Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Friday, December 23, 2011
Guess What? You’re Already in the Cloud!
Online services have been around for decades, and web-based solutions for at least 10 years. As a result, the buzz around ‘to the Cloud’ has only confused the slow & steady evolution.
As a result, a recent study from The NPD Group found that less than a quarter of surveyed consumers believed they understood ‘cloud computing’, while more than 75% actually used one or more cloud computing services. Today most people have some exposure to services like email, file sharing (mostly photographs & videos) as well as applications like tax preparation that are served up in the Cloud.
Defining the term to create a common understanding is great. What isn’t so great is exploitation, turning cloud services into the ‘new thing’ in order to justify ridiculous consulting engagements or huge IT budget waste. From the beginning, cloud services can and should save you money. Cloud services, implemented properly are safer and more secure than most on-premise implementations. Proper planning and positioning of the technology is an effort but not huge, and there are many years of case studies that can be reviewed for ‘lessons learned’.
We like to introduce cloud services at inflection points in the business operation. Are you looking to upgrade your email server infrastructure? Are you in need of a more robust backup solution? At these decision points, you should evaluate costs and business benefit.
One way to simplify the cloud services picture, is to think of them as utilities…just like power & phone service. Your electricity provider has generation plants, switching stations, and significant infrastructure that delivers the service to your home or business. Similarly cloud service providers own the servers and infrastructure that provide email, backup, and other services for your use. You don’t need to own the expensive technology. You can just buy it as you need it.
Whether its collaboration technologies, like Office 365, or infrastructure components like online backup. The cloud is here and growing. You’ll need to leverage it to be competitive, but you can take it one step at a time.
We have strategies to get you there without disruption to your business...or your budget.Rick Huebner
CEO
www.VISTECH.com for cloud service migration
Friday, December 2, 2011
Developing with SharePoint vs. Developing in SharePoint
SharePoint has really captured the market and for good reason. It's a great platform! We use it for document management, website development, and as a component of robust software solutions.
Unfortunately as with many hot technologies, it is accompanied by the sudden appearance of huge numbers of SharePoint experts. Similar to the tsunami of HTML Programmers (as a brief digression--HTML is a word processing language...programmers in that context has always been a bit of a stretch) that arrived with the rapid demand for websites more than a decade ago, SharePoint Programmers are climbing out of the woodwork.
And that's my point. There's a huge difference between programmers that use SharePoint and SharePoint Programmers. Real programmers will integrate SharePoint into software solutions to build durable applications that will evolve, providing opportunities for migration to new versions of SharePoint or transition to yet-to-be-introduced tools that could replace SharePoint. SharePoint Programmers will deliver software that works on the current version with little hope future viability.
Remember software is expensive to build. Tools like SharePoint do make it less expensive, but if these tools are not leveraged properly cost of maintaining the software will quickly eclipse the build cost.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com is an ISV that develops custom software using Microsoft technologies.
Unfortunately as with many hot technologies, it is accompanied by the sudden appearance of huge numbers of SharePoint experts. Similar to the tsunami of HTML Programmers (as a brief digression--HTML is a word processing language...programmers in that context has always been a bit of a stretch) that arrived with the rapid demand for websites more than a decade ago, SharePoint Programmers are climbing out of the woodwork.
And that's my point. There's a huge difference between programmers that use SharePoint and SharePoint Programmers. Real programmers will integrate SharePoint into software solutions to build durable applications that will evolve, providing opportunities for migration to new versions of SharePoint or transition to yet-to-be-introduced tools that could replace SharePoint. SharePoint Programmers will deliver software that works on the current version with little hope future viability.
Remember software is expensive to build. Tools like SharePoint do make it less expensive, but if these tools are not leveraged properly cost of maintaining the software will quickly eclipse the build cost.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com is an ISV that develops custom software using Microsoft technologies.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Cloud Computing, briefly
At its core, the cloud delivers computing as a service rather than a product. This is analogous to many utilities we’ve been using for many years. For example, typically electricity is a service provided by a power company. The power company owns generation plants and distributes the electricity to consumers. Consumers pay for the service based on electricity used, by the kilowatt. However, instead of using the power company, consumers could purchase products, like gas powered generators or solar panels, to generate their own power. With cloud computing, products are the servers and software purchased to support corporate email or file storage. Instead of those purchases, companies can realize significant benefits by subscribing to email or file storage services and paying based on utilization. While this has created a major buzz, individuals have been using hosted or cloud-based email services, like Hotmail.com, for years, and for corporations, cloud computing is parallel to the time-sharing of mainframe computers in 1970’s.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design & development
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design & development
Friday, July 1, 2011
4 Tips For Getting the Most Out of Your Technology
How many times have you purchased new software or hardware, and avoided the help menu or user manual? Experts reason that about 90 percent of all features included with software go unused! Much of this comes down to lack of training for individuals using the technology - they use what they know and need most, and avoid anything that would require study or practice to implement. It's human nature to take the path of least resistance, but with a little motivation you could better benefit from the money spent on technology for your business.
