Why companies choose Microsoft BPOS / Office 365 over Google Apps

Today, Computerworld published a good article by Shane O’Neill titled “Why We Chose Exchange Online, Not Google Apps”

The author of the article, based on customer testimonials, explains why Winston-Salem selected Microsoft hosted Outlook over Google Apps. While I have touched on this point many times over, for every business owner, it always comes down to three key criteria:

1. How familiar are my employees with Microsoft Outlook and Microsoft Office applications vs. Gmail and Google Apps?
2. How much money have we already invested in Microsoft licenses, i.e. Microsoft Office, SharePoint, etc?
3. Extent of required end-user training we will have to provide to ensure that the solution is quickly adopted by all employees

As you can see, the selection process can be fairly simple and at times, majority of decision makers will favor a technology that their users are already familiar with, without looking at  feature and functionality, or even price tag.

It is important to remember, that choosing your cloud provider will have long-term effects on your business, and if your competitors selected a more agile, feature-reach collaboration platform, they may beat you at your own game. Hence, the selection process must include a much more detailed review and analysis of all pros and cons prior to making a commitment to a particular technology or vendor.

Until next time,

Steve Driz

Getting Google Apps to 99.99%

On January 14th, Google posted Service Level Agreement (SLA) related data as it applies to Google Apps for both business and individual customers.

In 2010, Gmail was available 99.984% of the time, which translates into approximately 7 minutes of downtime per month, and basically represents accumulation of small delays throughout the year.

Google Apps Downtime 2010

Compatible data for Microsoft BPOS for 2010 shows 113 incidents, 74 unplanned outages and 33 days with planned downtime.

Considering the above data, Google Apps seems more reliable compared to Microsoft BPOS. In several blog posts, Microsoft reiterated that guaranteed uptime is one of the key priorities for BPOS and its future successor – Office365 that is currently in Beta.

Read more

Google to Docs users – “Upload anything”

Friends,

This is a first post in 2010, and I would like to take this opportunity to wish you happy New Year and myriad of successes in 2010 and beyond.

Several days ago, Google announced that soon all Google Apps users would be able to use Google Docs environment as online file storage by being able to upload any file in virtually any format. Last night, Google Apps Premium received the following message while login to Google Docs:

Google Docs - upload anything message screenshot

According to Google, users will be able to share uploaded files with others and open and edit supported file formats such as doc, docx, xls, xlsx, ppt etc. within Google Docs. By the way, we have uploaded several PDF and JPG image files that can be viewed and shared online with a click of a button.

What does it mean to your business? Utilizing online storage is not new. Many companies have been providing such services for years. It is new for Google and if your company presently uses Google Apps, the good news is that you should be able to forget about your USB thumb-drive and share important files with your employees, clients and partners through the same familiar environment you already use. Instead of emailing files to yourself, or uploading files to your local computer, your employees can always access important files online when they need it.

Why it’s important? For example, John is flying to from Atlanta to Toronto to meet with a client. Prior to leaving for his trip, he saves presentation files to his laptop hard-drive and a USB thumb-drive just in case. At the airport, his laptop case is lost or stolen and John recalls that the USB drive was in the same case. On the way to client’s office, John phones his assistant asking to email the presentation files to him, however, his assistant is not sure which file version is the most current since multiple edits where made by several people. As you can see, the amount of time required to find right version of the file for client presentation in enormous, and the process is tedious.

If John was using Google Apps as an online file storage, all he would have to do is ask his client for Internet connected PC, any PC, and access his files online without worrying about any local software since most files can be open from within Google Apps and the process does not require any specialized local software. One of the best features is the ability to view PDF files without Adobe Reader, meaning that you will no longer care about a platform or operating system, i.e. it will work on MAC OSX, Windows, Linux etc.

If you are interested in learning more about Google Apps, please contact us today for a free, customized demo!

Microsoft lowers price for online services including BPOS and offers free SaaS to Salesforce and Oracle customers

According to various news sources and Microsoft’s website, on Monday November 2, 2009 Microsoft slashed prices on its core SaaS offerings such as BPOS reducing it from $15 per user, per month to $10 per user, per month. In addition, Microsoft now offers six months of free SaaS to the existing customers of Saleforce and Oracle. Microsoft finally got rid of two-tier Dynamics CRM pricing model and now offers its hosted CRM solution for $44 per user, per month with 5GB of space.

