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The Logical Advantage is a monthly newsletter
published by TeamLogic IT
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Call
650-336-7500
Taking the
Worry out of
your technologyTM
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Trends
in the Marketplace
Portability and Interoperability in the Cloud
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Research by the Open Group (www.opengroup.org), a coalition
of IT suppliers and users, shows that concerns about becoming
dependent on a single supplier are shying businesses away from
putting their data in the cloud. In fact, seven years after Amazon
launched one of the first on-demand cloud computing services, little
over half of businesses have bought into the cloud.
According to Chris Harding, director for interoperability for the
Open Group, "If we were looking at seven years after the
introduction of the PC, we would not be talking about just over 50%
of companies adopting them; it would be over 90%." Harding
believes that many companies are concerned about becoming locked in
to a single supplier.
Cloud service providers do not always make it easy for organizations
to transfer their data to rival suppliers. For instance, cloud
service providers often store data in their own customized formats,
making it difficult for companies to move their data to other cloud
service providers. Businesses can also run into trouble when they
attempt to transfer disk images containing software applications or
virtualized PCs from one cloud service to another.
The Open Group has put together a guide on interoperability in the
cloud (which can be accessed at https://www2.opengroup.org/ogsys/catalog/G135)
in an attempt to address cloud lock-in. While cloud service providers
are doing a better job understanding the needs of their users who are
migrating to their platforms, including better service, language and
data compatibility, the Open Group strongly recommends that companies
perform their due diligence to find cloud providers that provide the
best portability and interoperability.
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Personally Speaking
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As the days grow shorter and Q4 begins, it's a great time to look
at your IT spend with an eye towards taking advantage of business
tax deductions for 2013. One such deduction that should be
seriously considered is Section 179 of the United
States Internal Revenue Code, which allows companies to write off
up to $500,000 worth of qualifying new or used equipment
purchased or financed during the 2013 calendar
year. Google "IRS Section 179" for
all the details.
TeamLogic IT can help you with consulting, purchasing,
and installing any technology upgrades your businesses
requires...at any time of the year. And that's something you can
bank on.
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A service level agreement, or SLA, is a basic contract
between a vendor and a customer. Most IT service providers provide
their customers with SLAs that define the scope of work, quality
levels, delivery timelines and performance expectations, usually in measurable
terms. Although no two SLAs are exactly the same, most will include
the following sections:
- Definition
of services. This section should list the services
provided and offer a detailed definition of each offering.
- Performance
measurement. Assessing compliance with an SLA hinges
on measuring service levels. This section of the contract
defines which metrics will be used to quantify and report
service levels, as well as who will do the quantifying.
- Customer
duties.
IT service providers cannot fulfill their obligations to an SLA
without the client's cooperation. For example, they can't repair
a hardware problem without access to your office. This section
of the contract details your responsibilities as the customer
under the terms of the SLA.
- Problem
management. This section explains how to report
problems and how quickly your provider will respond. The SLA
should define different severity levels for different classes of
issues and indicate response times in each case. Keep in mind
that while most IT service providers can guarantee response
times, they cannot guarantee resolution times.
- Termination. This
section describes the circumstances under which either party can
end the relationship and should specify the proper termination
procedure, which usually includes advance written notification.
At TeamLogic IT, our SLAs are thorough yet flexible
enough to adapt to clients' changing needs. For more information,
contact us.
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Be Secure When Traveling with Technology
Just like the destination itself, logging onto a
foreign, free Wi-Fi hotspot can be a journey into the unknown and one
that could be full of unpleasant surprises.
There's no question that smartphones and tablets have revolutionized
the way we live and that's why when it comes to taking a holiday with
them, rather than from them, there appears to be no debate: the phone
and the slate and often even a notebook are as high on the list as
packing clean clothes.
And because of this, holidaymakers need to keep in mind their digital
as well as their personal safety while traveling.
You may feel it's fine to use a public Wi-Fi hotspot at an airport or
a renowned hotel but in general a public hotspot is just that: the
opposite of private. As Sean Sullivan, Security Advisor at F-Secure
Labs, says: "It may feel private because you're using your
personal device, but it's not." He advises against using a
public hotspot for anything personal or for anything that requires
you to enter a password or user details. Stick to browsing, and
safely enjoy your travels.
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TeamLogic IT, Mountain View, CA 94043 | P 650-336-7500 | F
650-332-3001 | TeamLogicIT.com/MountainViewCA
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