Talking Point: Monitoring cloud conditions
Once companies hit 50 to 60 employees with PCs, they sometimes start to look at employing an internal IT person.
That’s not necessarily always the right course of action but is a general rule of thumb. There is always a question over the cost of employing someone internally and you will have to pay a good sum if you want them to look after PCs and your server.
There is quite a good model for companies who want an individual to look after day-to-day PC and user issues. The individual takes care of that and then an IT company is responsible for the servers and business critical elements of IT.
There is a convenience of having someone in-house as well as a cost but it’s also up to the IT company to make sure that they provide the level of service required by the client and that means 24/7 care.
We have customers in the retail trade and if their PCs go down on a Saturday we know they cannot wait until Monday morning for support. It needs to be taken care of there and then.
Cloud computing is going to cause another revolution in IT over the next three to four years and will have a major impact on SMEs.
No longer will they necessarily need a server in the corner of the office - it can sit online, or in the ‘cloud’. Again, that won’t be right for everyone.
Microsoft has launched a new package for small businesses where the email exchange sits on the cloud but then other software and files sit on a physical server in the office.
That’s going to be the way many businesses go but it’s becoming an increasingly competitive market with Microsoft, Google and Amazon all pushing the cloud and their products.
There are local authorities in the US which have completely scrapped their own servers and are utilising the cloud via Microsoft, Google and Amazon.
Businesses won’t actually mind how it all works - they just want to know it works and the most efficient system for them. Using a trusted IT provider for support and advice will be crucial at this time.
Another product on the cloud is a CRM solution and that highlights where the industry is moving to. In the past a business would have to have the software sitting on their server at a cost £5,000 plus the maintenance and back-up.
Via the cloud, there is a Microsoft CRM package that costs just £28 per month per user, which is a huge difference to a business.
Some people might ask where that would leave a company such as Acutec but it’s actually a positive development for us.
If businesses were moving to this form of CRM package, we would provide the configuration for them to get screens looking as they wish.
As with any development in technology, you have to ensure you are ahead of the game and that is what clients expect. Most are happy to leave it to their IT provider if they know they are getting the best possible system and service for their business.
The only challenge with Cloud computing is ensuring you have a reliable and consistent internet connection because if you lose broadband for a day, your systems simply can’t function.
Peter Gleadell is the new business manager at Coleshill-based IT provider Acutec.
