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If you’re just starting on virtualization, you need to know it’s not just plug-and-play. You need to understand your IT environment, and that’s not something that’s immediately easy to grasp. If you’re a beginner, better follow this virtualization guide. Conduct an assessment Evaluating your IT environment is an important step in the implementation process. After […]

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28 Mar, 2019 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Uncategorized category

If you’re just starting on virtualization, you need to know it’s not just plug-and-play. You need to understand your IT environment, and that’s not something that’s immediately easy to grasp. If you’re a beginner, better follow this virtualization guide.

Conduct an assessment

Evaluating your IT environment is an important step in the implementation process. After all, you can’t just go around virtualizing everything without a plan. An IT assessment performed by an impartial managed services provider (MSP) like us helps you understand what type of virtualization solution you need.

For example, if the report shows that your computers don’t have enough processing power to run certain apps, desktop virtualization — which consolidates operating systems and apps into a single powerful server — is an ideal solution.

From there, you should be able to estimate costs and set realistic timelines for its implementation.

Don’t forget about hardware

Just because virtualization frees up space in your server room, does not mean hardware is no longer an issue. No matter what type of solution you opt for, the servers you use must be strong enough to support the entire company’s computing demands.

This means you must take stock of your apps and their hardware requirements and make sure your server has all the processing power, RAM, network capacity, and storage necessary to run them.

Underutilized servers are excellent candidates for virtualization, but purchasing new equipment may pay dividends in the long run. If you choose the latter option, ask your provider for recommendations. Chances are they’re partnered with virtualization-optimized hardware vendors that offer top-of-the-line servers.

Prevent VM sprawl

Virtualization allows you to deliver computing resources to workstations in your network via virtual machines (VMs), which can be created on a server in just a few minutes. While this lets you scale and provision resources quickly, there are risks if you don’t have someone regularly reviewing which VMs are worthwhile and which are outdated. You could be losing out on cost savings and efficiency benefits.

When too many VMs are created, they can quickly consume server resources and complicate licensing and asset management.

To prevent sprawl, you must establish policies and restrictions for VM creation. For instance, users must have a solid justification for creating a VM (e.g., testing software or provisioning apps for new users).

Prioritize business continuity

You must also protect the hardware running your virtual servers. Make sure to lock up server rooms and have secondary servers available in case the first one breaks down. While you’re at it, take advantage of automated backup solutions that make copies of your VMs and their files regularly.

Work with experts

Building and maintaining a virtual infrastructure is no simple task. That’s why you’ll want to work with a virtualization specialist who can guarantee a seamless implementation and provide continuous management services.

For more tips on virtualization, call our experts today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Proprietary vs. open-source VoIP systemsVoice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has come a long way in helping businesses use sophisticated features with significant cost savings. The challenge for small- and medium-sized businesses is knowing where to begin. Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you decide which system is right for you. What are “proprietary” systems? When most […]

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27 Mar, 2019 / by Complete Technology Resources / in VoIP category
Proprietary vs. open-source VoIP systems

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has come a long way in helping businesses use sophisticated features with significant cost savings. The challenge for small- and medium-sized businesses is knowing where to begin. Here’s a list of pros and cons to help you decide which system is right for you.

What are “proprietary” systems?

When most companies release VoIP software, such as Microsoft’s Skype, they often package it in a way that makes it almost impossible for users to view or alter the programming code. By keeping it locked down, they retain control over which hardware and software systems it is compatible with and prevent hackers from uncovering vulnerabilities.

Pros and cons

One of the biggest benefits of a proprietary VoIP system is a consistent user experience across compatible hardware devices and software integrations. Brand-name handsets and third-party software must be programmed by the VoIP system’s developer to be compatible, so you know everything will be optimized for a uniform and reliable user experience.
But keep in mind that, in the majority of cases, the added security and polished integrations of these systems cost more than open-source alternatives.

What are “open-source” systems?

The programming code that enables open-source VoIP solutions to work is free and accessible to anyone. Open-source systems are made to be more of a starting point than a finished solution, which means they’re usually pretty rough around the edges until you customize them.

Pros and cons

The two best things about an open-source system are the cost and the flexibility. The core system will be totally free, but tailoring it to your desktops, handsets, and servers will require a fair amount of time and technical expertise. This usually requires a larger upfront investment when compared to proprietary systems, but will pay off with lower operational costs as time goes on.

The tradeoffs between open-source and proprietary systems are fairly even. The former is often better for business owners who prioritize keeping costs low, while the latter is usually better for those who prefer refined solutions. Choosing between the two comes down to your customer service model, IT resources, and business priorities.

Small businesses like yours can enjoy personalized, high-end IT solutions, they just need support from experienced technicians. With years of experience in VoIP, we’re the answer to all your problems. To learn about what we think is best for your business, call today!

 

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Use Outlook effectively with these tricksMany companies prefer to use Microsoft Outlook for coordinating projects, setting up meetings, and managing their email. This tool offers more features aside from being an email application where you can organize your business communications, contacts, and work. Let's take a closer look at some tips you might have missed. Clean Up your inbox No […]

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26 Mar, 2019 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Office, Productivity, Tips category
Use Outlook effectively with these tricks

Many companies prefer to use Microsoft Outlook for coordinating projects, setting up meetings, and managing their email. This tool offers more features aside from being an email application where you can organize your business communications, contacts, and work. Let's take a closer look at some tips you might have missed.

