Vorboss launches Simply Connected to simplify connectivity, IT and cybersecurity management for London businesses

Welcome to the first in a series of blogs covering topics about cloud migration I think many readers will benefit from. This first one is about cloud and the security issues surrounding it. Many organisations we provide services to have adopted a strategy to migrate their compute workloads to cloud. I often hear the motivation for this strategy is the misconception that cloud is inherently more secure than selfhosting - just because it’s “cloud”. But, is it?

There is no doubt that cloud providers take their own responsibilities for security and compliance very seriously but were you aware that securing your data in the cloud is actually your responsibility.

AWS And Microsoft Azure have made it very clear where their responsibility for security and compliance stops and where the customers responsibility begins. This is referred to as the shared responsibility model as shown below.

AWS Shared Responsibility Model

Azure Shared Responsibility Model

Ever heard the saying the cloud is just someone else’s computer? The cloud provider is responsible for the security of the cloud, i.e. the underlying infrastructure, physical facilities, etc. The customer of the cloud provider is responsible for the security of the data in the cloud and the security of any virtual machines, OS patches and applications, etc in it.

So, what does this mean? Without the appropriate controls in place, it could be the user of the cloud services, not the cloud provider, who fails to manage the controls necessary to protect their data that’s hosted in the cloud - Gartner estimates that by 2022, at least 95% of cloud security failures will be the customer’s fault. As the responsibility for your data lies with you, you’ll need to ensure that any controls and policies you have in place for a locally hosted solution, extends to the cloud too.

The cloud is only as secure as you make it, and with security “threat actors” becoming more and more advanced, it is more important now than ever to not only choose a secure cloud provider, but also to ensure data you host in the cloud is secure.

If you are developing a cloud strategy or considering moving additional workloads to the cloud, then come and talk to us about how to develop your own security strategy, to make your move to the cloud as safe as everyone thinks it should be.

What is an IT audit?

An IT audit takes a look at your existing technology infrastructure and systems, including all servers and machinery, mobile devices, apps, etc, to give a comprehensive overview of what IT assets you currently have. Aligned with an IT roadmap, this will give your organisation the insights it requires regarding what gaps need to be filled, and what upgrades and IT investments need to be put in place to maintain business continuity, provide the services you offer clients or customers, and allow for growth and innovation in a secure and efficient way.

The IT audit should also outline any necessary policies that need to be updated, and staff training that will be required in order to meet the demands of expansion.

It should also assess whether the software, hardware and processes you currently have in place are sufficiently secure to protect the organisation’s data, network and systems, and that these are supported by effective tools and IT support.

That means an evaluation of your day to day operations, quality management system, data protection, IT support, security culture and protocols, backup and disaster recovery capabilities, amongst other components of your IT infrastructure, to give an overall health check of your company’s IT.

How is an IT audit done?

A reputable outsourced IT support service will perform a preliminary audit of all of your IT assets to understand how many devices are in use and what they are used for. They will then run a series of scans and assessments to gather information regarding how efficient these components are, including data mapping to understand how information flows through the organisation, identify where there are any weaknesses or signs of required upgrades, such as with an ageing server, an ineffective firewall, or redundant apps or systems, and highlight where cost savings could be made.

The organisation’s business continuity plan will also be assessed to evaluate how easily the company can continue to perform business-critical processes in the event of an unforeseen event such as a natural disaster, or a cyber security incident.

With this understanding the IT support team can outline a detailed plan for growth in line with the company’s ambitions and ability to invest in further IT assets, in order to provide the upgrades needed within an agreed budget.It can also be a very worthwhile endeavour to talk to the staff on the ground to understand how the company’s IT support is currently working, whether it is making life easier or more difficult, what tools they wish they had (such as mobile devices for remote working), what they rarely use, and what tech issues they face on a regular basis. This too will help inform on the level of upgrades required, and where cost savings could be made.

What are the benefits of an IT audit?

The main aim of an IT audit is to provide your company with an outline of the upgrades or investments (if any) you need to make in your business in order to keep running efficiently now and into the future, and a plan to put these in place.

Other benefits include:

• The identification of immediate requirements, such as weak security, which require fixes and upgrades as soon as possible.
• It sets a standard from which to improve by highlighting weaknesses to create solutions that will help improve efficiency and optimise productivity
• It identifies inefficiencies and cost saving opportunities - The IT audit will recognise IT assets that are no longer being used and which can therefore be replaced or removed, as well as assets that are outdated and impacting on productivity or in danger of disrupting business processes, and can suggest alternatives, such as moving from an old server to cloud computing
• It helps with financial planning by outlining everything you need to improve your business, so you can invest in the necessary resources to bring your organisation up to speed, and keep the CFO happy

What do you do after an IT audit?

