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Tuesday Take-Away: File Service Strategies with Google Docs

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As more of our current and future customers move to the cloud, they have greater interest in moving beyond email, calendars, and chat.  More organizations see cloud file services as a way to improve access to information while simplifying IT infrastructure and lowering costs.  These organizations are right on the mark!

For those running Google Apps for Business, Education, or Government, the Google Docs service is a great foundation from which to build an integrated file service.  Here are some considerations and strategies.

Central Ownership

Every user has the ability to use Google Docs to store and share information, and to create a hierarchy of collections (just like folders) to organize and manage files.  When building a file service using Google Docs, you may want to consider central ownership of data that would normally be housed on shared space on a file server.

Central Ownership …

  • Puts all of the “file server” data under “Collections Shared with Me” in all users’ Google Docs screen, providing a consistent interface and experience.
  • Gives administrators control over permissions.
  • Avoids underlying document ownership issues.
  • Provides a central account for managing the amount of storage needed.
  • Further simplifies backup/recovery.

To setup central ownership of your file service, you will need to purchase or dedicate one account as the “file service” account.

Desktop Integration

While Google Docs is pretty good as a productivity suite, many of your users may want or need to continue using legacy desktop solutions.  The good news: you can store any file type in Google Docs; the bad news: opening up a browser to upload files is an intrusive extra step.

Fortunately, you can choose from several inexpensive third party solutions that provide desktop access to Google Docs.  When working with clients to pick the solution, we look to see if they need drive letter access (DLA) service and/or access via Network Places from Windows desktops and/or desktop drive access from Macs.  The solution we recommend will result from these needs and from the amount of local drive space available to cache online data.

Local Cache / Offline Access

By building a solution with a local cache, you can provide users with robust offline access to documents.  Additionally, a local cache lets desktop applications save locally, as they are designed to do, with the files synchronizing to Google Docs in the background.

Learn More

If you want to learn more about building a file server around Google Docs, please contact us directly, visit our web site, or join us for one of our upcoming events.


Tuesday Take-Away: New Google Apps Admin Features

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One of the common criticisms of cloud solutions and Google Apps is the lack of administrative capabilities.  For the most part, this criticism is unfounded as many of these capabilities are no longer needed when you are free from managing the hardware and network resources behind your applications.

Beyond the so-called “paradigm-shift”, Google is aggressively adding administrative capabilities.  Some of the new features include:

  • Restrict users ability to download “native”/legacy (non-Google) format files, such as .doc, .ppt, and .pdf files.
  • Allow delegated administrators to wipe mobile devices
  • Allowing delegated administrators to use non-primary domains
  • Expanded reporting and administrative APIs
  • Expanded Mobile Management, including:
    • Granular policies: Configure mobile settings at the organizational unit level
    • Device activation: Control what devices can connect to your users’ Google Apps data
    • Device console: View all mobile devices in your domain connecting with Google Sync or Android Sync


Cumulus Global Supports Occupy Google Apps Movement

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In response to the growing number of small and mid-size businesses frustrated with “Big Tech” solutions, Cumulus Global announced it is formally and actively supporting the Occupy Google Apps movement. Small businesses throughout New England and across the United States are joining a new branch of the Occupy movement focused on protesting against “Big Tech”. Big Tech vendors burden small and mid-size businesses with extra features and extra costs without delivering additional value. Occupy Google Apps encourages small and mid-size businesses to shed their “Big Tech” burden and move to Google Apps for Business and other cloud computing solutions. 

“Small and mid-size businesses drive the economy and job creation, yet the big IT vendors treat small business like unwanted pets”, notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global and support of the Occupy Google Apps movement. “These vendors punish SMBs with unnecessary complexity and costs.”

Some of the gripes among Occupy Google Apps members include: Complex and expensive licensing options; forced hardware upgrades to run updated software; expensive upgrades without relevant new features; time-consuming patches an updates; and misrepresentation of hosted services as cloud computing.

