Sharepoint comes into its own
Its holiday time and Iʼm sure you like me are racing to complete all those tasks that need doing before leaving work for that well earned rest. Itʼs not until you are sitting on the plane or ferry that you realise about all the other tasks that you didnʼt get time to complete. It could be something as simple as running your eye over a document or altering a spreadsheet and for some this feeling can make for an unpleasant start to what should be a relaxing time.
Business people are becoming increasingly keen to keep on top of things and with devices such as tablets, netbooks and Ultra‑book PCʼs getting smaller and lighter, taking your PC on holiday is no longer a chore or the issue that it once was. Most if not all hotels now have web access either built into the room price or available at a nominal fee. Even if youʼre out for the day, many restaurants and public buildings have internet access so itʼs relatively easy to keep in touch with the business when off on holiday.
Microsoft Sharepoint comes into its own in assisting people in gaining access and input remotely. It is a network based solution that acts like a digital filling cabinet where various formats of company documents such as Word documents, spreadsheets, PowerPoint files, PDFʼs and printing proofs can be stored under specific projects or departments etc. These are stored in such a way that designated staff can have various levels of access and rights to view or work on documents. If for example a presentation or
tender document was being worked on by various staff, the owner of the business could also access this remotely and alter it. Sharepoint can be set‑up to send a short e‑mail to inform whoever is on holiday that the document has been added or altered and the receiver can then decide whether to view the document or not. You may also view your documents, spreadsheet etc via any mobile device that can gain access to the internet including your smart phone.
Without the use of your own mobile PC device the internet café is another option to view and keep up‑to‑date with company projects. A simple login format will grant you access to all relevant documents. However, viewing documents of a highly sensitive nature in this way should only be done when you are fully aware of the security risks that this entails, such as the possibility of information falling into the wrong hands via accounts being left logged in and enabling access for anyone who uses the terminal after you.
For face to face contact, Microsoft Lync can be used to have a video conversation. Sometimes itʼs easier to chat for a few
minutes rather than to sit and compose an e‑ mail and then wait on the reply. These video
Belfast selected as UK test-bed for new cloud computing network
Belfastʼs Titanic Quarter has been selected as one of only two sites in the UK as a test‑bed for a new cloud computing system. Delivered by Data City Exchange (DCE), the technology is a precursor to the development of an £80m next‑ generation data centre, also in Titanic Quarter. Cloud computing is a relatively new IT infrastructure which allows software applications to run more quickly and gives businesses the capacity to cope more effectively with rapid surges in customer demand. It is particularly beneficial for industries such as financial services, software development and digital media which rely upon managing large volumes of data.
The ʻCloudvaultʼ technology being offered by DCE in Titanic Quarter will create a local cloud computing hub that will provide companies with access to cloud‑based business software and applications, without the usual high set up costs associated with setting up business IT infrastructure. It is the first hosting and infrastructure platform linking Northern Ireland, GB and the US which will allow customers to test virtual hardware and software. Welcoming the news, DETI minister, Arlene
Foster, said: "This is another coup for Northern Ireland and strengthens our growing reputation as a leader in delivering the most up‑to‑date IT services.
“The new Titanic Quarter site will be another key centre to provide cloud services to small and medium business enterprises across Europe. Data centre provision such as this is a strategically important component of the local infrastructure that encourages and supports foreign direct investment."
Sinclair Stockman, executive chairman of Digital Northern Ireland 20:20, added: “Cloud Services, Financial Services and Digital Media will be key drivers of value on the digital platform over the coming decade. “The DCE Titanic Quarter site with its first class connectivity infrastructure and ultrafast direct connectivity to the USA via Project Kelvin is a key location, and in conjunction with other DCE flagship sites will form a best‑in‑class digital connectivity and cloud platform.” Cloudvault, which goes live in September, will create a secure cloud infrastructure between Northern Ireland, GB and the US, allowing companies to access a ready‑made, secure connectivity and hosting platform. Businesses and public sector bodies will be given the opportunity to test storage and software applications ahead of the opening of DCEʼs Titanic Quarter data centre.
John Eland, DCEʼs managing director, commented: "DCEʼs Cloudvault platform will be a test centre for our flagship data centre
locations in Titanic Quarter and Birmingham, allowing customers to trial a location before any switchover.
“Cloudvault provides an on‑demand test drive platform for SMEs, major corporate customers and public sector bodies to give them the opportunity to test and evaluate business benefits of the service without having to make any investment in hardware, software or physical IT infrastructure.”
Cloudvault will feature hardware and software solutions from Pivot3 and VMware, including its virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) stack and the VMware View platform. It is also expected to feature enterprise solutions from Oracle and SAP among others.
The system also includes DCEʼs innovative on‑ demand services, including bandwidth, infrastructure and sector specific services, such as storage‑on‑demand for the multi‑media and film production sectors.
Data City Exchange has also confirmed that it plans to roll‑out Cloudvault to other sites across the UK and Europe over the next 12 months, with locations expected to include Frankfurt and Zagreb. This will provide Northern Ireland with additional connectivity routes as part of the wider DCE Network.
conversations can be facilitated through mobile PC devices with built in video cameras or via a small USB camera which is normally inexpensive and easily carried.
Another useful function of the Lync solution is the ability to see the presence of work colleagues and if they are available to receive an ʻinstant messageʼ ‒ like having a conversation via the keyboard ‒ rather than sending an e‑mail, waiting for an answer but not knowing if that person is at their PC, in the office or even available to communicate with ‒ Lync makes this all possible.
Whether we like it or not we live in an age where speed and reaction to situations is critical. The use of todayʼs IT gives us peace of mind that if we are required to jump into work for a few minutes, we can still be down in good time for diner on the hotel patio! For more information please contact Trevor Bingham, marketing manager at IT solutions company Xperience ‒by e‑mail
Trevor.Bingham@xperience‑
group.com or on 028 9267 7533
www.businessfirstonline.co.uk
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