In part one of this series we examined some of the decisions facing small to midsize businesses (SMBs) looking to make the move to cloud-based computing, and some of the common questions they have regarding which cloud service provider (CSP) is right for their company. In part two of this article we will take a look at some of the developments in government regarding national agencies and public CSP’s, how they are affecting larger institutions like health care, and what this means for businesses of every size looking for cloud solutions today. We will also quickly review some of the more common advantages to cloud computing and whether they are likely to change significantly over time or not.

One of the major developments in government is the implementation of the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), which opens doors to all government agencies interested in working with the private sector. How does this affect the SMB? Most importantly it was a wakeup call for developers to make their software cloud-friendly. This was already the case, but with government contracts now on the table for CSP’s most developers have accelerated the process of making their applications available to the cloud. The end result being that more businesses today will find the right solution that can be fine-tuned to the exact needs of their company.

It isn’t all wine and roses however. While FedRAMP attempts to standardize the requirements for government agencies to move data and applications to the private sector, there are still going to be specifications for some organizations that are above and beyond what FedRAMP has laid out. Take the healthcare industry for example, while not a government institution per se, there is still a great deal of governmental oversight. The first step was the mandate that all paper go digital by 2014. It will be a while before CSP’s will even get the chance to help the healthcare industry make the important move to the cloud which will drastically improve healthcare across the board.

The effect of these developments is also positive for the SMB. Cloud computing is like any other business in the sense that it is market driven. With government agencies and huge, far-reaching institutions like national healthcare on board for cloud solutions, it is unlikely that there is any software in development at this time that is not focused on cloud compatibility. This of course is beneficial for businesses that have specific needs that may have not fallen under the traditional cloud solutions available a few years ago. At any rate, it appears that in the very near future almost every business will be able to tailor their cloud hosting and virtual server needs regardless of how mainstream they are. For all intents and purposes we are there already.

Still though, there are many business decision makers that are wary of cloud computing based in part on a lack of understanding of what the basic benefits really are. There are some fundamental advantages that are the cornerstones of why cloud hosting and server virtualization make sense. These are flexibility, mobility, compute power and security. Without going into too much detail, let’s just briefly describe these four benefits to cloud computing.

Flexibility refers to the scalability of resources available. Cloud solutions are set up to be a pay-as-you-go program where businesses can scale up or down to exactly what they need. This is very advantageous for companies that have varying power and storage requirements during the year.

Mobility refers to global access to data and software. There is no turning back from the need for mobile access at anytime from anywhere. There was a time when the central office was the only place employees could access their files. These days are thankfully over. Being able to access critical data en-route to a client can be the difference between success and failure in today’s business environment.

Raw compute power is available via the CSP that most businesses simply cannot afford the capital expenditure to build in-house. For start-ups up through multinational corporations the decision to outsource to infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is both fiscally sound and one less headache to worry about internally.

Enterprise-grade security is also available with upper-tier CSPs. One of the main advantages here is eliminating the risk of sensitive data being stored on employee devices which are at risk of being lost or stolen.

The worry today from many cloud service providers is that cloud solutions are developing so quickly that it may be overwhelming for some small to midsize business owners to wrap their heads around. It is important to remember a good working relationship with the CSP is a two way street. They should have an understanding of your business needs and where they can help improve productivity. They should know your comfort level and what IT expertise is available. You should know what the CSP specializes in. By mutually exploring the exact nature of your business and the products and services that address important issues, together you can build a more profitable company.

Small to midsize businesses (SMBs) are more informed than ever about the nature of cloud computing, but are also presented with new decisions to make. A scant few years ago the cloud was a simpler place. Cloud service providers (CSPs) were still struggling to explain the basic advantages of cloud hosting and server virtualization, such as scalability of resources and global mobile access, while at the same time trying to alleviate concerns over cloud security. As of 2013 with the majority of SMBs either utilizing some aspects of cloud-based computing or already completely migrated, some companies still contemplating the cloud may be experiencing the feeling of being left behind. Is the cloud the inevitable destination for every SMB?

