Considering the Cloud? - Overview

On the Houston Business Executives "Executive Hour" Radio show on Houston's 1070 AM, Lance Griffith, CEO of CAP5, discusses with the show host, R.D. Yoder, Public Cloud vs. Private Cloud Computing to help the general business audience understand all the buzz-words flying around and whether or not it's worth considering one over the other for their IT Infrastructure.

Now it's time to consider a Private cloud...

In an article on CAP5's PAPER.LI Site april 15th, 2012, called 7 Things to Consider before Building a Private Cloud, the author RWW talks about the below 7 points.  I am going to expound on these 7 Points over the next 7 post and talk about knowledge and experiences CAP5 has regarding each of these points with our client's Privae Clouds that CAP5 hasbuilt for them. 

Here are RWW's "7 Things to Consider Before Building a Private Cloud":

1. Workload and Infrastructure Interaction
2. Security
3. Latency
4. User Experience
5. Cost
6. Automation
7. Cloud Enablement

Please refer to the Article by RWW when reading the series "Considering the Cloud" over the next few articles

Backups Don't Matter As Much As Recoveries!

Just a quick post today but it's an important one. 

I asked a gentleman the other day, "what is most important to you about your backup solution?" His reply, "that I can recover my data in the event of a hardware loss."

CORRECT ANSWER!

Here are some other questions you should further ask yourself:

• Are you able to restore the data that you have been backing up? 
• Are you testing to insure that the data is making it to the backup media?
• Is the backed up data good for long periodds of time and does it remain on the media you use to back up your data?
• If you loose your hardware that you are backing up or it is destroyed, what is your contingency for having additional hardware to restore the data that you have backed up on? 

These are just a few questions.  When CAP5 does an analysis for a customer in regards to a backup solution, we asks many question more along the lines of  "how will you get your business back up and running in the event of any type of failure! 

Food for thought!

The Law of Precession - The Big Picture in Technology

I was talking to my friend, Jack Warkenthien of NextStep Solutions (http://nextstep-solutions.com), last week and we were talking about enhancing CAP5’s Sales Process.  In that conversation he brought up the term “Law of Precession”.  Although through deduction in deciphering the roots of “Pre” for “forward” and “Cession” for “group order”, the “Law of Precession” was new to me.  (Not knowing the exact meaning of term Precession at the time, I later found the dictionary definition being, “continuous forward progress by a group moving along in an orderly fashion.”) 

Even though I pretty much knew what Precession meant, I still had never had heard of the “Law of Precession” so of course I asked Jack.  I am sure this is what he wanted anyway so that he could impart his knowledge and elevate our conversation regarding enhancing my sales process.  He is an expert in the Sales Development and Consulting field so it only made sense that he should tout what he knows and impress me!

His explanation was rather deep with lots of personal feeling behind it.  I was very impressed with his explanation and listened intently as he moved the conversation from a knowledge transfer to more of a “what I believe” heart felt impression which he left with me. I could never mimic the way that Jack explained the law.  Now that I understand it, I think that everyone needs to define the law on their own terms and I would certainly do that by hearing the conversation from Jack or someone like Jack that has a belief in the Law of Precession through life experiences. 

I am still learning to define the Law o Precession in my own terms but I can simply clinically explain it as:, the Law of Precession is more of a “Lifestyle Philosophy” that surrounds our lives if we concentrate on it.   In short, I found out that that the Law of Precession has everything to do with setting our sites on the end game or the big picture goal and while doing so, the general law allows for all the particles and pieces to fall into place on their own naturally. 

In trying to find my own definition, I came across the following article that I think will help everyone define the Law of Precession in their own terms: “How we can Apply the Law of Precession to our Relationship and Stay Happy…” (http://natureluvr.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/how-can-we-apply-law-of-precession-to-our-relationship-and-stay-happy%E2%80%A6/)

Now to explain why I have picked this subject… For years, I have been searching for an analogy to explain CAP5, the root of the long version of “Capability Maturity Level  5”  The Law of Precession is the perfect analogy to explain this maturity!  CAP5s are the technological goals, otherwise known as “Fully Optimized” goals, that all companies should set their sights on when working on their technology business (opposed to “in their technology business”).  As long as responsible technology parties keeps their focus on the their technology environment’s end game, all the other particles and pieces will naturally work out with a high percentage of success.  Alternately, companies often focus on fixing what is broke and instead of finding out what truly is causing the problems that initiated the issues to begin with.  If all a company does is focus on the little things, they will spend too much time, money and resources and will never get to a fully optimized state within their technology environment.

I certainly challenge all that are working on high maturity and fully optimized technology business environments, to adopt an end game strategy.  Hopefully through understanding the Law of Precession, all can gain a well-rounded analogist perspective in solving the bigger picture problems in their technology business organizations.

To find out more of how the CAP5 philosophy can work in your company's technology organization, please contact us at sales@capfive.com or 713-979-5280.

SOME OF THE CAP5 CLOUD SERVICES

CAP5 - Cloud Offerings!

In our CAP5 BLOG series of "Live In the Now! Power over IT!" CAP5 Technology Solutions presents 3 of our Cloud Service Offerings to our customers and prospects -

• CAP5 OneCloud© Monitoring
• CAP5 OneCloud© Remote Support
• CAP5 OneCloud© Backups/Restore

As defined by Wikipedia, Cloud Computing is a style of computing in which dynamically scalable and virtualized... services are provided over the Internet... This means pro-activeness, efficiency and fixed price rather than the traditional "Reactive Slow Time and Material (T&M) Services".

