Cloud Computing for Real Companies and Users!

It’s amazing how different terms mean different things in the technology world until solid solutions come along to specifically reinforce the “real” meaning of the terms. Take “Cloud Computing” for example… (“How cloud computing is changeing business“)

In some instances, people use the term and link it to solutions like SalesForce.com. Really, SalesForce.com is an ASP application that fits a fantastic need for a huge number of companies. Now, it does occur in the Internet “cloud”, but so do millions of other applications that are used by millions of people around the world. Are they all providing a Cloud Computing environment? Maybe…

Ok, take Google Apps. Now this seems closer to what Cloud Computing should be. Useful applications in a group that individuals or companies can use. Close, but… Does it really provide what you need? Maybe in the beginning, maybe in a niche, maybe not!

So that leaves another category: Companies that provide all your applications, hold your data, and provide support for YOU directly. Now THAT’S what Cloud Computing really means. Everything provided in the Cloud. Connect with any device and get EVERYTHING! So, who provides that???

IVDesk does! The solution provides all of the needs for a Company within the Cloud. Full desktops with all the applications you need to run, holding all your data, files, folders, and giving Remarkable Service anytime you need it! Connect from work, home, the road, using Macs, PCs, Terminals, and the experience is just like a Windows XP session on steroids. Everything you want to run, runs there. Running a Legal application? It runs there. Financial Packages, they run there. Any package runs there.

Take a look, you won’t be discourages by the real meaning of “Cloud Computing”! www.IVDesk.com.

Conquering the Fear of Remote Data Storage and Backup

Does the thought of sending your important files off to someone else for safekeeping make your palms sweaty? All those critical little characters that form your thoughts, your ideas, your business, your life…trusted to someone else? IVDesk wants to help you conquer that fear by explaining just how important it is to protect your data away from your home or office.

 Let’s explore some of the general benefits of remote data storage and backup:

DISASTER RECOVERY: Don’t Wait Until It’s Too Late
Perhaps the most significant benefit of remote storage and backup is having a built-in Disaster Recovery Plan. This is critical in the event your data gets lost from something as simple as an accidental file deletion or, in extreme cases, your location is compromised.

If you are currently in a single-server environment with a daily backup held on-site, your data is at risk. Files stored on the server may be getting backed up, but what about all the computers connected to it? Is the data verified every day? Backup media can, and will, go “bad” when you least expect it. If your IT setup does not include a solid disaster recovery plan, please consider the consequences of not having one.

IVDesk understands it can be an overwhelming task so they include a disaster recovery plan as part of their remote hosting service. One phone call is all it takes to restore your data and get back to work within minutes. It truly can be that easy to protect yourself.

SECURITY: Protect Your Data = Protect Your Identity
The one term that best describes the ultimate goal of remote data storage and backup solutions is security. Sure, we talk a lot about securing your “data”, but have you considered that by doing so, you are actually protecting your identity? Think of your files, your email, and even your internet activity. Very personal and confidential information makes up your data. In many cases, it’s not just your personal information you are protecting, but also every person’s you communicate with. That computer of yours holds a goldmine of facts about you, your family, your business, and it deserves the highest levels of security. You don’t need to spend exorbitant amounts of time and money to research, purchase and install the technology necessary to achieve security at this level; IVDesk has already done it for you.

NO DOWNTIME: 24×7 ACCESS & RECOVERY
What if you are working late into the night and, oops, you delete a file? Not just any file either, you wipe out the file you need for your meeting in the morning! Is your computer guy awake at 2:00 am? Probably not. Even if he is, chances are he’s not going to answer your call. IVDesk answers your calls around the clock. Having support that doesn’t sleep, get sick, or take vacation, is invaluable to business operations. Remote services offer the luxury of data protection and recovery anytime you need it.

Remote data storage & backup benefits offered by IVDesk: 

• Disaster Recovery Plan Included
• Unlimited Storage 
• Full Backups Tested for Data Integrity 
• High-Level Security Both Internally and Externally
• 24×7 Data Recovery & Support 

While there are many benefits to trusting your data with a remote hosting service provider, the most overlooked benefit is having up to 70% of your IT offsite. A word you may have feared just moments ago has hopefully become a desired solution for the security of your business.

 IVDesk is a full-service remote hosting company providing enhanced technology to small to mid-size businesses, but with no hardware or software expenses. Companies are able to host all their applications, their website, email and files remotely with unlimited storage. Access to a user’s desktop and data is available 24×7 allowing complete flexibility and mobility for employees and branch offices.