The fact that basic cloud benefits are more widely understood than ever is unlikely to be of much relief to businesses on the fence about the cloud, as the lesser-known products and services offered grow exponentially. With so many choices where does the SMB begin? Is it best to start with the provider? With well-known multinationals vying for every piece of the proverbial pie already out there, all the way down to the oft underfunded provider startups throwing in with everything they can, what is the SMB to do? Will the multinational care about a comparatively smaller company? Can this small provider offer the security measures needed? Does this mid-sized provider have the track record, infrastructure and services required? What are the quantifiable differences in infrastructure and services they provide? The decision of which CSP to work with is undoubtedly the most important decision to be made, but it is only one of the first in many to come.

As CSPs continue to expand the products and platforms they offer—some looking to carve out a niche they specialize in, some looking to offer as wide variety of products as possible—it has become more difficult for SMBs looking to make the move to the cloud to establish just who in the business is the right fit. This also can be seen as an advantage, as the perfect fit is more than likely out there for any SMB looking to the cloud for solutions. The first thing to tackle is to have an idea of what kind of services should be outsourced. Most likely it is a lack of capital for expensive infrastructure or a need for greater compute power and global mobility that encourages SMBs to look to the cloud for cost-effective solutions. Get an idea internally where the business can improve and grow. If outsourcing is the next logical step then it would be prudent to investigate what products are available both known and unknown.

This is where a CSP worth their weight in salt comes in. When working with an upper-tier CSP regardless of their size, SMBs should expect to be dealing with engineers that know the business inside and out. Not just all of the technical aspects on their end, but also what will be applicable to the specific needs of the client. Talking to a sales representative that understands a few of the products they offer is not going to cut it. There is far too much at stake. It also helps to collaborate with an engineering department that has worked with similar business models before. The working relationship with a CSP that actually knows something about the SMB’s model can not only assist in the initial needs, but also help plan for later developments and aid in avoiding previously experienced pitfalls. A few CSPs have areas that they really excel in—perhaps even offering products or advice particular to an SMB in a way that no other provider out there can. This level of engineering expertise is also indicative of the grade of infrastructure they provide.

There are also the personal aspects to consider. Do you like the contacts you have with the CSP? Is there an initial feeling of a collaborative atmosphere? Is there a genuine sense of comfort and trust?  It may not be written about as often, but personality has played as big of a factor as any in important business decisions; gut feelings go a long way. Having a comfortable working relationship is essential and one of the main reasons that comparatively smaller CSPs get the business that might normally default to the larger multinationals. They are also more likely to build personal relationships with clients and more willing to go the extra mile.

As far as cloud inevitability for the SMB is concerned, it is unlikely that every “ma and pop” business on the planet will find total cloud integration to be a necessity, but the effects of global cloud migration are unavoidable. It is important to understand trends not only in a particular business and how to stay competitive, but how global shifts in business practices will affect the SMB in the future. At this point cloud growth is not just driven by the fundamental benefits of cloud computing, but also by much larger forces, including new laws allowing for governmental or nationally overseen agencies to move data and applications to the public cloud.

In part two of this series we will take a look back at the basics of cloud computing. We will also explore what is happening in government regarding data migration to the private sector as well as the difficulties larger institutions with governmental restrictions like those in health care are experiencing in the attempt to take advantage of cloud solutions. These national and global developments have a wide-range of effects on SMBs and the cloud—for the most part positive—as developers scramble to offer more products that are not only cloud-friendly, but increasingly niche-oriented to appeal to an even wider circle of businesses.

In the previous installment in this series we explored BYOD, how companies are reacting to its popularity, and defined the basics of desktop as a service (DaaS). In this third part to the series we will investigate some of the security concerns with BYOD, and take a look at the benefits of cloud hosting DaaS as a solution. We will also examine some of the advantages of DaaS security solutions and how they benefit organizations now and in the future.

Data security is and will always be a chief concern for organizations that deal with sensitive data. BYOD brings with it a special set of circumstances that have businesses scrambling to keep up. Efforts to eliminate BYOD could be successful, although likely a counter-productive maneuver that will limit a company’s ability to compete. DaaS is an effective option for these organizations as well, offering the same security solutions, and the attractive scalability of cloud computing. For organizations that choose to embrace the benefits of BYOD, cloud hosting DaaS addresses these circumstances. A few of the more pertinent security issues are as follows:

How do you track and control access to corporate data with this kind of hardware proliferation? One of the main difficulties with BYOD is that the personal devices being used and the software that is used on them will always be in a constant state of change. Most companies just do not have the technical expertise to handle this issue on their own. Or the time for that matter. By outsourcing to a cloud hosting facility and virtualizing the desktop, organizations will have access to enterprise-grade security and a working relationship with a cloud service provider (CSP) that can assist with the fine-tuning of security protocol.

