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Quickoffice: More Than Office for Mobile Users

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QuickofficeWith this week’s release of Quickoffice for iPhone and Android platforms, Google Apps for Business mobile users can now access and edit MS Office files on any iOS or current Android device.  Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files are no longer captive to heavy and more expensive Windows laptops, netbooks, and tablets.

Overdrive … 

The Quickoffice app also expands access to all files in Google Drive.  In addition to users’ My Drive content, Quickoffice provides folder views for Shared with Me, Starred, Recent, and any subfolders.

Viral Spread of Cloud Creates New Challenges

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This blog post is the second in a series on Data Protection issues and practical solutions.

Data Protection SeriesAs discussed in a recent TechRepublic Blog Post, cloud computing vendors are enabling the spread of on-demand software outside the control of the IT Department.

It is easy to see how it happens.  Somebody signs up for a service in order to complete a task that they cannot (or do not know the can) do with their current system.  They share the solution with co-workers, and, before you can say monthly recurring fee, the company must decide if this new tool is a de facto standard and should be included in the formal IT ecosystem.

Aside: On the one hand, shame on the users for not asking first.  On the other hand, shame on IT for not understanding the users’ needs and providing solutions with either current or new technologies.

The challenge becomes managing these services and making sure they are secure.  Beyond deciding who, why, and when services may be used, these services may create real security risks.

In the Google Apps environment, users can install any one of hundreds of third-party applications, many of which request and require access to user data.  While most applications only request and use the access they need, many request permissions that can inadvertently expose critical data such as sensitive documents and contact information.

Solutions

To mitigate these risks, it is important for the IT team to review and evaluate all new applications and companies should have policies through which they can enforce this rule.  In return, the IT team must be held accountable for responsiveness.

In addition, it is wise to monitor your environment for new software.  For you in-house systems, free tools like Spiceworks, will update you with scheduled scans of all systems.

Within your Google Apps ecosystem, Cloudlock App Firewall, provides you with the ability to both monitor and manage which applications are running in your environment.  The App Firewall reports the level of data exposure by application and reports applications added by user and well as by application.  You can mark applications as approved, blocked or not trusted.  You can revoke permissions, effectively disabling applications as well.    The system also provides guidance, letting you know how other companies have rated applications.

Conclusion

While users will continue to look for apps, the IT team can and should be ahead of the curve.  Additional tools, however, can help monitor and manage applications, which will mitigate risk, enforce company policies, and meet regulatory requirements for data protection.

 

For more information about Cloudlock App Firewall, please contact us.

3rd Tues @ 3 Webcast: Protecting Data in Google Apps

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For those running or considering Google Apps, Google’s highly redundant, multi-tenant infrastructure protects data from nearly all risk of loss or corruption due to hardware or system failure.  Understanding the other risks to our data lets us decide when and how to better protect ourselves.

In this live web event, Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global, will discuss the business risks and use cases that drive the need for data protection and data loss prevention and will look at practical, affordable solutions.

Joined by experts from Backupify and Cloudlock, Falcon will overview and demonstrate affordable solutions for creating a secure and protected data ecosystem using Google Apps and Google Drive.

And, as always, there will be plenty of time for your questions.

Click Here to Register or for More Information.

 

Guest Post: Why Half of Our Company is Using Chromebooks Full-Time

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Originally posted by David Politis, CEO of BetterCloud.  BetterCloud offers FlashPanel, an integrated management and administrative tools for organizations using Google Apps. Cumulus Global recommends and includes Flash Panel with most Google Apps implementations.

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Being a Gmail and Google Apps fanatic, I’ve always been intrigued by the concept of Chromebooks and Chrome OS in general. And with every 3 minute reboot of my aging Windows laptop this past spring, I became more tempted to take the plunge and go 100% web with a Chromebook, at least for the large portion of my day when I’m working in Google Apps and not installable software programs. So when the new Samsung 550 Chromebooks came out this past June, I made my case to the bossman that we should order a few of these devices. They’re cheap, and if we’re true Google Apps experts developing for the Google Apps ecosystem, we need at least a basic understanding of how Chromebooks function and are managed in a business environment.

