By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image] One of the three characteristics that IT solutions must possess to propel business success and efficiency, in our opinion, is mobility. Microsoft appears to agree, and has been making big strides in its effort to develop solutions that transcend the barrier of desktop versus mobile, giving users a unified experience, as much as possible, across all their devices.

Earlier this year, Microsoft took another step in that direction with its release of the Outlook Web App (OWA) for the Android platform. This debut fulfilled the company’s stated goal of providing a Microsoft email client on all major mobile devices (smartphones and tablets). (Windows Mobile has Outlook Mobile, which works equally well.)

With Exchange Server 2013, Microsoft thoroughly redesigned OWA with a goal of making it work well on a variety of devices and form factors other than the traditional PC. The result was an adaptable, device-friendly interface that works as well on tablets and smartphones as it does on desktop and laptop displays. The feature set is a little lighter than the previous desktop version, but we are confident that Microsoft will address this over time.

Microsoft chose to debut OWA for iOS first (in July 2013), quite possibly because Microsoft wanted to control the end-to-end technology (and connection) for the mail delivery pipeline. With Microsoft’s old Exchange “handshake” tool, Exchange Active Sync, if something went wrong on another platform, users likely blamed Microsoft, at least in part, no matter where the fault lay. It made sense to give users a product that was thoroughly Microsoft and also worked as well as possible.
Unfortunately, things still are not perfect in iOS-land for OWA―a fact that doesn’t surprise anyone who has followed the ups and downs of Apple and Microsoft’s relationship over the years. However, if an enterprise runs (or leases hosted space on) an Exchange 2013 Server, things tend to work more smoothly.

Even better for companies with numerous Android users, OWA and Android seem to get along quite well. Google doesn’t have the complex “trust” issues that Apple has with outside developers. Furthermore, Microsoft has announced that it will debut new features in OWA within the next year, and it continues to tweak OWA incrementally to improve its functionality, as well.

Despite lingering problems with iOS, the most functional email client on iOS or Android for Exchange is still OWA. Users can default to the built-in email apps available in iOS or Android if they prefer, but for enterprises running Exchange, it makes more sense to get everyone over to OWA.
If your company has yet to transition its iOS and Android users to the new version of OWA, you owe it to yourself (and them) to give it a test drive. Our certified technicians can provide a demonstration and then help you get set up and running, quickly. To learn more, please fill out our inquiry form or give us a call at 678.218.1769.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image]In the last few weeks, we’ve come across more studies and reports that highlight the value to businesses of mobility and availability, and we wanted to share them with you. First, Forrester Research last week released a brief entitled, “Microsoft Office Crosses The Cloud Rubicon: The Focus Is On Business Agility, And Here's Why It Matters.” In it, Forrester talks about recent moves by Microsoft that confirm the future of its Office portfolio is in the cloud (Office 365). Microsoft kicked this messaging off at the SharePoint Conference 2014, Forrester noted, and then put an exclamation mark on it with the release of Office on iPad for Office 365 users. Forrester completed the brief by predicting that these moves will facilitate sharing, communication and individual mobility for organizations, helping them “become more agile and responsive to a customer-driven marketplace.”

We concur, and believe that although communication and sharing are important, what really sets Office 365 apart is mobility. For workers to be able to access their Office productivity tools anywhere they have an Internet connection (availability), and to always work with the same (and latest) version of Office, is an enormous productivity booster.

We’ve worked with companies whose workers were nearly hamstrung because they were trying to work with different, outdated, and in some cases nearly incompatible versions of Office in the office, at home and on the road. On their mobile devices, many of these companies’ workers were limited to Office “reader” apps that weren’t really letting them work, at all. When we helped these firms transition to Office 365 (with an affordable, per-seat pricing model), worker productivity and satisfaction soared.

At the same time this report hit our desks, we saw another one, released late last year, about office productivity in the UK. The report found that the adoption of information and communications technology in the past 40 years has increased office worker productivity by 480% over its 1970s levels.

