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Skype For Business Benefits PART II: IT Specialists

In Part I, we discussed the benefits Skype for Business can bring to the business professional. In Part II, we will take a look at the advantages it offers IT specialists.

Since its rebranding from Lync in 2015, Skype for Business has seen a substantial adoption rate, with a recent survey indicating that 62% of enterprise level businesses use the platform for their unified communication strategy.

The latest version incorporates significant changes designed to make it an attractive choice for IT departments. Microsoft has implemented tools making it easy to plan, deploy and operate the product; offering powerful features that simplify the rollout and management processes.

Let's examine some of the benefits Skype for Business brings to the IT specialist.

How Skype for Business Benefits the IT Specialist

Avoid redundant tools. Skype for Business allows companies to do away with separate PBX systems for a single solution incorporating both meetings and voice capabilities.

For voice systems, the Cloud PBX feature will integrate with your existing communications assets and Telco PSTN systems, bringing high-quality voice and video communications to your organization. You will also benefit from fast provisioning, reporting, and diagnostics of your voice services.

Moreover, for meetings, Skype for Business removes the need for different web and audio conferencing tools, and it incorporates simple management features.

Centralized security. Microsoft has encrypted all communications made through Skype for Business with Advanced Encryption Standards. As part of its suite of security protocols, the platform takes advantage of centralized enterprise-level security, as well as strong privacy controls that are compliant with most regulatory requirements.

Advanced deployment tools. Skype for Business incorporates a variety of tools that simplify the platform's deployment; featuring setup and provisioning tools designed to make the rollout process easier. Skype for Business includes:

On-premises to online user migration tools

Health and readiness reporting

Intelligent setup functions

Improvements to patching functionality

Call quality dashboard

  As well, Skype for Business features a suite of troubleshooting tools including monitoring, logging, debugging, reporting, and call quality methodology that makes it easier to discover and resolve issues.

Adoption support. One consistent area of difficulty for IT specialists relates to user adoption. Skype for Business tackles this by offering information materials aimed at smoothing the adoption process.

From email templates announcing a change in platforms to training videos outlining the benefits of the product, webinars, quick reference cards, and other help documentation, Skype for Business support resources make the change management process a great deal easier.

Skype for Business has been designed with end-to-end IT support in mind, making it a uniquely powerful unified communications tool that can replace all of your existing communication platforms.

Acrodex is an award-winning provider of strategic IT services for mid-size and enterprise-level organizations, offering solutions focused on communication infrastructure, devices and deployment, software licensing, and project management.

Contact us to learn more about how Skype for Business can help your company reach its goals.

The post Skype For Business Benefits PART II: IT Specialists was originally published on Edmonton IT Services Firm: Acrodex Blog

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Skype for Business Benefits – PART I: Business Professionals

https://www.acrodex.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Skype-for-Business-Vision-for-the-Future.mp4

  Skype for Business is a powerful iteration of Skype that features a suite of enhancements designed to turbocharge productivity, workflows, and communications. Moreover, when integrated with Office 365, it becomes a powerful and complete information exchange and collaboration platform.

Effective communication is essential in business, and organizations are looking for ways to improve it across diverse groups and remote locations. Global teams are expected to be able to connect seamlessly, in real time, to keep up with workflows.

There's no doubt that Skype has become synonymous with online communications. The Microsoft-owned VOIP and video calling application offers users an easy to user interface and a seamless communications experience that few products can match. Moreover, with an estimated 74 million users worldwide its popularity cannot be overstated.

Dynamic collaboration across distances is key to remaining competitive, and today's organizations require solutions that can keep them in touch with employees and clients while ensuring costs stay in check.

Let's take a look at how the different features of Skype for Business help your organization.

Skype for Business Benefits

Complete meeting solution. With Skype for Business, the meeting possibilities are endless; allowing you to seamlessly and effortlessly share information. Skype Meetings offers HD video conferencing for up to 250 participants with desktop sharing and co-authoring so you can conduct meetings as if you are all in the same room.

Have a large sized meeting? With Skype Meeting Broadcast, you can reach thousands of participants quickly.

Not at the office? Use Skype for Business Online or the Skype for Business mobile app to participate in meetings on-the

Reduce costs. By adopting video conferencing, Microsoft estimates that companies can avoid making 45,000 trips per year, representing a total yearly savings of $93 million, or $124,000 per day.

Skype for Business can replace and consolidate expensive, physical on-premise PBX telephony in addition to different third-party communication tools. With this tool, you will be able to eliminate expensive PBX hardware and leave all the heavy lifting Microsoft data centers.

Communicate across devices. Skype for Business works with any device type, including smartphones and mobile devices, allowing you to connect with your team anywhere and anytime. With Office 365, you can communicate with others right from your file; collaborating while making live edits to a document.

And with Modern Voice/Cloud PBX services, you will be able to make, receive and transfer calls from any location, so you will never be out of the loop.

Improve collaboration. Whether your team is located in the same office or spread out across the globe, Skype for Business is a complete solution for collaboration and productivity. Workflows become seamless, documents can be co-created, and borders become meaningless.

These are only a sample of benefits that Skype for Business brings to the business professional. From costs savings capabilities to improving workflows, the platform offers a host of ways for companies to improve their operations.

In part II, we will examine how Skype for Business benefits the IT professional.

Acrodex is an award-winning provider of strategic IT services for mid-size and enterprise-level organizations, offering solutions focused on communication infrastructure, devices and deployment, software licensing, and project management.

Contact us to learn how Skype for Business can help your company reach its goals.

Skype for Business Benefits – PART I: Business Professionals was first available on Edmonton Managed IT Company: Acrodex IT

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Purchasing Azure – February 2017 Updates

Microsoft recently announced a shift in licensing strategy for its Azure platform, advising that as of February 1, 2017, new users will be referred to Cloud Solutions Providers (CSP) for pay-as-you-go access to the product.

The company previously allowed purchasers to buy these services directly under the Microsoft Products and Services Agreement (MPSA). In analyzing trends, Microsoft noted that many customers are choosing the CSP option due to their ability to add value to Azure utilization.

Existing users who enjoy the pay-as-you-go model through MPSA won't be affected. As well, new users will still be able to take advantage of the service through Enterprise Agreements (EA) and the Microsoft Online Subscription Program (MOSP). However, the policy change will see the majority of organizations opt for the CSP model.

Microsoft partners were informed last year that the company would not be moving forward with a new offer on MPSA, preferring to consolidate their investment among these delivery avenues only.

Azure is big business for Microsoft, generating over $1 billion in revenue since 2011 according to Business Insider. As one of the key selling points of the integrated cloud services platform is a scalable, pay-as-you-go model, the removal of direct access through MPSA represents a unique opportunity for Microsoft's CSP partners like Acrodex.

The policy change clearly signals that Microsoft feels their CSP partner network is ideally situated and have the resources to help Azure users take full advantage of the platform's benefits.

Why Choose a CSP for Azure?

A Cloud Solutions Provider is accredited by Microsoft to deliver tailored and customized Azure services directly to their clients. CSPs work with their clients to ensure their Azure experience is fully optimized to the end user’s needs.