What I didn’t expect, however, is that I’d be using a Chromebook nearly 100% of the time in the months to follow – we’ve even converted the office’s Controller, an Excel power user, to a Chromebook and Google Spreadsheets. So with about 4 months of Chromebook experience under my belt, I thought it would be a good time to share some of the top reasons why a few of my coworkers and I find Chromebooks indispensable.

Speed

You’ve heard the stats, “8 second boot, instant wake from sleep” etc. etc. I can tell you this: you won’t fully appreciate this kind of speed until you use it. I used to come into the office, turn my laptop on, go get a cup of coffee and chat with a couple coworkers, then come back to a laptop that was still rolling out of bed. The Chromebook is ready to go when you are, and over the course of days, weeks and months, saving a few minutes here and there really adds up. You can get similar speeds with any computer using a solid-state drive, but if you don’t have $1,000 to spend on a new MacBook Air, you can get the same speed with the new $249 Chromebook.

Simplicity

While the simplicity of Chrome OS is certainly a big reason for its speed, the simplicity in and of itself actually makes working in Chrome OS a very nice experience. The tools you need to access consistently throughout the day, like Gmail and Google Drive, are always at your fingertips in the launch bar. Obviously you can do this on a “real” laptop with hot keys, browser shortcuts, etc. but with a Chromebook it’s just so easy. And I find that the stripped-down nature of Chrome OS creates far less distractions.

Security and Standardization

There’s definitely a security benefit for personal Chromebook users, as the device doesn’t truly store local files (more security by limitation) and the OS only boots from a read-only version, but the security benefits are even greater for an organization deploying Chromebooks. As an IT administrator, not only can you implement security settings like restricting sign-in to accounts on your domain only or wiping local files after every log out, but you can also standardize certain aspects of the Chromebook experience by proactively pushing out useful Chrome extensions, or even pre-configuring WiFi network logins for every Chromebook on your domain, or particular Org. Units (useful if you use geography to group your OUs).

Using Chromebooks has been a great experience for our team. Not only do we get lightning-fast, affordable laptops, we also have seen Chrome OS evolve significantly over the past 4 months alone. The user experience has improved pretty significantly every few weeks, while the Chrome OS team continues to add more “traditional” PC features like extended desktop and better multimedia support. It’s certainly a Google-centric solution so we wouldn’t recommend it for everyone, but if you’re a Google Apps customer and are already spending the majority of your day in a web browser, it’s worth checking out a Chromebook.

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Editor’s note:  Click Here if you are interested in learning more about Chromebooks, or taking one for a test drive.

Top 10 Reasons Yahoo Employees Can No Longer Work From Home

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Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer is putting an end to Yahoo employees working from home as part of her heroic effort to turn around the struggling company.  As best we can tell, here are the top 10 reasons why employees can no longer work from home.

10:  Sitting in Bay Area traffic for hours each day is more productive than working at home

9:  Forcing employees to pay more for gas, commuter rail, and child care will help the economy

8:  Employees that struggle to balance work and family are happier, more productive, and fiercely loyal to their employer

7: Employees that come to the office get cool benefits like free gourmet food, laundry service, exercise classes, and massages.  Oh, wait, that’s Google

6:  Marissa Mayer has always wanted to appear in a Dilbert cartoon

5:  Talent and results are meaningless unless you work in a cubicle

4:  The Internet is a fad and should not be used for business

3: Sharing documents with real-time collaborative editing and managed revisions, instantly  messaging teammates, and working together are all less productive than waiting for an available conference room

2:  Interactive meetings using Hangouts, with multi-party voice and video conferencing, desktop sharing, and real-time collaboration is just science fiction

And the Number One reason Yahoo employees can no longer work from home ….

Without Google Apps For Business, we cannot Work in the Future

 

Who Will Use the Chromebook Pixel? Maybe You!

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Chromebook PixelLast week, Google announced the Chromebook Pixel, a high end laptop running Chrome OS and designed for users that work in the cloud.  The unit is HD audio and video, a dual-core Celeron i5 processor, and up to 32 GB of solid state storage.  The 12.86″ touchscreen has an unusual, but very useful, 3:2 aspect ratio, which beats Apple’s Retina displays in terms of pixel density.

