Based on Cisco’s 2022 Global Hybrid Cloud Trends Report, which surveyed 2500 IT decision-makers in 13 countries, 82% of IT leaders have adopted the hybrid cloud. However, the same survey also found that when deploying a hybrid cloud, the top 3 challenges are:

1. Security (37%)
2. Increased operational complexity and cost management (33%)
3. Compliance and privacy (31%)

What are Some Hybrid Cloud Best Practices?

To address the challenges mentioned in the previous section, businesses can implement a set of best practices to optimize their hybrid cloud deployment and mitigate potential risks. These are some of those best practices: 

Evaluate your needs and requirements

Evaluating your company’s needs and requirements ensures that your hybrid cloud deployment is tailored to your specific needs while avoiding unnecessary costs. This involves assessing storage needs, computing power, and network bandwidth. However, it’s important to note that this evaluation is an ongoing process. Regularly tracking resource usage and evolving needs allows you to optimize resource utilization and prevent unexpected costs. 

Additionally, consult with your provider to see if they allow you to pay only for what you use, or provide bundled service packages that can help you save money and avoid overspending. 

Check the hybrid cloud provider’s SLA

A provider’s Service Level Agreement outlines the provider’s guarantees regarding uptime, performance, availability, support, and security. Thus, before choosing a hybrid cloud provider, make sure that you review and understand their SLAs. By making sure that the SLA aligns with your organization’s requirements, you can minimize the risk of downtime and ensure business continuity.  

Implementing security measures

Security is a crucial best practice for hybrid cloud usage as you want to make sure all private information related to your business is kept confidential. Implementing security measures in your cloud environment can be done through encryption strategies, managing access controls, and regularly patching and updating your systems. Moreover, you should also continuously monitor your systems for potential security threats and make disaster recovery plans for your business, so that you can respond to any security issues quickly. It’s recommended to consult with your provider to see if they can help you with implementing these security measures so you don’t have to manage all that on your own.  

Who should use a hybrid cloud?

Small medium businesses (SMBs) 

Hybrid cloud is the perfect solution for small-medium businesses as it allows them to store their sensitive data securely in a private cloud while still utilizing the public cloud for scalable and cost-efficient resources. This ensures that the business has optimal website performance and delivers an excellent and secure customer experience. 

Software developers

Hybrid cloud provides software developers with an affordable and flexible platform to build, test, and deploy applications quickly and efficiently. Developers can still keep their sensitive data on the private cloud while using budget-friendly resources from the public cloud for development and testing needs. 

Regulatory-driven businesses

Hybrid cloud allow businesses that have strict compliance requirements to maintain control over sensitive information by safely storing them in the private cloud while still enjoying the scalability and cost benefits of public cloud services. This is so they can comply with regulatory standards and ensure data privacy and security, while still saving some costs.  

Media and entertainment industry

Businesses in the media and entertainment industry has to deal with large files that require big-sized storage. This includes high-resolution video, images, and graphics. Using the this type of cloud can help them store and process those data cost-effectively. They can also use the public cloud resources for their content distribution and streaming while safely storing their valuable assets and information on the private cloud. This helps them to ensure a smooth content delivery while maintaining the protection of intellectual property. 

Educational institutions and research organizations

Hybrid cloud can help educational institutions and research organizations as they allow them to keep their students and research data secure on the private cloud while taking advantage of the public cloud for hosting online courses and learning platforms. This way, they can enjoy easy and convenient access to resources, while still keeping their sensitive data private.  

Overall, a hybrid cloud is a perfect solution for organizations or individuals who want flexibility, scalability, affordability, and secure data management by combining private and public cloud environments to meet their specific needs.

Click here to learn more about how Hybrid Cloud works. 

The post Hybrid Cloud Best Practices appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

IAM Key Components

IAM involves several key components, including authentication, authorization, and user provisioning and de-provisioning. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or device that is requesting access to a cloud resource. This can be achieved through various methods, such as passwords, security tokens, and biometric factors like fingerprints or facial recognition. By verifying the user’s identity, organizations can ensure that only authorized users have access to their cloud resources.

Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a specific cloud resource based on the user’s identity and access privileges. Access privileges are typically assigned based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. For example, a user with administrative privileges would have access to more sensitive data and systems than a user with a basic user role.