How do you eliminate the risk of having corporate data accessed from lost or stolen devices? This too is a major risk with BYOD. Not only is the hardware not being provided by the company, putting them at greater risk, but in the mobile world, the hardware is out there with sensitive data. This is where cloud hosting DaaS as a solution becomes a significant advantage. By hosting the desktop remotely, there is no corporate information from the data center stored on any of these devices. If an employee loses their laptop or other personal device, there is no risk of data theft. There is no data on the device to be stolen.

This brings up the legal issues with BYOD. If a company chooses to allow corporate software and data to reside on individual personal machines, they may choose to also have the right to remote wipe or inspect these personal devices from time to time. This opens up a whole host of legal issues that just seem unnecessary. Instead, keep the private data and software on these devices separate from the corporate data.

The ability to communicate effectively and work efficiently is certainly the driving force behind BYOD from an employee point of view. While there is no panacea for every security issue today, cloud computing and DaaS offer solutions that address both current and future issues. The most important of these security solutions is how data is accessed, how security protocols are controlled and automated, and where corporate data is stored.

In the second installment of this series we will be exploring the recent BYOD explosion and the changing business communications landscape. We will also offer a basic introduction to desktop as a service (DaaS). The final article in the series will delve a bit deeper into various security issues that are addressed with DaaS, To begin with though, let us take a look at what is happening with BYOD, and how some companies have reacted in very polarized ways.

There are several reasons behind the popularity of BYOD, and its exponential growth in the market over the last year. It is appealing to employees for one, because in an increasingly mobile world workers would prefer to use their personal devices that they are intimately familiar with. They also desire access to corporate data from mobile locations. For most employers, the bottom line of not having to provide hardware including upkeep and upgrades is certainly enticing on paper. There is also evidence that people are more productive using hardware and software that they are familiar with. These developments have played a big part in the expansion of BYOD, and the inevitable backlash from some corporations, as well as organizations that have chosen to embrace it.

Two very high-profile and recent developments regarding BYOD policy within IBM and VMware are excellent examples of the polarity involved. IBM has made attempts to curtail several widely-used apps that in essence has made BYOD for their employees not nearly as appealing. While IBM has not banned BYOD, they are in effect making a statement regarding its future within the company. On the other hand we have VMware, which actually implemented a company-wide policy requiring employees to bring their own devices. IBM had very legitimate security concerns with particular applications, but trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle is counter productive. Pandora’s Box has been opened as it were.

Another issue is whether or not an organization has the IT manpower and expertise to handle security protocols for all of these personal devices and the various applications users are employing on them. It is not just the ability to manage the hardware, but can the company afford to take their IT department off of more pressing duties? Bookkeeping companies for example are finding that QuickBooks hosting which is a form of software as a service (SaaS), eliminates the problems of not having, or being able to afford an IT department, and resolves a variety of security concerns.

For small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) and larger organizations that are struggling with issues that BYOD has brought to the table, there are cloud hosting solutions such as DaaS. What desktop as a service provides, is the ability to take all of the corporate data that resides on every machine that has access to the data center, and virtualize each individual desktop and host it remotely. While each machine, or smartphone, tablet, whatever the hardware, will retain all personal information and software, access to corporate data is through keystrokes and the mouse via the cloud service provider (CSP). This in a sense is putting all the eggs in one basket, but if the basket has the kind of security hardware that even most enterprise organizations cannot afford, cloud hosting DaaS is a very attractive BYOD solution.

In the third part of this series we are going to explore the various security issues involved with BYOD, and how cloud computing and DaaS offer unique solutions to these issues.

In this series of articles we will be exploring the rise of BYOD in the workplace, the security issues involved, the advantages and disadvantages of this phenomenon, and how DaaS can play a part in the solution. In this first post we will explore some of the advantages of BYOD and how DaaS can be utilized to increase the benefits of BYOD in the workplace. Let’s take a look at some of the ways the influx of personal devices and cloud hosting DaaS can be a veritable boon for forward-thinking companies looking to stay on the cutting edge.