As part of their suite of services, CSPs are an all-in-one Azure solution, acting as a single point of contact for support, billing, platform management, and integration. As they have their own relationship with their customers, Microsoft feels that CSPs are the ideal vehicle for delivering Azure services.

The Microsoft announcement noted that CSPs "[are] solution-focused partners [that] can add value and help light up [Internet of Things] and other advanced scenarios for accelerated innovation."

In addition to facilitating Azure services, CSPs can provide full support coverage through Microsoft warranty programs, ensuring that users receive the fullest experience, with the right solutions in place, to maximize the benefits from their agreements.

With Azure, your CSP partner will be able to help you design and implement the most effective Microsoft solutions for your organization while helping to manage their operations and back-end management; freeing-up your time and resources while you focus on your business goals.

Acrodex is a certified Microsoft Cloud Solutions Provider and offer a range of managed services, cloud, data center, and licensing solutions — with vast experience delivering Azure, Enterprise Mobility Suite, Office 365, and other Microsoft Cloud products — helping businesses achieve their unique  cloud strategy.

Contact us to learn more.

The above post Purchasing Azure – February 2017 Updates was first published on Edmonton IT Services Firm: Acrodex

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The Top 7 Benefits of Software Asset Management (SAM)

Failure to properly manage your software licenses can be costly. The U.S. Army paid $50 million in penalties after installing unlicensed applications in 2013 — a warning for all organizations of the costs of improper software asset management.

It's no secret that today's business environment depends on a variety of software to function effectively and securly. Despite this, many companies are forecasting stagnation in their IT budgets with an average projected spend of $294,081 in 2017 (relatively equal to the previous year).

While these figures encompass total IT expenditures, companies are constantly looking for ways to control their technology budgets. An integral part of which being the deployment and management of software and its licensing agreements.

What Is Software Asset Management (SAM)?

To mitigate these costs, organizations are taking advantage of a host of managed services designed to help control the rising costs purchasing and management technology. Key among them is Software Asset Management (SAM), a set of IT practices designed to manage software usage by an organization.

Controlling and optimizing your software usage to align with your business goals, while maintaining licensing compliance can be a time-consuming process.

SAM services take these burdens away from you; ensuring you have the proper software assets to support your operations.

Let's look at seven key benefits of Software Asset Management solutions and how they can help your organization.

The 7 Benefits of Software Asset Management (SAM)

1. Cost Savings and Optimization

SAM helps determine your exact needs and usage requirements, while ensuring the software is procured in the most cost effective licensing agreement. Ultimately, your organization will benefit by having the ideal number of software deployments, confirming that you'll always have enough licenses without having any sitting idle. Companies can cut software spending costs by as much as 30%. How? By reducing maintenance costs or re-harvesting and deploying licenses via SAM processes.

2. Budgeting

Software costs become more predictable and easier to forecast with a proper SAM solution. You will have new insight of how your licensing needs align to your overall business goals. This model allows you to plan budgetary requirements with software acquisitions and focus your resources on your business strategy rather than technology operations.

3. Ensure “Best-Fit” Licensing

Only buy what you need and gain better insights to your organization’s software requirements. A SAM solution will guarantee your organization is appropriately license, in addition to being aligned with your entitlements, roadmap, and compliance needs.

4. Reduce Security Risk

Control what is deployed on your network and reduce vulnerability. Different Software Asset Management models mitigate this risk by ensuring that all software is properly configured to prevent conflicts, network breaches, viruses, or other malware.

If you’re in the market for new security software, Acrodex’s many partners, such as Symantec, Trend Micro, McAfee, ESET, and Kaspersky Lab can also provide you with premium, best-fit options, at the most competitive price possible.

5. Integrates other Managed Services

Companies such as Acrodex offer software application management services with 24/7 support and national coverage for all your application issues, including self-service portals for onboarding employees and instruction on how to use new applications. You'll never have to worry about problems with your software thanks to support solutions that help ensure that your operations continue uninterrupted.

Services such as Evolve provide businesses with everything they need to run their technology operations in a cloud-based environment, offering a choice of hardware and software as well as features such as Skype for Business on a per-user basis. Integrating SAM with IT managed services can make a large difference in the amount of time and resources spent on managing software usage.

6. Education

Gain invaluable optics and learn more about the software you use, how it’s licensed, what benefits you’re entitled to and what exactly you’re paying for. This insight from certified and experienced licensing experts can help you optimize your investment, take advantage of correct licensing options, and reduce costs.

7. Empowerment

Engage in business-driven discussions with software publishers to acquire the right technology that will enable efficiency and productivity. Solution and service providers, like Acrodex, are partnered with the leading software vendors and work closely with these brands to provide the latest products in the most efficient way possible. Click here to learn about Acrodex’s many software partners.

As you're never stuck with outdated software or hardware, SAM gives you the agility you need to stay on top of the game. Version control can be easily managed, ensuring you always have the latest editions of your mission-critical applications and that you have the proper software to support your business goals. You'll benefit from economies of scale in your software purchases while reducing the need for in-house configuration, testing, and ongoing maintenance.

Software Asset Management processes harness a wide variety of tools and practices to ensure that your software works for you as effectively as possible.

Having an effective SAM solution in place can not only help you manage costs and mitigate risks, it will also maintain flexibility and agility, while bringing in predictable cost structures that are easily budgeted.

Ultimately, leaving your licensing management to the SAM experts frees you from managing the complexities of your software and lets you focus on achieving your organizational goals.

Acrodex provides flexible Software Asset Management and Managed IT Services designed to support your company's operational needs. Contact us to discover how we can help you reduce costs, secure your network, and maximize your technology's efficiency.

The Top 7 Benefits of Software Asset Management (SAM) was originally courtesy of the Edmonton Managed IT Company: Acrodex

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Do you ever feel like it's a struggle just to maintain the IT in your business? You need your IT team to be up-to-date on trends, innovative and keep you moving forward – but do they have the time? Evolve is the first IT as a Service (ITaaS) solution of its kind. Evolve provides next-gen devices, state-of-the-art software, that's backed by best-in-class IT service desk. Download Evolve Infographic: https://www.acrodex.com/evolve Partnering with Acrodex and TigerDirect Canada When you choose Acrodex, you get a trusted partner that can bring the latest devices and cloud technology to your organization, at the best possible price. About Acrodex: https://www.acrodex.com/ About TigerDirect Canada: http://www.tigerdirect.ca/

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Fleet Management: Questions to Ask Your IT Solutions Provider – PART II

Do you have the right service provider to help you leverage the technology embodied in these new fleet management tools?

To determine that, you must ask your IT provider the right questions.

Question to ask:    Can your field support services meet our IT needs?

The increased productivity generated by these new management tools can't happen if your IT system breaks down. But breakdowns happen. You'll want an IT provider that offers a full menu of capabilities in field support services so it can diagnose and resolve issues remotely.

If the issue can't be resolved remotely, does your IT provider have the field support services staff that can dispatch a service technician to provide on-site and desk-side help? When your IT infrastructure is down, you lose time and money.

Ideally, you also want an IT provider that has experience in preventive and reactive maintenance, offers hardware support in case of a crashes, ensures that your software and apps are compliant and functioning, and makes sure your systems are safe from hackers.

