Who is this Thin Client?

I am sure I have been here before talking about things that I nod and pretend to understand because it is easier to do that than be in a room full of strangers and say - "I'm sorry could you explain, I don’t understand". Well here we are again, who is the thin client anyway?

 According to wiseGEEK a Thin client is - either a software program or an actual computer that relies heavily on another computer to do most of its work. It operates as part of a network, with the client software or computer acting as an interface and the  server computer doing all the real work, like saving files, processing data, and controlling certain functions of the clients, like whether they can download things or not. 



So its a lazy computer who gets another computer to do all its work? So why should we all have a thin client if we can have the fat client right.



I think I will have to look at this is term of an analogy -one i have found is the server is the lawyer , the one in the back ground that stores all the information and know even the most minute details. the thin client is the person in court on the stand weather is be victim, defendant or witness it doesn’t matter the point if they are the face. They are coached what to say and how to answer the question in a certain way, what to say when. Now of course this isn’t perfect as people have feelings and there own stories and as far as I am aware computers don’t.......yet :).



But it is the basic principle of information that is being fed in and relayed back but saved, looked after and understood somewhere else. 


Now the reasons for a company to want something like this, well reports seem to point towards one key overriding factor COST.

A white paper produced by X2 suggests that companies can benefit in many ways:

Costs will be cut by up to 70%. 

Worldwide access to work files and enterprise applications - Thin client computing enables increased
productivity by allowing workers to work from anywhere in the world.

Reduced administration and end user support

Increased reliability - Thin client devices don’t have moving parts or fans, and
therefore will last for longer which is far longer than a normal PC.

Lessens the risk of data theft - Having all data stored on central servers eliminates the risk of
important company data falling into the wrong hands should a fat client  be lost or
stolen.

Disaster recovery: Data is more secure and easier to backup - If a terminal fails, important data isn’t
lost since it is stored on the server.

So the bottom line is weather we understand it or not it can help companies be more efficent and reduce costs.

So like the new year gym drive I am sure there will be lots of people that are out with the fat and in twith the thing.

Now I hear murmuings of Zero clients................................look like I am back to learining another term!!

A to M of Social Media to be continued.....

A - a big big old world
B - Blogging of course
C- content is King or so we are told all the time!!
D- Digging around for the next big thing
E- the emails, the hundreds of them - tweets, notifications, updated, linked in discusssion arghhhhh
F- #FollowFriday
G- Give give give people love gossip errr sorry information
H- HMV gate hijacking at its best
I- Instragram effects that people WAY over use
J-join join join everyone want you to join something
K- Kids on YouTube - doing crazy things admit it you like watching them and watching the Cats
L- Love is in the Air - how much will Valentine day be trending next week?
M-mmmmm time to find lunch on Foursquare.

Common Mistakes made when Outsourcing IT support

Common Mistakes made when Outsourcing IT support

A report published my Lincoln University has claimed that 25% of all IT activities in the UK is being outsourced, but is all of this outsourcing necessary and do the decisions makers have the right knowledge to ensure that the support they are receiving is compatible with their business function and moreover is it cost effective?

Below we touch on the common mistakes made with IT support companies and how these can be avoided.

No 1 – We just let them get on with it don’t we?

Well no, you still need to be involved in some way in the management after choosing the provider, I am not talking every single day but having some narrative will help you understand this constantly changing environment.
 When you stop communicating with your IT Support, it’s like never talking to anybody in your office, expectations are not clear and problems could snowball. Additionally, without communication, your plans may not be included in preparation for future technology spending. Ultimately, the business relationship suffers.
Of course this is a two way street so ensure from the off that you are picking a provider that you are comfortable to converse with and vice versa and don’t put off asking questions.

No 2 – Going for the lowest priced per hour

We all know the saying, you pay peanuts you get monkeys. Of course you need to ensure your provider is in your price range. But I would steer clear of any providers who are substantially less than their competitors. 

Consider what you are looking for short, medium and long term. This will give you a good outlook in choosing a provider who will be able to support you though everything. This way you shouldn’t need the bother of multiple suppliers.

In addition look out for recognised industry accreditations that match your needs as these companies will follow industry agreed standards and best practice.

No 3 – Expect that there will be no longer be IT based problem or issues.

