How Cloud Computing Can Help
Your Business Operations
Your Business Operations
Mark Parrish
Ajasent Inc
Ajasent Inc.
About Us
• Mark Parrish • Bryan Cordill • Bryan Cordill • Joey Cordill
• Ajasent has been serving clients with highly • Ajasent has been serving clients with highly
managed application hosting since 2000. Yes, we were in “the cloud” before the cloud was we were in the cloud before the cloud was cool!
History
History
•
Ajasent founded in 2000
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tl h t
6
i
•
Currently host over 1600 unique users
from all over the country.
•
Similarities between insurance and
propane operations
What is “Cloud Computing”?
p
g
•
the practice of storing regularly used
•
the practice of storing regularly used
computer data on multiple servers that
can be accessed through the Internet
can be accessed through the Internet
What are the components of the
Cl d
Different types of “Clouds”
•
Public Cloud
– Icloud Amazon Cloud etc – Icloud, Amazon Cloud, etc.
•
Managed Hosting
R k S G Q b t
– Rack Space, Green Qube, etc
•
Private Managed Cloud
Different Cloud Models
•
Data Only
•
Data Only
•
Application and data in “public” cloud
•
Application and data in “private” cloud
B
fit f H t d S l ti
Benefits of a Hosted Solution
•
Work from anywhere with almost
anything
– If you can get online, you can access your system
– Because the application and the data are
Benefits of a Highly Managed Cloud
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• You own the software and applications.
• Provider owns the servers on which your email and software are t d ll i t id th hi h t f i
stored, allowing you to avoid the high cost of owning your own hardware and the need for technology updates.
• You rent space on their servers and enjoy full service application t f l thl f
support for one low monthly fee.
• They provide the IT experts who manage the servers and your email and applications.
• When you need a change made, you let them know and they take care of everything for you.
• They run the backups and manage the security, using state-of-art systems to protect your data.
What does that mean?
What does that mean?
• No large capital expense to buy and maintain new server hardware
hardware
• Predictable budgetable expenses • No surprises
• Not held hostage by “Local IT Guy”
• Less downtime. How long do you normally wait for the Local IT Guy to get to your location
• Support is coordinated with your software company
• Expertise and equipment at a level beyond what a marketer can typically achieve or affordyp y
Disaster Recovery Plan
Disaster Recovery Plan
• What if there is a: – Hurricane – Tornado – Fire Flood – Flood
• How do you get back to work without your computer system or access to your building? computer system or access to your building? • Do you have access to your data?
Disaster Recovery Plan
Disaster Recovery Plan
• With a hosted solution your management With a hosted solution your management system is not compromised by the disaster • Even if you have to get a hotel room, once y g ,
internet connectivity is established, you are back to work
• If your main location experienced the disaster, you can still operate your business from a
b h
Questions to Ask Your Cloud Provider
Questions to Ask Your Cloud Provider
Wh C S M I f
ti ?
•
Who Can See My Information?
•
What is the Data Recovery Plan?
•
What If there is data corruption?
•
What if I want to migrate to a different
What if I want to migrate to a different
provider?
Questions to Ask Your Cloud Provider
•
Who owns the data?
•
Can other hosted customers (my
y
competitors) see or access my data?
•
What level of support do you offer?
What level of support do you offer?
Costs
• Industry standards generally use 40% as the
benchmark for total cost of ownership savings when i h t d l ti
using a hosted solution. • Hardware
• Server Typical server level machine is going to run a • Server. Typical server level machine is going to run a
minimum of $5,000 including tape backup capability. In a 5 year span you will typically buy two of these.
• PC’s – For a commercial level PC you will need to
spend around $750. In a 5 year span you will buy two of these for each person.
Costs
• Maintenance • Maintenance
• Downtime – How long does it take your tech to get to your place of business
y p
• Computer and network techs
• Time spent by employees on computer issues • Opportunity costs
Cost Comparison 5 users
Cost Comparison 5 users
Limits of the Hosted Solution
•
Internet connectivity
•
Internet connectivity
Solutions for Limits
•
Redundant internet connection
•
Redundant internet connection
– Second Provider into the building
Ai d bil h l h
– Air card, mobile hotspot, personal hotspot
• May not be as fast as primary but keeps you working