This productivity report, released by the Centre for Economic and Business Research, determined that these technologies, including the mobile phone, “paved the way for a revolution in the use of technology in the office.” It also forecast that over the next five years, productivity will continue to accelerate, driven by “ascendant technologies such as high-speed mobile internet access and tablet computers that will allow office workers to stay connected and productive wherever they are.”

Here again, we see central themes―mobility and availability. At DynaSis, we call it “Modern Officing”―the ability to be connected and productive anytime, anywhere, provided you have a computing device of some sort and an Internet connection. We have long believed that mobility and availability (along with security) are the three key drivers of business success. Now, the entire world is echoing the call.

Where are you on your road to Modern Officing? Whether you are just getting started or are ready to take another step in the process, our technology experts can help you plan for and make the journey securely and cost effectively. To learn more, fill out our inquiry form or give us a call.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image] In conjunction with the kickoff of National Small Business Week, Time Warner announced the results of its most recent survey about small business technology trends. The survey results were illuminating, to say the least, and we thought you might find them interesting. Despite interest in cloud technologies, mobile productivity and other hot technologies, small business owners put three more “basic” needs at the top of the list: fast, reliable Internet access, clear, reliable phone service, and a reliable Wi-Fi network at their businesses.

Among survey respondents, 80% indicated that their customers expect them to offer free Wi-Fi at their locations, yet only 43% of businesses offer it. These business owners may recognize that allowing customers and guests to roam onto the company network isn’t a safe practice. What they may not know is that setting up a parallel “guest” network isn’t difficult. Businesses that take this small step could increase their customer satisfaction.

Another interesting issue, especially with Microsoft’s recent end of support for its popular Windows XP operating system, was that 33% of small businesses have been negatively impacted by outdated technology. Furthermore, business owners recognize the advantages of up-to-date technology, with 73% stating it would give them easier/faster access to information and 57% projecting it would increase customer satisfaction.

Of those surveyed, 93% had performed at least some technology upgrades in the past five years. However, as we reported last week, the pace of technology itself makes such upgrade timeframes impractical.

This survey was conducted with primarily very small business owners (24 employees or fewer), and among larger businesses, the priorities shift somewhat. For 2014, research firm SMB Group found that the number one technology challenge for medium businesses would be data integration.

Firms in the 25-100 sector continue to adopt cloud technologies, but they often do not proceed in an integrated or cohesive fashion. As a result, they end up with disparate silos of information that are not accessible to all workers. SMB Group predicted that cloud-to-cloud and cloud-to-premise integration would both take center stage for the remainder of 2014.

DynaSis technical experts can help companies achieve all these goals, whether they seek a guest network for their clients or want to deploy a unified data store to hold all of their digital business assets. We can also help companies adopt a fully cloud-based solution that gives all workers―on premise or mobile―access to data and applications, 24/7/365. To learn more, fill out our inquiry form or give us a call.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image]Two major IT research firms―Gartner, Inc. and Forrester Research―have announced their 2014 IT spending forecasts, and they indicate some interesting patterns that we believe small and medium businesses (SMBs) should consider. Forrester predicts worldwide technology spending will grow 6.2 percent to $2.2 trillion in 2014. More cautious, Gartner Worldwide’s IT spending forecast estimates that international IT spending will expand 3.1%, reaching $3.8 trillion.

Most interestingly, perhaps, Gartner attributes its more conservative figures to various cutbacks that are directly related to the explosive growth of new technologies, including cloud computing and mobile devices. Despite differences in their overall IT spending forecasts, both firms see bright prospects for SMB expenditure on cloud computing and office mobility products this year.

So what does this mean for your company? If you’re like 66% of SMBs (per a recent survey by Spiceworks), it means you are either using cloud-based solutions or are planning to implement them in the first half of this year. SMBs that adopt cloud services cite cost savings, low maintenance and convenience as factors in their decision to replace old servers with cloud servers. Firms with smaller IT staffs find cloud-based services especially practical due to the minimal configuration and maintenance they require.

Mobile devices, which will account for another large share of projected IT spending in 2014, will also create tangible value for an increasing number of SMBs. Gartner projects spending on devices such as mobile phones, tablets and PCs to rise 4.3 percent to $697 billion worldwide in the coming year.

