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Start Up Requiring Robust Infrastructure – From Planning to Implementation
The 7 Irresistible Qualities of Cloud ERP
Learn why ERP tools are an critical component for many businesses.
Why a Business Continuity Plan is Essential
Learn why your company needs a business continuity plan.
Ransomware 101
If you’re looking for ways to stop ransomware dead in its tracks, the experts at CCS Technology are here to help.
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Cloud Services and the SMB Revolution
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Office 365 Migration Made Easy
Migrating over to Office 365 has never been easier with CCS Technology.
The Advantages of Working with I.T. Pros
Learn how working with a seasoned technology pro makes your work easier.
Closing Common Cybersecurity Holes
Learn several critical cybersecurity tips and tricks any SMB can use.
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5 Cloud Migration Mistakes to Avoid
/in Blog, Cloud /by lindsayGetting to cloud successfully can be a big challenge. Increase the chances of success by taking steps to avoid these mistakes when you plan your cloud migration:
1. Thinking too small
Migrating a workload to the cloud requires understanding that workload in detail, but it’s a mistake to focus only on individual applications or datasets. All of your cloud migration work should be guided by an overall cloud strategy. The strategy should determine how you select cloud resources and ensure that your end state in the cloud is efficient from both a technology and a spending perspective.
2. Thinking too big
Attempting to migrate all your data at once or starting with your mission-critical application is likely to run into obstacles your team doesn’t have the skills to handle, at least at first. It’s better to begin with smaller datasets and less important applications that allow your team to gain familiarity and expertise in the cloud with relatively low risk.
3. Forgetting about security
Don’t forget that you are responsible for the security of your data in the cloud, and don’t plan to add security after the migration is over. Before you migrate a single byte of data or line of code, you should have an understanding of the security capabilities in your cloud and the risks you face. Configurations should be set up with appropriate security from the beginning.
4. Forgetting about the network
Too much of cloud talk is about hardware and software, but your access to those resources depends on the network. You can experience performance and security issues related to the network that connects your users to your cloud, as well as the network connecting resources internal to the cloud. Understand these issues and take the network into consideration when you architect for security and performance.
5. Mimicking your on-premises environment
Lift-and-shift is certainly a legitimate approach to cloud migration, and can be the most expedient and speediest approach to the cloud. However, lift-and-shift shouldn’t mean that you don’t tailor your cloud environment to the demands of your application. You also still need to be conscious that cloud can require changes to configurations, monitoring, and security, even if the workload’s overall architecture isn’t altered.
Learn more in Choose the Right Approach for Moving Applications to the Cloud.
Another big mistake? Thinking training your team provides the expertise needed to succeed in cloud. While training your team is an absolute necessity, becoming comfortable with cloud and developing a true cloud mindset requires more than a few hours of classroom training. It requires time working with cloud, experiencing and overcoming challenges. Instead of relying on your team’s book learning to guide your adjustment to cloud, it’s often better to bring in a team that’s already experienced in cloud. They can make sure the cloud journey succeeds while your team learns from them and goes solo only when they’ve got the skills needed to keep your business operations in the cloud successful.
Contact CCS Technology Group to learn how our IT consulting and managed cloud services can help you plan and execute a successful cloud migration.
Additional Cloud Resources
4 Solutions for Performance Problems in the Cloud
Calculating the ROI of Moving to the Cloud
9 Ways to Get Cloud Costs Under Control
Five Tips for Working in the In-Between
/in Blog, Work From Home /by lindsayWe’ve reached an in-between status of this quarantine. Businesses are starting to open back up (with restrictions), but a lot of employees are finding themselves in an awkward spot between working in the office and remaining at home. Doctors are utilizing video and tele-conference appointments but are holding office hours to see patients and perform “elective” surgeries. Companies are requesting that their employees work from home, if possible, but they’re relaxing requirements for coming back into the office. Other organizations are welcoming people back from tele-worker status to full in-office expectations.
With “in-between” operations, we’ve helped our clients through a few technology hiccups and wanted to help you avoid them too. Here are the top five things you need to know when working from wherever you’re expected to be.
1. The Power of the Web App
The majority of business applications have some type of web version. You don’t have to have the software installed on your system to be effective. While you may not be able to use every aspect of the software (higher processing functions may be limited to the desktop version), test out online versions. This is particularly effective if you’re trying to use a laptop or device with a much smaller hard drive in a remote working environment. For example, you can get to your current emails without storing your past five years of email history on your system’s limited disc space. When using a web app, install two-factor authentication wherever possible to maximize security.
