Cloud IT formerly On-Site Technical Solutions: The First Step in the Cloud

The latest edition of our newsletter is out on Wednesday, and here's the notes from the GM. Surprise! It's about Google Apps:

Almost all of our clients are running hybrid environments with one foot in the Cloud and one foot in the traditional network with hardware and software running on site. Most of you reading this are already using the Cloud in some form in your business. Whether it’s with email, backups or a line of business application, the Cloud is already pervasive in business. While the adaption of this new technical architecture has occurred at an extremely rapid pace, we don’t expect most businesses to run 100% in the Cloud in the short term.

The first step to the Cloud for our clients is typically Google Apps for Business. That may mean simply moving company email to Gmail in Google Apps, or using more of the functionality available in Google Apps. Businesses are moving away from Microsoft Exchange and to Google Apps for Business because Google is cost effective and works better. Because of the complexity of the Microsoft Exchange environment, we are forced to charge a premium to support Microsoft compared to Google.

Our client base does include businesses that have been able to move all of their technology to the Cloud, but that is a relative handful. Proprietary business line and accounting applications tend to be lagging in getting to the Cloud. In the meantime we have moved some clients to new Cloud-based business line and Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools where they make sense.

Google now has a resource website for Small and Mid-sized Businesses (SMBs) - Google Apps for Business. This website can show you ways to use Google Apps to solve your messaging and collaboration challenges.

When purchasing the Google Apps license we usually focus on email, but Google Apps is:

Gmail
Docs
Talk
Groups
Calendar
Sites
Video
Postini
Marketplace

and it runs everywhere – on your desktop, laptop, iPhone, Droid, tablet or wherever you need it.

If you’re not familiar with any of these tools or how you can leverage them for your business, please give us a call or drop us a line and we’ll be happy to answer questions.

Visit On-Site Technical Solutions for information on how you can move to Google Apps or other Cloud Computing applications. Call us for all of your network computing and business IT needs. We can also help with your data security and mobile computing. Follow us online below. Call or text me at 1-949-212-2168.