Investing in the IoT? Consider data storage issues first

/in , /by

The Internet of Things is a game-changing force, not only in the technology sphere but with implications for numerous other industries. IDC research analysts projected that the IoT will consist of 212 billion connected devices by 2020, generating $8.9 trillion in global revenues. Cisco's forecasts are even rosier, with the tech giant and IoT cheerleader predicting that the market will be worth $19 trillion within the next few years. Any way it's sliced, the IoT is poised to make a massive and far-reaching impact in the enterprise and personal lifestyles.

While many organizations look to ramp up their investment in connected electronics over the next few years, fewer have mapped a course for the data storage issues that will arise from the influx of linked, information-producing devices, as well as applications and analytics tools used to evaluate them. Companies already dealing with limitations in infrastructure support, network connectivity and IT management could be in for a rude awakening during the IoT investment process. Understanding the implications the IoT has for data storage can help organizations ensure that they're prepared.

Redefining data storage
Organizations may have to revamp their data center configurations to deal with machine-generated data, wrote InformationWeek contributor George Crump. Typically, an enterprise data center would process one of two data types: The first is large-file data, such as videos and images, which is accessed sequentially. The second kind is small-file data, which might come from a sensor log, but its massive volume compels random access. Machine-generated data comes in both types. In order for an organization to benefit fully from its network of sensors, it would need to outfit two separate storage systems to deal with the dual data types.

A company planning to approach its IoT investment with piecemeal, ad hoc storage investments would be better served outsourcing their storage needs to a provider that supports quickly scaling infrastructure builds. Otherwise, a business risks limiting the value of its machine-generated data. As Crump noted, the point of the IoT is to use data to make better decisions. Investing in a managed data storage service enables a company to direct its attention away from the complexities of infrastructure management and toward improving their business models.

"The storage systems for these initiatives almost always start out ad hoc and then become a focal point," Crump wrote. "If you have sensors, or things, that are creating data, keep an eye on that data now. Protect it and be prepared for it to become more important to the organization."

Why the higher education sector needs ITaaS

/in , , , /by

Data management continues to be an issue in the education sector. The recent flurry of information breaches highlights the lack of adequate information security practices at U.S. colleges and universities. Besides the sheer number of records potentially compromised, the leaks brought to light the dearth of IT infrastructure and governance policies capable of coping with the realities of today's cyberthreat landscape. As long as these institutions adhere to outdated IT security policies and questionable data management practices, they will be increasingly attractive targets to cyber espionage agents. IT-as-a-service can offer universities and colleges advanced IT support.

The recent university data breaches include:

  • A University of Maryland leak that exposed Social Security numbers, among other personal information, of more than 300,000 records. Some of these had been kept in a poorly maintained system since 1998, The New York Times reported.
  • Another recent leak compromised the information for 146,000 students and recent graduates at Indiana University, according to the Chicago Tribune. In following up on the breach, it was discovered that the data had been stored in an insecure server for 11 months.
  • Employee tax return problems at the University of Northern Iowa may be related to a compromised database, according to the Omaha World Herald.

Several unique issues contribute to poor data management at higher education institutions, including budgetary restrictions, work-study students with little experience serving as ad hoc IT support and sprawling networks with high user turnover. Migrating data storage, information security and other strategic IT planning demands to an ITaaS solution makes sense for universities and colleges that need to upgrade their IT support on a massive scale. ITaaS providers offer real-time data security, establish more stringent access and user protocols, and customize IT strategies to respond directly to the institution's most pressing needs. 

"Universities are a focus in today's global assaults on I.T. systems," said Wallace Loh, University of Maryland president in a statement following the breach. "Obviously, we need to do more and better, and we will."

Differentiating effective IT business continuity from disaster recovery

/in , , /by

With constant threats posed by extreme weather and external attackers, companies have increasingly recognized the importance of protecting their IT assets in the wake of a disaster. But the nature of that protection plan is often up for debate. Recovering from disaster means leveraging tools like online backup services at the very least. However, true resilience in the face of a disaster requires a more all-encompassing business continuity approach.

The plan goes beyond data protection and recovery
While backing up data so it can be restored in the wake of an outage is the bedrock of any business continuity plan, it's only half the battle. Depending on a business's approach, its backup solution may do it little good in the event of an actual disaster. For instance, some businesses relying on off-site tape storage have found themselves unable to restore their files at a secondary location after a storm because they couldn't physically travel to the tape storage facility due to flooding, industry expert Jarrett Potts explained in a column for Data Center Knowledge. Having a plan that encompasses the full recovery process is essential.

