December 28, 2009, Atlanta, GA—DynaSis today announced the release of their “Technology Toolkit”, a set of informational documents for businesses to assess their current IT versus their existing infrastructure. The toolkit will help small to medium sized businesses make a solid decision when considering an IT purchase.

The Technology Toolkit contains a technology self-assessment that allows businesses to score their IT in relation to best practice standards as well as an IT checklist of services an IT provider should offer. A total cost of IT calculator is also included so businesses can calculate the overall expenditure of their IT network over a three year period when compared to managing IT in-house or outsourcing daily IT functions to a managed service provider. Lastly, the toolkit provides SMBs a whitepaper on software as a service (SaaS) technology which details how businesses can leverage SaaS to decrease technology costs.

DynaSis Vice President Chas Arnold commented, “The Technology Toolkit gives businesses a chance to read all the information for themselves and make an informed decision about their technology. Making an IT purchase is an involved process, and many business owners or professionals don’t know what to look for when searching for a new solution. The Technology Tool Kit will give them a good starting point to evaluate a solution that is right for them.”

The documents in the kit have been compiled after years of working with professionals in the Atlanta metro area and contains answers to commonly asked questions regarding IT providers and IT purchases.

DynaSis President David Moorman said, “After 18 years in the SMB IT market we are confident the Tool Kit will be a value add to any company struggling with questions like: Should we host our IT? What should my provider be doing for me? Will managing my IT in-house or outsourcing be more cost effective? DynaSis will continue to work with professionals in the decision process, but now businesses will have answers to the basics at their fingertips.”

The Technology Toolkit is free to small and medium sized businesses and can be found by visiting www.dynasis.com.

DynaSis is a managed IT service provider servicing small and medium sized businesses in the Atlanta area for over 17 years. DynaSis specializes in managed IT service plans, managed hosting and professional equipment installation. For more information about DynaSis visit www.dynasis.com.

by Chas Arnold, VP Sales and Marketing

Where is the personal computer headed? With the advances in cloud computing and software as a service (see previous blogs), the need for a traditional personal computer is decreasing. Personal computers with local software files and high capacity are being traded down for smaller computers with less power that retrieve data from a centralized server or datacenter- often called thin clients or “smart terminals”. Scaled down computers or thin clients are not as costly and can still provide the same user experience of a personal computer, just delivered a little differently. So what exactly are these smart terminals and should you jump on the downsizing bandwagon? What benefits are there and why trade up your flashy PC for a simpler version?

First things first…What is a thin client or smart terminal? It is a computer that relies on some other computer (like a server) to fulfill traditional computing roles. A thin client can be a stripped down PC with little to no software that talks to a server to get its files, email and applications. A thin client can also be a small box attached to the back of your monitor or a device you plug into a USB port on your computer. They need only have the bare bones to get you online, while the true computer is in a datacenter down the hall or in the next state.

So the important question, why use a thin client?

• Decreased cost
A traditional personal computer can cost upwards of $1000 before you even get to security, upgrades, and maintenance costs, while a thin client can be purchased for less than $200. Applications, security, upgrades and more can be purchased monthly using a cloud service or SaaS provider.

• Decreased maintenance
Instead of working on each personal computer separately, thin clients give IT personal the ability to globally maintain workstations, meaning they only have to perform upgrades and system maintenance once for all computers on the network.

• Reduced Consumption
Thin clients are a smaller footprint where the environment is concerned. They use less energy and take up less space on a desktop than a personal computer.

• Seamless User Experience
Thin clients are capable of delivering the same user experience as traditional PC’s. Depending on what your business is, there are varying levels of thin clients that can offer the same functionality including video, 3D graphics, and audio.

So if you just purchased a fleet of new desktops, thin client computing may not be your best bet. But for those who are looking to upgrade in the near future, tossing out the personal computer model may make a lot of sense.

by David Moorman, President

You already know allowing employees to telecommute can help the environment, reduce traffic congestion, increase your talent pool, and even increase employee satisfaction. So with all these benefits, why isn’t it more widely adopted? Common concerns include loss of control over employees, decreased productivity, or security risks. The good news is advances in technology are calming these fears in addition to making working remotely as seamless as working at the office.

Employers Fear Loss of Control
The word telecommuting can strike fear in the hearts of many managers. How will I keep tabs on my people? How will we stay connected? While telecommuting does require a certain amount of trust and a results oriented management approach rather than an observation based management approach, there are ways to monitor employees that work remotely. Many companies use live chat applications that denote idle versus active status allowing them to peek in on employee activity as well as chat in real time. Other companies may use a web portal to access applications needed for work and monitor employee login and log off records. And for the ultra conscious manager, company computers can be equipped with spyware-like agents for monitoring employee activity. Spyware isn’t just a hacker tool you know. And don’t forget about phone records; many voice over IP phone systems provide detailed call reporting so you know if your team is reaching out to prospects or just hitting the snooze alarm. While you may not be able to pop your head over the cube wall anymore, you can still check up on employees with simple monitoring tools.