Your IT audit may not necessarily make for happy reading, but within it will be the pathway to business success and growth, so it is worth taking the recommendations on board and acting on them as soon as you can within your IT budget.

Your outsourced IT service can provide the action plan so that you have a clear idea of the steps to take.

Faced with a seemingly endless series of break-fix scenarios and maintenance, your in-house IT team may not be able to manage this project, which is why hiring the same outsourced IT service to implement the necessary changes can be the best course of action. Not only will they be familiar with your IT infrastructure and what needs to be done, they will know the best ways to go about making upgrades happen, and can implement them without any disruption to daily processes.

They can also act as a virtual CTO to provide ongoing monitoring and maintenance of your IT infrastructure to identify future gaps or weaknesses, and take a proactive approach to machine maintenance that will ensure your IT assets are working to the optimum levels at all times.

On top of that, they can also bring further cost efficiencies through volume licensing of the hardware and software you need to upgrade to, passing their savings on to you.

The team at Optimity can provide the IT audit service your business needs to give you a clear idea of the upgrades and improvements you need to make to ensure your business runs smoothly and is fully supported and protected now and in the future.

Get in touch to find out more, or get started by booking an IT audit now:

Ask why you are changing IT support provider

There can be any number of reasons why your business will want to switch IT support companies. The CTO and CFO need to work together to determine what IT support the company needs to meet current demands while fitting into the overall business strategy for growth and development, but they also need to work within agreed budgets, and often the decision will come down to costs. If the current IT support service is too expensive, the company will understandably want to look for a better deal elsewhere, and consider an OpEx model.

It can be beneficial to revisit the contract with your existing IT partner to see if you can agree on more favourable terms, but if this is not possible, shopping around is advisable.

It may be that your current supplier is simply not up to the job at hand, is unable to adequately protect your business from cyber security threats or prepare for data protection standards as set out by GDPR, or is failing to comply with the contract, in which case switching is the obvious move.

It can sometimes happen that a business expands or changes, so that the IT support provided no longer meets your needs. This can happen, for example, when you decide an IT infrastructure overhaul is needed, and the service provider will no longer be able to handle your new requirements, such as if you make the decision to move to the cloud, but they traditionally support only on-site hardware and software.

Most importantly, you need to know exactly why you want to find a better fit for your business – to have an in-depth understanding of the company’s strategic reasons for outsourcing in the first place - so that you can outline what you need to stay competitive, and what to look for when putting your IT support out to tender.

Learn from your experience

If your previous or current IT support service hasn’t worked out, you need to understand why, so that you can find the right outsourced IT partner now. Assess what worked to expectations and what didn’t. Did your IT support team fail to meet your standards? Were they good at break-fix scenarios but not so good when it came to acting as a virtual CTO? Did you fail to put an adequate and comprehensive service level agreement in place that would meet your needs? Did you just not rate them?

Gather information from across your business to find out what IT support is required from each department, what needs were met by the services offered by your old or current provider and what ones were not. It is also advisable to run an IT audit to outline priorities, and where you can improve your IT support. If you can’t do this in-house, it can be the first point of engagement with a potential IT service provider, who will be able to do it for you.

From this, you should learn the type of questions you need to ask an outsourced IT partner, in order to make sure you find the right one for your business.

Reclaim your business IT

Before you start looking for a new supplier, your business needs to ‘reclaim’ all of its IT assets. IT support forms a central cog in every business, and as such, your outsourced service provider will have had access to much of your business-critical systems and IT infrastructure. They may even own the equipment on which your files are processed and stored. This can be an unsettling notion if the relationship turns sour, as they would have the ability to interfere with files, settings, your network, etc, if they proved to be that unscrupulous.

It is unlikely that they would take that step, but it is always best to be safe, and to run regular back-ups, especially when moving to a new IT support partner.

Having found a new service provider, you should also ensure that all passwords for all systems, networks, devices, etc are changed, so that your old provider no longer has access to anything.

Share your IT support needs to get a proper scope

Having discovered your IT support requirements, you should talk to potential service providers to find the one that can most adequately match your needs now, and into the future. A proper scope that outlines your IT infrastructure, the services and processes you need on a daily basis, and the areas in which you are looking to innovate and grow, is vital, so be clear on what you are looking to buy and what your supplier is willing and able to take on.