Global accessibility from any device. In this day and age there is no time to head back to the corporate office anytime information needs to be accessed. Businesses today are more on the move than ever. Employees need access to information immediately during travel, while at a remote meeting, or when they are working from home. With the explosion of BYOD this is even more the case, and because of the continuing development of new hardware and communications devices every year, the ability for even the finest of IT departments to keep up is dwindling fast. DaaS addresses this issue by bringing all of that data into a secure, remote location providing the global accessibility that BYOD requires. Not to mention the technical expertise of the cloud service provider (CSP) staff.

Improved employee satisfaction and productivity. There is probably nothing worse than starting a new job and dreading dealing with new hardware and unfamiliar applications. By allowing workers to use their own personal equipment, that fear is removed. It has been shown that people are much happier working on their own devices, and therefore more productive. That productivity increases with better communications, which DaaS provides by securing all of the corporate data remotely, and providing a platform for multiple devices to access.

One of the downsides to BYOD is the headaches involved with company wide software or OS upgrades. By virtualizing the desktop via cloud hosting, there is no need to actually change any of the software on every single device being used within the corporation. That is the beauty of cloud computing with DaaS. Any type of upgrade is happening in one location, and there is no need to perform the time-consuming task of tinkering with every device to get it operational. That desktop and all of the software is not on the individual hardware, so it is unnecessary.

BYOD also brings with it a very enticing affordability in a post big-box PC world. Not only are employees covering the costs of equipment and upgrades, they are likely to be purchasing the next generation of powerful hardware as it comes out. As this continues to develop, it makes more and more sense cloud hosting DaaS to allow for smooth transitions in hardware and software upgrades.

Cloud computing in general, whether it be with infrastructure as a service (IaaS), DaaS, or any of the other platforms and products cloud service providers (CSPs) offer, allows for a great deal of flexibility. The scalability of processing requirements is one of the fundamental draws with cloud-based computing. By virtualizing the desktop, companies can fine-tune their processing needs on the fly. Considering the fact that most in-house data centers are idle and drawing considerable amounts of power just in cooling alone, cloud hosting is a much less expensive way to get more bang for the buck. Since it seems that BYOD is here to stay, managing these devices from both a security standpoint and an operational one is of great import to businesses today. Desktop as a service provides a very viable solution for both.

In the second article in this series we will explore the recent BYOD phenomenon and the changing business communications landscape.

Cloud-based integration of applications solves many of the headaches associated with the traditional model of integrating software and systems. As we continue in part two, we will look at the many advantages of the SaaS (Software as a Service) model and cloud based integration over the traditional model, and how it can significantly benefit your organization.

The built-in demands of the traditional model of integration included the necessary runtime to distribute applications across the enterprise, and the functionality to build, deploy and manage the integration processes and replicate them across the enterprise. Having multiple instances of what would ideally be centralized administrative and management functions created a maintenance nightmare and weakened governance and controls. Nearly every major integration challenge – including version control, data visibility, audits, policy enforcement and governance are the result of this legacy style of software development and deployment.

The SaaS model has led to a fundamentally different way of thinking about application design and delivery. In the SaaS model, considerable focus is placed on designing an application where only one copy is necessary for any number of customers to use (and customize for their unique needs). In cloud-based terms, this is referred to as single-instance, multi-tenant model: one shared application with shared resources for multiple customers. Multi-tenancy makes possible all the numerous advantages of SaaS such as rapid deployment times, faster innovation cycles and ultra-low cost structure.

It also dramatically reduces the maintenance and development resource requirements because only one copy of the application needs to be maintained (customizations of each tenant are maintained as extensions and automatically re-applied when the application is updated). Now when a change is made to the application and deployed – all customers are updated in unison with little to no effort required by customer staff. Since there is only one single code base across all customers to be maintained, it frees up significant developer time to focus on new features and functions. The resulting productivity boost has given rise to what some have called the “continuous innovation cycle” of SaaS.

When SaaS concepts are applied to the domain of data and application integration, an entirely new and vastly more efficient delivery model is made possible – even if you are not currently using SaaS applications. Cloud-based integration platforms allow you to design, build, monitor, and manage integrations centrally (from the cloud) yet deploy just the runtime to where the integration needs to occur – either in the cloud or on premise.

Separating the runtime while unifying the administrative and management functions eliminates unneeded complexity and dramatically increases the quality of collaboration, component re-use, data visibility and control, policy standardization and enforcement, configuration management, monitoring, auditing/validation, and reporting.

