Showing posts with label cloud services. Show all posts

Google loses data from lightening strike: why your data is not safe on Google Apps backup system alone



Lightning strikes Google Compute Engine in Belgium 4 times causing permanent damage to customer's data. While Google cloud is the most secure way to store data, it is clear that further security is needed to keep data safe. Businesses are realizing that a cloud-to-cloud backup system is essential.


Between August 13 -17 2015, 4 lightning strikes affected the Google Compute Engine (GCE) at their Belgian data center (europe-west1-b zone). Google has reported that after some recovery operations made, the data on less than 0.000001% of disk space suffered permanent damage.

Is My Data Safe on the Cloud? 

SaaS applications such as Google Apps, which operate on the cloud, are becoming increasingly popular in business' today. Cloud-based systems don't use hardware to store data, which allows employees to access information from anywhere.  Another huge advantage is that because the data is stored on the cloud, and not on hardware, it is safe from physical damage. However, the elusive and seemingly invincible cloud is not bulletproof, or in this case, lightening-proof. 

So, Lightning Is The Only Threat to Data On The Cloud? Wrong!

Besides damage to the Google Compute Engine by lightening, data on the cloud can also be lost or compromised by hackers, insider threat, human error and sync malfunctions. 



Hacking:
Data hacking and hijacking is becoming a common threat and leads to data loss and can put business on hold

Insider threat: 
Insider threat is a top cause of data breaches and is statistically more damaging than external attacks

Human Error:
Human error is the leading cause of data loss.

Sync Malfunctions:
Third-party applications & Devices have full access to your data and can fail anytime.

While Cloud-based systems offer many benefits, at the end of the day, the business will be responsible for any data loss, not the SaaS application.

What Is The Solution?

Google Apps alone is not an effective backup and recovery solution. This is why many businesses are  turning to cloud-to-cloud backup systems.  Spanning Backup is the one we selected since it offers a user-friendly and effective way to backup and restore data. The restore function allows users to find and restore information to the moment before it was lost or corrupted. 



Spanning offers a range of features including:


In order to keep your data safe, whether from lightning, hacking, insider threat, human error, or sync-malfunctions, consider utilizing a cloud-to-cloud backup system to avoid unnecessary cost to your business. 
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Easy transfer to Google Apps for Work with Data Migration Service


As more and more organizations move to the Cloud with Google Apps for Work, the Giant has enhanced its data migration service to ease the transition from Microsoft Office to Gmail. If the task of migrating from Office to the Cloud seemed daunting, look no further than the data migration service!

What is the data migration service?


The data migration service provided by Google lets Google Apps for Work admins seamlessly migrate all of their employees’ emails to Google Apps. All the admin needs to do is access their Admin console to use the service. There are no other apps or tools required! The setup is simple and most mail server connections can be made automatically. You can also control everything in the Admin console, not through a client.

New contacts migration feature


Now, Google has released this same capability for contacts. According to their announcement, “Admins can migrate their employees’ contacts from Microsoft Exchange (2007 and above) and Microsoft Office 365 to Google Apps directly from the Admin console, without needing to install and configure any client tools.” The buffed up feature has clearly defined set-up flows in addition to the auto-discovery of mail server connections. 

All together, this service makes the contacts migration process easy and feasible for any Google Apps admin.
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Securing your data on the cloud: Spanning Backup versus Google Vault




Google Apps is a great solution to collaborate and manage your organization’s data on the cloud. But did you know that if data is deleted from Google, it is gone forever?

Unfortunately there are many scenarios where Google Apps customers experience data loss. One common incident involves recently terminated employees, who delete their Google accounts from the company’s domain, along with other crucial information from the cloud. Unfortunately, in these cases, without a backup solution, everything is permanently deleted - all emails, sheets, documents, etc. that the organization relies on to function.

As you can see, many Google Apps users are under the false assumption that Google Vault is protecting them completely and taking care of all their backup and recovery needs. Unfortunately, this frequently causes data loss for companies who are using Vault without additional protection.

Google has no ability to recover lost data deleted from the accounts of your organization. This is why there are other backup solutions available for buffing up your data. One app is Spanning Backup, which automatically backs up your Google Drive/Google Docs data every day.

Let’s take a look at some of the key differences between Spanning Backup for Google Apps and Google Vault.

                                     


Google Vault does not prevent data loss


 The best practice for Google Vault is archiving and eDiscovery - but it’s not a backup solution. The app can prevent data loss if an account is placed on legal hold and hasn’t been deleted, covers Gmail and chat messages, and it allows administrators to search for and export data.

 But Vault is not geared towards retrieving information if it has been lost. Essentially, as a Google Apps user, if you are keen to use Google Vault, it should be used in tandem with another trustworthy backup solution to protect against data loss in your organization.


