Business application performance issues are becoming an increasing strain on IT departments

SolarWinds surveyed over 300 business application end-users across various sized UK companies finding that IT departments are feeling under pressure when it comes to maintaining app performance and availability. Ninety four percent of respondents said that application performance and availability affect their ability to do their job, 44 per cent claiming that these are “critical” factors. Additionally, one in five indicated that slow or unavailable applications meant a “significant” loss in financial terms for their organization.

Dependence on business applications is key, but end-user expectations are vital. When a performance issue occurs, users expect quick solutions.

Suaad Sait, executive vice president, products and markets, SolarWinds, observes that “it’s no longer just about if an application is working; it’s about that application working to end-user expectations. These survey results should be a wakeup call for IT Pros everywhere.”

 

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The Benefits of Multi-Tiered ERP Strategies

Companies that have rapidly expanded their international operations by replicating their culture and systems around the world have not proven this to be a successful model. Often times this has a profoundly negative effect on the creativity of local management as well as the ERP software that subsidiaries and departments use. Businesses are beginning to adopt multi-tier ERP strategies which can offer flexibility for local needs, cut costs, and increase implementation speed. This multi-tier approach keeps the corporate and administration ERP system at the Headquarters level and rolls out other ERP systems at local and operational levels. The net effect is companies can keep subsidiaries and their customers happy with a powerful, local ERP and integrate with Headquarters so the global board can see the big picture.
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Three Ways The Cloud Can Help Your Business Thrive

Cloud computing has become a household name for many companies. Using Cloud computing flexible, controllable, and efficient. It is able to accommodate business and IT structure needs. Cloud computing is especially beneficial for music entertainment applications, for example Music Mastermind. Each of Music Mastermind center’s cloud can create 160 virtual instances and support an estimated 400,000 active users. French Managed Services Provider (MSP) Zetark, offers a self-service private-cloud option for its customers with the ability to perform granular billing on exact usage of memory.

 

Can Business Infrastructure Support the Growth of the Internet of Things?

Devices, systems and services continue to fuel the growth of the Internet of Things (IoT), which is estimated to reach $7.3 trillion in revenue by 2016 and over 50 billion connected devices by 2020. The inherent benefit of the IoT is convenience and speed of access to data, but this rapid and continuous growth raises questions about how well-prepared business infrastructures are for the increased influx of big data, which will apply more pressures on businesses and squeeze the supply of data center and cloud resources.  Due to the endless potential and priceless value of big data and in an effort to address supply ahead of demand, it is critical that CIOs consider latency issues and plan for where data will be housed and how data will be managed.

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Managed Services Market to Reach $256 Billion by 2018

MarketsandMarkets forecasts the managed services market to reach $256.05 billion in 2018, at a compound annual growth rate of 12.4%. The North America region is expected to have the largest revenue contribution.

Evolved managed services solutions and aggressive pricing have resulted in increased revenues for MSPs in recent years. With the expansion of cloud computing, big data, and mobility opportunities, MSPs are increasingly considered as a business essential rather than a business choice. It has been observed that customers who employ MSPs achieve their ROI in a shorter period of time than in-house managed service processes.

 

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Microsoft is Building a CRM cloud for U.S. Government Users

Microsoft plans on releasing a new version of the cloud in 2015, Dynamics CRM Online for Government, specifically for U.S. government customers. It will share similarities to Microsoft’s Azure Government Cloud and Office 365 Government Cloud. Microsoft’s Azure Government Cloud and Office 365 Government Cloud are operated by pre-screened U.S. citizens. Microsoft has not released the exact date for when the new Government CRM database will be released for private or public testing. It will support integration with Microsoft’s Azure and Office 365 government cloud offerings.

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Government Lays Groundwork for Shared Services, Potential Job Cuts

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems expenditures are on the rise; this poses a challenge given the current fiscal environment. The Department of Finance has proposed a plan that will set out a gradual alignment over seven years. The alignment proposition will include the adoption of common ERP business processes across the government, the establishment of a whole-of-government procurement panel for ERP products, which agencies would be obliged to buy from in order to limit the range of systems in use, centralised coordination of software updates, and transparency of pricing across government. The plan will act a catalyst to for the federal government, however, the scheme is also likely to lay the groundwork for future job cuts.

 

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Why This Cloud ERP Provider Is Getting Interested in eCommerce

Popular ERP Provider, NetSuite has recently taken an interest in eCommerce. Businesses make use of ERP and/or CRM to monitor their inventory, track sales, handle shipment queries, customer support, etc. NetSuite recently released the new B2B Customer Center which offers a “next next-generation self-service customer portal as an engine for B2B commerce, creating a win-win for distributors, manufacturers and B2B buyers alike.” It is suggested that 47% of enterprises will migrate to the cloud ERP within the next five years. By building a ‘B2C-like’ eCommerce platform that the suppliers and distributors could use, NetSuite could bring the entire supply chain under its system.

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As the Cloud Evolves, Managed Service Providers Evolve Too

GigaOM’s Ashar Baig presented an alarming forecast for managed services providers (MSPs) at HostingCon 2014: MSPs must adapt to new technologies and trends, or go out of business.

As cloud services grow, MSPs must adapt and bundle their own cloud services. MSPs are now tasked with cloud bundling, including “backup, virtual disaster recovery and proactive networking monitoring.” Some growing areas in cloud services are big data, mobile, systems management, and security.

Baig observes that MSPs are providing “higher value services because it is easier to sell disaster recovery instead of data backup.” He contends that the future of cloud services is hybrid clouds, with “55 percent of MSPs offering hybrid or multi-cloud services in the next 2-3 years.”

 

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Apple and IBM Join Forces

Apple and IBM, fierce rivals since the 1980s, have teamed up to bring IBM’s enterprise software to iOS devices. The exclusive IBM MobileFirst for iOS deal includes IBM selling Apple products with their software integrated to its business clients. Features include native apps, IBM cloud services optimized for iOS, AppleCare tailored for enterprise customers, and basic Apple products sold directly from the company. The deal will help the companies break into areas both have been eyeing; Apple can push deeper into the enterprise with the backing of IBM, and IBM gets an injection of Apple “cool” and can offer products that businesses really want.

“Our alliance will bring the same kind of transformation to the way people work, industries operate and companies perform,” says Ginni Rometty, IBM Chairman, President, and CEO.

 

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