide scalable, comprehensive USB and FireWire ports (that allow users to connect external hard drives) and print-server capabilities that allow multiple users to seamlessly share a single printer.
NAS makes sense for enterprises looking to consolidate their direct-attached storage resources for better utilization. Since resources with less sophisticated storage cannot be shared beyond a single server, an enterprise’s current system may be using as little as half of its full capacity. When you consider that the main alternatives to NAS are adding expensive new servers, or creating a temporary fix by expanding the capacity of existing servers, NAS is a solid investment.
NAS and SAN are not mutually exclusive technologies—they are actually quite complimentary. Today NAS is often deployed in conjunction with SANs for optimal storage flexibility and performance.
Backup to Disk (B2D)
Traditional disk-based B2D storage keeps confidential business data out of the hands of third parties, giving organizations complete control over their digital assets. B2D solutions facilitate rapid, reliable, and cost-effective back-up and storage.
Using a hard drive, B2D writes the same data to a file on a disk volume as it might otherwise write to a tape drive. While this technology has existed for many years, a number of issues— including cost, and file and disk management kept it from being widely deployed.
Today’s disk-based storage solutions are affordable and able to handle file and disk management with ease. In addition, B2D solutions support a fully array of rewritable and removable media, such as DVD-RW, CD-RW, and Zip.
Content Addressable Storage (CAS)
CAS stores information that’s retrieved based on its content, not its storage location. It’s best for organizations where data accuracy is paramount. With CAS, every time a piece of data changes, it receives a new unique identifier. This capability ensures that users will be able to retrieve the data exactly the way it was stored in the system.
CAS works well for long-term content retention for compliance and/or regulatory purposes (e-discovery documents), and archiving massive amounts of records, images or other information that is likely to remain static. It’s also an excellent tool for retrieving fixed content. The main downside to CAS is that users trade off superior intelligence and information reliability for performance.
CAS is perfect for highly regulated industries, law offices, and government agencies.
Like all tech sectors, storage networking is in a constant state of change, so it’s easy to fall into the trap of choosing the latest emerging or disruptive storage technology. A smarter strategy is to choose a solution that’s cost-effective and able to grow with your organization.
Choosing a Vendor
Before investing in a data storage solution, consult with a trusted IT provider about which option or options will best meet your business’s current and future demands. Then, work together to create a plan.
When deciding what type(s) of storage is best for you, think about what kind of information your business is generating. Also consider how fast your business has grown in the past year and what kind of growth you expect in the future. You’ll want to invest in a storage system that can scale with your needs for the next 5 years.
Mike Theriault is President and CEO of B2B Computer Products LLC – a multiple award-winning technology single-source provider of products and manufacturer-certified services that include virtualization, VoIP systems, data deduplication, disaster recovery, and SAN storage.
http://www.B2BComp.com
Data Deduplication in Simple Terms
The prime cause of out-of-control data duplication is (ironically) the current standard backup protocol requiring numerous copies of every document just in case. The situation is further complicated by ever-expanding legal requirements.The best way out of this quagmire is data deduplication – a key technology for any organization wanting to optimize the performance, efficiency, and cost-effectiveness of its data storage environment.
The term Data deduplication is commonly shortened to data dedup. Essentially, it’s a process of identifying and removing multiple occurrences of the same data. The first time a deduplication system identifies a file, block, or bit, it flags it. From there, the system marks each subsequent identical item with a placeholder before removing it from the system. The placeholder links to the original data so that users will always bring up the original data when they try to open the removed duplicate.
This deduplication process significantly reduces the amount of storage space needed in the system. For example, a system that has 200 copies of the same 5 MB document- one in each employee’s personal folder- can reduce it to a single copy of the original file plus 199 placeholders that link back to the original document. This means 200 copies of a 5 MB file will take up 5 MB of space (plus the size of the index file) instead of 1,000 MB.
You’re probably already compressing files to save storage space. Compression reduces the size of the file by eliminating redundant bits. Compression is better than doing nothing, but it doesn’t eliminate redundant files. In fact, it just compresses multiple copies of the same files.
Data deduplication goes a step further by eliminating those redundant copies, storing only one. Storage-wise, this makes a big difference. Simply compressing files reduces storage space by about 50 percent, but data deduplication reduces storage space by a much greater percentage, as the 5 MB document example above illustrates.
