Should You Migrate Your Email Server to The Cloud?

As cloud technology continues to evolve and improve, more solutions are being implemented to make it more reliable as a storage solution for every organization. These days, the cloud recognized as a means to host apps and platforms—like email, which used to be localized. Email technologies in the cloud have helped boost productivity while ensuring dependable and secure online backup of emails in a dedicated environment that can be customized to suit an organization’s unique needs. Microsoft, and Rackspace are some examples of providers offering a range of business-class email solutions hosted in the cloud.

Moving to the cloud is always good for every organization. By migrating emails to the cloud, you can eliminate the need to worry about server maintenance. This can save money, let you avoid downtime. Disaster recovery will be easier when your email server is hosted in a cloud. Even if a computer crashes, you do not have to worry about important emails being lost. The cloud is accessible from anywhere as long as you have internet access. Hence, you can check and retrieve emails remotely using any device, like your smartphone, laptop, or tablet. 

Cloud-based emails can be synced up, so you can access data from any device. Collaboration will be easier when your email server is migrated to the cloud, as it will enable real-time collaboration and editing along with other benefits, like instant updates, voice or video conferencing, and higher storage capacity for storing and sending emails with large file attachments.

Migrating your email server to the cloud should be easy and will not cause a lot of downtime if you have the right platform. Work with a reliable provider of scalable email hosting and make sure you have backed up and verified your data. Expect some downtime, too, as even the most reliable and efficient migration solution will cause that. However, you can mitigate that issue by coming up with the right plan to execute the move while ensuring the most minimal loss for your business.

There are security considerations involved when migrating email servers to the cloud. For instance, if there are existing security issues, moving to the cloud will not necessarily solve them if your current security infrastructure or architecture is not updated or fixed. Hence before migration, make sure the entire IT security framework is stable and secure, and that your organization is compliant to the standards in data protection.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/should-you-migrate-your-email-server-to-the-cloud/

How and Why Companies Are Incorporating the Dedicated IT Support Services

The need for IT exists across businesses. With advances in technology and applications, virtually all businesses require IT for faster growth and optimized efficiency. Organizations with significant scale of operations find the need for dedicated IT support services to draw advantages and benefits. Dedicated IT support is more or less akin to having an in-house IT service team without actually having to foot large overheads. Here are some of the compelling reasons why companies are increasingly looking towards dedicated IT support services.

Considerable knowledge base borne out of core operational experience

The very nature of the dedicated IT support services lends the service provider greater experience in IT infrastructure, its operation and maintenance. This expertise lends clients the power and freedom to look at long term needs with a strong foundation and support from the support service provider.  Engineers, technicians, systems and processes of the IT support service provider combine to offer better service.

Round the clock support infrastructure
An IT support service provider invariably operates round the clock with robust processes in place to offer near instantaneous support to keep systems ticking right. The monitoring of client systems with periodic updates and backups ensures that clients are backed up by a professional service provider. Maintaining the same level of support through an in-house team may demand the establishment of an entire section or department.

Cost cutting exercise

The need to offer employee benefits, maintain the best infrastructure and follow frequent maintenance operations may actually not be an economically viable exercise for organizations that plan to have an in-house team in place.  The economies of scale are often the driving factor behind support infrastructures and services. Organizations would find it difficult and uneconomical to maintain and man support infrastructure, in the manner of services and support offered by dedicated support service providers.

With a whole list of advantages such as backup solutions, real time monitoring, all round support, and extensive knowledge base support it makes business sense to choose support services. Especially in light of the fact that the services are offered at actually a fraction of the costs it would take to establish the same level of services in house.

Why It Makes Sense to Identify Network Security Risks on Your IT Network before Implementing BYOB Policies

Implementing a BYOB (bring your own device) policy requires careful consideration of your current network and its vulnerabilities, as any weak spot in your IT network can become a threat to the security of devices and business data. Identifying network security risks in IT should be prioritized to make sure it is okay to use mobile devices in the workplace. Simple measures like keeping Windows updated and securing your web server can already make a huge difference in minimizing network security risks—and failing to do so may increase your risk of losing valuable data, downtime, and getting hacked.