At $1,299 for a WiFi model and $1,499 for the LTE version, some in the tech press  question who would buy the Pixel.  Others, like us, see the value proposition.

We see the LTE model as extremely useful, particularly given the 1TB of free Google Drive space you get for 3 years with the system.   Why?  The aggregation of features make this device a perfect replacement for professionals and other knowledge workers that live and work via the web — in the cloud.

Connectivity

According to Ookla, my 4G LTE smartphone gets 30 Mbps on download and 18 Mbps on the upload.  That’s almost identical to the 35 Mbps symmetric FIOS line that serves an office of eight web-heavy users.  The Pixel LTE gives you high-speed, ubiquitous access to the Internet so you can work in the cloud without working about hot spots and performance.

Compatibility

With QuickOffice installed, you can bring in, access, and edit your legacy MS Office applications without blinking an eye.  The “hurdle” of moving away from MS Office just dropped to the ground.

Convenience

The LTE model has 64 GB of local storage — plenty of capacity for working off-line when cellular service is blocked and WiFi is not available (planes, trains, etc).  And, unless you are streaming videos or playing on-line games, the battery should give you about 5 hours of useful work (enough to cross the country).

Integration

With 1TB of Google Drive storage per device/user, the Chromebook Pixel provides enough storage for most small and mid-size businesses.  And, with Google Apps as its base, you can integrate your business applications and tools to ensure your data is protected and secure.

If you still need access to Windows-only legacy apps, we can provide you a virtual desktop that runs in a Chrome tab.

If you …

  • Work in the cloud
  • Leverage the capabilities of Google Apps
  • Use web-based and cloud applications to run your business

… the Chromebook Pixel may be right for you.

 

Helpful Hint: Modern Preview in Google Drive

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In the beginning, seeing a preview of documents in Google Drive meant clicking an link and waiting for a new browser window or browser tab to open up.  Your preview would appear, if the file type was compatible, surrounded by all the menu bars and trappings of a Google Doc screen.

All that is changing.

Google is rolling out a new preview for files in Google Drive, starting now.

Google Drive will let you quickly preview more than 30 file types and quickly flip between files until you find the one you want.  You’ll see the new preview automatically if you open a photo, video, or PDF. To see a preview of a Google document, right-click on the file name and select “preview.”

Once the preview window is open, you can …

  • Click on the arrows on either side to flip to other files.
  • Watch video files or scroll through multi-page documents.
  • Select and copy text from the preview — even for a PDF or Microsoft Word document
  • Use the zoom buttons to see a file in more detail.

Each file preview also gives you one-click access to share, download, print or open a file for editing. 

Data Loss and Recovery Are Still a Growing Concern

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With all of the industry focus on data loss and disaster recovery, you may be surprised at the state of affairs.

  • 53% of businesses experienced data loss within the past 12 months; up from 31% in the prior year (EVault 2012 Survey)
    • 24% of IT Managers admit to not telling their CIOs that some data is not backed up, including data on mobile devices
    • 38% of IT managers worry about the security and effectiveness of their backup solutions
  • 58% of downtime and data loss was caused by storage problems or failures (Continuity Risk Benchmark)
  • 86% of companies experienced unplanned downtime last year (Acronis Disaster Recovery Index Survey)
  • 60% of companies identify human error as the most common cause of downtime and data loss (Acronis Disaster Recovery Index Survey)

What does this mean?

Whether  running systems in-house or in the cloud, businesses MUST understand the risks to their data and system, and have reasonable protections and responses in place.  Solutions that focus on addressing hardware and software errors may not protect you from user mistakes and missteps.

False Sense of Security in the Cloud

When moving to the cloud, businesses must remember that while good cloud infrastructures provide protection from hardware/software type failures, your data is still susceptible to user error.  Backup/recovery services offer protection for cloud-based data that rivals services available for in-house solutions.

Want More Info?

Please contact us if you would like to discuss your needs and available options.