Spanning Backup for Google Apps: The Ultimate Backup Solution


 So, what’s Spanning Backup all about? The app is specifically geared towards backup and recovery. This means backing up from daily losses, and the app saves data even if a user’s account is deleted. Spanning Backup covers all of Google Apps - Gmail, Drive, Contacts, Calendars and Sites, and it enables IT administrators and end users to restore and export their own data.

 What does it all come down to? Google Vault is for you if you need to know who is accessing emails and documents and at what time. For securing data stored on the cloud seamlessly and retrieving it at any time, due to a security breach, random error, or a natural disaster, a backup solution such as Spanning is the answer.

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Google Apps Updates: New UI, latest version of the Google Drive app for iOS


Google Apps Updates: Google Drive has recently updated with a whole host of new features available to the general public. Google Drive is one of the best collaboration tools available today because of its revolutionary cloud technology.
The latest app update for iOS comes with a number of new features that improve on the last design and produce much faster results. The problem with the older version of Google Drive for mobile devices is that it was tough to access the content that you wanted when you wanted it.
 With the web based app it was very easy to search through drive results to find your files. The issue with the Google Apps was that finding the files you last worked on involved a lot of searching.
It was also tough to find data that you may have been accessing a long while ago. With the latest Google Drive features, it is much easier to search through your results via a swipe gesture.

 This means no more lengthy searching or loading to find the files you need to access.

What this means is that you can easily search through files on your mobile device and even collaborate with other users by sharing links.

Rather than having to trust a web based version for all the features, in many cases the mobile version of google drive is just as fast especially on the IOS update.

 Swipe gestures carry you between documents and an improved syncing feature with Google Drive ensures you no longer need to wait an excessive amount of time to access your files or when scrolling through past documents.
While other versions of the software included lengthy loading screens, the Google App Update syncs with the cloud far more easily and this means swiping through hundreds of documents in a few seconds if need be.
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Google Apps News: 20 new animations in Google Slides





The Google Slides feature is the best new way to present ideas and collaborate with others on the cloud from anywhere. Rather than paying for expensive cloud-based collaborative software, Google now has all of the tools that you need to create any type of presentation on the go with embedded video, animations and more.

Google Slides has a variety of different features that will enhance your meetings and presentations. Not only does Google Slides boast inexpensive presentation suites, it has universal compatibility and accessibility. Rather than needing to worry about having your presentation files with you, you can simply log in with your Google account from wherever you are, and access your well-crafted animations from Google's servers.


Collaborate

The best part about Google Slides is its extremely collaborative environment. You can assign users to any presentation file, and voila! Your entire team can start working together on a presentation in real time. Advanced animations, the ability to display live web links, embedded video, and thousands of different fonts are only a few of the features that make Google Slides superior to its competitors.

New and improved animations


The new animations feature also introduces slide transitions which can help you customize the style of your presentation, making your Google Slides more dynamic. Currently, Google Slides features many of the animation file formats that you might find in PowerPoint, such as fading in slides, fly in from left animation, fly out from left, and the new appear and disappear features. The appear and disappear features are especially helpful with embedded video and other page elements, because you can simply make these page elements disappear into your presentation file after you have played or displayed them. This can create seamless transitions without the need for a vast amount of slides or work.


Google Slides will likely be the future of presentations as we know it. Your business will benefit most from jumping on the bandwagon now to maintain its competitive edge.
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Top 5 Reasons for Buying G Suite from a Reseller

If you're reading this, you might be wondering what a G Suite Reseller is and what they do exactly. Most organizations are not aware of the benefits that are involved with buying G Suite from a G Suite Reseller. To understand why, first we need to know why Google needs Partners and what advantages these Partners offer to G Suite customers. So let’s take a look at what Google has to say about it:
So now that we know why Google needs Partners and the benefits these Partners can offer, let’s examine the top 5 reasons why you should buy YOUR G Suite from an authorized Reseller.

1. Savings

Did you know that buying G Suite from a Reseller costs exactly the same as it does when buying directly from Google? Sometimes a Reseller will even sell G Suite to organizations at a lower price! 

If you’re asking “Why?” you are not alone. Most people are not aware that Resellers receive their incentives from Google, so end users do not burden the costs of these additional services, it's Google! So, if you’re not using a Reseller, you're missing out! 

In addition to the normal or discounted monthly/annual subscription fees, Resellers can offer discounts on Marketplace Applications which would otherwise cost full price. If you find yourself again asking “why?” then you’re among the majority of users who are still paying full price for most of the applications and services connected with their G Suite

2. Proactive, Personalized Support

Organizations who purchase their G Suite directly from Google receive 24 hour system critical support. While this may sound like all the support an organization will need, it is important to note that it is only available when a service is not working. So, it is not ongoing support needed for general questions, like “how to's”, “tips and tricks” and especially not the ongoing support needed for consultations about integrations of third-party applications. 

