LSeven Solutions Blog

Many business transactions may be moving away from the telephone, but it is still a must-have for any business. Not everyone is Internet-savvy after all. Nowadays, there are plenty of telephone options out there, but only one carries no upfront hardware costs or a exorbitant fee structure: Hosted VoIP. Today, we will take a look at the benefits of cloud hosted VoIP, and how to get one working for your business today.

It can be argued that your organization isn’t considered “modern” without taking advantage of truly modern technology solutions. This includes the cloud, which provides anytime-anywhere access to important information or products. This type of access--also known as Product as a Service--can help your budget by eliminating large up-front costs in favor of smaller payments more regularly. This might seem ideal for your organization, but we urge you to take a step back and think about the solution before accepting terms of service without looking for extra hidden costs.

Your business relies on technology to ensure operations proceed smoothly, but the way that it’s managed can have a major impact on the way your company functions. Think about it like this: if you have software solutions hosted on different computers, but not in any centralized location, only those computers will be able to use these solutions--potentially hampering your staff’s ability to be productive. How can you make sure that this doesn’t become a major problem?

The cloud has revolutionized the way that businesses approach computing. Companies can implement solutions in a flexible and accessible model that makes it much easier to take advantage of technology solutions. Yet, you should know that not all clouds are the same, and you can’t treat them as such. Here are four questions that you need to ask your cloud provider about the services that you’ve been rendered.

Cloud computing is one of the best ways that your business can compete with larger enterprises. Today, you can adopt the cloud and take advantage of countless services, but are you doing so yet? If not, we’ll help walk you through some of the best ways that your organization can leverage the cloud.

All businesses require at least some type of software in order to perform as expected. It’s how organizations acquire this software that has a considerable impact on cost. For some, software can be a budget-breaking nightmare, but others have found a much more convenient way of acquiring this software: as a service.

If you’re like most businesses, you almost certainly rely on email on a daily basis. However, if your email is hosted on an in-house server, you are becoming less like many businesses, as they are moving their solutions to the cloud. Here’s why you should follow suit and make the switch yourself.

By now, business owners are well aware of the many ways cloud computing can benefit their organization, such as providing increased mobility and flexibility. Despite the tantalizing list of benefits the cloud presents, some business owners may still be hesitant to switch to the cloud due to one major factor: the perceived lack of cost savings. Well, thanks to a recent study by John Burke, analyst and CIO of Nemertes Research, there’s new evidence showing how hosting workloads in the cloud is more cost-effective than the alternative, hosting operations on-premise.

Cloud computing has taken the business world by storm, fulfilling so many needs and simplifying as many processes. If you’ve been on the fence about incorporating the cloud into your IT infrastructure, you should know a few of these benefits to help you make your choice.

A short time ago, cloud computing was a resource that was only taken advantage of by organizations that could afford to virtualize and manage their hosted platforms. Nowadays, many businesses, including startups, are using cloud computing for their organization’s primary computing functions. As this enormous shift happened, many of the world’s largest companies have pushed their cloud platforms forward to offer secure storage, software deployment, and even communications for organizations that are either just starting out, or are looking to reduce their capital computing and support costs.

There comes a time when your business needs to upgrade its technology. Holding out for as long as possible might seem beneficial for your wallet, but in the end, it’s much more cost-effective to replace outdated and inefficient technology before it winds up becoming a liability. In many cases, businesses might not even realize how much their outdated technology is hurting their bottom line. How can you know with certainty that it’s time to upgrade your technology?

Businesses need to take this question seriously, as the slightest hiccup can cost your business significantly. Old equipment can have a direct impact on your company’s operations. An employee might be suffering with issues or a slow, unresponsive computer each and every day, limiting their potential. There’s always the possibility that the hardware can fail unexpectedly, but there’s also the risk of replacing perfectly fine technology that might still have some use left. For your mission-critical technology systems, it’s best to have the expert opinion of IT professionals to fall back on. Consulting technicians is a small expense compared to the immense costs associated with wasting money on faulty or unnecessary IT solutions, and the result is an infrastructure that’s designed specifically for your business’s needs and budget.

For example, L7 Solutions can provide quality consultation that can help your organization make educated decisions about utilizing cloud computing. By now, we’re sure that you’ve heard about the leaps and bounds made by cloud computing technology. By allowing companies to access important data anytime and anywhere, and equipping employees with powerful collaboration tools, the cloud is paving the way for innovations in communication, data access, and so much more. However, knowing about the cloud and knowing how to upgrade to the cloud are two completely different matters.

