Industries That Can Benefit From the Cloud

Many industries today are joining the innovative cloud computing world. 93% of businesses move to the cloud to increase productivity outside of the office, as well as improve security, efficiency, and scalability. Cloud computing is important to gain reliability and a competitive advantage. Here are ten industries that can benefit from the cloud:

1. Hospitality

The global hotel industry produces approximately 400 to 500 billion dollars each year. Distinguishing yourself with high guest satisfaction is extremely important for organizations in this industry. Connecting quickly and easily with guests is something that can be achieved with cloud solutions. When a hotel implements BYOD solutions, guests can sign up for appointments or order room service at the touch of a button. And the cloud makes it easier on the business side to. Many hospitality organizations have already moved to the cloud because they realized it can improve their spending and overall internal efficiency, while boosting the guest experience.

2. Healthcare

61% say that cloud computing will be a major player in the healthcare industry in the next five years. One of the greatest benefits that cloud computing offers the healthcare industry is the delivery of efficient health services and improved doctor-patient relationships. With the cloud, information regarding patients’ diagnoses and treatments can be made available, securely, from the touch of a button on their phone, tablet, computer, etc. Cloud also creates a one-on-one connection between the doctor and patient. Doctors can stay connected and communicate with their patients easily. Cloud computing also frees up time for doctors, allowing them to focus more on their patients, rather than spending excessive time on paper work. Tasks like scheduling appointments, making referrals, or completing patient history can be completed anywhere at any time with greater efficiency.

3. Automotive

Making sales is huge for the automotive industry, and having constant availability of data is big part of producing sales. Cloud computing migrates data to the Internet using remote servers, giving automotive businesses the ability to access inventory or other necessary data easily. Employees will have the information they need at any given time, even if they’re on the floor with a customer. Sale reps will be prepared constantly, generating sales successfully. With this competitive advantage, it’s easy to direct customers to their perfect car. Instant access of information closes deals faster, and the cloud makes this possible.

4. Real Estate

Communication is key in the real estate industry, and cloud computing can be a lifesaver for real estate agents. These professionals are constantly out in the field with customers, and they need easy access to information to share with clients on the spot! Accessing business files, customer information, or listings is quick and easy in the cloud. Agents can remain focused on sharing the best information with clients and closing deals. Agents can maintain access to customer and prospect information, new listings, and efficient marketing platforms. Everything is centralized in the cloud.

5. Financial and Banking Services

Cloud computing offers the financial and banking services industry the agility to innovate and scale rapidly. And an industry with so much important data can’t afford to lose access to it. With access to virtual infrastructure through the cloud, the financial sector can maintain privacy and security of customer and business information, while also accessing efficient, modern computing solutions. Our cloud solutions come with 24x7x365 support and monitoring, and multiple layers of security and disaster recovery services. This allows the financial world to focus on the customers.

6. Education

The technology world is constantly advancing, creating new, innovative ways for students to learn. It’s important for students to keep up with technology and the education industry is starting to include this more and more today. 43% of higher education institutions have already implemented or are maintaining cloud computing. With the cloud, communication will evolve between staff, students and parents, and all parties will develop greater knowledge on today’s modern technology solutions and maintain quick and easy access to the information they need at all times. With cloud solutions, students can access their assignments and resources from any of their Internet-connected devices, and teachers can assign and upload materials to one central location. It’s that easy!

7. Legal

Implementing cloud solutions in the legal industry allows law firms to store client data, financial records, legal documents and more in a central, virtual location, securely. When you look deeper, cloud computing services are actually proving to be more secure than traditional on-site infrastructure. Since the legal industry holds a lot of sensitive data, secure accessibility is key. Thanks to cloud solutions, you can achieve this today! Through secure client portals, authorized users can access necessary data from any location, at any time, using any Internet-capable device. Our cloud solutions include advanced backup and recovery services, and multiple layers of enterprise-grade security. This makes the cloud accessible for any legal firm.

