September, 2015

Technology has shaped the way we interact, consume, create, learn and communicate. In short, modern day technology has seeped into all aspects of our lives in a way that one tends to think how did the people manage without it? Today, people can have face time with a client while preparing a presentation and pay their bills from the car on their way to work. In essence, new age technology has ensured that we are already living in the future.

Telecom and the consumer

The telecommunications have graduated from aiding consumers to communicate through time and distance, to multimedia. Over the last few years one has witnessed a gust of change in the several realms to make entertainment, education and advertising more accessible and real to the consumers – thanks to the seamless MPLS services and Ethernet facilities, uninterrupted network coverage along with high-performance, high-security Internet services.

Taming the smart technology

In the past decade, mobile phones have increasingly become the center of the universe for most consumers globally. Today’s consumer wants everything on the go and as mobile devices take centerstage, businesses start reaching out to more people. This has led to a huge paradigm shift in the telecom industry as the operators invest in advanced technology for more transparent customer service. Given the competition in the sector, each operator is going out of his way to attract more customers. To engage a wider customer base and cash in on customer loyalty, you must have a scalable and reliable network infrastructure that offers long term possibilities for your business.

Innovation is key

The world of information technology is extremely dynamic. This means every day you are presented with a new choice and the end-user, today, wants to spend on the very latest technology even for personal use. In such a rapidly shifting environment it is key for the telecom companies to be able to keep up with the pace of ever-changing environments. It will be safe to say one of the major challenges for telecom companies going ahead is to switch gears and try to imbibe as much dynamism as the changing needs of your customers.

Efficiency and security

Telecommunications has become indispensable to socioeconomic activities. Therefore, telecom operators, must focus on reliable and secure services. You should rely on companies that offer security infrastructure that protects against potential threats, provides centralised security control for distributed Internet access, high-security DIA and real time detection of intrusions.

Sophisticated networks and best-of-breed technologies are essential to every telecom operator. So is standardisation and interoperability of systems to derive maximum benefits from their businesses. You must keep up with the changing trends of the industry by leveraging a state-of-the-art service that goes beyond coverage, flexibility and scalability. A service that offers you an edge over competitors and enables you to convert your digital mobile consumer into a revenue stream.

With the businesses running across the globe, at different geographic locations, current enterprise systems have become large and overly complex. Applications and data are fundamental to business and the smallest downtime can cause millions of losses. Imagine a natural catastrophe to strike at any location making data loss. Rebuilding infrastructure and getting data recovered is next to impossible thing if Business Contingency or Business continuity Plans (BCP) are not in place. Disaster Recovery is a subset of BCP. It is vital to have Disaster Recovery Plans ready. In this article, we will see what a disaster recovery is? What is Disaster Recovery Plan and what are the available solutions.

What is Disaster Recovery?

Disaster Recovery basically means getting vital infrastructure recovered and protecting from significant damages. It involves a security planning which includes policies and procedures to maintain business continuity in case of disaster or disruptive events. Loss of Data or disruption of service causes critical financial impact. Thus, it is very much important that your disaster recovery plan is ready in place in order to come out of disasters with minimal impacts.

What is Disaster Recovery Plan?

Disaster Recovery Plan also referred as business continuity plan or business process contingency plan has the procedures and policies described in order to deal with the disaster to make sure that the business critical functions can be continued without disruption or at least with minimal disruptions

What are Disaster Recovery Solutions?

Traditional disaster Recovery strategy involves building a DR infrastructure where you need to take regular backups of your business critical data and applications, have them up to date on your DR locations which is at a geographically different location. If you want, you can work with a traditional availability services partner who can host your DR environment. However, the traditional disaster recovery method is cost and resource exhaustive as compared to modern DR solutions.

There are easy to manage and affordable disaster recovery solutions now available in market, such as Cloud Based Disaster Recovery and Recovery as a Service (RaaS)

Cloud Based Disaster Recovery

Cloud computing, since based on virtualization, can virtualize the entire server with its operating system, patches, applications and its entire data in a single virtual server. This virtual server can be backed up to an offsite Data Center. The data can be easily transferred from one Data Center to another and can be recovered easily. Since virtual server is hardware independent, the huge cost, the resource management and related planning for managing the hardware, get reduced to minimal amount, thus proves to be a cost-effective and efficient approach of disaster recovery.

