IT Consult

10 Issues with the Cloud

matt — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 00:20:54 +0000

After compling our list of reasons to take the leap and outsource your business IT needs we have complied a list of what we believe is the 10 most relevant issues with cloud computing. As the cloud buzz word continues to be thrown around it is impoprtant for organisations to take a step back, breathe and take an objective look into the often hidden dangers associated with this nost recent technology.

We believe that the cloud most definately has a place in todays IT landscape, but should be used when right… not just to been seen to be keeping up.

You can check out our 10 Issues with the Cloud list here and let us know what you think.

10 good reasons to outsource with IT Consult.

matt — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 04:55:40 +0000

Take a look at our 2 page list containing 10 good reasons to outsource your business it with IT Consult. The list points out very valid points that you may not have thought of yet. So if your on the fence about whether or not to outsource check this out, it will make you aware of the wide spectrum of advantages (hopefully). We list advantages ranging from economies of scale to the realisation of a competitive edge through technology.

Check out 10 good reasons to outsource IT.

Virtual Appliances Are Coming

matt — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:25:10 +0000

A new virtualization specification, the Open Virtualization Format (OVF), was ratified this month, and lays the foundation for a fundamental change in how enterprises deploy and manage software. It allows ISVs to deliver applications that can be installed with a single click, even applications that span multiple separate server installs and have complex configurations. This development has ramifications on how users recover applications, clone golden images, and ensure license compliance. OVF can be a sea change for IT but will require wide adoption by ISVs, toolkits aimed at enterprise administrators (not just ISVs), and a big push by customers. Several ISVs are promoting this appliance delivery methodology, including Oracle and SAP. Will you? And should you?

Take a look at VMware’s paper written for IT Infrastructure & Operations Professionals.

VMware – Virtualisation brief

matt — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:22:49 +0000

The term “cloud computing” has turned into nothing but industry hyperbole. Server virtualization leader VMware has a compelling vision and a set of products that could help clarify all of the confusion. The company‟s building block approach can help organizations derive real short and long-term value from the cloud. If VMware can build industry support for its effort while working with other virtualization players, it could find itself at the very foundation of a future cloud computing boom.

Check out the whitepaper for information on infrastructure virtualisation.

Citrix Xendesktop

matt — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 02:21:14 +0000

Today’s workplace is changing fast. Workforces are being liberated from their desks and mobilized with new kinds of end-user devices to allow for unprecedented flexibility and greater productivity. What’s more, employees and contractors increasingly fulfill their assignments outside the office on devices they own—and they expect their devices to be able to quickly and easily access the corporate applications and data they need to do their jobs.

View the full whitepaper for more information on bringing virtual desktops to your environment.

NetApp’s Unified Storage Architecture

matt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:28:16 +0000

This paper from the NetApp team was published in October 2008 but still makes for interesting reading and gives a solid introduction and a good insight into the value brought by the NetApp Data Ontap approach still used by the organisation today.

The traditional model for enterprise storage requires a different storage system for each storage function. One storage architecture might be deployed for primary network-attached storage (NAS), another for storage area networks (SANs), with additional platforms for secondary storage, archive, and compliance. Because of the obvious complexity and cost of such an approach, many vendors in the storage industr have begun to talk about “unified” storage, co-opting the term from NetApp, which pioneered a unified storage architecture years ago. The solutions these vendors offer typically include the ability to accommodate both NAS and SAN protocols, but do so by combining NAS and SAN components with different architectures, management infrastructures, backup requirements, and so on, and rarely offer the scalability and performance necessary in today’s enterprise environments.

Check the whitepaper here.

Storage Challenges and Solutions – NetApp whitepaper

matt — Mon, 28 Nov 2011 23:23:51 +0000

Consolidating your Microsoft® SQL Server®, Exchange, and SharePoint® Server data along with your Windows® files using NetApp® storage for Windows environments reduces the cost of physical storage as well as ongoing management costs in Windows environments. Storage utilization improves dramatically, storage management becomes simpler, and headaches associated with backup and restore are reduced or eliminated. NetApp storage solutions scale to accommodate growth, while letting you easily reclaim storage space as needed. A range of technologies, including NetApp RAID-DP®, clustered storage, and replication capabilities, help protect the availability of your critical data. With NetApp, companies have been able to slash the cost of Windows storage by as much as 50%.

Please view the whitepaper here to find out exactly what NetApp can do with your business.

IBM N series support

matt — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:09:35 +0000

IBM N series range of storage has for the most part been a challenge when it comes to finding quality, accessible after sales support and maintenance. Our consultants through localised market research with existing customers, other IT service providers and those working in the IT space as IBM users have identified the need that exists and have done something about it. We now offer a specialised IBM N series range of support services, so whether you’re looking for a one off implementation or design project, ongoing support and maintenance contracts or anything in between our consultants can help.

With years of experience with DAS, SAN and NAS storage types we are well placed to serve the needs of IBM users that until now have been left to fend for themselves. Fibre Channel, iSCSI and NAS protocols are also no problem for our professionals so no matter what protocol your using IBM N series support is only a phone call away

Are you in need of IBM N series support? Contact us: we can help.

You can also view the IBM page here.

QuorumLabs’ Turnkey Disaster Recovery Appliance Named Tech Award Circle Winner

matt — Wed, 19 Oct 2011 23:01:30 +0000

FREMONT, Calif., October 19, 2011 — QuorumLabs® today announced that it has been selected as a Tech Award Circles winner. The company’s onQ Site Recovery Appliance won the Bronze award in the mid-range software category. Tech Awards Circle winners are selected by an independent circle of journalists and are considered the “best of the best”in the computer and consumer technology industries.

The onQ appliance protects more than 1,000 servers and provides instant recovery of a company’s data and applications in the event of a disaster. Unlike other solutions in its class, onQ goes beyond online backup by allowing users to instantly recover lost data with the single click of a button should systems go down, without the complexity or cost of traditional enterprise solutions. The onQ solution integrates a number of sophisticated technologies – including backup, snapshot archiving, deduplication, replication, virtualization, and more – into a simple, all-in-one appliance. onQ is also the only solution that completely automates the disaster recovery testing process, reducing it from a labor-intensive procedure that can take several days to an automatic process that takes minutes.

About QuorumLabs®
QuorumLabs® develops innovative technologies and products that provide high availability and instant recovery of critical business systems for small to mid-sized companies. Easily deployed within an hour, QuorumLabs® turnkey solutions allow businesses to routinely and automatically test their recovery plan and recover failed systems with a single click. Located in Fremont, California, QuorumLabs was spun out of Themis Computer in 2008. More information can be found at www.quorumlabs.com

Contact:
Orion Marketing
Cindee Mock, 650-255-2975
Cindee.mock@orionmarketing.com

Technology assessment Experts Storage Switzerland release ‘best practice paper’.

matt — Thu, 06 Oct 2011 22:52:46 +0000

Independent technology assessment organisation Storage Switzerland (S.S.) has released a new white-paper detailing best practices for SME’s back-up, disaster recovery and business continuity solutions. As part of the ‘Virtual Recovery Solution’ S.S. has named Quorumlabs onQ, recognising the advantages for small and medium sized businesses achieved in relation to recovery speeds and the advantages of the appliance creating virtual versions of servers. The paper also touches on the ease of testing bought about through the use of the onQ appliance when compaired to other solutions stating that testing is “The biggest cause of problems in the recovery process is not testing that process before a real failure occurs.”

You can view the full report below or visit the Storage Switzerland site yourself here.