So what is consumerisation in the context of IT? The consumerisation of IT is a trend that has gathered momentum in recent years and refers to ways in which the consumer sector and business sector are converging. It is used as an umbrella term covering many things, including allowing employees to buy or bring to the workplace devices of their choice. This will sometimes replace being given designated computers or other devices, but it can also supplement the traditional model. The IT consumerisation tag can also be used to refer to the way in which some companies (or individuals) use consumer software and services such as Facebook and Twitter to accomplish business tasks.

Indeed, the boundaries between professional and personal lives are being redefined. Users no longer work within their offices (thanks to Cloud Computing/SaaS), but often check email late at night and update personal web pages during the day. Users are demanding freedom and IT needs to figure out ways in which to help them maintain a balance between work and personal time.

Those in favour of consumerisation of IT see it as a way of liberating their employees, increasing creativity and loyalty, and as a tactic for restoring work/life balance and enabling the recruitment of the brightest new talent. Opponents, however believe it leads to inconsistency, manageability issues and information security risks.

Here are some factors to address if you are considering consumerisation for your company/organisation.

• Assess your users – Assess what consumer grade applications and devices your employees are using at work today. It will also be useful to create a profile of your end-users and the typical scenario they encounter. Depending on the individual user’s impact on the business and their needs, you will be able to form an opinion on whether consumerisation is right for them and you.

• Understand content and information security – Some users may deal with confidential legal issues, whereas others may deal with information that is intended for public readership. Similarly, some information, such as sales contracts, is highly sensitive while other data, such as marketing brochures, can be shared using consumer technologies such as Windows Live SkyDrive without risk. Access to areas should be strictly limited by role and credentials.

• Recognise device types and application needs – Individual devices are not good for all tasks and one size does not fit all. Devices without keyboards may be inadequate for data creation and PCs generally provide the best environment for data creation and manipulation tasks. The challenge is to match work profiles with the right device.

• Define the criteria for a successful solution – Consider what benefits there will be and how these benefits will be measured. Plan to protect sensitive data, allow data access and sharing, provide tools for application delivery and access, and deliver a centrally managed environment through technologies such as cloud-based applications and services and desktop virtualisation.

• Update your organisational policies – Your policies should reflect your solution, requiring collaboration beyond IT. Areas such as data classification will require legal counsel and finance departments will need to tackle the tax issues of benefits in kind and issuing cash allowances when users select their own devices or bring their own devices to work. Occasionally, consumerisation is driven by the HR department which has an interest in providing a modern, dynamic environment to attract the best talent in the industry.

• Provide implementation and development resources – Ensure you provide sufficient assistance to support and develop the delivery of applications and data across multiple platforms. This will affect the likely cost and timescales for the successful implementation of a consumerisation project. Be aware that adopting a consumerisation strategy or implementing a ‘bring your own’ device model will not cost the enterprise less. Invariably it will cost more and increase complexity and risk. If the only driver is cost reduction, you are almost certainly making a bad move.

• Pilot your solution and plan for continuous improvements – Use highly motivated volunteers who are keen to create a consumerisation strategy. Do not pilot just a single device because it is unlikely to suit all users. The programme should not be a way for particular users to get ‘cool stuff’. Roll out the programme to all employees or to those you have identified as most likely to benefit.

The consumerisation of IT is a very real trend that is being adopted by many organisations, particularly those going through a period of change. Positive outcomes may include employees who are more engaged, productive and creative and a powerful aid to recruitment. However it should not be viewed as a cost saving exercise and like any change management programme, strict governance and measurements must be put in place to gauge success.

Thanks

Richard

While the desktop computer is not set for extinction any time soon, research says that by 2020, most people will not do their work with software running on a general-purpose PC. Instead they will work in internet based applications and in applications run from smartphones. Cloud computing will continue to expand and come to dominate information transactions because it offers many advantages, allowing users to have easy, instant and individualised access to tools and information they need wherever they are, locatable from any networked device.

The generation entering the workplace today have never known a world without computers in their living rooms, internet on their mobile phones and networking without using social media. And in order to entice this generation, 68% of those surveyed believe companies will have to offer the very latest in technology and flexible workspaces to attract and retain the brightest workforce – and cloud computing is a fundamental foundation for this.

Synonymous with this new generation is their behaviour within the workplace – as companies seek to become ever more innovative, to drive new ideas and new services and products, employee collaboration will be instrumental, using, sharing and changing documents and ideas together using cloud computing as a tool.

Ultimately technology and the onset of cloud computing will change the way we all work in the future, ensuring anywhere, anytime access to the information and the people we need in order to get things done and drive business growth.