Added Layer of Security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is becoming increasingly popular as an added layer of security for the authentication process. MFA requires users to provide more than one form of authentication, such as a password and a security token, to verify their identity. This helps to prevent unauthorized access by ensuring that a potential attacker would need to possess more than just one factor of authentication to gain access to cloud resources.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a model for managing access to cloud resources based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. RBAC allows organizations to manage access to resources more efficiently and securely by limiting access to only those users who require it to perform their job duties. This reduces the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access.

User provisioning and de-provisioning are crucial components of IAM that ensure that users are provided with the necessary access privileges when they join an organization, and those privileges are removed when they leave the organization. This helps to prevent former employees from retaining access to sensitive data and systems after they have left the organization.

Conclusion

Ultimately, IAM is a critical aspect of cloud security that allows organizations to manage the digital identities of their users and control their access to cloud resources. By implementing IAM frameworks, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access to cloud resources. IAM provides organizations with greater control over their cloud resources, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and systems. As more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud, IAM will become increasingly important in ensuring the security of cloud-based data and systems.

Let’s start the conversation today! Click here to discuss how Wowrack can enhance your organizations security.

The post A Brief Overview of Identity & Access Management (IAM) appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Afterall, 80% of enterprises follow a hybrid cloud strategy according to a 2022 survey. In this blog post, we will explore how a hybrid cloud works and why it is becoming increasingly popular.

What is a Hybrid Cloud?

A hybrid cloud is a computing environment that combines public and private cloud resources, allowing businesses to take advantage of the benefits of both. Private cloud resources are dedicated to a single organization, while public cloud resources are shared among multiple organizations. By combining these resources, businesses can enjoy greater flexibility, scalability, and cost savings while maintaining the security and control offered by private cloud resources.

How does a Hybrid Cloud Work?

A hybrid cloud works by integrating public and private cloud environments to create a single, cohesive infrastructure. This is achieved through the use of cloud orchestration tools that enable the management and automation of workloads across both environments.

These tools can be used to manage resources such as storage, networking, and computing power, ensuring that workloads are allocated to the most appropriate environment based on their specific requirements.

For example, a business may choose to use a private cloud environment to store sensitive data and run critical applications, while using a public cloud environment to host less critical applications or to handle peak demand periods. This allows the business to take advantage of the scalability and cost-effectiveness of the public cloud while maintaining the security and control of their private cloud environment.

Benefits

The benefits of a hybrid cloud are many, including:

• Greater flexibility: A hybrid cloud environment allows businesses to choose the most appropriate environment for each workload, providing greater flexibility and agility.
• Improved scalability: With a hybrid cloud, businesses can take advantage of the scalability of the public cloud while still maintaining control over their private cloud resources.
• Cost savings: By using a combination of public and private cloud resources, businesses can optimize their IT spending and reduce costs.
• Enhanced security: Private cloud resources offer greater security and control, while public cloud resources provide additional redundancy and disaster recovery capabilities.
• Increased innovation: A hybrid cloud environment allows businesses to experiment with new technologies and services without committing to full-scale implementation.

Challenges

While a hybrid cloud offers many benefits, there are also challenges to consider. These include:

• Complexity: Managing a hybrid cloud environment can be complex, requiring specialized skills and expertise.
• Integration: Integrating public and private cloud environments requires careful planning and coordination to ensure compatibility and interoperability.
• Security: Ensuring the security of data and applications across a hybrid cloud environment requires a comprehensive security strategy that addresses both public and private cloud resources.

Conclusion

Hybrid cloud computing has emerged as the preferred model for many businesses, offering a flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solution to their IT needs. By combining public and private cloud resources, businesses can take advantage of the benefits of both while maintaining control over their most sensitive data and applications.

While there are challenges to implementing a hybrid cloud, the benefits are many, and businesses that take the time to plan and execute a hybrid cloud strategy can enjoy significant advantages over their competitors.

Contact us today if you would like to learn more about hybrid cloud computing and how it can help you business scale.

The post Hybrid Cloud Computing Combining the Best of Both Worlds appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Private Cloud

To see the difference between cloud solutions, we must have a basis at first. So, let’s take a look at the private cloud.

Private cloud only allows one user or tenant to use the cloud environment. A special connection is often necessary in accessing the private cloud. This allows the “private” element of the setup by not sharing anything with other customers or users of the vendor.

This setup allows the user of the private cloud to easily customize and scale the setup according to the user’s need.

