Tools to Take Your Business To The Cloud

Tools to move to the cloudBeing engaged in business used to mean staying wired in at the office eight to twelve hours a day. In today’s world this is completely untrue as often the most efficient workplace is one that is spread far and wide and always on the go.

With todays technology you can free yourself from your desk with just a laptop computer and 4G modem (or just tether it to your mobile phone). This freedom to work out of the office is a huge advantage to modern businesses.

The Right Tools for the Job

The most important parts of working out of the office is to ensure you don’t lose touch with your team. Maintaining total collaboration between team members can be tricky but their are tools to help you to stay on top of your team communication.

One such tool is Microsoft Office 365, this provides the traditional tools (Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote etc) and also adds remote team collaboration and a cloud based file server. Files can be saved into the cloud, worked on and accessed anywhere. At one time, remote working meant taking a copy of a file somewhere else to work. Changes to the original weren’t reflected in the remote copy and at least one version was destined to be lost forever.

Software packages such as OneDrive and SharePoint allow the entire team to work on a single centralised file saved to the cloud. Whether you are in the office, on a beach, plane, or train; the file is the same version for everyone.

Collaborative Working

The key to remote working is the ability to collaborate in the cloud with everyone at once. Modern software such as Office 365 allows all team members to be working on a single document at the same time.

Whether the project calls for spreadsheets, documents or a presentation; everyone can work together without missing a beat.

Even when you’re not working out of the office or busy on the road, collaborative software can help to power your team working in the office too.

Admin Done Remotely

Modern software has impacted the way in which we do our finances and simplify your bookkeeping.

Today, cloud computing has opened up ways to speed up business in ways we couldn’t have imagined. Cloud-based accounting packages such as Xero, MYOB or Quickbooks allow for your accounts to be done in the cloud.

Make your Finances Work for You

Maintaining your finances is as simple as logging into a single portal. This tool allows you to take both your admin and your work out of the office and keep it on the go.

By the time your accounts are due, your accountant simply has to log in remotely and pick up where you left off. By the time taxes are due the work is done and you can get on with other important things in your business.

Getting work done out of the office and on the go is a huge boost to productivity. Modern technology and software enables you to keep up to speed, continue collaborating and even stay on top of your accounts from anywhere in the world.

Give us a call today on 08 8326 4364 or su*****@dp*********.au to talk about how we can help you move to the cloud.

Is It Worth Having Your Email Server On-Premises?

Cloud Email

There’s not a business around that doesn’t use email on a daily basis. Whether for sending internal memos or communicating with clients and customers, email is a core necessity of all modern businesses. What many modern businesses are doing though, is dropping the in-house email server and moving to a cloud solution. Here’s why you should do the same.

Reduced network problems

Computer network operates in a delicate balance and when one piece breaks chaos follows. Connected systems and processes tend to fail, productivity drops as all focus shifts away from normal activities. It becomes a mad scramble to get the network up again, especially the email servers (the last thing you want is for all your client/customer emails to bounce back!). While it’s good to have confidence in your current computer guru, the assumption that any crashes will always happen when they are available has caused many regrets and panicked phone calls that could have been avoided. When you move to a cloud solution, you’re able to say goodbye to onsite servers and all the accompanying drama, making your remaining infrastructure easier to maintain.

Lower hardware and maintenance costs

Maintaining your exchange servers is costing a tidy sum from hardware repairs and license fees alone. Add in the cost of scaling your server to keep up with your business growth, and suddenly keeping your email in-house doesn’t make financial sense. Instead, consider what it would be like to have predictable costs for your email hosting that covers everything, including the latest technology and round the clock administration. Many solutions offer on-demand plans, so you only pay for the options you want.

You’re still in control

One of the main arguments for keeping your Exchange server on premise is to make sure you have complete control over your email; you’re able to limit physical access, no 3rd party has access to your critical data, and you always know where your data is. While control may have been the deciding factor in the past, the fact is cloud solutions have evolved so much that these arguments are void. Physical security at one of Microsoft’s data farms, for example, goes far beyond that of your locked server room and digital access is strictly limited to those you specify.

Greater protections

Cloud solutions provide automatic protection against many threats, including fire, power outages, viruses and flood. While your own in-house server has anti-virus running and a backup plan, it’s still incredibly vulnerable. Backups get forgotten, virus definitions don’t get updated in time, and you’re very lucky if your own server can survive a fire or flood. Moving your email hosting to a cloud solution removes all that risk, usually with an uptime guarantee that lets your business get on with essential tasks. As email is a critical tool for your business, isolating your systems from risk may be one of the best decisions you make all year.

Spam and Virus Filtering

With thousands or even millions of spam and virus emails hitting servers every day moving your email to the cloud relieves the stress and load of filtering and managing these emails from your local server. It also frees up your internet line by stopping the junk from even reaching your offices as they are stopped dead in their tracks in the cloud.

If you need further help with your email server needs, call us today on 08 8326 4364 or via email at su*****@dp*********.au.