Visit www.IVDesk.com or call 612.605.9677 to learn more about IVDesk’s complete remote hosting solutions including secure data storage and backup.

“The time to repair the roof is when the sun is shining.”

- John F. Kennedy

 

 

IVDesk Customer takes Advantage of Telecommuting for Staff

The idea of telecommuting has been around for what seems like decades but has been difficult to implement do to many factors.  From trusting employees to facilitating their work environment, progress has been made across the board.  Usually, only larger companies can create a technical solution that lets staff work from home.  Now, with IVDesk, all small to mid-sized companies can let their employees work from everywhere, with the exact same tools they’d have in the office.

One of our Financial Industry customers has changed they way their staff works.  Since IVDesk provides them all the applications they use with the ability to work from everywhere, they’ve adopted new policies that let their employees work from home 2 to 3 days a week.  By having access to the same exact user experience from home that they do at work, employees can do everything they can in the office from home.

This has dramatically improved the staff’s experiences and reduced cost of gas and transportation, saved commute time, and helped everyone involved.  By offering this type of flexibility, our customer believes they’ve got a better workforce, happier and more flexible scheduling, and continue to save money for staff and the company.

It’s a great time to call IVDesk!     612-605-5461

Oh yeah, and check out Karen Lehrke’s blog on Telecommuting!

Telecommuting helps make ROWE possible

The new book “Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It” by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson, focuses in on changes that Best Buy made and others are making to create a Results Only Work Environment (ROWE). 

 IVDesk provides companies a way to have all their applications available from everywhere.  We “host” all your applications, Microsoft Office, Outlook, whatever you run, and provide a Windows XP experience.  You connect from any Internet connection and login.  All your applications, 24/7 support for all your users, a low monthly fee per user, and the best solution for anyone interested in providing Telecommuting options for their staffs.

Not only do we facilitate that, we save you money every month verses buying and running your own equipment.  Now that’s a Win Win all the way around.  Visit us at www.IVDesk.com.

And see Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson and ROWE at http://www.culturerx.com/.

And check out Karen Lehrke’s blog on Telecommuting!

Wifi Best Practices

These are the best practices when working with a client that requires multiple Wireless Access Points (WAP) in their office space to create coverage and if you require a mesh so that users can hop from one WAP to another when they take a laptop and walk across the office (keeps their IVDesk sessions from dropping).

 1. Setup all devices as Wireless Access Points (WAP) with the same SSID and WEP/WPA key. This is how the PC is able to hop to the next Access Point.

 2. All WAPs need to be plugged into ethernet and given a static IP.

 3. If possible, it is a good practice to also setup all wifi users on their own subnet and utilize a vlan in the switch for these access points. This becomes more important as the number of wireless users increases.

 4. Use separate channels to prevent interference among the WAP you are installing. The suggestion for three WAP is channels 1, 6, and 11.

 5. Use Netstumbler or another tool as you walk through the office to confirm coverage is adequate and that latency/signal strength is good.

 6. DO NOT use relaying within the WAP. This is for getting wireless to areas that do not have any ethernet jacks. It passes the signal from one WAP to the secondary WAP and then the signal is distributed from that. Only use this in areas that do not have any ethernet jacks as there is some performance degradation.

One of our customers has a large facility and users that use laptops throughout.  They take their laptops to meetings, offices of other staff members, and to the lunch room.  By configuring the environment correctly, they can all feel as if they’re in the middle of any wireless access point.

Another way to make it smooth for our customers.  Visit us at IVDesk and see for yourself!

IVDesk in Upsize Magazine!

IVDesk is IT lifesaver for small & mid-sized businesses


Read about IVDesk’s Company profile in Upsize Magazine or online at the link above.

IVDesk Witnesses New Revolution of Lawyers in Pajamas

IVDesk, a web-based remote hosting company, gives lawyers complete mobility, security, and perhaps the most precious gift of all?freedom. With just an internet connection, lawyers are able to work anytime, anywhere, just like sitting at his or her office desk. Imagine for the same cost of hiring a local “computer guy” for one hour, law firms can have a truly mobile office with 24×7 support, the flexibility for employees to work whenever they want, state-of-the-art security and backup, and all the extra features that allow staff to work smarter. Balancing work and family has been just a dream for lawyers, until now.

Mobility = Flexible Working Hours = More Billable Time = IVDesk Nearly Free

Increased mobility is just one key benefit of IVDesk. For lawyers, this alone is enticing, but IVDesk also offers much more to support lawyers. No upfront capital for expensive equipment is needed; they just need an internet connection and PC to get started.