Maximize Uptime of Your IT Infrastructure

For fleet managers to get the most out of these new tools, they’ll have to be tightly integrated into a company’s IT system. That’s where your IT provider comes in. You’ll want a service provider that can maximize uptime on your IT infrastructure, while you focus on your business.

It’s the provider’s job to make sure that integration occurs seamlessly and maximizes infrastructure uptime.

Your provider is the key to leveraging this new technology to improve operations, reduce costs, and boost productivity. That, in turn, will increase competitiveness and profits.

That can’t happen if your provider isn’t up to the task. So how do you know if your provider is the right one? You need to vet your IT provider to make sure it provides the right services, which you can do by asking questions about things like their IT consulting capabilities, field support services, and IT procurement.

Question to ask:  Do you offer IT procurement services?  

A provider's IT procurement services can help you make sure that your business' IT needs are met with equipment that provides the right value and functionality. So, you’ll want to review your provider’s IT procurement services.

Keep in mind that a provider that offers a managed IT procurement and purchasing can help you realize upfront cost savings by obtaining IT equipment and licensing at the best prices. It can also help you take advantage of any warranties and discounts available. In addition, a provider IT procurement team can help you develop an in-depth purchasing process that gives you insights into your purchasing activities.

These are just some of the questions you'll want to ask a service provider to make sure that they can help you get the most out of the new fleet management tools being developed now and in the future.

When integrated with your IT system, these tools can provide valuable information that can help you beat your most pressing operational challenges. More important, they can help you boost competitiveness and profits. Without the right IT provider, none of that happens.

Reach today and learn how the IT experts at Acrodex can streamline your fleet management practices.

Fleet Management: Questions to Ask Your IT Solutions Provider – PART II was originally available on Edmonton IT Support Company: http://www.acrodex.com

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Fleet Management: Questions to Ask Your IT Solutions Provider – PART I

If you’re a fleet manager, you may have said controlling maintenance and fuel costs.  Or, you may have said promoting driver safety or tracking drivers’ time and logistical information.

Whatever your answer, it's clear that fleet managers face a mountain of tough operations challenges—some of which can keep you up at night. You can beat your most pressing operational challenges with help from the latest advancements in fleet management technology.

Fleet Managers Have Their Hands Full

So, which is the toughest challenge for a fleet manager? According to a recent report by Verizon, over 1,100 fleet managers listed maintenance, operational costs, driver safety, time, and repairs in that order as their toughest operational challenges.

When asked how are they addressed these challenges, most of the fleet management professionals surveyed all said the same thing: Telematics.

When implemented correctly and integrated into IT infrastructure, telematics helps fleet managers streamline maintenance, cut repair/replacement costs, optimize routes, and enhance driver safety. It also helps reduce operational expenses and boost control of fleet performance.

This technology has come a long way since fleet managers and business owners first started using GPS ten years ago. Back then, GPS was rather limited. It could only collect vehicle location data, which was then processed by an in-house IT infrastructure.

Today, telematics devices gather a wealth of information for fleet managers and business owners—from engine performance and fuel consumption to driver habits and vehicle location and everything in between, with all this information being processed by an IT environment. They also track unauthorized vehicle use to make sure your vehicles are being used appropriately.

Two key needs are driving the rapid pace of technological change in the fleet management industry. One is the need for increased productivity. The other is the need for accountability. Mounting pressure from both is driving companies to develop new fleet management tools.

Question to ask: Do you provide the kind consulting services that can help me leverage this new fleet management tool?

With more companies relying on technology to remain competitive, IT consultation services are critical to long term success. To take full advantage of the information provided by new fleet management tools, you’ll first need to maximize your technology resources.

This can’t happen if the latest technical advancements have outpaced your IT service provider or its team lacks the experience to deal with a new IT challenge. Having the IT service provider with the right expertise can make up for your IT deficiencies.

Ideally, you want an IT solutions provider that offers consulting services that are flexible and adaptable, so they can be tailored to meet your needs. A skilled team of IT consultants can reduce costs, cut operating expenses, and free-up time for you and your people to focus on more critical business functions.

New Fleet Management Tools Abound

The new fleet management tools being developed are expected to change the fleet management industry dramatically. And that's fine with many companies. In fact, perceptive companies are embracing the use of technology in fleet vehicles to reduce costs and boost performance.

As might be expected, the development of these new fleet management tools is being impacted by IT trends that are impacting new product development in other industries, like cloud computing.

"The trend toward cloud computing will enable fleet solution providers to offer higher degrees of data and system integration," says Mike Antich in an article on the website of Automotive Fleet. “The new technology capabilities will result in highly customizable solutions for fleet managers,” he adds.

Whether it’s a platform to test your custom apps or a place to store your sensitive data, the cloud is the perfect solution for small, medium business to enterprise corporations.

Another IT trend impacting the development of new fleet management tools is the development of mobile applications that feature tight integration in vehicles, according to Antich. Eventually, mobile devices will be the sole way drivers handle fleet tasks, like mileage reporting, trip logs, and finding vendors. This creates a need for a potential BYOD policy as well.

Click here to download the BYOD Policy E-book

The above post Fleet Management: Questions to Ask Your IT Solutions Provider – PART I was first published on Edmonton IT Support Company: http://www.acrodex.com/

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IT Outsourcing: Finding the right balance

How do you know when and what to outsource? After all, 31% of IT services were outsourced in 2016, and it's projected to be an upward trend.

When to outsource your IT project?

There are many reasons why organizations choose to outsource IT projects. If it's the case of you not having enough resources to complete a project within scope, outsourcing can be a solution. Outsourcing some of your IT needs can also control costs and reduce your overall risk.

Let's take a look at some of the other reasons why you'd want to outsource your IT project.

Lack of resources or required skillsets

If you physically don't have the number of personnel on staff to complete it, or if redeployment of individuals from other teams would impair operations in other areas, outsourcing the project to a team of experienced professionals is an option.

People with the necessary skillsets can be difficult to recruit for short-term projects, resulting in a less than ideal talent pool to work with. Let's put it another way: does the project involve a specialization that is outside of the scope of your company's daily operations?

Even though it may not be within your area of expertise, you may decide to take on a project for its ancillary benefits, or the promise of additional business in other areas; prestige for your firm, or simply for financial reasons.

In fact, your company would be far from alone, with 78% of organizations saying their project requirements aren't in alignment with their business goals.

If you don't have the specific skillsets to properly execute the project, Acrodex’s IT Staffing & Resource Management services can take the stress of the hiring and the management of these resources away from you

Control costs

One in six IT projects experience cost overruns of 200%, a frightening statistic indeed. The ability to properly contain costs is a key reason why companies decide to outsource IT projects.

Many financial benefits come with using Acrodex’s IT Staffing services over hiring additional resources. Hiring and onboarding costs alone can be a significant portion of your project's overhead, and reducing them can drastically improve your ROI.

Another option is outsourcing the entire project. This strategy allows you to have it completed for a single, fixed price. Cost overruns can be mitigated as they usually fall under the responsibility of the service provider.

