10 Things to Look for in an IaaS Tool

10 Things to Look for in an IaaS Tool

August 16th, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

Nearly 30 years after the emergence of its widespread use, the internet has evolved from a novel in-office communication tool to a sprawling information network that businesses can’t live without. We are practically swimming in data. Luckily, cloud computing – a technology service that offloads files to external servers located around the country – has stepped in to help ease the burden of terabytes of sensitive company data.

A new form of data management tech has also recently emerged onto the scene: Cloud Infrastructure as a Service, or IaaS. Compared to traditional cloud computing services, IaaS takes care of the nitty-gritty details normally located in your own office infrastructure, such as servers, software, data centers and security. To put things into perspective, traditional cloud computing is like having a big storage drive somewhere else in the country, while IaaS is the storage drive and your workplace’s nervous system safely stored miles away – but directly networked with your office nonetheless. This frees up your business to devote its resources to the tasks that matter while another company takes care of the heavy lifting.

Several major players have quickly taken up the IaaS mantle – namely, Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform. Choosing the right cloud IaaS for your business isn’t a clear-cut task. Once you’ve wrapped your head around how IaaS works, your brain will likely be swirling with a maelstrom of other questions: How can I guarantee that I’m getting the most storage out of what I’m paying? Should I invest in an IaaS provider that controls most of my data’s storage? How much do I want to customize my network?

These 10 tips will cover the key points to consider when choosing the cloud IaaS for you:

Public and Private Platforms

IaaS companies typically offer two different platforms for your business: public and private. Each offers its own distinct advantages for different types of businesses.

Public platforms give you and your team the opportunity to quickly access IT resources. This ease-of-use allows you to make changes to your work environment on the fly. Public platforms also come pre-configured, meaning that businesses with less IT experience or with teams that are already stretched thin might do better with this option.

Private platforms grant your business maximum security within your data center. These servers are also typically faster since they operate on a closed circuit. Moreover, private platforms allow you to customize your network and security features to a greater degree than public platforms. IT-savvy businesses can use a private IaaS platform for greater control over their data management.

Customization

Depending on how comfortable you are with IT, you’ll want your IaaS platform to have at least some degree of customizability. Your business might require multiple channels through which to exchange data, for example, or it might require the IaaS to act as a test server for a new website.

Other examples of customization features include website layout templates, user interface storage and the ability to upload your own HTML and CSS files, like those included with Microsoft Azure. The apps and operating systems that different IaaS platforms offer should play a role in determining how well they will serve your business.

User Friendliness

Above all, the IaaS you choose should be easy to understand for you, the end user, especially since third-party apps will take care of the hardest IT work for you. Responsive customer support is another factor to consider, as are transparent documentation and neatly organized client-side interfaces.

Relativity

Cloud computing may be a marvel of information management, but, for the time being, our networks are still bound to the physical limits of cable. Ensure that the IaaS you choose operates with an extensive infrastructure or at least manages servers located close to your business. This will ensure that you can easily and quickly transfer data to and from your IaaS servers.

Usage Charges

Ensuring that an IaaS will lower costs for your business is key. Though the prospect of placing your workplace’s vitals in the care of a trusted IaaS is attractive, keep in mind that each company offers different pricing models. An IaaS platform might require you to pay by the hour, week or month based on the number of gigabytes you use. Some charge only by data upload (hot storage), while others charge for data you aren’t currently using (cold storage). Still, others will charge you for each service you use. Be prepared to see many different entries for different services on your first IaaS bill.

Also consider scalability, or the IaaS’ ability to adapt to your changing data requirements, when deliberating on a company’s pricing model. Microsoft Azure, for example, forgoes an upfront charge for a pay-as-you-go model. Businesses that project rapid growth may wish to consider this pricing model.

Support

Even the best IaaS will pose problems at one point or another. Glitches, misaligned services or any number of issues may prevent you from fully managing your data. When researching IaaS providers, be sure that the services you choose offer friendly and responsive chat or call centers so that you can resolve issues quickly. Ask about what support is available as you get started with an IaaS and how you can resolve issues once you’ve started upscaling your use of the service.

Server Infrastructure

Similar to the relativity issue, an IaaS provider with many servers will also increase its computing power for quick data access. Make sure that the IaaS you choose can handle your data requirements. Also, keep in mind that you aren’t the only company using your IaaS’ servers – an even larger company than yours could require massive amounts of data use at any time, causing bottlenecks and slowdown for the entire service.

