Diving Into The Cloud For Your Business

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Is your business considering a move to cloud computing? It’s a smart move that many companies have made. In fact, 88% of enterprise workloads will be in the cloud by 2020. However, you may be hesitant to dive into the cloud. You may have concerns about costs, implementation, security, and employee training.

Those are all normal concerns, but the reality is, cloud services can offer an abundance of benefits for your organization. With the cloud, it’s much easier to scale and be flexible. If you are on the fence about cloud computing, you’ll appreciate this practical guide.

What is cloud computing?

Let’s start with the basics. The cloud is basically a virtual workspace that connects users from anywhere and allows them to store and exchange information. It’s a model of sharing resources, software, and information through a network.

What are the different types of cloud computing?

There are three primary cloud types:

  • Public cloud: services delivered through the internet
  • Private cloud: internal usage by a single organization
  • Hybrid cloud: a mixture of public and private

Beyond these three cloud types, there are different types of cloud computing services, including:

  • SaaS (software as a service): applications accessible by users via a web browser
  • PaaS (platform as a service): a space for application development and testing
  • IaaS (infrastructure as a service): computing resources in a virtual environment used for data storage, virtualization, networking, and servers

According to a recent survey, 89% of companies use SaaS. So, you may be already using the cloud in some way, depending on what type of software you use. But could you be leveraging the cloud further?

Advantages of cloud computing

Securely access your data

The security of your data is always top of mind. And you may feel uneasy about it living in the cloud instead of on a server on-site. With the cloud, you’ll have all the security protocols you need as well as direct control over access to the data. With a private cloud, you have the security you need to remain compliant and ensure the protection of your data as the network is only accessible by your employees. Feel confident in accessing, sharing, and storing data with cloud services.

Improve efficiency

Cloud computing can have a positive effect on your company’s efficiency. With the cloud, you’ll eliminate the need to upgrade your IT infrastructure constantly. Plus, you won’t have storage concerns or challenges with sharing information amongst your team. Instead of constantly emailing documents back and forth, they can remain in the cloud for collaborative workflows.

Ensure flexibility and reliability

A cloud infrastructure allows you to run all your critical applications. Even if there is infrastructure damage, your applications won’t face any downtime. Plus, with a cloud, you can easily scale as your business grows. This agility can also enable you to adapt quickly to changing environments. This type of flexibility can provide you with a competitive advantage.

Diving into the cloud doesn’t have to be swimming with sharks! 

At GroupOne, we build strategic cloud computing services for companies that fit their needs and their budget. Our process includes getting to know your business and what matters most to you. Then we can design a cloud service ecosystem that meets your needs today and tomorrow.

Contact us today to discuss cloud service and how we can help.

Backup Recovery Isn’t Just for Business – Paintball Guns at the Ready

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System failures can happen at any time and cause a slew of problems for your business — from lost data to extended downtime, even client loss. Backup recovery can help you get back on your feet even when the most improbably hiccups occur at your company.

Even in the extremely unlikely event your office were to be stormed by coworkers decked head-to-toe in paintball gear, airsofts blazing — backup and data recovery can save the day.

Backup recovery is a tool designed to help your business not lose any ground when worse comes to worst, including a barrage of splattering paint pellets. This means that there is a specific plan of attack for your business to help you recover in the quickest way possible.

First Line of Defense

The first step to having a great backup and recovery plan is having preventative measures in place. While this includes backup generators and auto-saving servers, protecting your computer from an onslaught of paintballs can be as simple as making your work space into a cardboard fortress.

Your wall of boxes is your first line of defense from paint splatters, just like an auto saving server or regularly synced cloud storage protects your unsaved work from disappearing into the ether.

When Things Get Messy

Other forms of backup recovery include onsite storage and cloud storage. Onsite storage is when your business data is backed-up in your onsite facility. Cloud storage also protects your company, but stores data in the Cloud rather than onsite.  This protects important business data in the event of a natural or man-made disaster.

When the man-made disaster of an ambush paintball attack happens in your office, your data is protected, even if your computer is smashed and the servers get fried by wet paint in the chaos.

Drilling Away

A key component of a successful data recovery plan is making sure that it actually works before you ever need to use it. You can have the most intricate recovery plan in the world, but if you’ve never tested it, there’s nothing you can do when disaster happens in real time and the backup to your backup fails.

Just like double checking recovery methods, running drills and counterattacks can help protect you from coworkers hellbent on turning you and your workstation into a Pinterest canvas painting. Practicing your tuck-and-roll can save your favorite work shirt from a paint splatter, just like practicing recovery methods can save your company from the worst.

