Managed Cloud Computing Services

Cloud computing is the delivery of computing services over the internet. There are a number of Cloud service types available, which we will go into in the following questions.

No. There are many uses for Cloud computing outside of just backing up and storing data. Some of these include (but not limited to): servers, databases, networking, software, analytics, and intelligence, all delivered over the internet.

PaaS (Platform as a Service) is a category of cloud computing services that allows customers to provision, instantiate, run, and manage a computing platform with applications, without the complexity of building and maintaining their own IT infrastructure. It is a complete development and deployment environment in the Cloud, with resources that enable you to deliver everything from simple Cloud-based apps to sophisticated, Cloud-enabled enterprise applications.

The simple answer is you are ultimately responsible for your data. In saying that, a professional MSP (Managed Service Provider) like Future IT Services will ensure you have the best chance of recovery in the event of a disaster by implementing backup solutions that can store backups locally or offsite, test data validity on a daily basis and report on any failed backups or corrupted backup chains.

There is a much larger conversation on this subject but the short answer is yes. When dealing with reputable cloud service provides they understand the importance of performance, security, resilience and recoverability. They have data centres set up with multiple redundancies in place across multiple sites and geo locations. In terms of reputation, businesses cannot afford to lose data or suffer attacks that could be stopped with the right focus in place. Also, when you work with an MSP (Managed Service Provider) like Future IT Services we help you understand any shortfalls you may have in your disaster recovery strategy and assist in reducing risk. For more information, see our recent blog post, 4 reasons why you need a Cloud backup solution.

The honest answer is one is not better than the other but each have significant Pro’s and Con’s and the answer really does depend on your unique requirements. If you look at this from a flexibility and scalable standpoint then Cloud hosted offerings win this battle hands down. If you look at it from a fixed-cost perspective then on-premise can be much easier to budget for. Also, depending on your financial needs, Cloud is fantastic to claim as an Operating Expense (OPEX) where as on-premise is perfect for a Capital Expense (CAPEX).

Provide your staff with a managed device with EDR, Patch Management and ensure that MFA is enabled. If your staff use BYO devices, ensure that they have a good AV solution, their firewall enabled, automatic Windows Patch management enabled and MFA is used for all services. Do not allow unmanaged devices to connect directly to your office network. To further protect your data, make sure all employees are equipped to prevent cyber threats with cyber awareness training. As we discussed in one of our recent blog posts, untrained employees can put your business at risk.

Your data is stored in the 3rd party provider’s data centre. The geolocation your data resides in depends on the vendor. For example, for Australian customers that have Microsoft Cloud Services (Azure and Microsoft 365), the data is stored in Australia by default, but you can ask for this to be stored in different regions depending on the services you are consuming.

Some Australian Industries and Government call for data to be stored only in Australia to ensure data sovereignty is maintained at all times. You can speak with one of our technical consultants should you have any questions around where your data is being stored.

‘Every’ Business is a very defined term so we cannot say yes, but what we can say from years of experience is that it is definitely right and makes sense for nearly all businesses, government agencies, local authorities, defence contractors and really any industry we have worked with to date. We have not come across a business that is not using a Cloud service in one form or another (email, collaboration, security, storage, backup and the list goes on). Choosing the right vendors for the right workloads definitely makes a difference in what our clients experience and that is where Future IT Services can help. To get started, contact us today.

There is many advantages so we will just list out the main reasons our clients to adopt the Cloud: Faster implementation cycles, No upgrade cycles, Better security, Better scalability, Cost efficiencies, Pay as you go and, more recently, the flexibility of working from anywhere you have an internet connection.