We’ve talked about mobility―and BYOD (bring your own device)―in this blog before, but we recently came across some new insights we found interesting. In addition to increasing employee productivity, employee mobility also improves customer response time for some 66% of businesses. Furthermore, a recent Dell Software study found that employee mobility and BYOD also leads to greater creativity, more innovation and more productive office collaborations.

Still, two thirds of the survey’s respondents stipulated that the benefits of mobile devices were limited unless the company made sure those devices fulfilled the needs of each user. In other words, comprehensive evaluation of devices and their feature sets, as well as effective planning and implementation of corporate-data-access mechanisms, will bring companies the most value from their mobile device investments.

If you’ve allocated more budget for cloud or mobile solutions in 2014 but are not 100% certain of your roadmap for those expenditures, the virtual CIOS at DynaSis would be happy to help you explore the possibilities. With proper program execution and device management and security, cloud services and mobile solutions can absolutely provide your business with a competitive edge. To start a discussion about how to achieve these goals cost-effectively and with minimal technical complexity, fill out our inquiry form or give us a call.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image]Recent weather events in Atlanta and other southern cities have reinforced to many business owners their vulnerability when workers are unable to come to the office. “Snowpocalypse 2014” garnered national headlines for good reason, with thousands of commuters becoming trapped on icy roads―some for as many as 24 hours.

However, in hard-hit Atlanta―a metropolis of nearly six million people―there were plenty of workers who did make it home―and then sat there for several days while their offices remained shuttered due to the icy conditions. In many cases, businesses that had empowered their workers for mobile productivity were able to keep running their operations. Those that did not have such a solution in place weren’t as lucky. (Note that by “mobile,” we mean “out of the office,” not necessarily using a mobile device. Mobile workers can work anytime and anywhere, on any device with Internet access.)

Gaining the ability to move workers to a mobile environment, on demand, isn’t difficult or expensive. Unfortunately, misperceptions about security, cost and complexity keep many business owners and their employees from enjoying the benefits a mobile workplace affords. A few solutions that businesses can implement quickly and inexpensively to foster mobile productivity include:

1. Hosted Microsoft Exchange: Moving from Outlook or some other locally hosted email platform to hosted Microsoft Exchange at the corporate level gives workers secure, remote access to email messages, contacts and calendars via a mobile phone, tablet or laptop―or their home PCs. With this solution, workers can send and respond to emails, reach out to customers as needed, and perform other basic communications tasks.
2. Cloud-based data and application hosting: If company staff can’t access or work with files remotely, storing company data―and possibly applications―on cloud-based servers will power worker productivity. With access to appropriate corporate files, employees can write, edit and send documents, stay abreast of accounting tasks, enter and process orders, send and receive contracts, and perform other important work.
3. Locally based cloud hosting: For companies that want to (or must, for some reason) keep their data and applications hosted in-house, specialized software agents can turn those on-premise servers into cloud servers, affording workers access over the Internet (provided the company’s servers and Internet connection remain up during an outage). A solution like this provides the same benefits as a cloud server without the need to migrate data and applications.

While most companies cannot stay 100% functional with these solutions, they can operate at a level that maintains customer service until workers return to the office. They can also avoid the additional lost productivity that usually results when workers begin processing the backlog of work when the office reopens.

So, where were you during Snowpocalypse 2014? Did your office stay open or did you close? If you were closed, were you prepared to keep key workers busy during at least part of the unscheduled closure? If the answer to the last question is “No,” fill out our inquiry form or give us a call to learn more about solutions that ensure next time, you’ll be ready.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image]You may have noticed us alluding to a new term: Modern Officing, rather than talking about the Modern Office, which is often defined as an office environment not constrained by time or place, where technology powers the anytime-anywhere concept. That concept has now morphed into a verb, and folks are talking about Modern Officing.

This is the practice of enabling your employees to achieve anytime-anywhere productivity. It might incorporate letting personnel come into your physical office only occasionally―if at all. Of course, the core of this practice is technology―especially mobile and network technologies.

