Category: Education

Company data is the lifeblood of all businesses and loss of that data can have serious implications for a business. With the increase in ransomware attacks and encryption Trojans, the need for a reliable backup is an essential part of any business security strategy.

The question is, is it part of your strategy? If a problem should arise in your datacentre that will impact on your business performance, are you able to restore operations to where they were before the problem occurred? And if you have a backup strategy, or recovery plans in place, are you confident that your last backup can be successfully restored?

One backup is a good start, but not nearly enough for a comprehensive data protection plan. More often than not, the first, or only backup is stored in the same physical location as the primary data. Consider a crisis in your datacentre, such as a fire or power failure. If all your data is onsite, your business would be unable to restore and continue business as usual.

Ensure your data is kept safe in almost any failure scenario with the 3-2-1 Backup Rule.

Your 3-2-1 Backup Checklist:

1. Keep 3 copies of your data (1 primary copy and 2 backup copies).
2. Store 2 backup copies on different storage media, like a Network Attached Storage (NAS) device, tape drive or local drive, etc.
3. Store 1 one copy offsite, for example in the Cloud.

Vox offers extensive audits to assist with a solution tailormade for your business. Should you require an investigation into whether your backup strategy supports your business requirements, contact assessments@voxtelecom.co.za.

If your organisation is like most across the globe, you have clients, partners and employees that want to connect with you on different video conference platforms. But with so many options available, you may be grappling with which one to deploy.

Vox has the cost effective and easy to deploy solution that you have been looking for – Vox Air.

Vox Air, powered by Pexip – rated number 1 by video conferencing users worldwide – simplifies video communication across borders, businesses and platforms. The conferencing tool provides any business, regardless of its size, with a flexible and scalable video conference platform that enables interoperability between multiple disparate video conference systems.

It eliminates the need for costly and complex bridge equipment, allowing you to video conference with anyone in the world, on any device, at any time.

Your subscription to Vox Air will provide you with:

1. A smarter way to communicate with external organisations that may use different tools.
2. A transparent bridge between existing systems so your users do not have to learn new software or workflows.
3. A Vox hosted and administered cloud bridge to help you simply use and extend the life of the end points you currently have.
4. A future-proofed solution that protects your current investments.

This Platform is always-on 365 days a year – so your employees can video conference as and when they need to.

 

Before you consider purchasing or upgrading your video conferencing solution or platform, speak to your Vox account manager or our video solution experts about Vox Air.

You can contact us at Gareth.Edwards@voxtelecom.co.za or Andrew.King@voxtelecom.co.za.

Don’t you hate it when you’ve booked a meeting room, you’ve got clients waiting with you, and someone else is in your room – claiming they also booked it?

Frustrations continue to soar when someone books a 10-person meeting room for two people while you’re left to squash your 10-person team in a four-person room.

Introducing your room booking solution – Reserva

Reserva is an intuitive meeting room booking solution that integrates with your company’s calendar software so that everyone knows when a meeting room is booked, and which meeting room is booked.

Your Reserva room booking solution is a cost-effective solution regardless of whether you have one, two or 200 meeting rooms.  It has no central server or high cost maintenance and licensing agreements. To be up and running, Reserva simply needs the door-side display, and a connection to your network.

Related: Two meeting rooms for the price of one

How Reserva helps you take control over meeting spaces:

• A user-friendly solution to help employees find space to meet and collaborate.
• Integrates with Microsoft Exchange, Microsoft Office 365, Google Calendar, Google Apps and Scientia so that your conference rooms are dynamically linked to your calendaring system.
• Books a meeting in two clicks, extends a meeting, shortens a meeting and cancels a meeting directly on the room sign or in your calendaring system.
• Manages ‘no shows’ with automated removal of a meeting if the organiser does not attend after the no-show time limit (set to your custom specification).
• Prevents double bookings.
• Eliminates the distraction, confusion and frustration caused when two meetings are scheduled in the same room at the same time.
• Finds your meeting venue easily.
• Shows all employees and guests which meetings are about to start and where they are being held.
• Has the best in class security framework based on ONELAN’s proprietary NTB Linux operating system.

