7i Systems

Friday, December 20, 2013

Importance of Open Source Technology

No comments: Posted by 7i Systems Pvt. Ltd. at Friday, December 20, 2013 Labels: ,
Many consider "free" software to be either stolen, low-featured, problem-ridden, poor quality and/or unusable software. It is often said that free software can't compare to commercial (and especially expensive) software. This article quickly dispels these myths. A software's quality (performance, usability, function, stability) is not related to its monetary cost. This article also shares some information and thoughts about the open source and free software movements.

 

What is open source?


Ready-to-run or packaged software is created by programmers. Software is built (written) by using computer languages. The original building blocks of the software is called the source or source code.

Open source, basically, means that the source code is available -- or open -- for users and other programmers to read, use and possibly re-use in different projects.

Open source promotes software quality and reliability by allowing peer review and advancement and improvement of source code. In addition, by providing source code, standards and ideas are easily shared, reviewed and help foster community use.

Although "open source" is now a buzz term, in fact, it has its origins in development over thirty years old. A variety of code has been written and shared as freeware, public domain or using a variety of free or near-free distribution licenses.

For example: BSD, the software and the license used by a variety of university researchers starting in the late 1970's to rewrite the proprietary and commercial Unix. Over the years, the BSD projects developed complete, usable and free operating systems. They developed ideas, protocols and freely provided the source code for TCP/IP and other networking technologies that now power the internet. In fact, due to its generous license, a lot of BSD source code and ideas are now used in a variety of commercial (such as Mac OS X), proprietary (like miscellaneous firewalls) and free software. 

Another example is the GNU project. The GNU project, started around 1985, has the goal of providing free software -- with free referring to freedom, not price. For example, you have the freedom to run the software for any purpose, the freedom to modify the software to match your needs, the freedom to redistribute the software (for free or for a fee), and the freedom to distribute your own modified versions of the software.


Why use open source software?


A lot of open source has been under constant development for several years -- a lot of open source software is very mature. Developers and users have numerous reasons for using open source software:

No or Low-cost:
Free software and operating systems can save hundreds of dollars on just one simple home computer. And it can save thousands of dollars for a small office. The lack of licensing fees can literally save hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for large organizations and businesses. There is a total cost of ownership when you include support fees, but these should be comparable or a lot less than normal mainstream technical support fees (due to the high security, quality, reliability and stability of open source systems).

Software Quality, Reliability and Stability: 
Software that has freely-readable and usable source code can be modified, improved, reviewed, tested, and sampled. Experienced developers and even beginning programmers can add ideas, take ideas and improve code in many ways. This improves quality and, in the long run, improves reliability and stability. For example, numerous open source-based operating systems have shown that they can literally run for years. (This code stability can also save money.)

Improved Security: 
Open source code encourages review. It encourages users and programmers to find bugs and security flaws. And when problems are found, a variety of developers can share ideas and quickly fix and distribute fixes. Often fixes (patches) are available before the security flaws are officially announced. Open source code can have bugs just like closed-source, proprietary software. Nevertheless, although some problems are harder to find in proprietary, no-available-source software, these problems usually take a lot longer to be announced, fixed and the updated software distributed.

Crackers take advantage of problems in open source and closed-source software, but it has been proven numerous times, that open source software is fixed faster and is more secure. Due to the open peer review, open source software bugs are usually fixed before they are exploited.

In addition, due to the Unix nature and peer review of source code, computer virii (virus) and trojan horses are rare (and mostly non-existent). And most popular virii do not work under open source platforms.

Encouragement of open standards and protocols: 
Open source code promotes the sharing of ideas. This improves computer ease-of-use. For example, the internet's and world wide web's recently rapid growth is based on open standards and open source code, such as BSD's TCP/IP and DNS (domain name system) code, the NCSA and Apache web servers, and the Sendmail email routing software. Companies and individuals who want to promote their software or ideas make their ideas and software code freely available. Open source fosters innovation by protecting and sharing intellectual property.

By using open source software, platforms can be consolidated: saving money by enhanced interoperability. 

Quick Development:
Open source developers believe in reusing ideas; they believe in sharing code and not reinventing the wheel. Nevertheless, they also believe in doing the task correctly. Ideas and code are rapidly shared and reused in a variety of similar and different projects. Thousands of advanced software projects are in active development.

Well Documented / Variety of Support:
Most popular open source solutions are extremely well documented and a variety of free and commercial technical support options are available. Due to the nature of community development, documentation and instructions are often written from a variety of viewpoints -- creating well-rounded information, instruction and tutorials. In addition, open source projects can't hide usage techniques, due to the free availability of the code. Free technical support is often available in the form of mailing list or newsgroup discussions; nevertheless some background research, knowledge or experience is often required. (Puget Sound Technology is commercial technical support option for open source software.)
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Wednesday, November 27, 2013

Cloud computing

No comments: Posted by 7i Systems Pvt. Ltd. at Wednesday, November 27, 2013 Labels:
Cloud Computing has become a scalable services consumption and delivery platform in the field of Services Computing. The technical foundations of Cloud Computing include Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Virtualizations of hardware and software. The goal of Cloud Computing is to share resources among the cloud service consumers, cloud partners, and cloud vendors in the cloud value chain. The resource sharing at various levels results in various cloud offerings such as infrastructure cloud (e.g., hardware, IT infrastructure management), software cloud (e.g. SaaS focusing on middleware as a service, or traditional CRM as a service), application cloud (e.g., Application as a Service, UML modeling tools as a service, social network as a service), and business cloud (e.g., business process as a service).

