Information technology (IT) has evolved at an increasing rate. This evolution as gone through numerous phases that include the introduction of mainframe computing and the personal computing revolution that soon followed.

Now, 3rd platform computing is ushering in the next stage of this evolution. It’s a result of the advent of mobile computing, cloud-based services, social networks, and Big Data.

Understanding 3rd platform computing, its impact on how businesses operate, and how to meet the changing needs of your business and its customers is critical to your success.

The Birth of 3rd Party Computing

This shift in computing began around 2007 when the term “3rd platform” was first used by the International Data Corporation (IDC) to describe new technologies that were shaping how businesses and the public access data and technology.

Cloud computing allowed businesses to move their data away from on-site servers while increasing its accessibility from anywhere in the world and on any device. This made it possible to solve problems that they were previously unable to address.

As a result, cloud technologies have become stable in strategies that businesses use to manage their ongoing operations.

Software and hardware have also changed in response to the growth of 3rd platform computing. The needs and expectations of businesses and consumers have forced them to realign their products and the ways in which they work.

Why the 3rd Platform Matters

The ways in which mobile computing, social networking, Big Data, and cloud computing are changing how businesses operate is critical to competing within your marketplace.

The growth of mobile devices that include smartphones, tablets, and wearable technology has increased the financial resources being allocated to IT systems.

Over time, more online users will access online data using mobile devices than with traditional laptops and desktops.

Social networks continue to grow all over the world. This is especially true in areas that include Africa, the Middle East, India, and China. Businesses operating in a global marketplace can’t afford to overlook the importance of 3rd platform computing.

This dramatic growth will continue as 3rd platform technologies evolve alongside the changing needs of businesses and online users.

New markets that are developing will impact how 3rd platform computing evolves. Investment in cloud services and mobile devices are growing at a higher rate in these markets when compared to developed marketplaces.

How to Prepare Your Business for the 3rd Platform Shift

There are ways that businesses can align their operations and objectives with the shift towards 3rd platform computing. Software as a Service (SaaS) tools help you access the tools you need at a reduced cost and with increased efficiency.

SaaS services can be used to optimize areas related to sales, accounting, and email communications.

Other services such as Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) improve the use of databases and business applications.

Overlooking these and other 3rd platform strategies can cause businesses to lose revenue and market shares.

3rd platform computing helps organizations recognize market patterns that improve their marketing strategies and achieve a leading edge over their competitors.

By understanding and leveraging 3rd platform computing, you take advantage of this new phase in the evolution of IT. This gives you the resources you need to streamline your daily operations and increase your revenue.

The success of today’s businesses is rooted in the ongoing performance and management of their networks. The issues that can affect business networks can lead to costly and long-lasting issues.

This is especially true for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB) that may lack the resources to resolve major disruptions to their operations.

That’s why it’s important to understand the following 3 common network issues that impact SMBs across all industries. You’ll protect your organization while responding quickly to any issues that could potentially arise in the future.

1. Spyware and Virus Issues

   The ability of today’s businesses to prevent spyware and virus issues has improved in recent years. But the threat these viruses pose to the networks of SMBs still exists.

   Many operating systems have some form of anti-spyware protection included. But these may not be enough to keep SMBs safe from attacks. Older networks may not be equipped with adequate safeguards.

   Viruses can affect your business despite the use of firewalls, antivirus applications, and routine patching. As a result, SMBs need to make sure that these and other tools are configured correctly and maintained over time to prevent the corruption of their networks’ configurations.

2. Security Issues

   Network security is more critical than ever in an age where data breaches and hacks seem to occur at an increasing rate.

   Firewalls and other protective systems can reduce the risk of a security issue, but businesses must always work to keep their networks safe from internal and external intrusions.

   Proper configuration of permissions and credentials can improve your network’s security by monitoring and controlling access to data by users logging into the network.

   This protects the information related to your business as well as those of your customers, vendors, and business partners.