Instead of letting your technology investments continue on underutilized, here are 4 tips for getting the most out of your technology dollars:
1. Put the client in the driver's seat of communication.
You can improve the quality of customer service offered by your company through the use of simple technology. The more connected you are to your clients, the happier they are with your work. Use technology to give your clients a way to initiate discussion with you, either through blog interaction or a discussion forum. Set up instant messaging so clients can contact appropriate staff members as necessary. It's simple technology, but will result in improved client retention, repeat customers and better communication.
2. Create a business culture of continuous improvement.
One of the most amazing aspects of technology is how quickly it is updated and improved. Just when you think you have the best of the best, new technologies and processes are created to improve productivity. Even in the sometimes mundane office environments, new ideas will enhance efficiency and productivity. Encourage staff and consultants to let the new ideas flow - continuous improvement is the key for making the most out of your technology.
3. Take advantage of training opportunities.
If the cost of sending staff to training courses is a bit much, and you're unable to conduct monthly training seminars on your own - consider bringing in vendors and experts whenever a new version of software is released. You can also have managed service providers deliver training virtually as needed, in order to keep your staff up to date with the programs and tools used in the office.
4. Internal email newsletters with tips.
Most businesses recognize the value of sending newsletters to their clients to keep in touch and establish relationships, but what about internal newsletters among staff members? Send a weekly email to your staff with a single technology tip that explains how to do something that will improve their productivity or make their lives a little easier. Keep it fun and add a cartoon or a quick quiz to keep the staff looking forward to their weekly newsletter. Your ideas for topics can come from training and seminars you attend, or from questions staff ask the IT department. If one person doesn't understand something, there are probably a few others who also don't understand - but aren't speaking up about it.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design & development
Content by Managed Services Provider University
Instead of letting your technology investments continue on underutilized, here are 4 tips for getting the most out of your technology dollars:
1. Put the client in the driver's seat of communication.
You can improve the quality of customer service offered by your company through the use of simple technology. The more connected you are to your clients, the happier they are with your work. Use technology to give your clients a way to initiate discussion with you, either through blog interaction or a discussion forum. Set up instant messaging so clients can contact appropriate staff members as necessary. It's simple technology, but will result in improved client retention, repeat customers and better communication.
2. Create a business culture of continuous improvement.
One of the most amazing aspects of technology is how quickly it is updated and improved. Just when you think you have the best of the best, new technologies and processes are created to improve productivity. Even in the sometimes mundane office environments, new ideas will enhance efficiency and productivity. Encourage staff and consultants to let the new ideas flow - continuous improvement is the key for making the most out of your technology.
3. Take advantage of training opportunities.
If the cost of sending staff to training courses is a bit much, and you're unable to conduct monthly training seminars on your own - consider bringing in vendors and experts whenever a new version of software is released. You can also have managed service providers deliver training virtually as needed, in order to keep your staff up to date with the programs and tools used in the office.
4. Internal email newsletters with tips.
Most businesses recognize the value of sending newsletters to their clients to keep in touch and establish relationships, but what about internal newsletters among staff members? Send a weekly email to your staff with a single technology tip that explains how to do something that will improve their productivity or make their lives a little easier. Keep it fun and add a cartoon or a quick quiz to keep the staff looking forward to their weekly newsletter. Your ideas for topics can come from training and seminars you attend, or from questions staff ask the IT department. If one person doesn't understand something, there are probably a few others who also don't understand - but aren't speaking up about it.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design & development
Content by Managed Services Provider University
Monday, March 28, 2011
Social Media & Insurance...go figure
http://www.insurancenetworking.com/news/insurance_financial_services_social_media_advisers_brokers-27487-1.html
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
Embrace the Horror--Business Location
Early in 2007 we embraced Microsoft Unified Communications. This is a complete communications solution for phone, email, IM, etc., and a way for everyone in our company to stay visible and connected. At the time, the big advantage for me was unloading the incredibly proprietary, costly, legacy PBX and having it become just software on a standard Microsoft Server that can be easily upgraded. It turned out to be a great decision. Our staff got comfortable with the technology and quickly leveraged the soft phone features, integration with Microsoft Exchange Contacts & Calendars, asynchronous IM communcations, etc. If you are interested in more information, visit our website VISTECH.com. We have overview information and a webcast. You can also call us to setup a demo.