Decrease in Productivity
Won’t my employees productivity suffer with extra distractions or inability to access work files as easily? You could make the argument that employees that work at home can easily find other things to do besides work, but isn’t it the same scenario at the office? Employees at the office can waste time just as easily between trading gossip at the water cooler, yacking at the photocopier or changing up their fantasy football players for Sunday night’s game.
On the point of access, advanced software as a service (SaaS) delivery methods deliver the same experience no matter where you are or which device you use. Easy access can even mean employees log on after-hours to finish emails after the kids go to bed, actually increasing productivity. Plus employees that telecommute can work during hours that would otherwise be spent in 400 traffic.

Telecommuting Introduces Security Risks
Some make a valid point when it comes to telecommuting introducing security threats. Wireless Internet cafes can breed wild virus and spyware issues, which is why employee education and security policy is a must. Teaching employees about such threats can mitigate risks while providing secure Internet access through personal air cards or Clear technology can close the gap. Creating web based portals and using cloud technology alleviates the risk of data falling into the wrong hands if a laptop is stolen. These technologies allow data to be saved centrally to the datacenter instead of having copies of sensitive data on local machines, making a stolen laptop a few hundred dollar loss instead of a few hundred thousand dollar loss.

Technologies like cloud computing, SaaS, VoIP, and more are giving employees freedom and management peace of mind. Work no longer has to be somewhere you go but something you do no matter where you happen to be. So what are you waiting for? Your fuzzy slippers are calling your name.

by David Moorman, President

Change can be a source of apprehension for a lot of businesses, especially when it comes to critical data you use to run your operations. New technology definitely meets resistance because it is unknown and not yet understood widely. Cloud computing is one of those technologies that business professionals fear, so I thought I’d dispel some of the myths associated with it.

My data won’t be as accessible in the cloud.
Some business professionals are uncomfortable with their servers and data being stored in the cloud. Without equipment physically at their office, they fear they won’t be able to get to their data when they need it. In reality, cloud computing is meant to maximize access to your data. Since your data is delivered over the Internet, you are no longer tied to any one physical machine. Any device that connects to the Internet is now your information highway. So whether you are at the office, home, or on the road you can still get to necessary files and applications.

My provider will be able to hold my data hostage.
Cloud computing is not a way that respectable providers are going to some how lock you into using their services. A reputable managed IT company is not going to deny you access to your information and should in fact have processes in place to transfer your data should you ever want to switch. Reputation is more important in the business of IT than wielding power over clients. Additionally, since the premise of cloud computing is to make your data more accessible, you can get to it whenever you want. Your data is literally at your fingertips, available from anywhere.

My data won’t be as secure in the cloud.
Having direct physical access to your equipment and data is what most companies are used to, but just because you can reach out and touch it doesn’t mean its safe. Having your data stored at your office can create a false sense of security. What if someone breaks in and steals your equipment or an employee tampers with it after hours? The cloud offers both physical and virtual security measures that may not be available to the typical SMB. Temperature control, fire suppression systems, around the clock monitoring, controlled access, enterprise firewall security, and virus protections are just a few of the features that come included with hosting your data in the cloud. Still unsure? Ask your provider for a tour of their data center facility to see exactly how they will treat your information.

Sharing physical resources in the cloud creates security issues.
The cloud often uses virtualization to accomplish high rates of uptime and to minimize the amount of physical equipment needed. Virtualizing means that many computers can be located on one physical machine. For example, instead of running one copy of Windows on your PC, with virtualization you could run two or three copies that all act as different PC’s on one physical machine. In the cloud, many companies share the same physical server but each company’s data is run on separate virtual servers. So what if that one server gets infected, won’t it spread to all virtual servers? Each virtual server has its own licensing, its own firewall, its own anti-virus software and so on. Just like two ships passing in the night, virtual servers run parallel but never touch.

Sharing physical resources in the cloud increases my risk of downtime.
With many companies running on one machine, you may be tempted to think the cloud is unstable. In a virtualized environment, if any one physical server crashes, all the virtual instances are easily moved to another resource so no downtime is experienced. Providers offering cloud computing should be able to give you the percentage of guaranteed uptime they offer. Additionally, if your business experiences a spike in credit card transactions, or an increase in the number of users accessing the network during certain times of the day or week, any available resources within the server farm are temporarily given to you and when you no longer need it, that bandwidth is reallocated somewhere else.

While converting your traditional network to one that utilizes the cloud can be daunting, it’s like any other new technology. You must evaluate the risks and benefits separating truth from irrational fears that may be based on the way you’ve always done things. The cloud is your friend--exploring its possibilities can offer huge time and cost savings.