Cloud computing can completely change the way companies use technology to service customers, partners, and suppliers. Some businesses, such as Google and Amazon, already have most of their IT resources in the cloud. They have found that it can eliminate many of the complex constraints from the traditional computing environment, including space, time, power, and cost.


Models

Cloud computing models vary: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Manage your cloud computing service level via the surrounding management layer.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

The IaaS layer offers storage and compute resources that developers and IT organizations can use to deliver business solutions.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

The PaaS layer offers black-box services with which developers can build applications on top of the compute infrastructure. This might include developer tools that are offered as a service to build services, or data access and database services, or billing services.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

In the SaaS layer, the service provider hosts the software so you don’t need to install it, manage it, or buy hardware for it. All you have to do is connect and use it. SaaS Examples include customer relationship management as a service.


Advantages


Cost Reduction and Control

The public sector is under intense pressure to cut costs without undercutting critical services. Cloud computing can reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) both directly and indirectly.




  • Facilities consolidation
    • : 
    Many organizations are attracted to cloud computing by the savings that come from consolidating their data centers. Resources that can be pooled include storage, compute, memory, and network bandwidth. In addition, because cloud services are largely location-independent, organizations can save on real estate and energy costs—and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.

    Labor optimization:Because a cloud deployment does not require as much provisioning, software development, or maintenance as a conventional infrastructure, organizations can make better use of valuable ICT expertise by redirecting
    the workforce from routine operational and maintenance duties to mission-critical tasks.

     Asset utilization:
    Many of today’s public sector data centers are characterized by relatively poor asset utilization (often as
    low as 25 percent). There is also considerable duplication of equipment and effort across agencies and departments. When they can share applications, storage, and compute power, organizations do not have to build for peak usage that rarely occurs. Furthermore, they do not have to rely solely on the resources they own.

     Capital expenditure reduction:
    Cloud computing represents a pay-as-you go approach to ICT, rather than an incremental capital expenditure approach. Initial expenditures are comparatively low. Operating expenses go up or down depending on usage, so cash flow matches TCO. Additional investments are made only when they are needed.

     Measured services:
    A cloud implementation can automatically control and optimize resources by metering services. This makes it easier for managers to track expenses, establish charge-backs, and integrate cost controls into their future
    plans. Multiple payment models are possible, including pay for use, subscription, and fixed plans.


    Improved Agility and Adaptability

    As the pace of technology quickens, ICT specialists are looking for network solutions that enable them to react quickly, innovate smoothly and efficiently, and keep growing pains to a minimum. Cloud computing can often make change less burdensome and expensive.

    Virtualized resources:
    Virtualization may add a new level of complexity, but the benefits include improved agility and additional options for future enhancements. For example, as workforces become increasingly mobile, virtualized desktops allow them to do their work anywhere, on a variety of personal devices. Virtual machines are not tied to particular servers, so they can migrate among physical devices and across geographies.

    Simple scalability:
    With bandwidth-hungry applications proliferating, the network’s traffic keeps increasing, even if the number of users stays the same. With a cloud platform, managers can add capacity on demand without having to
    determine requirements beforehand or go through many of the traditional procurement, provisioning, and implementation processes. Load fluctuations are less of a problem when capacity can be added almost instantly. Of course, ICT groups still need to maintain robust network infrastructures regardless of which cloud models they implement.

    Elastic services:
    The cloud approach makes it easier for organizations to expand or contract services quickly by tapping into shared pools of resources or implementing prepackaged capabilities developed by third parties specifically for clouds. Furthermore, private cloud deployments using multitenant servers mitigate the “server sprawl” that often accompanies growth.

    Fast deployment:
    With software vendors increasingly delivering their products preinstalled in virtual machines, much of the traditional installation and configuration work associated with software deployment may not be necessary for a cloud implementation.

    Increased flexibility:
    The variety of cloud deployment and service models ensures that implementations can be aligned closely with business needs and ICT strategies. Many public sector organizations are choosing a hybrid cloud approach
    that lets them benefit from both private and public clouds.


    Better Services and Collaboration

    Government at all levels is looking for ways to improve services and justify budgets, while public education and healthcare organizations are constantly striving to make instruction and medical delivery more available and effective. These organizations are turning to cloud computing as the foundation for optimizing current and future services.

    Application proliferation:
    Cloud computing supports applications that offer new and better ways for government to engage with citizens. For instance, the nationwide cloud infrastructure proposed for the United Kingdom will feature a government application store that functions as an online marketplace for effective business solutions, encouraging the sharing and reuse of online services across the public sector. Since late 2009, the U.S. General Service Administration has offered an online storefront for cloud solutions called Apps. gov. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is building a cloud computing infrastructure to consolidate all
    government ICT systems.

    Broad reach:
    Governments can use cloud platforms to provide access to a wide range of services from a single community portal at any time of day, so that citizens do not have to visit a government office in person during business
    hours. Educational institutions can use cloud technology for applications ranging from distance learning and curriculum deployment to professional development and greater access to research and researchers. And healthcare organizations can employ clouds to reach out to patients in underserved communities, make records more readily available, and connect dispersed offices and laboratories.

