AMS.NET Blog

Public or Private Cloud Computing? You don't have to decide.

When we talk to our customers about virtualization or cloud computing, their answers to the question, “private or public?” are somewhat cloudy.  Public clouds have raised some security and compliance concerns while private clouds often require new operational processes. Both cloud computing models have their strengths and weaknesses therefore most organizations will likely use both or a hybrid cloud architecture.

Private Cloud
Private clouds or virtualized data centers reside on-premise or virtually outside of the enterprise data center. Users can access the private cloud via a secure HTTP browser or if outside the firewall via VPN.  Private clouds are inherently more secure than other models because data resides in the enterprise data center. IT remains in control and can maintain regulatory compliance. There are some operational process changes that can be challenging. With the integration of server and network operations in data center, the distinct roles of a server administrator and an IT administrator now overlap.

Public Cloud
A public cloud is a model where a service provider makes resources, infrastructure and applications, available to one or more organizations over the Internet for a fee. This model allows an organization to handle resource peaks and valleys but security and control become concerns with critical data being transmitted over the internet into the cloud.

Hybrid Cloud
The hybrid cloud takes advantage of both models and allows organizations to maintain secure sensitive or critical applications on their private cloud and utilize the public cloud for additional resources in high peak periods. While a hybrid cloud sounds ideal, there are still challenges with interoperability and with management that can monitor both platforms. Many organizations are waiting until standards are developed before embracing a truly hybrid cloud infrastructure. 

There are many considerations when deciding whether a private cloud, a public cloud or a hybrid cloud best fit your organization. Building a cloud infrastructure is a journey and often an organizations first step is virtualizing the enterprise data center and building a private cloud infrastructure. AMS.NET can help you evaluate your current infrastructure, discuss your applications and business challenges and help recommend a solution that will meet your current needs and allow for an integrated hybrid cloud in the future.

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Top 5 VoIP Implementation Triggers

Technology runs business and some may argue runs the world! Organizations large or small invest in computers, data networks, applications and other technology to run their business. A communication system is also a critical component of business operations. Just as you refresh computers and servers or upgrade applications, you should assess and upgrade your voice and phone system to support scalability and worker productivity.

Companies upgrade their phone system to a VoIP or Unified Communications solution for a variety of reasons including mobility features to support remote and mobile workers, presence and single number reach to improve productivity, call center, web conferencing and more. In addition to communication and productivity reasons, there are 5 main triggers that prompt organizations to move to a VoIP phone system.

1. Upgrading Your Data Network
   VoIP (Voice-over-Internet Protocol) is the transmission of voice traffic over the data network. If an organization is upgrading their data network with new routers, switches or upgrading their ISP connection, they may want to consider moving to a VoIP phone system. By coordinating these projects, you can ensure that your network equipment has the proper QoS and your pipe is sufficient to handle both data and voice traffic.
2. Moving Locations
   During a move, network cabling has to be coordinated, ISP service need to be ordered among other technology considerations. Coordinating these services and making these decisions once makes your VoIP implementation easier.
3. Merger or Acquisition
   Often one of the biggest challenges in a merger or acquisition is merging the two companies resources including employees, locations and technology. Consideration of a VoIP system makes sense at a time when you are replacing equipment and making technology investments.
4. Obsolete Equipment
   One of the most common triggers to moving to a VoIP system is existing equipment reaching end-of-life, end-of-support and becoming obsolete. Keeping outdated equipment that is no longer supported by the manufacturer becomes a costly prospect.
5. Business Communication Problems
   If an organization is experiencing call overload, an increase in contact center wait times, missed calls or employees are playing phone tag, a VoIP communication system might be warranted. In addition to solving business communication programs, a new system improves communication, streamlines processes and increases productivity.

If you haven’t already upgraded your traditional phone system to a VoIP system, it’s likely one of these trigger events will cause you to make the move in the near future. As you look for tools to get a competitive edge, existing equipment becomes obsolete or you experience one of the other VoIP implementation triggers, you’ll find that upgrading to a VoIP phone solution will allow you to run your business more efficiently.

 

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Should You Replace Your Legacy TDM Phone System?

As technology solution providers, we often consult with our customers and prospects about their current technology landscape and business challenges. A question that often comes up is if they should replace their legacy TDM phone system. We hear, “We have a dial tone and it works so why replace it?” or customers say, “Isn’t a VoIP system complex and costly?” Let me clear up these questions and misperceptions.

While the basic functionality of a phone system is dial tone to make phone calls, today’s VoIP and Unified Communications solutions provide so much more. VoIP systems not only provide call connectivity, they deliver communication and productivity features that eliminate communication bottle necks and allow small and mid-size businesses to gain a competitive edge.

Features such as Single Number Reach allow you to publish one phone number that will reach you wherever you are located and on whatever device. Executives that travel or sales individuals that are often on the road can be easily reached. Presence indicators allow colleagues to see who is available to take a customer call or to quickly answer a question. These VoIP and Unified Communication features allow businesses to streamline communications, speed up decisions and improve productivity.

