Cloud Storage

Part 2 – continuation from last month

Choosing the Right Cloud Provider

Before you can compare cloud providers you must know what objectives you have, and how the cloud will help you achieve them. Do this by considering how you plan to use the cloud, how many resources you need, and how many users you have and what are their needs and expectations. Once you know what you want, assess potential providers considering the criteria listed below.

Reputation

You can research a provider’s reputation online, through forums and search engines. Testimonials are also good to check, though you must approach them with caution. You can get an idea of how stable a provider is, both in terms of reputation and finance, by looking at the clients it serves.

Transition

Making the transition to the cloud is not always smooth, and it’s definitely not smooth when you’re heavily dependent on server systems. It’s necessary to have a clear idea of what the transition involves, so as to have time to prepare for any difficulties that may appear. It’s important that the cloud provider tells you all you need to know about the transition from the beginning.

Availability

Since the uptime and downtime of a cloud service is crucial, you have to make sure that the service you get will be available whenever you or your clients will need it. You do this by verifying the provider’s service activity by contacting previous users of the service.

Hardware

Even if the technical side of cloud computing is not your business – the provider handles it for you – it’s still important to know how good the data centers that will host your files are. If one of your provider’s data centers happens to be housed in your city, it would be a good idea to visit it and see whether it’s professional or not. Pay attention in particular to the cooling system and energy supply.

Support

Since with cloud computing you only have a limited level of management and access, it’s crucial that you select a provider that can offer high quality, 24/7 customer support. Aim for a provider that allows you to get help for small as well as critical problems just as easily, and who can put at your disposal an expert whenever need be. It’s not difficult to ascertain the quality of a provider’s support service: just look up on the web what other clients have to say about it.

Security

Consider not only virtual security but also physical security. Find out where the data centers are located and how well they are protected. Assess the security software to discover whether it matches your expectations. Also, find out who has the authority to access your data, besides you, and don’t forget to demand insurance for any data loss resulting after a natural disaster or theft.

SLA

The service level agreement or SLA should not be overlooked. Being the contract between you and the provider in which the standard of service is explained, it’s extremely important. If you’re not fully aware of the conditions in the SLA you may discover later that even though you’re receiving a poorer cloud service than requested, there’s nothing legal you can do about it. Regardless of whether you get a personalize SLA or not you must fully understand all its conditions.

In Part 3, i’ll show you what all this means.

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Cloud-based Exchange

The Microsoft Exchange server is one of the most popular collaborative and messaging servers in the world. It is used by businesses and organizations utilizing Microsoft infrastructure solutions. The Exchange is basically the power behind all the amazing features of Microsoft Outlook.

Today, the Microsoft exchange has the following two jobs:

1. The exchange supports IMAP, POP and web email clients including Microsoft Outlook.
2. The exchange lets users share information using either Outlook Web Access or Outlook.

  • Improved Assistant: Allows users to schedule messages by fixing the start and endpoints. Separate messages for people inside and outside the organization can be created.
  • Instant search feature: The search lets you find information from any corner of the inbox using keywords.
  • New Features: RSS feed supporter, email scheduler, better preview pane and an option to view attachment.

The best advantage of using Microsoft Exchange server is the high-level of security features of the software package. The server neutralizes security threats and thus, the users are protected against viruses, spam and hackers. The emails are also protected against outside sources. The security feature allows users to use the system to its maximum potential. Employees of companies that use the Microsoft Exchange server can access their email from any location in the world. They can communicate irrespective of whether they are in an office or on the go. Microsoft exchange server is compatible with additional features such as voice mail storage, calendar, and contact organizing application and scheduling.

Microsoft Exchange uses the Microsoft Office Outlook as its email platform. With so many applications, Microsoft Exchange makes businesses very efficient. It is also very easy to fix problems. In addition, it has enhanced monitoring abilities. Thus, a fault can be detected before it turns into a big problem. Several essential processes that are required for the smooth operation of Microsoft Exchange have been automated. Thus, the administrators have more free time to deal with more important issues.

With its various advantages, more and more companies are realizing the importance of using Microsoft Exchange.