Tag Archives: software

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Explained: Cloud IT Acronyms

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As computing revolutionises the world, a tremendous amount of confusing acronyms have popped up. Here SMY IT Services explain the most common ones you might come across:

SaaS (Software as a Service)

SaaS is software on-demand. As a result, users can subscribe or rent software, centrally hosted software on a pay-as-you-go basis. Office 365 and Salesforce are two of the largest providers today.

PaaS (Platform as a Service)

A resource for developers, PaaS provides the hardware and software infrastructure needed to create, run and manage custom-built applications. These platforms are scalable, flexible, and rented on a pay-as-you-go basis. Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google are amongst the largest PaaS vendors.

IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)

A virtual hardware which companies can purchase instead of owning and operating their own data centres. IaaS provides self-service access to remote data centre infrastructures that can be used for virtual server space, bandwidth, IP addresses, storage, or network connections. These resources are usually drawn from a distributed network of servers and the cloud provider is responsible for maintaining. Therefore, users are responsible for managing and upgrading applications, middleware, and operating systems. Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, as well as Google Compute Engine are the leading providers of IaaS.

MDM (Mobile Device Management)

A cloud service primarily driven by the growing workplace trend of BYOD, MDM distributes applications, data, and configurations to a variety of devices (including smartphones, tablets, laptops, desktop computers, and mobile printers). MDM also facilitates compatibility and security in distributed networks. As a result of this, employees are able to work remotely on a variety of devices using different operating systems.

BYOD (Bring Your Own Device)

Many IT departments struggle to keep pace with regular technology changes because company employees increasingly want to use their own devices to access corporate data. BYOD encourages company employees to work on the device of their choice, so they can access corporate email on their personal iPhone or using a Galaxy tab to view text documents. The goal for businesses is increased productivity as well as reducing costs.

HPC (High Performance Computing)

HPC means aggregating computing power in the cloud to create a virtual supercomputer used to solve large, complex problems. This refers to systems that function at over 10^12 operations per second.

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Windows 10 – First Thoughts

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After all the anticipation and hype, Windows 10 has been on the market for a number of months.

There are an assortment of new features and a range of welcomed system improvements as you would expect from Microsoft. This includes the return of the much loved Start Menu.

Windows 10 has generally been well received by the early adopters. The upgrade is free for most users and it replaces the not-so-favoured Windows 8.

Should you update?

Before upgrading it’s vital to ensure you have considered and verified your current applications are compatible.

Since the original release there have been a number of bug fixes and a updates.

The benefits

Windows 10 is being hailed as the best Windows OS yet. It’s well suited for keyboard and mouse users on both PCs and laptops, as well as optimised for touch on devices such as smartphones and tablets.

One of the most exciting features seems to be the return of items such as the Start button and Start menu.

There are many welcomed additions including Virtual Desktops. This feature enables you to create multiple workspaces using the Task View mode. Let’s not forget about Cortana the fun and superior virtual assistant mentioned above and first seen on Windows phones.

The concerns

Compatibility: When deploying a new operating system, the main question is “whether your applications will work on the new version”. It is crucial to answer this question before upgrading. If you don’t, you may find you and your employees are unable to do your everyday work.

This is also true for certain devices such as scanners and printers that could need driver updates to work properly.

You can install the ‘Get Windows 10’ application from Microsoft on your device to perform a compatibility check. It will check the device for known compatible drivers and applications and notify the user of any known issues.

Bugs: Despite extensive tests, it’s not uncommon for problems to be uncovered throughout the lifecycle. Microsoft has already plugged their first series of security holes and released a number of cumulative roll-up updates.

Next steps

Upgrading to Windows 10 is free and shouldn’t be ruled out. Once you’ve considered your business needs and requirements, contact SMY IT Services to discuss how you can go about upgrading your business.