For additional information on Microsoft SaaS offering as well as up to date comparative analysis information, please visit our website at http://www.DrizGroup.com We still offer complimentary copies of Google Apps vs. Microsoft BPOS feature for feature comparative analysis document that is always up to date helping you make the right business decision. Request your copy today!

Making Green IT a Reality

Is “green IT” just a buzzword, or is it something that can truly help the environment and your business? There are many opinions ranging from “who cares” to “the end is near.”

In reality, the benefits of “green IT” initiatives are tangible since as an outcome we reduce overall energy consumption.  Examples include using old CRT monitors vs. LCDs, consolidating server rooms saving space and reducing cooling requirements, and finally, recycling old technology. To clarify, when I say recycling, I mean reusing a device for another purpose including upgrading older or obsolete technology.

Thanks to Jason, Manager of IT, and his creative solutions, one of my clients – a large non-profit agency will now save significant dollars while taking advantage of the best in breed technology. The solution is truly simple; as a charity, the organization received a kind donation of used laptop computers. Coupled with the existing stock of recently upgraded laptops, the number of devices was sufficient to meet Cisco PIX replacement project requirements.

In 2001, the organization implemented high-speed lines across 75 office locations. For that purpose, the company purchased 75 Cisco PIX devices. I should note that over the years, Cisco gear performed very well and did not require excessive maintenance. However, as time went by, several devices simply failed due to age. In the end, due to the higher risk of failure as well as feature limitations, a decision was made to upgrade the firewalls. Considering the economic downturn and the fact that every dollar counts when it comes to non-profit organizations, Jason began re-configuring the existing laptops utilizing widely used and adopted open-source security software.

Having thoroughly tested the system in multiple sites, the organizational IT has moved into a full deployment mode. So what about the old Cisco firewalls? They are going back to Cisco for recycling.

If you would like to receive additional details, please contact us.

Until next time.

Steve E. Driz

New Capabilities of Microsoft BPOS

Today, Microsoft has announced the new capabilities of its Business Productivity Online Suite (BPOS) by sending an email to existing BPOS customers. The new capabilities include what Microsoft calls “IM & Presence Awareness,” and includes Microsoft Office Communications Online or simply web-based instant messaging that can be restricted for use within your organization.  According to the Microsoft Online Services (MOS) website, the service can be purchased separately from BPOS, starting at $2.50 per user, per month. The only caveat according to Microsoft is that in order to use it, you must purchase and install Microsoft Office Communicator 2007 R2. When implemented, users may use the service directly over the Internet, or through either RAS or VPN connection.

As always, Microsoft includes a datasheet on the MOS website that includes the solution highlights as well as the most noteworthy features and limitations. According to the source, Microsoft Office Communications Online integrates with Microsoft Office 2007 and SharePoint sites.

One of the key security features is that all IM text is automatically encrypted, meaning that the communication channel is secure. Other security features include enhanced URL filtering and file filter controls that will scan the files distributed through the IM.

As far as limitations are concerned, according to the datasheet, each user can have up to 250 contacts. In our view, this is more than enough, and if you need more contacts for your day-to-day IM activities, you must seek professional help.

Integration with the in-house Active Directory and the Microsoft managed Active Directory is achieved through use of the Directory Synchronization Tool. Another neat feature is that, similar to other services, Microsoft Office Communications Online can be accessed using the same sign-in tool.

Over the next couple week, we intend to test the solution and provide our valued readers with the additional information.

You can download complete datasheets for the Microsoft Office Communications Online directly from the source:

·         Standard (minimum 5 seats)

·         Dedicated (minimum 5000 seats)

 

Until next time,

The Driz Group

Telecom as a Service or Cloud Call Centers

Telecom infrastructure management and administration take much time and resources and eventually become a burden of IT departments. For years IT executives tried to push it out of IT departments into Operations or even Finance. Why? Because it was not “cool” enough, consumed a ton of time and at the end of the day it was just something that allowed people to make phone calls and receive voice-mails. It was simply not challenging enough for IT folks.

I am not going to get into nitty-gritty of the call center technology evolution including recently gained popularity of VoIP, even though certain time periods are note worthy. I am sure that by now you have heard of call center solutions by AVAYA, Nortel and Cisco. 

