Virtualization and cloud computing are sometimes mistaken as one and the same, causing much confusion. For the record, virtualization is different from cloud computing, but these two technologies usually overlap.

Virtualization
Imagine a company with five servers, each assigned a single task such as storage, email, etc. If there were a spike in email traffic, it would overwhelm the email server, causing it to slow down. Adding another server would solve this problem, but it would be expensive and inefficient on days with less traffic.

With virtualization software, you can combine the resources of all five servers in our example. So if the email server gets bogged down, it can borrow resources from any of the other servers with extra capacity. The process is not as simple as it sounds, and businesses often turn to an experienced IT service provider to set up a virtualized environment.

Because virtualization software can be installed on a server in your office, it is totally independent of cloud technology. Sometimes, people misunderstand the difference because the vast majority of cloud solutions use virtualization to improve their services.

Cloud computing
With cloud computing, users can edit documents, save files, and interact with apps that aren’t actually on their computer. Instead, they access these items by connecting to a server via a network or internet connection.

To carry out its purpose, a cloud platform sometimes uses several virtualized servers to provide users with a simple system that appears to be on its own, even though it’s actually shared with several other users and servers. There’s no need to purchase additional servers, and you can also save valuable office space by not having to deploy bulky equipment.

Obviously, scalability is critical in today’s ever-changing business conditions. Cloud computing makes it easier to manage business tasks to maximize productivity. And it helps streamline operations, as more cloud services are integrated. Businesses don’t have to worry about infrastructure maintenance because it is covered by the cloud service provider.

Virtualization and cloud computing are both economical technologies that small businesses should take advantage of. If you want to see what they can do for you, call our experts today!

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Android users will have their hands full when they learn about the new features of the latest Android OS. Named Android 9 Pie, it offers a truly remarkable experience, what with innovations that will change the way you use Android. Here are some of them.

Enhanced security features

In Android 9 Pie, apps won't be able to access your microphone, camera, and SensorManager sensors while running in the background. This prevents apps from abusing legitimate permissions they have been granted.

Another security enhancement is the lockdown mode. In case of an emergency, it lets you disable face- and fingerprint-based unlock, or any smart unlock options you have set up. You can enable this through Settings > Security & location > Lock screen preferences > Show lockdown option. To activate it, you just need to hold down the power button whereupon a new option will appear above the screenshot icon.

When you tap the lockdown icon, your phone will immediately lock and hide all lock screen notifications. To unlock it, you’ll need to enter your PIN, pattern, or password.

New accessibility menu

Android Pie 9 offers a new menu with easier-to-reach shortcuts for common functions, which are especially helpful for users who need assistance and those having difficulty using Android’s gestures.

To enable this menu, go to Settings > Accessibility > Accessibility Menu and turn on the Use service slider. Confirm the prompt, and a new icon to the right of the navigation bar will appear. Tapping it will bring up a large menu with shortcuts to your most commonly used functions such as volume, recent apps, and quick settings.

New gesture navigation

If you want a break from the usual Back, Home, and Recent buttons, you may want to try the new gesture-based system. It lets you navigate through the interface more fluidly and intuitively. To enable this, go to Settings > System > Gestures > Swipe up on Home.

Here's how the gesture system works:

1. Tap the new elongated Home button to go home.
2. The Back button will appear in its usual position.
3. Open the Recents view by swiping up on the Home button. Move left and right to view the list. Swiping up will clear a recent app, while pressing and holding an app’s icon will let you see the Split screen option. In this view, you can interact with apps to select and copy text.
4. Swipe up on the Home button twice to open your app drawer.
5. Swipe right and then hold down Home to slowly scroll between apps. Release to open the center app.
6. To switch to the previous app, swipe right quickly and release.
7. Pressing and holding the Home button will open Google Assistant as usual.

Adaptive battery and brightness

Adaptive Battery improved upon the Doze feature, which was introduced in Android 6 Marshmallow. Doze puts idle apps into a “deep sleep,” preventing them from draining the battery. Android 9 Pie goes a step further by learning about the user’s most utilized apps and services and adjusting rarely used apps to consume less battery.

App actions

App Actions predict what you want to do so you can quickly start tasks the next time you use your phone. So if you chat with coworkers on Hangouts regularly, you might see an App Action that will direct you to Hangouts.

These are just five of the many new features of the Android 9 Pie. Talk to us and learn why this OS is right for you.

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A virtual machine (VM) is essentially one piece of software that contains operating systems, software, and files that take a portion of computing resources from your on-premises server. VMs behave like normal files, so you could deploy a fleet of them on any workstation with ease. But there are some drawbacks. Too many VMs can cause a logistical nightmare and cost your business a lot of money.

The problem with VM sprawl
VM sprawl is a phenomenon that occurs when there are too many virtual machines on a network. Keep in mind that VMs have the same licensing, security, and compliance requirements as your other computers and servers. So when administrators are given free rein to create as many virtual instances as they want, issues concerning the security and management of VMs begin to appear.

Having too many virtual instances running at the same time exhausts server resources. In fact, a majority of virtual servers are idle, which means companies are paying for licenses they’re not using. Unused VMs are also not patched and maintained properly, enabling attackers to infiltrate a network.

However, there are some things you can do to prevent VM sprawl.

VM creation policies
Businesses should have policies in place for limiting the creation of unnecessary VMs. For instance, you can have a policy that forbids users from deploying a new VM unless they specify a good reason. This way, they’re more likely to think twice before requesting resources they may not need. You should also place limits on how many VMs each department can create to keep your virtualized environment small and manageable.

VM inventory
Documenting every VM in your network should be standard protocol in your company. They should be organized by their purpose (e.g., backups, app testing, resource-intensive software usage), who they are assigned to, and when their software was last updated. This will make it easier to review which VMs are necessary to your operations and decommission the ones that no longer serve a purpose.

Life cycle management
For businesses with large-scale VM deployments, life cycle management tools can give you total visibility into how many VMs are running on the network, how they’re being utilized, and who created them.

Such tools allow you to set time-based policies that remove VMs that were needed for only a short time (e.g., those used for app testing). This ensures you’re not wasting resources on idle VMs.

Although virtualization is a powerful solution, it must be carefully managed if you want to realize its cost-cutting and efficiency-boosting benefits. If you want to truly benefit from virtualization, call us today.

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