Cloud Myths...

No this isn't a tribute to Final Fantasy VII... ;)

The folks at Trend Micro put this out to my team the other day, and I wanted to share it with all of you too.  Cloud Computing has a lot of use to small & medium businesses...but uses never come without danger of misuse.  This article here, discusses the myths of Cloud Computing and what the realities are.  Now if you ignore the last couple of pages...the ad for TM...there's some insight in this article.  Let me discuss the first 3 now, and the rest in a followup post.

Myth #1: SMBs know they are using The Cloud.  - Do they?  I think a lot of companies who use Gmail, Yahoo mail, facebook, twitter, picasa, dropbox and other online tools forget that those are Cloud tools.  The Cloud is a nebulous thing that encompasses concepts of how technology is delivered to people, it is not a specific thing.

Myth #2: Paying for Cloud Services is more costly than buying hardware or software  - Have any of you bought and managed servers these days?  Do you think that a company that's struggling along and cannot afford a proper IT manager can take care of that?   It's a tough call for businesses.  While I think most people outside of work rely too heavily on one thing at a time (yes I have duplicate files spread out among Dropbox, Google Drive, Skydrive, and Copy.com...but I'm paranoid ;) ), a business needs to invest into protecting its data, and if they're too small...it's very difficult.

Myth #3: Cloud Computing slows processes down and reduces productivity - Wow that myth is so untrue it leaves a bad taste in my mouth.  Like I mentioned in #2, an SMB that isn't running their own servers and IT staff reduces expenses.  Shoot, we have a hosting service through PCM for your Exchange and servers...and for what it costs, it can take a lot of pressure off of your company to maintain its own servers and pay someone to do it for them...including repair bills.

More to come! :)

Meraki's big step into a larger world...

When I woke up this morning and saw the news...I can't say I was surprised.  A lot of folks that I work with were, and some understood what was going on, others just liked to jab at me because I'm not a Cisco fan.  But yes, today Cisco announced their intent to purchase Meraki for 1.26 BILLION dollars.  Yes, BILLION.  The good thing is, this is being done not to shut down competition, not to turn them into a clone of what Cisco was offering...but a chance to actually grow Cisco into a place where they were struggling to get into properly.

Meraki built up the notion of Cloud-Based Networking.  There really wasn't much of anything related to it until they came onto the scene and stood out like Andre the Giant in a subway station.  Gartner recognized them, channel partners worked with & promoted them, and clients saw their work drop and productivity increase.  Their year over year growth was stunning...and I still think they're going to explode out of the windows of their office, much like this. :)

SO it makes sense that Cisco wants them, and not only that, but wants them to REMAIN being Meraki.  Finding that amazing new talent, building a sales culture that makes sure everyone wins, innovating products daily...so much so that to stifle them would be a waste of Cisco's investment.   Heck, the people I know at Meraki are friends...not just co-workers or a partner...friends who I'd take a bullet for.  We've grown together...inspiring each other and making real magic.

Do I see this as the end of that magic?  No.  Harry Potter just graduated from Hogwarts to the Real World...watch out.  That's a mean Expelliarmus charm. ;)

So for those of you who are worried or concerned, stop.   It's good.  Working a deal with us for their product?  Keep on...though I would suggest buying the longest term contract possible (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 years are available)...because we're here to still work with them and help them deliver the best experience possible.

I never thought I'd say this, but Thank You Cisco.  Thank you for investing in the future of our business.

SQUIRREL!