A recent report from IDC, IDC Predictions 2011 highlights that cloud use by SMEs (that’s SMALL and Medium Size Enterprises) is expected to surge in 2011, with the adoption of some cloud resources topping 33 per cent by year’s end.

Even though more small businesses are starting to adopt cloud computing, it’s clear that many are still unsure of what it is, how it relates to their specific business sector and most importantly how it can benefit them.

Why small businesses should look to the cloud

A major challenge for small businesses, especially start-ups, is the upfront cost of IT infrastructure and the huge costs incurred managing IT, when they could be saving money and investing it in other core business areas. Cloud computing reduces the need for costly infrastructure associated with on-premise software and the additional management overheads required.

These benefits can be categorised as follows:

Cost: Unlike traditional IT systems, cloud applications require no more infrastructure than an internet connection and can even work wirelessly on mobile devices. This reduces upfront capital expense and slashes maintenance costs.

Mobility: Having access to email, documents, contacts and calendars while out and about can help your staff keep in touch with customers and remain productive when they are not in the office.

Speed: IT departments don’t have to go through the lengthy process of building IT infrastructure and deploying software to multiple computers when using cloud services. Instead, they subscribe to services and receive them.

Reliability: The cloud computing provider is responsible for maintaining and upgrading the infrastructure. This means greater security and higher levels of uptime, leaving your staff free to focus on more important core business processes.

Scalability: You only have to pay for the resources you use. Instead of buying hardware, software and consultants to set up and run applications, businesses can pay a cloud-based provider i.e. Ancar B on a per-user per-month basis. So as your company grows , your IT systems can grow with you, with very little hassle or cost.

Innovation: Small businesses can now get the very latest versions of software they need at all times, with no refresh cycles, so they are always working on the very latest technology to help drive their business forward.

Cloud objections

Data security and privacy is often cited for wariness of going the Cloud route. Sceptics argue that once your data exists out in the cloud, you are hard-pressed to ensure no one else has access to it or to get it back if you want to change providers. This also includes the issue of uptime i.e. how your service provider ensures the internet doesn’t ‘go down’ and what guarantees are there for this. This issue may be causing more than a few firms to delay adoption of the cloud, but needn’t be an insurmountable problem. In fact, when it comes to securing your information in the cloud, top tier cloud providers have such stringent security protocols and security service level agreements, the data is often seen as more secure than many small businesses would provide for themselves.

In conclusion

Technology has to be seen for what it is – an enabler of business processes – and cloud computing is no exception. Technology was on the cusp of becoming a hindrance to many small businesses because of cost, unreliability and complexity. Looking to the cloud to offload technical services, such as patching and upgrades and security and uptime, whilst only paying for IT you actually use, puts IT back at the heart of business, but not dictating business.

There has never been a better time for SMEs to make the switch to cloud computing. The technology is low-cost, scalable, easy to implement and use. For SMEs, life in the cloud is too compelling a prospect to ignore.

However, a recent survey conducted by The Register revealed some interesting findings and conclusions on the current state of productivity in predominantly UK companies, which I thought would be worth sharing.

Productivity improvement is desirable but elusive

The survey showed that when it comes to supporting, never mind maximising individual and team productivity, the right tools and information are not available to the people who need them, and considerable amounts of time continue to be wasted as a result.

Information access is the biggest problem

Having access to the right information at the right time was singled out as the most important element of productivity. It was also a significant problem when it actually comes to providing it: the majority of companies aren’t doing it well, and there is much room for improvement when it comes to supporting individual workers with collaboration tools and access to business intelligence.

Changing work patterns are making the issue more acute

Most companies today have distributed workforces, and many office-based employees don’t exclusively work from home anymore. Mobile working is on the increase, as are nomadic and home working. Team structures are becoming more fluid, with temporary teams forming and disbanding, often in different locations, and across different time zones. Issues arising from lack of the right tools to support tasks as well as collaboration are magnified, and even more time is wasted.

There is little direct support for productivity improvement

Few companies take any structured (in the shape of training) or unstructured (in the guise of mentoring or coaching) measures to improve individual productivity. There is also a strong sense that many organisations aren’t aware of what can – and should – be done to improve productivity.

The role of technology to support productivity could be greater

Comparatively little use is made of many of the technologies that can help people work better as individuals and as teams, and uncertainty remains regarding the value of particular technologies. Whether or not they are planning to make improvements, most companies could benefit from taking a more structured approach to assessing the role of technology in the context of productivity.

