Category: Cloud Hosting

Now that the general term of Cloud Computing has been clarified, you are probably wondering about the specifics of the cloud services.

The general idea of the “cloud” is to store your media on the internet so you can access it from any device, anywhere, as opposed to leaving it on a hard drive. Now with cloud services, we can juggle around our data between multiple gadgets.

Services are made available to users on demand via the Internet from a cloud computing provider’s servers as opposed to being provided from a company’s own on-premises servers. Cloud services are designed to provide easy, scalable access to applications, resources and services, and are fully managed by a cloud services provider.

Examples of cloud services include online data storage and backup solutions, Web-based e-mail services, hosted office suites and document collaboration services, database processing, managed technical support services and more.

But cloud services vary between companies so much so, that the buzzword can get awfully confusing. What exactly do you get? Is it just online storage? Or is it streaming media? Both?

Some companies may tout themselves as cloud services but are more akin to online backup or file sharing services. While there is certainly some overlap between each of these services, cloud services are unique because they allow you to view, edit and share files saved in the cloud. With some services, you can even sync your content across all your computers and devices.

Features
The most important factor to consider in a cloud service, are features, including the type of content that you can store. The best cloud computing services are those that allow you to upload and save any type of file you would usually save on your local hard drive, from word documents to music files and everything in between. Some services even allow you to keep email, contacts and your calendar in the cloud.

MobileAccess
Arguably one of the biggest selling points of cloud computing services is their wide-ranging access. Whether you’re on your work computer at the office or at home on your iPad, cloud services allow you to access your content anywhere, anytime and on any one of your devices.

Ease of Use
Considering how often you’ll  be likely to be accessing your content in the cloud.  It’s important to select a cloud service that is intuitive and straight forward. The service’s interface and tools should be easy to navigate and convenient to use.

Help & Support
Getting help when you need it is crucial when using any type of technology, including cloud services. Available support options should include technical assistance via telephone, email and live chat. The service should also provide a knowledgebase and user forums as resources.

Cloud services are an ideal way to manage all your digital content without limitations.

Netcetera offer Cloud Solutions from as little as £14.99/pm for Windows and £14.00/pm for Linux.

Previous Posts

• Q1 – What is Cloud Computing?

Next Posts

• Q3 – What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing?
• Q4 – When Should I Use a Cloud Server rather Than a Dedicated Server?
• Q5 – What is the Future of Cloud Services?

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

This is the most important question and of course as such comes first. So, what exactly is it?

The answer is in fact quite simple. The ‘cloud’ is actually the internet and the name comes from its representation in diagrams and visual graphic representations where it is represented as a cloud.

Whether you realise it or not, you’re probably already using cloud-based services. Pretty much everyone with a computer has been. Gmail and Google Docs  are two prime examples; we just don’t think of those services in those terms.

Imagine your PC and all of your mobile devices being in sync all the time. Imagine being able to access all of your personal data at any given moment. Imagine having the ability to organise and mine data from any online source. Imagine being able to share that data—photos, movies, contacts, e-mail, documents, etc.—with your friends, family, and co-workers in an instant.

In essence, personal cloud computing means having every piece of data you need for every aspect of your life, at your fingertips and ready for use. Data must be mobile, transferable, and instantly accessible

Cloud computing is not a tangible product, it’s not something that arrives in the post, it’s not something you can touch. Cloud computing is a subscription service whereby you access the services of a cloud storage provider over the internet. Rather than install a piece of software on to your PC or Mac, you access the software through a client user interface. The software itself is hosted on the vendors servers instead of your own.

Cloud computing is almost instantaneous. Unlike software which has to be customised to your needs, purchased, delivered, installed and users trained; cloud computing can be accessed the same day of purchase, the user interface downloaded and the backup completed.

There is no doubt that cloud computing is a simpler, more cost effective and a far better means of storage than software options. They say cloud computing is the future, when compared to software, you can see why.

Via the Managed Windows Cloud Server, Netcetera offers all the ease and simplicity of Shared Hosting, but with the scalability and resilience of the Cloud. For only £40.98/pm including the Essential Management Pack, FREE site migration, FREE Setup and a 7 Day Money Back Guarantee, this provides you with an agile infrastructure which allows you to focus on your core business.