 

Creative Solutions Help Schools Deploy Chromebooks and Google Apps

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Schools looking to engage students and deploy one-to-one technology programs face many challenges, including limited budgets, annual budget cycles, and the need to select technologies and services that integrate with curriculum goals and objectives. To overcome these challenges, schools are turning to creative funding solutions like those offered by Cumulus Global through its strategic partnership with First American Education Finance. By offering deferred initial payments, flexible payment schedules, short term rentals, and lease rates as low as 0%, the newly announced alliance offers schools more ways to fit Chromebooks, Google Apps for Education deployments, and related services into their curriculum and their budgets.

“Chromebooks make a great choice for student computing as they enable web-based learning and enhance student-teacher interaction,” notes Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global. “Chromebooks also work well for schools as they cost half to a third of laptops and tablets, and as much as 80% less for administration, management, and support.”

Adding value beyond traditional financing services, First American Education Finance provides a web-based asset management system that reduces a school’s cost of tracking and managing devices, device assignments, and refresh cycles. Cumulus Global and First American Education Finance will also help schools dispose of older technology, applying funds to new purchases and lease payments.

“We are uniquely positioned to help schools acquire and deploy Chromebooks while saving them time, effort, and money,” added Falcon. “Schools can obtain equipment now, and pay for it as their budget cycle allows.”

Chad Wiedenhofer of First American Education Finance echoed Falcon’s statements. “As a finance company committed to the education community, we are excited to make Chromebooks more easily available to Cumulus Global customers. We are committed to developing innovative finance solutions that help schools to acquire leading classroom technology.”

Schools interested in Chromebooks for Education and financing options can contact Cumulus Global for more information at http://www2.cumulusglobal.com/Chromebook_funding.

About First American Education Finance
First American Education Finance is dedicated to bettering your student’s lives by providing your school with the resources to succeed. First American provides competitive leasing, financing and asset management solutions that help schools budget and manage new technologies. First American is a City National Bank Company.

About Cumulus Global
Cumulus Global (https://www.cumulusglobal.com) is Cloud Solutions Provider and a Google Apps Premier SMB Reseller helping small and mid-size businesses, non-profits, governments, and educational institutions move from in-house systems to cloud computing solutions. We align technology with our clients’ goals, objectives, and bottom lines. In addition to Google Apps, Cumulus Global offers a range of cloud-based security, storage, and server solutions.

On-Premise IT: The Bad, The Good, and the Ugly

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We do not hate or dislike Microsoft.  But, looking at the company and its products, Microsoft often provides us great examples for some of the issues with in-house systems for small and mid-size enterprises.

Case in Point: According to ComputerWorld, Microsoft will issue 12 security updates for 57 vulnerabilities across Windows, Office, and Exchange.  In an extremely unusual move, 2 of the updates are for Internet Explorer (IE) from version IE6 through IE10.

The Bad:  The scope and severity of these updates are the largest since April, 2011:

  • 5 of the updates are “critical”, the rest are “important”.
  • The vulnerabilities addressed are in every version of Windows from XP Service Pack 3 and Vista through Windows 7, Windows 8, and Windows RT.
  • Updates are needed for all current versions of MS Office and for MS Exchange.

The Good:  Microsoft is able to fix the vulnerabilities found, even though some of their products continue to fail security tests.

The Ugly:  While these updates make on-premise IT environments more secure, they come at a huge cost, particularly small and mid-size businesses.  Applying these updates means touching every server, workstation, terminal server, and Windows RT tablet — some more than once.   While larger companies may use images to update workstations, applying these updates still requires building and testing the image before distribution. Hours of work and multiple reboots mean time and money — even if the work is done after hours.

Perspective:  One of the major drawbacks of on-premise IT solutions for small and mid-size enterprises is exactly this kind of maintenance.  For hosted and cloud solutions designed for large-scale multi-tenancy, like Google Apps and others, pushing out updates is automated, fast, reliable.  And, these updates rarely if ever require local updates.

Moving to a cloud or hybrid computing environment can save you time, money, and aggravation, while providing a more secure, more reliable system.

Interested in learning more, read what companies that have moved to the cloud and Google Apps have to say in this white paper.