3. Failing Routers and Switches

   Problems related to your network’s routers and switches can lead to a wide range of performance issues.

   Email, Internet access, and other activities may fail to work properly. This disrupts your business operations and causes you to spend limited resources trying to identify and then correct the root causes.

   Failing routers and switches may need to be replaced, so it’s important to recognize them early on. SMBs that have to reboot their routers and switches frequently may have issues related to power fluctuations while also facing a potential failure.

Insufficient Bandwidth, failing network interface cards (NIC), and IP conflicts are other common network issues that SMBs can face. These interfere with your network’s performance and disrupt your business, leading to time-consuming and costly repairs.

Recognizing these issues and implementing effective responses is essential to the ongoing success of your business. By preventing these 3 common network issues, you maximize the performance, productivity, and efficiency of your entire organization.

Cloud computing has seen significant growth in its ability to meet the needs of businesses and private users. Businesses are moving applications and data to cloud-based services while improving efficiency and reducing overhead costs.

As a result, cloud computing has become a competitive arena – and businesses like Microsoft are finding ways to compete with leading infrastructure as a service (IaaS) providers like Amazon.

But who will come out on top for cloud computing between Microsoft and Amazon?

Is Microsoft Gaining a Lead on Amazon?

Amazon has led the cloud computing market by providing businesses with its Amazon Web Services. But industry leaders such as Pacific Crest Securities have speculated that Microsoft could increase its revenue enough to surpass Amazon in 2017.

Analysts are recognizing new opportunities for growth in the cloud computing marketplace. Predicted spending in this industry is expected to reach up to $239 billion within a five-year period.

Microsoft has developed an increasingly larger cloud network to rival that of Amazon. But the two companies’ cloud-computing services share similarities as well as differences that are important to consider.

Choosing the Cloud Service That’s Right for You

The needs and goals of your business will determine which cloud computing service will provide the greatest benefits over time.

There are some businesses that utilize both Amazon and Microsoft services within their operations. But for others, having one centralized provider can make their workflow more efficient while reducing the costs related to their businesses.

Microsoft and Amazon deliver networking, computing, and storage capabilities that share common characteristics. These include features related to security, compliance, and scaling.

The pricing of Microsoft and Amazon cloud computing services are also similar. Although the cost of these services has decreased over time, Microsoft has continued to remain competitive with the price drops seen in Amazon’s services.

The Future of Microsoft in Cloud Computing

Although the majority of Microsoft’s revenue comes from their sale of software products, the company is expected to achieve a new level of growth in the cloud computing arena.

These expectations for the future of Microsoft are a result of its recent performance. The company’s Intelligent Cloud segment has seen its revenue reach almost $7 billion, which represents an 11 percent increase from the previous year.

More users are beginning to have greater trust in Microsoft’s cloud services. Customers range from small and medium sized businesses (SMBs) to larger global companies.

Although Amazon’s revenue growth has decreased in recent quarters, the company is still expected to retain its position as a leading cloud computing service provider. But Microsoft can still nudge its way into the top spot and perhaps surpass Amazon over time.

Cloud computing has transformed the ways in which businesses manage, process, store, and distribute their data.

The growing cloud-computing market has been led by Amazon for quite some time. But Microsoft and other companies may soon be giving this powerhouse a run for its money while helping to shape the future of the cloud computing industry.

Cloud-based platforms are an invaluable investment in improving the efficiency, security, and productivity of your organization.

But in order to get the most out of your cloud computing strategy, you need to consider all of the factors related to cloud services before you decide which platform you’ll use.

What You Need In a Cloud Ready Platform

Today’s businesses need cloud computing services that integrate their onsite and offsite data centers while making them easy to manage from any location.

The following are just some of the features to consider when selecting your cloud computing platform:

• Monitor, audit, and share user actions
• Secure cloud data
• Provide cloud storage access extensions through encryption and deduplication
• Secure mobile data access through access control and automatic locking
• Control the movement of data in accordance with regulations and data sovereignty laws

Benefits of Cloud Computing

These and other features help organizations consolidate their data while securely moving their applications to the cloud.