A number of characteristics differentiate deduplication processes. Some approaches are inline, others are postprocess. Inline deduplication means that data is deduplicated before it’s committed to a disk drive. The postprocess approach first writes data to disk, and once a job or a dataset has been completed, deduplication follows
Benefits
With data deduplication, users can streamline backup, facilitate emergency data restoration, and reduce costs. Primary benefits include:
Efficiency – Streamline Backup
As system back-ups become quicker and easier, users will be able to create and maintain more backup sets that stretch further back in time. This lets users keep a complete set of document versions without straining the system.
Performance – Facilitate Emergency Data Recovery
Until the advent of reliable data deduplication software, data compression was the only way to reduce the file size of the data stored offsite. With data deduplication, the backup set is both compressed and reduced—this means only the data that changed that day is backed up at the end of the day. This significantly reduces the transfer time in the event of a data restoration. Users no longer have to compromise on performance to take advantage of extended retention capability.
Cost-Reduction
By eliminating duplicate data and ensuring that data archives are as compact as possible, companies can keep more data online longer—at significantly lower costs. It’s common to see a backup appliance with data deduplication technology holding 10 to 50 times more backup data than a conventional disk storage product. The advantage depends on the data being backed up, the backup methodology, and the length of time data is retained.
Drawbacks
Data loss can be an issue when backing up data using data deduplication. If the index file becomes corrupted, the data processed using data deduplication may be lost, since it will be nearly impossible to rebuild the data. However, this concern may be alleviated with leading-edge software and by making multiple copies of especially important data.
Focus on the total solution. Before deciding on a data deduplication system, be sure that you understand the entire process, from backup to restore, and know how to manage it.
Finding a Vendor
While the benefits of data deduplication can be astounding, pay attention to facts, not hype. The ideal vendor will have network of experts on staff and offer an optimal combination of experience, product choice, technical support, and competitive pricing. Among the other considerations is the vendor’s ability to proactively address your data deduplication hardware and software needs.
Mike Theriault is President & CEO of B2B Computer Products LLC. Award-winning B2B Computer was identified by Inc. magazine as one of the fastest growing businesses of its type in the U.S. in 2009 & 2010. It is a single-source provider of products and manufacturer-certified services that include data deduplication, virtualization, VoIP systems, disaster recovery, SAN storage, and server consolidation,. Visit their website at http://www.B2BComp.com.
VoIP: The Truth Behind the Hype
VoIP (Voiceover Internet Protocol) is rapidly gaining popularity with organizations of all sizes. Among the many reasons is the fact that it simplifies and streamlines a wide range of business applications. It is also the basis for advanced unified communication applications, such as video conferencing, that have the potential to transform businesses.
What is VoIP?
In a traditional analog phone circuit, you would initiate a call and it would transmit across a set of copper wires to the person you were calling. This requires a single physical connection. The obvious limitation is that it can only handle one call at a time
VoIP allows users to send telephone voice data across an IP data network, whether that’s a flat-rate broadband Internet connection or a business’s own private managed network (which has the advantage over broadband of better security and voice quality control).
VoIP turns voice signals into digital data packets that are independent of a specific communications channel and can be sent via currently available communication channels. They can also be transmitted across any communication channels that are developed in the future.
Those same copper wires, that could only handle one analog call at a time, can then transmit multiple conversations; along with data such as information, video, and instant messaging. Another plus is that the VoIP data packet can also be transmitted through other communication channels such as satellite, cable, and Wi-Fi.
Other Relevant Terms
-IP telephony is the suite of VoIP-enabled services including the interconnection of phones; related services such as billing and dialing plans; and features such as conferencing, call transfer, call forward, and call hold. For many organizations, these services were previously provided by a PBX.
-IP Communications refers to business applications that enable communication features such as unified messaging, integrated contact centers, and enriched-media conferencing. This includes data, voice, and video features.
-Unified Communications integrates technologies that simplify and unify all forms of communications regardless of time, location, or the particular device.
The Components of a VoIP Solution
There are a number of possible components to a VoIP solution. The ones you choose, and the capabilities of your choices, will depend on what your current and future needs are.
Soft Phone
A soft phone allows your electronics to function as handsets, meaning that you can send and receive calls through your corporate network on your laptop and other mobile devices that don’t have traditional handsets. You can also use the soft phone feature to participate in phone and video conferences, pick up voicemails, and check call logs.
Single-Number Reach
This allows users to be contacted on multiple devices, regardless of platform, with one number. It integrates a user’s corporate identity and personal identity into the same wireless device. This streamlines business by requiring that clients, prospects, and coworkers only remember one number.
Conferencing
Conferencing, which includes audio, video, and Web-based capabilities, can be designed for peer-to-peer communication, room-to-room, and/or high-def.
Reporting Analytics and Management
VoIP management and analytic tools allow organizations to monitor the system and generate in-depth call reports
What Can VoIP Do for Your Business?