Today, I would like to touch on hosted call center technology and its business benefits. While economic conditions are tough, achievement of cost savings are top priority for IT departments. However, at times, we must look beyond immediate savings. We call it “strategic vision”. For example, by implementing a new system you may be able to support the reduction of head-count within a call-center. How? By providing your business with the right set of tools, and making your existing call center agents more efficient through an improved process.

While many organizations are on top of their game when it comes to the call center infrastructure and processes, others are still way behind struggling with antiquated technologies and inefficient processes. By the way, in many cases process is much more important than the supporting technology, and unfortunately, some IT managers tend to overlook that. What your business needs is a sharp process and the kind of technology that is flexible enough to support ever changing marketplace and economic conditions.

The overall impression however is that you can’t be efficient unless you employ the right monitoring and reporting tools, meaning that you are in the know when it comes to your call center operation. Knowing how much time your agents spent on the phone with your clients is merely not enough. You must ensure that you deliver quality service thus retaining and growing your customer base.

Would you like to implement a magic telecom solution for your business? One of the best kept secrets is fully hosted call center solutions that so far were utilized predominantly by large enterprises as either a primary platform, or as a fail-over. Why? Because it was not affordable, demanded a lot of dedicated bandwidth, offered complex SLAs etc.

Over the years, hosted call center solutions have become a great alternative to an on-premise infrastructure that at times demands much maintenance and support, not to mention frequent upgrades. In an ideal world, if you company is constantly growing, an on-premise based call center solution may be a great fit. The reality is that while it is important to have the ability to scale up, it is also important to be able to scale down as needed. System’s flexibility is a competitive advantage of its own. In that respect, hosted call center solution becomes attractive to the SMBs, and even large enterprises.

One of the key advantages of hosted call center solutions is that they do not require any special hardware, software, or communications lines. For example, if you have several remote / home office based agents with access to basic PBX / home phone or even cell phone, DSL service, standard handsets and a computer with the Internet browser, you have everything required to take advantage of the hosted call center solution. The only other prerequisite is at least one DID per agent, meaning that an agent must have a number that can be dialed from outside reaching his handset directly, no extensions. In order to log into the queue and take calls, an agent simply navigates the browser to a website and logs on using a phone number. That’s it – your agent is up and running. From that point on you can monitor your agent activities and even listen-in for training purposes.  

While contracts with the hosted call center providers are always subject to negotiations, in general, any business is able to negotiate based upon minimum number of users. For example, if you have a 50-agent virtual call center, in order to get proof of concept, you may want to start with a small pilot of let’s say 5 agents, whereby you only commit to 10 agents for the length of the contract when you are ready to sign it, and can increase the number of concurrent licenses as needed. But, if you have to reduce the head-count for any reason, you do not over commit while maintaining predictable costing model benefiting your business.

While negotiating, beware of the fact that almost every service provider may offer you a utility model that may make sense at the time. The utility model generally include by the minute billing when an agent is on the phone with a client. While the utility model may work for some companies, it may not be feasible for others. Remember, before you commit to anything, know your numbers.

Until next time,

The Driz Group

Cloud Computing or SaaS Disadvantages

Friends,

To continue the previous blog post that quite frankly only mentioned “Cloud” computing advantages, I thought it would be beneficial to examine “Cloud” computing, or SaaS disadvantages.

Unfortunately, in the technology space, there is no such thing as one size fit all. It would be nice however to develop a solution that can equally benefit any size business, like those nice and cozy bath robes in hotels that are always One Size.

Many businesses still look at SaaS offerings with caution, since they are terrified of losing control over applications and data, and/or don’t trust third-parties to manage their proprietary information. It may or may not change in the near future based upon many factors. As SaaS vendors become more aware of issues through constant communications with prospect and existing customers, and secure such certifications as SAS 70, businesses may change their minds and jump on-board potentially realizing substantial cost savings.

Another major concern mostly affects Canadian (eh!), and European businesses simply due to existence of the U.S. Patriot Act. Knowing that your corporate data can be subject to an audit for virtually any reason by virtually any U.S. government agency makes many corporate executives anxious. Some businesses went as far as develop internal policies prohibiting data storage on the U.S. soil. Can you blame them?

Some industry specific software applications such as complex Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems are either not mature enough as SaaS offerings or simply not yet available in the Cloud.

To conclude, while many businesses could benefit from SaaS today realizing significant cost savings due to lower up-front capital cost, unless they have clear vision and well defined business objectives no software or system would help improve their processes.

Thanks for visiting, and have a great weekend!