But the right platform should also let you move your data away from the cloud when necessary. This is useful in cases when changes in regulations require data to be stored onsite.

The right cloud ready platform lets you scale your organization and grow your data center. Applications can be deployed and tested quickly in response to marketplace or industry changes.

When Do You Need a Cloud Ready Platform?

Today’s businesses need cloud services that synergize with their backup and recovery, on-premises private cloud services, disaster recovery, and offsite compliance needs.

The following is a checklist that helps you determine when you need a cloud ready platform:

1. You need an optimized backup system without the red tape.

   Data backups are critical to your business operations. But tapes can be inefficient and labor intensive while lacking the ability to scale according to the demands of your business.

   If you need a service that backs up your data along with onsite and offsite storage options, then it’s time to find the right cloud ready platform for your needs.

2. You don’t have a disaster recovery plan in place.

   In the past, it was costly for businesses to protect their virtual workloads against the security threats they faced.

   But today’s disaster recovery solutions protect you from lasting and costly damages. They allow your business to recover from a disaster and restore your operations quickly.

3. You need public, private, and hybrid cloud services.

   Public, private, and hybrid cloud solutions provide the security needed to prevent data threats through firewall management, intrusion prevention and detection, antivirus and antispyware solutions, and vulnerability scanning.

Knowing when you need to transfer your data to a cloud ready platform is the first step in improving the efficiency and security of your organization. But you need to choose the right platform in order to gain all of the benefits it provides.

Understanding the features and benefits that cloud ready platforms offer helps you determine the best choice for your needs.

More importantly, it creates a strategy that streamlines your workflow, reduces overhead costs, and achieves more revenue for your business.

Microsoft’s Office 365 is one of the most popular tools used in today’s homes and businesses. It includes Word, Excel, Outlook, OneNote, PowerPoint, and other applications that can be used on a wide range of devices.

Office 365 is a subscription-based tool that lets users access data from anywhere, collaborate on personal or professional project files, and make work more efficient.

The latest updates to Office 365 provide even more benefits and can help you streamline your workflow, increase productivity, reduce costs, and enhance access to your data.

The Essentials of Office 365

Office 365 plans include a variety of applications that can be installed on laptops, desktops, and mobile devices. These include Macs and PCs as well as both Android and Apple mobile devices.

The Office 365 subscription gives users access to Microsoft Office, a suite that includes popular software tools that are used all over the world.

Documents are saved in the cloud, but users can also save files on their local drives. Although Office 365 has previously been sold through licensing, it can now be purchased through the cloud on a subscription basis.

What’s New in Office 365?

In addition to the primary software applications that users have come to know as part of the Office suite, Office 365 now includes content, collaboration, and analytics tools. These include OneDrive, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, and My Analytics.

My Analytics allows you to track productivity. The insights provided by the data in My Analytics can help users set new goals that improve their workflow and can lead to better results from their daily operations.

It can also help managers and human resources professionals to evaluate the performance of teams within the organization and improve collaboration.

More importantly, your organization’s developers can utilize the data provided to create customized applications for your business.

Build Relationships With Outlook Customer Manager

Understanding your customers and target audience is critical to your success in today’s marketplace. Office 365’s Outlook Customer Manager application helps you build relationships that lead to increased revenue for your business.

Businesses can manage their customer data, address inquiries, and complete other customer service tasks through this application.

Outlook Customer Manager provides access to information from any device, making it easy to use this information to direct your marketing efforts.

Managing Business Tasks

Office 365 offers enhanced task management capabilities through its Microsoft To-Do application. This gives you the tools needed to organize and manage your daily operations.

You can prioritize action items, set automatic reminders, and sync all of your information so that you can access it from anywhere.

These are just some of the latest updates to Office 365. Users will find the expected tools that they’ve used for some time along with new features that provide them with relevant data and management functionalities.

