Articles Tagged ‘cost savings’

Though the path of least resistance can carry you in unruly directions – as it so often does – it can empower you to effortlessly flow towards your goals.

It’s a given: all things that matter are usually the ones that costs a lot most of the time. Companies that pride themselves to be frontrunners in their own fields of expertise are usually the first to say that they invest a lot in technology to propel their businesses to accelerated growth and expansion. In hindsight, these same companies are aware that at any point of their business’s existence, downturns could affect their operations and could domino into crucial decision-making of whether to cut or not to cut IT costs.

Everyone in the IT industry knows that talk of cuts on IT expenditures will always resurface, especially if the economy is not as robust as we all would prefer. The board of directors and executives of a company are wont to immediately look at the IT costs and drastically cut its budget. IT investment and expenditures are not for the fainthearted. It is substantial enough to warrant a concern from the management. However, management knows that it cannot do away with IT altogether and there just must be some reason to just minimize its impact in downtrodden times.

So, what should be done as a compromise? Increasing IT productivity while maintaining operational efficiency through simple money-saving suggestions:

1. Take stock of what you have. Before you do anything else, it is best to make an inventory of all the things that you already have. Check all applications and make a checklist of the things that you really need and those that may have no value to the company anymore. Learn how to maximize necessary usage. You may already have redundant software that you can eliminate.
2. Use Web-based applications or open source software. Where appropriate, go for the cheaper one and one that is accessible online for free and for everyone. Why pay when you can get it for free or at the least amount possible? Always look for alternative options.
3. Consolidate servers. Look for ways where you can swap smaller servers performing the same task with a larger server. Initially, it may cost you a little more but its long term investment will be worth it.
4. Exchange deals. We are living in a symbiotic world and more often than not, exchange deals really work. Some hardware shops may accept your products and/or services in exchange for discounts, upgrades or lowered or waived service and maintenance fees.
5. Hold off on upgrades. Needless to say, if the current updated version of the software you are using can still do the work, hold off onto buying the latest version in the meantime.
6. Skip the top-of-the-line hardware for now. It may be very important that you get the best quality hardware, but if the second-best can perform just as well for you, why think about paying more?
7. Offer training options for your IT staff. Training seminars and workshops may sound expensive, but you will realize that investing in employee training can drastically improve productivity and efficiency.
8. Outsource selected services. Sometimes, the best way out is really out. Consider outsourcing some of the services that you need. You can save money by not having to deal with extending your staff to meet certain needs.

In the long run, companies cannot do away with IT, and a dramatic cut in its budget will not really cure the problem. There are surefire creative ways of minimizing cost with the least impact, both for the company in general and for the IT department at whose hands the wheels of technology are being churned for the company’s growth. Outsourcing IT services to companies such as All Covered is one path to a better, more economically sound IT that should not be ignored.

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With the rapid rise of modern technology comes the onslaught of new modes of communication. Nowadays we can have our pick from a plethora of tools and services that allow us to converse with our personal and business contacts. Our computers alone, along with a working Internet connection or internal network, provide several communication points. It has become the norm to have at least one e-mail account and an instant messenger for chats. Online forums, and recently Google Wave are being used as organization tools. For small to medium businesses, innovations in IT and communications technology has allowed for the birth of a new species of employee – the telecommuter.

Weeding Out the Cons of Working Out of the Office

A telecommuter is basically the fancy term for a home-based worker, or any hired person who works outside of the office. These remote workers can be either freelancers or full-time employees. Many small to medium based businesses employ telecommuters because they are a cost effective source of manpower. Also, since they do not work in-house, the work area does not end up too crowded or cluttered. The downside of telecommuting is that the company cannot personally supervise their home-based workers. There is always the risk of miscommunication. Telecommuters also usually tend to be behind on recent updates and announcements. However, there are human resource practice-based ways to go beyond these issues and make the most out of telecommuting.

Connecting remote locations weeds out the cons of working out of the office. Companies can communicate and collaborate with their telecommuters much more efficiently with the help of remote IT tools that allow users to access the headquarters’ main network from anywhere with an Internet connection.

Tools of the Trade

Companies can connect remote users and remote locations via the World Wide Web using DSL, T-1, frame relay or other solutions. With the help of a team of competent and extensively experienced IT professionals, a small to medium-sized business firm can set up a secure remote network that can act as the portal for telecommuters to keep up to date with what is going on inside the company. The portal can take the form of a remote e-mail server or a Web-based desktop. IT solutions such as Terminal Services, Citrix and thin clients allows companies can give their remote workers access to the same services as if they were in the office such as file servers and even printers.

Not Just for Telecommuters

Establishing a remote network does not only make for more efficient communication and collaboration with the company telecommuters; it can benefit in-house workers as well. The network can be configured to be accessed by all workers involved, so that even those who are based in the office can go to their file server should they need to check on something work-related at home.

IT solutions such as LogMeIn, GoToMyPC and Microsoft RDP allow workers with separate computers at home and at the office to share files and other data between the two systems. That way, there will be no confusion over which computer has an updated version of a file.