While the idea of “private” might highly interest you, not all kinds of businesses need to use this setup. The following are the kind of workloads that are ideal in using a private cloud:

• Sensitive data
• A business that requires strong security for its IT workload and infrastructure
• Enterprise that demand high performance and customizable IT infrastructures
• Company that requires a complex and customizable data center
• Highly regulated industries and government agencies

Before using this solution, it is better to know the pros and cons of using the private cloud.

Pros:

• Flexibility: As the space of the cloud is only meant for one tenant or user, it is easy to transform the cloud based on the ever-changing need of your business.
• Higher Security: Users who require strict regulation regarding the safety and security of their data can easily apply protocols, measures, or configurations within the cloud as necessitated.
• Scalability Without Tradeoff: Users can easily scale the private cloud without sacrificing the security of the system and reduction in performance.
• Efficient in Performance: Private cloud is always known for high reliability and performance.

Cons:

• Higher Price: The privilege of being “private” does not always come cheap, as private clouds always tend to cost more than public clouds.
• Difficulty for Mobile User: Private cloud sometimes require special arrangement such as VPN to be able to connect into the cloud. Thus, mobile devices may have none to limited access within the cloud.
• Planned Scalability: While the private cloud can be scaled like any other cloud solution, the private cloud cannot be scaled at the spur of the moment and require planning.

Public Cloud

A public cloud is a cloud computing model in which the space within the cloud is shared between the customers.

This form of cloud computing is the most popular one out of the three that we will be discussing today. The public cloud could offer a wide arrange of choices for the growing need for IT solutions and computing resources.

The use of the public cloud could range from a small service such as email, apps, or storage. An enterprise-grade infrastructure environment can also be supported by public cloud..

You can look at the pros and cons that need to be considered before using this cloud service.

Pros:

• Affordability: Flexible pricing options are available based on the specification that you use makes it easily affordable to use.
• Business Focus: As the third-party vendor taking care of the necessary infrastructure and maintenance, user can put their focus straight into their business.
• Easy to Scale: Public cloud is very easy to scale and can be done at a moment’s notice, allowing it to be adaptable against a spike in the network.

Cons:

• Lack of Security: Unlike the private cloud, the public cloud is used by multiple tenants within the same cloud. This reduces the amount of security and protocol that can be used in the environment.
• Lack of Cost Control: Generally, the TCO or total cost ownership can skyrocket when using the public cloud for large-scale usage.
• Low Technical Control: The public cloud is a poor choice if certain compliances are required to be met. This is due to little to no control and visibility of the infrastructure.

Hybrid Cloud

Lastly, we have hybrid cloud as the last form of cloud computing model. This form of cloud computing is a unique one. In a sense that it combines elements of the private and public cloud into one.

You can find some of the common set up used by hybrid cloud:

• Businesses use private cloud environments for their day-to-day operation and IT needs while employing public cloud in case of a spike in network traffic, or
• Enterprise use public cloud as the common workspace and private cloud as a place to store sensitive data or information.

Other than combining two cloud solutions, the user of hybrid cloud could also choose to be homogeneous or heterogeneous.

Homogeneous refers to the use of cloud solutions from the same cloud provider. Meanwhile, heterogenous refers to the use of cloud solutions from two different cloud providers.

Combining two cloud solutions caused a whole new pros and cons that you need to consider. Thus, you might find the difference between cloud solutions in the hybrid cloud as a mix of private and public cloud.

Pros:

• Scale with Security: Hybrid cloud combination between two clouds allows this system to be able to scale without sacrificing security as the private cloud could.
• Cost Control: With the division of tasks that is possible with a hybrid cloud, businesses can choose which cloud to be scaled based on the workload.
• Reliability: The distribution of workload across two different cloud – or even services – allow businesses to have maximum reliability and data retention.

Cons:

• Complexity: Combining both public and private cloud adds another layer of complexity. This is true both in the operation and management of the cloud environment.
• Higher Price: Using both public and private clouds can be overwhelming and hard to track. Thus without proper management, the cost of the service could balloon.

Wowrack Cloud Infrastructure

Understanding the difference between cloud solutions is the first step in using a cloud environment. Wowrack offers all forms of cloud solutions from public, private, to a hybrid cloud. All of which, you can choose depending on your workload needs.

With data centers located all around the world and reliably certified by such as ISO 27001 and SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18, Wowrack to assure your data availability and security to the highest standard.

So, are you ready to drive your workload to the cloud? Let’s start with us today!

