ORIGINALLY APPEARED IN KEY WEST THE NEWSPAPER JAN 22, 2010
...Or better yet, why aren’t
they?
they?
It’s a question everyone
is asking lately, what is all this
talk of doing business in “THE
CLOUD?”
Essentially, the concept
of “the cloud” is hosting business
services such as email,
calendaring, documents, invoicing
and bookkeeping out
on the web, and accessing these
services from any computer
in the world with internet access.
of “the cloud” is hosting business
services such as email,
calendaring, documents, invoicing
and bookkeeping out
on the web, and accessing these
services from any computer
in the world with internet access.
Hey, let’s face it, times are
changing. Our cell phones are
now as powerful as our desktop
computers were a mere four or
five years ago. The concept of
a small business, or government
agency hosting these
services in house is not only
outdated, but it has become
archaic.
changing. Our cell phones are
now as powerful as our desktop
computers were a mere four or
five years ago. The concept of
a small business, or government
agency hosting these
services in house is not only
outdated, but it has become
archaic.
Historically, a business
or agency would build
the infamous “server rack” in
a “server room” which would
include the necessary hardware
to host all these services. Staff
with thick rimmed glasses and
pocket protectors would then
be concerned with patching
servers, worrying about equipment
failure, concerning themselves
with a reliable power
source, making data backups,
and budgeting for the life cycle
replacement of this entire mess
of hardware and wires. The
points of failure were countless,
and the downtime was inconvenient
to say the least.
or agency would build
the infamous “server rack” in
a “server room” which would
include the necessary hardware
to host all these services. Staff
with thick rimmed glasses and
pocket protectors would then
be concerned with patching
servers, worrying about equipment
failure, concerning themselves
with a reliable power
source, making data backups,
and budgeting for the life cycle
replacement of this entire mess
of hardware and wires. The
points of failure were countless,
and the downtime was inconvenient
to say the least.
But today, with the advent
of companies like Google
developing all these services in
a web based platform, small
business and government
agencies can migrate it all out
to the web, and need only concern
themselves with reliable
internet connectivity to obtain
the same if not a better system
performance.
of companies like Google
developing all these services in
a web based platform, small
business and government
agencies can migrate it all out
to the web, and need only concern
themselves with reliable
internet connectivity to obtain
the same if not a better system
performance.
Companies like
Google have teams of engineers,
and much more reliable
equipment to host the services,
ensuring less downtime, better
access, and greater security. As
a business, your only concern is
providing staff with convenient
access to the internet, and this
gets easier every day. Further,
with the ever increasing
methods of obtaining internet
access, reliability and accessibility
become the norm versus
the hope.
Google have teams of engineers,
and much more reliable
equipment to host the services,
ensuring less downtime, better
access, and greater security. As
a business, your only concern is
providing staff with convenient
access to the internet, and this
gets easier every day. Further,
with the ever increasing
methods of obtaining internet
access, reliability and accessibility
become the norm versus
the hope.
The concept is demonstrable
by looking at the advent
of online banking. Most of us
can remember the time consuming
effort of writing checks,
licking envelopes, and incurring
the expense of postage.
Yet now, all this can be done for
free in a fraction of the time by
using online banking available
at almost every bank.
by looking at the advent
of online banking. Most of us
can remember the time consuming
effort of writing checks,
licking envelopes, and incurring
the expense of postage.
Yet now, all this can be done for
free in a fraction of the time by
using online banking available
at almost every bank.
One local administrator
who has taken advantage of
the concept is State Attorney
Dennis Ward. Ward turned to
local consultant Matt Gardi, of
ViaVende Technical Consulting
to bring his email and calendaring
system into the twenty first
century.
who has taken advantage of
the concept is State Attorney
Dennis Ward. Ward turned to
local consultant Matt Gardi, of
ViaVende Technical Consulting
to bring his email and calendaring
system into the twenty first
century.
“I parallel the difference
to snail mail versus email,” said
Gardi. “At the State Attorney’s
Office, by deploying Google
Apps, we were able to migrate
their email and calendaring
systems to the cloud, increasing
functionality, accessibility,
security, and reliability all at
a fraction of the cost of what
Microsoft was providing.”
to snail mail versus email,” said
Gardi. “At the State Attorney’s
Office, by deploying Google
Apps, we were able to migrate
their email and calendaring
systems to the cloud, increasing
functionality, accessibility,
security, and reliability all at
a fraction of the cost of what
Microsoft was providing.”
Aside from the direct
cost advantage of licensing
fees, Gardi sees tangential
cost savings by leveraging the
systems in the cloud. “I give a
lot of credit to forward thinking
administrators who are
able to look past the hurdle of
systems migration, towards
the benefits achievable down
the road.”
cost advantage of licensing
fees, Gardi sees tangential
cost savings by leveraging the
systems in the cloud. “I give a
lot of credit to forward thinking
administrators who are
able to look past the hurdle of
systems migration, towards
the benefits achievable down
the road.”
Gardi also credits
Public Defender Rose Enright,
who with his assistance
last year migrated their case
management system to a web
based platform. “For instance,
being in the cloud would allow
for an attorney to access case
information, create a motion,
share it with her legal assistant,
and update a co-councel’s calendar
to reflect a change in a
hearing date, all from a mobile
device while she’s waiting for
the bus.”
Public Defender Rose Enright,
who with his assistance
last year migrated their case
management system to a web
based platform. “For instance,
being in the cloud would allow
for an attorney to access case
information, create a motion,
share it with her legal assistant,
and update a co-councel’s calendar
to reflect a change in a
hearing date, all from a mobile
device while she’s waiting for
the bus.”
When asked what other
agencies he believes could benefit
from the cloud, Gardi said,
“Well, I could argue almost any
business or government entity
would realize cost savings and
increased functionality, but seeing
as Google Apps provides
many of these services free to
educational institutions, what
comes to my mind immediately
is the Monroe County School
District.”
agencies he believes could benefit
from the cloud, Gardi said,
“Well, I could argue almost any
business or government entity
would realize cost savings and
increased functionality, but seeing
as Google Apps provides
many of these services free to
educational institutions, what
comes to my mind immediately
is the Monroe County School
District.”