The role of people and process could be greater

Several of the respondents recognised that technology on its own can’t improve productivity: people and process have equal parts to play – if people don’t know how to use the technology, feel demotivated, or work in an environment that’s not conducive to productive working, then the value of the technology is instantly reduced, potentially even to zero. Equally if processes aren’t right – and that can mean too few or too many processes, as well as simply inappropriate ones – no supporting technology can compensate for the resulting loss of productivity.

Sounds gloomy doesn’t it?

Well it does, but the conclusions of the survey provide some chinks of light and indicate ways forward.

First of all it’s necessary to take an all-encompassing view of productivity, that is ‘business productivity’ as a whole. Business productivity is made up of two key elements: the efficiency and effectiveness of individuals and teams; and the efficiency and effectiveness of the processes that are in place.

From an individual and team perspective, it’s essential that they have the right tools and information to hand, and that they know how to use them. From a business perspective, it’s not only important to ensure that the tools, information and generic training are made available, but also crucial that:

• The right tools are selected in the first place
• An assessment is made of how the tools and information should be used to best effect
• Training and guidelines are tailored accordingly

But this is the aspect that’s typically neglected, because to a large extent, the impact on productivity of tool and information deficiencies, as well as lack of expertise, is a hidden cost, borne in the first instance by the employee, but ultimately by the business itself.

What do we mean be hidden cost?  To give a few examples: Managers and colleagues may not be aware that it takes a particular employee ten mouse clicks for something that could be done in one, or ten minutes for a task that could be accomplished in two, because the person doesn’t know how best to use the tools they’re working with. The resulting waste of time is not apparent as a loss of productivity, simply because the individuals in question will most likely be working long hours to complete their work – but the impact on the business of a tired stressed worker will sooner or later be felt as will the consequences of errors.

Similarly, it’s expected that employees simply get used to new or upgraded software; and even in organisations that actively support the concept of a super user who is trained to support colleagues, it is often taken for granted that those super users complete their usual workload even at times when their support is needed almost one hundred per cent of their time.

So that’s an area that companies need to pay more attention to if they are serious about improving productivity: 1) gaining a true understanding of what a tool or application does, 2) developing best practice for it use, and 3) providing appropriate training and guidance to ensure employees can use it to best effect.  It also means understanding how long a particular task or process should be taking, and what information is required to complete it; only then can it be assessed how much that time could be reduced, and mistakes avoided, if employees are given better tools.

If you’d like some advice or improving productivity in your business using IT and processes and training, please give Ancar B a call.

Thanks
Richard

Ancar B was invited to present to the audience on Cloud Computing with particular reference to Sage 200. Whilst ‘Cloud’ is a subject with which many of us in the technology industry are familiar, not a single delegate – approximately 20 attended the event – had had any experience of ‘Cloud’ or working using Software As A Service. Why is this so?

Well in many instances I believe that most of the attendees had not considered ‘Cloud’ as an option, because of all of the technical terms surrounding it that makes it sound complicated to the layman e.g. Virtualisation, Software As A Service, Infrastructure As A Service, Platform As A Service, SPLA, VMWare, Hypervisor. In addition, I believe some companies are terrified of hosting their data in a location away from their business due to perceived security issues and the negative press attention some security breaches have received.

In terms of both of these stumbling blocks, understanding ‘Cloud’ and allaying potential customer’s fears about hosting their applications and data elsewhere can be negated. Despite all the definitions about cloud e.g. Cloud computing is the next stage in the Internet’s evolution, providing the means through which everything – from computing power to computing infrastructure, applications, business processes to personal collaboration – can be delivered to you as a service wherever and whenever you need, I found the following graphic pretty much ‘nailed it’ for the audience in understanding what can be stored/accessed/used in the cloud and via what means e.g. PC, Laptop, Smartphone etc.

Then we get onto the prickly issue of security. The irony with storing your data elsewhere – in the ‘Cloud’ – is that many companies are already doing this as part of their disaster recovery strategy i.e. storing data offsite at a data centre via remote backup in case their server is stolen or goes up in flames. So why would they be so reluctant to use an offsite resource for their day to day operations therefore? The other irony is that Data Centres have far superior access controls, firewalls and security procedures than many companies who keep their data on-site. The following cartoon made me chuckle in this respect:-

Anyway, I felt we really managed to grab the audience’s attention when we explained how ‘Cloud Computing’ removes many of the constraints from traditional computing environments including space, time, power and cost. For example, imagine a company wanting to deploy a Sage 200 system for 5 Users. Traditionally this would have been done with an On-Premise solution i.e. a server on the customer’s site. This would incur significant cost in terms of Server and PC Upgrades, New Operating Systems, SQL Database Licenses, Installation Costs and also ongoing Maintenance:-

Gulp! For many businesses this can be a real deal breaker. Having secured £20k from the Finance Director for the Sage 200 software itself, the extra £5k+ to deploy the solution on the appropriate hardware is ‘a bridge too far’.