Reduce risk

Costly errors are the bane of any project, and making one could put you at significant risk. Depending on the size and scope of the project, the risk of your liability may outweigh the benefits of executing it in-house.

Most IT service providers have a level of specialized expertise geared toward the precise parameters the project requires, which reduces the chance of costly errors.

When undertaking a thorough risk assessment or professional consultation of the project you are considering, ask if the potential liability you face is greater than the outsourcing costs.

Reduce capital costs

If you lack the physical infrastructure to complete the project, outsourcing may make sense from a capital expenditure standpoint.

Investing in hardware and assets to complete the job can not only require a significant financial outlay, you may be left with underutilized assets after the project is completed. Asset depreciation and maintenance costs need to be considered as part of the overall financial picture.

Service providers will already have many of the tools and equipment needed to complete the project. They will bear these capital costs.

As we've seen, there are many reasons why you would consider outsourcing your IT project. If any of these situations are challenges you face, it may be time for you to consider having a service provider execute the project for you.

Acrodex is a leading provider of IT services designed to drive results for your business. Contact us to learn how we can help you achieve your project goals with minimal stress and investment.

The post IT Outsourcing: Finding the right balance was originally seen on Edmonton IT Support Firm: http://www.acrodex.com

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PCM Acquires Stratiform, a Canadian IT leader in Microsoft Cloud-Based Solutions

PCM adds strategic cloud-solution provider to its growing Canadian practice

EDMONTON, Alberta, January 3, 2017 – PCM, Inc. (NASDAQ:PCMI) a leading North American technology solutions provider, today announced a strategic acquisition of Stratiform, Inc. (Stratiform), an industry-leading provider of cloud IT solutions that includes consulting, professional, and managed services to clients across Canada. Stratiform, an innovative Gold Certified Microsoft Partner, has proven capabilities specializing in Microsoft cloud technology, including Azure Cloud solutions, Office 365, and Enterprise Mobility Suite.

Stratiform’s unique “build your business from the cloud up” consultative approach will significantly strengthen PCM’s position as a leader in enterprise cloud solutions, further enhancing its ability to provide clients with best-of-breed cloud strategy, advisory, onboarding and migration services, as well as on-going cloud management services.

PCM expects Stratiform to serve as a cornerstone to PCM’s strategic cloud and related solutions offerings and to quickly leverage its leading cloud expertise in Canada, into the United States and other new markets, strengthening PCM’s established leadership position as a key differentiator in the IT marketplace. The acquisition deepens PCM’s relationship with Microsoft and other leading technology companies, and increases PCM’s reach into SMB, Mid-Market, Enterprise, and Public Sector markets throughout North America.

Frank Khulusi, PCM's Chairman and CEO, stated, "The addition of Stratiform to the PCM family of companies reinforces our position as a leader of enterprise cloud solutions and services. We are thrilled to add the extremely talented Stratiform team to our Microsoft solutions focus, enhancing our Azure Cloud organization with new and innovative capabilities. Together, we are extremely well positioned to help our clients realize the business benefits of leveraging cloud technology both securely and strategically to maximize business value.”

From a Canadian perspective, the addition of Stratiform's capabilities to Acrodex and TigerDirect Canada's established Canadian presence brings together three powerful brands that provide distinct value propositions to clients of all segments and industries.

"We are thrilled to add Stratiform as a part of our Canadian transformation," stated Phil Soper, President of PCM Canada. "Along with Acrodex and TigerDirect Canada, Stratiform propels us to the next level when it comes to delivering enterprise-class Microsoft cloud solutions. The Stratiform team have established themselves as dominant players in delivering cloud technology. That expertise, backed by the depth of Acrodex, TigerDirect Canada, and PCM, means we can assist our clients with a broad range of premier IT products, services, and solutions.”

"We are very excited to be joining the PCM family. Our passion has long been to help our customers transform their businesses through the use of cloud technologies,” stated Jordan Byman, President of Stratiform. “This acquisition represents an opportunity to accelerate our growth plans and expand the Stratiform brand and presence throughout Canada and the United States. By leveraging PCM’s extensive customer relationships and operational scale, we can help even more customers transform their organizations."

For additional information, please refer to the PCM press release.

About Stratiform, Inc.

Through a full suite of IT consulting services (including Professional and Managed Services), Stratiform specializes in designing, planning, and implementing Microsoft Cloud Solutions - Azure, Office 365, and EMS. No matter the solution, Stratiform focuses on helping clients achieve greater efficiencies through their Microsoft cloud investments. Visit www.stratiform.ca for more information.

About Acrodex, Inc.

Through uncompromising integrity, passion for our customers’ success, and a commitment to excellence, Acrodex has proven their ability to offer flexible IT solutions that drive results. With over 30 years’ experience in Information Technology, Acrodex serves large and mid-tier organizations through end user device lifecycle management, data center managed services, procurement as a service, software licensing, and cloud solutions. Acrodex operates as a wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary of PCM, Inc. Visit www.acrodex.com for more information.

About PCM, Inc.

PCM, Inc., through its wholly­-owned subsidiaries, is a leading technology solutions provider to small and medium sized businesses, mid­ market and enterprise customers, government and educational institutions and individual consumers. For more information please visit investor.pcm.com.

Raza N. Hussain Marketing & Communications Acrodex Inc. Raza.hussain@acrodex.com

PCM Acquires Stratiform, a Canadian IT leader in Microsoft Cloud-Based Solutions was first available on Edmonton IT Services Firm: http://www.acrodex.com/

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2016: The IT Year in Review

2016 was in many ways a tumultuous yet transformative year. While security was at the forefront of everyone's mind, there were also significant milestones made in other areas related to enterprise technology.

In this article, we'll take a look at some of the key events and trends that defined the state of IT in 2016 and what they portend for 2017 and beyond.

IT Year In Review

Security

There's no question that security was the dominant technology theme in 2016, with hackers and cyber terrorists either exploiting poor security measures, taking advantage of loopholes or designing novel ways to steal money and data.

The costs of data breaches are growing, from an average of $3.8 million in 2015 to $4 million in 2016 according to IBM's Cost of Data Breach Study. So, while 2016 was an expensive year for data security, there is no end in sight to this upward trend.

Financial institutions were hit hard in 2016, but none more so than the attempted February $1 billion heist from Bangladesh's central bank that saw hackers get away with $81 million. The institution had no firewall and used second-hand equipment, exposing the perils of poor network security protocols.

But attacks weren't limited to organizations with mediocre security measures. Blogging giant Tumblr exposed 65 million email addresses after an attack, paling in comparison to the nearly 400 million user accounts compromised on AdultFriendFinder's network in September.

And attacks grew even more sophisticated as the year progressed.

In October, hackers exploited the vulnerability of millions of internet-connected devices to launch a massive DDOS attack on Dyn, a provider of DNS services to tens of thousands of domains. The so-called Mirai botnet attack resulted in massive website outages along the U.S. East Coast, demonstrating that even the most technologically sophisticated organizations are vulnerable.

That month also saw the revelation of a massive security vulnerability affecting hundreds of millions of Linux-based devices, including the ubiquitous Android mobile operating system. While patches are available for the so-called Dirty Cow vulnerability, millions of outdated and unsupported mobile devices remain vulnerable.