Clean Up your inbox

No matter how meticulously organized your Outlook inbox is, there’s always room for improvement. For a little computer-assisted help, try the ‘Clean Up’ feature.

From your Inbox, click the Home tab and choose from Outlook’s three Clean Up options:

  • Clean Up Conversation – Reviews an email thread or a conversation and deletes redundant text.
  • Clean Up Folder – Reviews conversations in a selected folder and deletes redundant messages.
  • Clean Up Folder & Subfolders – Reviews all messages in a selected folder and any subfolders, and deletes redundant messages in all of them.

Ignore (unnecessary) conversations

An overstuffed inbox is often caused by group conversations that aren’t relevant to you. The Ignore button helps you organize your inbox and focus on relevant emails.

  • Select a message, then click Home > Ignore > Ignore Conversation. You can also do this by opening a message in a new window and clicking Ignore under the Delete function. To recover an ignored message, go to the Deleted Items folder, and click Ignore > Stop Ignoring Conversation.

Send links instead of a file copy

Help your colleagues save storage space by sending a link to a cloud version of a file instead of the file itself. This is particularly useful when sending massive files. You can also set permissions to allow recipients to edit and collaborate on linked files in real time.

  • Upload the file you wish to send on OneDrive and send it to your recipients. From the message box, click Attach File > Browse web locations > OneDrive.

Improve meetings with Skype and OneNote

Outlook allows you to combine Skype’s HD video and screen-sharing features with OneNote’s organizational and project planning functions. It’s easy:

  • Go to the Meeting tab in Outlook, then click Skype meeting and send the link to the participants. After the meeting has started, select Meeting Notes (under the Meeting tab) and choose whether you want to Take notes on your own or Share notes with the meeting.

Tag contacts

To get the attention of a specific person in a group email message, use the @Mention function. This works particularly well for emails sent to multiple recipients or if you simply want to convey the urgency of your message.

  • In the email body or meeting request, type the ‘@’ symbol followed by the first and last name of the person you wish to tag (e.g., @firstnamelastname).
  • To search for emails you’re tagged in, select Filter Email from the Home tab and choose Mentioned, then choose Mentioned.

These are just a few strategies for getting more out of Microsoft’s email platform. To unlock Outlook’s true potential, you need the support of certified IT professionals. Give us a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Changing something fundamental to your IT can be tricky to transition into, so it’s best to allot sufficient time for it. If you’re still on either Windows Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server 2008, do migrate to Microsoft Azure early, long before you reach the July 2019 end of life deadline. What’s the big deal […]

The post Say goodbye to SQL Server 2008, hello Azure appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

25 Mar, 2019 / by Complete Technology Resources / in Windows category

Changing something fundamental to your IT can be tricky to transition into, so it’s best to allot sufficient time for it. If you’re still on either Windows Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server 2008, do migrate to Microsoft Azure early, long before you reach the July 2019 end of life deadline.

What’s the big deal with losing publisher support in the first place?

When a software publisher releases a software program, that program is sure to have functionality issues called ‘bugs.’ Bugs are mostly in-app features that frustratingly “don’t work as expected,” but can include software-to-hardware compatibility problems and app integration issues.

Many bugs are glitches that the developers themselves are not aware of — most of the time, they’re reported by the end-users. Other concerns such as cybersecurity vulnerabilities can also be discovered. Lastly, as technology advances over time, developers add new features to their products.

Once a bundle of fixes and adjustments is done, it is released as a version update — and such updates are continually deployed for as long as the program enjoys developer support. However, software developers produce completely new and improved programs all the time, which makes old ones obsolete and no longer worth keeping.

Since an abrupt loss of support can feel like a gut punch for users who’ve spent considerable amounts of time, money, and effort to obtain licenses and overcome learning curves, publishers instead take away support gradually and give ample time for users to make adjustments.

Microsoft as a publisher is doing everything on their end to sunset their server platforms properly, which means that whatever negative consequences you’ll suffer for not migrating to Azure will all be on you. To be clear, going without publisher support means you’ll face the following risks:

  • Compromised cybersecurity – Developers stopping work on a program doesn’t mean that hackers developing malware for that program will stop alongside with them. This means you have to come up with your own countermeasures to the latter’s pernicious innovations. This also leads to...
  • ...Regulatory noncompliance – Brace yourself to pay a lot of fines if you can’t keep up with ever-stiffening data regulations requirements and incessantly suffer one major data breach after another.
  • Customer distrust – If you don’t migrate to Microsoft Azure, your customers might migrate to competitors who do. They want to do business with companies that make information security a top priority.
  • Tainted reputation – Simply put, you’re the one responsible for keeping systems up to date, so data breaches or loss due to having outdated programs is seen as negligence.

The solution is simple: Move to a newer setup

Depending on your business requirements, you must use Microsoft Azure to migrate to a newer setup, such as the SQL Server 2017 and Azure SQL Database Managed Instance pairing. This combo features incredible in-memory performance across workloads, high availability for mission-critical processes, and the latest cybersecurity protections for both data at rest and in motion.

With that settled, the question now becomes: How do you execute your migration so that it does not cause downtime, data loss, and security vulnerabilities?

Again, the answer is simple: Turn to us, your ever-reliable managed IT services provider, for help. Contact us to schedule your consultation. We’ll hold your hand every step of the way to ensure that your transition to Azure is smooth and problem-free.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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