I could spend several blogs highlighting the features and benefits of Unified Communications, but the point here is to identify the ah ha moment. In this case, the revelation was that geographic independence is now a reality. When we started using Unified Communications we had staff in two states. As a direct result of our infrastructure (Unified Communications and standards for remote connectivity), we now have staff in several more states, and one person temporarily working from another country. We've been able to retain people who wanted to move to more metropolitan areas and warmer climates. We've also been able to recruit qualified individuals from other locations and integrate them into our projects. Certainly good project management is critical, but with the right technology I can dial an extension and talk to someone who might be in the next office or the next state, instant message a question and get a fast reply from someone who's on-the-road, listen to office voicemails on my mobile phone (that were downloaded as attachments to email messages), use my mobile phone as my office extension, meet with project teams via LiveMeeting where I can review materials, whiteboard, and see them as if they were physically in the same conference room.
Large companies are moving aggressively along the path to geographic independence as they can realize huge cost savings in office space, travel costs, and overhead. We are encouraging smaller companies, non-profits, and professional offices to realize the ROI as Unified Communications options become available as Cloud solutions. At some point, there is no doubt this will be the normal course of business.
I must say the real driver for this post is to note the impact of the technology in the framework of current state fiscal crises. Here in Connecticut, a local chamber of commerce, the Hartford MetroAlliance, is reporting a $72.7B deficit for Connecticut in the next 2 fiscal years. Other states are in worse shape. The newly elected Connecticut governor has detailed significant tax increases and suggested significant budget cuts. Some of his counterparts seem to be taking a much more definitive approach to budget cuts. It's difficult to weigh effectiveness of tax cuts versus tax incentives, but today with the technology available to us, there's much less cost and other business resistance attached to moving existing workers to or hiring new workers in more business friendly environments. Geography will have much less impact on business decisions than it once did. If this fact isn't acknowledged by a state's leaders, jobs and businesses follow the path of least resistance and accelerate toward areas that offer more opportunities and better business climates. It may take years to see the effect, but given the stark contrast in how states are approaching the problem, it will be interesting to see how the different strategies pan out.
Let me know how we can help you realize the value in Unified Communications.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design, development, maintenance, support.
I could spend several blogs highlighting the features and benefits of Unified Communications, but the point here is to identify the ah ha moment. In this case, the revelation was that geographic independence is now a reality. When we started using Unified Communications we had staff in two states. As a direct result of our infrastructure (Unified Communications and standards for remote connectivity), we now have staff in several more states, and one person temporarily working from another country. We've been able to retain people who wanted to move to more metropolitan areas and warmer climates. We've also been able to recruit qualified individuals from other locations and integrate them into our projects. Certainly good project management is critical, but with the right technology I can dial an extension and talk to someone who might be in the next office or the next state, instant message a question and get a fast reply from someone who's on-the-road, listen to office voicemails on my mobile phone (that were downloaded as attachments to email messages), use my mobile phone as my office extension, meet with project teams via LiveMeeting where I can review materials, whiteboard, and see them as if they were physically in the same conference room.
Large companies are moving aggressively along the path to geographic independence as they can realize huge cost savings in office space, travel costs, and overhead. We are encouraging smaller companies, non-profits, and professional offices to realize the ROI as Unified Communications options become available as Cloud solutions. At some point, there is no doubt this will be the normal course of business.
I must say the real driver for this post is to note the impact of the technology in the framework of current state fiscal crises. Here in Connecticut, a local chamber of commerce, the Hartford MetroAlliance, is reporting a $72.7B deficit for Connecticut in the next 2 fiscal years. Other states are in worse shape. The newly elected Connecticut governor has detailed significant tax increases and suggested significant budget cuts. Some of his counterparts seem to be taking a much more definitive approach to budget cuts. It's difficult to weigh effectiveness of tax cuts versus tax incentives, but today with the technology available to us, there's much less cost and other business resistance attached to moving existing workers to or hiring new workers in more business friendly environments. Geography will have much less impact on business decisions than it once did. If this fact isn't acknowledged by a state's leaders, jobs and businesses follow the path of least resistance and accelerate toward areas that offer more opportunities and better business climates. It may take years to see the effect, but given the stark contrast in how states are approaching the problem, it will be interesting to see how the different strategies pan out.
Let me know how we can help you realize the value in Unified Communications.
Rick Huebner is President & CEO of VISTECH.com, a technology company based in Hartford, CT. VISTECH.com assists clients with their IT strategy and delivers a wide range of products and services including Cloud Managed Services; Unified Communications/VOIP solutions; and outsourced software/web application design, development, maintenance, support.
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