Recovery as a Service (RaaS)

Recovery as a Service also referred as Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) is service where cloud computing plays key role in protecting an application and related data from a natural disaster or any event of service disruption by fully recovering it on cloud. In case of RaaS, your physical or virtual servers, applications are replicated to the cloud, so in the event of a disaster it can be brought back online immediately. Third party providers provide RaaS Services either through contract or pay-per-use basis and accordingly DRaaS requirements and expectation are contract or pay-per-use basis and accordingly DRaaS requirements and expectation are documented in Service Level agreements, thus gives a flexibility in DRaaS contracts. The Key here is that in the event of a disaster the DRaaS service provider should meet the defined recovery time and recovery point objectives.

Telecom is the backbone of current IT industry. Currently there are so many companies offering telecommunication services. It is very difficult to conclude on a service provider when going for a telecommunication services as there are several companies offering several different options and everybody trying all their marketing techniques to catch hold of you. No doubt every company is making its best to make a place and retain their customer, however different businesses have their own needs and selection of a telecom providers should be aligned to your needs. There are certain things that you need to consider when going for a telecom service provider.

In this article, we will discuss about certain aspects that you should think before going for a telecom service provider.

Network Security and Reliability

Network Security:

It is of utmost importance to think about network and security when selecting a telecom provider. You must see what is the network type? Is it a fully converged network with a consolidated infrastructure based on IP, Ethernet, and optical technologies? Network convergence is basically the coexistence of video, voice, and data communication over a single network. Security of the converged network is a major concern. So, it is important that you check if the network is secure enough, has added protection, and prevents denial of service attacks.

Network Reliability:

You must ensure that the telecom provider is reliable and helps you grow your business. Even a small disconnect or glitch in the telephone or internet connection can cause you a significant loss. So, it is important to ensure that you are covered, and your provider should have the ability to restore the service fast, with minimal impact on your business.

Service Offerings and Customer Support

Product and Service Range:

You need to check what products and services are provided by the telecom provider as per your business needs. Do they offer a range of products, including cloud, voice, data, internet, and managed services? The provider should be able to assess and assist with the selection of cost-effective products and services aligned with your business needs.

Customer Support:

Make sure that your telecom provider offers excellent customer support. Even a good product may fail due to poor customer service. Your provider should assist you when needed. Check with other customers of the telecom provider and enquire about the quality of their customer service. Are they proving quick fixes for issues? Are they patient and efficient in addressing your problems? A provider with good customer service that solves problems quickly, treats customers with respect, and communicates effectively is a crucial factor.

Costing and Profitability

Competitive Pricing:

It is not always true that lower costs mean worse service. Some providers offer discounted wholesale rates, pass the savings on to customers, and still provide great service to businesses. When selecting a telecom provider, check if the providers offer competitive, negotiated quotes based on your business needs.

Long-term Profitability:

Consider long-term profitability when selecting a telecom provider. Your provider should help you protect your existing customer base, create new revenue streams, and venture into new markets.

Technology and Scalability

Up-to-Date Technology:

It is important to evaluate the technology offerings of your service provider. Ensure that the systems provided are constantly updated and incorporate the latest technologies available in the market. This ensures that your system is efficient enough to handle operations during peak loads without performance issues.

Scalability for Growth:

Ensure that the provider offers services that are flexible and scalable to accommodate future growth. Check if the telecom provider uses cutting-edge technology and that upgrades are smooth and hassle-free. As your business grows, your telecom provider should be capable of expanding their offerings to meet your changing needs.

Customization Options

Tailored Solutions for Your Business Needs:

Every business has different requirements. Your telecom provider should offer customization options for their products and services according to your needs. You should be able to select the services you want, without being burdened with unnecessary extras. Make sure the provider helps customize a system precisely tailored to your business.

Conclusion

Considering the above points should help you in deciding on the right telecom provider. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, it’s essential to choose a provider that offers reliable service, customizable and scalable products, excellent customer support, and cost-effective solutions tailored to your business needs. Always ask for references and ensure that you are getting what you expect before making your final decision.

With evolving technologies and the advent of advanced applications, telecommunications has triggered a growth in various business sectors. Technological advancement in telecommunications has helped businesses in not just increasing efficiency and productivity, but also reducing expenses. Here are five things that IT team of every business should know about the telecom technology to acquire cost-effective telecom solutions providing optimum business benefits.

