Awash in Data

by Jason Clause Filed under: Email, Managed Services, Outsourced IT Support, Software

My father worked in corporate America before everyone had a personal computer. Instead, my Dad had a tray on the left side of his desk that acted as his in box and a tray on the right that acted as his out box.

He traveled to Asia on multi week business trips and upon his return, he’d be greeted by a giant stack of memo’s, directives and other inter-office correspondence. His solution was to take the stack of paper from his in box and move it directly to the trash can. “If it’s important, they can call me,” he would say.

Dad’s approach to managing his data (paper) wasn’t glitzy or fancy, but it worked and I think it has some application in the digital world.

I’m pretty sure that if I deleted everything in my email store that was more than 6 months old, I’d probably never miss 99% of it. But I know to my core that 1% of that email data set is vital, and so the whole thing lingers on the mail server. That data is then replicated to Endsight’s off-site back up cloud and so now, this blob of mostly useless data exists in two places.

In his article entitled, “The big data addiction” Matt Prigg shares some of his insight into how this very issue is impacting organizations of all sizes today. In it Prigg says, “In a cruel twist of fate, our dependence on ever-expanding digital data has created a feedback loop that fuels its own growth. Within the past 10 years or so, we’ve grown more productive by using business technology. As a result, we’ve created even more massive mountains of data, and we rely upon those mountains to such a degree that we need to duplicate them – multiplying the problem again.”

In addition to email, Prigg is writing about business system data, file shares and a litany of other administrative and back up data sets. In a large organization, this data grows and duplicates at a much faster rate than in a small organization, but a small business isn’t immune to the problem.

I think that for most small businesses that data can be broken up into two parts, email and shared files. I recently contributed an article to the East Bay Chapter of the Association of Legal Administrators that highlights a few technologies that I think can be used to help manage email data without pressing the “delete” key. http://www.ebala.org/Topic.aspx?wiki_id=87#VendorArticle

For file shares, I think one of the prime culprits for expanding data is the fact that no one is really responsible for the files stored on the file share. For example, Endsight had a file on its sales and marketing drive called “2003 archive.” It hadn’t been opened since 2004. Every time I saw the file I thought to myself, “I should just right click & select delete.” But I didn’t create any of the files and so I couldn’t say for sure that someone wouldn’t go looking for a file housed in the archive.

I think the best solution for this problem is to create and publish a document retention policy. For an example of one click here: http://www.abanet.org/lpm/lpt/articles/sampledocretentionpolicy.pdf . This can help to eliminate any guess work and replace it with simple policy enforcement. You can even use technology to set rules and automate the document retention / purge process.

More and more of Endsight’s outsourced IT clients are encountering data store limit issues. We expect these issues to increase as firms move their on-premise computing systems to cloud computing.

To help our clients address this challenge, Endsight provides Planning Services: CIO/Sr. IT Management level consulting & strategy as part of our fixed fee, outsources IT approach.  If you’d like to talk in-person about your data situation click here to schedule an appointment.

Tags: Cloud Computing, Email, Endsight, it management, Outsourced IT No Comments »

Cloud Computing

by Jason Clause Filed under: Email, Hardware, Hosted Services, Managed Services, Network Security, Outsourced IT Support, Software

There is a lot of noise about cloud computing. It’s fairly new and new is exciting. So what exactly is cloud computing? More importantly, why should a small business owner care?

The cloud is a metaphor used to describe the Internet. Cloud computing is building on that metaphor to describe using the Internet to deliver computing resources as a service. Broadly, cloud computing is the convergence of three technologies: server virtualization, utility computing and software as a service.

1. Virtualization allows software to be separated from physical hardware.This in-turn, allows a single physical server to become 10, 50 or even 100 virtual servers.
2. Utility / grid computing allows server capacity to be accessed across a grid of systems.This in-turn allows computing capacity to increase or decrease depending on user or resource demands.
3. Software as a service allows on-demand software applications via the Internet to be purchased on a predictable monthly subscription basis.

This convergence allows a provider to aggregate many computing resources and profitably deliver those resources as a service for a fixed monthly fee.

The resulting delivery model is highly efficient, but it’s not the key reason for a small business to consider cloud computing. The key reason is best illustrated by looking back a century ago to the emergence of the national electricity grid.

