Full-Service Cloud Infrastructure

Well, in simple terms the cloud is basically a big data center that is not at your office. An example would be Amazon web services or Microsoft Azure - it's where these big companies provide the infrastructure for what we would call ‘compute’ for your business needs.

You can put virtual desktops, you can put servers, email platforms, and secure file services…but how does this help you in your business? Well, there are a couple of core areas where this could help you. Financially speaking, if there's a desire to move the every five- or six-year expense of buying your own servers off your Balance Sheet and maybe over to your P&L for monthly expensing, that could help you as well.

Other things that are in the cloud might be your company’s specific line-of-business software. Here's an example: In my company, our primary ticketing system, contract management system, our financial system - it’s all cloud based. We store none of it inside of our physical office. As a result, we have no servers in our office, we have no data being stored in our office, we only have our local computers that the technicians use when they work from the office. Our remote employees are also able to take advantage of the cloud because they can remote into a desktop that we have secured for them and then from there they're able to work in our customers’ environments helping them out with remote support through the service desk or jumping into their servers to help them out.

With moving your services to the cloud, you can be working from home, you can be working from the office, you could be working from a conference, the airport, a Starbucks… anywhere you have internet connectivity you'd be able to securely work and access your company's applications and data.

One example that I can give you of a real client of ours that is in the cloud is a multi-office CPA firm. They have their desktops virtualized in the cloud with all of their applications; their servers are virtualized in the cloud where their databases reside (and so does their user authentication). Inside their office, or maybe at their home office, all they need is an inexpensive access device (or an inexpensive PC running Windows) where they can use that device to now connect to their cloud services.

Yes, we still need to run some security software on those local devices just to keep them safe and secure from the bad guys; however, the bulk of the security is done from the cloud services itself. Those services could be secure access service edge (SASE) where we're restricting where those devices are allowed to connect from, could be zero-trust networking, or it could also be the anti-virus/anti-malware/anti-ransomware software we deploy.

One great advantage for this is the work-from-anywhere functionality. This same CPA firm recently sat down with us for one of our biannual strategy meetings that we conduct with our clients, and one of the partners commented that initially he wasn't sold on the concept of the cloud. After going through his 2024 tax season and found himself being able to work from his children's sporting events (and also being able to work from home, the office, and from various conferences), he is now sold on the concept of the work-from-anywhere and appreciates the fact that he didn't have to physically be in his office to be working on the tax returns and the strategies that he performs for his clients.

The short answer is yes. First off, there's multiple types of cloud-based data centers that range from Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 data centers. The number represents the type of redundancy; so a Tier 3 data center is going to have three types of redundancy for the main areas of power, physical security, and internet connectivity.

Think of an extremely secure building from a physical standpoint with locks, doors, Biometrics, even fences around the cages and cabinets that hold the servers that represent your company. That's one area of security from a physical standpoint.

From a network data security standpoint, there's additional security built in to the routers, switches, firewalls, and security software that is typically more expensive and unobtainable for a small to medium-sized business from a cost standpoint.

Another aspect of security in the cloud would fall under redundancy. Each Cloud installation is typically residing on a set of three servers referred to as a cluster. So, if there are any hardware issues on one of the servers, the services automatically fail over to another server. So where yes, initially cloud services could look a little bit more expensive on a monthly basis, you're buying that redundancy in that fault tolerance that if you were to produce the same result in your own office, with your own hardware, you would then most likely have a higher expense.

Many customers or prospects come to me saying, “Well, do I even need IT support anymore since I've moved my compute needs, I've moved my application needs, I've moved my data to the cloud?”

The answer is absolutely yes. Regardless of where your data is stored, you still need all other aspects of infrastructure support, service desk support, cybersecurity, and potentially compliance depending upon the industry that your company or your firm is in.

The different types of cloud infrastructure would be servers, virtual desktops, and even items like your email. Example: your email can be hosted at Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace - those are considered cloud services as well. Even QuickBooks has an online version of their platform referred to as QuickBooks Online and that is a cloud service too.

At TotalCare IT, we offer all aspects of cloud services: moving your servers to the cloud, moving your desktops to the cloud, email in the cloud, backups in the cloud, and even to the point of moving your file services to the cloud. We also offer hybrid cloud services which would mean some aspects of your business would reside in the cloud whereas other aspects of your business still reside locally on local servers inside your company or your firm.

The answer to that is yes. Most devices are able to access the cloud. It could be from your tablet, your cell phone, a MacBook, an iPad, a Windows machine, a Windows laptop – all devices these days are typically able to access cloud services in one form or another.

There are a few. One example would be if you have a tremendous amount of data - we're talking tens to hundreds of terabytes worth of data. That data gets expensive in disk space and backup inside the cloud. Another example might be if you have a lot of peripherals that are specific to legacy applications. Sometimes those don't pass through to the cloud instance very well and can become problematic.

Overall, most types of businesses that we work with are able to work out of the cloud, and all services that they need to perform and run their line of business do work in cloud services.