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A Post XP World? Think Before You Spend!

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Today is the day that Microsoft is no longer supporting Windows XP (unless you are a country or a multinational bank with ATM machines).

There is a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt about what businesses should do next, much of it originating with Microsoft.

First, you Windows XP systems will keep working.  As time moves forward, hackers will continue to find exploits in Windows XP, which Microsoft will no longer fix.  If you system is on-line, unprotected, your risk for malware and data breaches will increase over time. Realistically, with 12 years of market exposure, the “easy flaws” have been found.  Most recent security breaches is Windows XP are pretty esoteric or relate to current versions of Internet Explorer and activity in the browser.  So, no need to panic.

No need to panic.  Take time to choose how you move forward.

Option 1:  Upgrade Windows

Microsoft wants you to upgrade, to Windows 7 or Windows 8.1 (stay away from Windows 8, please!).  To do so, you will likely need to replace some, if not most, of your PCs and laptops.  You will also need to upgrade your endpoint protection and most of your applications.

Option 2:  Go Virtual

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) services, sometimes referred to as Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS), provides a full Microsoft operating environment accessible via a small piece of software on your local machine, or via any HTML5 capable browser.  Once in your virtual desktop, you have the current OS and Office suite, along with other applications your business needs and uses.  Maintenance and upgrades are managed for you, and you can securely access your desktops from nearly any internet-connected device.  Once you decide to go virtual, you have options that let you manage the cost of change over time.

2a) Keep your XP for now.  You can keep your existing XP machines (for now), reconfiguring them as “thin clients”.  With the systems locked down to only run the VDI client or a browser, and a solid malware prevention / endpoint protection service in place, you can stretch the life of your current XP systems.  Since users do their work in the remote, Virtual Desktop, the XP platform is shielded from user interaction and malware.

2b) Go Linux.  Linux is now a business-grade operating system and serves well as the operating system for “thin clients”.  Since Linux requires much fewer system resources to run effectively, Linux gives new life to older PCs and Laptops.  As with an XP thin client, you are only using the OS and browser to access the Virtual Desktop.

2c) Go Chrome. Chromebooks cost 1/2 to 2/3 less than a typical laptop, and cost 1/6 as much to administer and manage over time.  With HTML5 receivers installed, Chromebooks can access nearly any VDI environment, including those using Citrix, VMware, and Ericom systems.  Additionally, you get direct access, with built-in malware protection to any web-based application, including Google Apps for Business, Government, and Education.  With a single Google Apps account, you have the option for full mobile device management, to further secure and control your environment.

While upgrading with Microsoft often seems like the best solution, it is fraught with upfront and ongoing costs and challenges.  Going virtual, while seemingly a more complex choice, lets you keep your current environment and replace your aging hardware over time, as you can afford to do so, with less expensive alternatives.

If you are interested in exploring your options further, please contact us for more information.

Moving from SBS? 6 Questions to Ask

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Back in 2012, Microsoft announced the end of life for the Small Business Server (SBS) product line (see SBS End of Life: Microsoft Punishes Small Businesses).  As with any retiring technologies, some organizations will wait to move until there is a current need.  If something works, why fix it?

With Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 reach end of life as well, many are taking a new look at whether now is the time to move.

Here are 6 questions to ask before you make the move.

1) Does cloud-based email work for your business?

While many focus on why you should NOT move to cloud-based email, services like Google Apps for Business provide the security and privacy controls — and support encryption and other services — needed to meet pretty much any data protection requirement.

Focus on the value cloud-based email can provide to your business.

  • Secure access to email, from any device, at any time
  • Built in spam/virus protection
  • No monthly updates
  • No local queue errors
  • No VPN or additional web server needed
  • Affordable options for archiving, encryption, and backup/restore

2) What is the total cost of ownership?

When upgrading from SBS, organizations will need to purchase new 64-bit server hardware with additional disk space, new versions of Windows Server, new Windows CALs, Exchange Server Licenses, new Exchange CALs.  They will also need to purchase or upgrade their spam/virus protection solution and backup/recovery system.

Beyond the purchase, Microsoft still requires administrators to update software monthly — often multiple times each month — in order to maintain security patches and updates.