Dealing with Security Issues

Connecting remote users and remote locations can greatly increase the efficiency of business operations. However, security breaches are not out of the question. Remote networks, much like any other IT network, are prone to bugs and other malicious applications. All Covered is one IT solutions provider that not only helps in establishing the company’s remote networks, but also offers full-time, 24-hour support for its clients. IT consulting advisors pinpoint and fix issues before they blow up and disrupt the system. Remote networks become less susceptible to security breaches. Companies are rest assured that only authorized people can gain reliably secure access to the network.

For more help with your IT network and wireless solutions contact the IT consulting experts at 866-446-1133.

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In 1995, Citrix introduced the world to virtualization with NT 3.5 WinFrame, an application virtualization solution.  Later, they offered NT 4.0 Terminal Server, a desktop virtualization solution.  As the founders of virtualization technology, Citrix is the company that many businesses recognize and trust for their virtualization solutions.

Server Virtualization

XenServer is Citrix’s no-cost server virtualization solution that gives small and medium sized businesses an affordable and effective way to adopt an enterprise-class technology.  Unlike other server virtualization solutions, XenServer provides premium grade features for free.  Benefits include the following:

• XenServer supports an unlimited number of servers, virtual machines and physical memory.
• XenServer includes a conversion function will allow you to convert a virtual server into a physical server and physical server into a virtual server as needed.  (Other server virtualization solutions will charge you for this feature.)
• Shared SAN and NAS storage between server hosts maximize available storage on the network.
• All virtualized servers can be accessed and maintained from a single location.
• In the event of server failure, affected virtual machines are automatically restarted on other production servers.
• A library of pre-configured virtual machine templates make it easy to rapidly create a test or production environment.
• Centralized patch management makes it easy to keep virtual servers updated.
• Easy migration of virtual systems to from one host server to another makes it simple to maintain host servers.
• XenServer is open-source and takes advantage of the intellectual contributions of thousands of users, hundreds of companies and partners.
• XenServer is compatible with most server hardware that is currently available.

Desktop Virtualization

XenDesktop is Citrix’s desktop virtualization solution.  As an on-demand service, XenDesktop will deliver a Windows desktop to any user, anywhere.  Features include the following:

• XenDesktop users can access their desktop and corporate applications from any PC, Mac, thin client or smart phone.
• XenDesktop gives users a computing experience that rivals a local PC, even when using Multimedia, 3D graphics or VoIP-integrated applications.
• Each desktop is customizable to meet the performance and security needs of individual users.
• XenDesktop will work with your existing hypervisor, storage and Microsoft infrastructures—you don’t have to spend more money buying compatible programs.

Application Virtualization

XenApp is Citrix’s application virtualization solution that allows users to directly access Windows applications from through a desktop computer or web browser.  Benefits include the following:

• Windows applications can be accessed on devices that have non-Windows based operating systems—more than thirty operating systems are currently supported.
• This solution requires that only one virtualized copy of an application such as Office 2010 be installed and maintained, while allowing any number of users to access and use it as if it was locally installed.
• Applications can be streamed directly from the host server for users working on the corporate network or remotely.  Permissions can even be set up to allow users to download and access apps while offline.
• Virtualized applications function as if they are locally installed.
• Application delivery and access is customizable for each user and their preferred device, network and typical access location.

Virtualization Management

Essentials for XenServer is an add-on enhancement that complements XenServer by providing additional features and integrated management capabilities for server, desktop and application virtualization.

• One-click access to native storage makes device management simple.
• Automated high-availability protection will move virtualized machines from a failed host server to another physical server.
• Automated management of lab infrastructures decreases the complexity, time and cost of managing non-production environments.
• Automated workload balancing will move virtual servers to hosts with more available resources based on pre-configured policies.

Learn more

To learn more about Citrix’s suite of virtualization solutions, please contact the virtualization experts at All Covered 866-446-1133.

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As businesses grow in terms of human resources and inventories, spatial constraint is becoming a critical issue. Most importantly, as companies expand their client base, the more critical issues of providing reliable online data storage and other services demand a fail-safe resolution. Could cloud computing save the day?

How cloud computing works

Cloud computing has recently become one of the buzz words in the IT industry in the midst of all the issues relating to the advancement of document portability. So how does cloud computing actually work?

Companies offering online services such as shopping sites, mobile application developers and gaming companies require huge server spaces to accommodate the huge amounts of traffic to their servers. To solve this, cloud computing service providers create a viable solution to ease small businesses’ capacity issues. Service providers rent out a portion of their server space according to the clients’ requirements. Companies are now liberated from having to acquire new hardware for data storage.
As an added benefit, with cloud computing, data can be accessed by predefined users anytime, anywhere, eliminating the need to be physically in the same location as the data source.

