Great Lakes Computer Corporation

Managed Service Provider

You are here: Home / Great Lakes Blog

Great Lakes Blog

By

Webinar: Colocation- A Smart Choice for Media

Colocation Webinar

Join Savvis colocation and media industry experts for a live discussion on the challenges and opportunities related to data center colocation for customers in the media industry. Our speakers will discuss the latest developments in IT managed services and provide use cases on colocation and related cloud computing services for media enterprises where safe guarding and distributing digital content is critical.

Hear about what is driving media companies to increase their use of IT infrastructure outsourcing, colocation, and managed services in 2012, and how you can benefit from colocation of your mission critical IT assets. Experts will discuss the challenges and benefits of colocation and managed hosting and show you how to:

    • Reduce your facility, power, security and network connectivity costs
    • Manage business continuity and disaster recovery requirements
    • Optimize your use of data center colocation, network and cloud based services
    • Focus on core business needs while Savvis maintains your IT infrastructure

By

CompTIA Releases Cloud IT Research

CompTIA Releases Research Regarding Cloud IT Solutions

Cloud Computing ROIA recent study by the association for the IT vendor industry, CompTIA, explored the most common funding arrangements for the adoption of cloud IT solutions.  Nearly 1,000 respondents consisting of both companies that rely on IT and business professionals heavily involved in IT issues, weighed in on the crucial issue of how today’s businesses are finding ways to work cloud computing into their budgets.

The most common solution among the businesses’ surveys was for the information technology department to foot the bill, even though the cloud IT solutions that resulted provided huge advantages for departments as diverse as customer service and accounting.  In more than 50% of cases, the IT department budget was adjusted so that the entire company could benefit from services hosted in the cloud.  In a further 25% of cases, cloud services were not directly funded by the IT budget, but other departments desiring to explore solutions in the cloud still asked the IT department for funding to make it happen.

Other models for funding cloud IT solutions did exist among the hundreds of companies and professionals surveyed, however.  Almost 50% of respondents reported arranging to pay for services in the cloud through line items in the overall budget for the business.  This solution is particularly apt for small businesses that may lack a formalized IT department.  The percentages reported do add up to more than 100%; this is because some businesses reported funding their cloud security and other cloud computing needs through more than one financial mechanism.

Return on investment for solutions in the cloud

Although the various funding solutions are no doubt interesting options for SMB owners and managers, a far more salient issue is what kind of return on investment businesses can expect from the adoption of cloud IT solutions.

Here, the CompTIA survey produced decidedly good news.  Almost 80% of companies that have transitioned to services in the cloud – and who are carefully tracking their return on investment – reported that their savings from the transition “have been on par with original estimates or even exceeded original estimates.”

These findings strongly suggest that although adopting cloud IT solutions can require some careful financial planning, the potential rewards make a transition to the cloud more than worthwhile.

Check out our new guide that helps calculate cloud TCO! Discover how to plan for—and minimize—the costs of your strategic investments in Cloud computing with this informative white paper from the IT business research analysts at Saugatuck Technology.

By

Data Backup Government Regulations

Data Backup: A Matter of Both Necessity and Regulations

Data Backup Legal RegulationsThe most obvious reason for any small business to contract with a provider for data backup and recovery is to ensure that mission-critical information remains available for ongoing use.  This is far from the only reason to arrange in advance for data recovery services, however.  In recent years, the US federal government has created or augmented a number of regulatory hurdles that even SMBs sometimes have to surmount.  Many of these concern data security.

Legislative mandates, while important considerations, often stand alongside other rules that are imposed by non-governmental entities such as the Payment Card Industry.  When all such rules and regulations are considered together, even a CIO with considerable experience in disaster recovery scenarios may readily conclude that the best solution for data protection is to contract with a firm that can provide a seamless set of IT solutions including online backup paired with robust data loss prevention safeguards.

A sampling of applicable regulations

Not all laws apply equally to every SMB, but some of them certainly can, depending on the financial organization of the firm and other salient factors.  The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires the accurate preservation of data related to financial reports issued by a company and actually holds financial officers of a company responsible for inaccurate reporting.  This act applied to companies that are publicly traded, a distinction that will exclude some but by no means all SMBs.