Clarify the nature of your proposed deal with your supplier, and the underlying cost. It is also important to get buy-in from your CFO and other relevant stakeholders, and keep them informed of any changes.

When it comes to future plans that may change your requirements over time, outline what defines a change in scope and requirements, whether this will result in increased costs, and define what those costs will be.

Document everything to hand over

Your IT audit should give you a comprehensive picture of exactly what IT assets you have, but you should also make sure to document everything regarding your systems and network in order to make the handover as quick and painless as possible to ensure business continuity. This should include an inventory of all of your software and hardware – including remote devices – as well as network diagrams, usernames, passwords and log-in addresses, etc.

It is also useful to supply a new IT support team with your support log from the previous outsourced partner, as this will help them to understand the main issues faced, how they were resolved (or not), and give them a better view of the overall scale of the operation from an IT perspective.

Ideally, in an amicable handover, your old IT support team can work with the new one to ease the switchover, but you should expect to pay both for this part of the process, and the old partner may not always be open to this arrangement.

Prepare to collaborate, especially at the start

Just as providing all of the necessary documentation will help your new outsourced IT service in the handover, your CTO needs to be prepared to play an integral role in the switch. It is not enough to simply hand over the reins and let them take on the task.

Your business still owns all of its IT assets, and so must act accordingly. Putting the agreed outsourcing arrangements in place as quickly and seamlessly as possible requires an initial hands-on approach that ensures your new IT support partner has everything they need to take on the role.

This relationship between the CTO and support team needs to be ongoing, with IT support in constant communication and collaboration to ensure that needs are being met and innovation is made possible.

It is also important to relay information and updates to all staff members regarding changes to processes and the timelines associated with them.

Prepare for hiccups

It is natural to expect some disruption while the handover takes place, but by working with your new IT support team you can iron out any problems and get back to business as usual quickly. In the end, if you have chosen the right outsourced IT service provider, it will all be worth it.

If you’re looking to switch your IT support in London, or need to find an outsourced IT service provider to help your business innovate and grow, Optimity can provide everything you need. Get in touch to find out how we can help you, and get started by booking an IT audit.

The biggest difference lies in the fact that cloud storage allows multiple users to collaborate, share and edit information at the same time, while online back-up tends to be used by businesses who want to store information safely until they need it again.

What is an online back-up service?

As the name suggests, online back-up is made possible by a programme that makes a back-up copy of your files and saves them on a secure online server. It’s a failsafe that means if something were to happen to your computer, you could simply load the programme again, hit restore, and your data will reappear, just as before.

It’s one of the simplest ways to back-up your computer, and because the information is held off-site, it’s secured, encrypted and maintained by teams of professional administrators, so you can rest easy, knowing it’s in safe hands.

Its simplicity might also be called out as one of its biggest limitations however, because it’s designed to simply back-up and restore in the case of a disaster. But… the back-up will be computer specific, so it won’t sync files across other computers or devices, which can make the restoration process a lengthy one.

And, while online back-up offers unlimited storage, because you’re backing up information that sits on your computer, you’re essentially limited to your computer’s storage.

Who uses online back-up?

That could be anything from family photos or personal finance information to a business’s sales figures, accounting information and HR files.

It’s about having a safe place for information that you don’t need universal access to, or want to continuously amend or update.

What is cloud storage?

While online back-up stores a copy of your files, cloud computing provides online space to store whatever you want, and allows unlimited access from any internet connection and from any device. That means you can tap into cloud-stored information whenever and wherever you want, using computers, TVs, game consoles, or remote working devices such as laptops, mobiles and tablets.

It’s genuinely unlimited in terms of space too, because there’s no restriction to the amount of data that can be stored on the cloud.

Lots of cloud services are supported by apps, which means users can access information via secure links and use the information freely as part of their normal working day.

Services such as Dropbox and OneDrive will integrate with your computer, so you can access information on the cloud just like any other folder on your desktop or laptop. The services go one step further than access too, syncing all activity so documents are automatically updated if edits are made.

Unlike most online back-up services, many cloud storage service providers offer a free starter plan with a limited amount of space that might well be enough for the average person or even a small business.

The key is working out your requirement before you dive in and sign up, and understanding the licensing agreement, as the costs can mount up if storage is a big issue for you. So, do the sums first and act with figures in mind, so you don’t get any nasty surprises down the line.

Who uses cloud storage?

