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The Bottom Line on Storage Virtualization

The Bottom Line on Storage Virtualization

As the growth in data and digital files continues to scale exponentially, storage capacity must keep pace. Storage virtualization enables organizations to drive more users on existing platforms and delivers payoffs to the bottom line that strained IT budgets will appreciate.

Virtualizing storage works in a similar fashion to server virtualization by pooling physical storage from multiple network storage devices into what appears as a single storage device managed from a central console. Once in place, storage virtualization solutions can help IT administrators perform backups, archiving and recovery more easily and in less time by disguising the actual complexity of the storage area network (SAN).

Beyond simplified management, some of the payoffs from storage virtualization include:

• Increased process efficiency: Typically, utilization rates on different storage subsystems are not consistent. By throwing a virtualization layer across your backend storage resources, you have more flexibility in how you access and use them across multiple different arrays. This allows for thin provisioning of storage on the fly, reclaiming storage and pooling resources.
  
  
• More Flexibility and Scale: A traditional storage environment will only allow you to provision a finite amount of storage. With storage virtualization in place, you can provision just the right amount of virtual storage on the fly and increase or decrease that amount as needed. This capability enables you to reclaim previously unused disk capacity.
  
  
• Cost Avoidance: Higher resource utilization with one storage array to manage with one interface can mean putting off a huge investment in a new $500,000 storage array, for example. In this down economy, the ability to delay capital expense is welcome relief for many budget-challenged IT departments.

Storage virtualization can also foster even more ambitious goals in addition to the payoffs we’ve outlined above. Two examples include a greatly increased ability to deploy virtualization elsewhere in the organization and using it as a kick-off point for network convergence. The payoffs from storage virtualization serve as proof that the traditional silo approach to data infrastructure adds costs and complexity to data center infrastructure that’s no longer feasible.

Essentially, storage virtualization software reduces capital (CAPEX) and operating (OPEX) expenses. The bottom line is that storage virtualization solutions can lower total cost of storage and empower the full business value of virtualization—most notably efficiency, flexibility and scale—while containing costs and minimizing disruptions to the business.

Thinking about virtual storage? Post your questions in the comment box and have our virtual storage expert answer them.

 

 

BYOD in the Workplace

“Look what I got for Christmas!”

Although the holidays are long gone, those six words are still affecting IT managers months into the new year.  Then come the next eight words “When can you connect it to our network?” - turning the awe factor into a network nightmare. The excitement surrounding the latest cool gadget quickly dissolves into concerns of security, compliance, control, support, and “will this thing even work?”

The long awaited (and dreaded) day of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is upon us and it is here to stay.  The concept is not new even if the practice is in its infancy. The recent explosion in smart phones, pads, and tablet computers has thrust these issues to the forefront of all organizations. In fact, by 2014 Gartner predicts, “90 percent of all organizations will support corporate applications on personal devices.”  Not so long ago, IT was able to dictate systems and software used in business in an effort to set standards for security, compliance, control, and support which helped to control cost.  BYOD is a game changer for this model.

The New Model

A current trend driving BYOD is organizations giving their employees a budget to purchase their own device. This places the responsibility on the IT Team to ensure it will work with the company systems.  IT can either fight BYOD or embrace it.  Even if IT chooses to rebel against BYOD, end users have multiple cloud options for storage and collaboration and may choose to circumvent policies, opening up the company to unknown risk. If IT chooses to embrace BYOD, they will see that their end users fall right inline and essentially cooperate when they see that their needs being met.  As time progresses, BYOD will become commonplace - the question remains, will your IT department be proactive or reactive? 

If your organization is thinking about implementing or transitioning to a BYOD program, here are some points to think about when developing a BYOD strategy.

Implement Network Access Control (NAC) Having NAC technology in place implements a certain set of protocols to address endpoints (computers, tablets, mobile devices) before they can access the network.  In a nutshell, NAC will not allow any endpoint to access the network unless it complies with the predefined policy. Typical NAC policies include anti-virus protection level, system update level, employee credentials and configuration. For example, if you were an accountant trying to access client files from your company database, NAC would evaluate your current anti-virus level and employee credentials before allowing you to access the shared company database. The value NAC brings is allowing more control over endpoints that may lack updated anti-virus, patches and other host intrusion software that could place more vulnerability on the network.