The Driz Group

 

Cost Saving Tech Trends for 2009 – Cloud Computing

Friends,

“Cloud” computing has been on minds of IT professionals for several years. Like any other IT infrastructure approach, cloud computing has its advantages and disadvantages. One of the key advantages is that because software applications are in the “Cloud”, and delivered as a service, it does not require any additional hardware or software on premises in order to take advantage of the latest and greatest in technology.

Compared with legacy approach to IT infrastructure that some call “give me all your money, upfront please”, cloud computing approach a.k.a. Software as a Service, or simply SaaS, seldom requires any up-front investments, and can help businesses save significant dollars not only on hardware, software and appliances, but also on maintenance and support.

Have you ever come across a business (non-IT) with less than 100 employees, all in a single office location that had 10 IT professionals on staff? I have, and trust me, I asked the question. The answer did not surprise me. The company utilized eight disperse systems developed on an ad-hoc basis. No wonder they needed so many managers, developers, and systems administrators.

While this example may not be as common, many businesses have no concept when it comes to IT staffing. At times they hire IT professionals to please CEOs, board members and other powerful stakeholders that start panicking the minute one of the core systems goes down. Under standard scenario, CIO runs into CEO’s office with his eyes wide open and a bit red due to high blood-pressure, and asks for more support staff to “support” and “maintain” that “god forsaken” system. More effective and visionary CIOs may decide to provide additional training to the existing staff, or outsource maintenance and support all together, so that there is a vendor to blame should anything go wrong.

Bare with me. I will get to the point in a jiffy.

We all know that the biggest asset of any corporation is its human capital. At the same time, it’s the biggest cost. When you have a 60k a year employee administer a 10k server, something just doesn’t add up. In short (I am getting right to the point, promise), something needs to be done to run lean and mean making money in the process, or serving public providing high quality services.

Cloud computing or SaaS, may provide your business with competitive advantage, reduce or eliminate IT support and maintenance costs, and protect your electronic assets. In addition to that, many SaaS offerings provide excellent disaster recovery and business continuity platform. For example, if on premises datacenter, a.k.a. server room burns down, or gets flooded, and your network administrator did not check integrity of backup tapes that you are sending to the bank vault on a weekly basis, you will lose vital business information. What’s going to happen next? A business will most probably will go out of business in the next three months. Gloomy picture, isn’t it?

Now imagine that you are using let’s say Google Apps to run your business. Your email and documents security reside within world-class datacenter, and even if your office is gone off the face of the Earth overnight, you and your colleagues can conveniently stay in their homes and still have access to the corporate data without interrupting your business. Sounds good? Hang on, it gets better.

Let’s say your company is working on securing a new contract with a large client, and needs to expand, and upgrade some of their back-office and information security systems in order to successfully secure the contract. Legacy approach to IT infrastructure suggests that you have to quickly call your suppliers, and order a lot of large and small boxes, software licenses, maintenance agreements, software protection plans, hardware warrantees, antivirus licenses, antispam solutions, extra data storage, more boxes, backup software licenses, backup tapes, more maintenance agreements, extra bandwidth, and the list goes on. And, when you think it’s over, you get hit with a dilemma. All this stuff you just purchased, needs to be unpacked, tested, setup, configured, administered, and… Wait, there is more, it needs to be supported and maintained on an on-going basis.

Google Apps addresses most of the issues above since it’s virtually maintenance free, and there are no boxes or licenses to purchase. Or, and it costs only $50 per user, per year. How much did you spend on coffee last year? You do need internet bandwidth though in order to access your systems, but considering that cost of bandwidth is declining, it shouldn’t be a deal breaker.

As I already mentioned, SaaS offerings have disadvantages, but that’s another story.

By the way, if you’d like to learn more about SaaS and Google Apps specifically, follow this link. It will change your life.

Until next time,

Steve Driz

Cost Saving Tech Trends for 2009

Friends,

Over the next several days, we will be posting information that may help business leaders and technology professionals to get trough the financial crisis without sacrificing quality of service.

Latest forecast by InfoTech Research provides businesses of all sizes with top cost saving technology trends such as broader adoption of Software as a Service (SaaS), short-term outsourcing of IT services, integration of the Cloud and better social collaboration. We will try to add to this comprehensive research by providing our dear readers with additional food for thought in a form of possible solutions that would allow to further reduce cost of running technology departments.

To be continued…