“It is absurd that small businesses are paying consultants to figure out the best licensing option when buying basic software like operating systems and office productivity suites”, stated Falcon. “Occupy Google Apps is about easy to use, secure, and reliable services, and only paying for what you need.”

Cumulus Global, in support of the Occupy Google Apps movement, is actively helping businesses evaluate their IT services and plan their move to Google Apps and cloud computing. Information is available at www.occupygoogleapps.com or from Cumulus Global at www.cumulusglobal.com.

About Cumulus Global
Cumulus Global, formerly Horizon Info Services, helps small and mid-size businesses, non-profits, governments, and educational institutions thrive by delivering cloud computing solutions. Serving clients from 1 to more than 1000 employees across numerous industries, we align technology with our clients’ goals, objectives, and bottom lines. We leverage our expertise, vendor relationships, and a diversified range of best-of-breed cloud services to create custom solutions with tangible value.

Friday Thought: Chromebooks are NOT Netbooks

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It is pretty clear from the industry press that a consensus is building that the time for netbooks may have passed.  And when Dell, one of the big 3 PC makers, decides to end all netbook products, the industry takes note.

But when a technophile friend of mine lumped Chromebooks into this category, I had to disagree.  His argument that netbooks came out too early, before the customer was ready for the cloud.  And now, with tablets, smartphones, and other devices, the need is no longer there — you can get more for less elsewhere.

Chromebooks, however, are not netbooks.

Netbooks from Dell, HP, Acer, and others still carry the burden of traditional operating systems, albeit “customized” for a purpose.  So while the cost to buy the device was lower, businesses still needed to carry the full burden of supporting any PC-class device.  And users still expected to run ‘heavy’ apps like MS Office on these devices.  Less capable, less expensive to buy, just as expensive to run and support is not a formula for long term success.

Chromebooks are entirely different … here’s how:

  • Chromebooks run Chrome OS, the first commercial Operating System to be built specifically to support cloud computing environments.
  • Chrome OS is also the first commercial operating system to include encryption and malware protection in the kernel, eliminating need for two layers of third party software.
  • Chromebooks operate on the model that everything you need is in the cloud, that there is little or no need for any local data.
  • Chromebooks give you access to legacy desktop environments and applications not through local installs, but through terminal services, virtual desktop interfaces, and RDP services.
  • Chromebooks run with a near-zero footprint for its users; no need to manage software distribution, patches, and updates.
  • Chromebooks receive profiles and policies with each power up and user login, eliminating the need to create, manage, and distribute system images.

Most importantly, when you purchase Chromebooks, you are not buying hardware, you are buying a service.

Yes, you own your Chromebook devices, but they are one component of the service.  The service includes a management console that empowers organizations to manage user profiles, services, access, and add-ins.  The service also includes a replacement warranty of up to three years.  Chromebooks are as close to a “zero maintenance; zero administration” solution as you can get.

Netbooks give users a familiar, less capable (some might say ‘crappy’) system that still requires all of the administration and maintenance of a full blown PC.

Chromebooks give users a new platform with expanded capabilities, but without much of the expensive and burdensome overhead.

Netbooks may be on the way out; Chromebooks and the service model they bring to the market should be here for the long haul.

 

Tuesday Take Away: Google Apps Caveats and Solutions

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One of the critiques we often hear when speaking with businesses and non-profits hesitant about a move to Google Apps is that Google Apps does not provide a complete computing environment.  And it appears that there are a couple of key factors behind this perception.

  • Many organizations may be able, but are not comfortable, moving from MS Office to Google Docs.
  • Google Apps provides a range of core and additional services, but does not provide a complete computing environment.
  • Google Apps needs to integrate with internal networks and systems.

The best part of these perceptions?  They are all TRUE!

Google Apps for business is a suite of applications and services.  It is not a complete IT infrastructure.  Knowing this, you can plan to overcome these “caveats” with solutions that work.

You Need Backup / Recovery

As we have written in several blog posts (Protect Your Data in the Cloud, DLP in Google Apps), Google protects you data in Google Apps from loss due to network, system, or software failures.  Google cannot, however, protect your data from you (and your users).