8. Manufacturing

Manufacturing depends heavily on suppliers, distributors, and customer interactions. Accuracy, speed and knowledge are all key in this sector. Cloud-based systems allow manufacturers to focus more on efficiency and the creation of new products. They often face the challenge of handling multiple locations and supply chains, and all of the communication that goes on between them. Cloud computing generates real-time data, places it in a central location, and allows all team members to collaborate, communicate and share information easily, from afar. Cloud syncs files in the central location so users can access them on any device, no matter where in the world they are. Cloud computing creates a big competitive advantage for manufacturers, as they can experience increased efficiency throughout all operations and improved communication.

9. Nonprofit

It is crucial for nonprofits to stay connected and innovative using technology. They face a demand for transparency, either in competition for funding or accountability for organizational outcomes. However, nonprofits also rely heavily on low budgets and this has traditionally been a barrier when it comes to investing in new tech. With our cloud solutions, we can eliminate this barrier. The cloud offers nonprofits mobility, accessibility, efficiency and productivity for prices they can afford. Collaboration can occur 24×7 via the Internet, allowing for real-time management, insight, and action.

10. Insurance

In the insurance industry, cloud computing can reduce the total cost of IT operations, engage customers more effectively, and handle peaks in demand with unlimited scalability. The cloud offers the opportunity for real-time communication between a business and its employees and customers, and allows customers to have constant access to their accounts and information. It allows insurers to better address the demands of consumers, achieve faster speed to market with new products or services, and achieve efficiency overall.

Want to learn more about how cloud computing is impacting business across all industries? Visit ourIndustries page!

For more information visit here: LineSpeed Managed Cloud

Or call us anytime: 201-596-4000

24 x 7 US based service: LineSpeed Service

Do you need a Network Engineer to maintain your phone system?

If you answered yes to that question, then you're doing it wrong.

The IP-PBX came onto the Telecom scene in a big way several years ago, and finally the IT Department was able to fully control Voice Communications over "their" network.

Watch out what you wish for.

So how has all this turned out? Well it turns out that running all this voice traffic over the existing network required some upgrades to the infrastructure. You just doubled the amount of endpoints you are dealing with. Real-time voice communications is not a very forgiving application either, and QoS capable routers are a must. Oh, and do you really want everything on the same media? Maybe new cable plant would be better. Then there was the question of power. We can't have all those clumsy power supply "bricks" cluttering up the desktop now can we? OK, upgrade all the switches to PoE.

But hey, at least you could move a phone from one office to another without getting the "phone guy" in to punch down some cross-connects right?

The benefits of the premised based IP-PBX have been greatly exaggerated. It is a bear to maintain. The desktop hardware itself is not cheap and has to be added to your network maintenance plan from the manufacturer. Have you ever tried to analyze your Smartnet contract? The "simple" guide to understanding your contract is 25 pages!! And that's just the guide! I'd rather stick pins in my eyes.

Why are you doing this?

Well you did after all, make the upgrades so your network is more robust than ever. As a matter of fact you probably have less internal data traffic on your network now than you did when the IP-PBX was first deployed. But how can this be in the age of "big data"? Because at least some of your data is now in the Cloud, and the rest is either virtualized in-house or some form of Hybrid Cloud. The result is a very efficient network infrastructure with optimized throughput. A valuable investment that will continue to serve the organization well for the next few years at least.

And that IP-phone sitting on the desktop? It's a relic. You're driving a jalopy on the Autobahn. But you can upgrade right? Yeah, try getting that one approved.

The time has come for ALL premise based systems to be put out of your misery. Cloud-based voice has come of age and it is sooo much better than anything else that it's not even a debatable topic. Think about it: You're interfacing 1980's T-1 technology (ISDN PRI, look it up!) to your gigabit network in order to talk (literally, talk) to the outside world. Not only is that an inferior technology platform but the cost goes away completely by connecting directly to the Cloud!

Moves Adds and Changes? All done through a web portal that any 12yo could manage. And they're part of the service.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this: You've built the infrastructure to efficiently handle voice traffic on your internal IP-network, why haven't you taken advantage of The Cloud. Think you have "too many" phones? Wrong. This stuff scales. Redundancy? Built-in. Flexible, responsive service, new feature deployment is a snap.