 Develop and Communicate Security Standards Clearly define and communicate the security requirements for individual devices, pre-approved configuration policies, and most importantly the steps employees need to take in order to properly connect their device to the network. This will help the IT Team keep track of the devices and let employees know what is and is not acceptable.

Examples of Security Standards:

• Users may not store company data through cloud services on personal devices (i.e. Drop box, iCloud, etc).
• Personal devices must have a screen lock password and must time out or go inactive after not being used for 15 minutes.
• Company may remotely wipe the personal device if the device is lost, stolen or if the employee departs the company (voluntarily or involuntarily).

Responsibility Think of BYOD as a partnership between the company and the employee with both parties have different end goals and responsibilities. Dave Merrill, IBM Endpoint Security Strategist points out “while technologies can play the enforcement role by ensuring that all enterprise data is protected per security requirements, a successful BYOD program requires that employees acknowledge and embrace the need for controls that are now enforced on their devices.” Although this part is not easy, employee buy-in is vital when implementing a BYOD program.

Read more from Dave on BYOD via his post Things that matter: BYOD and the Enterprise on the IBM Institute for Advanced Security blog.

 

 It’s time for you weigh in: To BYOD? Or not to BYOD?

School Data Systems Need Backup and Recovery

                      
               

School Data Systems Need Backup and Recovery

 

It all starts with a plan.

Creating a comprehensive plan to protect school data should be as commonplace as executing a school fire drill. Although the reporting of state and federal test scores drives much of the concern about school data, a major system crash can paralyze basic and essential school functions such as teacher grade books, class schedules, library catalogs, and even school lunch operations.

Threats to servers can come from many origins, including the local weather and geography, a district’s electrical grid, potential for theft, vandalism, hacking, and more. Based on the possible variances for your school’s environment, it’s important for you to craft a data crisis response plan unique to your school’s needs.

By developing an understanding of the demands that different threats can put on your data systems, your school will be able to reduce risk and increase confidence that an incident will not become a disaster.

Five Tips to Improve Backup and Disaster Recovery Plans:

1. Prioritize Your Data
   Backing up data on remote servers or via tape backup can be expensive. If you have to choose, decide what a day’s data is worth to your school district. Then determine which data is most important for recovering school operations, should the need to do so occur.
2. Perform Periodic Testing
   It’s surprising how many schools put backup processes in place, but don’t test them regularly to make sure they’re working as they should be. Even if you contract with a vendor, make sure they have a backup plan and do spot checks to verify that the backup is working as planned.
3. Plan for Specific Scenarios
   Despite best efforts to plan, some threats will come to fruition. Consider the types of threats that exist in your area and conceive plans for recovery should such a situation occur. Just because a threat actually happens, doesn’t mean it can’t be recovered from efficiently.
4. Mitigate Onsite Risks
   There are also some steps that can be taken at your facility to improve your odds against a data loss. For example, consider the possibility of moving servers to more secure rooms and make sure that no single point of failure exists on your network.
5. Updates are Critical                                                                                                     Make sure your operating systems and software have the latest updates and patches installed to protect against vulnerabilities. At the rate new viruses are conceived, you can’t afford not to.

Finally, realize that you don’t have to go it alone. There are managed services providers, like us (BCI) who can partner with you to assess your current data systems and backup plans, identify risks and help you to ensure that you’re prepared to respond quickly and competently in the event recovery is needed.

 

Video Goes Mainstream in the Workplace

Video Goes Mainstream in the Workplace – Are you ready?

 

 

Over the last five years, video technology has evolved, removing the frustrations and difficulties with using it and transforming it into a mainstream tool for business communications and content sharing.

Examples of the changes that are helping to mainstream video include:

• IP systems that enable video with minimal need for configuration, making it user friendly.
• Accessibility and affordability of devices used to record and share video (smartphones, tablets, laptops, etc.). All you need is an Internet connection.
• Ease of use to make video calls – most times as simple as pressing a button.
• Integration with unified communications and collaboration systems.
• Live and on-demand video is higher quality, increasing satisfaction with the experience.

Given all these changes, the value proposition for video has moved far beyond reduced travel to include increased productivity, faster time to market, training, knowledge sharing and improved customer satisfaction. Essentially, video is moving from a technology-centric solution to a people-centric one.