"IT disaster recovery plans are very important when one considers how intertwined organizations are with technology, but it is important to note that IT disaster recovery plans are not, by themselves, a complete business continuity strategy," Continuity Central contributor Michael Bratton explained in a recent article.

The solution is oriented toward application uptime
A key differentiator between disaster recovery and business continuity is that the latter's focus is keeping core business operations running. As Bratton noted, this approach goes beyond simply IT. However, from a tech perspective, it primarily means keeping critical applications running with as little interruption as possible. Through technologies like virtualization and a distributed network of colocation facilities, businesses can establish a flexible application hosting model that can easily weather unexpected events. The exact nature of the plan is likely to vary from company to company, so working with a third-party solution provider to develop a custom response can also be beneficial.

Desktop virtualization: Why companies need to stop dragging their feet

/in , , , , /by

Desktop virtualization is a necessary investment that reflects the changing technological paradigm. With employees increasingly mobile and companies more globalized, personnel need to be able to access their desktop operating system and applications from anywhere. Many organizations are eagerly sending data storage to the cloud and investing in as-a-service solutions to better manage and protect growing application environments. However, this accelerated investment wanes when it comes to desktop virtualization. Why? Shouldn't location-independent services extend to the level of the end user?

Cost continues to be an impediment to desktop virtualization in the eyes of many companies. While organizations acknowledge that the Internet offers a much more cost-effective and centralized medium through which to provide enterprise application and information access, they are worried about the expenses involved in reconfiguring enterprise infrastructure to make it compatible, according to a recent TechNavio report. While it's true that this can represent a sizeable capital investment, the long-term operational savings are enormous.

Bearing this in mind, ZDNet contributor Ken Hess wrote that it's surprising that companies are "still having this conversation" about the merits of desktop virtualization. Many companies who are worried about the costs of deploying virtual desktops and other infrastructure are the same ones clinging to hardware that is approaching or past its fifth year in use.Old equipment breaks down more frequently and often costs more to repair, and the more outdated hardware is, the more difficult it is to transition to a new IT program. Newer hardware likely has virtualization capacity. It makes sense to upgrade now, knowing that doing so when it is inevitable or reached a critical point will be extra complex.

Curing data management issues in the healthcare sector

/in , , , , , /by

Data management in the healthcare industry is reaching a tipping point. According to CDW Healthcare, the medical sector is gearing up to massive data growth – the 500 petabytes of data in 2013 are set to rise to 25,000 PBs by 2020. By 2015, the average hospital could be producing around 665 terabytes of data.

It's not just the amount of data that's the issue, but the types of information organizations collect. About 80 percent of data is unstructured, with imaging, scans and video requiring huge swaths of server space. Also, many healthcare providers are storing redundant information – the average hospital has 800,000 total records, but as many as 96,000 are duplicates. They are costly to store, making filing systems and data management efforts more complex without delivering additional security.

While big data offers potential benefits in patient care, research and treatment, the healthcare sector is flailing. In part, it's due to a relatively unique set of circumstances. The healthcare sector is traditionally fairly tech-averse – that acres of file cabinets containing patient records in manila folders still persist is a testament to how difficult it is to go digital. Initiatives such as electronic health records and healthcare information exchanges that increase the value of data have to contend with a slew of compliance, privacy and confidentiality issues.

Data management services can help healthcare organizations wield their vast information reserves in a cost-effective and secure way. Modern information technology infrastructure and business intelligence tools are critical to the effective utilization and protection of game-changing data-driven strategies, wrote Forbes contributor John Foley. Not only are massive file systems difficult to back up in a comprehensive way, many medical providers don't have any idea how long it would take to make files available following an unplanned incident. A data management services provider can help the organization establish a customized storage and backup system that prioritizes continuity and compliance. With people's lives potentially hanging in the balance, it's vital that healthcare providers alleviate big data headaches.

3 ways cloud storage solves IT complexity issues

/in , , , /by

Cloud storage enables businesses to exert more control over increasingly complex IT environments. Many IT departments are struggling with the management-related issues and costs stemming from infrastructure expansion. It's a physical problem, in terms of the storage equipment and support needed for big data and application provisioning. It's also an issue of management, as rising device and networking demands put more pressure on IT resourcing and policymaking capacities. At the same time, pressure to keep costs down can leave IT systems fractured or bloated. 