The post The Difference Between Cloud Solutions appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

NTFS is the primary file system for recent versions of Windows and Windows Server, that provides a full set of features including security descriptors, encryption, disk quotas, and rich metadata, and can be used with Cluster Shared Volumes (CSV) to provide continuously available volumes that can be accessed simultaneously from multiple nodes of a failover cluster.

So, what is ReFS?

Resilient File System (ReFS) is Microsoft’s newest file system, that designed to maximize data availability, scale efficiently to large data sets across diverse workloads, and provide data integrity by means of resiliency to corruption. The ReFS used to detect all types of disk corruption, data striping and also copy-on-write features. ReFS is a newest system of Windows based on NTFS, and in other words, this is an update system to complete the Windows NTFS system.

Basically, the ReFS system is better than the NTFS system. Because the NTFS system has several limitations that have been improved by the system. ReFS supports features that already exist in NTFS such as BitLocker encryption, access control lists for security, USN journaling, change notifications, symbolic links, junction points, mount points, reparse points, volume snapshots, file IDs, and OpLocks.

How does it work?

ReFS uses checksums for metadata and optionally for data files and has the ability to detect damage reliably. Additionally it can automatically repair detected damage using alternative data copies provided by Storage Spaces. ReFS can delete corrupt data when the volume is damaged and a copy of the data is damaged and it can handle most irreparable damage. ReFS introduces a data integrity scanner, known as a scrubber, which can periodically scans volumes, identifies damage and proactively triggers corrupt data repair. However, this system cannot be used for booting PCs or used in external media such as USB flash disks or memory cards.

Some of the advantages of ReFS compared to NTFS include the field of hyper-V and backup applications.

On Hyper-V, ReFS has some advantages:

1. The “Block Cloning” feature can accelerate copy operations, enabling quick, low-impact VM checkpoint merge operations, which in turn reduces the disk I/O load
2. The “Sparse VDL” feature can zero files rapidly, reducing the time needed to create fixed VHDs from 10s of minutes to mere seconds.

However, it’s not suitable for SAN-based cluster shared storage, at least for now, because the Hyper-V cluster will always put the ReFS CSV on “File System Redirected” mode, which caused the owner node to be the only one accessing the SAN, while the other nodes are accessing the storage over the cluster network (I’ve seen no SAN traffic flowing on the other nodes, only on the owner node). See below for more details:

This is on a ReFS CSV:

BlockRedirectedIOReason: NotBlockRedirected

FileSystemRedirectedIOReason: FileSystemReFs

Name: HVC-Prod-Disk3

Node: WOWHVC3

StateInfo: FileSystemRedirected

VolumeFriendlyName: HVC-Prod-Disk3

VolumeName: \\?\Volume{ee02dcb9-8066-458f-8fb4-cc974f8be89a}\

And this is on a NTFS CSV:

BlockRedirectedIOReason: NotBlockRedirected

FileSystemRedirectedIOReason : NotFileSystemRedirected

Name: HVC-Prod-Disk1

Node: WOWHVC3

StateInfo: Direct

VolumeFriendlyName: HVC-Prod-Disk1

VolumeName: \\?\Volume{7973af21-ee14-4d9e-aada-314e8b8d8850}\

With NTFS, all nodes are accessing the SAN storage using DirectIO, which should give us better performance.

But ReFS is okay for Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) configuration, since there is no shared storage anyway (every nodes have direct-attached disks) so all access is essentially redirected.

For Backup Applications, the advantages are as follows:

System Center DPM 2016 is actually using the resilient file system by default for the backup storage, as it utilizes the “block-cloning” technology on ReFS to accelerate the backup process. It’s a part of the “Modern Backup Storage” technology that SCDPM 2016 offers.

DPM 2016 uses block cloning to store backups on ReFS volumes. Instead of using copy-on-write to store backups (which was used by VolSnap in DPM 2012 R2), DPM 2016’s block cloning uses allocate-on-write. This change improves IOPS efficiency, making backups nearly 70% faster.

Veeam also recommends ReFS for the backup storage, as it also utilizes the same “block cloning” technology on ReFS (Veeam calls it “fast cloning capability”) to speed up the backup process.

Version 9.5 leverages the fast cloning capability in ReFS API to create synthetic backups without moving the data blocks between files, and instead, references backup file blocks already present on the volume. This means all manipulations associated with synthetic full backups are limited to metadata updates and require no actual I/O operations on backed up data.

