Whether we like it or not we are all IT users now. Through the ubiquity of networks of devices that we rely on for information, security and day-to-day transactions even those who eschew technology now rely on it, even if they do not acknowledge it. The failure of these networks can lead to widespread disruption, unhappy customers, unproductive employees and lost business. Ensuring their availability, security and efficiency is a job for experts who need powerful tools to carry out the task.
QUOCIRCA BRIEFING September 2008 We are all IT users now Contacts: MSPs, SaaS and the management of remote devices Whether we like it or not we are all IT users now. Through the ubiquity of networks Bob Tarzey Quocirca Ltd of devices that we rely on for information, security and day-to-day transactions even Tel +44 1753 855794 those who eschew technology now rely on it, even if they do not acknowledge it. The bob.tarzey@quocirca.com failure of these networks can lead to widespread disruption, unhappy customers, Rob Bamforth unproductive employees and lost business. Ensuring their availability, security and Quocirca Ltd efficiency is a job for experts who need powerful tools to carry out the task. Tel +44 1962 849746 rob.bamforth@quocirca.com ? The IT requirements of many businesses are now best measured by devices Heidi Wieland under management rather than number of employees, or even IT users NTRglobal Many devices, such as in-store video displays, security gates and wireless Tel +1 805 7227413 hwieland@ntrglobal.com routers, are now part of computer networks, the management of which is just as critical to many businesses as that of traditional PC networks. ? These networks are increasingly taken for granted by their users, many of whom would not even consider themselves users of IT BRIEFING NOTE: The only way to manage such networks is remotely. Even when devices are This briefing has been assigned to end users, they will not have the skill, time or inclination to help written by Quocirca to manage them. address issues faced by organisations that have to manage an increasingly ? IP is the main network protocol that links all these devices allowing easy dispersed IT interaction between private IP networks and the public internet infrastructure. Using the internet protocol (IP) has wide ranging accessibility benefits, not just The report draws on for users but also for managers who can access any device from anywhere given Quocirca's knowledge of the right tools and can access centralised databases that define configurations, the technology and access rights and usage policy. business issues faced by organisations and provides advice on the approaches ? Keeping such networks running requires specialist skills that many that can be taken to ease organisations, especially small ones, do not have in-house the task of IT Businesses need to focus on their core activities and managing IT can be a management. distraction. As they come to rely more and more on networks of increasingly During the preparation of diverse devices and the management task becomes ever more complex, many this report, Quocirca has have now turned to managed service providers (MSPs). spoken to a number of end users, service providers ? For MSPs IT management is their core activity and they have the wide and vendors and is grateful for their time and insights. ranging experience and skills to undertake the task This goes beyond just the capability to manage networks of remote devices but Quocirca would like to thank NTRglobal for its also housing the infrastructure of servers, routers, load-balancers and so on that sponsorship of this report. support them. MSPs house these in enterprise-class data centre facilities that are beyond the means of many of their customers. ? MSP staff need access to management tools wherever they happen to be and the data that defines device usage needs to be centralised and easy to share Networks are part of the cloud and MSP staff work in the cloud. It makes sense to place management tools and the data they rely on in the cloud where they can be shared with customers who define access and usage policy. Software as a service (SaaS) is one of the best ways to provide this capability.
An independent briefing by Quocirca Ltd. www.quocirca.com Remote IT management Page 2
Introduction-we are all IT users now Specialist computer networks Businesses that make most of their money selling products to There are those, even in the advanced economies, who other businesses (B2B) usually categorise their current and believe they can sidestep technology. PCs, the internet, email prospective customers by the number of people t... [download for more]