Cloud computing service providers

Internet giant Google is known for its various innovative services, which include cloud computing. Google Apps includes quite an impressive line-up of Web-based applications such as Gmail for email, Docs for file sharing, Calendar and Sites. With these applications, the line that sets Web-based applications apart from pc-based applications is gradually blurring.
Other companies offer software-as-a-service, a subset of cloud computing, as part of their small business solutions products. One such example is a Web-based leave-management form that conveniently allows employees to request for leaves online wherever and whenever. Similar software also features access to leave balance and automation of work schedules.

Benefits of cloud computing

There are great benefits to be had in cloud computing. While some business owners are skeptical regarding the security aspect of cloud computing, at the back of their minds, the call to explore this technology is constantly nagging.

Let’s take a look at some of the major benefits of cloud computing:

• Cloud computing effectively addresses the capacity issues of small businesses.

• The need to acquire your own servers and pay for a qualified IT specialist to run them is eliminated.

• Fees paid to cloud computing providers are based on the capacity you need at a given time. This is advantageous as opposed to investing in your own servers, where you pay a fixed price regardless of whether those servers are busy or not. The cost of implementing cloud computing for small businesses depends on the number of users and the amount of storage required. It can be anywhere from free to $50 per user per year and beyond.

• Cloud computing takes off the burden of having to manage all your business processes and lets you concentrate on your core business.

However, cloud computing also has its own drawbacks. The service providers’ systems may go down all of a sudden. In other words, there is no guarantee that cloud computing provides 100% up-time. Delegating your data, some of which are most likely proprietary, to service providers may also mean exposing them to possible intrusion. However, cloud computing vendors often do a better job at backing up data than most small businesses.

So, when considering implementing cloud computing to your business, examine your strategy. Which among your applications should you delegate to cloud computing? Do you need that extra, low-cost space for your email needs? Do you need to file and share your data so that any of the pre-defined users in your organization can access them anytime, anywhere?

The bottom-line is cloud computing can save small businesses huge amounts of money, either instantly or in the long run. In the face of the recession’s uncertainties, small businesses can choose to run some of their operations in the clouds, or run on constrained budgets and limited productivity due to expensive applications.

To learn more about how you All Covered can help you with your IT strategy or any other IT related projects you can visit us at All Covered or call us at 866-466-1133.

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Just about everyone is seeing the costs of doing business go up due to fuel and energy prices, higher taxes and other outlays. With soaring expenses, small and mid-sized companies are being forced to tighten their budgets. As a small business owner, there are areas where you may be paying more than you have to. So how you can cut your costs?

1. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle

Going green in the office is in. Always look at how assets can be recycled within the company before throwing them away. If you really have no more use for electronic equipment, donate it to a charitable organization and save the cost of disposal. Just be sure to remove or completely erase hard drives on any computers you give away.
Other environmentally friendly tips include upgrading the cooling systems and using programmable thermostats to automatically adjust temperatures when the office is empty. Use smaller and more fuel-efficient company cars, replace bottled water in the office with a tap water filter, use energy-efficient light bulbs and replace old CRT monitors with flat panels. They use considerably less energy.

2. Do Away with the Landline and the Fax Machine

Before you give up the landline, be sure it’s not needed for other purposes, such as your fax machine or security alarm monitoring system. But if your company does a lot of domestic long distance and/or international calling, you might be able to save a bundle by dropping the landline in favor of VoIP. With VoIP, you get features such as voicemail delivered via e-mail, call waiting, simultaneous ringing and other options that you can’t have with a landline.
Sending a fax over a landline often incurs long distance charges. Most documents that are faxed can be sent more cost-effectively as e-mail attachments. Attaching it to an e-mail message is a simple operation. If not, you can scan it and send it.

3. Get New yet Cheap Security Tools

If your business still relies on the traditional security guard on the premises to protect your business, you might want to look into new technology such as IP-based surveillance cameras. You can monitor this from home, or have it monitored by a service at much lower cost. Invest in good locks, fencing, security lighting and the like, but don’t let security companies talk you into buying expensive sophisticated security equipment and services. Shop around and carefully read the details of alarm monitoring contracts, since many of them lock you into an agreement that automatically renews for a multi-year period.

4. Cut Company Travel Costs

The key to getting the best travel deal is doing research and careful planning. Book your flights directly in the airline’s website and make hotel reservations online as well. Sign up for frequent flyer miles and use them. Use a company credit card that gives you miles or cash back. You can also use videoconferencing technology. With this, you get the next best thing to being there without the cost or the hassle. If you must travel, use technology to get the best prices possible.

5. Try Telecommuting

With new technologies, it’s easier and more secure than it once was to let employees work from home. Having fewer people working at the office can also save money on your energy bills. Also, because telecommuting has many advantages, employees may accept a lower salary, in turn saving your company more money. Moreover, telecommuting costs less for the employees too. Not only do they save money on gasoline but they may also save on the cost of clothes, lunches, and other incidental costs associated with working in an office.

For more information on how All Covered can save your company money or to build you an IT plan that works best for your company visit us at All Covered or call us at 866-446-1133.

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