However, companies that succeed in this effort are judicious in how they weave other technologies into the solution. The idea is not to allow technology to expand organically, with everyone bringing their favorite solutions to the table. Rather, companies should strategically plan and deploy the right technologies, implemented security but accessibly. Not only should companies avoid too many solutions (especially if they overlap), but those solutions should not be too permissive or unrestrained. So, let’s look at a few of the technologies you likely use, and how your approach to them can be “just right” for the modern office.

These are just a few examples of dozens of technologies where right-sizing is beneficial to your company, its personnel and its bottom line. If your technology environment is insufficient or outdated, not only can your employees not achieve their missions, but customers to your physical space will perceive your firm as dated. Too many solutions, too much capacity, or an approach that is too unrestrained, and you could be throwing money, productivity and security away.

DynaSis has strategic planning experts that can help you pinpoint what improvements make sense for your firm, and which ones are unnecessary or unwise. To get started, fill out our inquiry form or give us a call.

By the DynaSis Team

[featured_image]Business owners hear frequently that they should have a good mobile site or application for their customer-facing efforts (e.g. sales or marketing), but what about corporate mobile apps? Are those important too? Depending on your business model, the answer can yes―or no. Corporate apps can be an important contributor to “Modern Officing,”―an operating model where employees can perform many or all office duties wherever and whenever it suits them, without the boundaries of time and space. However, as with public-facing mobile apps, corporate apps must be “done right” to succeed.

Corporate mobile apps are company-branded and approved tools that enable employees to run processes and connect to the corporate resources from their mobile devices. They allow companies a greater level of control and access restriction than simply allowing personnel to get direct access over the Internet. And they are becoming increasingly affordable to develop. So, what’s not to love?

Of the nearly 70% of employees that use personally owned smartphones and tablets in the workplace a majority (58%) abandon the corporate mobile apps they should be using for work-related tasks (per a 2013 survey conducted by ResearchNow). Most concerning, the report revealed that 64% of employees "go rogue," freely downloading public “productivity” apps of their choice and putting corporate security at risk.

Some 26% of smartphone users―and nearly 20% of tablet users―report that they "stick with" the corporate mobile app, but that productivity suffers as a result. A majority of users also reported returning to their desktops to complete tasks they could not effectively accomplish via mobile apps.

Now for the big question: what should your company do? That depends upon your level of technological sophistication and need for the apps. The reality for all businesses―especially small and medium-sized businesses―is that corporate apps are not a requisite in the way that customer-facing apps are. You do have options:

Secure cloud-based access: If you want employees to have access to corporate resources, for a very reasonable fee you can make those resources available securely, “in the cloud” Cloud security has improved substantially, especially when your data is hosted at a world-class data center or on your company’s own servers. Such setups are dramatically more secure than public apps. DynaSis’ ITility solution and DynaSis BLUE are approaches that incorporate this model.

Public apps with strict BYOD policy enforcement: Not all public apps are bad. It’s the unrestricted usage of them, without any corporate screening, that is dangerous. The survey we mentioned earlier found that only 24% of the businesses surveyed were enforcing a formal BYOD policy. Developing and enforcing a BYOD policy that lets employees download only approved, secure, well-respected mobile apps will go a long way towards reducing your risk, as well.

This effort is about incentives and enforcement as much as access. If personnel are using devices they paid for, you won’t be loved for restricting them from downloading public apps for personal use. You can incent them to use only company-approved solutions instead, through a combination of perks (company-paid minutes and data bonuses) and routine “health checks” with serious penalties for those that break the rules. Just make sure your choices are well-designed and intuitive or you may find yourself firing a lot of employees.

In-House Apps: If you want to develop in-house apps, they must be functional and intuitive. Companies developing them must adopt the best practices that are common with customer-facing apps. These practices include identifying user personas and use cases and targeting functionality to the broadest base of users. Corporate apps may not be a requisite, but if you are going to use them, they must work elegantly and offer a rich, mobile app experience.

DynaSis’ on-demand CIOs can help you evaluate and develop your mobile strategy and decide which of these approaches is best for you. The most important point is to do something. If you are waiting to make a decision about corporate mobile apps―or public mobile apps in the workplace―you are putting your company at risk. In the absence of a clear policy and directive, don’t wonder if your mobile-enabled employees are downloading public apps without your knowledge. Be assured that they already are.