Originally, if a business needed electricity it would have to build and fund the generating capacity on its own. Boilers, turbines and transformers were expensive and so only the largest firms could afford the new technology. The emergence of the grid allowed everyone access to electricity on a subscription basis. All one had to do was plug in. No more expensive capital projects.

In the modern era, mostly because of its size, a small business is inherently forced to either pay for more computer resources than it needs or to suffer with systems that won’t quite do the job. It’s an unwinnable contest that does not balance out.

Cloud computing gives a small business the ability to finally balance that equation by allowing them to pay for only the specific IT resources, service and support they need. Small businesses no longer have to lay out huge amounts of capital for servers, software and staff to build and maintain IT resources such as corporate email, shared files and accounting applications. Instead, they can plug into a computing cloud and access only the resources they need on a fixed fee subscription basis.

As with any new technology, there are a lot of options and providers to consider working with. If cloud computing is an option for your business, moving an on-premise computer network to the cloud needs to be thoroughly planned. For more information about cloud computing click here.

In addition to operating a private computing cloud, Endsight manages more than 100 on-premise computer networks. If you’d like to discuss your current situation and determine the cloud’s applicability to you’re business click here to schedule an in-person meeting.

Tags: Cloud Computing, grid computing, small businesses, utility computing 1

Is moving an office in your future plans?

by Jason Clause Filed under: Business & Management, Managed Services, Marketing, Network Security, Outsourced IT Support

When I was in college, I had to move every year.  I lived in a fraternity house and that really simplified the logistic. But even though I never had to move more than a few doors down the hallway, I still didn’t like it.  The idea of a uprooting all of my things, transporting them, and then having to find new places for everything, was a daunting task that stressed me out every time.

As Endsight’s outsourced IT business has grown, we’ve been heavily involved in a staggering number of office moves. Every time, it’s easy to remember the stress I felt as an undergraduate with my mini fridge and futon.  Obviously, the client has much more to consider which makes the stress level even greater.

No two office moves are ever the same.  But having been through enough of these, I thought it would be helpful to list some of the key advisers and partner/vendor rolls to consider as part of your planning process.

Many of our clients begin the process by seeking council from key strategic advisers.

Contemplating a Move:

Commercial Realtor (Help you selected a new location)

Banker (Help decide the best way to finance the move)

Accountant (Help you decide if you can afford the move)

Lawyer (Help you avoid costly legal issues associated with the move)

Once a location has been selected, there are a number of other partner/vendors to involve in the process.

The New Office:

General Contractor (Tenant improvements)

Architect (Make it look fabulous)

Cable Installer (Network cabling)

HVAC (Server room)

Signage (Sign out front, names on the office Doors)

The Move:

Mover (To get from point A to point B)

Phone System Support (Take down and set up phones)

Computer System Support (Take down and set up computer systems)

Internet and Phone System Connectivity (Connect to the outside world)

Office Furniture (Acquire new and /or liquidate old)

Printers, Faxes & Copiers (Often times these are under contract)

Communication:

Marketing (Promote new location, update Website, send a news letter, and create a promotional item)

Printed Materials (Letterhead, business cards, marketing collateral)

Most businesses enjoy existing relationships to leverage as part of the planning process.  If your company needs help filling in the roster, Endsight can help by facilitating introductions to our network of colleagues.  If your small business is planning a move click here.   We would be happy to meet in person with you to discuss your plan.

Tags: Endsight, move, Outsourced IT 1

Is it time for a Computer Network “Dust Off”?

by Jason Clause Filed under: Managed Services, Outsourced IT Support

All of the Great War movies have a scene near the end of the film where the climactic battle is over and the Medivac or “dust off” choppers swoop in to tend to the wounded, including the film’s hero, who typically gets a bandage over his eye or a sling for his arm.

For many of us, the last two years must feel like a war of sorts. We’ve had to make lots of sacrifices in one way or another including being forced to say goodbye to customers and coworkers. Even if you were not distracted with the recent events, you were probably fully focused on receivables and finding new revenue and didn’t have extra time to tend to your computer systems.

Last year I blogged about keeping an eye on your computer infrastructure as the disposition of your small business changed. Employee layoffs and office closures unaccounted for in network directories were creating gaping security holes in lots of small business computing environments. If you’re concerned you might still have that problem and want to learn more, click here to read that post.