Just like your in-house systems, protect your data in Google Apps with a sound backup/recovery solution.  Costs for these services run $3 per user per month or less and are well worth the protection they provide.

Sharing Contacts & Address Books

While sharing contacts and managing a the Global Address Book in Exchange is no picnic, Google did drop the ball on this common business need.  Most businesses have groups of contacts that they want to share and manage across multiple individuals.  The cloud provides and easy structure to do this, but Google did not build an interface for the capability.

Fortunately, we work with a number of third party solutions with a variety of features and capabilities.  Better than a “one size fits all” solution, we can match the tool to each of our customers’ needs.  The costs for these options range from free to a few dollars per month per user.

Users Need to Learn

The last time your users had to re-learn their email and desktop software probably coincided with your most recent “fork lift upgrade” of your email and file servers.  Even then, how many of your users learned about new capabilities rather than focusing on relearning how to do the features they already used?

Unless you choose to run MS Outlook and miss out on many of the great features of Google Apps, your users will need to learn.  Even those with personal Gmail accounts benefit from fully understanding the capabilities of Google Apps for Business (Education / Government).

Google updates Google Apps constantly — every few weeks — with incremental features and capabilities.  Providing on-going learning to your users helps users evaluate and select the new features and capabilities that will benefit their work.

On-going webinars and office hours require coordination and costs can add up.  Integrated, self-paced training with modules that update as Google Apps changes costs less than $1 per user per month.

You Want or Need a File Service

Switching from your current email service to Google Apps and its business version of Gmail is a great first step.   The migration is relatively fast and painless, and users will be more productive.

Moving your shared files from in-house servers to the cloud, however, opens up many more opportunities for collaboration, efficiency, and cost savings.   Without the need to connect remote and mobile users to centralized file servers saves companies hundreds or thousands of dollars on VPN services and licenses.  The ability to share documents, manage changes, and control permissions, gives co-workers and project teams the ability to work together without “losing track” of changes and versions.

The challenge, is how to integrate your existing desktop applications with your cloud storage.  Fortunately, there are a range of tools that integrate applications and provide “drive letter access” (DLA) to the cloud.  The tools vary from one-time purchases to annual subscription services and can be easily matched to your needs.

Now for the Good News

We understand that when moving to the cloud, you want to make sure that the overall computing environment — your ecosystem — provides the same level of service, security, and reliability as your existing in-house solutions (if not better!).

Through the end of 2011, Cumulus Global is offering free trials and will waive our implementation fees for the value-add services that resolve these concerns.

  • Backupify for Google Apps Backup and Restore
  • Floreysoft Share Groups and Dito Directory for contact and address book sharing
  • Gladinet Desktops Professional Edition and other tools for DLA to Google Docs

 

Tuesday Take Away: 8 Ways that Clouds Beat Blizzards

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Once again, the team and I at Cumulus Global found ourselves working from our homes, pizza shops, libraries, and coffee shops.  An unusual and record-breaking October Nor’easter dumped about a foot of very heavy and wet snow on us, snapping power poles and trees like, well, twigs.  In our area of the state, most towns reported between 60% and 100% of residences and businesses without power.  Starting on Saturday evening, many will be without power until late Thursday or Friday.

Businesses tied to their physical offices, again, are learning the hard way how Cloud Computing can help keep things running when life throws the unexpected your way.

1) Message Continuity

If you run MS Exchange, Google Message Continuity not only provides you with bullet-proof spooling if your server or Internet link are down, you get Gmail’s web interface and the ability to send and receive emails.  And while most email contingency services dump all activity in your spool to your inbox (including sent message), GMC actually syncs your sent and saved messages, preserving your folders and your sanity.

2) Cloud Storage Mirror

Different than backing up for restores or recovery, synchronizing or mirroring local and network data to a cloud service gives you the ability to access and use your documents, usually through a web interface, from anywhere at anytime.  Matching the cloud service and the sync tool to your needs ensures your critical data is available even if your office is not.