However, ‘Cloud Computing’ can overcome this financial impasse by offering resources and licenses which customers can ‘rent’ on a monthly basis in order to deploy a much needed line of business application e.g. Sage 200. Moreover as a ‘Cloud’ solution is paid for on a monthly basis it falls into the operational budget of many companies and becomes no more burdensome than paying the monthly mobile bill e.g.

Great! That’s much more manageable!

Cloud is the future, but don’t just take my word for it. According to a recent survey by IDC cloud computing revenue will not only increase during the next few years, but the way organisations use the technology will change. In addition, it is anticipated cloud computing spending will account for 25% of annual IT expenditure growth by 2012 and nearly a third of the growth the following year.

The underlying reasons for this were even more revealing. In a related survey:-

• 70% agreed ‘Using the Cloud’ had Simplified IT Management Processes
• 72% agreed ‘Using the Cloud’ had Improved End User Experience
• 63% agreed ‘Using the Cloud’ had Decreased IT Performance Challenges
• 73% agreed ‘Using the Cloud’ had Reduced the Cost of Infrastructure
• 74% agreed ‘Using the Cloud’ had Alleviated Internal Resource Pressures

Speak soon

Richard

* Prices discussed in this article are estimates as of May 2011.  Please call for updated pricing.

Ancar B like to keep things simple, so a phrase I often use with customers to bring clarity to this subject is ‘Pay As You Go Computing’. We feel this is easier to understand and interpret and allows us to draw an analogy with Utilities. For example, ’Pay As You Go Computing’ is a way of giving customers the applications they need to work ‘on tap’, but delivered as a service – like their gas or electricity – without them needing to install on their server or purchase new hardware – at significant capital expense. With this in mind, we have recently published the following ad in local publications to get the concept of  ‘Pay as You Go Computing’ across to our target audience.

And we are confident this will further add to our growing list of virtual platform ‘Pay As You Go’ clients such as:

• A Northern-based cleaning company with 14 Users, who needed access to Sage 50, Sage ACT! and Office 2010 for both office based and remote workers throughout the UK.
• A Southern based holiday park utilising our virtual platform to run Sage 200 for 10 Users at Head Office.
• A Midlands based national exhibition, display and Point of Sale materials company, who are using our virtual platform to store database information, artwork files and product technical specifications for access by their staff across the UK.
• A Southern based accountancy practice who want to allow their clients to be able to access Sage 50 remotely and to conduct tutorials on line.  
• A Northern-based procurement organisation supplying hotels in the UK with food and associated items, who need their agents to communicate with HQ remotely, quickly and efficiently for order processing.  

All these solutions have been delivered to our clients at a fraction of the cost it would take to deploy them traditionally on hardware at their premises. Each client and their users literally click a connection icon on their PC or laptop to be taken to the services they wish to use i.e. Sage, Office 2010, and then use them as they wish on a ‘Pay As You Go’ monthly basis.

It’s a brilliant way to work and to budget for IT in the current economic climate.

Thanks

Richard

Hosted Sage solutions are not a new concept. For years companies have outsourced their Sage solutions to data farms just like SAP users.

However, due to technology advances and licensing models introduced and developed over the last 24 months, hosted Sage solutions are becoming a much more viable solution.

Ancar B Technologies has been working with major UK Sage Partners in deploying Hosted Sage Solutions for several years in physical environments. However, due to developments in virtualization technology, we also offer solutions within a Private Cloud.

Cost Reductions

Microsoft in recent years released a licensing model that allows companies to “Rent” Microsoft licenses based upon monthly usage which allows for low cost deployment of hosted services and has created the increase in deployment of such services.

Unfortunately, Sage still operates a policy where the software has to be owned by the user outright for its deployment.

So, with the cost savings with Virtualization and the Microsoft License Agreements, the initial Capital Expenditure is reduced to the costs associated directly with the procurement of the Sage software.

Sage 50 to Sage 1000

Don’t forget Sage 200 and Sage Line 500 either! They can all be hosted remotely. Sage 50 can be deployed in a single virtual server config using Server 2008 and Remote Apps to offer extremely cost effective solutions. These are hosted within Ancar B’s “Customer Cloud”.