    Closer interaction:
    Cloud-enabled collaboration technologies allow public employees to interact with their peers more efficiently. They also foster interagency cooperation, bringing related organizations into closer contact so they can serve
    their constituents better and respond faster to emergencies. Additionally, agencies engaging in public-private partnerships can take advantage of collaboration applications to strengthen their ties to companies, private institutions, nongovernment or civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.

    Effective Risk Mitigation

    Despite some misgivings on the part of CIOs and other ICT professionals, cloud computing is not necessarily riskier than conventional computing models. Proven methods and technologies are in place to help ensure that systems run reliably, and that data and privacy are safeguarded.

    Assured service levels:
    With the right mix of cloud deployment models, managers can make sure that existing service-level agreements (SLAs) are maintained. In fact, cloud service providers can sometimes offer a higher level of service than some ICT groups can provide when they are constrained by limited resources.

    Robust resilience:
    Automated recovery can actually be easier to implement in a cloud environment because resources are more consolidated. Many organizations use their private cloud as a failover for a public cloud to increase esilience. In some cases, service providers may be able to respond to outages more quickly than internal ICT personnel. 

    Strong security:
    In general, data in a cloud environment can be secured with as much confidence as can data in a closed enterprise network, provided the system is equipped with appropriate protective measures and is well maintained. Public organizations that have particularly strict security requirements may opt for a hybrid or private cloud implementation that provides more protection than a public cloud. And policy-based technologies such as role-based authentication are offering ICT managers powerful new options for safeguarding resources.
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    Saturday, October 5, 2013

    E-commerce for Small Businesses

    1 comment: Posted by 7i Systems Pvt. Ltd. at Saturday, October 05, 2013 Labels: ,
    Nowadays, more and more small businesses are incorporating e-commerce platforms as part of their business systems. With the advent of the internet and smartphones, it is now easier than ever to integrate a workable solution that will work for many people. The big question remains; what are the benefits of e-commerce for small businesses?

    There are just too many advantages for integrating an e-commerce system. Below are the main ones.

    Increase in sales
    According to reliable statistics, there has been a tremendous increase in online sales over the last couple of years. It is estimated that the revenue of a business that incorporates an e-commerce platform can increase by up to 250%. This is attributed to the fact that most people prefer the ease of access and convenience that comes with e-commerce platforms. This is especially true for those systems that are able to process credit card payments together with payments from top online processors like PayPal.

    Increase in Customers
    It is clear that e-commerce brings in a lot of convenience in terms of payments. This therefore automatically invites more customers and also impulse buyers. The fact that the online payment system may accept different modes of payments makes it easier for the small business to get customers of diverse backgrounds.

    Ability to be open 24/7
    Many businesses that do not use e-commerce may find it difficult to be open 24/7 due to the multiple overheads that come with it in terms of staff and utility payments. On the other hand, e-commerce makes it possible for a business to be open and easily accessible round the clock without any increase in overheads. Transactions and payments can continue being made automatically, without your supervision. In case the small business deals in digital goods, the business becomes totally automatic – full transactions, including purchase and delivery, will automatically be carried out online.

    Instant processing of transactions
    E-commerce enables businesses to transact instantly. This takes away the hassles that come with other modes of payment that may require the merchant to wait up to 30 days (sometimes more) to access their payments. E-commerce transactions clear in seconds and merchants can either receive funds immediately or wait for only 2 or 3 days to get the cash in their bank accounts.

    Increased business reach
    A business operating purely offline may have challenges in reaching a wide scope of customers. On the other hand e-commerce has enabled local small businesses to reach international masses. There are no limits to where the internet can reach, therefore through e-commerce platforms, people can pay for goods and services from literally any corner of the world.

    Ease of collecting recurring payments
    In case you run a service that requires recurring billing, it is easy to do so with an e-commerce platform. You can create your system in such a way that when a customer makes a purchase, they can opt for their card to be re-billed at a certain frequency. This makes it hassle-free for both you and your customer. As long as they continue using your service, their credit or debit cards will get charged at certain intervals, increasing the predictability of income and eventually the bottom line of a business.
    The bottom line here is that e-commerce is highly beneficial to small businesses. It is significantly easy to set up and the benefits come in almost instantly. Some of the things to be cautious of include poor security, poor site design, too many refund requests, harsh terms and conditions of some payment platforms and poor marketing. Once these areas are kept in check, moving to e-commerce will be among the best business decisions you will have ever made.
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    Tuesday, September 10, 2013

    What a website can do for you.

    No comments: Posted by 7i Systems Pvt. Ltd. at Tuesday, September 10, 2013 Labels: ,
    Do you have a business and don’t have a website? If yes, it is like removing the existence of your business to everyone. In this modern era, people and businesses are in the world of internet for information. Why do you think people visit a website? It is to look for information. And if you are in a world of business, information is a very important thing. You need to have a website for your customers and it should contain information about what you can do for them.  Below are just few of the advantages and benefits of having a website for your business.

    Professionalism
    The amount of users on the web has grown 200% each year over the past 3 years. If you look at a Fortune 500 company, then you will notice that almost all of them have a website. A well-done website, including your own domain name (www.yourcompanyname(dot)com), communicates to a potential client that your company is professional and is doing well.