And because cloud integration platforms are built with SaaS technology and concepts, they deliver the same benefits as SaaS applications themselves including significantly reduced cost structure, no integration products to install and maintain, automatic upgrades – no “rev lock” issues, usage based pricing in which you can start small and expand over time, and global connectivity and access.

Using a cloud-based integration platform to address your current on-site integration requirements has the added benefit of positioning the enterprise to support the adoption of cloud and SaaS-based applications in the future. SaaS applications have introduced a new set of integration features which legacy integration products were not built to support: features such as enabling on-site work flows without the need for customized firewall configurations (and thus reducing security vulnerabilities) and handling the dynamic resource requirements of complex APIs. With a cloud integration platform, applications and data sources outside your firewalls can easily be added to your portfolio using the same distributed runtime, centralized management framework.

SaaS technology is changing the way applications are designed, developed and delivered. When these concepts are applied to the world of application and data integration, an entirely new and vastly more efficient and effective model for delivering integration is made possible – one that greatly simplifies legacy challenges such as configuration management and governance. Cloud computing puts an end to the complex integration challenges of the past. Cloud-based integration platforms provide scalable interfaces that greatly enhance the power and productivity of the enterprise.

If you’re like a lot of organizations running network software, you’ve been in this business a long time and have pretty much seen it all: from mainframe to mid-range to client-server to Internet-based computing and everything in between. It’s difficult to not look at SaaS (Software as a Service) and cloud computing as just another expensive technology upgrade. But as was the case with the emergence of the internet, there are some fundamental shifts occurring in cloud computing that would be disadvantageous to ignore. The emergence of cloud-based integration platforms is one of those shifts. In this series, part one will detail the disadvantages of the traditional model of integration. Part two will look at how an integrated cloud based network essentially solves the problems associated with the traditional integration model, and how it can significantly benefit your organization.

The view that integration is unwieldy is mostly a result of legacy platforms and delivery systems; could computing has dramatically simplified the process. The Integration industry is known for its complexity. But recently, the SaaS model has led to a revolutionary new application design and delivery approach – one that makes possible a far more efficient and effective model for delivering integration.

Integration by definition requires distribution. Applications typically run on multiple systems in multiple locations using multiple databases and files. Data are distributed. Infrastructure is distributed. Networks are distributed. Users are distributed. As a consequence, integration processes also need to be distributed.
In the traditional model of developing software, the approach was to build a standalone application (or suite) and then commercialize it by selling copies of that application (or licenses) to as many customers as possible. In today’s terms, this is referred to as a multi-instance, single tenant application – multiple copies of the same application running independently with no shared resources.

In the traditional model, the support costs increase dramatically as the number of copies and versions of the application increase. Systems providers spend more and more of their time and resources maintaining existing application code as opposed to delivering new features and functionality, as the expenses continue to climb. At the same time, a significant burden is placed on the end users who have to maintain their copy of the application with endless new releases, updates and patches. The maintenance challenges often keep organizations avoiding upgrading altogether. Enterprises are forced to spend the majority of their IT budget on maintaining current applications systems, with little left over for new innovation.

When the multi-instance, single tenant model is applied to the world of data and application integration it inherently creates a number of complexities, such as security and governance issues, that have plagued the industry for decades. This is mainly because the effort to integrate includes designing and building the integration process, deploying the integration, executing the integration, and then ongoing monitoring and management. While the integration process is being implemented at multiple points throughout the enterprise, all other functions have to be centralized. However, vendors of traditional integration products, tended to build all administrative and maintenance functionality into one product. Customers would then be required to purchase a copy of an integration product (or even multiple products) for every instance where an integration process needed to run within the enterprise. Typically, a large enterprise would be required to run 20+ copies or more of these integration products in order to meet their business requirements.

As you can see, the traditional model of integration leaves a lot to be desired. The good news is that cloud computing essentially solves the many problems associated with the traditional model. Stay tuned for Part II for a detailed look at the benefits of cloud-based integration and how it can significantly benefit your organization.