Moving to the cloud, organizations skip the large capital expenditure.  Cloud-based email solutions are operating expenses.  Costs are tied to the number of users, not to the amount of capacity you may use in the future.

When moving organizations to Google Apps for Business, we see customers saving 30% to as much as 70% over 3 year and 5 year TCO cycles.

3) How much disruption will end users experience?

Yes, some users are afraid to move away from MS Outlook and your existing web access for email.  When surveying users, however, we find that in most organizations, 60% to 80% already use cloud-based email services, like Gmail, personally.  The change in user experience is likely less than initial perceptions.

But, moving is a change and can have an impact.

As we move organizations to Google Apps, we include communications about the changes and opportunities for users to learn how to best use the new tools.  We make self-help learning systems — video and interactive — available to users.  We also offer customized workshops and “web office hours”.  In short, many methods exist to help users make the transition and understand how they can do more with their new email service.

4) Is the replacement system you’re considering easy to administer?

If planning to stay in-house, the answer will be “No!”.  New versions of MS Exchange include features and complexity designed to serve the needs of larger enterprises.  For small and mid-size enterprises, they live with the additional administrative burden.

Moving to cloud-based email dramatically reduces administrative requirements.  Without hardware, operating systems, and Exchange software, management of Google Apps for Business focuses on user settings and support.

5) Is the vendor committed to small and mid-sized businesses?

By deeds more than words, Microsoft is focused on large enterprises.  Recent licensing changes have removed the most affordable Windows and Exchange options for small and mid-size enterprises, increasing minimum costs by as much as 100%.

Cumulus Global, as a Google Apps Premier SMB Partner, is focuses exclusively on businesses and nonprofits with 1 to 500 employees.  We also serve K-12 education, smaller higher education, and local/regional governments.  We tailor our services to the needs of small and mid-size enterprises, understanding needs, priorities, and budgets.

6) Is the change a better value?

When moving from any in-house MS Exchange solution to Google Apps for Business, you are gaining more than a secure, reliable email service.  Google Apps is a small business productivity platform, with:

  • Integrated personal and shared calendars
  • Secure Instant Messaging
  • Voice / Video conferencing
  • Hangouts — video meetings with shared documents and desktops
  • Google Docs productivity tools — word processing, spreadsheets, and more
  • Drive for storage of Google-based and legacy files of any type
  • Local Drive sync and share, providing integration for MS Office users
  • Secure web Sites, for your intranet, projects, and customer portals
  • Integration with hundreds of business applications and services.

With more than email to offer, solutions like Google Apps for Business deliver greater value, even if additional features are not used immediately.

FlashPanel Schedule Reporting Helps Google Apps Admins

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We offer the Flashpanel Panel Partner edition as a free resource to all of our Google Apps customers for many reasons.  Beyond giving our clients additional features than the self-service free edition, we see how an understanding of how the environment is being used, leads to broader and more effective adoption.

Companies, governments, non-profits, and schools that look at how Google Apps are being used, find ways Google Apps can be used to increase productivity and better support their employees’ success.

FlashPanel offers a broader, more relevant range of reports than the Google Apps Admin Console.  With FlashPanel Premium, you can create custom reports and, with the current new release, you can schedule and publish both standard and custom reports.

FlashPanel Basic and Partner editions will receive a free 14-day trial of this feature.  For many organizations, Scheduled Reporting is another reason to consider upgrading to FlashPanel Premium.

You can learn more at the FlashPanel Blog.  Please contact us if you would like FlashPanel Partner edition for your domain, or you want to learn more about FlashPanel Premium.

 

“Until They Did” or “Why Businesses Will Move Away from MS Office”

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So much of the discussion about Microsoft versus Google and others includes a mention that businesses will not give up using Microsoft Office for other alternatives.  The general wisdom is that Google Apps and other solutions are niche players, but will never have a significant presence in the enterprise.

But are those that ignore history doomed to repeat it?