October 22, 2009 Atlanta, GA. DynaSis IT a managed IT provider for small and medium sized businesses has released a whitepaper on Software as a Service detailing the benefits of using SaaS to create a centralized IT solution which transforms IT into a utility. SaaS is a model of software deployment in which a provider licenses an application to customers for use as a service on demand. The whitepaper explains the growing trend towards using SaaS to centralize the management and delivery of IT and includes cost saving figures from leading researchers.

The whitepaper from DynaSis explains that traditional networks in which a small or medium sized business maintains their own equipment and data processes is not a cost effective practice. SaaS allows businesses to minimize their investment in technologies such as email, storage, application upgrades or security and shift dollars to advanced technologies like data warehousing, data mining, ERP and CRM solutions which could offer a head-start against competition.

The document also examines levels of “IT Maturity” explaining that a company’s IT infrastructure and systems can fall on a scale ranging from chaotic and reactive to a proactive or managed approach with IT as a utility being the highest level of maturity. Companies falling under proactive, managed, or utility are maximizing the value of their IT systems and saving the most over the long term. A managed services solution using SaaS can make that transition possible.

DynaSis President David Moorman, “This document was important for us to write because it helps businesses understand that the day-to-day care of IT isn’t a competitive advantage. A SaaS solution allows a business to focus on why they opened their doors in the first place. IT staff time is better spent exploring new ways for technology to improve efficiency rather than the mundane tasks associated with computer network maintenance.”

Chas Arnold Vice President of DynaSis adds, “SaaS is a big switch from traditional networking that some companies have a hard time grasping. The whitepaper explains in detail the argument for SaaS and points to why it is the next generation of computing.”
The DynaSis whitepaper Using Technology to Simplify and Save Money is available by visiting www.dynasis.com.

DynaSis is a managed IT service provider servicing small and medium sized businesses in the Atlanta area for over 17 years. DynaSis specializes in managed IT service plans, managed hosting and professional equipment installation. For more information about DynaSis visit www.dynasis.com.

by David Moorman, President

Many IT providers in the market today claim to offer “managed services,” and for rock bottom prices. But just what qualifies a provider’s service as a “managed IT service” and what distinguishes one managed IT provider from the next? According to Wikipedia, “Managed services is the practice of transferring day-to-day related management responsibility as a strategic method for improved effective and efficient operations. “ A good definition, but a lot of room for grey area.

In my time in the IT industry (over 20 years, wow I can’t believe its been that long) I have come across what we affectionately call in the business “trunk slammers”. A trunk slammer is often a small shop that offers IT services for low low prices and can sometimes go under the name of a managed service provider, hosting it all from the back of his, that’s right, trunk. Ok, in all seriousness they may not actually be working from their trunk, but they may not have the greatest equipment or practices in place when you consider the importance of your business data. It’s not hard to identify these knock-off managed service providers if you know the right questions to ask:

This first one might be easy, but how long have they been in business? Also, how long have they been offering this particular service? Did this company or service plan pop up over night or do they have a background to match their extensive offering? Often when new technologies hit the market, some providers are quick to add it to their menu without first testing and ensuring quality.

What equipment are they using? Along the same lines as above, make sure the company is using the latest hardware and software to provide these services, rather than scrambling to create a service built on a mishmash of what is in their server room.

What reporting do they provide? A true managed service company will offer you detailed reporting on the monitoring and management they provide. Reporting offers you insight into how much actual management they are doing.

Are they in it for the long term? A managed service provider should act as a trusted advisor and offer advice for both the short term and the long term, identifying your business goals and creating a plan so that IT helps you reach those goals.

What’s in the fine print? When comparing managed IT providers, compare apples to apples. Some providers leave off necessary services that come included in other plans. Similarly, things you may not need now like extra helpdesk support, or increased storage maybe charged at a premium outside of the contract, while other providers offer a service that is easily scalable.

So, the bottom line here? Not all managed services or providers are created equal, nor can they be compared on price alone. Asking the right questions up front can save you time, money, and hassle down the road.

by David Moorman, President

So you’re managing the company’s IT and trying to keep up with your own duties? One of the great things about working for a small or medium sized business is that you get to wear many hats, but it’s a double edged sword. Your knowledge of IT or the ability to lend a hand has helped you become an invaluable resource for the company, but as the company grows your main priorities suffer. Sound familiar?

The need to hire outside consultants is a fact of life in the small business. The good news is, outside consultants can offer huge value to your company, improve processes, allow you to focus on your primary responsibilities, plus save the company money over the long term.

Here are a few things to think about when considering making the switch to an outside provider:

Consultants Increase Productivity
Large companies have IT staff with specialists in each area – desktop support, server administration, infrastructure maintenance, application programming, web development and a host of other specialties. In an SMB environment, your focus should be on what you do best, allowing the experts to handle IT issues and strategy. This approach can help you get more accomplished without wasting time learning how to manage a secondary role, saving the company time and money.

