Have you decided to relocate some or all of your organization's infrastructure to a cloud services provider (CSP) such as Microsoft, Google, or Amazon? If so, the next step is to consider who will serve as your cloud migration partner. The right consultant can get you to the cloud securely and cost-effectively while enhancing performance. But ... not all cloud migration partners are created equal.

Business has changed for many in the wake of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many organizations pivoted to a remote work strategy, and now the focus is shifting to hybrid workforce considerations. However, for each of these transitions, one aspect that remains critical is the need to secure your workforce and data, no matter where business is happening. So how can you be sure that your IT systems are thoughtfully aligned to support your next strategic phase of business operations securely?

Five years ago, I wrote a blog post that summarized the risks of unmanaged data within IT environments. As a specialist working with Systems Engineering's FileProtect (cloud backup service), I’ve only seen this problem compound. The problem lies in the fact that the majority of businesses haven’t taken on the challenge of cleaning out their proverbial digital junk drawers.

In 1970, around the same time David Bowie was writing “Changes”, Alvin and Heidi Toffler wrote a book entitled “Future Shock,” arguing that the ever-accelerating rate of technological and social change would create fear, confusion, and tension across the globe. In the last 50 years, their predictions have been largely prescient. While cloud technologies keep getting better and have improved our lives in a myriad of ways, there is no doubt that it leaves some people’s heads spinning. So how do you keep up with the cloud?

Have you wanted to move some or all of your organization's infrastructure to a cloud service provider (CSP) such as Microsoft Azure but have reservations? These could include security, compliance, and/or costs — areas you would not want to have surprises. This is why it is important to consider how you will get you there in a secure and optimized way for cost and performance. To help you navigate this process, we put together some key points to consider in your cloud migration strategy.

The concept of digital transformation is a broad topic with many different meanings. What business you are in will dictate the specific factors involved. For many companies, the pandemic jump-started their digital transformation. Others simply embraced the changes they already had underway. Aspects of digital transformation that speak to all organizations include the need to be adaptive, resilient, and relevant to customers and stakeholders. Here is a look at what it means to adopt digital transformation within your organization.

What would it be like for your organization if there was an IT disaster such as an office fire, systems failure, or ransomware attack? If all your data was lost, how long would it take for your organization to be functional again? Minutes, hours, days, or weeks? How would this affect your customers and your employees? These are the types of data resiliency questions business leaders should ask when thinking about their data backup solutions and recovery needs.