Today, as the economy begins to emerge from the recession, it might be time to consider calling in the “dust off” choppers. Most of the small business owners that I know agree that computer networks are temperamental and that they require a lot of care and feeding. When left unattended (as many have the last few years) they become unpredictable and that can be a formula for disaster.

To get started on a good network dust off, I recommend starting with an inventory of your existing network. This inventory should include:

1. A list of computer users
   1. User Accounts
   2. Email, Mailboxes
2. A network diagram that includes
   1. UPS / Backup power supply
   2. ISP / T1 lines
   3. Firewalls / Router
   4. Switches
   5. Servers
   6. Workstations & Laptops
   7. Data Backup
3. Software Inventory
   1. Anti-Virus
   2. Anti-SPAM
   3. Operating Systems (Server & Workstation)
   4. Productivity Software
   5. Business Software
   6. Messaging Software

Once you’ve completed your inventory, consider asking yourself these diagnosis questions.

1. Are there any performance issues?
2. How old is the equipment?
3. What is still under warranty?
4. Is the software licensing current?

Determining the current disposition and status of your small business computing environment and combining that information with an assessment of the network’s limitations will help point you and your IT partner, should you choose to work with one, to the right questions to ask as you redevelop your IT strategy.

Endsight’s outsourced IT support model is layered to encompass what we believe are the four basic components of sound IT management and support. Planning, Plumbing, People and Projects build on one another like a pyramid. Planning, at the top of the pyramid, is typically the first casualty in a recession. Without a good plan however, it becomes very difficult to maintain a small business computer network consistently.

That’s why Endsight includes planning as part of its “all-you-can-eat” outsourced IT support methodology. Working with one of Endsight’s CIO level IT managers, our clients benefit from regularly scheduled IT strategy meetings where we collaboratively review the current status of the computer network and together map out the future strategy.

If you feel like Endsight might be able to help you with your long-term IT strategy click here to schedule an in person meeting. We can then discuss your needs in detail.

Tags: Endsight, it management, Outsourced IT No Comments »

Tis the Season be Grateful

by Jason Clause Filed under: Outsourced IT Support

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, this was not an easy year for anyone. So as 2009 comes to an end, I want to devote a little time to looking back at what was accomplished at Endsight. We are truly thankful and proud for what transpired in spite of this challenging year.

 

Endsight completed an internal project to document our support methodology and to bake that process into our tools.

I’m most excited about this accomplishment. The result is a scalable, systematic approach to IT support that lets Endsight maintain our commitment to average response times of five minutes or less and client satisfaction scores of 95% highly satisfied. Good process, good documentation and the scale of a 30 person IT organization will assure our clients consistent, highly responsive outsourced IT support in 2010 and beyond.

 

Endsight launched an Electronic Medical Records practice.

Partnering with gloStream, the only EMR provider to use Microsoft Word as its note editor, Endsight launched itself into the health information technology space. Bay Area physicians have long been excluded from the benefits of information technology but with significant incentives from the federal government ($44,000 per physician in incentive payments over five years) their time has come. We are anticipating that 2010 will be a big year for Bay Area medical practitioner and we’re looking forward to partnering with local physicians to provide the same guidance and IT support our existing clients have come to expect.

Press Release: Endsight enters Electronic Medical Records space

Article in SF Business Journal: Tech companies hope to catch health IT windfall

 

Endsight received some outstanding attention.

Endsight was named number 61 on the San Francisco Business Times list of its 100 Fastest Growing Companies.

Mike Chaput was featured in The San Francisco Business Times: Entrepreneur Profile

Mike was featured again in this Article: Don’t rush to outsource IT just to solve a problem

The tough economic conditions of last year have been a proving ground whereby good companies get the opportunity to become great companies. As survivors of the “great recession” we’ve earned that opportunity. I encourage everyone to look back and celebrate the innovations that you incorporated into your business this year. There’s lots of opportunity on the horizon. We at Endsight can’t wait to see you in 2010!

I am including a few photos from Endsight’s holiday party at Biscuits and Blues in San Francisco. The menu included deep fried macaroni and cheese. Now, that’s something in which to be thankful!!

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