Cloud storage is a go-to for businesses who work with active data – information that flows in and out, and is subject to frequent change at any time from multiple users.

That could be a publisher and a writer working at separate ends of the country, or a business with offices dotted across Europe that need to share information and facilitate team collaboration across multiple cities.

It’s a much more interactive solution for users who are on the go, but need all the same reassurances around security, encryption and protected access.

Advice from the IT professionals

If you are unsure which option is best for your business, you should seek the help of an IT consulting service, who can assess your needs and advise accordingly.

By asking all the right questions up-front, a good IT consultant or service provider can get a detailed understanding of how your organisation operates now, how close you currently come to reaching your business and operational objectives, and what your IT roadmap for expansion should look like.

Using this, they can help identify where any gaps exist, where IT improvements can be made, and which services will support your technical needs and employees best.

By taking a full business view and applying the insights gained from working with other businesses in your industry, an IT consulting service can create tailored back-up and storage solutions that will not only save you time and money, but add to overall business effectiveness and give you a future-thinking plan that allows for growth.

Find out how the right IT solutions can help your business grow.

Challenges and Rewards of Cloud Computing

Any investment in IT requires evaluating not only the current and future needs of the business, but also the company’s capabilities when it comes to migration, staff training and access to new technology. With cloud computing solutions, it is no different. The company’s resources, compliance needs, ability to expand and in-house IT support capabilities all need to be taken into account. Making the switch can therefore seem daunting, but the rewards are significant, and include:

• Increased productivity
• Better collaboration
• Reduced costs
• Improved customer/client engagement
• Faster growth and innovation
• Improved cyber security
• Ability to implement remote working policies

The big decisions in adopting cloud computing revolve around what elements of the company’s systems should be placed there - are you prepared to migrate all data and systems, or just some of them, such as email, back-up or data recovery? – and whether to opt for a public or private cloud platform.

The Cloud Solution Options

A public cloud platform, upon which your company buys space on a provider’s shared server can be fast, relatively easy and scalable to meet growing or reduced needs. On the other hand, companies with an eye on data protection and stringent security requirements, such as meeting GDPR compliance, might prefer the enhanced security of a private platform that enables them to retain full control of their data.

There is a third option: adopting a hybrid approach that includes both public and private cloud platforms, while retaining elements of your current in-house tech solutions. The big advantage of this is cost-efficiency, but it also enables the business to retain control of their data.

Many SMEs don’t have the necessary resources and IT expertise to adopt, integrate and manage a private cloud, but regardless of their size, they still need to know exactly where their data is, how it is stored, and have access to it at all times, not just to keep the business running, but to comply with GDPR’s demands for data protection and governance. These requirements should be met across the board, whether you opt for public, private or hybrid solutions.

Deciding on the right cloud solution for your business requires looking at your IT needs, and finding the right fit based on your organisation’s priorities.

Public Cloud Solutions

Public cloud solutions are a good fit when your business needs to:

• Establish server and data centre resources quickly
• Find an efficient, flexible and scalable option
• Support business growth
• Maintain and improve business communications and collaboration
• Improve security requirements
• Use the cloud as an OpEx, or pay as you go model

Private Cloud Solutions

Private cloud solutions may be more expensive and have less ability to scale, but they can meet specific needs, including:

• Secure control and management of the IT infrastructure
• Increased and secure storage space for all data
• Enabling the in-house IT team to maintain control of all business-critical operations
• Improving the efficiency and productivity of internal IT staff
• Compliance with data protection legislation

Hybrid Solutions

A company opting for a hybrid approach can, for example:

• Migrate email to a public cloud platform while storing financial data on an on-site server
• Use a public or private cloud service to back-up data and communications while using the traditional server to store and back-up the personally identifiable information of consumers, customers or clients
• Set up access to useful information for customers and clients on a file-sharing service while keeping all confidential company information on a local network server

The important thing to remember is that if your business does choose to go with a hybrid approach, a policy and process agreed by the IT team and all relevant stakeholders needs to outline:

• What data and systems are to be migrated to the cloud and which stay in-house
• Who should have access to each

Processes then need to be put in place by the IT team to ensure that the right people have access to the right data and systems, and that any unauthorised access can be monitored and blocked.

Each company has its own unique needs and goals, so the right cloud solution for your business will only be found when you:

• Know the requirements of each application you use
• Have an agreed vision of future growth plans by establishing a clear IT roadmap
• Have the IT resources you need, whether that’s in-house or by outsourcing to an IT support service, to oversee and manage migration
• Understand the costs and potential value and return on investment
• Create an implementation plan that ensures business continuity while migration takes place

Help to Make the Right Decision: Your IT Support Service

Deciding on the right option for your business can be a major challenge. Individual departments may vie for priority, while the process of researching, choosing and implementing your solution can take up time and resources you can’t afford to spare if you want to keep your business running.

