Improving Business Continuity

Cloud systems are often able to provide better disaster recovery than you can arrange in-house. But this needs assessment. The cloud also produces new continuity issues to consider and address.

For those cloud services that are business-critical, what should you be doing to ensure business continuity?

This article written for the IT Faculty of the ICAEW looks at the issues and makes some suggestions to minimise risks.

Cloud Apps – Handling Upgrades

The way cloud apps are upgraded is very different from the equivalent on-premise packages. How upgrades are handled can be a key factor in selecting a cloud solution, and making the most of an existing one.

What are the advantages of cloud app upgrades? Are there any issues? What questions are worth asking suppliers?

This article written for the IT Faculty of the ICAEW explores these questions. How will the answers affect the way you use the cloud, now or later?

An Inside Job – Using Social Tools within Business

Social media tools are being used by businesses to communicate publicly with customers. Increasingly these tools and similar internet-based software are being used privately within a business or with trusted partners for business benefit.

This article written for the IT Faculty of the ICAEW looks at the new opportunities and how to handle the new risks. Are you ready?

Cloud Computing – Inevitable?

This week someone asked me “Is cloud computing inevitable?” Will we only be using cloud systems in business and other organisations by say 2015?

This article written for the IT Faculty of the ICAEW provides a summary for management of the types and uses of cloud computing, together with the pros and cons.

Cloud Computing – How about Private Cloud?

Putting software applications “into the cloud” can mean different things. Often it means using software hosted by a third party on a shared, “public” basis, accessible via the internet, and paid for by some form of subscription.

But what if that isn’t practical for some technical or commercial reason? [... read more...]

Cloud Computing – Which Type? Does it Matter?

When putting your business applications such as accounting and CRM “into the cloud”, there are various ways this can be achieved.

In each case the server that stores your data and runs the centralised software is hosted by a third party, and you typically pay a form of subscription. This is therefore called “Software as a Service” (SaaS). The main methods are: [...read more...]

Cloud Computing - Using Security Questions

Logging into Facebook yesterday I was prompted to provide the answer to one of several “security questions”. These were factual questions including “Where was your mother born” and “Last 5 digits of driver’s licence”.

Choosing one that nobody else could easily guess, I wondered what it could be used for. It turns out there is only one usage, to unlock an account if you cannot otherwise use the original email address and password. To avoid someone changing the security answer if they managed to hack the account, the answer cannot be changed.

I had hoped the security question would be asked each time [...read more...]

Cloud Apps - Functionality and Specification

When selecting a cloud SaaS system (Software as a Service), it's important to review the functionality provided. To help do this, it's worth producing a concise but comprehensive specification for all but the simplest situations.

In an article written for the IT Faculty of the ICAEW, here are some tips on what should be in a specification, and other reasons why it is worth preparing one.

Do contact me if I can be of further help, by email or on +44(0)1628 632914

Reducing Costs using Cloud VideoConferencing

The improvements in the internet are opening up a whole new set of applications that are remotely hosted within the cloud. In each case all you need to use them is a PC (or other suitable device), a reasonable internet connection, and typically a web browser.

Videoconferencing has proved increasingly popular for multi-site organisations, to reduce the need to travel and thereby cut costs, time and hassle. But videoconferencing has typically required use of a meeting room and an expensive teleconferencing system. [...read more...]