Several years ago, VoIP solutions were being adopted by primarily enterprise and public sector entities and since then the perception in the market place is that these solutions are too complex and costly for mid-size businesses’. Recently, Cisco Systems has developed a line of Business Edition solutions which are purpose-built, single box appliances specifically for this market. Small and mid-size organizations now have access to superior call performance and productivity tools of large enterprise companies.

These integrated server and voice gateway appliances provide voice, mobility, messaging and voice gateway services on a single appliance for reduced costs and ease-of-use.

Business Edition VoIP solutions deliver:

• Voicemail
• Conferencing
• Auto Attendant
• Call Control Features- Park, Hold Calls, etc.
• Single Number Reach
• Extension Mobility
• Presence
• Video Collaboration
• SIP Trunking Capabilities
• Simple Web-based Administration
• All-in-One Appliance
• Portfolio of Phones Available
• Soft Phone Support
• Cisco WebEx  Web Conferencing Support
• Future Upgradability

If complexity and affordability were holding you back, now you can upgrade to a VoIP solution and obtain tools for better communication and increased productivity. AMS.NET can deliver solutions built for the mid-market that are affordable and provide enterprise-class functionality and the foundation of Unified Communications.

Is there a Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) in Your Future?

When desktops reside on a virtualized platform in the private cloud, resources are shared and controlling access is made easier. A virtualized desktop infrastructure (VDI) allows for the reuse of assets rather than one-off use, such as an individual desktop provided for each user. Performance levels can also be standardized based on the application use and compute need of each user.

Maintenance of each desktop is standardized and the desktop template can be replicated easily to provide a new interface quickly to minimize workforce disruption in the case where a desktop ceases to function or is stolen. Should a desktop become the victim of a virus outbreak, the solution is simple; delete the old machine and launch a new one in minutes. Data is more secure because it’s stored in a separate area, rather than on the C drive.

End-of-life equipment that should be replaced can instead run a virtual desktop with the latest op system without having to meet the specs on each of the local machines. If IT wants to do an upgrade to a new operating system, they can do that on a trial basis with a group of users and then roll it out to all virtual desktops when ready.

VDI is the future of computing because the end user device is becoming less important, meaning that the desktop needs to run on whatever device the user has access to. This will serve to reduce the number of devices people need and make work more flexible. The future workplace experience will require seamless movement between devices that provides the same experience for the user, regardless of the device or location they work from.

VDI is just another application within the private cloud, although it’s not necessary to have a private cloud prior to implementing VDI. You can choose to take either direction. This being said, users will be more likely to push back when you change their desktop work experience before you’ve moved other applications to the cloud.

The most important thing to realize is that VDI is not all or nothing. For example, a company may not approve of certain application use during work, such as iTunes. Users who want to use the application can run it locally while also using their virtual desktop. The same is true for video conferencing, if it’s not handled in the VDI. 

If you’re considering VDI for your company, the tips below should help you start planning:

• Consider the proper hardware platform
• Plan for capacity needs
• Get buy in from your end users
• Involve them in the testing process before the formal rollout
• Train IT to support the virtualized back end
• Set expectations about performance and limitations that may differ from the experience they’re used to from a local machine.

The Difference a Private Cloud Makes

The difference in cloud computing in comparison to traditional data centers is computing resources that aren’t specifically tied to a physical box. IT professionals don’t need to be as concerned about where these resources “live.” That’s because the private cloud allows IT to pool applications and resources together within a shared-hardware environment where resources can be allocated based on need, without dependency on a single box. That’s a big difference from traditional application deployments where each application required its own server, many of which sat (or still do) using only a small percentage of their capacity.

When you look at the physical components of cloud computing, they look a lot like typical hardware such as boxes, memory, keyboard and screen. But when IT pulls these resources together, they have the capability to build a “super” resource pool. This introduces new levels of performance because resources are no longer limited to the functionality available on a specific box. It also means IT can multiply the resources they have available without adding more physical servers. Now IT can maximize the demand for resources based on need, rather on the existence of an application.

Virtualization is a component of the private cloud. Virtualization is what allows IT this latitude to shift the location of resources to another virtual server (VM) when capacity needs expand. This level of flexibility allows IT to gain optimal productivity out of the data center without adding new hardware.

Here’s an example:

Let’s take an email server that is used heavily during the business day, but sits idle after the workday ends. The server then sits dormant, but is using power and energy as if it is still running.

Now, consider that you may have a backup system that runs at night, sitting idle during the day.

With virtualization, I can use the same computing resources to do both, maximizing compute cycles based on demand for the services IT needs to deliver to the business. This capability serves to reduce the cost of power, space requirements and hardware costs.

Additional benefits of a private cloud include:

• Reduced maintenance of hardware
• Reduced application disruption when issues with servers occur
• Perform maintenance during regular hours by moving virtual machines.
• Scale is no longer limited by rack space or time requirements to build, test and launch new servers
• Higher availability of services and applications
• Reduced power consumption
• IT can support more applications in the future with less footprint

If you haven’t considered a private cloud to help your IT department gain efficiencies and do more with less, there are a lot of great reasons why you should.