Netcetera offer Cloud Solutions from as little as £14.99/pm for Windows and £14.00/pm for Linux.

See the difference that the Cloud can make to your business.

Next Posts

• Q2 – What are Cloud Services?
• Q3 – What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing?
• Q4 – When Should I Use a Cloud Server rather than a Dedicated Server?
• Q5 – What is the Future of Cloud Services?

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

 

 

 

The world of web is changing all the time. Developments that were seen as exceptional innovations just a few years ago are already becoming outdated. Electronic and computer technology help us share information and knowledge quickly and efficiently. What was previously slow and tedious is now easier and more realistic. Changes affect the world of support and web services, as well.

You have probably already heard the term “cloud computing”, but perhaps you are uncertain of the specific components of this innovative service. If you are thinking about moving to cloud services, you need to get some information in advance to help you understand the basics.

Below are the five most common questions which are asked about cloud services.  Over the following weeks , we will be publishing details about these questions which will help you to better understand the basics around cloud services as well as assist you to decide if it is a suitable option for you to consider for migration.

• Q1 – What is Cloud Computing?
• Q2 – What are Cloud Services?
• Q3 – What are the Benefits of Cloud Computing?
• Q4 – When Should I Use a Cloud Server rather than a Dedicated Server?
• Q5 – What is the Future of Cloud Services?

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

 

We are delighted to announce that Netcetera has launched a special offer on Linux Cloud Servers where you can SAVE 30% and now pay only £14/pm instead of the normal price of £20/pm per node.

Our Linux Cloud Servers are made up of one or more nodes. Each node provides 376MB RAM, 10GB SAN storage, 600MHz CPU and 1TB/month bandwidth.

The benefits of a Linux Cloud Servers are:

• Extreme Scalability
• High Redundancy
• Hardware Independency
• Easy Recovery
• Cost Effective

With our Linux Cloud Servers, you can Deploy development, test and production servers for your applications, migrate your complete IT infrastructures to achieve economy of scale and choose a server and memorize size and pay for what you use.

 Hurry up this offer ends 30/09/2012

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

Cloud computing does not just ‘happen’. Vendors need to explain to their clients how data migration will be implemented. This is the most important task for cloud computing vendors because this will not only deal with the future efficiency of the application but also the security of the data.

A detailed plan with a corresponding time frame should be discussed. Some companies may have more requirements from their clients for data migration than others, these are done to ensure proper migration without having to deal with future insecurities.

The cloud represents significant improvements in both capital and operating costs, particularly as businesses struggle to maintain control of increasingly large and complex data loads. However, the transition from traditional data center infrastructure to the cloud can be disruptive if not handled properly.

One of the main concerns is the fact that the cloud is built on virtual resources. This means a fair amount of preparation is needed to ensure data availability.

Our team of administrators understands how complex moving web sites can be and will guarantee your web site is error-free and functioning the way it is supposed to after the web site migration process is complete.

Previous posts:

• Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – Do you have ownership and access to your data in the cloud?
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.
• Step 5 – Is any part of the Cloud infrastructure Outsourced or Subcontracted?
• Step 6 – Helping you answer your Compliance Queries in the Cloud
• Step 7 – Why is cost analysis of the Cloud so Important
• Step 8 – Have you Prepared a Migration Strategy? 
• Step 9 – Importance of Considering Downtime and How to Deal with it?

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

No business should start their operations with a cloud computing vendor without a Service Level Agreement (SLA). The SLA will specify the guaranteed uptime. In cloud computing, anything less than 99.9% is unacceptable. One of the distinguishing features of cloud computing is the assurance of an uptime to nearly 100%. Providers should be able to do this because of their multiple data centers. These are a necessity for providers to ensure uptime. The process in dealing with downtime should also be indicated as should a clear vendor strategy on how the problem will be dealt with if it arises.

Server uptime, flexibility and resilience are three of the most important elements to our service at Netcetera and we believe that the presence of this SLA will not only benefit you but also helps us to aspire to greater service levels.