Not too long ago …

  • Nobody got fired for choosing IBM …. until they did.
  • No business would seriously choose a CLEC over their established telephony carrier … until they did.
  • No IT leader would stake his or her reputation on free Red Hat Linux over Solaris or A/IX … until they did.
  • No business would ever move off of the secure Blackberry network … until they did.

Flash forward to now.

  • Businesses are not going to reconsider their use and licensing of Microsoft Office  … Until …

 

Is Your PC a Dead-End?

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While security updates for Windows XP will continue well into 2015, the end of support and non-security updates is less than 50 days away.  According to IDC, as reported by Reuters, shipments of PCs fell 9.85 is 2013 and are expected to drop another 6.1% this year.  As more knowledge workers rely on mobile devices, the need for, and desire for, traditional desktops and laptops is vanishing.

So what is your next move?

If you upgrade from XP, your choices are limited.  Windows 8.x has been soundly rejected as a productivity killer and support challenge by enterprises as well as small and mid-size businesses.  With the expected release of Windows 9 sometime in the next year, Windows to 7 is a dead end.

Even worse, moving off XP triggers a wave of related costs, as your hardware, endpoint protection, Office suite, client access licenses, backup software, etc. must all undergo upgrades at the same time (see our prior post on this topic here).

Maybe, the “same ole, same ole” just does not work anymore.   Maybe, it is time to explore new options.  Here is some food for thought.

Hosted VDI:  Hosted VDI, or virtual desktop infrastructure, environments provide you with your operating system, productivity apps, endpoint protection, disk space, and data protection — as a service.  Rather than capital expenditures, project fees, and on-going maintenance and support costs, hosted VDI services charge monthly fees for the resources you need/use and each user with an account.  Most hosted VDI services (including ours) let you install legacy and custom applications as well.  You get the environment you need without huge expenditures and version lock-in.

Cloud Back Office:  Google Apps is the best example of how businesses can provide back office IT services without building infrastructure.  Leveraging Google Apps as a platform, businesses gain email, communication, collaboration, and productivity services.  As important, Google Apps can provide robust and secure file services and cloud print services.  Beyond replacing your email server, Google Apps can replace file and print servers as well.

L.O.B. Cloud:  With greater cloud acceptance comes greater availability of cloud-based line of business (LOB) applications and systems.  From CRM and service applications to professional service automation (PSA) and enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems, many businesses can find the line of business applications they use in the cloud.  Moving to LOB Cloud solutions, eliminates the need for complex on-premise systems as well as significant operational expense.

New End Devices:  As reported by CNET, Meg Whitman, CEO of HP, says that Chromebooks “have surprised us.”  Here is why. When you move to the cloud, you can change your end-user devices. To access cloud services and hosted VDI, you need an Internet connection and a compatible browser.  Tablets, thin clients, and Chromebooks become viable, lower cost solutions that give users access to the applications and data they need, without the acquisition and operating costs of heavy hardware and the Microsoft ecosystem.

So what is your next move?

Do you follow your current vendors without question?  Or, is it time to look at the innovative options and new market leading solutions?

Do you continue to carry the full Microsoft burden? Or, do you move to nimble hardware and cloud/hosted solutions, renting only the Microsoft environment you actually need?

Leave a comment, below, or contact us to explore your options.

3 Alternatives to Google Notifier

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Google Notifier is going away.  But, you do have options for see and preview new Gmail messages, and to receive Calendar notifications on the desktop.

To get started, uninstall Google Notifier before it no longer functions

Unread Email Count at a Glance

Install the Google Mail Checker application for Chrome to see your unread email count at a glance.

Desktop Gmail Notifications

You can setup Desktop Notifications in your Gmail account by following these instructions.

Desktop Calendar Notifications

While still in the Calendar Lab, you can enable Gentle Reminders, which will let you see calendar notifications from your desktop.  To do so:

1) Go to your Calendar’s settings > Labs > Enable Gentle reminders > Save.

2) Go back to the “General” settings page and make sure that “Show floating desktop notifications” is checked.

 

Managing Web Meetings and Hangouts

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As more organizations adopt Hangouts and other web meeting tools, some of the etiquette rules common for in-person meetings warrant an updated (or just a friendly reminder).

