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What You Need to Know About Your Hybrid Data Center and Cloud Migration Strategy

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Do you know the answers to these four questions? Don’t start a cloud migration until you do.

Failure is not an option when dealing with your data center or cloud migration. You need to ask these 4 questions as you consider your strategy.

When you are looking to move to a hybrid data center and migrate some of your function to the cloud, it is critical that you have a clear execution strategy. You data center is the brain of your business. If something happens to the data center your business will begin to suffer right away. When assessing your options, you need to make sure you know the answer to four key questions to make sure you have a smooth transition.

 

Question 1: How Much Bandwidth do you need?

 

The biggest mistake you can make with a cloud migration is underestimating the amount of bandwidth you will need. You always want to make sure you have access to more bandwidth than you need. As Big Data becomes more important to businesses in every industry, your bandwidth needs will only grow in the future. Make sure you know how much bandwidth you need currently and make sure your partner is equipped to meet your current needs as well as any future bandwidth increases as your business grows.

 

Question 2: Where Do You Need the Bandwidth Most?

 

When you are using a hybrid strategy for your data center, you need to make sure you have the right amount of bandwidth in the right places. Too often companies and their data center partners fail to take into different bandwidth needs of different departments and locations. This can cause costly bottlenecks that diminish productivity. You should talk to potential vendors about where you most need bandwidth to keep your business moving smoothly.

 

Question 3: Who is Responsible for What During the Transition?

 

You cannot afford for anything to fall through the cracks. You need to have clear lines of communication with your consultants and partners. You need to have the peace of mind of knowing who is in charge of each part of the transition. You need to know who to contact to get issues resolved and to get updates. You want a partner who is proactive and who not only has the expertise to execute on the strategy, but the communication skills to make sure you are never out of the loop.

 

Question 4: How Does Adding a VAR Improve the Experience?

 

Data center and cloud migration services are not cookie cutter. Your business has unique needs that cannot be met with a one-size fits all approach. Making sure your partner is a value added reseller (VAR) will help you get the exact products, services, and solutions your business needs. Adding a VAR to your project increases your options and adds additional expertise to your transition team. Companies often discover a VAR will be able to solve problems the company did not even realize they had yet.

 

If you want to stay competitive in this global marketplace you need to have a strong, reliable data center and the flexibility to quickly add more capabilities as the market changes. Make sure you are dealing with partners that are up to the challenge from both a technical expertise standpoint and a strategic execution standpoint.

Five Reasons why you need the ShoreTel Dock to replace your phone system

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ShoreTel Dock

Shoretel Dock with iPad for business

I have been selling phone systems for years and the ShoreTel Dock is one of the coolest, most innovative, and most cost effective phones I’ve seen. It allows for so much flexibility and functionality. Here are five reasons why you need to consider the Shoretel Dock when upgrading your phone system.

 

  1. User friendly – The Shoretel Dock takes advantage of the user friendly ease of Apple products. It works with all iPads and iPhones so it’s pretty easy to learn to use. What’s more important, it’s easy for users to adopt the additional features like voicemail to email, eFaxing, and out of office messages to make their day more productive.
  2. Reliability – QoS is available through a layer 2 connection from ShoreTel but the phones work just as well over a WiFi connection. In fact, if your device has cellular service then you have a built in redundant connection which will turn your iPad into a business phone. The app works with or without the docking station.
  3. Cost – The Shoretel Dock starts at $49 and the iPads and iPhones start at $300 or so. You can have a whole user environment, phone and computer, for under $500. Most decent desk phones are in the $200-500 range so it’s not hard to justify. With virtualization on the rise, an iPad can serve as your desktop environment.
  4. Portability – As long as you have cell coverage, you can be connected back to your environment. This is basically built in DR for your voice platform. If the iPad is used as an end user terminal, it’s safe to say your employees can take their whole work environment with them on the go. Did I get too technical?Shoot me an email with your questions.
  5. Hedging your bets – Many people think the desk phone is dying. It’s easy for people in some positions who can take calls on their cell to feel that way but some employees are tethered to their desk and telephone. The Shoretel Dock provides the best of both worlds. When it’s time for your hardware refresh, you simply upgrade your iPhones or iPads… They just sit on the dock.

Basically, the Shoretel Dock will turn your iPhones and iPads into a business phone system with more functionality than your traditional telephone system. It’s a very low cost and high reliability solution that will give your office environment the cool factor. The coolest things is that the Shoretel Dock and iPad combo is so easy to learn that we can even bring you up to speed if the last device you used was a rotary phone! Call us at 844-OGRE-NOW or contact us here.

5 Steps to Decommissioning your old PBX – Analyze and Implement

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Move your phones to the cloud

If you’ve been exploring a move to a cloud based phone system and decommissioning your old PBX then you know it’s not as simple as it seems. Below are five simple steps to analyze your voice environment and plan your implementation.