    Increase your potential target market
    While it may not be the goal of every small or medium size business to go international, a website can increase exposure to more people inside and outside of your current area of focus.

    Increased convenience for a customer 
    Whether you are selling products or services, a website is a convenient way for a potential client or current customer to purchase products, get information, contact you or your office and give feedback.

    Less Expensive
    Have you ever advertised your business through different forms such as printed media, radio, television and more? I know it will cost you a lot. Investing in advertisement and marketing is not a bad idea but we know that it will cost you a lot. Having a website will make your advertising and marketing less expensive since most versions of this offline advertising methods are available in the internet which sometimes are free.

    Advertising
    A website is more environmental friendly when it comes to advertising and marketing. There are lots of ways to advertise your business through internet and other media. Example is the Facebook ads which is an advertising feature through Facebook. Another one is called SEO, this is a major advantage to your business if you have a good SEO service provider because it can boost the ranking of your website that can results for more sales and profit. whether you’re using TV, a newspaper ad, direct mail or a billboard, at some point the amount of information that you can (and want) to communicate has to come to an end (unless you’ve got more money than you know what to do with). The great advantage of having a website is that you can list the web address on any piece of advertising, and a potential client can go to your site and get plenty of information.

    Satisfaction
    Having a website will make your customer and leads feel more convenient. Make your customers feel that they would be more likely to visit your site rather than driving a car and looking for your products. For a customer’s point of view, it’s better if they don’t have to ask anything and just find what they are looking for in your website depending on how informative is your website.

    Increase Customers
    Mostly business has their popularity inside their city however how about if it’s outside their city? Website can help you gather more customers not just outside your city but globally. As we know, Internet offers large community. By having your existence through it, your business will be more visible globally.

    Accessibility
    Have you ever experience turning customer away because it’s closing time for the shop? Well, you don’t have to do that if you have a website. Website is very accessible because you can visit it anytime. People will look to your site instead of going to your shop because it is more accessible. However, make sure to put enough information on your website about your products and services.

    Access to Info
    Well this has something to do with the business owner.  Did you know that if you own a website, you can actually track everything that is happening on it? You can even look for the information about how many people visited your site, or how many people messaged you or emailed you. You can even access the progress of your website and access all the pages of your site. You can even make an update anytime, making it less expensive than printed material.

    Fresh
    On having a website, smart business owners would create a blog page for their business. Having a blog to produce fresh contents will keep your website attractive and fresh.

    Links
    Did you know that links is very important to viral marketing? If you have many sites linking to you, it is the same as a word spreading all around the world. If you have a good website with good information about information, products or services, people would more likely link your website to their websites. That means they recognize your website as a good website.

    Better Relationship
    Having a website can build better relationship to your customers. You can send your message instantly to your customer through email. Also, your customer can review your products online and can also give feedback to you and your business. It’s best to always give your customer a message for you to build a good relationship to them. You can even give them more information about your business by sending them messages.

    Increase Sales
    If you are a business owner, more visitors can lead to more potential sales and that’s how your website will help you. You can drive more people to your site by consistently updating and promoting the contents of your site. The more informative your site is, the more possibility of gaining sales.

    Opportunity
    Websites gives you the opportunity to prove your credibility. You have to tell your customers why you deserve their trust through your website. This can make a positive feedback for your service and products. Also, your website serves as a place for potential investor for what your business is about and what it can do in the future.

    Long Term Clients
    What do you think is the difference between client and a customer? Well a customer is the one who walks in and buy something and that’s it. Client is the regular customer, meaning he is buying your products or services daily or contractually. Having a websites gives you a chance to more clients that can help your business grow.


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    Friday, August 16, 2013

    Importance of IT in Small Business

    No comments: Posted by 7i Systems Pvt. Ltd. at Friday, August 16, 2013 Labels: ,
    IT in small business allows businesses to expand quickly and efficiently. Business technology such as social networks, SAAS and virtual office technology has removed workplace boundaries that previously limited business expansion. With business technology, companies can target a wider customer base, buy sell goods on click and grow to higher levels.


    Improve Collabration & communication

    Business technology is important because it improves communication in the workplace. Office workers are not limited to phone calls or inter-office mail to interact with one another anymore. Electronic mail allows workers to send messages instantly without interrupting the recipient Business technology also improves communication with clients and business partners because information can be passed through multiple channels almost instantly.

    Global Sourcing

    Technology in the workplace practically eliminates space and time. Telecommunication and internet technology has boosted the work sharing across the globe. Video conferencing technology lets businesses on any part of the globe interact with one another. A man sitting in north pole can serve to another in south pole using internet technologies. Increased sourcing improves the operating margins of your business and let you manage more processes effectively.


    Efficiency

    Office technology saves times by speeding up the work flow process. Digital filing systems save space, paper and printing costs. The use of computer systems allow corrections to be made instantly. Resources like electronic files and access to information technology are available with the click of a button.


    Human Resources

    Technology in the workplace improves the efficiency of screening, recruiting and hiring potential candidates. Businesses utilize the Internet to spread the word about the organization and advertise job openings. Hiring managers can target candidates by using digital advertising technology that tracks the websites they visit. Technology like personality assessments and screening tools allow businesses to determine whether a potential candidate is an appropriate fit for the organization.


