Author Archives: Scott Maurice

Cloud Implementation: A Business-Wide Approach

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I’ve written multiple articles about different facets of implementing the cloud, and it’s a worthy topic to continue to discuss. With any office, different challenges in implementation present themselves, and it can be all too easy to write off hurdles as a job for IT and proceed with business as usual.

The fact is, this approach is impractical at best and downright dangerous at worst. The cloud has instituted a revelation in terms of how data is stored and distributed, and it is up to businesses to involve employees in the adoption process. Doing so can confer sizable benefits in the long run; not only will they be more inclined to use the cloud safely, but the knowledge that they gain can lead to better productivity and perhaps even system improvements in the future.

Now, the main point behind cloud implementation is to benefit a business in some way. A formal ROI assessment is necessary when it comes to deciding the extent to which a business adopts the cloud. Implementation must align with business strategy, so it only makes sense to properly educate employees on its usage. After all, a business strategy in any other silo would warrant distributing proper information to employees. Doing so it about transparency as much as it is about practicality.

The cloud is often adopted to streamline common business practices such as marketing, finance, and manufacturing, along with countless others. However, often, employees won’t change much about their daily routines in response to the addition of cloud services. Protocols need to be updated alongside a shift in technology. Innovation in a company only really works if everyone is involved, and it is much easier to support a mass education effort than to individually instruct anybody that may benefit from cloud usage.

Another aspect of the advent of cloud computing is the breakdown of lines between system administration and users. New roles, even among non-IT staff, can help iron out problems and confusion while freeing up more time to focus on improvements and innovation. Consider executing interdisciplinary programs that give certain departments training to better prepare them for upcoming cloud changes. It’ll help streamline implementation and keep your company on the bleeding edge of competition. A great starting point is to identify employees that have a strong understanding of technology and offer to involve them in the adoption process and pass off their newfound knowledge to others in their departments.

But, even with education, cloud adoption initiatives can fall flat if there is no solid platform for employees to use the cloud. Consider skill levels and familiarity with technology when choosing a platform, as you’ll want UI and functionality that is easy to understand among employees of all skill levels.

There’s a shift coming in terms of what the next generation will need to be prepared for when joining the workforce. Given the popularity of the cloud, universities in countries such as India have had the foresight to give students some level of education in its use, making them more valuable to the companies they go on to work for. In companies working to implement this new technology, they would do well to follow this example, updating employee practices along with infrastructure to foster positive change.

Good Cloud Practices: How to Promote Cybersecurity in Your Organization

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As cloud adoption continues to move along with increasing momentum, hackers have moved in to take advantage of the many businesses and organizations that have not properly put forth measures to defend their systems against attack.

With the benefits of the cloud widely extolled by IT professionals (even on this very blog), many businesses have taken notice and started to adopt, sometimes without foresight into every aspect of the cloud, particularly dealing with security. For any businesses looking to up their cloud game, here are some of the best ways to counteract common problems.

Counteract Data Breaches

As illustrated by the recent Equifax debacle and many other leaks of consumer information, dealing with data breaches is paramount when it comes to cloud security. When an organization is breached, it can face criminal charges, lawsuits, and a permanent stain on its reputation.

Because of this, companies should exercise the utmost caution when distributing sensitive information through cloud systems. Multifactor authentication is one of the easiest and best ways to counteract a potential breach, whether through phone verification, temporary passwords, or smartcards. Since many of these breaches occur as a result of poor user passwords or mismanagement of login credentials, these systems help enforce good conduct. It may slightly inconvenience some of your employees—but the cost to them is nothing compared to the cost of even a minor breach.

Physically Protect Your Data

One aspect of system management that many do not consider is potential damage in the face of a fire or natural disaster. If all of your data is kept in a single, physical location, the result of such a disaster can be catastrophic.

The cloud does, however, make it easier to backup and distribute your data. Consider additional data sites and precautions for disaster recovery. Off-site storage options are widely available and more useful than ever for preparing for potential destruction of data.