Data Security

At the end of the day, your IaaS of choice should be able to securely store your data. Remember that an IaaS server is your data center and your workplace’s nervous system; you wouldn’t hang either out in the open. Not only should it ensure that prying eyes can’t peek into your cloud-stored documents, but your IaaS should also have the capability to reliably back up your data in case of an outage. Microsoft Azure, for example, will migrate your virtual machine’s data to another physical machine if it detects a Microsoft software update or a malfunction in its original hardware through a service called Live Migration.

Service Levels

Get to know your IaaS provider. Consider arranging to meet with a representative in person and aim to establish a strong rapport between your business and theirs. Doing so will allow you to familiarize yourself with the provider, determine their trustworthiness and receive more thorough support due to your established relationship.

Manageability

Every organization operates in its own unique way, but some require more niche infrastructures than others. Make sure that the IaaS you choose will be able to easily integrate with your workplace and that it addresses all of your unique needs. If you would like to tailor the IaaS to your specifications, ensure that the provider offers a great degree of flexibility. If not, ensure that the provider is willing to help you with every step of the integration process.

Choosing the Right IaaS For You

Once you’ve decided on an IaaS that you’d like to explore, the next step is finalizing your choice and integrating it with your workplace. With nearly 40 years of expertise in the computing industry, Ingram Micro is prepared to answer your questions and help you transition your business to cloud IaaS. For inquiries, please contact a representative at 800-705-7057 or uscloud@ingrammicro.com. To place an order or learn more, please visit our cloud marketplace here.

About the author

Jason has held sales, pre-sales engineering, business development, and sales leadership positions for resellers, professional services organizations, and distributors over the last 20+ years. Jason earned an undergraduate degree in International Finance and a MBA in pursuit of his educational goals. He has also earned many technical certifications including a Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), Cisco Certified Network Design Professional (CCDP), Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), and Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) in additional to numerous sales and licensing focused certifications. In his current role, Jason is focused on developing sales enablement strategies designed to help channel sales professionals promote the adoption of Azure by focusing on the positive business outcomes unlocked by cloud computing.

Archives, Global Trade Daily, News

BYD Expands Electric Transportation to Canada

August 16th, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

As part of the electric-vehicle company’s efforts to expand its footprint, BYD opened its first Canadian bus assembly plant in Newmarket, Ontario leading efforts in providing electric buses for the Toronto Transit Commission. BYD will supply 10 fully electric buses with the option of an additional 30. The company currently boasts operating or on-order buses for Toronto, Vancouver, Longeuil, St. Albert and Grand Prairie regions.

BYD is a leader in providing emissions-free transportation options through utilizing innovative technology options for cars, buses, trucks, forklifts, and rail systems.

Following the recent announcement pledging climate-considerate transportation options across Canada, Build Your Dreams (BYD) released comments and information surrounding the topic of emissions-free initiatives in the Canadian region.

“We applaud today’s announcement in British Columbia and commend the funders behind this forward-looking initiative. The investment today by the Government of Canada and the Government of British Columbia will support communities and help the environment. It’s this type of climate leadership and investment in zero-emissions public transportation across Canada that led BYD, the world’s largest electric vehicle maker, to open an assembly facility in Canada,” said Bobby Hill, Vice President BYD Coach and Bus.

“This announcement reaffirms the country’s stature as a world leader in reducing harmful emissions and makes us proud of our decision to come here.”

Archives, Global Logistics, Global Trade Daily

Five Tips for Streamlining Supply Chain Success

August 16th, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

At the core of every successful business is a well-oiled, well managed system with an honest, strategic approach to operations and communication. Without these foundational elements integrated within supply chain management, the operational structure becomes even more unpredictable and scattered than what’s worth gambling. Furthermore, your company’s reputation can suffer from avoidable mistakes. The method of prevention is as simple as a high-level risk management evaluation.

An article from Supply Management (Chartered Institute of Procurement & Supply) titled, “Five Tips to Streamline Your Supply Chain” focuses on taking your operations and looking at what’s working, what’s not working, and what steps to take to ensure efficiencies are being made.

The article focuses on five priority areas that begin with reviewing the current situation through a high-level, but granular lens. This approach takes a bit of skimming and a whole lot of knowledge of the internal workings. Additionally, it takes some honesty. It’s okay to confront an inefficient practice as there’s always room for improvement. Rather than a “Don’t fix what’s not broken” approach, think of it as an “Optimize over settling” method, or as the article put it, “surgical action and further reduce costs and pass savings along to their customers,” (Supply Management).