3) Google Talk

With a laptop or smartphone, the Google Talk app, and an Internet connection anywhere, you can communicate with your team and your associates securely via instant messaging, voice conferencing, or video conferencing.  Don’t worry of phone lines or in-house PBXs are down, with Google Talk you can see who is available and converse at will.

4) Google Voice

Get your laptop to an Internet connection with a headset and microphone and you can send and receive calls without a fuss.

5) Hosted VoIP Phone Services

It may seem like the throw-back to the days of Centrex, but hosted VoIP (aka Hosted iPBX) services keep your phone lines working regardless of what is happening with your building.  And, you can access and use your lines, extensions, and voice mail from pretty much anyplace with either a VoIP phone, softphone software on your laptop, or your smartphone.

6) Cloud-Based Email

If you are thinking of using the cloud as a contingency service because cloud-based email is going to be available when your in-house system goes off-line, why not make the more reliable service the one you use every day?  Do you need or want to keep your in-house server when a cloud-based service will be more reliable and more available?  Ok, it’s a loaded question … but still worth some thought.

7) Cloud File Services

Just as with cloud-based email, Cloud File Services will prove more reliable and available over time, and especially during emergencies.  Granted, you may have applications, and work flow issues that make using cloud file services as your primary file service impractical.  But, you will never know if you don’t take a look. And, many of these requirements work with the right local sync technology in place.

8) Google Apps for Business / Government / Education

There, I finally said it.  Google Apps gives you the reliability and availability of the cloud-based Gmail, cloud storage you can mirror or sync, Google Talk, Google Voice integration, and a cloud file service.  Better yet, Google Apps rolls these services into an integrated, affordable package with access from most any computer and smartphone.  Some of the solutions may require third party components.  But, when disaster strikes (and disasters will strike), why not have an IT Ecosystem that is resilient to available rather than you you need to recover.

Friday Thought: Comfort with the Cloud Grows Rapidly Among Business Execs

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As reported by Dow Jones via Fox Business News back in May, IBM published results of a bi-annual survey of more than 3000 CIOs.  The results indicate that adoption of  cloud computing will continue to grow rapidly.  Over the past two years:

  • The number of CIOs planning to use c loud computing has jumped from 33% to 60%
  • The number of CIOs stating that cloud computing is a top priority has jumped from about 33% to about 70%

What does this mean for you beyond “cloud computing is not going away”?

  • Mid-market and large enterprises will continue to demand enterprise-class features and capabilities from cloud computing solutions
  • PAR (performance/availability/reliability) concerns will continue to be addressed by vendors
  • Security architectures will continue to evolve to meet market demands.

Small and Mid-Size Businesses (SMBs) will benefit from the continuing, rapid evolution of cloud solutions.  As demonstrated by Google’s increasing rate of feature releases in Google Apps, evolution will rapidly close the gap between new, cloud solutions and traditional in-house systems.

SMBs should expect to re-evaluate current vendors and IT partners against new players in the market.  Avoid letting inertia keep your business on a path without fully exploring options.  Change may mean moving away from vendors uncomfortable with the growing role of cloud solutions.

At the same time, avoid moving to cloud solutions for the sake of being in the cloud.  Businesses should always map business objectives into IT initiatives and priorities, and then select the best solution.

Cumulus Global CEO Clouds Up New England Business Expo

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Boston, MA – October 18, 2011 – Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global (http://www.cumulusglobal.com/) will be clouding up the New England Business Expo at the DCU Center in Worcester.  As a featured speaker, Falcon’s seminar — Ground to Cloud in 30 Days! — will provide small and mid-size business owners with a road map for secure, cost-effective use of cloud computing solutions.  While most small businesses are aware of cloud computing, many are unsure about how to take the first steps.  Falcon will cover the basics of planning and moving to cloud computing, including the reality of security concerns and service level agreements.

“For most businesses, cloud computing solutions hold great potential for improved efficiency and cost  savings,” notes Falcon. “This seminar will take the mystery and fear out of cloud computing and will provide a road map for sound decisions and plans.”

