autumn
The latest news & views for Business leaders in the UK
gaining a competitive edge PAGE 00
Dean Foreman, Capital Support
Welcome... ...to your quarterly magazine Business Talk Welcome to the Autumn issue of Business Talk from Capital Support. In this edition we focus on how the latest advances in IT can deliver a real competitive edge to your business. We explain how your IT managed services provider needs to be used for more than simply fixing systems and software when things go wrong, and how they can also work as a strategic partner to help you exploit technology to your business’s advantage. A key trend that is gathering pace and that we examine here, is cloud-based computing which has tremendous potential to offer the opportunity for almost any business to deliver greater operational agility while reducing costs.
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Also included within this issue are some case studies of companies who have exploited IT to competitive advantage and lastly, we look at the importance to any organisation still using the Microsoft Windows XP operating system (OS) of migrating to a modern OS and reaping the benefits at the same time. I trust you will find the articles relevant and interesting. Should you wish to find out more about any of the topics covered then, of course, please just contact us.
Dean Foreman Capital Support
Call 020 7458 1250 or go online at www.capitalsupport.com
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11 gaining a competitive edge
Creating an unfair advantage
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Demystifying the cloud
page 7
Getting an edge on competitors
page 11
RIP Windows XP
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Call 020 7458 1250 or go online at www.capitalsupport.com
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Bright days and rainy days
l Advanced solutions – the cloud enables
But what is so special about the cloud? Essentially, businesses are getting increasingly more interested in what the cloud offers them for a variety of reasons:
small businesses to make use of applications and solutions that previously may have been beyond their price range as well as utilising the latest versions of day-to-day applications such as Microsoft Office.
l Pay as you go – the cloud allows you to rent your IT services rather than buy, with the advantage of all but eliminating large capital outlays for hardware and software and instead working to fixed regular and flexible rental schemes. l Scalability – like electricity and water, you can scale up (and down) the resources you need. As your business grows, you can accommodate this by simply adding more users, applications and storage space. l Anywhere, anytime – a key advantage of the cloud is that it enables your business to work more flexibly, enabling employees as well as partners, customers and suppliers, to access applications and documents wherever, whenever and however they like. l Reduced IT costs – cloud based services are generally more robust and reliable so will require less maintenance and support, therefore providing long term cost savings as well as reduced system ‘down time’ and hassle. l Security – the cloud can offer greater security when it comes to data retention and access control. Cloud vendors take this very seriously as just one breach could destroy their reputation so using the cloud can be more secure than using ‘on-premise’ solutions.
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Call 020 7458 1250 or go online at www.capitalsupport.com
Call 020 7458 1250 or go online at www.capitalsupport.com
However, as with most things, there are potential drawbacks and risks although, for most businesses, these can be easily addressed or are small and outweighed by the benefits. Points to consider include: l Connectivity – by definition, the cloud
requires a reliable Internet connection with suitable bandwidth. Generally, Internet access is reliable (when did it last fail for you?) and, for most purposes, the bandwidth required for cloud applications is not excessive. l Reliability – using the cloud does need a leap of faith in the cloud provider. However, as mentioned above, their very existence relies on them providing extremely high levels of service which is likely to be more reliable than ‘on premise’ solutions. l Security – as with reliability, it’s in the interests of the cloud provider to ensure security is watertight. Any breach could quickly become very public and jeopardise the provider’s reputation and future business. l Hidden costs – some more dubious providers may not provide clarity as to their fees and terms and conditions. It pays to check pricing and contracts very carefully.
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If you would like to find out more call 020 7458 1250 or go online at www.capitalsupport.com
All content copyright of Capital Support Limited 2013