Tag Archives: Cloud Computing

eDiscovery- Fulfilling Legal Mandates

June 29, 2015 Callum Huddlestone

“Data Search” and e-discovery are terms that spring up often and often in the context of compliance to legal mandates. How does cloud computing facilitate the process? Here are a few insights into what cloud service providers do to help customers keep their data discoverable for legal purposes.

Cloud computing challenges all assumptions about physical boundaries. This increases the need to protect the data and secure the privacy of individuals who entrust their personal information to business entities. This drives the need for new types of metadata that can ensure data integrity, security and privacy of the individual in an increasingly virtualized environment. The new metadata must create new types of relationships with content in an environment where sharing is integral to computing. New supports and safeguards must be evolved as new dangers emerge and evolve if legal mandates have to be fulfilled.

Electronic data in the cloud may take many forms. These include evidentiary material in the form of telephone logs, transactional data, emails, instant messaging traffic, all manner of corporate communications, documents, records, video and sound recordings, and any other kind of relevant textual or non textual information. All this material must be securely stored, easily accessible, formally indexed, uniquely identified and e-discoverable. There must be a common, flexible, extensible framework that facilitates deduplication, conversion, evaluation, summarization and storage of this information in retrievable electronic formats.

Cloud software systems store all the above information in encrypted formats and generate metadata containing document properties for ease of discovery. Metadata is data about data and is a time tested system for data discovery in the world of computing. Complex metadata is becoming the foundation for targeted advertising as well as mandated legal data discovery systems. Analytical support for this process may include limited entity extraction (eg email header) for pattern matching purposes and to cluster documents according to identified topics. Review solutions may permit user defined document sets with time based selection controls. Text analytics may discern important entity relationships and extract these features for classification and analysis of documents in storage.

We, at Backup Technology, believe that the legal discovery challenge is not in the data storage, but in the generation of metadata. Millions of users with trillions of files and billions of generations can recover the smallest bit of data from the cloud server if the metadata is properly generated and securely stored in the system. Backup Technology has proven the potential of its technology by ensuring that the right kind and quality of metadata is generated every time a bit of data is uploaded to its servers. Our team knows how it can be scaled up, reliably stored and quickly discovered.

What is Holding you Back from Investing in the Cloud?

June 22, 2015 Kris Price

For every business that has signed up for the cloud, there are hundreds who have not. Some of them are still sitting on the wall trying to obtain assurances that the cloud is not the gateway to disaster. The faux pas with cloud computing, frequently reported in the news, is not helping any. Most are unwilling to let go the familiar in IT and step out into the unknown—whatever the advantages that are obtainable.

Fence sitters must introspect. What holds them back from taking the plunge are concerns around reliability and security in the cloud.

Remember, security worries the cloud vendor as much as it worries the business person running the company. Cloud vendors know that clients will refuse to entrust their data to them if security is compromised in any way. Consequently, elaborate security systems are devised to give their customers the confidence in the service. Complex algorithms are created, tested and deployed to encrypt all information at source, so that data can never be hijacked or compromised during transmission or in storage. User management systems are integrated into the agent software to empower Administrators configure users and user rights and permission from a central client-located console; in keeping with the policy dictates of the organisation.

Cloud vendors are extremely disaster conscious. They cannot afford to have their data centres destroyed by natural or man-made causes. They proactively create hot sites, disaster recovery sites, and backup sites for customer information. They iteratively work on their disaster recovery plans, so that customers are never made to feel the impact of “downtime” or loss of service. They physically and electronically secure access to their data centres with elaborate security systems including biometric entry, spy cameras and access logs. Unauthorised intrusions at a physical or electronic level can be instantly detected and dealt with in well constructed and secure data centres.

Well established cloud service vendors are anxious to provide state-of-the-art support services their customers. They know that this is one means of differentiating themselves from the competition. They hire the best available talent in the market to man their support teams. They proactively report backup and recovery status and ensure that they are constantly available to the customer in myriad of ways.

We, at Backup Technology, understand that trust is the foundation of a good business relationship. We work towards building trust and deliver what is promised. The fact that our customer base is growing in geometric proportions is an indication of our market reputation, and the reliability of our services. If you would like to know more about us, please visit our website. You can also download and try out the fully functional trial version of our software into the bargain!