    Enterprise resource planning & Business process management

    With the growth of software techniques and work automation the new streams of managing the business with standard processes and flow help improve the business and grow it at very fast pace with extremely efficient control on resources. Help you know and control the ins and outs at every department.
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    Friday, December 20, 2013

    Importance of Open Source Technology

    Many consider "free" software to be either stolen, low-featured, problem-ridden, poor quality and/or unusable software. It is often said that free software can't compare to commercial (and especially expensive) software. This article quickly dispels these myths. A software's quality (performance, usability, function, stability) is not related to its monetary cost. This article also shares some information and thoughts about the open source and free software movements.

     

    What is open source?


    Ready-to-run or packaged software is created by programmers. Software is built (written) by using computer languages. The original building blocks of the software is called the source or source code.

    Open source, basically, means that the source code is available -- or open -- for users and other programmers to read, use and possibly re-use in different projects.

    Open source promotes software quality and reliability by allowing peer review and advancement and improvement of source code. In addition, by providing source code, standards and ideas are easily shared, reviewed and help foster community use.

    Although "open source" is now a buzz term, in fact, it has its origins in development over thirty years old. A variety of code has been written and shared as freeware, public domain or using a variety of free or near-free distribution licenses.

    For example: BSD, the software and the license used by a variety of university researchers starting in the late 1970's to rewrite the proprietary and commercial Unix. Over the years, the BSD projects developed complete, usable and free operating systems. They developed ideas, protocols and freely provided the source code for TCP/IP and other networking technologies that now power the internet. In fact, due to its generous license, a lot of BSD source code and ideas are now used in a variety of commercial (such as Mac OS X), proprietary (like miscellaneous firewalls) and free software. 

    Another example is the GNU project. The GNU project, started around 1985, has the goal of providing free software -- with free referring to freedom, not price. For example, you have the freedom to run the software for any purpose, the freedom to modify the software to match your needs, the freedom to redistribute the software (for free or for a fee), and the freedom to distribute your own modified versions of the software.


    Why use open source software?


    A lot of open source has been under constant development for several years -- a lot of open source software is very mature. Developers and users have numerous reasons for using open source software:

    No or Low-cost:
    Free software and operating systems can save hundreds of dollars on just one simple home computer. And it can save thousands of dollars for a small office. The lack of licensing fees can literally save hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars for large organizations and businesses. There is a total cost of ownership when you include support fees, but these should be comparable or a lot less than normal mainstream technical support fees (due to the high security, quality, reliability and stability of open source systems).

    Software Quality, Reliability and Stability: 
    Software that has freely-readable and usable source code can be modified, improved, reviewed, tested, and sampled. Experienced developers and even beginning programmers can add ideas, take ideas and improve code in many ways. This improves quality and, in the long run, improves reliability and stability. For example, numerous open source-based operating systems have shown that they can literally run for years. (This code stability can also save money.)

    Improved Security: 
    Open source code encourages review. It encourages users and programmers to find bugs and security flaws. And when problems are found, a variety of developers can share ideas and quickly fix and distribute fixes. Often fixes (patches) are available before the security flaws are officially announced. Open source code can have bugs just like closed-source, proprietary software. Nevertheless, although some problems are harder to find in proprietary, no-available-source software, these problems usually take a lot longer to be announced, fixed and the updated software distributed.

    Crackers take advantage of problems in open source and closed-source software, but it has been proven numerous times, that open source software is fixed faster and is more secure. Due to the open peer review, open source software bugs are usually fixed before they are exploited.

    In addition, due to the Unix nature and peer review of source code, computer virii (virus) and trojan horses are rare (and mostly non-existent). And most popular virii do not work under open source platforms.

    Encouragement of open standards and protocols: 
    Open source code promotes the sharing of ideas. This improves computer ease-of-use. For example, the internet's and world wide web's recently rapid growth is based on open standards and open source code, such as BSD's TCP/IP and DNS (domain name system) code, the NCSA and Apache web servers, and the Sendmail email routing software. Companies and individuals who want to promote their software or ideas make their ideas and software code freely available. Open source fosters innovation by protecting and sharing intellectual property.

    By using open source software, platforms can be consolidated: saving money by enhanced interoperability. 

    Quick Development:
    Open source developers believe in reusing ideas; they believe in sharing code and not reinventing the wheel. Nevertheless, they also believe in doing the task correctly. Ideas and code are rapidly shared and reused in a variety of similar and different projects. Thousands of advanced software projects are in active development.

    Well Documented / Variety of Support:
    Most popular open source solutions are extremely well documented and a variety of free and commercial technical support options are available. Due to the nature of community development, documentation and instructions are often written from a variety of viewpoints -- creating well-rounded information, instruction and tutorials. In addition, open source projects can't hide usage techniques, due to the free availability of the code. Free technical support is often available in the form of mailing list or newsgroup discussions; nevertheless some background research, knowledge or experience is often required. (Puget Sound Technology is commercial technical support option for open source software.)
    at No comments:

    Wednesday, November 27, 2013

    Cloud computing

    Cloud Computing has become a scalable services consumption and delivery platform in the field of Services Computing. The technical foundations of Cloud Computing include Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) and Virtualizations of hardware and software. The goal of Cloud Computing is to share resources among the cloud service consumers, cloud partners, and cloud vendors in the cloud value chain. The resource sharing at various levels results in various cloud offerings such as infrastructure cloud (e.g., hardware, IT infrastructure management), software cloud (e.g. SaaS focusing on middleware as a service, or traditional CRM as a service), application cloud (e.g., Application as a Service, UML modeling tools as a service, social network as a service), and business cloud (e.g., business process as a service).