Google support is reactive, meaning it kicks in only when the customer initiates it. On the other hand, Reseller support is proactive, meaning there is always ongoing communication to keep customers informed of changes, potential risks, and new developments. This is why Resellers are called “Partners”. They are identified by the Google Partner logo:


“Resellers boost the 24 hour system critical support to the highest level of priority case escalation, meaning your request is treated in the queue before all of the customers that don’t have a Reseller.”

The support provided by an authorized Reseller is complete, ongoing and encompasses any scenario where expert advice and assistance are needed. In addition, having a Reseller escalates the 24 hour system critical support provided by Google to the highest level of priority case escalation. This difference means your problems can be solved within the hour instead of the day (or even longer).

3. Custom Integrations and Developments

G Suite Business is an amazing platform for SMB’s, but the basic suite is only the foundation. The G Suite is designed to be customized and enhanced through integrations with other apps and different software to provide an optimal work flow. 

A Reseller will assist you by integrating your G Suite with additional products and services, such as a CRM, Support Desk, Accounting Software, and other platforms such as Microsoft Exchange and many more. Making the most of your G Suite environment means integrating it with your other cloud solutions, so that your data is connected, up-to-date and ensures your workflows are as efficient and effective as possible. 

A Reseller provides access to Project Managers and Developers who are always at your service, available for advice and happy to provide free consultations and proposals for implementation. By taking advantage of these services, organizations can design ideal workflows and improve their performance. Resellers can provide Google Scripts to customers, which are then used to automate tasks across different Google products and third party services. They can also build customized web applications with minimal cost.

4. Professional Training

When using a Reseller, you have a plethora of resources at your disposal to guide your staff and get new hires up and running with G Suite in no time at all. 

Instead of sifting through tons of information on your own, a Reseller hosts regular webinars, where customers can tune-in to receive live training. Reseller also provide links to resources, tutorials and how-to articles to ensure your staff are using the apps in the way they are meant to be used.

Your users can receive live in-person training by a certified G Suite Expert or speak face to face via video-conference from the convenience of their own desk.

5. Staying Ahead of the Curve

G Suite is a suite of constantly evolving technologies. Throughout the course of a year, there are hundreds of new features being released and integrated into the apps and services you are already using. Only in 2015 there were more than 300 new features introduced to G Suite! Imagine how many more there are now. 

Most business only find out about new and useful apps after their peers and competitors have already implemented them. Using a G Suite Reseller ensures that you stay informed and have the flexibility and adaptability you need to remain on top.
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Why working in the cloud is so important to your business

Embracing technology is essential to increasing productivity and profitability in your business. More and more businesses are now taking advantage of the most powerful tool for higher success: cloud-based software and computing systems. From anywhere in the world, businesses using cloud software are able to: -Have multiple users work on the same document simultaneously -Easily collaborate and share access to files -Quickly access all of the company’s important business files and applications that are necessary for day-to-day operations If you haven’t already switched over to the cloud, it is in your company’s best interest to do it now. Otherwise chances are that your business will be left behind in the dust, while major competitors in your industry steam ahead.


The main advantages of integrating cloud-based systems into your day-to-day operations include:


1. Mobility:
Taking your business into the cloud will maximize time efficiency. Being able to transfer and then access computing resources, data, programming languages from anywhere, from any device, will help your business realize the actual value of hybrid cloud. The farther an enterprise can extend its existing best practices in these areas into public cloud deployment, the more cost-effective and functional the hybrid cloud model will be for your business.

2. Exceptional security:
Although you may be skeptical about uploading business data and private documents to a cloud-based server, it is important to note that over 800,000 laptops are lost each year in major airports around the world; this is just one isolated figure on physical data loss. Many storage devices that are used for work and work-based devices are easily accessible, whereas cloud-based data provides many obstacles before granting access to intruders, including encryption, password security, and more. Even if you were to lose a device, it would be impossible for anyone to access this data without your permission.

3. Reliability - Far less data loss:
Most cloud-based storage systems perform automatic backup. This means that if you delete a file that you are working on from your home computer, you can easily access the file and recover it from a cloud server or a different device. Recovering documents takes only a few minutes, and cloud-based systems give you the best recovery times out of any other recovery solution.


4. Unlimited Storage:
Meeting the demands of your business requires ever-expanding storage. Rather than having to constantly buy new server space and purchase new hardware, remote desktop applications provide increased flexibility through cloud-based storage subscriptions. This will cut down on your operating costs significantly. And of course, increased flexibility also stems from being able to access the cloud anywhere, and work remotely.

5. Cost efficiency
Compared to storing data in the cloud, storing data locally is far more expensive and time consuming. The cost of computers, storage, servers, and manpower far exceeds the cost of cloud solutions and offers no real advantages to your business. The benefits touched on here are only a few out of many that your business will gain from choosing cloud-based systems.
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