Another advantage of using ReFS for backup storage is: it enables us to scale-up the backup storage capacity up to 35 PB (compared to a maximum of 256TB on NTFS)

So, to conclude this story:

1. On Hyper-V Cluster, use NTFS on SAN-based storage, and use ReFS on Storage Spaces Direct (S2D) storage
2. On a Standalone Hyper-V server, use ReFS so that we can take advantage of the “Block Cloning” and “Sparse VDL” feature, which can accelerate VM checkpoint merge operations and fixed VHD creation. However, please be advised that a ReFS partition can be expanded, but cannot be shrunk, so if you know that you will need to shrink the partition in the future, please use NTFS.
3. On Backup servers using SCDPM 2016 or Veeam B&R 9.5, use ReFS on the Backup Disk/Storage to accelerate the backup process

Curious what Wowrack can do for you? Contact us today to learn more!

The post Microsoft’s ReFS vs NTFS system Which is Better? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Without further ado, here are the biggest cloud trends we intend on seeing this year.

Larger Cloud-Storing Capacity

With more companies moving more of their data onto the cloud, there needs to be the physical space to handle it all. With a higher demand of cloud-storing capacity, there must be more data centers with the necessary equipment. Consumers will be looking for managed service providers that have the kind of space they need available, even if they don’t quite have the need for it yet. Along with this, consumers will be looking for providers that offer more scalable options, in order to make sure their needs can be met in the future.

More Applications Created Solely for Cloud Environments

While we’re still in this period where legacy companies are finally making the transition to the cloud, there are also companies who aren’t wasting time. They are placing their entire network on the cloud from the get-go. So, in order to accommodate this trend, cloud hosting providers will need to have access to the software and tools necessary to make the cloud accessible to absolutely everyone — especially smaller, newer businesses who have no prior systems to move over. This means the acquisition of more applications that are created solely for the cloud, as well as apps that can be used across multi-cloud environments. This will make workloads more user-friendly and portable, allowing consumers to take care of their business needs whenever, wherever.

The Rise of Open-Source Cloud Connectivity

Speaking of multi-cloud environments, another trend you can expect to see this year is the rise of open-source cloud connectivity. With so many data storage and management needs to be met, consumers will likely be reaching out to multiple vendors for their services, unless they can find a provider that can truly manage it all. That being said, the need for open-source technology will change the attitudes that consumers have towards owing their loyalty to just one vendor. It’s no secret then that MSPs who embrace this trend by offering solutions that are accessible over multiple cloud systems, are going to be more desirable.

Wowrack is up to date on the latest trends so that we can meet all your cloud hosting needs. Contact us today to learn more.

Less Patience for Consumers on Internet Speed and Quality

This year, we will be honing in on 5G. Yes, 5G. It will no longer be a matter of “my Internet is too slow” but, instead, “it’s just not fast enough.” Internet speed and quality is absolutely necessary for businesses in 2018, and anything less than amazing simply won’t be tolerated. MSPs need to keep this in mind and be sure all their services can keep up with the Internet speeds that their customers expect.

More Emphasis on SaaS

Last, but certainly not least, 2018 will be the year of Software as a Service, which will be the #1 deployed solution worldwide. With so many great software options out there that businesses rely on, they need a place where it can all be properly hosted. Although IaaS and PaaS will still be used, SaaS will be the simplest and most desirable option this year, and it’s pretty clear why. Companies need flexibility to do things their way, and a provider that will support them throughout their journey.

With so many people relying on a stable and flexible cloud environment, finding the right vendor who acknowledges these trends is critical. 

The post Check Out 2018’s Biggest Cloud Trends appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

All MSPs may offer you different cloud hosting options, disaster recovery solutions, dedicated servers, and compliance options — just to name a few. But, does it offer you these perks as well? And, how do these perks compare to the competition?

A Specifically-Designed Architecture vs. A General Infrastructure

No two companies are the same, and depending on what kind of business you are running, your system’s architecture needs to be appropriate. What works for one business likely won’t work for another, and therefore, you can’t settle for something generic. Before choosing an MSP, know whether or not they can design an architecture specifically for your business, or if they are just going to give you what they claim is a “one-size-fits-all” package?

A Combination of Different Hosting Options vs. No Flexibility

Not quite on the cloud yet? Or, are you on the public cloud but need more time before transitioning to a private option? What if you have features you like from public and private cloud options – a hybrid? A reliable MSP will give you the opportunity to combine various hosting options in addition to choosing features from different types of infrastructure programs. You shouldn’t have to settle for something that’s “close enough.”

