As computers become faster and more powerful, a single desktop PC possesses resources far greater than what’s necessary to keep a single user productive. That means lots of gigabytes and kilowatts simply going to waste. Through the process of virtualization, a company can turn a single PC into many “virtual desktops” for multiple users.  It was recently announced that a Silicon Valley firm specializing in large virtualization projects will provide over 30,000 virtual desktops to India’s government employee health insurance program. The project will unify thousands of hospitals, clinics, and insurance offices while creating one of the largest medical databases in the world, all at a 75% savings on hardware and a 90% savings on electricity.

Virtualization requires specialized software and a piece of hardware known as a thin client that connects a user’s monitor, keyboard, and mouse to the shared computer. On top of the cost savings, a virtualized system is less susceptible to network security threats and the amount of energy and materials saved make virtualization one of the greenest decisions a business can make.

Virtualization isn’t just for clients as massive as the Indian government, it can revolutionize how any business manages its IT budget and resources. When you work with Responza’s experts to manage your IT, virtualization is just one of the many cutting edge options we offer to save money, eliminate stress, and just make IT work better.

Consumers and businesses have only begun to grasp the reality of cloud computing, with online apps like Google Docs, Salesforce and Twitter. Responza specializes in Cloud Infrastructure services like virtualization, but I forsee a future with much more. It leads me to wonder just how this technology will shape the future of IT.

Not so long ago, in a land not so far away, massive computing power was only available to the big corporations like IBM. Mainframe computers cost upwards of a million bucks, far too expensive for a mom and pop shop. Technology has come a long way since then. Now, even the smallest organization can leverage ten times the computing power for a fraction of the cost. Unfortunately, however, IT management is still an expensive investment. Small businesses can’t afford to employ an entire IT department to manage this technology.

Responza’s founder, Lance Becker, has often attributed the company’s raison d’etre to providing that CIO-level of IT strategy for small businesses. We provide a corporate sized IT department for small businesses, for much less than it would take to employ one IT guy. Cloud based services run a similar route, in that sense- taking a large portion of IT “off the racks” and putting it “into the clouds”. Security concerns have slowed progress in some aspects, but the technology is already revolutionizing IT, saving businesses thousands of dollars each quarter.

What about jobs?

Your typical IT guy may feel threatened by this change in the industry- and rightly so. In-house IT jobs may soon be replaced with automated NOCs and online apps. If your IT guy wants job security, a serious re-tooling may need to take place. It’s a sad, but necessary change. The IT infrastructure is becoming more and more complicated, so really, it’s going to take more than just one IT guy to manage your infrastructure anyway.

The Silver Lining

There are several advantages to using cloud computing. You can do more with less: more applications, more availability, and more scalability with less money spent on desktops, servers, and energy. According to Richard Marcello, president of Unisys, cloud computing will produce new business models and enable startups to compete with enterprise companies. That should be great news for any small business.

My perspective is admittedly limited, but I’m curious to see how cloud computing changes the IT industry. How do you think cloud computing will affect your business? Please feel free to leave you comments below.

Spyware, the sneaky, unwanted bits of junk that lurk in the corners of your hard drive observing your behaviors and slowing down system performance, has become a serious problem in modern computing. A study by prominent security firm Webroot found that 80 percent of business computers are infected with pieces of spyware. It is not uncommon for techs to find dozens of types of spyware on a single system! Some infections become so numerous and severe that the only remedy is a costly system wipe or even complete replacement. What’s worse, most spyware generates bothersome pop-up ads while using the web and more malevolent varieties can even result in identity theft.

For the most part, this pain and expense is unnecessary. While over 80% of businesses install antivirus protection on their systems, only 43% have implemented a credible form of spyware production. Most spyware sneaks onto systems through spam e-mail and questionable websites with flashy banner ads (we’ve all seen “you’re our 1 millionth visitor! Click here to claim your prize!”). After a few years of observing such sneaky tricks, most internet users are too savvy to fall into the traps, but it still happens—mostly during employees’ personal use of internet resources.

If employers want to substantially reduce the impact of spyware on their companies, in addition to blocking spam, they should publish and enforce an acceptable use policy for employee internet access. Two-thirds of large companies actively monitor email and Internet use by their employees, but not many small businesses do. If you find your systems weighed down with the burden of spyware, network security and monitoring packages like those available through Responza can diagnose and cleanse your resources and make sure they stay spy free.

In today’s tight economy, businesses need to save money wherever they can. The cost of maintaining and repairing an exchange server can be a major drain on your company’s budget. So how do you fix all this?
One solution is cloud computing. Google has several web-based applications to run your business. They require no hardware, no software, and need minimal administration.
If you’re running low on resources, this sort of solution may work great for you. But as I was researching this, I stumbled across this enlightening article: The Problem with Google Apps Engine

Ok, so Google Apps is great, but it isn’t perfect. One point I’d like to highlight- if you don’t feel completely safe entrusting your company’s data to Google, you may want to think twice before making the switch. The applications are great, but the framework they use is proprietary. You definitely want to pay attention to their EULA before handing off classified information.

Virtualization saves money, physical space and helps your business respond more quickly to your IT needs. But that’s not all: virtualization is also a great way to protect your company from natural disasters.

Imagine this: a terrible wind storm hits Seattle, knocking out the power in your office for days. What do you do? If your business runs on virtual servers like VMware, you can walk out the door with VMs in hand, then set up a temporary office anywhere you’d like. You simply cannot find that sort of portability on old school servers.

In the past, disaster recovery plans included duplicates of software and hardware in a remote location. Even in the simplest office, it could cost $10,000 or more to purchase and maintain the environment. Virtualization costs far less, and can typically use 5 to 6 times as many resources on a single machine.

If your small business is running on outdated servers, it may be worth considering a migration to virtual servers instead. Still not sure? Just give us a call or fill our a contact form with your questions. We’d be happy to help.

In a recent interview with WTIA, Jonathan Sposato offers advice to MBA students and small business owners in the Seattle area. I found his response to the last question posed really interesting. It makes me wonder… Is it really best for small business owners to be “generalists” as he calls them, or is it better to focus on one specialty and be the best?

To view the interview, go to http://tinyurl.com/jonathanSposato.

One of the greatest challenges small businesses face is finding reliable, affordable IT support. Most small businesses don’t have the budget for a full-time IT department, so they’ve had to settle for a resident “IT guy” to solve their IT problems. But is the part-time receptionist or boss’ son really the best person for the job?
An alarming new study shows that one in four small businesses have failing IT. Another 37 percent barely passed inspection with a score of C. This is really disconcerting when you consider that a majority of small businesses rely on IT for their success.
Tech support is evolving. Emerging trends like cloud computing and SaaS provide small business solutions that are inexpensive- sometimes free. The old “break-fix” model of tech support is evolving. Is your small business evolving with it, or is it still stuck in the dark ages?

Think back to the last time you had to buy a new computer. How much work did you go through, installing new applications and setting up email? Wouldn’t it be nice if you could simply take your old system, copy it onto a new piece of hardware, and start running your new computer instantly?

Virtualization helps you do just that. Virtual Machine (VM) technologies such as VMWare and Microsoft Hyper-V Server allow you to run several operating systems simultaneously on a single workstation or server. Here are a few of the many benefits to virtualization:

Working remotely benefits your small business, your employees, and the environment too. Here are a few reasons why you should think green and consider remote management: