All posts by Journey to the Cloud

Featured, Microsoft, Miscellaneous IT, SharePoint 2013

Increased Productivity & Design Flexibility: The Case for Migrating to SharePoint 2013

By Kevin Hall, Managing Director

 

Deciding when and how to migrate to SharePoint 2013 is not a small decision. If you’re on an earlier version than SharePoint 2010, Microsoft doesn’t offer an officially supported method for upgrading directly to 2013. Even if you are operating on 2010, upgrading the platform that so much of your business depends on creates risks and costs that must be offset by measurable business benefits.

 

There are already a significant amount of resources available around the benefits of migrating to 2013. At GreenPages, we have helped many organizations with SharePoint projects. This post will cover some real world examples of organizations migrating that we’ve experienced that highlight some of the key benefits.

Design flexibility to extend your public brand to the intranet

One client, a high-tech medical device supplier, has built its reputation on ease of use and modern mobile technology. With earlier versions of SharePoint, the client struggled to reinforce its brand promise and promote its high-tech, mobile culture among its employees on the corporate intranet. After they migrated to SharePoint 2013, the organization was able to take advantage of the improved design flexibility and standards compliance of the platform to create an intranet that truly reflected their brand and values. The site not only looks great on 2013, but it also uses responsive web design to allow access on any device.

Increased productivity with secure document sharing and predictive search

In the financial services industry, protecting sensitive client information is mission critical. Due to information security and compliance goals, a large financial services and analytics client decided to replace internal file shares with SharePoint. While SharePoint immediately helped better protect information, it was not until the migration to 2013 that this client started to see day-to-day business value from SharePoint. With the combination of cross-site publishing and the integration of FAST search, 2013 allowed for a single repository of documents to be indexed and securely shared with multiple intranet and extranet sites, all still governed by SharePoint security. Additionally, the built in predictive search capabilities available in 2013 greatly reduced the amount of time employees and partners spent searching for documents and information.

Out with the new and in with the old

We talk with a lot of clients about Microsoft and whether or not the industry has surpassed it from an innovation standpoint. Often times, a platform switch is under consideration as an alternative to migration. One of our clients, a hip technology firm, had some specific goals which seemed out of reach with Microsoft in general, and SharePoint specifically. In some respects, they had bought into the hype about the industry surpassing Microsoft and went with a competitive solution. GreenPages is now helping this client migrate back to Microsoft and SharePoint 2013 because our client found the product they went with couldn’t scale like SharePoint, required arcane technical skills to manage, and was difficult to brand and build a great user experience on. With 2013’s improvements to design and search, as well as the stability of SharePoint as a platform, the client is excited to get back to the “old way” of doing things.

Collaboration at scale with the technology and platform you already know

As I mentioned, sometimes the complexity of a potential migration opens up a bigger conversation about Microsoft and potentially shifting to a competing technology. Depending on your specific needs, leaving SharePoint may make sense. However, make sure you do not act too hastily. Microsoft as a company is doing quite well, and SharePoint 2013, along with Office 365, lies at the core of where Microsoft is heading and is enjoying tremendous success.

There is real business value to be gained from taking on a SharePoint 2013 migration. By migrating, you will ensure that your business is taking advantage of the improvements that Microsoft has made to the platform, and you will be well positioned to make a smooth transition once Microsoft makes the next version available.

Click here if you’re interested in learning more about the unique business benefits SharePoint 2013 can provide your organization.

Do you have any experience with SharePoint? What’s your opinion? Leave a comment below!

 

 

 

Featured, Miscellaneous IT

Tech News Recap for the Week of 5/26/2014

 

Were you busy last week? Here’s a quick recap of news and stories you may have missed!

 

Are you interested in learning more about cloud management? Download this whitepaper to learn more!

 

Cisco, Featured, Unified Communications

NASCAR & Unified Communications: Get the Most Out of Your Investment

By Bill Kane, Practice Manager

I’m a big NASCAR fan. NASCAR stands for National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing. Back in the day, good old boys would take stock cars, add seatbelts and roll cages and go racing. In the early days they even drove convertibles. Today they only look like stock cars from the outside with a bunch of advertisements on them. Everything about these cars is anything but stock. My wife would tell you that it’s a huge waste of time watching 40 guys go in a circle for 500 miles. What she doesn’t see is that there is more to racing than just being the best driver.

The drivers have years of experience, the cars are highly specialized and contain none of the stock parts with engines that have 900 horse power. They are highly tuned, with specialized suspensions and tires. Even the pit crew are athletes that can change a full set of tires and fill the gas tank in seconds. Until you have sat in the driver’s seat and have gone over 100 miles an hour, it’s hard to appreciate the sport. I fulfilled one of my bucket list items by attending Richard Petty’s driving school. Yes, I got to drive one of those 900 horsepower beasts, and yes I got to go over 100 miles per hour. My favorite races start in the afternoon and end after the sun goes down. I like these the best because the way a car performs when the sun is up, when the track is hot and the tires are slick, is completely different than at night when the track cools. To watch these teams make little changes throughout the race and go from back of the pack to first is truly amazing. No one can make it through a full race without making changes. They call it putting in a turn of wedge here or adjusting the air pressure in a tire by as little as a pound can make all the difference. The guy that started the race on the pole (first row inside), isn’t necessarily the one that will cross the finish line in first place.

Cisco unified communications is a lot like NASCAR racing. Sure the guys that installed your system did a great job but, are you getting the most out of your investment so that you can win the race? What you need is a skilled pit crew. You need to check in and make sure you’re running the optimum version. In addition, you need to ensure your settings are correct so that your users are getting the full benefit of what’s available. Are you taking advantage of features such as Singlewire, Mobility & Meet-Me? Do you have the proper licensing in place to be able to able to install them? My point here is that you made a serious investment so you need to ensure that you are getting all that you can out of that investment.

I had dinner with a friend a couple of months ago who was not getting the most out of his investment. I asked him how he liked his Cisco VoIP phone system. He said that it was ok, and, when I dug a little deeper, I found out that they weren’t using all the functionality. When it was initially installed they made the decision to forgo some of the functionality for a speedy install. He was amazed when I stared to explain things like Mobility. We were able to spend a few hours on his system and, once complete, he couldn’t believe the difference.

Is there a connection between NASCAR racing and unified communications? I would say yes. You bought the best, now you need to ensure its performing up to your expectations. GreenPages can be that pit crew to ensure that you are maximizing your unified communications investment and taking full advantage of the business benefits that are available today. Reach out to socialmedia@greenpages.com if you’d like to talk about unified communications strategies and trends in more detail.

 

 

Featured, Miscellaneous IT, Tech News

Tech News Recap for the Week of 5/12/2014

 

Were you busy last week? Here’s a quick recap of tech news and stories you may have missed!

 

Register for our 5/22 webinar, “The Rise of Unauthorized AWS Use. How to Address Risks Created by Shadow IT.

 

 

Featured, IT Management, IT Projects, Project management

IT Project Management Methodology – Does One Size Fit All?

By Stacy Toof, Director, PMO, Solutions

You might be asking yourself, is there more than one methodology that can be used to manage a project?  What are those methodologies? Do you always use one consistent methodology?  What are the pros and cons of doing so? Can you shift mid-stream of a project? Ultimately, how do you know what methodology to use and when, or if it’s even necessary?

As you may or may not know, project management methodology is a conceptual framework for project and program management.   It’s the specific development and documented approach that is called a methodology, allowing an organization to standardize its project management practices company-wide and aiding in the effectiveness and efficiency of resource utilization.  The GreenPages-LogicsOne Project Management Office (PMO) has customized and documented project and program management processes to fit the specific objectives and needs of our business environment.

Toof Table 5-7

 

With that said, since there is no one-size-fits-all for each and every IT environment, there is no one-size-fits- all in project management methodology either.  It’s our recommendation to start by researching and understanding what has already been successfully developed within the project management industry by recognizing and supporting the value of work that organizations such as the Project Management Institute (PMI) have already created. Take the information you gather and internalize and customize it to fit the needs of your business environment. Your thoughts and consideration should include management buy-in, a set of guidelines, standards, best practices and processes with a vehicle to constantly share feedback and communication of lessons learned, with a focus to adapt as business needs evolve. 

The advantage in going through the process to define a project management methodology and determine whether or not you need one, is to help provide those individuals within your company who are managing projects the guidance, standardization and feedback mechanism for delivering better quality and consistent results.  This allows a framework for sharing a common language and delivery of optimum value of cost, time and output through a defined workflow process of initiation to closure. 

In addition, I would like to provide you with some insight into a couple of commonly used terms in project management; “Agile” & “Waterfall.”

It’s important to understand that these terms have a purpose in the world of project management, but understanding their definition and when to use them will contribute to your success.   Agile is the ability to move quickly and easily.  Therefore, Agile techniques are best used in small-scale projects or on elements of a wider program of work where requirements and solutions evolve through team collaboration iteratively throughout the project lifecycle, driving the need to support and adapt to change.  You are able to recognize workable output/products, (quick wins) at the end of each tested stage. (I.e. software or product development projects). Waterfall is used when progress is seen as flowing steadily downwards within phased projects such as Conception, Initiation, Analysis, Design, Development, Testing, Implementation/Production and Support.  The product is tested at the very end, resulting in the workable output/products being recognized upon completion of the last phase of the project. This means any bugs that are found result in the entire technique being performed over again. (I.e. phone implementation or infrastructure projects).