Dirty Cow and other similar backdoor vulnerabilities bring up important questions about the security of BYOD or bring your own device policies, a growing trend for 2017 that may further increase the security risk for corporations who rely on employee devices for their operations.

Cloud Computing

The adoption of cloud computing continued its steady upward march in 2016. While 41% of enterprise computing is handled in some form of public or private cloud, that number is expected to grow to 60% by 2018.

And grow it did in the past year according to Gartner, with worldwide public cloud services market increasing 17.2 percent to $208.6 billion, up from $178 billion in 2015. Particularly, Software as a Service (SaaS) usage grew 21.7 percent over the previous year.

Among the different cloud platform segments, hybrid cloud adoption made the largest gains, growing at a rate of 27%. Significant advances and new efficiencies were also made in hyper-converged technologies. Learn more.

Data centers, more particularly servers, are being put on more strain than ever before. Cloud technology, if used the right way, can solve many issues that traditional data centers face. However, there is still a need for on-premise, traditional hardware. Niantic, developers and hosts of the popular Pokémon Go game, take on much of the hosting and connectivity of the game’s services. They now seem to have ironed-out their early kinks.

SaaS made headlines earlier in 2016 with a key move by Microsoft. In July, the software giant announced the introduction of Windows 10 Enterprise E3, a subscription plan that in conjunction with products such as Azure and Office 365 gives businesses of all sizes access to the company's "full IT stack” on a per-seat basis.

Microsoft has historically taken more of an infrastructure approach, most notably with its Azure platform; however, it's foray into cloud-based software services, like we saw first-hand with the 2016 Windows 10 updates, demonstrates a shift in consumers' appetite for these types of services.

Overall, 2016 showed us that the rising dominance of the cloud is not going to end anytime soon.

Business Intelligence

2016 was the year in which Business Intelligence (BI) reached a tipping point. A survey by Logi Analytics reports that 67% of IT respondents have already deployed BI and data analytics tools to their end users, indicating that a majority of firms now have access to these self-service intelligence products.

The study suggests that the adoption of BI tools peaked this year, with some analysts predicting the beginning of a decline in companies adding new BI products to their application inventories.

Paradoxically, the same survey also shows that despite higher availability, the usage of these tools is down 24% over the previous two years.

"Compared to 2015," writes Dresner Advisory Services, "industry interest appears to be leveling off. Overall, software vendors are still highly positive on big data, but have tempered their enthusiasm slightly to present a more realistic outlook for big data adoption plans."

In 2016, it became evident that vendors are still investing in business intelligence. In August,  Microsoft announced a series of significant updates to Power BI in order to improve user experience. Click here to learn more.

It's clear that the landscape for self-service analytics tools is shifting. With the majority of companies already offering access to BI, the products themselves are beginning to evolve.

Gartner suggests that the trend is toward new analytics tools that don't require any IT intervention, predicting a move toward fully automated end-to-end products.

While reports of the demise of BI are premature, 2016 has demonstrated that the future is decidedly uncertain.

IOT

As previously mentioned, Internet of Things (IoT) devices gained a degree of notoriety in 2016 thanks to concerns around their security. However, the year also saw a renewed push by large companies to not only monetize IoT connectivity over their networks but to develop security standards. For tips to improve your network monitoring, click here.

Telecom giant T-Mobile announced a deal in May with startup Twilio to offer IoT connectivity over its network, becoming the latest player on a crowded field. They join Verizon, who's ThingSpace platform has reportedly already signed up 4,000 developers since being opened up to third parties in February.

Other large players such as ARM and Symantec revealed plans to create a set of IoT security standards, unveiling their Open Trust Protocol (OTrP) aimed at providing a secure architecture for connected devices.

With 6.4 billion IoT devices currently in operation worldwide, it's no wonder companies are beginning to join the gold rush. These recent deals and initiatives indicate 2016 became the year that the IoT landscape began to coalesce around key industry players.

From the rise of security hacks to the fall of business intelligence, 2016 saw it's share of noteworthy IT events. Expect to see these trends continue, perhaps more aggressively, as 2017 unfolds.

Contact us to learn how Acrodex, a premier provider of customized IT services and solutions, can help your company reach its business goals.

The article 2016: The IT Year in Review was originally published on Edmonton IT Support Firm: Acrodex Blog

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Acrodex Inc receives FY16 Partner Plus Winner’s Circle Award for Service Sales Excellence at Cisco Partner Summit San Francisco 2016

At Cisco’s annual partner conference in San Francisco, California, Acrodex, A PCM Company, received the Service Sales Excellence award in recognition of its innovative practices, leadership and outcome-focused programs as a Cisco business partner across Canada. Acrodex was recognized for its top-of-the-line telecommunications, routers, and server hardware through all stages of procurement and deployment.

“Acrodex is honoured to receive this award from Cisco,” said Phil Soper, President of PCM Canada. “We truly value our partnership with Cisco and, together, we have no doubt we’ll continue to deliver solutions to our clients that keep them moving forward.”

Cisco Partner Summit Theatre awards reflect the top-performing partners within specific technology markets across Canada. All award recipients are selected by a group of Cisco Global Partner Organization and regional and theatre executives.

Cisco Partner Summit is attended by more than 2,100 global attendees from Cisco’s eco-system of partners representing more than 1,000 companies worldwide from more than 75 countries.

About Acrodex, Inc.

Through uncompromising integrity, passion for our customers’ success, and a commitment to excellence, Acrodex has proven their ability to offer flexible IT solutions that drive results. With over 30 years’ experience in Information Technology, Acrodex serves large and mid-tier organizations through end user device lifecycle management, data center managed services, procurement as a service, software licensing, and cloud solutions. Acrodex operates as a wholly owned Canadian subsidiary of PCM Inc.

The above article Acrodex Inc receives FY16 Partner Plus Winner’s Circle Award for Service Sales Excellence at Cisco Partner Summit San Francisco 2016 was originally available on Edmonton IT Services Firm: www.acrodex.com

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Dirty Cow and BYOD

If you own a device running a Linux-based operating system such as Google Android, there's a good chance you are affected by the recently-discovered Dirty Cow vulnerability. The vulnerability raises alarming questions surrounding bring your own device (BYOD) usage and how it may affect organizations who rely on employees' personal devices for their operations.

It's a significant security issue affecting millions of device users, leaving them vulnerable to hackers potentially gaining access through the operating system itself. While patches to close the loophole have been deployed by some major Linux-based operating systems, an untold number of devices are still unsecured.

What is Dirty Cow?

The security vulnerability, officially known as CVE–2016–5195, was actually introduced into the Linux kernel in 2007 but wasn't noticed until October 2016. It takes advantage of a Linux function called "copy-on-write" that gives hackers access to privilege control on affected devices.

This means that it's relatively easy for anyone familiar with a Linux file system architecture to gain control of affected devices. So easy, in fact, that Ars Technica calls it "one of the worst privilege escalation flaws ever to hit the open-source OS."

These root permissions allow, for instance, unscrupulous app developers to gain potentially dangerous access to a device's file systems. Hackers can access devices through networks, file sharing protocols such as Bluetooth, or via Wi-Fi.