Larger deployments of Sage are hosted within Private Clouds dedicated for each customer, offering high data security and availability.

Hosted Sage ERP, CRM and ACT!

The benefits don’t just end with the Account ranges. With all the applications now turning into Web Services, the Sage ERP, CRM and ACT! solutions can also be deployed in a virtual or cloud environment.

Read more about Ancar B Technologies Hosted Sage Solutions.

Backwards compatibility prevented many companies from deploying Windows XP upon it’s release in 2002 as the NT Kernel changes meant that many applications were no longer compatible with the mainstream Operating Systems at the time.

By utilizing Virtualisation, Microsoft are have pretty much guaranteed that a correctly spec’d Windows 7 PC will still run your “Legacy” applications from Windows XP.

The Windows 7 “XP Mode” runs a Windows XP Virtual Machine on your Windows 7 desktop using Microsoft’s Virtual PC technology. When up and running, you can install your legacy applications inside your Windows XP knowing they will work. Once installed on your XP VM, you will find them conveniently located in your Windows 7 start menu and able to be run on your usual desktop.

I must also warn, that NOT ALL applications will be able to be run from your Windows 7 start menu, but they can still be operated from within your Windows XP Mode VM.

So, what’s required to be able to run the Windows XP Mode?

Hardware wise you need at least 2GB or RAM in your computer, and a Processor that supports Chip-Level Virtualisation. Does your CPU support Virtualisation? Use “Securable” to find out.

Additionally you will need to install the Windows XP Mode updates for your Windows 7 PC from Microsoft. There is a link for that here. http://www.microsoft.com/windows/virtual-pc/download.aspx

So, with a little forward planning and testing, deploying Windows 7 across your organisation need not be the headache usually associated with OS Upgrades. I would also suggest speaking with your IT Support company/department to ensure your network will accept Windows 7 clients before pushing to test it.

Please Note:- The XP Virtual Machine WILL require security to prevent the same threats as your desktop PC. i.e. Antivirus.

It is true that physical servers are under utilised. According to reports, the majority of servers are used approximately 15% of the time that it is powered on. So how or why are these deployments failing? Well, usually bad resource planning and undefined project definable deliverables and I will try to outline some of the major failure points in this post.

1. Resource Planning

When planning a Virtualisation deployment needs time. In a multi server environment you need to monitor resource usage of your existing physical servers, or have a solid understanding of their needs when planning the architecture and specification within your Virtual Infrastructure. You need to know, which services and physical services can blend well to ensure that a physical node isn’t overloaded and a performance decrease is witnessed.

Key items to monitor include:

• Processor idle time
• Page File use
• Free Memory
• Disk Queue Length
• Bandwidth

2. Additional Network Complexity

Consolidation of your physical environment into a Enterprise/Private Cloud has many business and IT advantages, which include reducing the network complexity. Ironically without the correct training, many IT Administrators and Support Teams are failing to be able to support the the solutions correctly due to a poor understanding of the architecture.

3. Hidden underlying costs

Tied with number one, poor planning of an installation can leave companies needing to add additional servers and complexity into their Virtual networks that weren’t initially planned. With the addition of more servers usually comes the deployment of a Storage Network which adds another costly layer to the deployment.

4. Unrealistic Expectations

In a Virtualised environment, you are sharing server resources. It will be inevitable, that there will become a queue on a specific resource demand at some point and a performance drop will be seen over ths queue length.

You cannot expect to receive the performance of a single server from within a Virtual environment without the correct investment.

5. Not utilizing High Availability

One of the best features that Virtualisation and Cloud computing offers is the ability the fail over ability. The Virtual Machines are not dependent upon hardware, so can be simply configured to move from server to server in the event of failure.

Now as this can be a “Server Consolidation Exercise“, many companies do not use this feature and this can leave them in peril. In our current networks, if one server fails, one service is unavailable. However, if a virtualised node fails, all the servers hosted on their fail, potentially taking down the entire network.

Businesses suffering extended IT outages are statistically more likely to suffer massive financial losses and potentially fold.

Is it all bad?

Definately not, No! Ancar B is an advocate for Virtualisation, and with the correct planning and budget all SME users can take advantage of the benefits whether it be in house or hosted.

Had a bad experience?

If you’re working on a current virtual network and you’re suffering with resource overuse or performance degredation, I suggest you take a look at your performance monitors and see where improvements are needed or bottlenecks occur.

If you’re in a Windows environment, check Microsoft’s Measuring Performance on Hyper-V to help shed some light.

Hopefully, this post will allow you to avoid any issues in depolying a Virtual Network, or just a little insight into the traps that are out there.