    Cloud computing can completely change the way companies use technology to service customers, partners, and suppliers. Some businesses, such as Google and Amazon, already have most of their IT resources in the cloud. They have found that it can eliminate many of the complex constraints from the traditional computing environment, including space, time, power, and cost.


    Models

    Cloud computing models vary: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS). Manage your cloud computing service level via the surrounding management layer.

    Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

    The IaaS layer offers storage and compute resources that developers and IT organizations can use to deliver business solutions.

    Platform as a Service (PaaS)

    The PaaS layer offers black-box services with which developers can build applications on top of the compute infrastructure. This might include developer tools that are offered as a service to build services, or data access and database services, or billing services.

    Software as a Service (SaaS)

    In the SaaS layer, the service provider hosts the software so you don’t need to install it, manage it, or buy hardware for it. All you have to do is connect and use it. SaaS Examples include customer relationship management as a service.


    Advantages


    Cost Reduction and Control

    The public sector is under intense pressure to cut costs without undercutting critical services. Cloud computing can reduce total cost of ownership (TCO) both directly and indirectly.




  • Facilities consolidation
    • : 
    Many organizations are attracted to cloud computing by the savings that come from consolidating their data centers. Resources that can be pooled include storage, compute, memory, and network bandwidth. In addition, because cloud services are largely location-independent, organizations can save on real estate and energy costs—and reduce their carbon footprint at the same time.

    Labor optimization:Because a cloud deployment does not require as much provisioning, software development, or maintenance as a conventional infrastructure, organizations can make better use of valuable ICT expertise by redirecting
    the workforce from routine operational and maintenance duties to mission-critical tasks.

     Asset utilization:
    Many of today’s public sector data centers are characterized by relatively poor asset utilization (often as
    low as 25 percent). There is also considerable duplication of equipment and effort across agencies and departments. When they can share applications, storage, and compute power, organizations do not have to build for peak usage that rarely occurs. Furthermore, they do not have to rely solely on the resources they own.

     Capital expenditure reduction:
    Cloud computing represents a pay-as-you go approach to ICT, rather than an incremental capital expenditure approach. Initial expenditures are comparatively low. Operating expenses go up or down depending on usage, so cash flow matches TCO. Additional investments are made only when they are needed.

     Measured services:
    A cloud implementation can automatically control and optimize resources by metering services. This makes it easier for managers to track expenses, establish charge-backs, and integrate cost controls into their future
    plans. Multiple payment models are possible, including pay for use, subscription, and fixed plans.


    Improved Agility and Adaptability

    As the pace of technology quickens, ICT specialists are looking for network solutions that enable them to react quickly, innovate smoothly and efficiently, and keep growing pains to a minimum. Cloud computing can often make change less burdensome and expensive.

    Virtualized resources:
    Virtualization may add a new level of complexity, but the benefits include improved agility and additional options for future enhancements. For example, as workforces become increasingly mobile, virtualized desktops allow them to do their work anywhere, on a variety of personal devices. Virtual machines are not tied to particular servers, so they can migrate among physical devices and across geographies.

    Simple scalability:
    With bandwidth-hungry applications proliferating, the network’s traffic keeps increasing, even if the number of users stays the same. With a cloud platform, managers can add capacity on demand without having to
    determine requirements beforehand or go through many of the traditional procurement, provisioning, and implementation processes. Load fluctuations are less of a problem when capacity can be added almost instantly. Of course, ICT groups still need to maintain robust network infrastructures regardless of which cloud models they implement.

    Elastic services:
    The cloud approach makes it easier for organizations to expand or contract services quickly by tapping into shared pools of resources or implementing prepackaged capabilities developed by third parties specifically for clouds. Furthermore, private cloud deployments using multitenant servers mitigate the “server sprawl” that often accompanies growth.

    Fast deployment:
    With software vendors increasingly delivering their products preinstalled in virtual machines, much of the traditional installation and configuration work associated with software deployment may not be necessary for a cloud implementation.

    Increased flexibility:
    The variety of cloud deployment and service models ensures that implementations can be aligned closely with business needs and ICT strategies. Many public sector organizations are choosing a hybrid cloud approach
    that lets them benefit from both private and public clouds.


    Better Services and Collaboration

    Government at all levels is looking for ways to improve services and justify budgets, while public education and healthcare organizations are constantly striving to make instruction and medical delivery more available and effective. These organizations are turning to cloud computing as the foundation for optimizing current and future services.

    Application proliferation:
    Cloud computing supports applications that offer new and better ways for government to engage with citizens. For instance, the nationwide cloud infrastructure proposed for the United Kingdom will feature a government application store that functions as an online marketplace for effective business solutions, encouraging the sharing and reuse of online services across the public sector. Since late 2009, the U.S. General Service Administration has offered an online storefront for cloud solutions called Apps. gov. Japan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications is building a cloud computing infrastructure to consolidate all
    government ICT systems.