Getting the most of video, today, will require some cultural shifts as new use cases are adopted. Enhancing the use of and ROI of video requires that companies look beyond the traditional application for workforce collaboration.

Consider the benefits available from using video to share organizational communications in a more personalized way through video that provides employees the same message experience whether they’re in the home office, or another location.

The logistics and costs of events and conferences are exponentially difficult, taking employees away from their jobs when they can gain the same experience virtually. Rather than limiting the event to only those who can physically attend, video access can attract a broader audience.

Corporate training becomes more efficient and cost effective when it can be offered through either a live video conference or on-demand for staff unable to attend the live session. According to Yankee Group, the benefits of business video are more valuable than you may think.

• Participants learn 200% more with video than with audio alone.
• Video participants absorb information up to 40% faster than with voice communications.
• Attendees of video conferences retain 38% more information than with audio calls.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly for your company, Yankee Group states that video increases the power of persuasion by 43% over audio or written communications.

The upshot is that video increases the overall impact of communications by 67%, while audio only increases impact by only 23%.

Download the Yankee Group paper, Building a Video-First Culture in Your Business, to learn more about the steps to take to gain the advantages possible from using video productively in your business.  

 

Technology Powers the Potential of Healthcare

While healthcare providers have always been focused on controlling costs, the provision of equitable access to health services and improving the patient care experience are now claiming more attention—along with developing new sources of revenue. Facilitating those goals requires that healthcare CIOs empower clinicians, nurses and care providers with collaboration technology that helps them put the required skill sets “in the room,” efficiently and securely access and manage patient information, and develop new models of care delivery.

In this brief video, Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president of Learning@Cisco, and Frances Dare, director, Cisco IBSG Global Healthcare Practice, discuss the transformations taking place in the healthcare industry.

 

A Princeton Survey Research Associates International survey found that the top three Telehealth approaches considered to have the most potential during the next five years include:

1. Health professionals electronically sharing or accessing diagnostic images, video, or patient biometric data to consult on diagnosis and treatment.
2. Health professionals collaborating with each other via information and communication technologies to diagnose and treat patients.
3. Providing clinical training and clinical references for health professionals by using information and communication technologies.

Putting the right skills “in the room” is the core element for all three Telehealth approaches in the list above. Here are several examples of the technology powering the processes needed to turn the potential into reality:

• Presence, a feature of unified communications, enables medical teams to find and connect with clinicians who have the expertise to consult on diagnosis and treatment.
• Video conferencing solutions, such as Cisco WebEx, enable doctors and clinicians to make “virtual house calls” to patients in rural areas and remote locations around the world. It also allows health professionals to collaborate with each other and to share images and data to improve diagnosis and designing treatment.
• Video collaboration portals, such as Cisco Show and Share, provide a secure portal where training can be accessed by health professionals on demand, providing self-paced learning they can fit into their busy schedules.
• A unified wireless network ensures the continuous availability of patient information and enables nurses and clinicians to access it from a patient’s bedside easily—without spending inordinate amounts of time logging in and out of systems.

The technology exists today to power the transformation of patient care without risking the security of patient information. Promoting efficiency and productivity is not just about moving data faster, but about enabling approaches with the potential to generate new business models, improve patient satisfaction, and develop new care models that source revenues.

What are some new trends in healthcare IT that you’re seeing emerge?

 

 

Business Communications, Inc Announces Acquisition of VO2 Networx

Business Communications, Inc Announces Acquisition of VO2 Networx

Information Technology Service Provider Expands Unified Communications Expertise Through Merger

 

Ridgeland, MS – January 23, 2012

 

One of the Southeast’s top information technology companies, Business Communications, Inc. (BCI) announced today the acquisition of Memphis, TN-based VO2 Networx - leaders in business telephony, networking and data services. This acquisition further enhances BCI’s business commitment to providing customers with an end-to-end Business Solution.

 

This acquisition allows BCI, a leading cloud computing service provider, and VO2 Networx to capitalize on complementary strengths and employee expertise by sharing best practices for innovative Information Technology and Cloud Services. Utilizing VO2 Networx’s knowledge of Hosted Voice Solutions is another way BCI will build on its total solution offerings.