There are several different ways to take advantage of cloud computing with your business model. You can invest heavily in it by migrating all of your data to the cloud, or you can replace your hosted legacy software with cloud-based applications. Another great use of the cloud is equipping your in-house network with cloud computing hardware that helps you achieve greater mobility, while retaining control over your data. When implementing a new cloud solution, it can help to first assess your current computing needs.

Here are just a few things that our IT technicians look for when determining if an organization needs to upgrade their technology.

• Hardware quality: If your workplace is always having to deal with run-down, faulty computer equipment, then you want to upgrade your technology before it can cause any further damage. In this particular case, it would be most beneficial to upgrade to the cloud due to the lower price of stripped-down thin clients. By connecting thin clients to the cloud, they can be just as effective as a fully loaded workstation. On a related note, it’s important to consider a machine’s peripherals, like upgrading to USB 3.1.
• Operating systems: Some organizations tend to cling to their favorite operating system long after its manufacturer pulls the plug on it. Two classic examples of this are Windows XP and Windows Server 2000. Without the necessary patches and security updates, outdated operating systems can quickly become both a liability and a risk. If you’re still using outdated software, then you’re in prime condition for a technology refresh. If you want to make updating your desktops as easy as possible, the cloud can be a great tool for remote monitoring and maintenance.
• Legacy applications: The latest version of an application can provide a significant benefit, but only if you make sure that you won’t break your infrastructure by making an upgrade. It’s important that you look into what is required of your legacy application before making a hardware change or a shift to the cloud. As explained by InformationWeek: “Application upgrades that run locally on PC hardware also influence whether or not you should upgrade PC hardware for your end-users. If an application upgrade requires a significant boost in memory, processing, or graphics power, it may be the primary factor in deciding to upgrade.”

The answer for how you should approach the cloud and tech upgrades is clear: call L7 Solutions at (954) 573-1300.

The cloud is a technology that’s taking the business world by storm. Most organizations take advantage of some form of the cloud or another, be it for data storage, email hosting, or application deployment. Either way, it’s clear that the cloud is a technology that your business should be investing in, especially if you want to stay current in an increasingly competitive environment.

Security is a huge problem for businesses that take advantage of the cloud, but never to the same degree. It’s often the nature of the industry which dictates how much a business should invest in cloud security. However, despite these differences in policy, there are some aspects of cloud security that absolutely can’t be overlooked, including data permissions, account security, vulnerability to malware, and other online issues.

Your business’s desktop infrastructure is an imperative part of operations, but thanks to the latest virtualization technology, there are easier ways to manage multiple desktops. For example, you can take advantage of an in-house virtual desktop infrastructure, or implement a dynamic outsourced Desktop as a Service (DaaS) offering. Let’s take a look at the differences between the two.

Cloud computing grows more popular by the day, and it continues to show its value to a modern business world. Being able to dynamically access content while online is a great asset, but of course, this doesn’t come without taking some risks and gambling your data’s security. Thankfully, there are some ways in which you can tip the odds in your favor.

Cloud computing is already heavily utilized in the business world. Companies that were looking to add mobility, collaborative capacities, and overall flexibility, have rolled out cloud computing platforms for their business and it’s resulted in quite a few benefits. In fact, according to a 2014 survey, about 70 percent of enterprise-level companies have instituted some sort of IaaS, PaaS, or SaaS solution. As more companies implement cloud solutions for critical business functions, owners of smaller businesses are asking us the inevitable question, “Is the cloud right for my business?”

From the perspective of a business owner, spending money on technology is an investment that one hopes to see a return on (ROI). After the initial investment is returned, then all funds generated by the technology are sweet profit--which is the driving goal for every business. One technology that’s the most capable of driving profits for business is cloud computing.

For the modern-day business owner, moving to the cloud means to take advantage of the several strategic advantages it offers. Companies no longer have to restrict themselves by relying on physical servers, desktops, or hardware. Most businesses see the value that cloud-based operations can offer them, and they are racing to take advantage of this fairly recent development. In fact, Joe McKendrick of Forbes magazine says that four-out-of-five small businesses will be based in the cloud in the near future.

How your business chooses to store its data is a major decision. You can implement a private cloud computing model and spend more on equipment and maintenance than you need to, or you can save money with a public cloud. Although, in light of the recent celebrity-nude-photo-iCloud hack, is the public cloud secure enough to host your company's data? Let's address this concern and explore your cloud computing options.

Cloud computing is everywhere, yet there are still plenty of businesses that haven’t migrated to the cloud or adopted cloud services. In many cases, this is due to business owners and IT departments not being on the same page when it comes to cloud computing.