Optimising your meeting room bookings does not need to ‘break the bank’ with Vox’s expertise and the award-winning Reserva Edge system.

Call Vox today for a free assessment of your meeting room environment and we will advise you on the best solution for your requirements. Alternatively, contact Gareth.Edwards@voxtelecom.co.za or Andrew.King@voxtelecom.co.za

Hendrik Meyburgh is the Technical Head of Cloud at Vox. He keeps the light on for Cloud and is one of the creators of Vox Cloud, a local Cloud provider. We chatted to him about Multicloud strategies, Cloud Computing and the rise of mega Cloud companies in Africa and South Africa.

 

Cloud computing, while formerly uncommon in South Africa, is fast becoming a necessity for business. Do you believe this?

I believe a Multicloud strategy is a company necessity. Every Cloud provider has its own unique set of offerings. A Multicloud strategy allows companies to select the right infrastructure for the right reasons.

 

Because of the necessity of Multicloud, do you see the rise of many mega Cloud companies?

Definitely. Microsoft Azure is already here and AWS is on its way. I can’t say for sure if all the other mega Cloud companies will come, because there are a couple of regulations they would need to work through, but I think they will come to Africa. There’s a big market for Cloud on our continent.

 

What industry trends are these mega Cloud companies pushing?

They are pushing cost effectiveness and creating demand by show casing the tech they have available through use cases. For example, (Internet of Things) IoT and (Artificial Intelligence) AI.

 

Why would you say these companies are pushing these trends?

Quite simply, they love tech and want to capitalise on the available market.

 

What are the difficulties people are finding with Cloud Computing?

Multicloud creates so many options! It’s quite difficult and complex for companies to understand what they need when it comes to Cloud Computing. Once they understand what they need, they then need to know when to use what technology. When all their questions have been solved, they have to drill down on which Cloud provider will be able to provide all these needs.

 

We have heard about several mega Cloud companies coming and that have come to South Africa. What do you think the impact of these international companies coming into SA will be?

I think it will be a positive impact. It will give Africa and South Africa the same opportunities that historically were only available to some regions because of physical and regulatory constraints. These opportunities will empower more entrepreneurs to launch new businesses, creating more work opportunities and a positive economy.

 

Are there any threats on local Cloud companies with the arrival of these mega companies? Or is it mostly seen as a positive?

It’s definitely a positive. It creates competition, giving local companies the drive to create a wider product set. Local companies can also run additional product sets alongside these mega Cloud companies, allowing for Intercloud Connectivity.

 

How does Multicloud fit into the mix?

Different Cloud providers (local and international) have different strong suits. Multicloud allows you to choose the best Cloud providers for different use cases.

 

Why should anyone be interested in Multicloud and not rather just use one Cloud service?

Not having a Multicloud strategy is like cutting off your own hands. You’re limiting your company and taking opportunities away from yourself.

 

Migration of Multicloud sounds tedious. Is it? Or is that the perception?

It depends on the use case. If you are migrating from your own infrastructure to the Cloud or refactoring your application to be Cloud native, it could be a quick job, but on the other hand it may be extremely resource intensive. The best is to get a professional Cloud migration team to assess your IT environment and potentially do the migration on your behalf.

Visit vox.co.za to learn more about Cloud computing and Cloud migration IT advisory.

Microsoft Office 365 is a monthly subscription service that, along with other services, includes Microsoft Premium Apps like Outlook, Word, Excel and PowerPoint. G Suite is also a monthly subscription service collection of Google products like Gmail, Drive, Docs and Sheets.

They are similar, so what is the difference? We’ve compiled a table to compare the two productivity and collaboration services and see where they differ.

According to w3schools 14.2% of computer users are still using Windows 7.

Come January 2020, Windows 7 will meet its end. In other words, if you’re currently using Windows 7, you will no longer have access to any updates – including security updates, or Microsoft support.

