Off-Site Data Backup with the Help of Managed IT Services

March 28, 2013 by ·

The off-site data backup solutions offered by Managed IT Services are frequently used as part of recovery plans to prevent the loss of important data, should a disaster happen. This type of data protection involves the use of storage devices or data centers with the purpose of removing data from the main system and storing your files in data vaults.

These easy-to-use and cost-efficient solutions provide enhanced protection for your data – all you need is a provider of managed IT services and a broadband connection to the internet. Your service provider will install a piece of software on your computer that will select the data to be transferred to the storage device; then, it takes care of the encryption and compression of your data and transfers the data to the storage center. Encryption is important, because it makes your data unintelligible for intruders who do not possess your unique encryption key. After transfer, the data stored in such storage sites called vaults is instantly accessible to you on a password-authorized basis.

Additional Benefits of Utilyzing a Managed IT Services Provider

Besides being safe and comfortable, this type of managed IT services comes with a number of additional benefits and advantages:

  • Off-site data backup is a very cost-effective storage solution, as it does not require you to invest extensively into your own storage devices and into the maintenance of these devices. Customers usually pay a monthly fee to the Managed IT Services provider and the plans are customized to the customer’s needs.
  • Off-site storage solutions use encrypted network connections, making them highly reliable and safe.
  • Your data is regularly and automatically backed up. This means that the storage of your files and the maintenance of the storage media is no longer handled by one of your employees, so you and your personnel can focus on your business-related tasks more efficiently. Automated off-site backup systems also eliminate the possibility of human error, like mixing up or losing storage devices.
  • Service providers usually store your archives in multiple vaults, and they archive previous versions of your files and deleted files as well.

24/7 monitoring, assisted implementation, flexible and personalized storage options and permanent technical support – these are the features that characterize the best providers when it comes to offsite backup solutions. As one of the most appreciated providers of off-site backup options, Dolomite integrates all these features into their Managed IT Services, so that you can be sure your data is safe at all times.

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What Is a Computer Virus and How to Protect Yourself Against It with Managed IT Services

March 14, 2013 by ·

Computer viruses come in all shapes and forms, and they pose a permanent threat to your software, your files, even your hardware – a threat efficiently eliminated by Managed IT Services by providing permanently updated anti-virus solutions for your system.

Computer viruses are extremely varied. They do not behave the same way, they do not replicate or harm your computer the same way. Here are the most frequently encountered types:

  • Trojans – these programs look like useful, legitimate tools that perform a certain function on your computer, but, once installed, they can damage your computer by ruining or deleting certain files, and they compromise the security of your system by providing another computer access to your contents.
  • Worms – this virus subclass spreads through your system by replicating itself infinitely. Worms can send themselves through email systems without human aid, burdening your system so much that servers and individual computers may not be able to handle the surge of data and stop responding.
  • Macro viruses – they use the macro language of certain applications to spread themselves, and they usually infect spreadsheets and text documents.
  • Time bombs – these viruses are programmed to set off at a specific time, or their “explosion” is triggered by a certain pre-programmed event, like the person who created them gets fired.

Managed IT services can protect your computers against all these malicious attacks. These services take over the security management of your computer system and they provide permanent monitoring, virus scanning and instant response to attempted virus attacks. Managed anti-virus services perform scans and clean-ups through software installed on the computers licensed; outsourcing virus protection by turning to a service of this type also means that you will not need servers or expensive software of your own to scan your system, allowing you to reduce both capital costs and overhead expenses.

Managed IT services are not free, but the fees paid are insignificant compared to the costs of replacing the software and hardware damaged on the event of a virus attack, not to mention the costs caused by data loss and IT downtime.

If you are looking for a reliable, reputable provider of managed IT services, Dolomite is one of the best possible choices: their managed IT services are not only reasonably priced, but also comprehensive, using the latest technology to provide 24/7 system monitoring, with state-of-the-art virus protection included into many of their business packages, free of charge.

Filed Under: Anti-Virus, Computer Repair, General News · Tagged: , , ,

The Most Common Uses of Cloud Computing Services

February 27, 2013 by ·

Cloud computing is everywhere nowadays, being an integral part of our everyday life. In most cases, the average user does not even realize that he or she is using a service of this type – the infrastructure employed for operating these services is so perfectly “wrapped in a cloud” that the user sees only the interface necessary for using the service. In what follows, we will present a few of the most common uses of cloud services to demonstrate how naturally we use these solutions both as individuals and at the level of corporate operations.

Social Networking

The main idea behind social networking sites is to share information with others by using the infrastructure of the service provider without having to download any kind of large software application on your computer. Social networking sites are in permanent development, attracting more and more users, gaining more and more ground in the corporate field as well – so much so that there is a new profession in development: that of the social media marketing expert.

Online Banking

Financial and banking services are available over the internet for private and corporate customers alike. What lies behind this type of services is also cloud computing: the users are given access to an interface through which they can initiate transactions and manage their bank accounts with no tool required other than the internet.