Explore New IT Resources
When you have your primary job functions plus co-worker PC issues, you can hardly manage your day, let alone think about IT strategy. New technologies like virtualization, ERPs, or data mining can improve company processes and save money in the long term. Using a consultant frees you to focus on your job while experts handle the day-to-day and make recommendations on the latest technology.

So you’re sold, but what about your boss? Presenting the need for an IT partner is best explained in dollars and cents. DynaSis can help identify the true costs involved with managing your own IT and the value of an outside vendor.

After several years with DynaSis on-premise support, Brayson Homes found itself in a time of transition. The server management on-site was becoming more costly with the growing complexity of the network. They looked to the experts at DynaSis to elevate their current IT systems to the next level. Brayson Homes transitioned to a cloud-based, on-demand solution called ITility by DynaSis in early 2010.

September 24, 2009 Atlanta, GA. After many businesses and schools were forced to shut down because of Monday’s Atlanta area floods, DynaSis IT is proud to announce none of its ITility by DynaSis service clients experienced downtime due to the downpours. ITility by DynaSis service from DynaSis is a software-as-a-service model in which data and applications are delivered over the Internet from a high availability central datacenter. The remote connectivity available through ITility by DynaSis allowed DynaSis clients to work as normal even if their office location was victim to flood damage.

Road closures and flood damage undoubtedly prevented many Atlanta small and midsize businesses from continuing work as normal on Monday and into the rest of the week. In addition to damages, local school closings forced Atlantans to stay home to care for young children in counties across the metro area resulting in lost employee productivity. Worse yet, others experienced damaged computer equipment leading to the loss of data.

While DynaSis clients experienced wet conditions, downtime and employee productivity were non-issues. ITility by DynaSis clients experienced 100% uptime after the floods and were able to work remotely if needed. ITility by DynaSis offers businesses access to their data from any location on any device using the Internet. In addition, equipment is safely stored offsite at a secured datacenter, while backups are performed routinely by expert engineers.
DynaSis President David Moorman commented, “Lost productivity accounts for a huge portion of business costs. ITility by DynaSis helps combat those losses with remote access capability so employees can work anywhere anytime. All data is stored and backed up at our datacenter and then replicated to an offsite location out-of-state for further protection in the case of a disaster like Monday’s floods.”

DynaSis will be offering a free month of ITility by DynaSis service for qualified Atlanta businesses until October 1, 2009. For more information contact DynaSis at 770.569.4600 or visit www.dynasis.com.

DynaSis is a managed IT service provider servicing small and medium sized businesses in the Atlanta area for over 17 years. DynaSis specializes in managed IT service plans, managed hosting and professional equipment installation.

by David Moorman, President

Many IT providers in the market today claim to offer “managed services,” and for rock bottom prices. But just what qualifies a provider’s service as a “managed IT service” and what distinguishes one managed IT provider from the next? According to Wikipedia, “Managed services is the practice of transferring day-to-day related management responsibility as a strategic method for improved effective and efficient operations. “ A good definition, but a lot of room for grey area.

In my time in the IT industry (over 20 years, wow I can’t believe its been that long) I have come across what we affectionately call in the business “trunk slammers”. A trunk slammer is often a small shop that offers IT services for low low prices and can sometimes go under the name of a managed service provider, hosting it all from the back of his, that’s right, trunk. Ok, in all seriousness they may not actually be working from their trunk, but they may not have the greatest equipment or practices in place when you consider the importance of your business data. It’s not hard to identify these knock-off managed service providers if you know the right questions to ask:

This first one might be easy, but how long have they been in business? Also, how long have they been offering this particular service? Did this company or service plan pop up over night or do they have a background to match their extensive offering? Often when new technologies hit the market, some providers are quick to add it to their menu without first testing and ensuring quality.

What equipment are they using? Along the same lines as above, make sure the company is using the latest hardware and software to provide these services, rather than scrambling to create a service built on a mishmash of what is in their server room.

What reporting do they provide? A true managed service company will offer you detailed reporting on the monitoring and management they provide. Reporting offers you insight into how much actual management they are doing.

Are they in it for the long term? A managed service provider should act as a trusted advisor and offer advice for both the short term and the long term, identifying your business goals and creating a plan so that IT helps you reach those goals.

What’s in the fine print? When comparing managed IT providers, compare apples to apples. Some providers leave off necessary services that come included in other plans. Similarly, things you may not need now like extra helpdesk support, or increased storage maybe charged at a premium outside of the contract, while other providers offer a service that is easily scalable.

So, the bottom line here? Not all managed services or providers are created equal, nor can they be compared on price alone. Asking the right questions up front can save you time, money, and hassle down the road.