How the Cloud Can Help New Businesses

June 10, 2015 Kris Price

In what ways is the cloud innovative? How can it facilitate innovation in your company? How can this innovation help new companies?

Cloud technology is ground breaking. It allows companies to access and store data in a way they were never able to before. The innovative nature of the cloud also allows them to be more flexible, mobile, efficient, and allows them to streamline their business operations. This is particularly helpful for new businesses. In fact, thanks to the technological innovations of the cloud, starting a new company is a lot easier, particularly for information based companies that rely heavily on data.

If information is the lifeblood of a company or organisation, then these companies need access to data and they need a place to store this data. The innovative infrastructure of the cloud allows them to do this safely, securely and easily. A new company, as it is getting off the ground, can enlist the services of a cloud based company to migrate its data. Once it is stored there, all of its employees can access it instantly. This makes it easier for the new company to get started in business.

Not only that, but it is relatively inexpensive for a company to do so. They need not invest in a major capital expenditure to purchase the infrastructure required. Therefore, cloud based technology makes it less expensive and less prohibitive for new enterprises to launch themselves. It creates a more level playing field for them.

So, how does the cloud make this innovation possible? One of the ways it does so is that it allows companies freedom. It frees them from having to manage hardware/software resources that take time and money. All they have to do is plug into the infrastructure of the cloud. They don’t have to build it themselves, instead just access it. This allows managers of companies to be more innovative and use their resources to grow their business. It frees them up to be creative. So, the cloud’s unique infrastructure is a blessing for companies who are innovative.

In addition, thanks to the innovative nature of the cloud, employees can be more mobile. Business travellers can access important files in the cloud, anytime, anywhere and all they need is access to the Internet. The technological innovations that have seen the development of smart phones, tablets,Chromebooks, compliments cloud technology and allows unlimited storage of data and safe, easy, and instantaneous access to files. This frees up employees to travel light, and access important files whenever and wherever they need them. The innovative nature of the cloud makes this possible.

The cloud and innovation go hand and hand. The cloud’s innovative nature helps businesses to grow and to be innovative by themselves, and this particularly is very helpful for new businesses.

Prevent Data Failure with Effective Data Storage in the Cloud

June 5, 2015 Callum Huddlestone

A loss of data can be crippling to a business. Data failures can be costly and time consuming. How is it possible to prevent this from happening? Storing data in the cloud — while not foolproof — is one option.

It should be noted that prior to storing data in the cloud, companies have to ensure that they have an effective data model in place. That is something they need to do before they approach a cloud based company to store their data in the cloud. Not doing so could create unforeseen difficulties for them, and would compound their ability to access the services that cloud based companies have to offer. This is the responsibility of individual companies to ensure that once they start cloud computing that they reduce the risk of anything going wrong. Working with a cloud based company is a partnership and both partners have to ensure that they are doing what they can to make the partnership work.

Structure your data intelligently before storing in the cloud

In fact, proper information management in this technological age is crucial to a smooth functioning of a business. In order for data to be effectively stored in the cloud, the database must be intelligently structured prior to storing data in the cloud because having to redesign the physical structure of the database after storing data in the cloud can be time consuming and costly. Corporations need to ensure that prior to enlisting the services of the cloud that their data is protected from database failure. Once that it is done, they are ready to store their data in the cloud, and be safe in the knowledge that they can access it when they need it and that it is safe and secure.

Avoid defective data models

There may be a variety of reasons why a company’s logical data model may be defective. Some of the reasons (among other things) include a company’s failure to consider use cases of different users, a failure to use appropriate software modelling tools, and a failure to accurately and comprehensively define relationships between entities.

Safe, Mobile, Scalable and Easy

Storing data in the cloud is relatively safe and is easy to retrieve. In addition, the beauty of the cloud is that unlimited amounts of data can be stored and accessed whenever and wherever the end user requires it. In addition, if data is lost, it can be easily retrieved. Cloud companies have data recovery processes that make this possible. How to retrieve lost data can be spelled out in a business service level agreement (SLA) prior to engaging the services of a cloud based company. Spelling things out clearly is a good way to ensure there is no miscommunication.

So, before you approach a cloud based company, make sure that your data is ready for the cloud. This makes it easier for your company and for the cloud service provider, whom you beginning a new partnership with. Doing so will ensure that your cloud computing experience will be worry free.