The key concern to BYOD lies in the ubiquitous nature of Linux-based operating systems. Due to the fact that it's open source and, therefore, free for anyone to acquire and modify, Linux has become one of the world's most widely-used source codes for operating systems.

In addition to popular open source desktop architectures, such as Ubuntu and Red Hat, Linux forms the basis of the Android mobile OS. With 1.4 billion Android users worldwide, this represents a serious potential security issue.

Another alarming figure is the number of Linux-based servers out there. It's estimated that out of the top million websites, 98.3% are based on Linux servers.

Security patches are available. However, the major issue lies in the fact that the deployment rate is poor. While most Linux-based operating systems such as Ubuntu and Red Hat have issued fixes, the vast majority of Android devices are no longer supported by their manufacturers.

Newer Android phones and tablets, for instance, receive fairly constant security updates. However, manufacturers frequently stop supporting older devices after a few years. Phones that have been around for more than two years are particularly vulnerable since security fixes are generally no longer issued.

This leaves hundreds of millions of devices that may never receive a security patch. It's a crucial security flaw that may expose millions of companies and organizations with BYOD policies to unnecessary data security risks.

Dirty Cow and BYOD: What it means

Companies employ BYOD policies for a number of reasons. For one, it results in lower capital costs for the organization as it doesn't have to supply devices to their employees. Having the employee bear the costs of acquiring and operating the device is one of the reasons why it's become a popular practice.

As well, employees enjoy device familiarity, which in turn increases productivity. It's seen as a "win-win" scenario for both sides since employees can work from virtually anywhere.

Despite the advantages, there have always been downsides associated with BYOD. Security concerns form the basis for most of them, and with the Dirty Cow vulnerability, the risks have seemingly multiplied.

While there is a greater risk of potentially damaging data breaches, there are a number of measures that a company can take to mitigate the risk and their liability while still taking advantage of the benefits brought by BYOD.

How your company can mitigate the Dirty Cow risks

Your organization's IT department should be following BYOD best practices in order to ensure that sensitive data remains secure. When it comes to Dirty Cow vulnerability, it's incumbent on technology personnel to put in place policies that safeguard information.

Take advantage of mobility management solutions

While many companies have set guidelines in place, others have a lackadaisical approach to allowing employees using their own devices. Having an endpoint mobility management (EMM) plan in place can help ensure that employee devices remain secure.

Ensure devices receive security updates

Each employee device should be examined by IT personnel to make sure that it has received a security patch for the bug. If it can't be upgraded or a patch manually deployed, it should be segregated from the corporate network.

Enforce BYOD policy

Whether you use EMM solutions or not, develop and enforce your organization's BYOD policy. Employee devices can bring vulnerabilities into the fold, so it's important for management to make sure that proper best practices are being followed. Click here to download our BYOD Policy guide.

Stay abreast of mobile device vulnerability

While Dirty Cow is the latest bug to affect open source operating systems, there are always others lurking over the horizon. Keeping informed about the latest potential security issues affecting employee devices is an important step toward keeping your data secure.

The Dirty Cow vulnerability has not only exposed a potential security weakness affecting hundreds of millions of devices worldwide, it's also shown that companies can be particularly susceptible to a new avenue for data breaches.

It's vitally important that organizations follow best practices regarding BYOD policy; working to mitigate their risk by ensuring that employee devices don't expose them to unnecessary risk.

Acrodex is a leader in providing endpoint mobility management (EMM) solutions, like Microsoft EMS to businesses of all sizes. Contact us to learn how we can help you manage all aspects of your company's mobile device usage.

The post Dirty Cow and BYOD was first published on Edmonton IT Services Firm: http://acrodex.com/

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Windows 10 E3: Designed for Today’s Small and Midsized Businesses

Microsoft has clearly changed the game with their E3 model announcement, leveling the playing field when it comes to providing enterprise-level cloud computing services to smaller-sized businesses.

When Microsoft announced the unveiling of Windows 10 Enterprise E3 for the Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program in July 2016, it represented a revolution. Small and midsize businesses now have access to managed computing services otherwise reserved for large organizations.

The new E3 subscription licensing model gives businesses of any size the ability to purchase Windows 10 Enterprise for a monthly cost of $7 per seat, which the company said would be available for sale exclusively through Microsoft's industry partners.

Let's take a look at how Windows 10 Enterprise E3 and the Cloud Solutions Provider program can help your business.

Benefits of Windows 10 Enterprise E3

With Windows 10 Enterprise E3, Microsoft is eschewing the traditional model of open licensing in favor of a subscription service. Their aggressive push to offer free upgrades to Windows 10 has paid-off with their announced intention to offer the software as a subscription-based service for businesses.

The move toward a bundled service offering represents clear benefits for smaller-size businesses, who now can partake in managed services previously feasible only for larger players.

Windows 10 Enterprise E3 gives your business the following advantages:

Affordability: At a monthly cost of only $7 per seat, the package is designed to appeal to any organization in need of enterprise-level solutions. A simpler licensing arrangement also means more flexibility at the user level.

Enhanced security: The suite was specifically designed for companies that handle sensitive information; incorporating a wide array of security enhancements that provide controlled access to data. It's also oriented toward businesses operating in regulated industries and those dealing with intellectual property.

Flexibility: By moving away from a costly open license approach to a more flexible subscription model, Microsoft has opened the doors for any company to take advantage of these types of managed services.

As there is no client to download, users can enjoy the benefits of cross-platform access to their files. Employees can access their data from any location with a single user login, allowing them to work from anywhere.

Scalability: With a minimum seat limit of 1, the simplified approach to offering monthly subscription licensing brings an added dimension of scalability to the mix, as companies can add or remove seats as needed depending on business needs.

These features make it an incredibly cost efficient, scalable and flexible tool for small and midsize businesses. However, it's only part of the equation. Using it in tandem with a managed service provider brings additional advantages to the table.

Why a Microsoft Partner Solution Makes Sense

Microsoft's Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) program allows trusted industry partners to offer cloud-based computing solutions while deploying their Enterprise products. The E3 model is the result of extensive consultation and feedback from the technology community.

"Partners have been eager for us to create a partner-managed cloud service subscription offering where businesses of any size can access the latest security, management, and control features found in the Enterprise edition of Windows without the need for a long-term volume licensing agreement," said Microsoft.

Cloud-based Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) adoption is a fast-growing trend, projecting to grow 38.4 percent in 2016. There's a hungry market for both cloud and managed IT services, as they take away much of the burden and cost of managing a technology infrastructure from a company.

Buying Windows 10 Enterprise E3 subscriptions through a Microsoft Partner brings with it the added benefit, including:

Partner-managed IT. Your technology provider can work with you to customize a complete solution that works for you, particularly when it comes to configuring cloud services. For example, Acrodex can optimize and manage your Windows 10 deployment so that it works flawlessly with your particular network environment.

Single vendor convenience. By combining services with a Microsoft CSP Partner, you'll have the added convenience that comes with dealing with a single vendor for all of your IT needs. Your partner portal will provide you with billing details for your Windows 10 subscriptions, as well as their other services; allowing you to easily consolidate your technology spend.