Cloud storage is critical to reducing the costs and complications of IT for a better bottom line. Here are three ways it makes a difference:

  1. Simplifies backup and recovery: Many organizations struggle to get employees to back up files in anything approaching real time. This reality is compounded by growing IT environments, wrote ZDNet senior editor Jason Perlow. Cloud storage offers organizations scalable storage space that expands as a business's needs do, plus automated syncing and backup to ensure real-time recovery availability.
  2. Reduces CAPEX and OPEX: The cloud can reduce storage-related capital and operating expenses in one fell swoop, observed CSO Online contributor Gordon Makryllos. Cloud storage offers upfront advantages to organizations by drastically reducing the amount of equipment they need to buy. Its scalability also offers OPEX cost benefits through streamlined security management, greater flexibility and more centralized IT support that provides continuity as organizations' priorities change.
  3. Improves collaborative potential: Communication and collaboration are more critical than ever to establishing a vibrant, successful organization. By centralizing file storage in a cloud server instead of on individual devices, employees can view, edit and share documents and files easily and in real time. IT departments can also leverage cloud environments to provide enhanced encryption and other security measures, automating access and preserving data integrity in the face of cyberthreats.

As complexity and costs rise, cloud storage can help relieve IT departments of many of the daily tasks that take up an increasing amount of their time. It enables them to spend more time on business-critical projects, with this alignment serving as another way to boost margins and take control of changing technological imperatives.

Online backup services: A cost-effective insurance policy

/in , /by

Say you have a car. It's not just any car – it's the 2014 Mercedes-Benz SLS sports car. It's an investment sure to turn the heads of everyone in the neighborhood. It's also going to entail costs far beyond purchase price – at an annual average of $7,040, the SLS commands the highest (non-exotic) insurance prices of any 2014 model, according to Forbes. Now pretend you have a fleet of them – think about what it costs to insure 20. 

The obvious rejoinder here is, why would anyone buy 20 of the same car? It would certainly change the conversation about car ownership. What about big data? Data has grown astronomically in recent years. It may not seem so crazy because it's been an almost natural progression, but big data and application environments have created zettabytes of information beyond anyone's expectations just a few years ago. It means that the conversation about information storage has transformed almost completely. Legacy models have to change. Traditional insurance policies don't make much sense, logistically or financially, when extrapolated to a more expansive environment.

Online backup services are the data management version of a smart, cost-effective insurance policy. Storing and backing up data with conventional physical storage devices will likely hamper an organization's ability to accumulate and safeguard information, or result in unmanageable costs. According to ITProPortal contributor Neil Rubenking, many companies are still reticent to invest in online backup services due to security concerns. However, nothing is more insecure than not having data properly archived. As an insurance policy against the growing dangers of data leaks and breaches, they represent the most cost-effective and user-friendly option.

"Online backup is quite simply convenient. It takes a lot of the pain out of the backup process by doing away with media swapping and a lot of the drudgery – you just set it and forget it," Rubenking wrote. "Your files are safe on somebody else's servers. If your home implodes into a Stone Age burial mound you can still recover those backups."

Connecting the dots: Bandwidth as a business model

/in , , , , /by

Few developments have affected businesses in the past few years as much as the burning desire for bandwidth. As enterprise environments expand, complications are inevitable. Proper information storage and security are increasingly vital as more businesses transition to data-driven initiatives. They're also becoming harder to attain. Many organizations find themselves caught in a tangled web of carriers, data centers, service providers and connectivity requirements. A lack of interoperability between services and poor communication among stakeholders can make undoing these knots an expensive and resource-intensive slog. It induces broadband rage and burns a lot of bandwidth in the process.

Optimizing connectivity needs to be a foremost concern in today's business model. In theory, it means providing enough bandwidth to create sufficient breathing room for all locations and stakeholders. In practice, an organization needs to centralize its connectivity support. Data Center Knowledge contributor Bill Kleyman recently discussed some fundamental changes in information technology that should compel companies to consider building their business model around their data center network. 

"Business used to establish their practices and then create their IT department. Now big (and smart) businesses are approaching data centers and technology from a completely different angle," Kleyman wrote. "These visionaries see that the future revolves around complete mobility and true device-agnostic connectivity."

Examples Kleyman highlighted included cloud-based data distribution models, which support expanding application development and processing environments. He also observed that new ways of computing, such as virtualization and software-defined networking, place more emphasis on minimizing granular infrastructure management and centralizing IT. Complexity in digital compliance and data governance can also be assuaged by a centralized connectivity platform.