Mobile devices have become more prominent in the corporate IT network; after all, smartphones have become an integral part of life for many people. Many businesses that allow their employees to bring their own laptops and use these devices along with their own tablets and smartphones have seen massive improvements in productivity and employee efficiency. A growing number of business now allow a ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) arrangement, letting their employees work in the field or from any remote location using their personal gadgets. As efficient and convenient as BYOD may seem, it can also be dangerous as it poses network security risks in IT. In fact, personal devices are among those that pose the biggest threat to business security.

For this reason, it makes sense to implement a BYOD policy that is unique and ideal to the needs and objectives of a business. BYOD policies can take on different forms, as they should depend on an organization’s purpose, industry, types of devices being used, the network security risks in the IT network, and other factors. Hence, rules will differ from one company to another. Talking to an IT consultant can help your business create a BYOD policy that makes sense to the entire organization and its employees. Once you have the right policy, your employees can then be guided on how to use their mobile devices for work. A solid policy can ultimately help you strengthen your network security and protect your business from catastrophic issues down the road.

Microsoft CRM Programming Secrets – Tips for Developers

Having a customer relationship management solution can help a business organize and easily streamline processes and functions related to developing, retaining, and improving customer relationships. Microsoft offers some of the leading CRM solutions that are flexible and customizable for every business. Some leading examples are Dynamics 365 and SharePoint. Developers of Microsoft CRM solutions should be able to provide a unique platform that can help businesses fulfill their objectives for implementing a customer relationship management solution. Here are some tips for a developer to enable proper Microsoft CRM programming:

•Consult with the business – Developers must take time to understand the unique requirements of the business. That way, they can develop a bespoke solution that should work for their customer. For instance, Dynamics 365 can be programmed and developed to run on-premise and online.

•Know the programmability features of Microsoft CRM – By identifying a customer’s requirements, developers should be able to use the right programming models that will enable them to customize the right solution for every situation. For instance, when developers write their customers to access the data in Dynamics 365, they have the option to use the organization service or the Web API. The latter offers a development experience that is useful across programming languages, devices, and platforms. It implements open data protocol (Odata), too, which is the standard for consuming and building RESTfulAPIs over any rich data source. Microsoft provides a list of community-supported libraries for OData. Otherwise, developers can code directly using HTTP. 

.NET developers may Web API or the organization service, which enables them to use the set of tools and assemblies to create strongly typed classes with attributes and custom entities added to Dynamics 365. SDK tools and assemblies for code generation can work with Organization Service Context, which is designed according to the same concept as WFC data services to enable developers to track changes and manage relationships and identities.

•Consult with experts – Consulting services can give developers a competitive edge and keep them ahead of their competition when they are updated with the latest developments and knowledge. 

•Use special tools – Address Two and Infusion soft are CRM software tools that can leverage the existing CRM platforms of a business.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/microsoft-crm-programming-secrets-tips-for-developers/

How Proper Cyber Security Can Lengthen a Company's Life

Information has become one of the most valuable resources today. As our world becomes more and more digitized, protecting valuable data has become a major challenge for business—not just for the big corporations, but also smaller companies. Data theft or hacking is a serious threat to businesses of all sizes and in all industries. So, as long as there data is digitally stored, anyone can be a target. That is why a growing number of companies have been paying more and more attention and investing heavily on protecting their information. In 2017, the value of the cyber security market is expected to reach $120 billion.

 Data theft, hacking, and more recently the ransomware threat can dramatically affect the reputation, profitability, and viability of companies in many ways. If your business gets targeted, you must deal with the impact of the data breach and containing the threat to prevent more data from being lost. Recovery and restoring the lost data will also be a huge headache. And then there is the issue of restoring the loyalty and confidence of your stakeholders, clients or customers. All of these will cost a lot of money and can really hurt your bottom line or worse, kill off your business altogether.

