Moving to the cloud

Are you ready to take advantage of moving to the cloud but not sure what that means?

Cloud computing simply means that you put your programs and data onto a rented server and keep it in a hosting centre, not on your own premises.

Why Move to the cloud then?

Cloud is not for everyone.

Some businesses need local files because of interfaces to manufacturing machines, lathes etc. In this situation the interface between server and machine needs to be as short as possible and it may not be capable of transfer to the cloud.
Some businesses want to keep the same hardware for longer periods, either because of a local investment policy or because critical software is tied to older operating systems.
In this case cloud may not be for you.

Benefits of moving to the Cloud

If the key driver is to find up to date systems with hardware that is easily expanded and always fit for your business then cloud may well be for you

Reliability
Servers last longest when they operate at a fixed and fairly low temperature (around 19 degrees). Because temperature is fixed, parts don’t expand / contract and so don’t work loose. This simply means they last longer and are more reliable. However the cost of air conditioning is high for most businesses and so it gets ignored.
Hosting centres provide fixed temperature racks with intelligent air con. They reduce costs by recirculating heat into their office space and by economy of scale they can provide the service needed to keep your server reliable without the high cost.
Connectivity
All connectivity will go wrong one day, probably because of road works or other manual intervention. This means that you will inevitably suffer from an internet outage at some point.
The way to make sure your system stays running is to install multiple lines that connect down different roads, or even using wireless, however the cost is prohibitive.
Again through economy of scale hosting centres can provide diverse connection, often with half a dozen connections to the once centre.
Security
There is a view that security is higher if the server is on your own site, managed by your own staff. However your own staff work in your own industry and therefore see the data as valuable. Data theft is a real possibility. In comparison, data centre staff are surrounded by data of all types. They are only interested in one thing, making a data centre as reliable as possible. The risk of data theft is lower.

There will be a service level agreement in place guaranteeing the level of AntiVirus and AntiSpam protection in place, the frequency of backups and the amount of time data is retained.
This means that the data centre will manage the protection properly and have procedures in place to ensure that your system stays running. These same procedures mean that if and when the inevitable happens, the your network is also recoverable.

Expandability
Cloud servers are normally built using virtualisation. This means that there will be a small number of physical servers connected to a shared disk(s). The servers you connect to will be virtual servers running on those physical servers. The benefit is that if a physical server needs repairing or upgrading then the virtual server can be moved even when while it is running. Users wont notice anything.

If you need more disk space, memory or processor power then it can be allocated dynamically.

Cost truly reflects your requirements and you don’t have to take into account future growth!  You only pay for what you need rather than the full capacity of the physical servers.

So the Cloud model delivers flexibility and manages a balance of cost against usage. The on premises model means that you need sufficient capacity and licensing from the start.

The best way to decide is to speak to one of our consultants to discuss the pros and cons before making a decision.
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What Our Customers Say

  • We spent the last few days desperately installing generators for our clients in Scotland - trying to get ready for the XMAS period amongst strikes and power cuts.
    If only you provided generators, then power would be as reliable as the network you set up for us. That never goes wrong - if a line fails the system automatically connects to the spare line and our customers keep running! Well done.
    You made a real difference to our business, because you stopped us getting a massive surge of calls each time there was a line fault.

    Dave Short
  • Hi,

    Hope your week is going well so far.

    We are just about caught up from Friday 😊 I wanted to drop a message to say thank you for jumping on this so quickly last week.

    Your care and attention was greatly appreciated and you certainly made me feel calmer.

    Kind regards, HAYLEY

    Hayley -
  • "My company just couldn't cope without you guys, everything is so simple with you around. In fact it seems beyond other suppliers to set up a network so its reliable".

    When we asked why the client simply said "because I just want it to work and you guys are the only people who have been able to get us to that state".

    Robin -
  • Andisa have just completed a design and build project to give us a new network capable of expanding to man racks so that we can expand our streaming monitoring business.

    All I can say about the router they sent us is: it was the smoothest transition I've ever had!

    I have been involved in many upgrades over the years but this build and swap out was faultless. Andisa visited for twice. Once to audit / research and once to install the new kit. They agreed the outcomes at the start of the project, reviewed each day and ultimately delivered exactly what they promised. And as I said, it was the smoothest transition I have ever had!

    Ryan Fife -
  • Hi, I just wanted to say a big thankyou to the Andisa team.
    From the moment we told you we were moving office Andisa just helped. Every question got right to the issue and it all meant that the move itself was smooth.

    Once we were moved, Paolo and Tim went round every desk and checked with our team to make sure they were fully operational. Phones, PC's Wifi, Laptops and printers were all 100%. Even the photocopier and franking machine was back on line.

    We cant thank you guys enough.

    Pippa Fisher -