Call GroupOne for Your Backup Recovery Needs

We’ve got your back. Give us a call or drop us a line. We’ll make sure your clothes look pristine and your cardboard fort stays nice and clean.

Simplify Your Life with the Best Online Backup

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Besides your people, the very essence of your entire business is your data. Without it, imagine trying to go on. Statistically, the odds are not in your favor: more than 60% of businesses fail within six months of a major data loss. That’s a frightening number ­– especially if confronted with the loss of your entire office. That’s why it’s imperative to equip your office with the best online backup available.

Online Backup Saves Your Data in A Disaster

Imagine it: you come to work one day to find your office . . . gone. Completely gone. Your hardware, your servers, even your desks and chairs – eradicated. Starting again from scratch seems impossible to some business owners. However, even if you lost everything else – how much easier would it be to carry on if all your business data were still intact – tucked safely away in a remote backup location? You could use insurance money to replace your lost equipment, download your data, and – wow – you’re back in business.

Retrieve Even One Corrupted File in Minutes

Sometimes, data loss doesn’t have to be massive to be terribly destructive. Imagine a very special file you and your team have worked on for months – maybe years ­– just to get it as perfect as possible. Then, one day, it can’t be opened. Did someone save it the wrong way?? Did the file just go corrupt?? In the long run, it doesn’t matter. All that matters is that your file is lost. But with the best online backup supporting you, simply retrieve the most recent version of the file from backup, open it up, and get back to work.

GroupOne Can Set Your Business Up with the Best Online Backup

When dealing with something as important as your business data, we don’t use anything but the best. You need the very best online backup system available, and GroupOne can set it up in no time. Let’s talk about your needs, and discover how easy backing up your precious data can be.

How to Achieve Managed Network Security without the Use of the Force

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A long time ago, in a network far, far away . . .

Sci-Fi GroupOne

 

It is a period of managed network security. GROUP ONE, striking from their remote headquarters, have won yet another victory against the evil CYBER ATTACKERS. Pursued by the Attacker’s sinister objectives, GROUP ONE continues in its quest to continue protecting its clients from continued attacks and restore freedom to the galaxy….

Managing Network Security Without the Force

An incredible mental discipline of the Jedi is to join with the Force, harness its power, and focus it on their objectives. While the ability to destroy a planet is insignificant next to the power of the Force, GroupOne utilizes tactics that are just as effective.

Detecting Trouble Without Feeling a Disturbance

When you reach the level of discipline and training as the experts at GroupOne, you can quickly determine when an attack is underway. And you won’t have to sit down and emotionally recuperate later.

Remote Monitoring Without Waving our Hand Mysteriously

As if by magic, GroupOne can monitor your network using only the technology they have in place. Although, sometimes they do perform the hand wave when connecting to your network. But that’s only for show.

Fending Off Cyber Attacks Without a Force-Choke

Lord Vader was the king of intimidation with his handy-dandy Sith move. If you even perturbed him in the slightest, you could expect to be lifted off the ground by your neck by and unseen power ­– or Force. It would be totally cool if we could do that to the people trying to break into your network, but as of right now, we can only reinforce your security. It’s almost as satisfying.

Come to the Light Side of GroupOne

For the best-managed network security available, you don’t have to let the Force be your guide. Simply reach out – listen to your feelings – and make contact. We’ll be here, young Paduwan learners. Your training is about to begin.

Managed IT Services Can Turn Your CAPEX to an OPEX

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CAPEX and OPEX are more than just letters, they’re also acronyms. CAPEX is a business expense that incurs to create a possible benefit in the future. A capital expenditure is when a company invests money into a fixed asset or adds value to an existing asset with a useful life way beyond the tax year. OPEX is an expense that incurs in ordinary business operations. This includes sales, general, and administrative expenses that are used in the production process. Managed IT services are taking a favored approach toward OPEX rather than CAPEX because of the distinct advantages and positive impacts it is making on businesses.

Managed IT Service – The Big Idea

Your managed IT service provider should be your leader in information technology. They manage and assume responsibility to provide a high expectation of services set specifically for you. As they proactively monitor your infrastructure, they determine which services are needed to improve your business. Figuring out where to invest money can be strenuous, but truly deciding on where and how to spend money can be just as difficult. When you choose a proactive approach with managed IT services, rather than a break-fix IT department, you are investing in experts who deliver incredible service. They are dedicated in specialized areas that CAPEX can not “predict”. IT infrastructure needs are becoming less and less predictable because of the rapid advancement of information technology. Businesses are expanding their options because they can afford the newest updated version of technology without the dread of having to pay a heavy sum upfront. Now, organizations can focus on their basic needs and begin to transition their CAPEX investments to OPEX spending.