Utilize the magic of data integration within each and every aspect of the supply chain data library. With digital solutions becoming more of an industry standard, this one comes as a no-brainer. Take the insights and hard numbers, integrate them, and provide an even faster delivery of information than before. Efficiencies do not come without some form of expedition and urgency. It’s about mastering the art of quality and quantity.

The integration of data is a great segway to the flip-side – data duplication. Try to eliminate this as much as possible and save the business from petty errors and confusion. Technology creates a new way for duplication to be managed by providing on-the-go options via mobile devices and real-time updates.

Keep up with the times, but respect the original system. Many data systems allow for merging, creating a seamless transition of information without re-doing the entire process. Businesses can leverage the lessons from the past that spotlight customer needs, strategic trends, and industry success. Don’t let history repeat itself, learn from it.

Proactive versus reactive is another no-brainer on the list. When plugged into this mindset, businesses have the capability of providing customer needs before they are even identified, providing reliability and optimization.

Summarized, the strategic use of information and data integration combined with forward-thinking can make or break the near future of supply chain management.

To read the full article, visit: Supply Management

Archives, Global Trade Daily, International Trade

Resilinc: AI to Support Weather Risk Assessment & Mitigation for Suppliers

July 23rd, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

Leading provider of supply chain visibility, Resilinc, identified a major oversight in terms of weather-related risk assessment and preparation within the supply chain. The company released surprising statistics revealing how unprepared supply chain suppliers are during potentially disruptive events such as hurricanes and weather-related catastrophes, sparking the deployment of an AI and data sciences-based hurricane-preparedness solution to better prepare supply chain resilience.

Among the statistics revealed in the Resilinc supply chain database, 35 percent have poor logistics recovery, 27 percent of supplier sites lack business continuity procedures, and 37 percent have no backup power.

“Unfortunately, it comes as a surprise to many supply chain managers that a large proportion of their suppliers are woefully unprepared to withstand major disruptive events like hurricanes,” said Sumit Vakil, Resilinc CTO. “This lack of transparency is especially true in the sub-tiers of a supply chain.”

More than seven years of supply chain and hurricane data in conjunction with the company’s expertise was combined to create a customized, automated solution for avoiding and assessing the risk at hand in the face of hurricane-related disasters and weather-related disruptions.

The company outlined the following core capabilities of the solution to include: multi-tier supply chain mapping down to the product and part-level, supplier surveys and site readiness assessment, dashboard incorporating AI and recommendations, and ongoing monitoring throughout hurricane season featuring real time supplier impact confirmation during live events.

Taking it a step further, Resilinc’s solution will evaluate customer key metrics, supplier site vulnerabilities, regional hurricane risks, revenue risks, and more.

“Based on data, heuristics, history and other factors, Resilinc will come back with very specific recommendations, such as ‘move inventory from that site,’ or ‘evaluate your safety stock for that part,’ to provide clients specific targeted recommendations to mitigation action and protect revenue,” said Resilinc Senior Director Jon Bovit.

Source: Resilinc

Acquisitions, Archives, Global Trade Daily

Report: U.S. Companies Led AI-Tech Acquisitions 2014-18

July 23rd, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

.Leading data and analytics company, GlobalData, released a report this week highlighting companies that dominated the artificial intelligence-tech space from 2014-2018. In the report, four out of five top acquirers were U.S. based: Facebook, Microsoft, Apple and Splunk. These companies represent a combined total of 30 acquisitions during the time period studied. Accenture made the list as the only non-U.S. based company, representing six acquisitions total.

“Technology companies have been the dominant deal makers in the AI space. However, with artificial intelligence making inroads into diverse sectors, the buyer universe in expanding and the space is also attracting investments from non-technology companies,” said Aurojyoti Bose, Financial Deals Analyst at GlobalData.

“The high number of American firms attracting investments in the AI space is a testimony to the country’s dominance in AI technology. The recent launch of American AI Initiative program also augurs well for the development of the sector or start-ups operating in this space,” added Bose.

Additional insights in the report confirm the U.S. as a leading region for targeted acquisitions, representing 70 percent of those acquired by the top five in the list. Regions closely following include the UK, China, India, Canada and Israel due to the talent pool and innovative technology offerings.

“With increasing adoption of AI across sectors, this space is bound to witness growth in an already burgeoning M&A activity. Corporates are extensively evaluating options to integrate AI in their business operations and automation initiatives. Going forward, AI solutions will be an integral part of their strategies,” Bose concludes.