Consolidated support. Your service provider will also be able to provide you with dedicated support for all of your IT needs, including with your Windows 10 environment.

Choosing a Microsoft Partner to help your Windows 10 Enterprise E3 solutions can pay enormous dividends in the long run. They'll be able to provide one-stop shopping for all of your IT needs, help you to configure your technology setup, and provide guidance and support for all of your hardware and software needs.

Acrodex is one of only a few North American members of Microsoft’s Partner Network that possesses all the following distinctions: Microsoft Gold Partner, CSP and Surface ADR. When your business needs customized Microsoft solutions and services, Acrodex has the expertise and experience you can trust. .

Contact us to learn how we can put in place tailored tools that drive results.

The article Windows 10 E3: Designed for Today’s Small and Midsized Businesses was first republished from Edmonton Managed IT Company: http://acrodex.com/

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IoT Safety and DDoS Attacks

If the large-scale DDoS attack that hit in October taught us anything it's that we face a massive amount of vulnerability with regards to internet-enabled smart devices.

This "Internet of Things" (IoT) infrastructure has evolved into a wild west scenario where open protocols for device connectivity have exposed a frightening loophole into the system that hackers can easily exploit.

This begs the following questions: how did this happen, and what can we learn from this experience? Should we be rethinking our approach to device connectivity? And, more importantly, what is the likelihood that this will happen again?

How did the DDoS attack happen?

On October 21, 2016, a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack was directed at the servers of a company called Dyn, a prominent provider of DNS services to a large contingent of big players on the internet.

The first wave hit at around 7:00am and was resolved before a second wave hit around noon. The attack was elegantly simple: flood the servers with bogus requests from millions of different sources, completely disrupting operations.

The problem with targeting an organization like Dyn is that so many other services rely on it to resolve DNS queries. According to Roland Dobbins, an engineer at Arbor Networks via Wired Magazine, "DNS registrars typically provide authoritative DNS services for thousands or tens of thousands of domain names, and so if there is a service-impacting event the collateral damage can be very large."

The result of the hit on Dyn's DNS servers was that several large portals become unresponsive. The more popular sites impacted by the outage, included Twitter, PayPal, Tumblr, Spotify, and Reddit.

DDoS and IoT Devices

The malicious attack exploited an area of weakness in the online sphere; namely the millions of unsecured connected devices that we tend to take for granted.

Most of the key culprits were innocuous items such as routers, surveillance cameras, DVRs — anything that connects to the internet. The attackers took advantage of the lax security protocols of these devices to upload botnets (pieces of malicious code that drive traffic toward an intended target, in this case, Dyn).

The way they were exploited was remarkably simple. The attackers aimed their sights on devices whose users had failed to change the default passwords. These passwords were of course well known to the hackers. In fact, as many as 15% of home routers are unsecured, leaving millions of potential access points for malicious botnets to take advantage of.

It's estimated that by 2020, the amount of internet connected things will reach 50 billion. With so many of these IoT devices scattered across the globe, it's easy to get frightened at the thought of so many vulnerabilities.

What is the future of IoT security?

The main initial takeaway from the Dyn DDoS attack is that we are less secure than we think due to  careless connectivity habits. While billions of dollars are spent annually securing our computers and mobile devices, the IoT are generally left out of the thought process.

Device manufacturers and those installing them clearly need to take a hard look at the vulnerabilities inherent in these devices and how they impact the overall safety of your infrastructure.

The concern with IoT devices doesn't end with the ability to launch DDoS attacks. There are legitimate security issues that have some security experts worried, from children's toys that allow criminals to access home networks, to bathroom scales that can reveal private information.

The good news is that both governments and industry recognize the inherent threat that unsecured devices represent. Even the auto industry has been concerned about the potential for its vehicles to be hacked and has taken steps to provide more robust security.

Case in point: Gemalto, a company that cut its teeth providing security measures for the payment card industry, will offer its Secure Element technology to car manufacturers and has plans to roll it out to other industrial sectors.

There is currently a patchwork of legislation that applies to the IoT, but there is still a ways to go. The U.S. Senate is examining the issue and is trying to strike a balance between allowing unfettered connectivity and securing vulnerable connections. It remains to be seen whether any meaningful regulations will result.

DDoS and IoT: What can we learn?

As governments and industry struggle to find a way to adequately secure the IoT, the risk of future vulnerability is a real one. In the meantime, there are several steps IT professionals can take to ensure that they are doing their part in contributing to the security of the IoT. Specifically:

Ensuring that default device passwords are changed

Ensuring that home and business  internet networks are properly secured

Checking that routers are being updated by internet service providers

Becoming familiar with privacy protocols and policies associated with specific hardware and software within the IoT

  Businesses can do their part by taking a few simple steps that will help to secure their devices and make them less vulnerable to malicious attacks.

And until governments and manufacturers become more fully engaged with IoT vulnerability issues, the landscape suggests that hackers will take advantage of any potential avenue to launch botnet attacks.

When you need strategic IT services to strengthen your network and tighten your security, Acrodex has the tailored solutions and services to bolster your infrastructure. Contact us to learn how our expertscan help your business thrive—safely.  

The above post IoT Safety and DDoS Attacks was first courtesy of the Edmonton Managed IT Company: www.acrodex.com

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The Top 3 Advantages of Hyper-Converged Technology

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure: A Shape Of Things To Come

Hyper-converged infrastructure (HCI) technology is beginning to gain traction among IT professionals as an effective all-in-one virtualization solution. While it's still relatively in its infancy, the idea of a single physical appliance that combines storage, servers, and network—managed through a high level of software automation—is difficult to resist.

The data shows that while there is already a fair amount of adoption, the technology enjoys plenty of room for growth. According to a survey of almost 550 IT professionals conducted by Actual Tech Media and Hewlett Packard Enterprise, 33% of respondents have deployed hyper-converged infrastructure, while 46% are considering it.

While it's far from mainstream, Gartner analysts predict the technology will grow 79% to reach almost $2 billion in sales, making it one of the fastest-growing segments of the integration market.

Virtualization is the cornerstone of hyper-converged. VDI products such as HPE Hyper-Converged 380 offer a wide variety of benefits to organizations looking to making their IT operations run more efficiently.

So how exactly does it do that? What are the main advantages of deploying an HPE hyper-converged infrastructure?

Why Hyper-Converged Technology?

Deploying an HPE hyper-converged system provides multiple benefits to medium-sized and enterprise-level organizations. It's a highly-effective tool for the following reasons.

1. Reduce Costs

HCI allows your organization to realize substantial cost-savings on several fronts. It reduces the need for capital expenditure on hardware and software; helping you save on resource costs.

By its very nature, hyper-converged environments reduce overhead costs thanks to its lessened reliance on discrete network hardware components. No longer will separate servers, virtualization software, hypervisors, and network configuration tools need to be acquired.

For example, the HPE Hyper-Converged 380 allows you to put a system in place with a single two-node appliance, reducing your need for separate hardware servers and storage units. This provides unheard of financial flexibility and scalability. As your needs grow, since the all-in-one approach to the HCI, appliances will ultimately result in fewer hardware purchases.