Understanding and implementing these and other key features can help you improve the productivity of your business and streamline your professional and personal activities.

Information technology (IT) is essential to the success of today’s businesses. Having an understanding of the responsibilities and expectations of your IT department prevents issues related to performance, malware, and data security.

But should you outsource IT?

Outsourcing offers many benefits. But it can also present a number of concerns that you should be aware of. The following will help you determine if outsourcing your IT is the right choice for your business.

The Importance of IT Management

Businesses that properly manage their IT are more likely to succeed in today’s marketplace. They typically increase market share and revenue while being able to gain a leading edge over their industry competitors.

Businesses use IT to obtain, analyze, and execute on the data related to their products or services. This directs all other business decisions and reduces costs while maximizing the efficiency of their organizations.

IT makes it possible for businesses to scale their operations while improving their ability to identify and solve complex issues that interfere with growth.

The Benefits of Outsourcing IT

Outsourcing can provide numerous benefits including a reduction in costs related to marketing, accounting, and human resources among other aspects of your business.

Outsourcing your IT gives you access to the current tools and technologies that are available. Today’s hardware and software tools evolve at an increasing rate. This makes it difficult for businesses with in-house IT departments to stay up-to-date with their industry.

By outsourcing IT, your business utilizes the skills and expertise for multiple IT professionals. This gives you the resources needed to maintain your operations and plan for future growth.

There are numerous cost savings that outsourcing IT provides. You reduce overhead costs as well as those related to the purchase or leasing of software licenses.

Outsourcing IT frees up your existing team members from tasks that are better suited to a third-party IT professional. This helps you make the most of your in-house resources while eliminating the limitations or bottlenecks that can occur.

Is Outsourcing Right for Your Business?

Knowing if outsourcing IT is right for your business is the first step. Many businesses choose to outsource when technology isn’t an essential part of their business.

These businesses may also have limited resources, and hiring an external IT service company provides them with the tools they need to succeed in their market.

IT service providers ensure that their team members receive the continual training and certification needed to deliver efficient services. This gives you a wider range of expertise to leverage while improving the productivity of your own organization.

Although there are some potential risks when outsourcing IT, such as increased turnaround times for minor problems and quality control issues, choosing a qualified and experienced IT service provider ensures that you receive all of the benefits IT can provide.

Your business has unique needs that must be considered before outsourcing its IT. Understanding the benefits of outsourcing and working with the right IT professionals can position your business for lasting success and continued growth.

Protecting your data is one of the most important tasks related to your business operations. Cloud backups have made data backup much easier. But businesses often ask: How do you quickly recover from data loss with cloud backups?

Think of the Aesop’s fable, the “Tortoise and the Hare:” Once upon a time, businesses used low cost removable medium called tape cartridges to copy their critical business information locally for archive and recovery purposes – the semi-original Tortoise.

These tapes would be manually barcoded, inventoried, and shipped or stored off-site to protect the companies from harm in the event of a site based data loss. The recovery speed, however, was slow and tedious. That said, they were and still are considered by the masses to be mostly reliable – and most of the time would cross the finish line with your data using the slow and steady approach of the Tortoise.

The advent of cloud based backup adoption – let’s liken it to the Hare – focuses heavily on disk to disk (D2D) backup technology residing in the cloud for remote survivability. But it’s not a one-size fits all.

The following are 4 best practices for data recovery. Putting these simple steps in place can prevent unwanted issues and disruptions to your business. More importantly, you’ll have the peace of mind in knowing that your data is fully protected no matter what problems arise.

1. Prepare by Planning Ahead

   Although it might seem obvious, planning in advance is one of the most overlooked practices related to protecting data.

   Today’s businesses must understand all of the risks that exist when collecting, managing, and distributing large amounts of data.

   A risk analysis can help you determine the potential cost of a data breach, theft, or loss. It can help you identify factors related to your surrounding environment that could also put your data at risk.