That is why it is imperative to shore up your data protection and security. Just because your company is small doesn’t mean that it is less susceptible to attacks. In fact, 71% of reported cyber-attacks target small and medium businesses.

When it comes to cyber security, prevention is always better (and less costly) than a cure. The main problem with cyber security is that the threat constantly evolves. As such, the need is to have a dynamic and proactive solution to protect oneself from these cyber threats. Investing now on protective measures such as good antivirus software, firewall protection, strong and secure password systems, and a strong awareness on cyber threats is the key to safeguard your information from intrusion and unauthorized access. A mindset of constant improvement and investment in cyber security systems is necessary to insure a company's survival in today's digital world.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/how-proper-cyber-security-can-lengthen-a-companys-life/

Advantages of Deploying Mobile Applications for Your Business

Mobile apps are not merely for big-time businesses. In fact, every business (regardless of size) can benefit from having a mobile application. When implemented with a good mobile strategy, mobile applications for your business may help boost your sales, generate more leads, and keep existing and prospective customers interested in what you have to offer. Mobile applications can be an important aspect of your marketing strategy for the following reasons:

•Establish a marketing channel that is direct and easily accessible to your customers – Apps can be versatile in a sense that they can deliver or include general information, booking forms, prices, user accounts, newsfeeds, messengers, search features, and other features you think may be necessary to keep your business easily available to your customers.

•They keep your business available all the time – An average American tends to spend over two hours on his or her mobile device daily, and while only a few applications are encompassed in this usage, users will still have to swipe, scroll, and scan for the apps they want to use. When they have your app, you can establish your presence in their subconscious minds, even if they do not use it for that particular session.

•Mobile apps provide better value to your users – One of the most common applications of mobile apps for a business is enabling a digitized loyalty program, which will make it easier for customers to keep track of points and collect rewards through their mobile devices. This way, your mobile application may encourage more downloads and return customers. The more customers use or buy your services and products, the more points they can earn, which they can use to obtain certain products or services that they need or could want. Starbucks, for instance, uses a mobile app to providing exclusive rewards to those who have it.

Source URL : http://www.orionnetworks.net/advantages-of-deploying-mobile-applications-for-your-business/

Microsoft Azure – An Alternative to Amazon and Google Cloud

The competition is tough among public cloud services like Google Cloud, Amazon Web Services, and Microsoft Azure. The first two may be older and more popular, but Azure is proving to be a worthy opponent. Microsoft’s cloud solution is a robust PaaS (platform-as-a-service) and the leading IaaS (infrastructure as a service) platform, resulting in heaps of revenue for the company since it was launched in 2010. The following points highlight the benefits of Microsoft Azure:

•Other tools from Microsoft can be integrated into it – Azure makes sense to organizations that are using other Microsoft tools like SharePoint, Outlook, and Office 365. The cloud platform integrates seamlessly with those products, even when applied on-premise to Linux and Windows. 

•PaaS and IaaS – Microsoft Azure offers both unmanaged (PaaS) and managed (IaaS) services. The latter lets organizations outsource cloud computing and pay only for what they need, and the former makes it possible to create software and web apps without maintaining or buying an underlying infrastructure. This way, organizations can customize software, like Office 365, to suit their unique requirements and specifications.

•Proven reputation – Microsoft itself is a reliable and credible brand and it powers a lot of the tools we use today, including Windows, Xbox, Bing, and Skype. Its reputation can be beneficial to small companies that are looking for a secure cloud platform. Organizations can be confident with Azure, since it is from an established industry leader.

•Strong analytics and BI support – You get NoSQL and managed SQL data services along with integrated support for using data and discovering insights to improve decision-making and business processes. With Azure, you can establish an SQL server in a cloud and use the Apache Hadoop-based cloud platform, HDInsight to create Hadoop clusters for deeper data analysis.

•Reliability – Microsoft Azure is covered by the company’s increasing number of managed data centers around the world. Hence, you should be able to count on 24/7 availability of health monitoring and tech support.