GroupOne’s Managed IT Services

Innovation is as important in customer service as it is in any other part of IT, and that is why GroupOne’s determines the pricing based not on how many features you select for your service, but on the number of computers, laptops, and servers in your system. GroupOne doesn’t divide our offerings into a bewildering menu so that clients are always adding one more feature to their plan. Instead, we carefully package what organizations really need into a few clearly defined set of options. Our managed IT services will be sure to save you money and turn your CAPEX to an OPEX in no time. Call today for a free consultation.  

Boosting Employee Productivity – Things to Avoid

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Less-Than-Effective Ways to Bolster Employee Productivity.

Employee productivity in the workplace is always desirable. However, while some methods are quite effective at boosting morale and raising productivity, some methods should be avoided. Here are a few examples of tactics business owners should shy away from.

man as desk employee productivity

1. Threats of Pain, Torture, or Becoming Office Furniture.

When prompting employees to do more to improve their employee productivity, often the act of threatening physical harm or degradation is frowned upon. Sure, Gary from accounting may make an excellent workstation, but that doesn’t make it right.


employee with lots of money employee productivity

2. Giving Each Employee Half the Company.

Unless you have only one employee, and you are an owner, it is ill-advised to offer any employee half the company as an incentive to increase their work output, much less all of them. Imagine if Bill Gates had used this tactic at Microsoft? Sure, the immediate results might have been impressive — but at the end of the year, there would likely have been some questions raised.

woman stuffing her face with cake employee productivity

3. Cake.

Cake tends to be a bad motivator for employee productivity at work. Let’s say Jennifer’s productivity goes up 38% this quarter while Bill’s productivity only goes up 8% this quarter. That means Bill only gets 8 reward cakes at a time while Jennifer polishes off 38 cakes in one sitting. This creates an environment of “cake envy” amongst co-workers, and should be avoided – as should allowing employees to consume 38 cakes at their desk.

man trying to charm woman with flowers employee productivity

4. Turning On the Charm.

While you may consider yourself a real “catch,” and know for a fact that anyone of the opposite sex would be lucky to have you, offering your affections to coworkers as an incentive for employee productivity should be avoided at all costs. Doing so could cause such issues as indecision, indifference, rejection, anger from spouses (yours and theirs), and a less-than-friendly meeting with HR.

boss screaming at employee productivity

5. Loudness.

If you feel your employee is not living up to their full potential, rather than calling them into your office and screaming at them until they weep and cannot function, perhaps consider sending them an encouraging note, or take them to lunch to discuss the problem. However, if you feel your loud voice is unavoidable during the conversation, consider taking the employee to lunch where they usually play heavy metal music. You should fit right in, and the employee should feel a bit less embarrassed.

Why Your Business Needs IT Support

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Every business experiences computer problems that may need IT support. It’s a fundamental fact of owning a company. There are going to be days when your network goes down, or a device gets the “blue screen of death.” What ISN’T a fact, however, is that you should always be responsible for fixing and maintaining your technology by yourself.

Standard IT Support Problems

  • Blue Screen of Death – Everyone dreads the blue screen of death. For the most part, users who are presented with this screen freak out and run to their IT support provider before reading what’s written on the screen.
  • Login Issues – There are so many reasons why this can happen, from user error (turn your caps lock off, Jimmy!) to account suspension (you typed your password in wrong HOW many times?!)
  • Recovering Accidentally Deleted Files – Contrary to popular belief, a file that has been moved to the waste basket hasn’t necessarily been deleted. If you’ve recently emptied your bin, stop using the drive until IT support is contacted.
  • Slow Computer – If you’re thinking you can run a million and two windows altogether without slowing down your computer, think again. Having a ton of windows open is going to slow down your device. You might have also picked up malware. It’s important to tell your IT support provider everything.
  • Computer Shut Down Unexpectedly – Like the ceiling fans in your bedroom, computers fans are not immune to dust build up. It’s likely that your equipment overheated and shut down to protect itself from blowing up and catching on fire.
  • Printer Stopped Working – Most people forget to check to be sure their printer is on, or has paper in it, or is filled with ink. Make sure you’re checking the obvious before calling IT support.
  • Computer Making Weird Noises – If your computer is making a weird noise, it’s more than likely due to a stuck spindle or a bad head. Stop using the machine until the issue is diagnosed. Just make sure everything has been backed up recently or you might be in trouble!
  • Slow Internet – More than likely caused by malware or a virus. Make sure you tell your IT provider what happened – even if it does embarrass you or may get you in trouble. Being chewed out is a lot better than losing all your company’s data.
  • Unreliable Wireless Network – We’ve all experienced this. You get logged in, finally, and then BAM! Booted off again. The most common fix is to unplug it and plug it back in again, a process that your IT support technician can quickly walk you through.
  • Unrecognizable USB Device – If other ports don’t work, or the USB isn’t reading on other computers, you might have a bigger issue that requires you to call your IT provider.