Any company that deals with patient information must comply with the detailed data security requirements of the Healthcare Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, the federal law that is often referred to as “Obamacare.”  These requirements involve specific provisions regarding securing and making available online medical records information for patients.  Many small businesses will have to navigate these requirements – a medical practice of only a few doctors will need to be able to meet these mandates, for example.

Any merchant that accepts a major credit card such as Visa, Discover, American Express, or MasterCard must meet the Data Security Standard issued by the Payment Card Industry.  Failure to successfully comply with all particulars of the standard can mean that the merchant is cut off from accepting such cards – a circumstance that can spell potential doom for any SMB.

As the cited regulations demonstrate, data recovery and security are not issues that an SMB can afford to take lightly – but neither are they usually related to the core competencies in which a particular small business excels.  The best solution for SMBs is to contract with a firm that can help them arrange for computer safety when it comes to their important data resources.

For more information, or help determining what kind of backup plan is right for you and your business just click here:

Click me

By

Point of Sale System Care: Fingerprint Readers

POS Peripheral Care: Fingerprint Readers

POS Fingerprint ReaderOnce a business decides to take the leap into the efficiencies offered by a point of sale system, the issue of POS peripherals is likely to arise.  Many different devices can function as POS peripherals; the category is so broad that it encompasses items such as cash drawers, receipt printers, coin changers, magnetic stripe readers and even fingerprint readers.  The fingerprint reader is one of the most advanced POS peripherals available for SMBs at the current time.

How fingerprint readers work

Contrary to common belief, a POS fingerprint reader does not actually store an image of authorized employees’ fingerprints.  Instead, it saves certain data points about a fingerprint and merges them into a template file that will be used for authentication purposes.  For those concerned about POS security, it is not possible to reconstruct an authorized fingerprint from these template files.

When users attempt to log on to the POS systems that incorporate fingerprint readers, the fingerprint they supply at that time will be compared to the template file for the user.  Only if there is an excellent match will the employee be authorized to commence using the system.

Care and maintenance of a POS fingerprint reader

It is in the best interest of every SMB to call for point of sale repair services only when necessary.  Proper care of a fingerprint reader will minimize the need for repair calls.

All fingerprint readers perform best and last longer when kept clean.  There are two recommended ways to clean most readers.  The simplest is to use a piece of adhesive tape, applying it sticky side down directly onto the reading surface.  Gently peeling it back will remove accumulated dust and lint.  Alternatively, a mild glass cleaner can be applied to the reader window with a soft, lint-free cloth.  Avoid cleaners based on alcohol; ammonia is a better choice.

Users should also avoid introducing liquids into the interior of the reader.  This means never pouring anything onto the glass window containing the reading element since some of the liquid could potentially seep inside and cause a problem.  As is true of most electronics, the reader should never be immersed, not even for cleaning purposes.  It is also important to avoid scratches on the reader window.  Never clean it with an abrasive element – even plain paper can be too harsh.

When POS equipment repair is needed, be sure to contract only with a company with demonstrated experience dealing with point of sale system repair.

For more information regarding proper POS equipment care please review the blog article, “Proper Care of POS Equipment,” by clicking below.

By

Free Webinar- Eye on ROI

Webinar- Eye on ROI: Increase Visibility to Increase Your ROI

Free webinar- ROI

As IT environments become more complex, and the role of the enterprise network grows, smart organizations recognize the need to monitor their network to ensure their ROI. Implementing an application-aware network performance management solution helps provide seamless communication, identifying challenges before they become problematic and maintaining end-user productivity.

So how can you actively manage your network? Join Liz Padula, Marketing Manager at Riverbed Technology, and Cindy Borovick, Program Vice President for IDC’s Enterprise Communications and Datacenter Networks services, as they discuss how to:

    • Reduce IT infrastructure costs
    • Optimize IT staff productivity up to 80%
    • Minimize network and application downtime

August 8, 2012
2:00 pm ET / 11:00 am PT
Duration: 60 minutes

Contact Us