The Ability to Host Customer-Owned Hardware vs. Being Required to Use Unfamiliar Tools

If you have hardware you’re already comfortable with, why give that up?  It’s one thing if your managed cloud hosting provider offers hardware options for you to use, but it’s another thing if they force you to use their stuff instead of your own.

A Customized Price vs. Set Prices

When your MSP takes different factors into account before giving you the price, you can feel good knowing that you’re paying for exactly what you’re getting. If an MSP only gives you the option to choose one package at one price, you could be spending a lot of money on features you don’t need. And, what about scalability? Don’t you want to be able to have the price adjusted fairly when business is slow or if business starts to boom? An MSP who only advertises set-prices can cause you to lose out long term.

Compliance Hosting Options vs. No Compliance Package

If you work in any industry that handles sensitive data, whether it be financial, medical, or personal, individuals and companies need to be protected by being compliant with the law. If this is a requirement for your company, then why get a package that doesn’t have compliance added to it? Otherwise, you’ll have to pay separately for something that could already be included.

Wowrack understands that there’s no “one-size-fits-all” when it comes to your cloud hosting options. Contact us to learn about the

Fully Managed Services vs. Periodic Check-Ups (At the Very Least)

You can’t really call it a managed cloud hosting provider if they aren’t actually “managing.” You should never have to feel like you’re ‘bothering’ your MSP because you have a question or something breaks and you need urgent attention. This is their job. If your network isn’t being fully managed and the only thing you’re getting is periodic check-ups, it kind of defeats the purpose.

One on One Support vs. Waiting in Line to Speak to a Representative

Speaking of managed services, in what form are you getting that management? Can you actually talk to an individual who will walk you through what you need to know and will the MSP send someone to your data center? Or, do you need to call up and deal with a different representative each time, who can’t get to the job until tomorrow?

When it seems like your prospective MSP if offering the whole package, ask yourself whether or not there’s more to be had.

The post Your MSP May Offer These Things, But Does It Offer These? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

That being said, while the ease of running a healthcare company digitally certainly has its benefits, companies have to take more steps in order to ensure their security. That’s because any company that collects the private healthcare information of their clients, needs to be 100% sure that their company – their network – is HIPAA compliant.

Why You Should Outsource Your Compliance into the Hands of Professionals

When it comes to healthcare businesses figuring out how to possibly manage on their systems, it can be a real headache. With tons of patients, clients, doctors, employees, and other users accessing this network, it can be confusing to know where to start.

For instance, patient files need to be accessed in case of an emergency. Imagine you have a patient come in and you need to know right away if they’re allergic to something, or they have a relevant medical history. If your network slows down or is inaccessible for any reason, it puts both the patient and the office at risk. Not only that, but how do you make sure that this patient’s information, as well as the information of all your other patients, doesn’t fall into the wrong hands?

That’s a hard pill to swallow.

This is where HIPAA compliance comes in, and this is also where things can get difficult.

You have enough things to worry about. Outsourcing your compliance in addition to your network management to professional company, will take the load off and let you focus on your job – helping people and even saving lives!

Why is HIPAA Compliance so Important, Anyway?

There are a lot of reasons any company in the healthcare industry needs to be compliant. For one, patients expect their information to be safe and secure – imagine if any person could just call your doctor ask what pills you’re taking?

That being said, one of the main reasons HIPAA compliance is so important for these companies is simply because the cost of not being compliant is a huge problem to face. HIPAA laws, nowadays – and especially since everything is computerized – are being taken more and more serious. If a breach happens or auditors come for a visit, you’d better be prepared.

Wowrack’s HIPAA Compliant Healthcare Cloud has all the tools and partnerships necessary Contact us to learn how we can help you get your network on one ASAP!

The “Healthcare” Cloud System

Every company who chooses to host their network on a managed cloud system will likely have a different infrastructure than a company in another industry. When it comes to healthcare companies, the cloud setup is going to be very unique. You need a cloud system that is secure and stays up to date on the latest software. Most importantly, it has to be designed to fit your business’ needs, while making HIPAA compliance a top priority.

Managed cloud hosting providers who have partnerships with Healthcare risk management companies and data security companies are going to be the kind of providers that you want to take care of your HIPAA compliance. It’s also important to make sure that your network’s data is going to be properly managed and secured at a reliable facility, so that breaches aren’t even a concern in the first place.