Ground to Cloud in 30 Days! is scheduled for 4:00 pm in the New England Business Expo seminar rooms, on the 3rd floor of the DCU Center.  Interested business owners can learn more at Cumulus Global’s News and Events page or by visiting the expo site.

About Cumulus Global
Cumulus Global, formerly Horizon Info Services, helps small and mid-size businesses, non-profits, governments, and educational institutions thrive by delivering cloud computing solutions.  Serving clients from 1 to more than 1000 employees across numerous industries, we align technology with our clients’ goals, objectives, and bottom lines. We leverage our expertise, vendor relationships, and a diversified range of best-of-breed cloud services to create custom solutions with tangible value.

Tuesday Take-Away: New Security Standards for Cloud Computing

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It is common for cloud computing vendors often promote their security credentials, and doing so gives prospective customers valuable information about the vendors’ security operations and capabilities.

If your vendor is still promoting their SAS 70 Type II certifications, however, they are a little bit out of date.

As of June 15, 2011, the American Institute of CPAs replaced SAS 70 with SSAE 16, a much more rigorous standard for service provider security audits and attestations.  SSAE 16 is also in line with a separate, international security audit and attestation standard, ISAE 3402.

If you use Google Apps, Google Postini Services, Google App Engine, and/or Google Apps Script, you are in good shape.  Google is one of the first cloud computing vendors to move to the new, more rigorous, standards.

Google has attained SSAE 16 Type II and ISAE 3402 Type II certifications for these services.  SAS 70 Type II certifications are still valid for audits conducted before June 15, 2011.

While third party audits are part of the security and compliance benefits of Google Apps and Google App Engine products.  Google’s security efforts go well beyond audit requirements.  You can learn more about Google’s security by reviewing the current security white paper and watching this data center video tour.

Want to know more?  Contact us.  We would be happy to discuss your needs.

Friday Thought: Is BYOD Right for Your Business?

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A new trend is emerging in corporate IT that may make sense for small and mid-size businesses:  BYOD, or Bring-Your-Own-Device.  Companies with BYOD policies allow workers to pick their own smartphones, tablets, and, in some cases, laptop computers.  Most BYOD policies provide a fixed stipend for each type of device with employees free to spend more personally for a better device.

Recent articles in the New York Times and on SmarterTechnology.com have focused on this trend.   For large companies, BYOD policies …

  • Save money on purchases as employees often pick up part of the cost for better devices
  • Reduce demand on IT staff as BYOD employees often turn to other sources for help
  • Overcome the “my technology at home is better than at the office” syndrome

The challenge, of course, is security.  Not just access control, but virus and malware protection require standards and verification.

As more small and mid-size businesses move into the cloud, BYOD will make sense for smaller businesses as well.  Cloud computing solutions are more likely to be device independent, enabling users to pick their preferred smartphone, tablet, or laptop.  Google Apps, for example, provides native support for Android, iPhone, and Blackberry devices.

With BYOD, users pick the device or platform that works best for them, helping them be more productive.  As the recent articles note, colleges and universities have supported BYOD programs for some time with good results.  Users pick devices that best serve their needs, IT facilitates connectivity and support.

BYOD shifts some of the responsibility for support to the end user, so IT departments would be wise to ensure that end user support is available from key software and cloud solution vendors or resellers.   End users may turn to Apple for help with their iPad 2, but will need guidance from IT for issues of connectivity to applications and services.  Tier 2 support from the vendors or resellers should be a cost effective means to reduce demand for IT support.

The IT team needs to be prepared to help users navigate vendor support and, more importantly, configure devices to keep business and personal accounts separate.   And, if necessary, new SSO and identity management tools are available for smartphones and tablets.  While these tools add cost and a management layer, they can provide provide a level of security that may be appropriate whether the device is owned by the company or the employee.

Finally, a solid “usage” policy should be in place governing the use of company computing resources and how personal equipment and software may and may not be used for company business.  Having a policy in place sets guidelines and boundaries that will keep a BYOD program from getting out of hand.

With a sound set of usage policies and a reasonable stipend, BYOD can help small and mid-size businesses increase productivity.