BCS Provides Computer Network Design, Installation, Troubleshooting, Service and Support Throughout the Mid-Atlantic Region

Is VMware Right for My Business?

/in , , , /by

VMware is a great tool for leveraging your IT infrastructure, allowing your your comptuers to run multiple operating systems and applications, without the expense of adding additional machines or servers.  You can consolidate servers, improve automation and implement disaster recovery solutions.

If you use leading business software operating on your servers, such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL Server, SAP, Microsoft Exchange, Sharepoint and more, VMware can create a more seamless and accessible system, using virtualization to access multiple systems.  Typical clients implementing VMware experience 80 percent greater utilization of server resources, up to 50 percent savings in capital and operating costs and a significant benefit in server consolidation.

In addition to server virtualization, we can help with network virtualization — letting you run applications on a virtual network, rather than a physical one.  This is particularly beneficial to growing businesses that need a highly scalable network and fast provisioning, troubleshooting, cloning and monitoring.

There’s no simple answer to the question is “VMware right for your business?”, however, the experts at BCS Voice & Data Solutions use a collaborative approach to identify business needs, future potential needs, and help you and your team identify options that are right for you situation.  Contact us today for a no-obligation conversation.

 

Unified Communications. Bringing People Together During the Holidays and Everyday.

/in , , , /by

All small to medium businesses can benefit from adding Unified Communications and Collaboration to their IT arsenal. The backbone of progress is efficient communication and UC allows companies to seamlessly integrate the various channels necessary to daily operations; email, messaging, virtualized environments, video and web conferencing, etc.

Many IT leaders are reluctant to embrace any one Unified Communications solution because they fear that such a change could leave their company “boxed in” to a certain server model or require an entirely new IT infrastructure to support it. We’re happy to report that these concerns are in large part unfounded, at least when companies choose to deploy a UC solution like Mitel MiCollab.

Mitel MiCollab is a single UC platform that addresses IT department’s concerns about complexity and inflexibility.

From Mitel:

  • One server for all functionality
  • One interface for user deployment
  • One management view
  • One point of control
  • Multiple deployment options including virtualized environments
  • Powerful APIs to bring other applications like email and CRM into the user’s communication realm.

In addition to the user-friendly interface, MiCollab offers the most sought-after UC features.

With MiCollab, the way you choose to deploy initially is not the end all be all for your company’s business communications future. Like we mentioned, the suite is compatible with public cloud hosting services, but it can also run on a dedicated site specific server, a private cloud or even a hybrid cloud model, depending on a business’s unique needs. And what’s more, it is incredibly easy to move the MiCollab suite to different platforms as your company grows. You may be running your business on a public cloud now, but if in two years you choose to upgrade to a private cloud model, MiCollab will upgrade with you. No need to invest in a new Unified Communications suite.

As an exclusive Mitel partner, BCS offers Unified Communications solutions like MiCollab as well as the latest business phone systems and the very best IT support and outsourcing in Hampton Roads and the Midatlantic region. Call or contact us today to learn more.

 

This Halloween, Avoid Network Downtime

/in , /by

 

network downtime

Forget the boogeyman and the little vampire asking for candy at your front door. Few things are more chilling for a business owner than the prospect of network downtime and the costs associated with it. According to Continuity Central, the top causes of network downtime include, in order:

  • Hardware failure. Listed as the cause of a whopping 55% of SMB downtime. Corrupted cabling, power surges and other hardware problems are often unexpected and tend to stop business in its tracks.
  • Human error. We all make mistakes, but when those mistakes happen in the context of business there can be serious repercussions. Causes 22% of network failures.
  • Software failure. Viruses and outdated software (among other technical maladies) constitute the cause of 18% of network crises.
  • Natural disasters. While Continuity Central emphasizes that natural disasters only “comprise a mere 5 percent of actual causes of downtime,” many business owners know firsthand how devastating natural disasters can be. They are perhaps the scariest of the risks because they are most out of our control.
Network downtime costs businesses countless dollars as owners must compensate for disrupted processes, productivity losses, reputation management and even litigation.

 

So what steps can you take to ensure things stay up and running with minimal risk of network operations failure, no matter the cause?

  1. Inspect all critical hardware periodically. This means checking for frayed wires, replacing old equipment and keeping an eye on the Storage Area Network (SAN) for any signs of problems. When it comes to cabling, it may be worth it to call a structured cabling expert like BCS to ensure that cables are organized in a safe and beneficial way.
  2. Build an internal IT department or outsource tasks. The best way to minimize the risk of human error is to make sure that the humans using the technology are well-trained in its complexities. Depending on the nature and size of your company, you may prefer a specialized internal IT department or outsourced managed support. Keep in mind that even the most skilled staff is bound to make mistakes, but doing what you can to combat human error is better than doing nothing.
  3. Be proactive about software updates and continually investigate emerging technologies. Software updates often include important security fixes and efficiency improvements. Delaying or failing to update puts your entire infrastructure at risk of malware, viruses and general continuity issues. Accordingly, avoid getting complacent with applications that just aren’t “working” as well as they should and instead keep one eye open for potential alternatives.
  4. Prepare as best you can for natural disasters by creating an IT Disaster Recovery Plan. Much like working to prevent downtime caused by human error, avoiding downtime resulting from natural disasters is all about planning. Having an IT disaster recovery plan on hand can make the difference between simple data restoration and rebuilding the network from the ground up (read our advice for creating such plan here).
  5. Invest in 24/7 network monitoring. Detect problems before they make a costly impact with professional network monitoring. BCS offers remote management of each device and application in a network, self-healing automation for instant resolution of network issues, virtual machine management and more.
The prospect of network downtime is frightening, but it doesn’t have to get the best of you. Do what you can to plan ahead and let BCS do the rest. Call or contact us today.

All About Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

/in , , /by

The pros and cons of VDI. Is it right for your business?

First things first, let’s talk about VDI basics. An acronym that stands for Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, VDI is a functional outflow of the client/server computing model. When enabled on a network, programs and applications on multiple computers connected to the private network deploy from the same central server.

VDI allows remote workers to access the virtualized corporate desktop from their own PC, laptop or mobile device as if they were working in-office.

BCS works with industry leader VMware to provide VDI services to our clients. This partnership puts clients at an advantage because VMware helped pioneer VDI as we know it today (they even coined the term!)

Here are the Top 4 pros and cons of VDI:

1. Pro: Supports Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) with less security risk than the traditional computing model.

Con: Requires the acquiring of new skills and knowledge on the part of the existing IT department or outsourcing to a VDI vendor.

2. Pro: Facilitates greater control of employee desktops while allowing for limited personalization on the employee’s part.

Con: Tasks IT staff with the sometimes difficult task of managing a hybrid desktop environment.

3. Pro: Greener and more efficient than traditional computing models. VDI preserves the life of hardware while simultaneously allowing hardware upgrades that are independent of the desktop image.

Con: Efficiency depends on skilled deployment of VDI and close monitoring.

4. Pro: Easy to make network-wide software updates. Instead of updating each physical desktop one-by-one, VDI allows IT staff to make software changes across the network with the click of a mouse.

Con: Because of the uniform nature of the desktop image, the user-experience may feel impersonal.

Most all of the “cons” associated with VDI deployment can be avoided by trusting a virtualization specialist like BCS Voice and Data Solutions to manage the service. Call or contact us today to learn more about VDI and other VMware virtualization solutions.

Images courtesy of: freedigitalphotos.net