Remember – you’re putting your trust in this provider, and you need to be guaranteed that they are following the proper protocol to make sure your HIPAA compliant.

The post Don’t Let HIPAA Compliance Become a Headache appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

One feature that some managed cloud hosting providers offer is the option to store your network’s data in a data center location abroad. This can be really great for a business is who is running operations internationally, or has customers utilizing your service from another country.

If your company is currently conducting business abroad or you think it’s a possibility in the future, then it’s important to have all your questions answered before investing any time or money in a solution.

Start with these:

What Inspired this MSP to Seek Out Data Centers Abroad in the First Place?

Not all managed cloud hosting providers have taken the step to go overseas with their data centers. Some are perfectly satisfied with the clientele they have and the needs of that clientele, and don’t require anything more than what they currently have setup domestically.

But, when a hosting provider starts to gain clients who are dealing with markets abroad and require more space, then these providers need to consider expanding further. It could be that their clients’ needs came first, or that they wanted to make their services give more appealing than the next guy. But, either way, it doesn’t hurt to ask what caused your MSP to make this move — or how long they’ve had these data centers abroad.

Where Are They Located and How Did They Choose Those Locations?

Now, if you think you’re going to be one of those clients who needs access to a server abroad, there are some additional things you’re going to want to ask your MSP. At the top of your list of questions should be how they came about choosing the locations abroad that they did.

A good answer would be that that specific location is more “politically and environmentally stable.” Or, that, the country is a hub for data servers. Or, that the location is a huge IT powerhouse and there’s no reason not to build it there! For example, some of these countries in Asia hold some of the world’s largest data facilities. Whatever their reason may be, it would be beneficial to know a bit more of the background story, first.

Wowrack has data center locations in Singapore, Indonesia, Hong Kong, and the Netherlands. Contact us to learn how you can utilize these data centers so you can do business where it matters most.

Are They Secure?

Once you have a good feeling that these worldwide data centers are a good place to run your business on the cloud, you need to find out one more thing: How secure are these data centers, and are these centers — or, these countries — held up to the same compliance standards as the United States? Can you be sure that whatever protocol your company follows stateside to be compliant and secure is also being followed there?

Many companies are growing quickly and doing a lot of business with markets worldwide. This means they need to be able to put their network on a server that’s located physically close to all the action, but that’s also completely reputable and managed by a responsible team of professionals.

Where will your server take you?

The post Does Your Perspective Cloud Hosting Provider Have Data Centers Worldwide? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

But, as you start to use Internet more and more for your business, you might end up learning the hard way that there’s a lot more that goes into having good Internet — and good Internet service overall. Obviously, both need to be reliable in order to get the best bang for your buck. Of course, part of investing in reliable Internet service is knowing what you’re getting, or in some cases, not getting.

Do you understand how your Internet service really works? These points should help you make sure you’re asking the right questions to your prospective ISP.

The Right Fiber Technology

The way people have connected to the Internet has changed dramatically over the years. As technology has improved, Internet Service Providers want to make sure they are providing the best packages possible to their customers.

That being said, you want to make sure your ISP is using the right fiber technology. Fibers can allow for the fastest possible connection, up to 10gbps.

That’s fast.

But, is it right for your business?

What Do You Get in Addition to High-Speeds?

Okay, high-speed Internet — that’s good, right?

Yes, it is. But, speed isn’t everything.

When you’re investing in the support of an Internet Service Provider, you want to see what else you get in addition to that high speed. Is there cloud backup available, and to what degree? How much server space are you getting? And, what about actual SERVICE? Will your ISP be there when you need them, without having to pay extra?

When you take all those questions into account, it’s clear that just having fast connectivity speeds isn’t the only thing that makes Internet services “good.”

Wowrack offers scalable Internet packages at a competitive price. Contact us today to learn more.

Is it Scalable?

As we mentioned before, the quality of the Internet is one thing. But, the quality of the Internet service itself is another. Part of having good Internet service is understanding whether or not the package you’re getting is scalable.

Much like the advancement of Internet technology, your business’ needs can change overtime. So, you don’t want to sign a contract with an ISP that keeps you locked into the largest, most expensive package, especially if money is tight.

Business might become slow. Business might grow rapidly. The thing is, you never really know.

You want the ability to change your Internet package whenever you need to. Because, if it’s not scalable, it’s not good Internet.

There are tons of Internet Service Providers out there. But, what is it that they are really providing, and how does one company stand out from the competition?

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