Creating Backup for Photos, Documents and Other Important Files

There are numerous websites nowadays that offer backup services to protect your files. Keeping your files on your computers without any backup on other carriers can be dangerous: just imagine the loss if your home or work computer suffered any damage or virus attack or some other type of security breach. Online backup services have been developed to safeguard your contents, and they are available for a certain fee or even free of charge. With some of these services, the copies of the files on your computer are kept on a server in the cloud, while others keep these files on synchronized individual computers and in the cloud, too.

Document Hosting

Cloud computing has made it possible to share images and videos as well, revolutionizing not only the world of business, but entertainment as well.

Web-mail

Web-based mailing services make up an important segment of the cloud service industry. Web-mail accounts are easily accessible from anywhere, giving the users the freedom of movement, while also providing enhanced and extended access to their communication tools.

As you see, cloud computing is everywhere indeed, more and more sophisticated each day, making our lives easier while the tools themselves remain almost unnoticed.

About Dolomite

Dolomite Technology is a Managed Service Provider that provides services and consulting on technology services to customers across the nation. A core concept of of Dolomite’s service portfolio is cloud computing services. To learn more about Dolomite services please contact us. You can also learn more about cloud computing on our website.

Filed Under: Cloud Computing, General News · Tagged: , , ,

Cloud Computing Services – Choosing the Most Adequate Provider

February 20, 2013 by ·

When used in a corporate environment, cloud computing services can significantly reduce operational expenses, while also contributing to a more streamlined workflow, allowing large, medium-sized and small enterprises to benefit from outsourcing their needs for hardware, software, applications and storage capacity. However, the service provider chosen must meet a number of requirements, so, in what follows we will present a few aspects to consider when selecting your supplier.

Competence and Reliability

When looking for the right cloud computing service provider, you must make sure the supplier will be able to deliver on all the promises made. You need a provider which is in possession of the right technology and is able to provide the best performance, continuous availability and 24/7 technical support. The supplier must be able to demonstrate all these features before you sign up to any service.

Security

Another feature that makes cloud services attractive is the enhanced security of your contents. Your supplier must provide several different levels of security such as identity management, access control and authorization.

Cost Tracking

One of the major benefits of cloud services is that the consumers can use exactly the amount of resources they need, and they will be billed only for the resources consumed. You must choose service providers that offer a monitoring system of your consumption so that you can have accurate information of the related costs at all times.

Customization

The cloud computing solution you choose must cater to your exact needs. In other words, you must avoid providers that offer one-size-fits-all type of services and, most importantly, you need the terms you negotiate with the supplier to be included into the Service Level Agreement. The agreement must contain the detailed list of the services you sign up to, the metrics used to evaluate the performance of the service provider, the obligations of both the customer and the service supplier, as well as the measures to be taken in case any of the parties fails to fulfill these obligations, and reference to future changes in the contents of the Service Level Agreement.

Choosing the right cloud service provider must be a complex decision making process that involves not only the management, but also the experts working in the IT department. If you are able to define your exact needs and you negotiate your terms with a reputable cloud computing service provider, the results will surely be beneficial for both parties of the agreement, making your operation much smoother and more cost-efficient.

Filed Under: Cloud Computing, General News · Tagged: , , , ,

Cloud Computing – The Types of Cloud Services and Their Field of Usage

February 13, 2013 by ·

The number of the companies understanding the advantages of cloud computing is in permanent growth, and the cloud services available are also in constant evolution. However varied and versatile these services are, they can still be categorized into three major groups. In what follows, you can find a short description of these three categories of service.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

This type of cloud service provides access to software and applications without making the customer pay for expensive licensing and without the necessity to store large program files on local computers. The user is given access to the software applications run by the service provider either free of charge or in return for a fee, and the network used for accessing is usually the internet. The most common examples of SaaS is online banking and e-mail services – the user of these applications is no longer dependent on hardware, the service can be accessed from any place with a connection to the internet.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

PaaS is primarily used for development environments and platforms. With this type of cloud computing service, the provider undertakes to manage the customer’s data base and operating system so the customer no longer has to manage its own platforms. The service is mainly used in development projects with extended computing needs that would require a very long time to complete if done on individual, local computers; it also shortens time-to-market considerably, while making the complete control of costs possible.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

With this type of service, customers can significantly and consistently reduce capital expenses by outsourcing infrastructure like hardware and storage, eliminating the need to purchase large capacity servers. What the customer gets with this type of cloud computing service is access to storage space and processor usage without using any dedicated software to create such space. The system is very flexible, as it allows the user to increase and decrease the size of the space any time and the provider invoices the client only on the size of storage space and of the resources used for delivering the service.

The growing need for outsourced solutions is setting the quick pace of development for these cloud services and accounts for their popularity among corporate and individual customers alike. The storage space, the networking tools, the applications provided in the form of cloud computing services all serve purposes of cost reduction and enhanced efficiency, enabling competitive functioning in a demanding economic environment.

About Dolomite

Dolomite Technology is a Managed Service Provider that provides services and consulting on technology services to customers across the nation. A core concept of of Dolomite’s service portfolio is cloud computing services. To learn more about Dolomite services please contact us. You can also learn more about cloud computing on our website.

Filed Under: Cloud Computing, General News · Tagged: , , , ,