Looking at bandwidth as a business model involves seeing technology as a critical role player rather than simply as a means to get things done. Connectivity infrastructure can and should contribute directly to bottom-line thinking. Paring down the number of service providers to a basic carrier-agnostic data center model can provide more bandwidth integrity and fewer headaches. 

How to choose a colocation provider

/in , , , /by

Colocation is an advantageous infrastructure model for any company concerned about supporting its data storage needs. Among the variety of data center, server placement and management options available, it's the one that directly marries an organization's desire to maintain control over its equipment with its need for better network and security support.

In a colocation environment, an organization leases data center space for servers it owns. The data center provider offers server racks, power, bandwidth and physical security. The organization retains control over server management, unless it chooses to outsource these needs to the provider as well. 

Simple, right? Because the colocation business is booming, it attracts a lot of upstart providers. Not all of them offer the same level of service. That's just the reality of the situation. Additionally, one provider's solutions may be right for one organization and match up poorly with another's needs. Misfiring on this selection can be a costly decision, not only in wasted capital expenses but potentially down the road if business continuity is affected, according to ComputerWeekly. 

Determining the most pressing concerns is a company's first step. For example, a company with its central location in an area more susceptible to natural disasters should look for a colocation facility in a safer area. Connectivity is another issue. While every business wants to stay online, some may be able to afford less than 99.999 percent uptime ("five-nines uptime") in exchange for a more cost-effective colocation plan. A financial services firm or federal entity may need to pay a premium to ensure servers are always available. It's simply a matter of weighing financial costs with the price of availability.

Security is a near-universal concern, while many organizations may be dealing with increased complications related to industry compliance, according to Data Center Knowledge contributor Bill Kleyman. A company needs to make sure its colocation provider is certified for adherence to compliance standards. A variety of physical and facility safeguards can provide additional protection, which may be the way to go if a company's colocation center is in a more populated area.

ISG Announces Executive Responsibility Changes

/in , , , , , , , , /by

The Twin Valley family of companies announced leadership changes among their C-Level executives, effective for 2014. John Gunn, President and Co-Founder of ISG Technology, will transition from his current role as President and COO to Chief Strategy Officer of ISG Technology. Gunn will focus on supporting and defining the strategy of ISG Technology.  Gunn currently serves and will remain on the board of directors for all three companies.  Ben Foster, current CEO of all Twin Valley companies, will assume the general management of ISG Technology previously handled by Gunn. Foster will remain President and  CEO for the Twin Valley companies.

“When Twin Valley acquired ISG Technology in 2011 the roadmap and evolution of our company was clear to both John and me,” said Foster. “John has served and will continue to serve as a critical business leader and advisor to the Twin Valley family of companies.  This is a carefully planned transition that will enhance our clients’ ability to attain their organizational goals.”

Additionally, Scott Cissna has joined the Twin Valley companies as CFO, effective January 6, 2014.  Cissna brings more than 20 years of finance experience from the telecommunications, cloud services, and wireless industries.  With his broad base of experience ranging from performing sophisticated analysis to building scalable teams, Cissna is an analytical leader and decision maker hired to help navigate the complex, growing, and rapidly changing landscape where the companies operate.

The Twin Valley family of companies is a privately owned business with diversified investments and holdings in the telecommunications and IT space. The company is diversified through three separate operating entities; Twin Valley Telephone, Twin Valley Communications, and ISG Technology.

Twin Valley Telephone and Twin Valley Communications is the largest privately owned independent telecommunications company in the state of Kansas, providing voice and advanced services in rural areas for more than 65 years.  Over state-of-the-art FTTP infrastructure, Twin Valley’s portfolio includes voice, broadband, television, cloud services, hosted voice, wireless, and security.  Through strategic acquisitions and organic growth, the company has experienced a tenfold growth in the past decade.

ISG Technology is a full spectrum Data Center and IT Infrastructure partner uniquely positioned to provide complete solutions from client premises all the way to the cloud. With more than 30 years of experience, ISG has the unique ability to provide IT equipment (IT Infrastructure), cloud services through a regional Network of Data Centers https://isgtech.com/data-centers (Data Center Services), the required connectivity (Bandwidth) to connect it all together, and the ongoing support to help manage client’s IT environments (ITaaS). ISG places a premium on enduring client relationships and reference-ability – attributes only achievable through deep understanding of client business objectives, authoritative vision of what’s possible, and the relentless commitment to deliver successful solutions.