    Broad reach:
    Governments can use cloud platforms to provide access to a wide range of services from a single community portal at any time of day, so that citizens do not have to visit a government office in person during business
    hours. Educational institutions can use cloud technology for applications ranging from distance learning and curriculum deployment to professional development and greater access to research and researchers. And healthcare organizations can employ clouds to reach out to patients in underserved communities, make records more readily available, and connect dispersed offices and laboratories.

    Closer interaction:
    Cloud-enabled collaboration technologies allow public employees to interact with their peers more efficiently. They also foster interagency cooperation, bringing related organizations into closer contact so they can serve
    their constituents better and respond faster to emergencies. Additionally, agencies engaging in public-private partnerships can take advantage of collaboration applications to strengthen their ties to companies, private institutions, nongovernment or civil society organizations, and other stakeholders.

    Effective Risk Mitigation

    Despite some misgivings on the part of CIOs and other ICT professionals, cloud computing is not necessarily riskier than conventional computing models. Proven methods and technologies are in place to help ensure that systems run reliably, and that data and privacy are safeguarded.

    Assured service levels:
    With the right mix of cloud deployment models, managers can make sure that existing service-level agreements (SLAs) are maintained. In fact, cloud service providers can sometimes offer a higher level of service than some ICT groups can provide when they are constrained by limited resources.

    Robust resilience:
    Automated recovery can actually be easier to implement in a cloud environment because resources are more consolidated. Many organizations use their private cloud as a failover for a public cloud to increase esilience. In some cases, service providers may be able to respond to outages more quickly than internal ICT personnel. 

    Strong security:
    In general, data in a cloud environment can be secured with as much confidence as can data in a closed enterprise network, provided the system is equipped with appropriate protective measures and is well maintained. Public organizations that have particularly strict security requirements may opt for a hybrid or private cloud implementation that provides more protection than a public cloud. And policy-based technologies such as role-based authentication are offering ICT managers powerful new options for safeguarding resources.
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    Saturday, October 5, 2013

    E-commerce for Small Businesses

    Nowadays, more and more small businesses are incorporating e-commerce platforms as part of their business systems. With the advent of the internet and smartphones, it is now easier than ever to integrate a workable solution that will work for many people. The big question remains; what are the benefits of e-commerce for small businesses?

    There are just too many advantages for integrating an e-commerce system. Below are the main ones.

    Increase in sales
    According to reliable statistics, there has been a tremendous increase in online sales over the last couple of years. It is estimated that the revenue of a business that incorporates an e-commerce platform can increase by up to 250%. This is attributed to the fact that most people prefer the ease of access and convenience that comes with e-commerce platforms. This is especially true for those systems that are able to process credit card payments together with payments from top online processors like PayPal.

    Increase in Customers
    It is clear that e-commerce brings in a lot of convenience in terms of payments. This therefore automatically invites more customers and also impulse buyers. The fact that the online payment system may accept different modes of payments makes it easier for the small business to get customers of diverse backgrounds.

    Ability to be open 24/7
    Many businesses that do not use e-commerce may find it difficult to be open 24/7 due to the multiple overheads that come with it in terms of staff and utility payments. On the other hand, e-commerce makes it possible for a business to be open and easily accessible round the clock without any increase in overheads. Transactions and payments can continue being made automatically, without your supervision. In case the small business deals in digital goods, the business becomes totally automatic – full transactions, including purchase and delivery, will automatically be carried out online.

    Instant processing of transactions
    E-commerce enables businesses to transact instantly. This takes away the hassles that come with other modes of payment that may require the merchant to wait up to 30 days (sometimes more) to access their payments. E-commerce transactions clear in seconds and merchants can either receive funds immediately or wait for only 2 or 3 days to get the cash in their bank accounts.

    Increased business reach
    A business operating purely offline may have challenges in reaching a wide scope of customers. On the other hand e-commerce has enabled local small businesses to reach international masses. There are no limits to where the internet can reach, therefore through e-commerce platforms, people can pay for goods and services from literally any corner of the world.

    Ease of collecting recurring payments
    In case you run a service that requires recurring billing, it is easy to do so with an e-commerce platform. You can create your system in such a way that when a customer makes a purchase, they can opt for their card to be re-billed at a certain frequency. This makes it hassle-free for both you and your customer. As long as they continue using your service, their credit or debit cards will get charged at certain intervals, increasing the predictability of income and eventually the bottom line of a business.
    The bottom line here is that e-commerce is highly beneficial to small businesses. It is significantly easy to set up and the benefits come in almost instantly. Some of the things to be cautious of include poor security, poor site design, too many refund requests, harsh terms and conditions of some payment platforms and poor marketing. Once these areas are kept in check, moving to e-commerce will be among the best business decisions you will have ever made.
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    Tuesday, September 10, 2013

    What a website can do for you.

    Do you have a business and don’t have a website? If yes, it is like removing the existence of your business to everyone. In this modern era, people and businesses are in the world of internet for information. Why do you think people visit a website? It is to look for information. And if you are in a world of business, information is a very important thing. You need to have a website for your customers and it should contain information about what you can do for them.  Below are just few of the advantages and benefits of having a website for your business.

    Professionalism
    The amount of users on the web has grown 200% each year over the past 3 years. If you look at a Fortune 500 company, then you will notice that almost all of them have a website. A well-done website, including your own domain name (www.yourcompanyname(dot)com), communicates to a potential client that your company is professional and is doing well.