Top Reasons Why SMBs Transition to a Private Cloud

Organizations both large and small face similar IT challenges including managing the increasing demand for new IT capabilities with fewer resources. Sometimes of greater emphasis to small and medium size businesses (SMBs) is the need to secure business critical applications and data along with working more efficiently or doing more with less. Transitioning to a private cloud addresses these challenges and provides SMBs the virtual infrastructure to not only better manage resources and enhance security but also provide business agility and continuity.

Many SMBs are transitioning to the private cloud for these reasons:

• Better Resource Management
  A private cloud infrastructure delivers a centralized management platform in which IT can provision, monitor and manage resources for the entire infrastructure and respond to issues when they arise. Automated virtualization features such as VMware DRS dynamically allocate compute resources based on business priorities and pre-defined service levels eliminating the previous manual process while ensuring business users have the performance they need. With better resource management, IT resources can provide better service levels and be available for strategic projects.
  
  
• Enhanced Security
  Security is of utmost importance to SMBs and also one of the main objections to public cloud computing. Private cloud infrastructures provide many of the same cloud computing benefits and keep your critical data behind the firewall within your data center. When layering on applications such as desktop virtualization, data security is maintained. Virtual desktops are created, updated and maintained in the data center. IT sets policies that are updated and applied each time the virtual desktop is launched. Virtual machines can also be wiped out after each user session to ensure data integrity is protected.
  
  
• Business Agility
  One of the drivers of private cloud computing is the ability to quickly adjust resources or scale to meet the needs of the organization. A private cloud built on virtualization, unified computing and unified storage allows IT to rapidly provision resources and deliver new applications for faster time to market. Shared resources, built-in automation and centralized management provide private cloud computing and enable the agility organizations require to remain competitive.
  
  
• Business Continuity
  The fact is that when the business infrastructure and applications are down, the organization's production is delayed and the company loses money. Quickly recovering from an equipment failure or a natural disaster is critical to all organizations. With automated VMware features such as High Availability for automated restart of applications and Fault Tolerance for continuous availability without any data loss or downtime to applications, data can be quickly recovered and day-to-day business can continue.

Whether you are a SMB organization or a large enterprise, your organization can benefit from Private Cloud computing and realize increased productivity, enhanced security and overall improved business agility and continuity.

Where Virtualization Meets Unified Communications

The journey to the private cloud begins with virtualizing servers in the data center and building a virtualized infrastructure. Further down the path to the private cloud, organizations begin to layer on applications including virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI), voice and unified communications. With Cisco’s release of the VXI architecture and endpoints, virtualization has met unified communications.

Cisco’s Virtualization Experience Clients allow organizations to realize the benefits of virtual desktops without compromising a high-quality collaborative user experience. Several Zero clients are available some of which attach to the back of Cisco’s Unified IP Phones (8961, 9951, 9971) and others are stand alone versions. All models support a Citrix and VMware View desktop backend environment. Cisco’s Cius tablet offers a mobile desktop device that can also act as an audio client when integrated with Cisco’s Personal Communicator.

Click here to watch video

Watch this short video of Cisco demonstrating the Virtual Experience Client Endpoints along with the Cius tablet as an audio client and endpoint for a Citrix desktop.

Imagine being able to truly provide a rich collaborative experience and access to any application on any device anywhere in a virtualized environment.

 

Why is it called the 'Journey to the Private Cloud'?

Building a private cloud infrastructure has been coined with the phrase 'Journey to the Private Cloud' because of the implementation stages involved and the transformation to both the IT organization and business alike. Most organizations have virtualized some resources and a number have virtualized their entire data center and still have only begun the journey.

Virtualization is the foundation of a private cloud and the starting point on this journey. By eliminating the traditional one server to one application model and pooling compute and storage resources, organizations consolidate servers, reduce their data center footprint and, in turn, lower their power and cooling costs.

As organizations move to stage 2, they are focused on business production. Applications are virtualized, resources are centrally managed and basic IT tasks are automated to realize greater OpEx savings. Cisco UCS is an excellent way to integrate compute, network and storage into a unified system to further unify IT operations and support improved business productivity. IT can efficiently deliver services, provide faster time-to-market and increase their alignment with business initiatives.

Moving closer to the private cloud, organizations begin to layer on applications such as voice, unified communications, desktop virtualization and more. Desktop virtualization or virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) delivers user desktops from the virtualized data center for improved performance, increased security and a lower total cost of ownership.

To truly achieve private cloud computing, IT organizations integrate automation by providing self-service protals and chargeback models. Also at this stage, organizations consider a hybrid cloud computing model where some services are migrated to a public cloud and those that require more control and security remain on the private cloud.

Virtual computing providers such as AMS.NET can help you towards the ultimate goal of private cloud computing. With a proven migration plan in place, AMS.NET delivers complete implementation services including assessments, pilots, deployment plans and support. We realize that this is a journey and have aligned our services to help you along the Journey to the Private Cloud.