2. A Note on External Hard Drives
First came the punch card, then tape and the floppy disc; now if you want portable physical data storage, it’s all about external hard drives (USB). They are a fantastic way to easily transport data from one place to another, but there are two precautions:
3. Maximize the Cloud
We firmly believe in the cloud for document storage, backup purposes, and accessing line of business applications. When it comes to document storage specifically:
Learn more in Why SMBs Should Upgrade to the Cloud.
4. Security
Your safety is our biggest concern whether you’re working in the office, at home or a mixture. In order to remain secure, invest in:
Learn more in Closing Common Cybersecurity Holes.
5. Backup, Backup, and More Backup
We have seen a surge in interrupted power and Internet connections, particularly with people working from home. Nothing is more frustrating than losing all of your work right in the middle of a project.
Deploy an effective network-wide backup solution so that you can restore data whether you lose a single file due to an employee mistake or lose a significant amount of data in the case of a disaster or breach.
Learn more about our disaster recovery services.
Additional Work From Home Resources
8 Practices for Safe Computing When Employees Work at Home
5 Tips for Successfully Working from Home
7 Necessities Before Sending Your Workforce Remote
How Do We Make This Work? 5 Ways to Adapt in this New Work World
/in Blog, Work From Home /by lindsayYou’ve probably grown tired of hearing the words “adjusting to the new normal.” Unfortunately, though, there’s really no other way to say it. This pandemic has permanently changed our work environment, whether you’re already back in the office or remain in quarantine for several more weeks. We must create a new normal for how we work, manage network security, and maintain productivity across a more widespread team.
For example, a client earlier this week asked with their employees working from home, how are they supposed to ensure HIPAA compliance? What if someone innocently leaves the computer screen open, or takes a note with a patient’s name and walks away from the notebook? Here’s how we recommend redefining work parameters to create the greatest opportunity for compliance and security in all work situations.
1. No personal systems
If you allow your staff to utilize their personal systems to work, store company data, and interact with customers, you’re just asking for a data breach. First, you have no control over that system. You can’t log in to perform updates, ensure it has the latest virus definitions, or wipe it if they left the company or were terminated. Second, they are probably not running the strongest virus protection, intrusion prevention, and monitoring. Supply systems that meet minimum standards. Some companies have sent employees home with their work equipment. As long as it’s properly documented, this is a safer bet than letting someone go rogue (intentionally or unintentionally) on an un-managed personal machine.
2. Clear Expectations
There is a difference between working from home and lounging on the couch in your pajamas getting work done. If you’re expecting people to be effective remote workers, set clear expectations for their work setup and communicate clearly. For example:
3. Signed Employee Agreement
Whether you expect remote work to be a temporary situation or believe it’s a permanent shift, put in place a clear remote worker agreement. It should lay out all of the expectations that we listed above. If you’re expecting employees back in the office, reiterate the temporary nature of the arrangement. If it’s a trial, state that. Working from home is one of those things that seems really appealing at the beginning, but depending on the worker, it may or may not be effective. As the employer, you want to maintain the option to bring them back into the office, if necessary.
4. Regular Communication
We recommend touching base via video at least once a day and having one other scheduled touchpoint – video, phone, email recap, something that is scheduled and required for each and every employee, whether they’re on-site or remote. You cannot underestimate the power of water cooler conversation throughout the day, so you need to find some way to replace that in order to keep your employees engaged and effective.
One of the ways we do this is by opening each meeting with a “good thing.” Every team member shares something good (personal/professional) happening in their lives. When you’re in the thick of it, sometimes it’s hard to come up with something good; but it sets a positive tone for the meeting and allows you to get to know a little bit more about your staff. We also encourage shenanigans more than usual. Perhaps set up a chat feed for funny memes, allow people to use filters on their video calls, just something that brings a little levity and lets people connect outside of their daily tasks.
One of our favorite collaboration tools is Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is cloud-based team collaboration software that is part of the Office 365 suite. It brings everything together in a shared workspace where you can chat, video/audio conference, share files, and work with business applications.
5. Effective Administration
Ultimately, adapting to this new normal is all about effective administration. Have the right policies in place, communicate the standards and expectations, follow-up with your employees, partner with an MSP that specializes in creating secure, remote workspaces.
Together, we’ll continue creating this new normal. That’s where we come in. Whatever your IT challenges, we bring 280+ years of experience and expertise. Contact us to learn more.
Additional Work From Home Resources
8 Practices for Safe Computing When Employees Work at Home
5 Tips for Successfully Working from Home
7 Necessities Before Sending Your Workforce Remote