No security updates mean that any vulnerabilities discovered on the platform, will not be attended to, putting you and your business in the line of fire.

What does this mean?

To put it simply, if you don’t upgrade from Windows 7, you are not only vulnerable to normal viruses, but to ransomware and data theft, which can have dire consequences.

Companies targeted by ransomware have to pay between R50 000 and R150 000, and most small businesses choose to pay up rather than lose all their information – be it financial data, customer data, billing records and more.

But why Windows 10?

Apart from securing your IT, Windows 10 has more advanced security features including features that do not exist on Windows 7 like Device Guard and Bitlocker.

Windows 10 is one of the fastest operating systems out, and with a few tweaks, Windows 10’s speed can be boosted further. While it’s always better to get a new computer, Windows 10 can still run on old machines. This will increase efficiency and boost productivity.

To find out more about upgrading to Windows 10, mail MITsales@Voxtelecom.co.za or sign for Hardware as a Service, a Hardware rental option that comes with Windows 10.

Cloud vendors are pressurising you to move to the cloud. What they’ve failed to mention is that 60% of the South African market will retain all, or a portion of their infrastructure onsite.

No Cloud migration should be a quick move. A smooth migration to the Cloud requires detailed planning and a careful analysis of your current environment. Critical to this process is ensuring that Service Level Agreements (SLAs) and Managed Service deliverables are aligned whether your infrastructure is onsite or in a third-party data centre.

Then there’s understanding what the ROI is when migrating to the Cloud. With a number of cloud vendors offering capacity on demand, the risk of costs spiraling out of . For instance, a developer can spin up a test server and forget to turn it off once he/she is finished. This will result in a continuation of instant billing.

The Vox starting point to every Cloud engagement is a full Cloud assessment. This 4-step process entails:

1. Mapping infrastructure footprint, applications, network topology and analysing all workloads & performance stats in a customer’s IT environment. This will give insight into the total IT infrastructure of the customer.
2. Recommendations on optimising paths for workloads and determining the best Cloud service model.
3. A complete cost comparison between on-premises, Cloud and hybrid solutions.
4. A Cloud migration strategy and plan, including ongoing management of that Cloud solution with a single set of deliverables irrespective of whether infrastructure is onsite or in the Cloud.

To truly understand how to start and manage your Cloud journey, mail assessments@voxtelecom.co.za to book an IT assessment today.

Most people need Microsoft Office applications. We use them at home, work and school. The Internet has opened a world of possibilities and as a result, Microsoft has given us more to choose from. If you’re struggling to make a choice, have a look at the table below to compare:

 

One of the most important aspects of any business is that customers are able to get hold of you.  As VoIP communications technology continues to evolve and improve, many businesses are saying goodbye to their old phone systems and embracing digital technology. Making that decision requires careful planning, but the lower costs, increased flexibility and simplicity of virtual PBX systems make them hard to ignore.

Choosing the right PBX for your business can be a daunting task. You ask yourself: do I remain with a traditional on-site PBX or do I go with a hosted system? If I don’t, will I be left in the dark ages, but if I do, will I lose control of my business? Decisions, decisions – all I want is for my business calls to be answered!

To help you make that decision with minimal fuss, we have outlined some questions below that will guide you in selecting the right option for your business needs.

• How big is your business?

A good rule of thumb is that if you have more than 40 employees needing connections, a traditional on-site PBX is most likely the best option. Alternatively, if you are a smaller business with fewer employees and minimal needs for advanced functionalities and features, then a hosted solution would probably be the best option.

• Do you plan on growing your business and staff in the near future?

Not only should you choose a good business phone to match your current needs, but also one that continues to meet the needs of your business as it grows.

A hosted PBX is not only flexible and scalable, but also provides security, mobility and growth whereas a traditional system is fairly stagnant, expensive to install and maintain and once it’s installed, it can be costly to add users or to replace it.

• How much are you willing to invest?

An on-site PBX solution has a high upfront cost because of the hardware, licensing, and installation costs.

