In Nov 2010, we introduced this topic. Dec. 2010 covered "Back End' cloud services. This issue, we'll tackle hosted applications. Next month - hosted VOIP!

What are Hosted Applications?　 Programs that you use which are resident not on your computer or local servers, but far away in someone else's server farm.
 

Examples include Google Apps, Microsoft BPOS, Intuit hosted Quickbooks, SalesForce.com, NetSuite, & SynerTel Hosted Exchange email.

Why are Hosted Applications attractive to many?

- pay as you go model
- someone else gets to worry about backing up your data
- nice for virtual or decentralized organizations (everyone working from home or road)

What are the drawbacks? 

Performance - If you've ever used a hosted app, you'll know they tend to be slower than something running on your local LAN. This is natural - there's more distance (packet hops) between your PC and the cloud than the server down the hall. But often hosted apps are serving tens or hundreds of thousands of users frmo a single server - leaving less horsepower for peak user times than having your own server.  For occasional update databases or mostly-lookup applications, this doesn't cause concern. But if you're used to typing, cutting, and pasting at 60-100 words per minute ... you're going to be waiting a lot for the hosted app at times.  Many users find this very frustrating - they want to work at their speed, not be waiting for a machine. So for heavy app users, or those with rapid keyboard speeds. you might feel  hosted apps = drag on your productivity.

UpTime - Both Microsoft and Google Apps have had multi-hour outages affecting most or all of the US at once. The more you rely on hosted apps - the larger the risk of being stopped in your tracks by either a hosting outage, or a connectivity problem. We all secretly wish for 100% uptime - but sooner or later, there's a planned or unplanned outage. Recently I experienced this first-hand:  one of our carrier partners began performing a router upgrade at 12:15AM,  taking down many circuits in the Bay Area for about 30 minutes. They thought it was a good quiet time to do this. But I was remotely upgrading a database - and being disconnected mid-stream was not helpful. Lesson - Its often easier to deal with scheduled downtime (for app upgrades, patching) in a private corporate environmen -- t. In a hosted environment, you probably aren't even known to many of the parties who can anonymously but quite effectively pull the plug on your work.

Security - 2 Google employees were recently fired for snooping in customer email accounts. When your data passes across the internet between your PC and the hosting center - its not very secure.　 Many hosted apps do not use https (encyption). Every network segment between you and the hosting app is a place where packet sniffing or recording may be taking place. If an ISP is recording packets to troubleshoot - your data may end up in log files or being copied off to a 3rd party for analysis. Ever picked something interesting up off the sidewalk to read? This can happen in the bit-stream world, too.

For many users - these aren't big stumbling blocks. SynerTel uses a number of hosted apps provided by some of our partners for lead distribution, material ordering, user support, etc. We think these are fine - the data being passed and stored is of interest to us, but if lost or disclosed would not trigger a major privacy breach, or loss of commercially valuable information. But we're not as in favor of using hosted apps for patient or legal records, sensitive financial information, personnel records, etc.

SynerTel offers a variety of Cloud-based hosted applications, including Full Exchange 2010, Pop-Mail, Google Apps, email security (spam filtering and email security), email archiving, and more.　 Call  or email us to talk about cloud apps anytime! 

 

SynerTel recently had a chance to be of assistance in a very unique setting - St. Albert's Priory, a Dominican monastery in Oakland. 

The School of Applied Theology is an international sabbatical program for mid-career clergy from all over the world. Most attendees travel from other continents - and their only link home with loved ones and community  is email and Skype. With 30-40 students in residence at once, reliable internet access was critical.

SAT's  DSL  Internet connection and wireless coverage wasn't adequate in the beautiful stone, plaster,and lath campus of St. Alberts. Funds were expended on various band-aid fixes , without positive results. In October 2010, Comcast agreed to rewire the campus and provide multiple Internet feeds to each side of campus. Students and faculty waited patiently, but by January 2011, as a new batch of students were preparing to arrive, Comcast still hadn't begun the project. As the fall student group had suffered with almost no connectivity to home, concern was high as more students arrived  to face the same problem.

A chance conversation at the Berkeley YMCA led SAT to SynerTel!  Within days, an extensive 3 hour site survey was conducted, and a plan and budget created. Swiftly approved by the SAT board, implementation began immediately, and was completed in 6 days. Cabling this beautiful historic campus was challenging - SynerTel accomplished this within the aesthetic guidelines provided.

With 4 managed access points, separate networks for administration and students, and proper UTM firewalling between the networks and the outside world, reliable fast internet access was available to all!  Access worked fine during peak periods when the entire student body  used email and  video Skype at once.

Executive Director Jim Briggs wrote "Wireless is up and running and people are dancing in the hallways on the 2nd and 3rd floors!  Thanks to you for expediting this project.  I can't tell you the difference it makes for the participants and for staff  who won't have to deal with the [prior ongoing]  complaints!  Thanks too to a superb crew of workers.  Michael especially was outstanding but all were experienced, efficient, courteous, and communicative about what they were doing and the progress being made."

SynerTel is proud to have been able to solve this problem quickly and effectively for SAT - and is now looking at improving more of SAT's IT infrastructure.

Not enjoying how your wireless network is acting?  We can help!