 

“The acquisition of VO2 Networx is a strategic addition to the BCI family and provides even more opportunities for BCI to deliver every technology and cloud solution a growing business needs. VO2 Networx and BCI will provide the best solution at every stage of the business planning process, delivering fanatical customer service and becoming a trusted advisor for those customers whom we serve,” said Tom Hinds, BCI’s President and COO.

 

VO2 Networx will continue to operate out of Memphis, TN, with new positions soon becoming available as a result of the acquisition. By combining the expertise and capabilities of BCI and

VO2 Networx, each organization will experience growth through expanded services such as, unified communications and cloud offerings. By joining together, both companies will gain broader customer insights, which ultimately lead to better customer experiences.

 

Terms of the purchase were not disclosed.

 

About BCI

With fiscal year 2011 sales of $65 million, Business Communications is the Southeast’s Leading Service Provider of Information technology and Cloud Computing Services. For more information, visit bcianswers.com.

 

About VO2 Networx

Since its inception in 2003, VO2 Networx has been dedicated to the idea that all businesses, regardless of size, should be able to afford the sophisticated telecommunications systems they need in order to be competitive.  For more information, visit vo2networx.com.

 

 

Media Contact: 
Wendi Garrison

Director of Marketing and Partner Relations

Phone:  800.748.6317
Email: wgarrison@bcianswers.com

 

The Cloud - Debunked

Cloud computing is a nebulous concept for many which ends up (more times than not) making it seem scary, undefined, or risky. I hope to simplify the concept in this post (or over a series of posts) for many of you – specifically business users that are not so technical.

The term “cloud” has been around for a while, and you probably have seen IT folks draw a picture of a cloud when sketching out their Wide-Area Network (WAN) or the Internet. The cloud has been the generally accepted icon for both of those because you really don’t know what kind of hardware/software is out there, how they are physically connected, etc.

You really don’t even care – you just want to be connected from point A to point B.

Well, now the industry has taken cloud and applied it to computing because of the same reason. You don’t care what kind of hardware/software, how it is physically connected, where it is located, etc. You just want to connect from you (point a) to your application (point b).

In most instances, the cloud is little more than just abstraction of the infrastructure – so let’s dig a little deeper by being a little more technical.

Resource Usage

In most environments, you have an application (or multiple apps) installed on a particular O/S running on a server with specific hardware requirements. The implications from this scenario include:

• If that application is not doing much, then the server’s resources (RAM/memory, disk space, network connectivity, etc) are under-utilized.  In my experience, servers use less than 20% of the resources on average.   So you have planned for growth, have overbought, or just purchased incorrectly – in any of these cases you are arguably wasting your capital dollars.
• If that application is demanding TOO many resources, then that server can’t go get more resources without you spending more money and experiencing downtime to add them… even if the server next to it is running at 10% capacity.  

So to summarize, each application is physically dependent on one piece of hardware… this is not very efficient or effective.   

To give a real life example, I had two brothers and a sister growing up.   The three boys shared a bathroom and my sister had her own bathroom. We were strictly prohibited from using her bathroom (DON’T ASK!), so if one of my brothers was in our bathroom (using up the resources), I couldn’t borrow my sister’s bathroom (borrow her resources). I couldn’t get an additional bathroom budgeted for the boy department, and while our bosses/parents were willing to add on to our bathroom, we couldn’t live through the downtime of NO resources while the additional resources were added. 

Virtualization 

Along comes virtualization, which is the cloud-enabler!

This piece of software is installed on multiple servers and makes it virtually appear as one. It is a little more complicated than this, but I am simplifying. You still install the application(s) into the operating system, but now you can run multiple of these little virtual machines on one or more physical servers. Now, instead of having 10 physical servers for 10 applications, you might only have 2 or 3 servers.  If one server is out of resources, the virtual machine just moves on over to a server that has free resources without anyone noticing. 

In my personal case, I would just go over and use my sister’s bathroom anytime she wasn’t there. Long story short – virtualization software like VMware’s VSphere, Citrix’s ZenServer, Microsoft’s HyperV, etc., removes the operating system’s dependence on physical hardware. 