At Netcetera, we guarantee that our network will be available 99.9% of the time. Many companies offer this but not many have gone to the extent of having a fully Gigabit switched network, Multiple separate backbone providers, redundant routers and fibre coming in at multiple points to the building. Because we are so confident in our uptime, for each hour of network Downtime outside of this SLA we give 1 day’s credit for hosting to a maximum of 100% of your monthly hosting costs credited per calendar month.

Previous posts:

•  Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – Do you have ownership and access to your data in the cloud?
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.
• Step 5 – Is any part of the Cloud infrastructure Outsourced or Subcontracted?
• Step 6 – Helping you answer your Compliance Queries in the Cloud
• Step 7 – Why is cost analysis of the Cloud so Important
• Step 8 – Have you Prepared a Migration Strategy? 

Next posts:

• Step 10 – The importance of Data Migration.

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

There has been an increased amount of recent research which indicates that many organizations will move to the cloud in the short term. Defining a migration strategy involves understanding the various options which are available, establishing business priorities, and also creating a strategy that offers a fine balance between costs and meeting business priorities. Fundamentally, enterprises have the two following options with a cloud infrastructure – private or public. The choice is driven by priorities such as business model, market strategy and constrained by factors such as technical feasibility, security, migration costs, and future spending.

By considering these factors, you can consider the cost reductions upon migrating applications to a cloud platform, the security applications which are available and understanding how their full potential can be realised, as well as discovering what future hardware and software acquisitions can be migrated into the cloud platform.

A lot can happen in five years, and this is especially true for the cloud industry. With this in mind, it is highly likely that things will be significantly different five years from now. To stay ahead of the pack, consider your migration options sooner rather than later.

Netcetera’s Managed Windows Cloud Server offers ease and simplicity with scalability and resilience. All this, for as little as £40.98/pm and it includes the Essential Management Pack, FREE Site Migration and a 7 day RISK Free money back guarantee.

Previous posts:

• Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – Do you have ownership and access to your data in the cloud?
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.
• Step 5 – Is any part of the Cloud infrastructure Outsourced or Subcontracted?
• Step 6 – Helping you answer your Compliance Queries in the Cloud
• Step 7 – Why is cost analysis of the Cloud so Important

Next posts:

• Step 9 – The importance of Considering Downtime and How to Deal with it.
• Step 10 – The importance of Data Migration.

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

The business case for cloud application migration is never complete without taking the target cloud platform into consideration. The migration and overhead costs vary widely based on the target cloud platform and thus will skew the estimated cost savings. Cost analysis helps decide whether to go ahead with moving a particular application to the cloud or not from a return on investment perspective. Cost should include capital expenditure, operational expenditure, and the overhead costs involved with migration.

Up to now, the success of applications in the Cloud, both virtual and physical, has been viewed in only two ways, availability and performance. Perhaps however, the most important dimension is cost, and it is this cost that will dramatically influence what, when and where businesses deploy to the cloud. Cost can increase exponentially without proper cloud monitoring and cloud cost modeling. The result of this is that it has become crucial for IT to tie cloud success to cost analysis, in addition to overall system performance.

To date, companies have been oblivious to the workload cost of an application running in the cloud, apart from unclear monthly billing. We are entering a new era where performance and availability will be baseline requirements, but workload cost efficiency will be the new key to success.

Netcetera’s Managed Windows Cloud Server offers ease and simplicity with scalability and resilience. All this, for as little as £40.98/pm and it includes the Essential Management Pack, FREE Site Migration and a 7 day RISK Free money back guarantee.

Previous posts:

• Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – Do you have ownership and access to your data in the cloud?
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.
• Step 5 – Is any part of the Cloud infrastructure Outsourced or Subcontracted?
• Step 6 – Helping you answer your Compliance Queries in the Cloud

Next posts:

• Step 8 – Have you prepared a Migration Strategy?
• Step 9 – The importance of Considering Downtime and How to Deal with it.
• Step 10 – The importance of Data Migration.

