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Cloud 101: The Cloud is Here to Stay July 18, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

Cloud solutions and subscription-based apps are swiftly becoming the most common type of software. You may have good reasons to maintain an on-premises server for some services, beginning to move the services you can to the cloud before you have to is a good idea. Exchange server (on-premises email software) is receiving fewer and fewer upgrades and the whole program could be declared end-of-life within the next decade. Email in the cloud is where Microsoft…

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Cloud 101: Securing Your Assets in the Cloud July 5, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, Cyber Security, IT Support

There are often security concerns when moving to the cloud. Keeping everything physically in your office feels safer. But remember – your server is connected to the internet, which means it’s accessible. It’s also networked to all your PCs, if one of them were infected a virus could spread to the server. Factors in Getting Breached There are two major factors in calculating the likelihood of getting breached: Likelihood of being attacked. Mitigation in place…

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Cloud 101: Preparation, Preparation, Preparation June 6, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

Making major changes to your IT will always have some effect on your users, the planning stage is the key to making it a relatively painless change vs a project nightmare. If you are intending to move to the cloud every minute you spend at the start of the project planning will save ten at the end bugfixing and significantly reduce the disruption to users. Whether you are replacing an on-premises server or going to…

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Cloud 101: How Much Will Going to the Cloud Cost? May 3, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

How much a migration to the cloud will cost will vary depending on your specific needs and software requirements, but it will be a significant investment. For an example a rough estimate for a company with fairly simple setup for 10 users, with a £6,000 server would compare as: Monthly Costs Setup Costs Annual cost over 5 years New on-premises only solution £261.53 £12,810 £5,700.40 On-premises server, emails in the cloud £319.53 £11,005 £6,035.40 Serverless…

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Cloud 101: Is Serverless Right for Your Business? April 19, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

There are four main functions that a server performs for most small businesses: Authentication – making sure anyone logging into the network PCs has the correct credentials, controlling what they can access and managing password changes. File management – storing files in a central location so staff can access them from their PCs. Email – creating and storing calendars, mailboxes, distribution lists and shared mailboxes. Apps – some apps like Sage require a central database…

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Cloud 101: Going Serverless March 28, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

For some businesses cloud solutions mean you don’t need an on-premises server at all – you could go completely serverless. This can provide a significant saving on hardware, software and maintenance, as well as making working from outside the office easier. Cloud-based Solutions Are: Less costly up-front. Easy to access. Manage and use from anywhere you’ve set permissions to access from. Flexible. If you get a sudden increase or decrease you can just pick up…

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Cloud 101: Using Apps in the Cloud March 22, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

Software is increasingly being made to be accessed via the cloud rather than downloaded locally. This allows the app provider to build an environment specifically designed to run their solution. That way they don’t have to try to account for the myriad of ways people set up their personal devices or business servers when developing software. They can also avoid having to support issues that may be caused by the user’s environment. For you this…

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Cloud 101: What is a Cloud Solution? March 1, 2024 – Posted in: Cloud Computing, IT Support

A cloud solution is simply a solution kept on someone else’s servers and accessed via the internet. To provide an analogy: employing a cleaner directly makes you responsible for hiring, training, equipping, managing a whole person. You may only need a third of a day’s work most of the time with occasional requirements for two people for a day for an end-of-year deep clean. For many businesses it makes more sense to outsource their cleaning…

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