Cloud computing is basically an outsourcing of computer software. Using cloud computing, you can access software and applications from wherever you are, as long as you have an internet connection. The data, software, and applications are hosted by an outside party, in the cloud. This eliminates worry about things like storage and power, offering flexibility and control instead.

Corporate Email

It can be challenging to decide which email solution will work best for your company. If you’ve been wavering back and forth, then it can be a good idea to read up a bit on each email platform. Find out by asking these simple questions:

Do they offer spam filtering, encryption, and message tracking?

Will they support my custom domain name and address?

How much storage is available?

Is there a guaranteed uptime?

Other considerations include, what type of features do you need for office collaboration? Are you using file sharing, calendar sharing, and/or cross-platform features that you want to integrate?

Microsoft Outlook from Office 365

This is one of the most popular email solutions that’s included with Office 365 and is integrated with office programs making it easier for staff to use.

Here’s some of the features that Outlook has to offer:

A customized business email address

Includes Exchange (email), One-Drive, SharePoint, Skype for Business and Microsoft Teams

Email storage

HIPAA compliant

The security and interoperability of Microsoft

99.9% uptime guarantee

24/7 technical support, via phone, and email

Pricing starts at $5 per mailbox per month

Email Encryption

G Suite Business Email

The G Suite Business Email program is another popular choice providing:

Customized business email address

Google domain so you own your custom email address

Google Drive storage  

Video and Voice conferencing, Team Messaging, Shared Calendars

99.9% uptime guarantee

24/7 technical support, via phone, and email

Plans start at just $5

Email filtering capabilities

Corporate and Marketing Website Hosting

You need a good reason to not be working with a specialist on hosting your website. There is so much that goes into this discussion including security and marketing strategy. If your corporate website resides at your primary place of business, odds are you are "doing it wrong". Hosting a website on your own servers comes at a high cost and requires a lot of skills. Your company would need to hire a very experienced server administrator. Managing a VPS or a dedicated server itself is a challenge for many companies.

Considerations for hosting on your own:

You need to handle and maintain servers.

You must be on top of all software updates.

Do you have the time?

You’ll need a high-speed internet connection that’s redundant.

It is more expensive than you think to host your own website.

Your website may not look or run as well as it could.

You need expert security, if the huge company Equifax can get hacked, then yours can too.

When you host your own website, you have no support.

Cloud Based Phone System

Is it reliable? Is it worth it? Will it work for us? These are all valid concerns. Your phone service should be cloud-managed and flexible. If your organization looks like the typical Northern New Jersey business, odds are the "cloud" for these everyday staples of business computing are not a great value.

Value is Simply Benefit Divided by Cost 

Buying general computing and/or line-of-business application hosting in the cloud is often too pricey. It's like leasing a really expensive car rather than buying a solid, run it for a number of years, vehicle.  For example, a typical Dell, HP or Lenovo Server is designed to last 5-7 years. Yes, they need to be replaced, but the value proposition of buying equivalent computational horsepower in the cloud would be akin to replacing your servers every 12-18 months.

Resist the temptation to just "go to the cloud" for everything. You have options and you need to give them careful consideration. Your business model must be equipped to take advantage of Cloud Computing.

Advantages of Running a Phone System in the Cloud

* Easy to centralize communication methods and provides a single interface to manage all communications.

* Creates a better customer service experience for your customers with efficient call routing, high uptime, and mobility options for working from home.

* Much cheaper than traditional, on-premises telephone systems. If you’re looking to streamline your communications expenses, this is an easy win and a no-brainer.

* Robust call features such as advanced call forwarding, automatic call recording, voicemail to email or text, call queues with on-hold music, customized caller ID, one-click conference calls, multi-level auto attendants, and call analytics and logs.

* Simpler and faster to add more office locations, hiring new employees, and mobilizing your team to work from home than a traditional phone system.

* Improved reliability and performance especially during a time when a disaster happens such as wildfires, floods, health crisis, earthquakes, etc.

* Less every day and setup maintenance cost

Disadvantages of Running a Phone System in the Cloud

* Faster networking equipment is needed like routers and switches.

* A stable internet connection is required.

* Experience latency and jitter issues occur occasionally.

Every organization is unique, so the right solution for your friend’s business may not be right for you. Speaking to an IT professional can be very beneficial in tailoring an IT infrastructure to your specific business needs. That is where having a professional guide at your side is a smart idea. Contact navitend today to help you decide what portion of the cloud is right for your organization.