In part one of this series we examined a few of the changes in cloud computing that led to more enterprise organizations virtualizing their tier one applications. The article focused on cloud service providers (CSPs) offering enterprise-grade security hardware and software. It also touched on the new-found ease of hybrid cloud hosting management of virtual machines (VMs) with VMware vCloud Connector, and changing perceptions of risk avoidance with data consolidation in the public cloud. In this paper we will explore two obstacles that remain for some larger corporations and multinationals looking for solutions in public or hybrid cloud hosting. We will also explore what businesses should expect from today’s cloud hosting environment, and a few of the more prominent advantages of cloud computing today.

Unfortunately for some enterprise organizations there are potential obstacles for a move to public and hybrid cloud hosting. Some corporations may be heavily leveraged in infrastructure that to write off that expense seems unthinkable. The good news is, hardware becomes obsolete or at least marginally valued at an ever-increasing pace. For businesses that find themselves in this situation, a hybrid cloud solution could be the answer to start, with capital allocated for future hardware upgrades reallocated elsewhere. This would pave the way for a more aggressive approach to outsourcing virtualization down the road.

Some larger organizations and multinationals have stringent polices regarding communications and data storage. This may continue to prove to be difficult for a short period. However, with the federal government making every effort to work with non-agency CSPs via the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP), it is only a matter of time before highly regulated organizations can make the move to public cloud hosting. If security provided by upper-tier CSPs exceeds the expectations and demands of the Department of Defense, those requirements should appease many corporate governance policies in the near future.

CSPs in today’s market are offering more products than ever. In the previous article we mentioned how bookkeeping companies were taking advantage of the cloud via QuickBooks hosting which is an example of software as a service (SaaS), the basics of outsourcing to cloud hosting. Enterprise organizations are moving mission-critical applications to public and hybrid cloud hosting as well, but this is predominantly due to the recent understanding that the reward greatly outweighs the risk. Dedicated CSPs furnish the kind of infrastructure that for even the largest companies has become too much of a fiscal burden to maintain. This coupled with the ever-expanding global networking and communication requirements for almost every corporation, has made the reality of accessing outsourced cloud data from anywhere with any device, very appealing.

At this point the major advantages of cloud computing are beginning to become mainstream understanding. Scalability, mobilization, customization and a lack of capital expenditure for new infrastructure are cornerstones in the business of cloud hosting. CSPs can help streamline IT operations providing more agility, offering faster provisioning for load testing and development. CSPs are also offering new products at every turn that are appealing to businesses of all shapes and sizes.

For enterprise organizations however the advantages extend beyond these benefits. There are no more space constraint issues. The CSP provides the infrastructure which is geared towards the most demanding of possible businesses, offering enterprise-grade equipment to all clientele via multi-tenancy. Larger corporations also spend a significant amount of time and resources on maintaining data centers that can store and process enormous amounts of information. The cost and effort involved can be reallocated with cloud hosting, freeing up IT departments to work in other areas. For multinational companies the risks involved with storing data in multiple countries on thousands of machines is a substantial security issue. By centralizing the data in the cloud, it is far easier for end-user administrators to delegate how to manage security protocol.

The benefits of public and hybrid cloud computing are extensive and more visible than ever, which is certainly one of the reasons we are seeing enterprise organizations outsourcing tier one applications. Most companies large or small make decisions based on reward versus risk. With cloud hosting the former clearly now outweighs the latter.

In the last few years a growing number of larger corporations and multinationals have moved a substantial percentage of tier two applications to the public cloud. The pay-as-you-go model of usage-based pricing provides an elasticity that is extremely cost-effective. This savings that the scalability and multi-tenancy of public cloud computing provide, is the main draw for all organizations to outsource to cloud hosting, and a driving force for the virtualization of tier one applications.

For enterprise organizations, the initial move to the public cloud has been a testing of the waters, and rightfully so. As the cloud has become a more well-defined environment, enterprise organizations are taking advantage of what public cloud hosting has to offer their mission-critical applications. In part due to a better understanding of security and more manageable hybrid cloud solutions, larger corporations are looking beyond the private cloud for tier one business solutions. The articles in this series will explore hybrid and public cloud computing today, and what they provide for multinationals as well as smaller companies.

Some organizations benefit from utilizing cloud hosting for business needs as simple as a software as a service (SaaS), while others eventually migrate to a complete outsourcing via infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Bookkeeping businesses for example are taking advantage of new QuickBooks hosting services that provide all of the advantages of cloud computing and a significant step up from QuickBooks online. While this is an example of SaaS, it is also an example of small to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) outsourcing mission-critical applications. For enterprise organizations to make the move to a public or hybrid cloud environment with tier one applications though, a few developments needed to take place.