By DynaSis

In my last few mobile productivity articles, I’ve talked about specific challenges and solutions. This time, we’ll look at mobile productivity from a strategic perspective. Few people still dispute that workplace mobility is both valuable and inevitable for firms that wish to remain competitive. Analysts Frost and Sullivan announced―in 2010―that enterprises were the new catalyst behind the growth of mobile.

However, embracing the concept of mobility is different from implementing a comprehensive mobile strategy. Many companies―especially small and medium businesses (SMBs)―simply avoid the issue altogether. They either operate in near or total lock-down mode (with some employees adopting or expanding the mobile office without management’s consent) or they throw up their hands and treat mobility―and especially BYOD (bring your own device)―like a child that’s run amok. They try to keep it in their sights and bear the expense and fall-out of whatever damage it does.

To end this impasse, companies need a clear mobile strategy, thoughtfully developed and equitably implemented and governed. With such a plan enacted, SMBs can move beyond the distraction of BYOD and other challenges and focus on the real goal of mobility―to drive better business outcomes.

So, what are the pillars of a mobile strategy? They’re surprisingly similar to those we recommend for business IT strategies, overall.

Opportunity Development and Analysis: The first issue you should consider (although it may be the last you finally resolve) is what you hope to gain from a mobile program. What level of risk can you tolerate in order to achieve those goals? How will you quantify the effort and measure its success? What mechanisms will you use to adjust your strategy if it is not successful, and how often will you make adjustments?

Governance: With an idea of what you want to accomplish, you can begin to set the framework for achieving your targets. Governance helps you codify such pivotal concerns as who handles administration and management of the effort, how you will comply with regulatory requirements, if any, and whether (and how) individual department managers can authorize activities, define specialized operating parameters, create department-specific apps, etc.

Platform: Will you standardize on a single mobile device operating system (OS) such as iOS or Android, or do you want workers to have true BYOD flexibility? Supporting multiple-OS devices (and even multiple device types under the same OS) increases management complexity but enhances worker satisfaction.

User Experience: What do you want the user to be able to DO with their mobile devices when operating within the company’s framework? Does your choice of device management platform support users’ expectations? If vendors or customers will be able to access your mobile resources, do you want their experience to be branded?

Security: What data in your organization absolutely cannot end up on user devices, and how will you secure it? How will you secure the information that users CAN access from mobile devices, and how will you handle lost/stolen devices?

At what level will you support BYOD (if at all)? If personal devices will be allowed, will IT want permission to wipe the data if the device is compromised or the worker leaves the firm? How will you handle security training and what will your policy be for workers who break the rules?

As you can see, there are a number of important issues to consider when planning your mobile strategy, and the examples I have given do not cover every aspect of the challenge. Many of these issues may seem unrelated to productivity, when in fact they are essential. If management and workers are operating without a clear strategy and related policies in place, neither companies nor their employees know what to expect from mobile working. That uncertainty will stifle enthusiasm and productivity growth, hamper adoption, and cause staff to be uncomfortable with the entire effort. To learn how DynaSis can help you develop a mobile strategy that works for your firm, give me a call.

By Dave Moorman, DynaSis

Numerous surveys and reports indicate that mobile devices can be enormous workforce productivity enhancers―with employees voluntarily extending the workplace outside the office. For example, a recent survey conducted by Fierce GovernmentIT and Market Connections found that more than 50% of federal employees achieved five additional hours, weekly, of device-driven productivity, much of which occurred outside the office.

Employees in corporate environments report similar productivity increases― per the 2013 iPass Global Mobile Workforce Report, 75% of mobile workers perform additional work tasks from hotels, airplanes, coffee shops or public transportation. Yet, not all companies―especially small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) that may be technology challenged―reap the greatest possible productivity gains from mobility.

A number of factors can impede that goal, and one of them surprisingly, may be a shortage of Internet connectivity. Few companies think about the implications of Internet access for mobile workers, other than possibly to warn them against using public, unsecured Wi-Fi hotspots. Yet, connectivity is becoming an impediment to productivity.