   This process allows you develop a plan that all of your team members will understand and implement in an emergency.

2. Avoid Reinstalling Your Operating System

   Reinstalling your operating system is often the first response to a data security issue. A reinstallation may unintentionally overwrite the data that can be recovered. This can cause that data to be permanently lost.

   Also, data recovery tools shouldn’t be installed on a hard disk that has failed. This can also cause additional data loss and can be avoided by installing your data recovery tool in a separate location.

3. Restrict Drive Access

   Mechanical causes of hard drive failures can put your data at an increased risk if attempts to access the data are repeatedly made.

   Issues related to your disc controller or data cables can cause problems to be spread to unaffected data, resulting in additional problems in recovering your data. Booting off can cause additional data loss through the many read and write operations that take place.

   Limiting access to the drive prevents these issues and is one of the first steps you should take after a hard drive fails.

4. Move and Backup Your Data

   Any data that’s recovered should be moved to a location that is safe. Hard drives can fail a second time, and keeping your data on a drive that has failed once increases the risk of future data loss.

   A large number of companies still fail to backup their data once it has been restored safely. Natural disasters, mechanical issues, and other factors all increase the need for data backup systems.

   Due diligence is required to make sure the Cloud based recovery services you are purchasing are backup solutions and/or disaster recovery solutions – including retention periods. Where businesses have made a new shift is in storing archives of backups locally and only storing disaster based copies in the cloud for a hybrid approach to retention and recoverability based on the likeliness of one type of data loss over another.

   Having a data recovery plan in place allows your entire team to respond quickly and effectively to data loss, breach, or theft. However, organizations need a local recovery strategy to address the most frequent needs of the business and an off-site recovery strategy for disaster based recovery.

For your business, choose the right Tortoise and the right Hare combination to win the local recovery race (Tortoise) and the off-site easy to deploy and manage recovery race (Hare) that may take a nap on you in terms of internet latency and Murphy’s Law.

Enhancing productivity can improve efficiency and reduce costs for small- and medium-sized businesses (SMB). But these goals can only be accomplished through a well-executed and comprehensive information technology (IT) strategy.

There are many ways that IT help SMBs boost productivity, maximize revenue, and achieve consistent growth. The following will help you understand the roles that IT can play in your organization for improved performance.

Technology And Business Productivity

Technology platforms help today’s small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) execute their strategies while overcoming common challenges that SMBs face.

Using customized and automated processes shortens completion times and prioritizes your business goals.

Better Communication Through IT

Information technologies allow key team members to communicate objectives, measure performance, and develop new strategies more efficiently.

It can also provide employees with detailed information related to projects so that they can integrate each task into the overall results that are achieved.

Remote workers and teams easily connect through employee portals. This overcomes obstacles related to location or distance and improves daily productivity.

Tracking Productivity

The use of technology can help SMBs monitor their productivity and progress over time. This makes it easy for project managers to assess daily, weekly, and monthly tasks to be completed.

More importantly, it helps them provide feedback so that team members have everything they need to complete a given project.

Employee Support

Coaching and other assistance can also be implemented as a response to any challenges that are observed. It allows team members to learn new skills and overcome limitations when adopting new platforms.

This motivates your team and encourages them to be fully engaged in the mission and vision of your organization.

Technology can also help you assign employees the tasks that leverage their skills and expertise. You can gather data related to performance to help you position team members to the projects in which they will be most productive.

Cloud Data Storage For Improved Productivity

Many SMBs are moving their data into cloud-based storage systems. These allow employees to share files, access data from anywhere, and reduce data storage costs.

This eliminates the disruptions that can occur when employees are unable to access data in person or when data security systems haven’t been put in place.

For SMBs that operate globally, it allows distributed teams to access the data they need to perform their daily operations.

These are some of the ways that IT can help SMBs improve productivity, reduce costs, and protect their company’s data. Over time, you develop more efficient practices that maximize your revenue and position your company for lasting success.