The biggest plus is the cost savings on local and long distance calls. Also, organizations can easily add other voice services without installing new equipment, and can have a number outside of their own area code, which is essential for localizing customer service. There are some drawbacks, but first the benefits.
Benefits
-Lower Cost: VoIP providers can offer more competitive pricing because VoIP is not regulated by the FCC and is not subject to the same taxes as standard phone service. VoIP providers don’t have to pay expensive interconnection fees to another company’s network. Routing phone calls over the Internet also eliminates long distance phone charges.
-Data and Voice Integration: VoIP phones are equipped with features that streamline access to audio files. For example, users can retrieve voicemail messages through their email accounts instead of calling the office. They can make and receive phone calls using a traditional phone handset, through a personal computer, or with a laptop running a soft phone.
-Mobility: Voicemails can land in Outlook as email messages or forward to alternate numbers. This means users can take their VoIP phone number with them anywhere in the world. Theoretically, a U.S.-based salesperson could be visiting Singapore and the hotel room phone would ring whenever someone called that person’s U.S. office phone. Not only is this convenient, but it dramatically reduces fees by eliminating charges for international phone connections.
-Many Software Options: A myriad of software features and options allows flexibility and low cost updates. Some of the features will be included with the system purchase and others, such as call centers and call accounting, can later be added at a relatively low cost. VoIP systems have extensive configuration options for tailoring the system to the organization’s needs.
-Central Communications: Use of corporate communication resources such as voicemail, automated attendant, and email can be centralized. This simplifies support and maintenance.
-A Single Cable System: VoIP uses one cable system instead of separate wiring for telephones, data networks, and computer networks.
-Web-Based Administration: VoIP’s Web-based administration capabilities significantly lower the number of vendor service calls.
-No Voicemail Ports: Since voicemail is usually included at no additional charge, companies no longer need to buy voicemail ports.
Drawbacks
While VoIP solutions are less expensive, they can be less reliable than traditional services (although this is changing). Using certain configurations, users can still take advantage of the traditional phone provider’s reliability while benefiting from VoIP’s many pluses. But it may cost more. Other VoIP issues are:
-Voice quality
-Bandwidth dependency
-Power dependency
-Emergency calls
All 4 areas are currently being addressed and remediated by hardware and software manufacturers and service providers with varying degrees of success. Most important is the emergency call situation. Since VoIP service providers are not bound by FCC regulations that mandate access to the 911 emergency system, not all providers offer it. This is definitely something users should ask their vendor about.
Choosing a Vendor
Since the VoIP system’s set-up is critical, it’s important to deal with a vendor you know and trust. An inferior set-up could mean, among other things; dropped calls, poor voice quality, and subpar network performance. Some of the set-up issues your vendor should consider are:
-Whether the additional VoIP system traffic, including videoconferencing, can be accommodated by your existing network infrastructure
-The best network components and network configuration for prioritizing voice traffic and voice quality
-A correct security setting that allows ease of use, but prevents hackers from making long distance calls on your system
-Provisioning regular backup of the system’s configuration and data
The ideal vendor will have network experts on staff and offer an optimal combination of product choice, technical support, and competitive pricing.
While many VoIP hardware and software vendors are now moving away from the proprietary systems of the past and aligning with industry standards, not all vendors are doing so. This means that you need to carefully review the products you’re considering by asking the following questions:
1.Is the basic phone system software based on industry standards or is it proprietary?
2.Is the system hardware standard or proprietary?
3.Is it a pure VoIP system?
4.Are the handsets SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) compliant or is the handset technology proprietary to the vendor?
5.Is the system capable of reasonable expansion or will I be forced to replace hardware or software? Some vendors offer different systems for different industries and organization sizes, which makes some upgrades and transitions rough.
Among the other considerations in choosing a vendor is the ability to proactively address your VoIP hardware and software needs. Failure to do so could mean the difference between replacing the entire system and only updating select components.
VoIP is one of a suite of new technologies, including virtualization, that took off during the recent economic downturn, mostly because these technologies allowed companies to cut costs without compromising service quality. As the economy continues to recover, these same companies are expanding and capitalizing on the new capabilities of these evolving technologies. While no solution is perfect, the bottom line is that most organizations utilizing VoIP have benefited from better customer service, better employee productivity, and lower costs.
Mike Theriault is President and CEO of B2B Computer Products LLC, a multiple award-winning technology single-source provider of products and manufacturer-certified services that include virtualization, VoIP systems, data deduplication, disaster recovery, and SAN storage.
http://www.B2BComp.com