Many wireless providers are discontinuing unlimited free data plans in favor of “set allowance” packages for a certain price, forcing workers to be more conservative with their cellular data usage. In BYOD (worker-provided device) scenarios, this situation is especially touchy, because workers may not be willing to give up precious data allowances for work purposes without proper compensation.

Cellular providers encourage smartphone users to access the Internet over Wi-Fi, but access to these networks is far from ubiquitous. In the iPass survey, 41% of workers said a lack of wireless coverage rendered them unproductive for at least 10% of their workday. That equates to 251 lost hours per worker, per year. A whopping 18% said the unavailability of wireless left them unproductive for 25% of their day, or more.

Based on the numbers, it’s likely that this Wi-Fi shortage is happening both inside and outside the office. To neutralize such a productivity threat, SMBs need to provide sufficient Wi-Fi access inside their offices. They also need to ensure workers can access corporate data as needed, via secure Wi-Fi or high-speed cellular Internet connections when they are out of the office―and compensate them for a reasonable amount of the expense. This may sound costly, but as little $20 a month buys a lot of additional Internet access. If SMBs gain one hour a week of productivity from that outlay, it’s more than paid for itself.

The key for SMBs that adopt mobile device strategies is to find that “sweet spot” where maximum productivity, security and cost effectiveness come together. With current technologies and the help of good advisors, achieving that goal isn’t difficult anymore. In coming months, I’ll offer more mobile productivity tips for your consideration. In the meantime, if you’d like to discuss mobility or connectivity issues your firm is experiencing, please give me a call.

The practice of BYOD (bring your own device), where employees are allowed to use their personal devices for corporate functions such as email, has become incredibly popular. Unfortunately, new statistics are underscoring the fact that it’s a very dangerous practice if businesses don’t treat it with respect―and the problem is getting worse.

Per a June 2013 Mobile Security Survey Report from Internet Security firm Checkpoint, personal mobile device (PMD) usage on corporate networks is surging―96% of respondents said the number of PMDs on their networks is growing; 45% said they have five times as many PMDs on the network as they did two years ago. More than half of these firms (53%) reported that sensitive customer or corporate information is stored on mobile devices, up from 47% the year before. (This figure is probably low―in May 2013, CTIA-The Wireless Association reported that the percentage of employees using personal devices for company business is at least twice as high as the rate at which their employers report it.)

Given that 85% of companies store the majority of corporate data and intellectual assets on their networks (per the April 2013 BYOD and Mobile Security Report from the 160,000 member LinkedIn Information Security Community), having so many personal devices on a network could result in a serious data breach. For many firms, it already has. The Checkpoint survey also found that 79% of businesses experienced a mobile security incident in the past year. For 52% of them, the cost to mitigate it was more than $100,000.

In other words, if the age of Bring Your Own Disaster hasn’t arrived yet, it is looming on the horizon.

These statistics aren’t meant to scare you away from adopting BYOD. The productivity gains and cost reductions are undeniable. For example, Intel’s 2013 IT Performance Report indicates BYOD saves its employees an average of 57 minutes a day. VMware reported in February 2013 that it saved $2 million by going “all-in” with BYOD. Undoubtedly, cash-crunched, productivity challenged small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) will reap big rewards, as well.

However, these same SMBs are also less likely to have the IT resources to implement and enforce a BYOD policy, so mobile security is a real concern. Numerous companies are touting end-to-end mobile device management platforms, many of which are complex and expensive to maintain. DynaSis proposes a simpler solution―make it easy for employees to access the corporate information they need, but hard to transfer it to their PMDs.

A remote workplace solution―where personnel access corporate networks through a secure portal and all data remains on the corporate network―is a great start. Add another layer of protection with firm, “no second chances” BYOD policies about data management and then wrap it all up with extra protections such as remote lock and wipe, and you will have eliminated the majority of BYOD challenges.

But don’t wait too long before you take action. Even if you don’t have a BYOD policy, employees are probably using their personal devices for company business without your knowledge. In the absence of a clear policy, they are also more likely to perform dangerous behaviors, such as altering security settings on their PMDs, sharing corporate passwords, logging onto unauthorized networks, and performing other risky behaviors.