By taking time to consider these things upfront, it will help you ensure that you are on the right path to successfully establishing a project management methodology.  As always, our Project Management Team at GreenPages-LogicsOne is available to help get you started, fill in any current gaps and offer you professional advice any time. What project management strategies and methodologies does your organization currently use?

 

Interested in becoming a business savvy CIO? Download this whitepaper to learn more!

 

 

 

Featured, Miscellaneous IT, Tech News

Tech News Recap for the Week of 4/28/2014

 

Were you busy last week? Here’s a quick recap of news and stories you may have missed!

  • Critical zero-day endangers all versions of Internet Explorer – and XP isn’t getting a fix
  • Anatomy Of A Cloud Migration: Inside the Channel Company’s IT Transformation
  • It’s Crazy What Can Be Hacked Thanks to Heartbleed
  • Organized Crime Group Scams US Companies Out Of Millions
  • Modernizing IT by Killing the Transactional Treadmill
  • Microsoft kicks in $1 billion to help students buy under $300 devices
  • 5 reasons why Google can catch Amazon in the cloud
  • Field Notes: ‘Rogue‘ employees want IT to lighten up already
  • Ready or not, welcome to the integrated cloud
  • Revenge of the CIO: the new chief enabler
  • Google Disables Scanning of Student Email for Advertising Purposes
  • ‘Dark Wallet’ Is About to Make Bitcoin Money Laundering Easier Than Ever
  • The History of Data Storage – Infographic
  • Halo, The Brain-Improving Wearable, Raises $1.5 Million
  • Cloud computing brings the world to Dunedin

Are you interested in learning how you can remove 80% of incidents before your staff even sees them? Join us for our May 8th webinar ‘How to Modernize IT by Killing the Transactional Treadmill’ and be entered to win a GoPro & Fitbit!

 

 

Featured, Heartbleed, IT Management, Managed IT Services

How our Managed Services Team Responded to Heartbleed

By Jay Keating, Vice President of Managed Services

 

A lot has been written about the Heartbleed bug impacting versions of OpenSSL software in recent weeks. For an in-depth description of what Heartbleed is and how to respond to the vulnerability, you can refer to http://heartbleed.com/ or any number of 3rd party reports. This blog won’t review the actual weakness, but rather describe how our Managed IT Services team responded to the incident in support of our customers.

As software and hardware vendors release code updates to deal with vulnerabilities such as Heartbleed, our Managed IT Services team assesses overall risk in context to mitigating factors and then recommends a course of action. In the case of Heartbleed, since the scope was so broad, we prioritized our assessment in the following tiers:

  1. We quickly evaluated our internal systems and support tools. This important step had to happen immediately so our own management tools weren’t creating risk or concern for our customers.
  2. We then evaluated all Managed IT Services customers’ Internet-facing devices such as firewalls and web servers. All devices that were exposed have been patched at this point, and customers were notified of the risk and mitigation plan immediately. In this case, given the extent of the exposure, we declared emergency maintenance windows with our customers rather than wait for pre-approved monthly maintenance windows.
  3. Finally, with the Internet-facing systems no longer vulnerable, we have refocused on our customers’ internal networks for the next round of assessments and mitigation. As we work through this phase, we will once again work collaboratively with our Managed IT Services customers to coordinate an acceptable maintenance window as soon as possible.

With Heartbleed still top of mind, I suggest a few moments of reflection to think through how your organization responded.  Here are some questions to help frame your review:

  • Do you have a formal security incident response program in place and was it useful in responding to Heartbleed? If not, who will manage your response and what process will be followed?
  • How long did it take you to fully understand your risks? How long did you expect it to take?
  • Do you have support and maintenance contracts in place for all components of your infrastructure, and are the support contact details documented within your security incident response plan?
  • Who is responsible for internal and external communication in case you need to declare emergency maintenance periods?
  • What will your staffing plan be if your team goes into extended hours of operation in response to a security threat?
  • Who are your key IT delivery partners and what resources could they bring to your assistance if you need help with assessment, planning, communication, mitigation, and / or recovery? 

Just answering those six questions will improve your response program. Let us know if we can help.

Learn more about how your organization can properly manage your IT environment

 

 

 

Featured, Miscellaneous IT, Tech News

Tech News Recap for the Week of 4/14/2014

 

Were you busy last week? Here’s a quick recap of news and stories you may have missed!

 

Corporate IT departments have progressed from keepers of technology to providers of complex solutions that businesses truly rely on {ebook}

 

 

Featured, Miscellaneous IT, Tech News

Tech News Recap for the Week of 4/7/2014

 

Were you busy last week? Here’s a quick recap of news and stories you may have missed!