There's no requirement for costly SAN storage. Thanks to the software-defined storage, you'll gain SAN-like capabilities without the price tag. In addition, the technology negates the need to buy separate virtualization software.

These savings extend through to other areas. Due to its ability to support higher user density, the configuration results in a significantly lower cost per seat. And, with HPE's Cloud Optimizer tool, you'll gain up to 90% more efficiency in the consumption of your resources.

Hyper-converged technology offers many cost-savings benefits due to reduced hardware and software requirements, increased flexibility and a lower cost per user.

2. Streamline IT Operations

One of the great aspects of hyper-converged technology is its inherent ease of use, allowing network operations to be managed, in many cases, by a single IT generalist. Consequently, a dedicated team of specialists is usually not required to run a hyper-converged network.

HPE refers to its Hyper-Converged 380 appliance as a "VM vending machine," making it simple for IT staff to deploy VMs quickly. No specialized training is required to operate the system, and virtual machines can be deployed in as little as 5 clicks.

It also lets you reign-in virtualization sprawl. Effectively control multiple VM interfaces without worrying about the issues inherent in excessive deployments. Hyper-converged is ideal for companies with multiple satellite offices.

Hardware and firmware updates can be quickly and easily accomplished through the highly intuitive HPE OneView interface. With semi-automated software to oversee and manage operations, the user experience increases exponentially!

The lack of discrete network components means that IT personnel can transition away from creating and managing automation tools for disparate hardware configurations and let the built-in hypervisor software take charge.

Simple to operate and manage, a hyper-converged strategy is one of the best options for streamlining IT operations; thanks to the software-based management architecture and the reduced need for specially-trained personnel.

3. High Availability

A clustered configuration of hyper-converged nodes provides incredible system stability due to the robust failover functionality built into the system. A failure in a single node can easily be compensated by another without additional hardware requirements.

In that light, HCI offers robust backup and recovery, as well as disaster recovery—that HPE’s hyper-converged solution is pegged at costing 62% less than traditional DR.

HPE Hyper-Converged 380 boasts an uptime of 99.999% at setup, thanks to the shared resources and mixed storage type, in each appliance, that improves performance and capacity.

With its centralized software-based approach to data management, hyper-converged brings with it improved efficiency, resulting in a higher overall availability rate.

So while hyper-converged technology is still in its early stages, the benefits to an organization are clear. Cost savings, streamlined IT operations and increased system availability are hallmarks of this impressive technology.

Acrodex partners with HPE to provide hyper-converged solutions for business. Contact us to learn how our hyper-converged solutions can help your organization operate more effectively and prepare for the future.

The Top 3 Advantages of Hyper-Converged Technology was first seen on Edmonton IT Services Firm: Acrodex Inc

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What You Need to Know About Microsoft Power BI Updates

Ever since it emerged as a limited release in 2015, Microsoft Power BI has been a go-to self-service business intelligence solution. The software has become an integral part of the Microsoft Office 365 suite and allows users to visualize and analyze data in a very user-friendly environment.

It's evolved from its roots as a series of plugins for Excel to becoming a powerful intelligence tool in its own right. As a result, the usage rates are quite impressive: over 20,000 companies and 5 million users have taken to Microsoft Power BI in just a few short years.

It's available as a software as a service (SaaS) offering called Power BI, or as a downloadable client called Power BI Desktop.

Microsoft Power BI Update:

New Features

In August 2016, Microsoft announced a series of wide-ranging updates to the desktop platform. In this article, we'll examine the most impactful updates and explain how they affect users.

Analytics pane and dynamic reference lines

Microsoft added a new analytics pane designed to act as a centralized location for all the analytical features. It's been added to the Visualizations areas of Power BI Desktop and allows you to create dynamic reference lines when creating data charts.

Depending on the type of visual you want to use, there are a set of dynamic reference lines available to you on the analytics pane. The Microsoft Power BI site gives a detailed listing of all the currently available lines, which include:

X-Axis constant line

Y-Axis constant line

Min line

Max line

Average line

Medium line

Percentile line

  There are many options for customizing the data presentation, including setting color, style, transparency, and position. With the addition of the analytics pane to the visualization tools, as well as the dynamic reference lines, you'll have exciting new options for presenting your data.

New/Improved data connectors

Power BI now supports new and improved data connectors, increasing the ability to import data by adding several new sources. They include:

Apache Impala DirectQuery Support:

While Power BI previously supported an Apache Impala connector, the update expands it to support DirectQuery mode. The resulting function now allows you to specify whether to import the data directly from Impala or to use DirectQuery.

Snowflake Connector:

Power BI can now import data from Snowflake, the cloud data warehouse designed primarily for Big Data. As it's currently a preview release, you'll have to enable it under the Preview Features Tab.

Improved web connector:

Previously, Power BI gave users the ability to scrape data from websites that were properly formatted using HTML tables. However, this was frequently problematic as the imported information didn't always appear in context.

Microsoft has remedied the issue in the latest update with an improvement to the web connector. The Navigator mode has been modified to allow web tables to be previewed with the proper context, improving the overall functionality of the tool and resulting in a more streamlined user experience.

Report View Updates

Changes have been made to the Report View tools, allowing you to have greater flexibility in how you view report data. Specifically, improvements have been made to the available query functions, such as:

Drill online charts:

Power BI previously allowed users to explore hierarchical data in bar charts. With the latest update, you can now get the same level of functionality in line charts.

Continuous axis for Date axis:

Line charts now default to being continuous along the Date axis as you move through different layers of data-based data.

Predefined matrix styles:

This upgrade extends the style functionality that was previously in place for tables to matrices. If you select a matrix in Power BI, an option will appear in the formatting pane allowing you to select available style choices.

Reorder fields in charts:

In previous versions of Power BI, the order of the fields in your charts was determined by the order in which they were inputted. With the latest upgrade, you can now reorder them in the field well, giving you more control over your visualization data. Once changed, the software will automatically update all related charts to match the reordered fields.

Colour formatting for KPI visual:

Colours can now be modified for the KPI visual, with Power BI now giving you the ability to change the settings for the good, neutral and bad colours. When selected, a colour picker option will appear that will allow you to either choose a default or input your own colour code.

Other Features

In addition to the changes outlined above, Microsoft has unveiled some other features, namely modifications to query editing and recovery options.

Merge/Append as a new query:

Multiple tables can now be merged or appended within the Query Editor, which is a handy feature if you need to create tables from multiple sources.

In previous versions, the merge/append functions were applied as new steps within an existing query. After the update, the system allows you to decide whether you want to take new steps within an existing query, or to generate a new query within the operation.

Auto-recover desktop files:

In the event that the Power BI application crashes and you haven't had a chance to save your report, the software gives you an improved ability to recover your files.

Immediately upon opening the application after a crash, the system will prompt you to automatically recover your files. This feature can be customized in the Options tab.

A new feature also allows you to select the choice to keep the last auto recovery version if you close without saving.

Acrodex IT support and software advisory services can help you with all aspects of Microsoft Power BI, from pricing and procurement to implementation and usage. Contact us to learn how our business intelligence solutions can give your company the edge.

What You Need to Know About Microsoft Power BI Updates was originally published to Edmonton IT Services Firm: Acrodex