Here are 5 ways to better manage web meetings

1) Understand and Manage the Technology

Make sure you understand how to use the technology and take time to hold practice meetings to tune your skills.  In addition to leading the meeting, you may need to manage features such as mute, document sharing, desktop sharing, chat, and questions.  You may also be managing which video feed attendees see by default.  Controlling these features while conducing a meeting takes practice.  In some cases, you may want to have a “producer” work the controls for you.

2) Define Your Purpose and Outcome

All meetings should have a purpose.  Before scheduling the meeting, define your purpose. Whether to discuss an issue, review status, or make decisions, communicate the purpose clearly with invitees and set expectations so that people arrive on time and prepared.

Consider the desired outcome as well.  Who are the key stakeholders and who are the influencers?  What do you want attendees to think or do after the meeting?  Keep in mind that “Deciding between A and B” is a different desired outcome than “Decide to do A and not B”.

3) Be Professional

Preparation is critical.  More than an agenda, provide invitees with appropriate background materials and sufficient time to review and formulate questions or concerns. Solicit input and suggestions of issues that may arise in the meeting so that you may address or alleviate these before the meeting.

4) Make Your Points; Support Your Ideas

During the meeting, present and speak confidently.  It is fine to be assertive, but not aggressive or defensive.  Be clear.  Be concise.  Organize your thoughts and make your point in a concise statement.  Continue with supporting information as needed.

Questions will be asked.  Expect them, be ready to answer, have your supporting facts and opinions, and don’t take them personally.

5) Manage Conflicts and Stay in Control

Conflicts will happen.  While never desirable and sometimes unpleasant, with sound preparation and confident meeting skills, conflicts can be managed.

Understand who is attending the meetings and, as much as possible, their priorities and viewpoints.  After providing an agenda and supporting materials in advance, solicit invitees for issues and concerns.  Don’t wait for the meeting; start to work on resolving them before the meeting.

If conflict is anticipated, or arises during the meeting, step back and introduce more formality.  Refresh the structure of the meeting and how people can best participate.  Keep the meeting focused on the agenda, and control the microphones if needed to maintain order.

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With planning and practice, web meetings will take advantage of the convenience and ability to share information dynamically, without sacrificing decorum and effective outcomes.

 

 

Google Presentations Getting Better with Master Slide

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masterslideSince its launch, Google Docs has often been criticized for its lack of maturity when compared to Microsoft Office. With major upgrades to Documents and Sheets, the gap has certainly closed quite a bit over the past 18 months.

This months, Google Slides takes a giant leap forward as well, with the addition of the Master Slide feature.  With the ability to create a master template, specific to your presentation, you no longer need to edit common elements on every slide.

This video from Google provides and overview and demo.

 

The 5 Most Trusted & Banned 3rd Party Apps for Google Apps Domains

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One of the benefits of Google Apps is the ability to integrate third-party applications.  One of the risks when using Google Apps, is that some third-party applications may request access to information and privileges that you do not want them to have.

In addition to letting you identify, approve, and block third-party application access to Google Apps data, CloudLock Apps Firewall provides a trust rating.  The Trust Rating lets you know what percentage of Apps Firewall users allow or ban each application.

Here are the top five Trusted applications:

  • Google Drive
  • www.google.com
  • Picasa
  • Google Chrome
  • Android Calendar

Here are the top five Banned applications:

  • Mailbox
  • Dropbox
  • 8 Ball Pool
  • Angry Birds
  • Chrysalis Animation

 

Google Groups & Calendars Get Dynamic

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Within Google Apps for Business, Education, and Government, Google Groups delivers much more than secure, managed distribution lists.  Groups can be used for threaded discussions, shared inboxes, and work flow collaboration.  Groups also provide an easy mechanism for sharing documents stored in Drive.

Now, Groups makes scheduling Calendar events easier.  When inviting a group to a meeting, the attendee list updates automatically as people join and leave the group.

When joining a Google Group, people are automatically added to existing meetings; when leaving a group, people are automatically removed.

While this change only applies to calendar events created after the feature rolls out, you can adjust previously scheduled meetings by re-inviting the group.  Automatic attendee changes works for events with up to 200 attendees.