 Efficiency 

Most importantly, Cloud Computing offers IT better redundancy, more efficient usage of resources, and more effective use of resources – all which will now be done while actually having LESS resources. Have you implemented any cloud based applications or thinking about migrating to the cloud? I would love to hear about your experiences, issues and successes. 

 

Business Communications Inc. Launches New Customer Focused Website

Business Communications Inc. Launches New Customer Focused Website

Plug into Cloud Computing Services with one of Mississippi’s Top Information Technology Companies

Ridgeland, MS - November 17, 2011  

One of the Southeast’s top information technology companies, Business Communications, Inc, shifts its focus to customers and cloud services with a newly redesigned website bcianswers.com.  The new website provides new and current customers with easy access to product information and highlights BCI’s new Data Center and suite of cloud services.

The new website offers more solution based information, organized to provide quick, direct access to topics such as dedicated managed servers and cloud computing services. BCIAnswers.com’s home page features center around practices areas and customer segments served. These two navigation features take visitors quickly to what they are looking for but also allow them to explore different practices areas, services, and technology partners.  Serving diverse customer needs, the site is optimized for the IT Manager looking to “take things off their plate” and the Small Business Owner needing to “plug into the cloud.” The entire site is geared to make Information Technology more customer-friendly.

The new bcianswers.com has been in development for the past year with BCI’s marketing department leading the project and working with all levels of management to ensure the site reflects BCI’s core values.

“The new site was created specifically for customers, including both technical and non-technical visitors,” says Wendi Garrison, BCI’s Director of Marketing and Partner Relations.  “It’s packed with information on our new data center, news, events, and multiple ways for customers to connect with BCI via social technology.”

 

About BCI

BCI is a technology services company passionate about understanding our customers and utilizing Information Technology to drive business outcomes.

 

Media Contact: 
Wendi Garrison, Director of Marketing and Partner Relations

Phone:  800.748.6317
Email: wgarrison@bcianswers.com

A Non-technical Perspective on the Cloud

My introduction to the information technology world came 2 short years ago. When you consider that I came from a non-technical background, I can be considered an infant in technical years. Right at the time I was on-boarding at BCI is when cloud technology was really beginning to build momentum; huge players like Cisco, Citrix and VMWare were beginning to rev their cloud engines.

Over the past year, especially the past 6 months, BCI has been all about the cloud.  Since my post is in the Marketing department, our focus has been getting our customers into our cloud, building cloud knowledge within our employee and customer base, and learning about partner cloud offerings.

After being immersed in cloud creation, cloud marketing, and putting on Cloud-inspiried events - I began to ponder...What does the cloud mean to me and all of the millions of other non-technical people that help power the IT industry?

IT As a Service

To me, the cloud simply allows IT to be provided as a service. The cloud unlocks the power of IT and allows for many more businesses to take advantage of cutting-edge technology. For example, today's small business can invest zero in capital, pay one monthly fee, and get all of their applications, storage, security, telephone, and backup needs delivered to them over any internet enabled device, minus the IT staff, maintenance, and upgrades.

No matter how many times I hear this example I still get as excited as I did when the first the proverbial light bulb went off. Now, superior competitive-edge enabling technology is not just for enterprise level business with huge IT budgets. As we continue to move towards the "IT as a commodity" mindset, more businesses will be able to leverage the power of IT to accelerate their profits.

IT Resources on Demand

On the flip side, how will the cloud affect businesses with huge IT budgets and the staff to support their environment?

This question is a challenge to the businesses that believe their equipment must be located on premises for them to maintain control.

I'd argue that no matter how unique one's business requirements or needs are, the cloud fits, its not one size fits all, it's what you need when you need it.

For enterprise-level businesses, the cloud brings a level of flexibility and scalability that has never before been available. A business that experiences 2 peak seasons per year no longer has to invest in equipment that will be under utilized during non-peak times. With the cloud, you can supplement your current IT environment to cover business activity influxes, while keeping the "surprise" out of your IT costs. For example, the cloud unlocks servers, bandwidth, and storage space-allowing resources to scale up or down - as needed and on demand.

It's 2 years later and I'm making my way into the toddler technical knowledge phase....being part of BCI's marketing team has been amazing, but getting to watch how the cloud is helping revolutionize how businesses are taking advantage of IT is alarmingly exciting.