    Increase your potential target market
    While it may not be the goal of every small or medium size business to go international, a website can increase exposure to more people inside and outside of your current area of focus.

    Increased convenience for a customer 
    Whether you are selling products or services, a website is a convenient way for a potential client or current customer to purchase products, get information, contact you or your office and give feedback.

    Less Expensive
    Have you ever advertised your business through different forms such as printed media, radio, television and more? I know it will cost you a lot. Investing in advertisement and marketing is not a bad idea but we know that it will cost you a lot. Having a website will make your advertising and marketing less expensive since most versions of this offline advertising methods are available in the internet which sometimes are free.

    Advertising
    A website is more environmental friendly when it comes to advertising and marketing. There are lots of ways to advertise your business through internet and other media. Example is the Facebook ads which is an advertising feature through Facebook. Another one is called SEO, this is a major advantage to your business if you have a good SEO service provider because it can boost the ranking of your website that can results for more sales and profit. whether you’re using TV, a newspaper ad, direct mail or a billboard, at some point the amount of information that you can (and want) to communicate has to come to an end (unless you’ve got more money than you know what to do with). The great advantage of having a website is that you can list the web address on any piece of advertising, and a potential client can go to your site and get plenty of information.

    Satisfaction
    Having a website will make your customer and leads feel more convenient. Make your customers feel that they would be more likely to visit your site rather than driving a car and looking for your products. For a customer’s point of view, it’s better if they don’t have to ask anything and just find what they are looking for in your website depending on how informative is your website.

    Increase Customers
    Mostly business has their popularity inside their city however how about if it’s outside their city? Website can help you gather more customers not just outside your city but globally. As we know, Internet offers large community. By having your existence through it, your business will be more visible globally.

    Accessibility
    Have you ever experience turning customer away because it’s closing time for the shop? Well, you don’t have to do that if you have a website. Website is very accessible because you can visit it anytime. People will look to your site instead of going to your shop because it is more accessible. However, make sure to put enough information on your website about your products and services.

    Access to Info
    Well this has something to do with the business owner.  Did you know that if you own a website, you can actually track everything that is happening on it? You can even look for the information about how many people visited your site, or how many people messaged you or emailed you. You can even access the progress of your website and access all the pages of your site. You can even make an update anytime, making it less expensive than printed material.

    Fresh
    On having a website, smart business owners would create a blog page for their business. Having a blog to produce fresh contents will keep your website attractive and fresh.

    Links
    Did you know that links is very important to viral marketing? If you have many sites linking to you, it is the same as a word spreading all around the world. If you have a good website with good information about information, products or services, people would more likely link your website to their websites. That means they recognize your website as a good website.

    Better Relationship
    Having a website can build better relationship to your customers. You can send your message instantly to your customer through email. Also, your customer can review your products online and can also give feedback to you and your business. It’s best to always give your customer a message for you to build a good relationship to them. You can even give them more information about your business by sending them messages.

    Increase Sales
    If you are a business owner, more visitors can lead to more potential sales and that’s how your website will help you. You can drive more people to your site by consistently updating and promoting the contents of your site. The more informative your site is, the more possibility of gaining sales.

    Opportunity
    Websites gives you the opportunity to prove your credibility. You have to tell your customers why you deserve their trust through your website. This can make a positive feedback for your service and products. Also, your website serves as a place for potential investor for what your business is about and what it can do in the future.

    Long Term Clients
    What do you think is the difference between client and a customer? Well a customer is the one who walks in and buy something and that’s it. Client is the regular customer, meaning he is buying your products or services daily or contractually. Having a websites gives you a chance to more clients that can help your business grow.


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    Friday, August 16, 2013

    Importance of IT in Small Business

    IT in small business allows businesses to expand quickly and efficiently. Business technology such as social networks, SAAS and virtual office technology has removed workplace boundaries that previously limited business expansion. With business technology, companies can target a wider customer base, buy sell goods on click and grow to higher levels.


    Improve Collabration & communication

    Business technology is important because it improves communication in the workplace. Office workers are not limited to phone calls or inter-office mail to interact with one another anymore. Electronic mail allows workers to send messages instantly without interrupting the recipient Business technology also improves communication with clients and business partners because information can be passed through multiple channels almost instantly.

    Global Sourcing

    Technology in the workplace practically eliminates space and time. Telecommunication and internet technology has boosted the work sharing across the globe. Video conferencing technology lets businesses on any part of the globe interact with one another. A man sitting in north pole can serve to another in south pole using internet technologies. Increased sourcing improves the operating margins of your business and let you manage more processes effectively.


    Efficiency

    Office technology saves times by speeding up the work flow process. Digital filing systems save space, paper and printing costs. The use of computer systems allow corrections to be made instantly. Resources like electronic files and access to information technology are available with the click of a button.


    Human Resources

    Technology in the workplace improves the efficiency of screening, recruiting and hiring potential candidates. Businesses utilize the Internet to spread the word about the organization and advertise job openings. Hiring managers can target candidates by using digital advertising technology that tracks the websites they visit. Technology like personality assessments and screening tools allow businesses to determine whether a potential candidate is an appropriate fit for the organization.


    Enterprise resource planning & Business process management

    With the growth of software techniques and work automation the new streams of managing the business with standard processes and flow help improve the business and grow it at very fast pace with extremely efficient control on resources. Help you know and control the ins and outs at every department.
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