GroupOne Has Heard It All Before

We’re no strangers to frequent (and not so familiar!) IT issues. You need an IT Support provider to make sure these issues don’t come up in the first place. See; we can proactively manage your technology and its devices to give you the most uptime for your business. You won’t have to worry about unplugging and plugging back in, troubleshooting that pesky printer, or slightly ditzy Jimmy (…well, you might still have to worry about him. Some people never learn.) The point is: with GroupOne on your side, you’ll have unlimited IT support from our team of expert engineers. Don’t take our word for it, though; we ’re biased. Give us a call and find out for yourself how incredible we are.

Cloud Data Recovery: What You Need to Know

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cloud data recovery SacramentoUsing cloud data recovery services is a cost-effective way to back up thousands of important files and ensure your data will not be compromised. Most people have heard of cloud data recovery, but a lot of us don’t really know how to get started. The process can seem confusing and a bit too technical, but once you have the proper guidance, getting your data onto cloud-based storage is quite simple. Here are a few tips to help you get started on cloud-based storage – and ensure you never have to worry about losing precious data ever again.

How Cloud Storage Works

Cloud storage is the term for a networked storage system for data that can be sent wirelessly and backed up “behind the scenes” as you work. Think of cloud storage as your own online fireproof safe. All of your most important documents and data are remotely backed up and available to you, whenever you need.

For example, let’s say you run a successful marketing business in Sacramento. IT consulting services provide a cloud-based storage that allows you to remotely access your data from any Internet connected device. That means you could go on a business trip in New York City and still be able to access all of your business data, files, and images – without having to take paper files or even your work laptop. With your log-in information for cloud-based IT managed services, Sacramento business could come with you – no matter how far you travel.

Recovering Lost Data from the Cloud

One of the most compelling reasons to use the cloud is the security it offers. Computers crash, networks go down and flash drives can get lost or damaged. We keep so much security-sensitive and important data on our computers these days, it only makes sense to have a plan for protecting that data. Our whole lives our practically on our hard drives.

Imagine you’re that business owner in Sacramento. IT consulting might not be a high priority on your to-do list, but what if your computer network crashed? You could lose invaluable amounts of precious data and customer information. If you had invested in cloud-based storage, all you would have to do is log on to your storage system and retrieve any data or files you need and your business wouldn’t skip a beat, even with a major technical failure.

Finding Cloud Storage and IT Services: Sacramento and Beyond

If you’re looking for cloud storage and IT services, Sacramento businesses choose Group One Consulting. GroupOne Consulting  is a leader in IT consulting. Sacramento residents and businesses have come to rely on us for solid advice, expert service, and powerful and secure cloud storage. GroupOne Consulting offers flexible and innovative IT solutions and computer services. Sacramento businesses that want to make the most of their money and keep their data safe and secure trust GroupOne. Call us today for more information, (916) 817-8877.

Group One Consulting to announce a revolutionary Disaster Recovery Product

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I had to let the cat out of the bag here and tell you about a new disaster recovery product we will be launching to our clients in the next few weeks.  This product will provide our clients with less than 15 minute RPO (Recovery Point Objective) onsite and an optional Disaster Recovery offsite where we have the ability to spin up your servers in the event of catasthrophe at your office.  Exchange databases/objects, SQL Databases, and Sharepoint Single item restores in seconds. This can all be done in minutes saving Companies tremendous amounts of money.  More to come..

Chris Wiegman – Principal

Dell Shows Off Windows Tablet, Business PCs

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As a Dell Partner its our obligation to keep our clients up to date with the latested and greatest happenings with our Partners.  Yesterday Dell unveiled a new line of Latitude, Optiplex and other products for businesses that include features popular with consumers, a move intended to solidify its standing among corporate customers, many of whom are embracing consumer-oriented technology from Apple Inc. and others.

Dell also said it plans to release a 10-inch tablet that runs on Microsoft Corp.’s Windows 7 operating system later this year.

Dells announcement regarding there Business line of Laptops indicate they will be shipping with the latested Intel Processors yet to be released.  Dell continues to stay on the bleeding edge of Technology much like Group One Consulting, Inc. a Sacramento area based Managed Services Company.  We are excited about our partnership which allows us to sell our clients high-end Electronics and Computers and a price that works within their budget.  Please read more below from the Wall Street Journal.