How Does the Cloud Change the Way We Do Business?

June 1, 2015 Stewart Parkin

How has the cloud revolution enable businesses to be more efficient and cutting edge? Let’s count the ways. There are many.

Effective and Inexpensive:
First of all, the cloud has made businesses more cost effective by allowing them to store unlimited amounts of data inexpensively. Companies don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money to access cloud technology. A major capital expenditure is not necessary to access cloud based applications. This cost saving allows businesses to be more efficient and streamlined. This is just one of the many benefits of what the cloud has to offer.

Performing varied functions:
For example, customers can have instant access to information and services using only a laptop or using their Smartphones. The Cloud allows them to perform a variety of functions online ranging from shopping, reading, participating in discussions, and many more, all in one place. Cloud technology essentially offers the end user one stop portal. There is no need to flip through the yellow pages of your old phone company.

Mobility:
The same is true for a company’s employees. They can have instant access to company files and information allowing them to interact with the home office, suppliers and customers. The data they need can be accessed instantly in one convenient place on the web saving them time and making them more efficient.

In fact, access to cloud based applications also allows employees more mobility and freedom. While travelling the globe, all they need is access to the Internet via a laptop or their Smartphone or just have to pop into an Internet café to access their data in the cloud. Their data and important documents and files can be safely stored and accessed in the cloud, allowing them to travel without worries, with peace of mind.

Instant Access:
Collaboration is a breeze thanks to the cloud. Businesses can share information with their suppliers and employees, allowing them to access important data instantaneously. Sharing information, ideas and data has never been so easy.

Improved Technology:
In addition, the cloud has helped businesses in a variety of other ways, including compliance and risk management, customer relationship management, enterprise resource planning, E-commerce, help desk and support services, document management, disaster recovery, and supply chain management. All of these tasks have been made easier thanks to the advent of the cloud. As the technology keeps improving there will be many more ways in which the cloud can help companies become more efficient.

So, for these and many other reasons, the cloud has changed the way we do business. What’s there not to like? The cloud has changed the way we do business for the better.

The Four “Vs” of Cloud Computing

May 29, 2015 Kris Price

In this technological era, companies across the globe are searching for ways to access the ever changing landscape and benefits that technology can bring. Cloud computing is at the forefront of this technological revolution, offering numerous benefits for companies who are seeking new ways of doing business.

The benefits of cloud computing can be distilled into the Four V’s, which are:

• Value,
• Variety,
• Velocity, and
• Volume.

These four factors are merely samples of how Cloud computing can benefit your business.

VALUE – Cloud computing offers organisations and companies great value for their money. First of all, no expensive outlay of capital is needed because the cloud infrastructure already exists. Nothing new needs to be built, so there are no capital expenditures. In addition, companies can adopt the “pay-as-you-go” model, allowing them to stay within their budget. This makes investing in cloud based technologies a reasonable and controlled investment.

VARIETY – Cloud computing has the ability to be accessed on a variety of devices, ranging from handheld devices like smartphones, tablets, netbooks and home computers — essentially any device that has access to the Internet. It increases the efficiency of portable devices as important data can be uploaded and accessed on handheld devices while business travellers are on the road. In addition, a variety of users — from suppliers, clients, buyers etc. — can access the cloud for sharing and collaboration from wherever they are, at anytime.

VELOCITY – The speed at which business can be done via the cloud is simply amazing. In fact, it is revolutionary. Accessing the cloud can be instantaneous. Uploading and accessing important data can happen in less than a matter of seconds. Collaboration between colleagues can take place in a matter of seconds. The speed at which business can be done in the cloud increases a company’s efficiency and can also increase its bottom line. Therefore, accessing cloud technology saves not only money, but valuable time.

VOLUME – Cloud computing offers an organisation the ability to upload and store an unlimited amount of data. Companies no longer have to worry about reaching maximum capacity when they store their important files on the web. The amount of storage a company needs in the cloud can be scaled up or down and tailored accordingly. As a company’s storage needs expand and grow, they can rest easy knowing that they will never run out of storage space in the cloud because the cloud offers them flexible storage options.

So, if you are considering switching to cloud computing — and cloud backup and storage for your business — remember the four V’s of cloud computing: Value, Variety, Velocity, and Volume.