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801 or click our Live Chat

Companies considering using Cloud services should perform a gap analysis between the specific requirements identified in relevant regulations and the set of controls provided by the cloud service provider. Virtually every regulation requires organizations to adequately protect their physical and informational assets. You should be asking yourself these questions:

• What information is stored on a system?
• Where is the information stored?
• Who can access the system?
• What they can access?
• Is the access appropriate?

All of these questions imply some level of ownership of the assets in question, and that is where cloud compliance issues become apparent.

Using Cloud Computing services for data and applications subject to compliance regulations requires a high degree of transparency on the part of service providers. If you are considering these services, you need to closely review contracts and service-level agreements and understand how the Cloud service meets your specific compliance requirements.

So what can you do? Ensure that the provider you use is able and willing to work with you, to provide and prove any data location restrictions you may have.

Much of compliance is about ensuring proper controls over who has access to assets, what level of access they have and how those levels are maintained.

Netcetera’s hosted Cloud infrastructure provides you with an agile infrastructure delivered from our secure, highly available data centre so you can respond quickly to your needs.

Our Cloud services allow you to focus on your business rather than your IT infrastructure. With our aim to provide our customers with top quality service, we decided to introduce a Service Level Agreement (SLA) to emphasise the importance we place on server uptime.

Previous posts:

• Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – Do you have ownership and access to your data in the cloud?
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.
• Step 5 – Is any part of the Cloud infrastructure Outsourced or Subcontracted?

Next posts:

• Step 7 – Why is Cost analysis of the Cloud so important?
• Step 8 – Have you prepared a Migration Strategy?
• Step 9 – The importance of Considering Downtime and How to Deal with it.
• Step 10 – The importance of Data Migration.

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801.

Cloud computing can often involve chains of sub-processors or sub-contractors. If you work across Europe, it would be wise to look into this. In some parts of Europe, data protection law requires the controller to independently authorise all subcontracts and to enter into direct contracts with all processors. In most member states, it is left to data controllers or vendors to determine what amounts to appropriate technical and organisational measures. In some countries however, for example, Spain, Italy and Poland, if you wish to put data into the cloud, then, they will need the cloud computing service provider to confirm that its security arrangements meet the particular laws in these countries.

Usually, if a cloud service provider subcontracts any parts of their services, it will be invisible to the customer. This could raise issues and potential disputes not uncommon in these arrangements. These concerns include contracting and auditing requirements and questions of the distribution of payment if all goes well – and of liability if it does not. For instance, a problem may arise if two cloud computing subcontractors provide micro-services that are of good quality in themselves but do not integrate properly.  In addition to this, there is the possibility that data, which may be commercially valuable, flows from the customer to the vendor to the subcontractor. In the case of bankruptcy, can the subcontractors hold onto the customer data as an asset? Can they threaten to publish sensitive data if they are not paid for their services?  It is also not clear what rights a purchaser of the bankrupt vendor might have to the data.

Netcetera is one of Europe’s leading Web Hosting service providers, with customers in over 60 countries worldwide and in operation for over 16 years. Netcetera does not outsource any of it’s Cloud Infrastructure, which means you have peace of mind when dealing with us. We are the premier provider of Cloud Services, amongst many other services in the UK. Our state-of-the-art data centre environment enables Netcetera to offer your business enterprise level solutions.

Previous posts:

• Step 1 – Are your applications ready to run in the Cloud?
• Step 2 – How important is Technical Support for Cloud success?
• Step 3 – http://www.netcetera.co.uk/blog/2012/01/30/do-you-have-ownership-and-access-to-your-data-in-the-cloud/
• Step 4 – Understanding what fluctuating data volumes means to you.

Next posts:

• Step 6 – Helping you to understand your Compliance queries in the Cloud.
• Step 7 – Why is Cost analysis of the Cloud so important?
• Step 8 – Have you prepared a Migration Strategy?
• Step 9 – The importance of Considering Downtime and How to Deal with it.
• Step 10 – The importance of Data Migration.

Questions? Let us help!

To speak to one of our Sales Consultants about what our services can do for you, or for any other queries, please fill out our Enquiry Form or call 0800 061 2801