Audit Employee Accounts

The difficult part of achieving good cybersecurity is considering every point where a system can be compromised. Multifactor authentication is one way to help make the process as fail-proof as possible, but a level of due diligence from the company is also necessary.

For instance, be sure to immediately delete credentials from former employees. Even if their employment ended on good terms, it is wise to ensure that there are no extraneous accounts that have system access.

Monitor Access

The ability of system administrators to monitor a network have thankfully improved over time. Still, frequent checks are necessary to catch any anomalies as soon as possible. Advanced analytics and machine learning play a large part in better monitoring, but there is still no substitute for a seasoned IT professional, particularly one that can flag potential signs of breaches or issues before they happen. Per-app analytics are a great way to deliver application status in a usable manner that can then be acted upon in the event of a problem.

It can be difficult to completely screen a cloud system, but it’s something that every business needs to consider, with the consequences having the potential to permanently damage a company’s livelihood. Fortunately, there are a few tried-and-true methods to help protect from attack or disaster, allowing new cloud infrastructures to flourish and properly work toward improving a business.

Dispelling Common Myths About Cloud Computing

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Cloud computing has truly grown into its skin in terms of its impact on the modern technological landscape. Most major industries now implement and rely on some form of cloud-based storage to improve their efficiency and niche-specific innovation. Still, even with the cloud’s growing maturity and agility, it still remains at the center of several myths stemming mainly from its security, financial constraints, and overall usability.

Here are logical responses to several cloud-based myths.

“The cloud is the end-all/be-all of success”

While cloud computing holds immense potential in terms of “speed-to-market” deliverables, it is not necessarily the only means of finding success in an increasingly data-driven business world. The best rule of thumb is to conduct an analysis of your company’s specific needs, goals, and weaknesses and determine if cloud-based software will stand as an asset to achieving and mending these matters. The reality is that there are several major breakthroughs going on in the business technology sector (virtualization, autonomy), and these innovations may simply serve your company in a more constructive manner.

In short, the cloud is great, but “cloud washing” is not.

“The cloud is unsafe”

A common concern surrounding the cloud stems from its security, and this notion is reasonable given the amount of precious data held within cloud communities. However, much of this skepticism is unfounded, as there have been very few public cloud security breaches since the concept took off as a technological norm.

The cloud is obviously not impenetrable, but its security is much stronger and more consistent than many commentators would lead you to believe.

“The cloud is typically not reflective of a company-wide decision”

Cloud computing is often given the false label of a “CEO-said-so” implementation — in other words it is perceived to be a change imposed on an entire company, regardless of majority interest. In reality, most companies make the switch to the cloud after a long planning and goal mapping process in which employees and executives alike weigh the pros and cons of such a move.

The cloud is almost never the result of a knee-jerk decision — its vast array of uses makes it almost impossible to be handled in such a way.

“Data shared in the cloud cannot be taken back”

Another reasonable, but mostly incorrect cloud-based fear comes from the stakes surrounding data storage. In many of these cases, the skeptic is under the impression that data stored in the cloud is essentially irrevocable. In the past, these beliefs were legitimate, but subsequent advances in data-based technology have given way to easier methods of data migration — both to and from the cloud.

Initial cloud-based data storage can be daunting, but rest assured that your data is far from “locked in.”

IoT and Cloud Computing: A Revolutionary Relationship

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When tracing the taxonomy of breakthroughs in modern technology, two concepts stand as major stems in terms of progressive innovation: the cloud and the internet of things (IoT). The former has revolutionized the ways in which we store, share, analyze, and manage data across a large user base, speeding up the efficiency and productivity of many industries worldwide. The latter, a concept referring to the connectivity of devices across a potentially widespread network, as changed our perception of interactivity, and it too has revamped many aspects of the working world, from interconnected law enforcement resources to evolving possibilities surrounding smart cities.

Both the cloud and IoT, in themselves, are exciting and reflective of a seemingly limitless array of uses. However, what’s even more fascinating are the ways in which the two concepts are being utilized simultaneously, creating a relationship of vast potential.

