Solutions
Products
By Nathan Lockwood, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
Save your money! Don’t purchase new hardware or software. Instead, spend your money on your business. Get the technology working for you, rather than just paying to have the technology. Many of our clients find that they buy the hardware and the software that they need to run their business. But, they don’t really benefit from the full power of their technology.
For example, we have worked with clients who have purchased a customer relationship management (CRM) application such as Microsoft CRM, ACT or Goldmine to help run their business. They had used up their budget for just the software and didn’t get past adding their contacts and putting in their data. They didn’t leave time or money for figuring out and building reports that would help them analyze the data to manage their business. Continue reading
By Ryan Schave, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
Can allowing employees to use their own computing device lead to improved employee attraction and retention rates? You bet! I would even venture to say that in the tech industry, the technology used by potential employers is becoming a bigger factor in a candidate’s decision of where to work.
By Ryan Schave, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
There’s no doubt about it! The iPad and the cloud were made to work together. The fundamental way that the iPad works is by an app connecting to software that is housed “in the cloud”. Very little is stored on the iPad itself.
The iPad provides businesses with new possibilities, but don’t forget that the capabilities of the iPad would not be achievable without the cloud.
If you envision an iPad user relaxing on their couch and passing time, think again. The iPad and the cloud is a marriage made in heaven and it can make workforces more productive and efficient. Continue reading
The answer is a resounding YES! You can run an entire company virtually, and appear as though you are a larger company and that all your employees are in one location. So, what cloud-based solutions can make all this possible? Here is a checklist with a few different solutions that can move your business to the cloud: Continue reading
Well, the answer to that question is yes and no. The objective is to make IT less expensive while budgeting IT investments as a constant expense versus a capital outlay. So, although the intent was not some grand money-making scheme, it will lead to increased revenues for cloud service and product providers. Basically, with cloud computing solutions, you can budget, plan, and manage your IT expenses better. If you’re not spending huge money on hardware, you’ll have more money available for the “possibilities” of technology and how it can work better for your business. Continue reading
By Nathan Lockwood, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
Whether the cloud is secure or not is by far the biggest concern for businesses and individuals. The “cloud” is still a physical place. It’s just that it’s somebody else’s server in some other location, accessed by you via the Internet. Unfortunately, the answer to the question about whether the cloud is secure is just as gray as the rain clouds in the sky. It depends on the cloud service provider and who is hosting the data and where the data is stored. Continue reading
By Nathan Lockwood, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
Even if you move to cloud-based networks and software, upgrades of some type will still be required . Instead of upgrading servers and increasing bandwidth, you will need to upgrade the devices that are used to interact with the cloud.
Hardware upgrades will not be ending, but the nature of the upgrades is changing. Hopefully, the upgrades of the future will be more affordable than upgrading servers, increasing bandwidth, and replacing laptops. Continue reading
By Nathan Lockwood, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
As with any big technology-based change, there are early adopters and those that lag behind. To put it into perspective, many companies still rely on hard copy documents even though the PDF technology exists to eliminate print-based filing systems. Network hardware is not obsolete yet, but at some point it will be.
Despite the rise in cloud computing, there will always be a need for network hardware (routers, hubs, switches, etc.) that enable you to “connect” to the cloud. Additionally, security applications such as firewalls will still be required.
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By Ryan Schave, MCP, Eclipse Consulting
One of the questions we get asked at Eclipse Consulting is whether “cloud computing” is a passing fad or is here to stay. The terms “the cloud” or “cloud computing” are bantered about like everyone knows what they mean and has embraced this new approach to computing. The fact is many of us are still asking, “What Is Cloud Computing,” even though we are probably already using it. Continue reading