IT Made Easy, Convenient and Affordable

Lawyers don’t spend all that time and money on law school to learn how to be a computer tech. With IVDesk, at least 70% of a firm’s IT needs are taken care of for a low per-user/per-month cost. This pricing structure allows firms to establish fixed technology budgets. Users have 24×7 access to support – virtually eliminating downtime. This increases productivity and, therefore, translates to the words every lawyer loves to hear – more billable time.

Applications and Licenses Are Maintained

IVDesk includes the Microsoft Office suite of applications in their monthly fee. All other applications and licenses, including legal software such as Amicus and Prolaw, are setup and maintained as part of the service.

Stronger Security and Disaster Recovery

For attorneys, files and contacts contain personal and confidential information. Compromising a client’s trust is something they cannot afford to do. IVDesk operates over an ecrypted connection and backs it up data daily and weekly. Security is taken very seriously at IVDesk. Firm owners decide who has access to files and at what level. Storing data offsite is the best way to protect the firm and it’s clients. In the event your office is compromised, electronic data is still safe. IVDesk internally limits and monitors access to your files as well.

Unlimited Storage To Hold All Firm Data

IVDesk provides unlimited storage so the firm has the ability to scan in all their important documents and have them within reach at all times. No more driving to a client’s office in rush hour and realizing the file is back at the office.

Collaborate With Colleagues In Real Time

IVDesk users can work together on documents in real time. Partners can work together on tomorrow’s deposition as if sitting across from each other in the conference room, except one is at home on the sofa and one is at the local coffee shop enjoying a latte.

Additional Included Features:

- Website Hosting: access all your services in one place

- Antivirus Protection: keep your data safe

- Exchange Email: share email, calendars and contacts firm-wide

- Spam Filtering: customize spam settings for a clutter-free inbox

- Network Printing: print to the office from anywhere

- Mobile Phone Compatibility: sync data so users are never out of touch

- VoIP: compatible with most VoIP applications

IVDesk has devoted years of research and experience to build a powerful system for businesses needing improved mobility and enhanced security, such as law firms. It doesn’t matter if the it is a solo practice or a team of 100, IVDesk is an intelligent way to handle your office technology.

For more information, contact IVDesk at 800-711-1438 or http://www.ivdesk.com.

Give Your Employees, and Yourself, a Raise with Telecommuting and Remote Access

Telecommuting is an employee benefit that your company should examine – especially with the rising cost of fuel.  Employers giving their employees the ability to telecommute can end up putting the employee’s gross wages back in to their employee’s pockets.  In addition, telecommuting and remote access can increase productivity across an entire organization – sometimes in very dramatic ways. 

Consider this example:  with gas at $4/gallon, an employee with a commute longer than 15 miles each way to work could save $750/year.  The employee spends 1/2 hour in the car each way, and driving an inefficient vehicle they would see a savings of $8/day for the days they work from home, plus they gain the extra hour that they would normally spend commuting. If an employee were to do this twice a week, the annual savings are pretty staggering:

·         More than $750 saved annually in fuel costs (not including automobile maintenance, parking, etc).

·         More than 96 hours NOT spent in the car commuting to/from work.

Whether you double the efficiency of the vehicle or half the price of fuel, the math still works out to some dramatic time and cost savings for the employee. 

From the employer’s perspective, allowing people to telecommute can contribute to employee retention and overall productivity.  If you examine a small company with 50 employees and assume that the average number of sick days that each employee takes each year is 3, this means that annually the company is losing 1200 hours of employee productivity to sick days.  If we were to assume that in 25% of these cases the employee was taking care of a sick child/family member or they wanted to work a 1/2 day, telecommuting would give more than 150 hours back to the company in time that they otherwise would have lost.

Implementing full remote access within you company could lead to some other huge benefits.  Allowing sales staff to work from home after meetings or after hours may decrease conversion times and increase sales – putting more money in everyone’s pockets.  Accounting and Law Firms that rely on revenue from billable hours will be surprised by the boost that full remote access can have to the bottom line – often times it is more than 50+ additional billable hours that these firms see from some employees. 

Randy Olson provides companies with IVDesk, a completely hosted computer network solution that allows employees to work from everywhere, all without having to purchase any expensive hardware or software.   Contact information:  612.605.9677   Email:  rolson@ivdesk.com  Website:  www.ivdesk.com.