CAP5 OneCloud© Monitoring - CAP5 adds a secure robot on Windows-based Servers and Workstations that reports back to CAP5 Standard, Critical and Emergency system information. This allows CAP5 service personnel to understand real-time (rather than after-the fact) to proactively resolve computing problems before they occur.

CAP5 OneCloud© Remote Support - One of the tools that is installed in the above CAP5 OneCloud© Monitoring package is instant access to systems to provide proactive Standard, Critical and Emergency service. Depending on the nature of the service required, CAP5 personnel will resolve problems before they occur in a stealth, non-intrusive manner or by logging into the customers systems and taking control of the users system session.

CAP5 OneCloud© Backup/Restore - Data Protection means everything! CAP5 OneCloud© Backup/Restore provides safe and secure off site data backups to ensure that MS Window-based and Mac-based Servers and Workstations have a redundant repository of ALL your system's important data. In the event of hardware loss or damage, simply replace or fix the hardware and restore the data to its original state.

Our Motto: Power over IT!

CLICK HERE TO SEND A REQUEST TO CAP5 FOR MORE INFO ON THIS OR ANY OF OUR SERVICES!

CAP5 Technology Solutionswww.capfive.com
(713) 979-5280

HOUSTON MICROSOFT RETAIL STORE! PLUS MORE INFO AND NEWS

Have you wondered if Houston is a thriving metropolis?  Then look! Houston is getting it's very own Microsoft Retail Store.  We are the 10th of many to come.  But just to be in the Top 10 means a lot.  (See the story at WinRumors)

And in case you don't know, Houston is in the top 3 of cities in the world with the most Microsoft Desktop Licenses!

Microsoft is not going away!  Even with the release of so many competitors over the last few years, especially the recent surge of the Mac Operating System (OS), Microsoft still owns almost 90% of the OS Market Share.  (See Owl Stats). 

Windows 7 is stable and the best and most proliferated OS on the Market based on the short time since it's been released.  Oh yeah... AND... Windows 8 is already popping it's pretty little head up in all the Tech Trade Shows (See the Report in AnandTech) 

CAP5 is your leading Houston Metro-plex Mid-Market Certified Solution provider and we can service any location in the world with our outreach to all the other exclusive Certified Mid-Market Microsoft Providers (this is a exclusive certification that CAP5 is one of very few in the Houston Metro-Area)... Let CAP5 show you what the Server 2010 and Windows 7 can do to optimize your environment! Effective and Efficient aren't strong enough words!


FREE IMPLEMENTATION NEWS - 

Did you know that (if you qualify), Microsoft will pay most if not all of your service cost to migrate your environment, BUT YOU HAVE TO ACT FAST! contact us at sales@capfive.com.

Contact CAP5 right away to get your company qualified for a free infrastructure face-lift!   

CAP5--We Love What We Do And It Shows In Our  Results~!!! 

POWER OVER I.T.

CAP5 Technology Solutions (click to go to the CAP5 site)

Technology News That Lance Finds of Interest

CLICK LINKS TO GO TO FULL ARTICLE


Opera Mini for Smart Phones Just Got Better
LANCE'S COMMENT: I don't like the standard web browser that is on my Samsung phone and tablet so I use Opera.  You can find it for free on the Android Market

Video Chat on Your Droid!
LANCE'S COMMENT: I mostly use Tango but I am trying this one out

Build an App and Build a Business! The Geeks Guide to the Droid Application Galaxy
LANCE'S COMMENT: A lot of developer don't know where to start.  I have never done it myself, but if I did, I'd start here!

A Place to Learn Google Places
LANCE'S COMMENT: Really cool way to learn the basics if you are scared you might muck something up on your Android Smart Phone.

Can't Afford an EVO... Win One at Sprint! Mark the Date - June 13th, 2011!
LANCE'S COMMENTS: I'm a Samsung nut (wife is Korean so feeding the Korean economy for when I retire... someday.)  My second choice, and I've owned one, is the HTC EVO.  Win it for free!

Is Mac OS Really Secure? Read On!
LANCE'S COMMENT:  I really hope that I get through to some of you Mac users.  I don't own a Mac (but I did) and I really, really, really want to convince you to protect it.  Even Apple doesn't use the word "never" when describing being vulnerable... They certainly leave room for the possibility, and although the possibilities are far less, "you still need protection!"

Are MAC really secure? What's the Word on the Street?

Word on the street and even with us geeks is:

"Buy a Mac and you'll never get hacked!" 
(do you believe this or not... leave comment)

Well, "never" is a strong word... I never believed this and after reading an article in Time Business & Tech by Harry McCracken (sounds like a pun in the name but that's really his name), I see that even the geeks (Harry's a geek) can't believe it's happening on their Macs! (See Time Business & Tech, June 2nd, 2011)

Hacking, Phishing, Trojans, Viruses, etc... aren't just happening to Windows users... It happens to everyone! Quite honestly, I think that its happening more to Macs than the users think. The worst attacks are the ones that go undetected "under the hood". A Mac user tends to be more savvy so where they are vulnerable is the fact that they are having things happen in places in their computer that happens to be more stealth because they are typically not expecting it. One hack on your contact list and someone owns all your contacts. One Trojan Horse on your login and suddenly the hackers in your bank account.

This is all my opinion but I'm just saying... "I wouldn't go without security on any of my computers! Including my Mac!"

By all means! For any security questions or solutions, feel free to give CAP5 a call for us to come out, for free, and just take a look at what you are doing and make suggestions... It never hurts to know what you don't know! It's certainly safer to be safe than sorry!

CAP5 Technology Solutions
www.capfive.com
713-979-5280
sales@capfive.com (fastest response!)