  1. Telephone count – You’ll need to analyze how many devices you have and where they’re located. This is the first step that can be improved if you also figure out and log how each phone is actually used by its rightful owner. Contact us to help perform your audit.
  2. Connectivity – The day of POTS lines and PRIs is done. It’s all SIP in the core. Each phone uses between 88kbps and 200kbps for HD calls. You’ll want to account for that on top of the bandwidth you’ll need for any other external applications. Don’t forget to block Netflix at your office!
  3. Decommissioning old equipment – A lot of top UCaaS providers are giving rebates for old telephone equipment so you should certainly take advantage. You’ll also want to either sell your old PBX for parts or have it destroyed by a third party.
  4. Training – Who are your end users? Now is where step one’s additional information will come I handy. You’ll want to plan your training for end-users around their use habits and learning style. Not everyone can just watch a YouTube video and get it. They may need additional hand holding, especially if they’re working the reception console. We can help your users get up to speed. Click here
  5. Save the date – You’ll want to pick a date after hours to install your new system, test, and rip out your old equipment. Weekends are ideal but you don’t always have that luxury, especially if you have a large call center environment.

Decommissioning your old PBX can save you tons on monthly telco and power charges. You can really reduce your data center footprint while improving the security and functionality of your voice ecosystem. It’s just so much easier to manage.

Shoretel’s dock is a great addition to a voice ecosystem, adding redundancy with cellular connectivity through your mobile carrier and allowing for a cool, distributed work force. It literally turns your iPad into a phone system!  Contact us for more information.

Five Reasons why you need a VAR to implement your Cloud Strategy

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VAR will save time and money

Using a VAR or integrator to implement your company’s cloud strategy is a great way to save time and money while ensuring a more positive migration experience for end users.

Recently I spoke with a potential client who asked why his company would go through a VAR instead of buying directly from a vendor. Some vendors, like ShoreTel and Mitel, require customers to go through a VAR. Others like AT&T and Digital Realty use a collaborative approach to better handle larger customers with diverse needs driving their project that only a VAR can provide. For more from AT&T and Digital Realty contact us here.

For large companies, using a VAR or integrator to implement your company’s cloud strategy is a great way to save time and money while ensuring a more positive migration experience for end users. Here is a list of the five most common reasons CloudOgre is engaged as a VAR to assist in the implementation of a cloud strategy.

1. Companies with multiple locations in areas with different ILECs and MSOs

Designing a cost effective and high-performance Wide Area Network is the first step in moving to the cloud. Buying direct hurts your chances of getting the lowest pricing avaliable. A VAR will get pricing that a customer can’t get, similar to a mechanic who gets car parts at lower rates than consumers. You’ll also save countless hours using a VAR rather than having an employee try to obtain quotes from multiple vendors then hammering them on price. We have the inside scoop. Want in? Click here…

2. Non-Technical End-User impacting projects

When companies look to move from a traditional desktop environment to DaaS or VDI, cloud based email like O365 from an MS exchange server, or from an old PBX to a new cloud based UCaaS VoIP phone system, end user training is essential. Whether train the trainer or training the end-user, the success of the project lies here. Using CloudOgre to assist is a great way to save time and money. Vendors require VARs to have extensive training on their products, systems, and processes. More importantly, there are channels for additional support a VAR that escalates and resolves issues quickly.

3. End of life equipment replacement

Replacing old servers, phone systems, and desktops requires more than just decommissioning equipment. Sorting through vendors and the nuances to their products can take hours. Having a VAR to gather and arrange details from a technical, legal, and financial aspect as it pertains to your individual business case is the most effective way to comb through the details. CloudOgre is able to work across business units to provide detailed explanations addressing concerns. To learn more, click here.

4. Data Center footprint reduction & hybridization

The easiest way to obtain multiple competitive quotes is going through a VAR. For example, we partner with Digital Realty & AWS. Determining your need, whether cooling, space, bandwidth, storage, or processing it is a good idea consulting with a VAR with a process is most efficient. Combing through acceptable use policies, manufacturer’s suggested maintenance schedules, and other important details, simply put, is most efficiently done by a VAR.

5. Contract renegotiation and Office Moves

Allowing a contract to auto-renew can have heavy financial impacts for your company that a VAR can manage. Managing expenses includes managing SLAs, credits, overages, contract renewals, and more. During office moves or expansion a CloudOgre can be very helpful. Have you ever tried to move your home service? Now multiply that experience by 1,000! Check out our blog post on how we help with office moves here.

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Typically, CloudOgre is engaged by new clients as a VAR to manage projects with critical status and aggressive timelines. The additional support provided by the CloudOgre team provides a better end-user migration experience while giving time back to IT staff and money back to the budget. Contact us here for more information on how the Ogre can help your team move your company to the cloud.

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