Cloud complements

Cloud computing acts as a natural complement to IoT initiatives, mainly since both concepts strive to “increase efficiency in everyday tasks.” In simple terms, IoT’s basic functionality creates a large amount of data, and cloud computing essentially gives this data a “pathway” to travel upon. In an office with a growing dependence on connected technology, for instance, the cloud’s presence can help to facilitate stronger collaboration and quicker data accessibility, allowing workers to access this data both remotely and on location.

Symbiotic security

Both the cloud and IoT have been criticized in the past for potential security concerns, leading some to question their functionality and safety. Respective security debates aside, the IoT/cloud relationship is undeniably fruitful in terms of increased security and privacy measures. The basic nature of IoT has led to an increased emphasis on several aspects of functional infrastructure, namely connectivity, reliability, and computing power. The cloud, in turn, can act as a “backbone” of sorts, helping companies to address these points of interest by means of application programming interfaces (APIs) and backend databases.

Improved functionality

Since IoT is still technically a fledgling technological movement in several regards, its general handling has presented a lack of standards, which has subsequently led to breakdowns in manufacturer communication as well as device integration. However, the cloud can help to sharpen pre-existing IoT systems in terms of their fluidity and architecture. Often, data sets within current IoT systems are “siloed on separate servers,” and their accessibility suffers as a result. Cloud implementation can allow these servers to connect in a more seamless manner, cutting back on data stagnation and ultimately providing these servers with more value. In short, the cloud is able to make the already speedy IoT even faster, all while strengthening its functionality.

What You Need To Know About The Cloud in YOUR Workplace

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Here’s a question for anybody, regardless of industry: do you know if you use the cloud in your day to day activities? Even if you are not an IT specialist, it always pays to be cognizant of the technology at your disposal and the ways that you can use it to be more productive and improve the quality of your work.

Given the recent widespread adoption of cloud technology, it stands to reason that many businesses and industries already make use of the cloud in some capacity. I’d like to take a moment and talk about some of the industries that benefit the most from cloud adoption. If you belong to any of the below and are not aware of the ways in which the cloud can assist you, I encourage you to conduct your own research and push towards your company creating its own plan.

Banking

The banking industry needs the cloud to process massive amounts of data. Given the nature of the data, cloud security is paramount here. As security measures improve for this new technology, expect banks to use it more often. The cloud’s ability to make businesses more agile is ideal. This best serves banks that may have to handle acquisitions and improve outdated software over time.

Education

Education is always in demand. The need for student portals and administrative records is best served through cloud adoption. There are many time consuming processes in the education sector that can be improved or automated through cloud services, and platforms for email or other communications can be facilitated over the cloud. Furthermore, the mobile connectivity that the cloud can provide is necessary for the modern era of students and teachers.

Healthcare

I’ve spoken in the past about the value that the cloud brings healthcare, and would like to reiterate here. The massive quantity of patient records necessitates some level of streamlining and automation, especially when this data is traded across providers. The cloud can help make this process less of a hassle and ultimately provide further security and confidentiality for patients when their information is sent out to others.

Construction

The construction industry is based around logistics, something that cloud providers help improve. Often, with job sites and other projects, it can be difficult for administrators to track the information that they need. The cloud can provide remote and mobile access for these professionals, enabling them to get the information that they need at a moment’s notice. Plus, the financial concerns inherent in construction makes construction professionals a strong candidate for certain management platforms.

Startups

While less an industry and more a type of company, startup companies have the most to gain from adopting the cloud. Unlike established businesses, they don’t have to waste time and capital adapting their existing data infrastructure to the cloud; they can start right away and have the cloud make an impact on organizing their operations. Plus, the scalability of the cloud allows startup owners to adapt to the changing nature of their business.

Conclusion

Every company has something to gain from the cloud, even if only in the form of document sharing. Any savvy business professional should learn the benefits that this new technology can confer. They can stay competitive and evolve for the future.

If you have any questions about how your business can adopt the cloud, contact me through the form on the front page.