Oct
6
2009

What CDN can mean for your Business

There’s an old axiom that essentially states, that our computing power doubles every couple of years. Not surprisingly, we manage to utilize that capacity about as quickly. In our post-Web 2.0 environment, with broadband network connectivity and terabyte sized disk drives becoming ubiquitous, we’re moving around more data faster than ever before. The promise of a rich media Web has been realized, and it isn’t only media companies that are distributing large amounts of data. Multimedia audio and video are certainly popular, but there are a myriad of other types of downloads that we perform regularly- software and application updates, manuals and PDF collateral, image libraries, games, articles, and more. Regardless of the core nature of your business, if you have a Web presence, the chances are good that you are distributing a significant amount of digital content. If you are, you could benefit from CDN services.

A CDN (Content Distribution Network) works under a simple but effective premise, tried and true by its retail distribution cousin- speed up deliveries by putting products, or in our this case digital content, closer to customers. Amazon is a textbook example of how this works, no pun intended. From their humble beginnings in Seattle, Amazon now has distribution centers around the globe, stocking popular items and allowing for fast deliver to shoppers. This not only increases customer satisfaction, but over time it provides a notable savings in fulfillment costs.

Digital content distribution can benefit from the same model. Rather than putting a file on a server and having users download it from a single source, CDN services intelligently push content to the edges of the network, where the end users are. Here’s why that’s important- just because the internet makes it easy for anyone to ‘virtually’ drive up to your office and pick up a brochure or a copy of a video, that doesn’t mean it’s a good idea in practice, especially when you can save the trip for a large number of those customers.
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Sep
22
2009

VMware and the power of virtualization for business

It sounds like the stuff of science fiction movies, but the era of the virtualized machine is upon us. Buttons and switches have been replaced by touch screens, hardwired circuitry has been replaced by code, and computing technology has changed even the most mundane of household appliances. Nowhere is this more evident than in the IT arena. Server virtualization has changed the playing field, and businesses that integrate VMware services into their IT infrastructure realize significant benefits in rapid deployment, TCO, and bottom line revenues.

To understand the advantages of virtualization, consider what it takes to add capacity for a typical business office. Here’s the scenario- a wildly successful new product line forces a company to increase personnel by 50 people to handle the additional production volume. Assuming there is room to seat 50 new employees, a tremendous amount of physical infrastructure needs to be purchased, installed, and configured to varying degrees. Cubicles and desks built, phone and data lines run, computers need to be set up, it’s a long and expensive list, and it can take weeks or more to complete the project and put the new employees to work.

For many businesses, this growth can also force a physical relocation. While a measure of success, the prospect of moving to a larger facility often comes at the worst possible time in the lifecycle of a business, taking away focus that should be spent on capitalizing their successes. The successful company that fumbles during expansion is a common but nonetheless true business cliché.
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Jul
6
2009

ActiveSync support makes the Palm Pre attractive to SMBs

Just a few weeks into its release, the Palm Pre has already established itself as a strong alternative to the industry leading Blackberry and iPhone devices. Staking the claim on the middle ground between its competitors, the Palm has taken a best of both worlds approach, with a touch screen interface and a slide out hardware keyboard. Hidden under crowd pleasing features like multitasking, GPS, and video camera is a secret business weapon- built in ActiveSync support.

Apple resisted ActiveSync support until version 2.0 of the iPhone OS, and it cost them in the business place. Palm hasn’t repeated that mistake, and has made sure that the Pre can easily integrate with Exchange for fast adoption in the enterprise. Users don’t just have interactive on the go access to e-mail, contacts, and calendar information; they also have powerful search and organization tools that only a centralized mail solution can deliver.

As useful as ActiveSync with managed Hosted Exchange is for end users, it’s even more popular with IT professionals. Administration is easy and efficient, backups are automatic, and spam protection and security is rock solid with Exchange. Hosted Exchange is a cost effective solution for centralized communications, and the upcoming Exchange 2010 promises to add even more value with features like unified voice and e-mail boxes.
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