Hosted PBX offers the advantage of much lower start-up costs since you’re not responsible for purchasing all of the necessary software, core hardware, and equipment as required for an on-premise system.

• How are your employees working?

In the case of remote employees, it often means sacrificing functionality and professionalism when communicating from cell phones, Skype, etc. With a cloud phone system, remote employees can take their VoIP phones wherever they go and maintain a consistent number and service functionality with customers and the home office.

• How reliable is your office’s Internet connection?

With a PBX system deployed on-site, there is no need to worry about having an internet connection that can support the phone system.

As high-speed and reliable internet connections with good download and upload speeds are becomingly increasingly available to small businesses, this can be great for e-businesses who do everything online. However, a simple connection to the internet will not necessarily do the job and it’s important to check with your service provider about the service itself, the connectivity and hosting.

In conclusion

While there seems to be more advantages to a hosted VoIP based system, the kind of phone system you opt for really comes down to the size, type of business you are running and the type of infrastructure you already have in place.

The table below provides a simple comparison between hosted and traditional premise-based PBX solutions which should aid you in making the right decision for your business PBX requirements.

In this ever rapidly evolving technological world that we find ourselves in today, the number of techy terms and jargon thrown around is so overwhelming and almost impossible to keep up with.  So we find ourselves in 2019 where everyone is talking about “Unified Communications” – another term, another vernacular, another frustratingly technical idiom that sees our intelligence levels rapidly dwindle from Einstein to Village Idiot!

What exactly is “Unified Communications” (UC) and what value will it add to our lives?

Simply put, UC is a term used to describe the business world’s efforts to integrate all the “apps”, or communication channels, if you will, to allow the user to have all this information easily accessible, irrespective of when or where he/she needs access – be it home, work, on the Gautrain – and how he/she needs access, e.g. laptop, tablet, smartphone or even the local pub!

UC blurs the demarcation lines between the communication channels. For example, a user can receive a voicemail message and can choose to access it through email or any phone. The sender’s status can be seen through presence information, and if online, a response can be sent immediately through chat message or video call.  The objective is to unify and streamline those business procedures that involve human communications – it is an ongoing process of convergence that brings together vendors, technologies, applications, processes, and users.

This technology is a major step in the direction that organisations need to take in order to enhance and improve workflow in any workplace, encouraging better engagement and performance from employees. In fact, studies have shown that UC solutions can save companies up to 191 hours in terms of productivity.

The following benefits of UC in the business environment in summary:

Cost reduction

Having the ability to consolidate all of your communication avenues into a single system is going to massively reduce your operating costs. Furthermore, video conferencing has the ability to dramatically reduce the costs associated with both internal and external meetings and conference calls, e.g. travel costs and employee downtime can be lessened as much as possible.

Increased employee productivity and working on the go

Work anywhere. Connect with partners and customers from the road, from home, or anywhere business takes you. On a UC plan, instant connectivity provides flexibility when it comes to where, when, and how business communications occur. In addition, with files stored in a secure cloud that everyone in the team can access, working on shared documents is simpler and faster than ever. Linking employees to the cloud is another way that UC can help to drive greater productivity. It is all part of a smarter way of working.

Communication is simple to manage

With UC, specific applications can be developed for company networks that secure company data and make bandwidth monitoring and management far easier to handle.

Also, with the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies that many companies are moving towards can make the security and management aspects of IT harder to deal with. However, a unified system mitigates this by pushing all users into the same, secure company communications network.

Superior Reliability

UC offers superior reliability by creating performance redundancies that protect against downtime. If one tool goes down, another is programmed to kick in.

In a nutshell, UC:

• Supports remote working
• Manages multiple tools and platforms
• Connects new employees to your system directly from any device
• Sync contacts and schedules with Microsoft Outlook
• Displays user status, e.g. busy
• Accesses video calls from your handset or smartphone
• Makes calls from wherever you are in the world
• Collaborates in real time

UC simplifies your life!