DSL services

Reliable Internet access is imperative for every business for uninterrupted services to potential clients, customers and their workforce. Businesses can benefit from the telecom providers who emphasize on providing a range of high-speed Internet options specifically customized to the demands of a company. Value-added services including 24*7 customer support are also critical for excellent workforce productivity.

Unified Communication

All forms of communication are carried on the same network in a unified communication strategy and businesses can immensely improve productivity and efficiency by working with the right service provider. In order to reap the benefits, you must work with a provider that delivers absolutely flexible and secure platform contributing to better responsiveness with both, real-time and non-real-time communication from everywhere. Furthermore, choose a telecom service provider that assures flawless integration of distinctive applications and communication devices as well as networks into a unified platform as a service.

Video and voice conferencing

The need to meet face-to-face with potential partners and clients is critical in different businesses, but is not always viable due to the global reach of the businesses. While there are many options available to sustain communications through video and voice conferencing, getting the right services is crucial. Scalability, network adaptability, availability through various devices, flexibility in plans, instant facilities and multiple layers of security are of high value. A service provider with a wide range of collaborative tools will help you to save on your capex and maintenance costs.

Customer service

To stay ahead, businesses are constantly seeking to redefine their relationship with their customers. With a comprehensive telecommunication plan, businesses get to enhance the quality of their customer service. Telecom service providers give businesses from different sectors opportunities to improve productivity and efficiency with specific tools that can help them handle enquiries in a better way. A competent provider offers optimum-quality and reliable communication services to assist you in managing incoming workload.

Remote and mobile employees

Today, employees in various industries work on the go or from remote locations, which calls for uninterrupted connectivity. Employees that work outside of the office also require easy access to various business operations and seamless exchange of information. Work with a telecom service provider who offers plans that cover remote and mobile employees with secure network connections so that they can leverage the same communication dexterity that in-office employees are provided.

With telecom technology offering so many advantages, it is beneficial for every business to partner with the right service provider that helps them achieve improved productivity, facilitate faster decision-making and gain a competitive edge.

Cloud computing is one of the most progressive pillars of the IT sector. However, the very concept of cloud computing with the added complexity of virtualisation can throw a novice to unknown waters. The word cloud itself sounds porous and easy to penetrate. But such is not the case on a larger picture. Despite being more and more ubiquitous in various business environments, cloud computing carries its share of security concerns. It’s time that everyone knows the whats and whys of cloud computing and destroy these myths once and for all.

Myth 1: Public cloud storages can be easily targeted

Public clouds are just as vulnerable as private clouds. Securing data, whether or not on cloud, is an ongoing process. You cannot think of security as product or service. It is a constant battle and one has to be fully equipped to fight this war. For example, many providers are on top of their security game with PCI, HIPAA, SOC 2, SSAE16 and various ISO standards. In addition, they offer data encryption and have effective data loss prevention policies in place. So, the problem does not lie in the public cloud, but the security measures taken by the vendor and the corporation.

Myth 2: All cloud apps are the same

A user will not use all of his cloud software in equal amounts and hence, the security for cloud computing will be different in each case. Depending on the sensitivity of the data, the profile of the user, the intended use of the data and other factors, different policies can be put into place to manage session authentication, data distribution control and other threats.

Myth 3: Your cloud service provider holds complete responsibility for your cloud storage

It’s a common myth that the cloud provider will be at your beck and call. No they won’t. Think of it as leasing an apartment, the owner will provide you with all the necessary security (guards, alarms, etc.) but you have to be careful at your end. You cannot give keys to everyone. On cloud as well, you will have to manage passwords, protect against identity fraud, encrypt sensitive data, provide access to devices via secure networks and take care of other risk mitigation activities.

Myth 4: Corporate networks are stronger in protecting cloud apps

Corporate networks are not necessarily more secure. Security breaches and data loss are just as common. Corporate networks or not, cloud apps can be vulnerable if not implemented right. A secure cloud gateway that shields the interaction between the corporate network and the cloud is imperative. The key here is working with a provider who focuses on deploying world-class networking security, monitoring services and intrusion detection.

Myth 5: Tenants in the same cloud can spy on one another

Multiple tenants share storage, processing and other services in a public cloud but thanks to virtualisation, there is a strong partition between each tenant. Even the virtual machines sharing the same servers are isolated altogether from other VMs. And if that’s not enough, corporations can use CSPs that isolate VLANs to hold other tenants off their networks.