February 2017 – Page 2 – Casserly Consulting

Study Finds that 45% of Virtual Machines Would Run More Efficiently in the Cloud

By now you’ve surely heard about the benefits of cloud computing, but a new survey by TSO Logic might be just the proof you need to make the leap to the cloud. The survey analyzed 10,000 physical servers and 25,000 virtual machines, and the results are quite revealing!

At the end of the survey, TSO Logic found that 45 percent of virtual machines would run more proficiently if they were managed in the cloud. At 45 percent, this is a pretty significant chunk of servers. The reasons why cloud servers outshone their hardware-based counterparts varies. In 26 percent of the inspected machines, both on-premise and virtual machines suffered from a critical problem called over-provisioning. Basically, this means that the machines were set up in a way which caused them to use more resources than they have to work with.

InformationWeek reported that TSO Logic’s CEO Aaron Rallo came to the following conclusion: “Migrating them to the cloud and right-sizing them there would result in a 36 percent savings over their current operating cost.”

While any amount of savings is welcome in business, a large figure like 36 percent is particularly impressive. The expenses of implementing cloud solutions can be easily covered by the cost savings, and this efficiency only serves to further reduce cost savings. This cloud migration scenario also makes for the perfect time to upgrade older server units as well, since you can save money and reduce the odds of hardware failure with a hardware refresh. InformationWeek reports: “A secondary finding was that merely upgrading systems to the latest generation of servers, whether on premises or in the cloud, would also result in considerable savings. Twenty-five percent of the physical servers surveyed were more than three years old, meaning they dated back into the Intel Nehalem chip era of 2013 and its predecessors.”

Yet, this prompts the question, “Do I really need to take these measures when everything seems to work just fine?” Inefficiencies might not be an immediate problem, but if there are enough of them, they will begin to accumulate and create problems for your organization. Instead, It’s best to use these proactive measures to keep problems from happening in the future. That’s what this study seems to predict, anyway, and it makes sense.

If your business is ready to get the most out of its cloud solutions, reach out to COMPANYNAME. We can host your servers in the cloud so that you don’t have to worry about their management and maintenance. Furthermore, we can offer a complete and thorough IT assessment so that you know exactly what your organization needs to accomplish with the cloud. To learn more, reach out to us at PHONENUMBER.

Tip of the Week: Easy Ways to Train Your Staff About IT

You might wish that your employees know more about IT and its inner workings, and you’re not alone. SMBs often suffer from a lack of IT talent, and they might try to supplement this lack of proficiency by training employees on how to do basic computer tasks required to work effectively. Thankfully, you don’t have to rely on just your knowledge and that of your employees when it comes to maintaining your technology.

You can augment your employees’ IT knowledge with the following services offered by IT providers.

An IT Help Desk
One of the best ways to supplement your organization’s in-house knowledge of technology troubles is by taking advantage of an outsourced IT help desk. Basically, this is a phone number or live chat system that your employees can utilize when they need help with specific technology problems. This strikes a unique balance between allowing your employees to get their own support, and giving them access to help when it’s needed most; allowing them to learn more about IT without letting them perform advanced procedures on their own.

If you want to use a help desk as a training tool, you’ll want to make sure that your IT service provider is remotely accessing your employees’ workstation during this process. This helps the service provider guide them through the steps one-by-one, without letting them make big mistakes that could derail operations. Once an employee knows how to do something in particular with minimal effort, they’re less likely to waste time on the same process in the future.

When this interaction is remote, it is typically more cost effective than having a technician go on site.

Focused IT Training
Training is an accepted part of the office environment, and one of the most valuable lessons that you can provide for your employees is technology best practices. Every so often, require that your employees review basic IT protocol, such as how to make secure passwords, how to handle sensitive information, troubleshooting common technology problems, and so much more. Ultimately, your goal should be for your employees to walk out of the training session with the sense that they’ve learned something new about how best to work for your organization and how to handle its technology with care.

In fact, some IT providers can provide all-you-can-eat help desk support for end users, while providing training materials, best practices, and more. We figure that the more educated and effective your staff is, the more growth you will experience. To learn more, reach out to us at PHONENUMBER.