You really need to look into this. The war is already over.

Steve Melillo
LineSpeed LLC
201-596-4000, x103

The case for a hosted phone system

As a former "Authorized Dealer" for one of the top business telephone system manufacturers for many years, I have seen my fair share of systems that greatly exceeded the generally accepted life expectancy for a PBX. Seven to 10 years is fairly common, and I have even seen some of the larger systems approach 20 years.

Eventually the day does come when the system is just too much of a risk and has to be dealt with. In spite of the many ways there are to communicate these days, for most organizations a sustained outage of the telephone system is simply unacceptable. So what should you do?

You could continue to tempt fate, and hope that your vendor can put together the required hardware and software of your obsolete system when the inevitable failure occurs. Or you can do the prudent thing, and start the process of evaluating various systems and services, so you have at least some idea of what you will be up against in terms of dollars and implementation. How soon can you get systems and services provisioned and deployed? Two weeks? Two months? Reality is probably somewhere in between, IF you've already done your homework.

One option I suggest you consider is a Hosted IP phone system. There are a multitude of players in the space, so pricing is competitive, and there is no longer a significant gap in features. As a matter of fact, Hosted offers some real elasticity that is much more difficult to achieve in a purchased or leased on-premise hardware/software solution. Hosted systems can easily grow (or contract) with your organization.

Other advantages to the Hosted or "Cloud Phone" systems include easy deployment of remote or home users, low start-up costs and the virtual elimination of your outbound calling costs. Most providers in this space include domestic calls at no additional charge. International and 800 inbound calls are billed over and above your flat monthly fee. Very often, the amount you are paying currently for a combination of analog trunks and/or a PRI T1 is MORE than you might pay for the flat monthly fee of a Hosted System.

Contact me directly at LineSpeed: LineSpeed for more information: 201-596-4000, x103

smelillo@inclink.net

Time to reconsider Verizon?

Is it time to reconsider Verizon for land-based service?

The rumors of Verizon's demise in the land-based services space have been greatly exaggerated. There was a time when it seemed as though the mammoth carrier was headed towards a wire-less only future, but in recent years Verizon has made an aggressive push for wire-line products and services with promotions and a continued network build-out, bringing FiOS and IP-based services to commercial enterprises all over the northeast.

If you have some wireline services coming to term, now is a good time to re-visit what Verizon has to offer, even if you are currently a Verizon customer. Verizon seems to have this odd habit of neglecting to tell existing customers about their latest promotions. So, if you don't ask, they wont tell, and you could be leaving dollars on the table. Not to mention more bandwidth, storage and overall performance. Oh, and that Visa gift card promo for FiOS? They have one for business customers as well.

Contact LineSpeed for additional information and a cost comparison with other providers including Optimum and Comcast. We can tee up all of the pertinent information for you to make an intelligent decision. Not sure what your current term is? We can figure it out for you and submit a simple analysis revealing the true cost of options that make sense.

Steve Melillo
LineSpeed LLC
201-596-4000, x103

Get a better deal without changing providers

You know you could be saving money on your Telecom/Internet bill but you dread getting involved in that whole process? Let's examine:

First you will have to contact other providers. That means dealing with people who are trying to sell you something. This is at best, unpleasant for most people. They will want all your contact information, and you know they are going to start "bugging" you at some point or other.
Then you have to assemble your bills.

How many lines do you HAVE anyway?

What is your bandwidth? Is it the same up as it is down? Does it matter?

Do you have "direct inward dial"? How many numbers?

Are lines the same as number? What is a "trunk"?

But there might be an easier way: Contact your current provider. Here are some questions to ask THEM:

• What is the term of my service? Is there a contract? Or am I being billed "month-to-month"?
• Can you tell if there is traffic on ALL of my voice lines? If so, can you furnish a report? Are there any lines with NO traffic at all for an extended period?
• What current promotions are there that are a fit for my configuration?
• How can I save on my bill?
• What is the bandwidth that I am paying for on my Internet access? How can I test that to make sure I am getting what I am paying for?