 

Looking to become a business savvy IT leader? Check out this whitepaper!

 

 

BYOD, Featured, IT Management, Shadow IT

Game of Thrones: Five Takeaways for IT

By Ben Stephenson, Journey to the Cloud

After a long wait, Game of Thrones Season 4 has officially started (no spoilers for the first episode of season 4 – I wouldn’t wish that on my worst enemy).  Amidst the action and excitement, there are some lessons IT can take away from seasons 1-3 of the show. Here are five of them:

The War Lies to the North

After Robert Baratheon dies, there is all out war for rule of the Iron Throne and control of the Seven Kingdoms. Joffrey Lannister usurps power after the passing of the king and executes the Lord of Winterfell, Ned Stark. This sparks Ned’s son Robb to march on King’s Landing to attempt to overthrow Joffrey. Meanwhile Robert Baratheon’s younger brother Renly, his older brother Stannis, and Daenerys Targaryen are also all raising armies to try and defeat Joffrey. By the end of season 3 however, it becomes known that the deadly “White Walkers” are back after thousands of years. Some people realize that the war everyone is fighting right now is insignificant because the real war lies to the north.

The lesson for IT: There is often a good amount of unrest between the IT Department and other business units. Maybe Accounting gets frustrated and places the blame for a systems failure on IT, but IT claims it was the Accounting Department’s fault for not following proper protocols. Maybe there is unrest between Marketing and IT around budget allocation for new tradeshow equipment. The lesson here is that IT needs to partner with the business and work together in order to achieve the overall goals that will determine the success of the company.

Liberate Your Users

Daenerys Targaryen, or Khaleesi, is looking to take back the throne that used to belong to her family. Without an army, she purchases a large number of slave soldiers. Instead of treating them poorly and forcing them to fight for her, she frees them all and says it’s their decision if they would like to stay and fight by her side. She then goes from city to city freeing slaves. The result? An extremely loyal and passionate army.

The lesson for IT: People will respond better if you give them choices as opposed to dictating how everything is going to work. Employees are going to bring their own devices to the workplace whether you allow it or not, so empower them to do so by implementing a BYOD program. Shadow IT is going to happen. Employees are going to bypass IT and use AWS. Provide them with a way to do so while you control costs, security, and governance.

Innovation Is Key

When Stannis Baratheon launches a full scale attack on King’s Landing with a large fleet of ships, things look pretty dim for the Lannister family. Stannis has more man power and weapons and has the advantage of being able to cut off supply lines to the capital. Tywin Lannister, King Joffrey’s uncle, is forced to think outside the box to try and defend his city. He ends up catapulting barrels of deadly wild fire onto the attacking ships, successfully fending off Stannis’ forces. 

The lesson for IT: Continue to innovate and look for creative ways to solve problems. It can be difficult to get to the strategic initiatives when your team is bogged down by day-to-day mundane tasks. IT leaders need to make innovation a top priority in order to keep pace with the needs of the business and the rapidly evolving technology landscape.

The Wall of Security

Security is critical to the survival of any organization. Winterfell and the North always relied on “The Wall” to keep out marauding Wildlings. The Wall is hundreds of feet high, made of sheer ice, and guarded by the Men of the Night’s Watch. Getting a large group of people past The Wall is extremely difficult. However, when an assembly of the Night’s Watch has to abandon their posts to head out beyond the wall, a group of Wildlings is able to scale it and cross to the other side.

The lesson for IT: It’s obviously important to have the proper security measures in place in your organization.  The lesson from the Wall though is that no matter what security you have in place, there are always ways to infiltrate your environment no matter how secure it may appear. This is why you need to proactively monitor and manage your environment.

Choose Your Partners Wisely

As the war with the Lannisters drags on, Robb Stark is in desperate need of more soldiers. Robb strikes a deal with Walder Frey to have one of his uncles marry one of Frey’s daughters to unite the families. Robb chose the wrong partner and things don’t go according to plan (and by not “going according to plan” I mean Robb, his wife, his mother, and his countrymen are brutally murdered during the wedding ceremony…).

The lesson for IT: There are a lot of factors to take into consideration when you’re deciding who to align yourself with. Choosing the right vendor for your organization depends on many factors including the specific project you’re working on, your existing environment, your budget, your goals, your future plans, etc. You don’t want to make a hasty decision on a specific vendor or product without thinking it through very carefully. This is where a company such as GreenPages can act as a trusted advisor to help guide you down the right path.

Any other lessons you can think of?

 

Download this whitepaper to learn how corporate IT can manage its environment as if it is “deployed to the cloud.” So, if and when different parts of the environment are deployed to the cloud, day-to-day management of the environment remains unchanged—regardless of where it is running.