Cloud service providers (CSPs) needed to be able to offer enterprise-grade security or better. As a few years have passed, it is now easier for the upper echelon of CSPs to demonstrate the superior security measures in place. With the government opening up the doors for private companies to offer cloud hosting to state and federal institutions this past year, security issues for big businesses have shifted from “why” to “why not?” After several federally funded studies cited that most CSPs were providing security that is equal to or better than current agency requirements, the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) was developed to provide a standardized approach for government agencies to work with CSPs. This went a long way towards alleviating any security concerns regarding the public cloud in the private sector.

Hybrid cloud management needed to be a negligible aspect to hybrid cloud computing. Not too long ago it required hefty IT expertise to deal with hybrid cloud management on the user end, and they weren’t even responsible for the majority of the workload. With VMware vCloud Connector, more of the responsibilities and control have shifted to the end-user administrators with a sleek application that makes the management of virtual machines (VMs) in a hybrid environment much easier and less time-consuming. This is an important development for many reasons. For enterprise organizations that want to take the next step in outsourcing the virtualization of mission-critical applications, yet are still a bit wary of a permanent move to the public cloud, a hybrid cloud solution is the next logical step. The time-consuming maintenance and lack of control used to be an issue. This is no longer the case. With vCloud Connector, in-house administrators can manage VMs back and forth in the hybrid cloud with ease. This provides the opportunity for corporations to work on sensitive projects with third parties as well as get an idea of how cost-effective the scalability of the public cloud could be for the entire enterprise.

The security issues of storing data across multiple countries in multiple data centers on multiple machines needed to outweigh the security issues of consolidating data in the public cloud. This has actually always been the case, just not perceived that way by most until recently. For multinationals and other global enterprise organizations, the constantly shifting political tides in the multitude of less-than-stable countries around the world can wreak havoc on foreign data center access and security. Not to mention anything less than first world power grids. Having access to data from anywhere in the world via the public cloud is actually about risk avoidance, by eliminating global factors. This change in perception is one of the key reasons for moving tier one applications to the public cloud.

As cloud hosting is becoming an increasingly attractive option for enterprise organizations and their mission-critical applications, it is important for CSPs to express clearly what the advantages are, and also what some of the possible difficulties in outsourcing cloud computing can be. In the next article we will explore potential obstacles, and what enterprise organizations should expect from CSP security and services, as well as a more detailed explanation of the prominent advantages of hybrid and public cloud hosting.

Business accounting software is a must for handling orders, inventory, and bookkeeping for most organizations. Quickbooks has been the standard for businesses for many years. The 2012 versions of Premier and Accountant are the most feature rich versions of the popular Quickbooks business software. In this article we will take a closer look at each in order to determine which is right for you.

Quickbooks Premier 2012
Quickbooks Premier comes with a higher price point than Quickbooks Pro, but Premier has many features that may be important to your small business. Before purchasing Quickbooks, take a look at the features that are available in the Premier addition.

With the premier version you can build a professional business plan quickly by answering step-by-step questions. QuickBooks fills in the numbers based on your QuickBooks data. You can export the projections to Excel for further analysis or save it as a PDF file.

With another Premier feature, you can click a button to create a forecast of income and expenses for the coming year, based on your existing QuickBooks data. And you can Increase or decrease line items by any percentage to adjust for future changes.

Access over 150 industry-specific reports in QuickBooks Premier such as: Profitability by Product for manufacturing and wholesale businesses, Job/ Project Costs for professional services firms & contracting businesses, Donor Contribution Summary for nonprofit organizations, Sales Tax Liability for retail businesses.

As a job changes, with Premier you can simply enter change orders into the estimate so that you can keep track of the changes, and the impact on the bottom line. Change orders are included on documents you print for your customer so that there are no surprises at the end of the job.

You can also easily track all liability and workers compensation insurance expirations, and track and bill clients in the way that works best for your unique business, whether it be by time & material, job phase, and percentage completion. And customized job cost reports allow you to see a job’s profitability on a detailed, task-by-task level. You can even see the projected cost to complete a job.

With the Job Costing Center you can get an instant reading of how you’re doing on your current jobs. See a summary of key information for your jobs including which jobs are most and least profitable, all in a single window.

With the inventory management tools, you will always know where your inventory stands and when reorders are required. Easily set-up an item list and track reorder points. Track inventory as it is being purchased, stocked and sold. And the easy to use sales order features will allow you to track pending orders without affecting your accounts receivable accounts, prioritize open sales orders and manage partial fulfillment. And you can create Bill of Materials that can track material costs, overhead costs, and labor. During the manufacturing process, mark assembly items as pending to see work in progress.

If you deal with raw materials that come in different sizes or weights, QuickBooks will allow you to set multiple units of measure for each inventory item to track the amount of material used and available. With a click, you can instantly convert from cases to pallets, or whatever units of measure you define. The correct units are then printed on invoices, purchase orders, sales orders, pick lists, and packing slips.

Another helpful feature is the ability to demonstrate financial accountability to your Board of Directors with the Statement of Financial Income & Expense and 990 form. Give your Board an overview of your organization’s financial status with the Statement of Financial Income and Expense.

QuickBooks Non-Profit ready to use templates allow you to easily track pledges and donations, and it makes it easy for you or your accountant to prepare the IRS Form 990 by letting QuickBooks total and organize all your finances according to IRS requirements. The Statement of Functional Expenses 990 matches the IRS Form 990. Just transfer the totals to the form and you’re done.

Once you’ve set up your budget, you can compare it to your actual performance with almost no effort – just open the budgets versus actual reports from the Report Center and see where you stand. And now you can decide who to bill by seeing all clients with unbilled time and expenses on a single screen. Instead of creating an invoice from scratch, simply open the Invoice for Time & Expenses screen and select the client and job combination. Outstanding billable time and expenses are transferred directly to an invoice.

Pay and get paid the right amount by being able to quickly and easily set different billing rates for your employees, clients and services. To track profitability, reports like Billed vs. Proposal by Project, Cost-to-Complete by Job, and Job Costs by Job and Vendor help you stay on top of which projects are most profitable.

Time Tracker for QuickBooks, an optional subscription service, is the fastest, easiest way to collect and record billable and non-billable hours into QuickBooks Pro and Premier for accurate invoicing, payroll and reporting purposes. No more paperwork! Employees or contractors only need an internet connection to submit billable hours. Download timesheets right into QuickBooks with one click.

You can track sales results easily, accurately and flexibly with the Sales Summary Form. Enter total payments and taxable/non taxable sales for the day, week or any time period you choose. QuickBooks Pro also calculates your sales tax liability automatically and makes it easy to spot cash drawer over/under discrepancies for easy end-of-day sales reconciliation.

The customized reports available in QuickBooks Pro make it easy to analyze sales trends and track profitability. Turn any work order into a purchase order with just one click. No need to retype line items or even vendor information – Premier Retail Edition fills it in for you. Just edit quantities, if needed, and print. Or turn the PO into a PDF, and e-mail it right from QuickBooks.

The Accountant version of QuickBooks is the next step up in Quickbooks. It is able to handle inventory, back orders, sales orders and unit of measure tracking on top of all the features that come through using the Pro or Premier editions of QuickBooks.

Quickbooks Accountant 2012
The Accountant edition of QuickBooks is the most powerful and feature rich edition of Quickbooks. In addition to the features of the Premier version, it also allows for the use of more than one type of company being entered into the same QuickBooks program. It is primarily used by bookkeepers and accountants, as it allows one to make changes to the accountant’s copy file to be re-integrated into the original company file.

Unless your business is an accounting or bookkeeping business, you won’t need the added accountant-friendly features of the Accountant edition. However, the Premier version will do what a small business owner needs to have done. The advantage to the Accountant edition, aside from the “accounting” features you don’t need, is that the Accountant edition is often cheaper than the Premier.

Both versions can be utilized by just about any industry in existence. This choice is given during the Easy Step Interview, when QuickBooks asks you to identify the type of industry you are in. The file then uses a template of the chart of accounts for that type of industry.

You can access your QuickBooks file from wherever you are if you are using the Accountant edition, without the need for a third-party remote access system. You cannot access the Premier edition without the use of third-party remote access.

Another feature available only through the Accountant edition is the ability to toggle between the editions your office staff may already be used to, whether it’s the Simple Start or Pro editions.