 Computer and IT systems unfortunately will always have little gremlins that pop up whether it be user errors, hardware failure, software corruption and regular maintenance issues. Just because you have a managed IT system does not mean there is a magic wand. At the end of the day they are machines!
 The best thing to do is choose an IT provided that talks about monitoring your system to flag up faults before they are an issue.
Most of the time this will happen and you won’t even know about it. It also worth asking if you recieve a report of these errors etc. monthly or quarterly firstly to check constant monitoring is taking place but also to ensure you are aware of any ongoing problems.

Remember that your IT support are there to help and advise you. Don’t shoot the messenger, as they will be able to advise the best solution or alterative that fits your needs.

No 4 – Technical terms aren’t always King! Especially if you don’t understand them…..
BoundDSlalalalalalalalalalalalala sometimes it can sound like this. If you don’t know the exact terminology or in what context this is being talked about then in some respects it can be like another language and this isn’t your fault so please don’t just nod your head and say its ok!
If an IT support providers cannot communicate a non-technical manner then chances are eventually this is going to cause you problems and frustrate employees.
There defiantly are IT support providers who not only understand technology, but can explain it to you in terms anybody can understand. I love it when they do this by putting in terms trivial things like cars on the motorway. 

It is paramount that you are comfortable with your IT support as they can spend significant time in communication with you and your employees. Moreover, this company will help you make decisions for future technology investments make sure they are a good fit with you.

No 5 – Once you have software packages in place assume these are staying forever and ever.

We all disapprove of change in some aspects and IT is no different. I hated having Windows 8 to start with but now I am used to it and I like using it. We all take I bit of time to adjust.

IT support providers will of course want to sell you there newest products and packages etc., this is a revenue stream for them at the end of the day. But steer clear of a provider that constantly emails/calls you with the latest product and services and expects you to change all the time when from your point of view your happy with what you have.

A good provider, rather than send you a generic email with a new product, will want to have a meeting with you occasionally of send a tailored report explaining what you currently have the pros and cons and what updates to be made to improve your overall efficiency and profitability.

Happy hunting or re thinking!!

Love is in the Air....

Learn to love the Cloud – it’s nearly Valentine’s Day after all!

It’s one of those things that happen in life, you hear a word over and over again and you start to dislike it even if you don’t really know what it was. Or you do know what it is and you’re sick of everyone talking about …

Take ‘Cookie’ for example — 5 years ago I would have thought these were round things that taste amazing and come in a wide range of caloric flavours.

However now we have another type of ‘Cookie’, the ones that constantly ask you to accept them…ok yes I always accept them as I want to look at the website, but what actually is the ‘Cookie’.

Now read the next line (the definition of this persuasive little character) and ask yourself if you actually knew this already?

“A message given to a Web browser by a Web server. The browser stores the message in a text file. The message is then sent back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server.”

As humans we are more likely to dislike things we don’t understand out of the fear factor and also interestingly we would rather believe what people tell us rather than ask the question. What is it?

So do you know what the word Cloud means, honestly?

And no I am not talking about those white fluffy things in the sky which are currently descending chaos on the UK with that other white fluffy stuff.

So the ‘Cloud’…

Basically it is (and this will be very basic) - the use of computing resources (hardware and software) that are delivered as a service over a network (typically the Internet). So you can use the internet to storage, back up and manage your computing resources.

And why is it called the ‘Cloud’ – simply because the diagram used to represent all the functions is cloud shaped….eureka!!  (See below)  

So are you starting to like this word a little more now?

Why should you love it? Here are the 5 reasons I have found to be the most widespread.

1.      It’s cheap

       Clouds operate like a utility: You pay only for what you use, and it is managed. 

            2. It’s simple

The latest technology without the need to test or customize them for your needs. Users are better able to digest small and frequent software changes than infrequent overhauls. Thus saving time too.  

3. It’s Multi - platform

Users can connect using any device and from any location no matter the distance. Snow day…no problemo!!

  

4.  It’s Flexible

The Cloud’s almost limitless, expandable and flexible. It can change with your     business functions and actions in real time.

5. Its Secure
There has been some debate on this, whether your data is safe or not.  But with many packages cladding themselves with military grade technology it’s safe to say it’s well looked after in the Cloud world.
 

So as you will see the Cloud has a lot of love to give you a whole global force of clouds in fact, admit it they don’t seem like a big horrible looming threat. And even if you aren’t quite at the loving point, liking is a good start!