That’s why hiring an IT support service in London is advisable. They can offer the unbiased and expert advice you need to make the right decision, assessing your current IT infrastructure and plans for future growth, and matching them to the cloud option that suits you best. They can also oversee deployment and provide the management services and IT support you need, so you can avoid getting lost in the cloud conundrum, and keep a clear vision of where you want your business to go.

Find out how the team at Optimity can help your business find the right IT solutions by getting in touch, and discover what tech support need to stay ahead of the competition by booking an IT audit with us:

IT budgets always attract attention, and for good reason. Investment in technology is expensive, making it just as important to manage the costs after your initial spend, by:

• Staying on top of running costs
• Leveraging operational efficiencies where sensible and
• Applying strong cost-benefit rationalisation when it comes to new initiatives and system development

Good IT management and cost optimisation is an ongoing discipline and any business that treats it like a one-off exercise will soon realise the negative effects, and not just on the P&L.

A well-oiled machine performs best when all the parts work together and knowing when and where to attribute spend is essential to serving the best interests of the business, especially when that business or agency is growing..

That’s not to say it will always be easy. If you’re working hard to make progress on your business IT roadmap and the budget throws a spanner in the works, it’s going to be frustrating. But, it’s much better to be part of the longer-term solution and accept when it’s right to make money-saving changes or press pause on a project, than dig your heels in and find your project taken off the table altogether.

To that end, here are our top five tips around IT costs and keeping them tight for the greater good.

1 - Keep IT costs transparent

As well as having a definite idea of the IT requirements of your business, keeping decision makers in the loop is always a good idea. If IT-related costs are transparent and you can benchmark them against competitor or peer spend, all the better. By doing this, you can see where costs fall below or sit above industry averages and help those who don’t have as much exposure or experience as you, to see where and why money is being spent.

2 - Use shared services wherever possible

Multiple offices, vendors, agencies, consultants and varying service contracts, can duplicate costs unnecessarily. By making shared services the norm, standardising costs, agreeing service levels up-front and locking in competitive terms, you can improve the cost and standard of service in one smart move.

Small businesses can make huge savings if they’re prepared to share their workspace with like-minded businesses. All-inclusive office packages are another viable option, allowing businesses to set-up shop in a space that comes with furniture, hardware, internet, phone lines - even receptionists, conference facilities, kitchens and IT support - in some cases.

3 - Standardise technologies

And don’t worry, parity doesn’t mean you lose the ability to create unique network capabilities for employees with very specific roles such as accountants or IT developers, for example. That’s perfectly doable, it just means the bulk of the business can be managed as one and individual updates don’t take excessive amounts of time or create gaps that leave your network open to risk.

4 - Optimise software licensing

With vendors moving licensing models from one-off charge to subscription-based accounts, it’s a good idea to review your agreements and take stock to make sure you’re getting value for money and not paying over the odds for services you don’t need or won’t use.

That means:

• Revisiting your business needs
• Shopping the market and comparing providers like-for-like
• Reading the small print and
• Talking to a provider such as Optimity if you need help working out what’s best for your business

Remember, there are lots of free and competitively-priced office software and IT support options out there too. The software market has been booming and innovative programmes are now available on everything from accounting to project management for businesses that need IT support in London, for example. Most offer free trials and all of them promise to save time, money and resource, so it makes sense to get in on the ‘try before you buy’ offers and test a few.

5 - Leverage cloud services

Cloud computing allows companies to avoid up-front IT infrastructure costs such as servers, and allows them to focus on their core business and the things they’re good at.

• It offers new levels of flexibility: letting businesses scale the service to match changing needs, and simplifying decision-making around storage, system access and security.
• It’s efficient: helping businesses get their offering to market quicker, and, because it relies on remote resources, organisations save on hardware and storage and negate the need for data centres.
• It adds strategic value: allowing business to collaborate better, offer remote working and bridge time zones with ease. It means always having access to the most up-to-date software and technology without paying for upgrades and streamlined processes that increase productivity.

There are many other ways to reduce your business IT costs, and investing in the services of an IT consultancy will help you create an effective and efficient IT infrastructure that works for you.

Discover how the right IT can help your business or agency focus on achieving success.