If you haven't made changes to your service in several years, you are most likely in one of 2 scenarios:

1. Your contract has expired, and you are being billed "month-to-month". This is good and bad. Good because you are free to make a change without the threat of Early Termination Fees, and Bad because you have most likely been over paying for a while.
2. You are under a contract that has an automatic renewal and are now subject to ETF's for however long remains on the contract. You have to do some due diligence here and find out exactly what conditions have to be met to cancel the contract (if you decide to change carriers). Typically this means sending written notice at least thirty days prior to expiration anniversary.

Very often your current carrier is willing to make a better deal on the spot because they know you are looking and they want to keep you as a customer. BUT THEY WILL NOT TELL YOU ABOUT THESE DEALS UNLESS YOU ASK!!

For more info feel free to contact me:
Steve Melillo
201-596-4000, x103
or visit our web page: LineSpeed LLC

Cloud Migration: Building The Path

As you migrate applications and storage to the Cloud, you also increase your dependence on bandwidth capacity as well as availability. Your Path to the Cloud is as mission critical as the applications and data that reside there. Here are some important steps to consider:

1. Review and assess your current internet circuit(s) for through-put, "actual" speeds, history of availability, contract terms, SLA's and active management and monitoring.
2. Determine the maximum number of simultaneous users and obtain guidelines from your "as a service" providers to help with estimated bandwidth requirements. This is especially important for any voice applications such as Hosted PBX and SIP Trunks. Then give yourself a 20% buffer for spikes and modest growth.
3. Closely examine the capabilities of your existing network equipment and firmware revision levels. What is the capacity of your network infrastructure as it exists today? How many circuits can you interface with? What types of signaling are compatible? What are the upgrade costs?
4. Incorporate some redundancy. Circuits go down, and sometimes they take hours (days?!) to be restored. This does not have to be a bullet-proof plan (in most cases) that provides the same level of service and through-put as the primary circuit, but there needs to be some type of failover or people will not be able to work effectively during service interruptions. A dual purpose of this secondary circuit could be for your guest WiFi.
5. Meet with your current carrier(s) to review your current plan and find out what options are available. What services do they have that allow you to increase bandwidth incrementally as demand increases? Do they have a failover plan on separate facilities? Find out what your options are within your current contract terms. You might not have to reinvent the wheel.
6. Monitor usage on a regular basis and stay ahead. Bandwidth creep can be insidious, and go unnoticed until you hit a tipping point when users suddenly realize response rates have become tedious and frustration levels rise. Trying to implement a solution from scratch at this point could take weeks. Have a plan.

Dependence on Cloud applications and storage will most likely increase for most organizations. Make sure you have a robust Path to get there.

Steve Melillo
201-596-4000, x103

LineSpeed LLC LineSpeed LLC

smelillo@inclink.net

Circuit Redundancy: Don't wait for an outage

Your organization relies on stable internet access more than ever. Losing your internet connection means losing access to Cloud Apps and that means lost productivity, lost CRM continuity and potentially lost business. All it takes it one major service outage to drive this point home, but leaving your organization exposed for any length of time is a bad idea.

Loss of internet access is no longer just an inconvenience. It will cripple productivity and frustrate your customers as well as employees. Don't wait until there is an angry mob at your door with pitch forks and torches. Plan for service interruptions and failure NOW.

For small organizations, this can be as simple as adding a Cable TV circuit which will often include a wireless router.Reserve this internet access as a "guest" wifi network, so visitors to your office can have an easy to connect without introducing additional traffic to your primary network. Then if your primary circuit does go out, users can jump on the "guest" network and at least get some work done until the primary circuit is restored.

Automated failover to redundant circuits is more appropriate for larger organizations, but can be tricky to configure, and may also require additional equipment and/or licensing depending on the network architecture. However, the seamless continuity provided will make your users blissfully ignorant to downed primary cricuits.

Have a conversation with your trusted tech advisor to discuss this topic in more detail, but do not wait until you have an access crisis on your hands. Outages often have poor timing with respect to your deadlines and workflow.

Feel free to contact me with any questions.

LineSpeed LLC
201-596-4000, x103