Source: GlobalData

Archives, Commentary, Global Trade Daily

Secrets to Talent Retention & Recruitment

June 21st, 2019 Haylle Sok Leave a comment

The big question in the minds of business managers – in warehousing, manufacturing, transportation, and beyond is not only how to retain a solid workforce, but how to attract a variety of skillsets and ages within the worker population. It’s not a surprise to imagine that old-school approaches are becoming a thing of the past. As Gen Z workers continue to increase representation in the workforce, employers are faced with the reality of adopting more innovation, technology, and mindsets to successfully cater to both older and newer generations of workers. If the current strategy is limiting recruiting capabilities, companies are setting themselves up for failure and limiting their full potential in operations and employee expertise.

What some companies might not realize is the amount of visibility provided with modern technology and the capabilities enabled through automation. As the workforce changes, so does the method of recruiting and the level of technology needed for successful staffing. Completed.com is a great example of how automation and technology take recruiting one step further through real-time, reliable feedback on employees seeking work in any industry.

“We saw a need to create a platform where one can review anyone in business. One of the reasons employers haven’t had a successful platform like this before, is because it’s inherently at risk of being used improperly. The technologies we’re starting to talk about are one potential and significant source of solution for that,” said CEO Michael Zammuto.

“Completed.com at its core includes machine learning-driven technology which looks at and develops an internal credibility score for every reviewer and every review. This is one of the more important things that companies – like Yelp, have been working on, but it’s a difficult challenge. It starts with things like technology where the talent is validated, making it more credible. In addition to that, there’s a lot of pattern matching and sediment analysis that’s done to develop an internal credibility score. This is important because constructive, professionally-focused reviews.”

So, how much is technology really changing the pace for employee recruitment? According to Zammuto, quite a bit. He adds that the human element is still very much needed, just for a different role. It’s not about eliminating the human element in recruiting, but reallocating it.

“Everybody in every industry has the same issue: finding and attracting the right talent. We got to see it from the other side – the client’s issue about how they were represented online,” he adds. “We realized that hiring people has become complicated because of technology, but the important part of this topic is that one can automate 99 percent of something that’s content-driven and has a subjective element to it, but you do need people to review things that algorithms determine problems with.”

This insight confirms that technology is becoming more involved within the logistics world, creating even more of a dynamic between connectivity, visibility, and efficiency. The secret here is: employer and company information are just as valuable to recruiting the right kind of talent as is the available employee information. Just as company’s want to learn about the candidates sent their way, employees are looking for an environment that offers more than just a paycheck.

If a strong candidate is subjected to a miserable climate, outdated practices, and lack of recognition, they’re more likely to visit with competitors that meet their expectations. In the modern workforce, competing companies are willing to offer tempting salaries with promising career incentives to win over another great employee. Recognition is just as much of a factor as the dollar amount on the paycheck.

“Part of this process is ensuring great employees receive recognition they seek while others are held accountable. This gives you a chance to hold people accountable and celebrate the employees and managers that do great work, and you can take it at face value,” Zammuto adds.

Taking it even further, regular internal reviews are highly encouraged to successfully maintain talent retention. Not only do these regular checks reiterate accountability for management and the employees, skills development is evaluated and encouraged, ultimately eliminating the mundane aspect of a job.

Workers are encouraged with feedback and become motivated to polish their skillset while voicing concerns and addressing redundancies. This is a critical element that goes beyond recruiting and retention as it impacts all aspects of company operations. At the end of the day, your employees are the backbone of the company.

“Most of the traditional methods have either disappeared or been weakened in some way. The remaining method that’s useful is direct referrals to jobs. This is the only remaining valid strategy for getting good candidates to your company but it’s very slow and doesn’t always scale very well. Companies are having trouble finding people because of the mechanisms for doing so have weakened a lot. With people being more mobile than before, but the information about that mobility shielding the good from the bad performers, how is anyone supposed to hire the right candidates?” Zammuto concludes.

Technology is the common denominator in solving this problem. As companies learn about automation integration for maximizing workflows, this same method should absolutely be considered for selecting the best and preferred types of employees. This approach challenges the old-fashioned methods and takes a granular look at the talent pool, saving time, money, resources, and energy invested. The bigger picture shows that recruiting methods are changing and directly impacting retention.

Any company can fill a position, but retaining that position is where the challenge is. What benefit is it to hire a candidate if they don’t contribute and end up leaving? There is no benefit. A company that fills three roles but only retains one isn’t fulfilling its bottom line. Something is missing and technology is the answer to solving this issue. Preserve company resources and time by investing in technology that can identify the best candidates that are looking for long-term careers. The investment upfront will pay off in the long haul.

10 Things to Look for in an IaaS Tool

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