Monat: Oktober 2020

Over the course of the last few years, the increasing demands of customers have led manufacturers across industries to embrace service-oriented products and solutions to improve customer satisfaction, increase profit margins, and diversify offerings and revenue. At IFS, our technology is built to uniquely balance the diverse needs of industrial enterprises and service companies, making us the ideal fit for manufacturers looking towards servitization for their future success.

Don’t take it from us, though—in their most recent MarketScape on Worldwide Manufacturing Field Service Management Applications, IDC named us a leader, both in terms of our capabilities, as well as the depth of our ability to execute. Here is a video from Aly Pinder, Program Director – Service Innovation & Connected Products at IDC Manufacturing Insights at IDC:

At IFS, we’ve always known that we uniquely have the breadth of capabilities, and depth of functionality to allow businesses to recognize the completeness of their service strategy without compromise, and to prepare themselves for whatever the future of service holds. If you want to see how we make that a reality for manufacturers, download the full report here!

The post IDC Names IFS a Leader in Field Service Management Applications for Manufacturers appeared first on ERP News.

It is a great advantage to establish a strong and well-implemented ERP system. If we can create an ‘ERP Pyramid Model’ just like Maslow’s ‘Needs Hierarchy’, which categorizes human needs, we can build successful projects with stronger foundations.

Maslow’s “Needs Hierarchy” is a theory created by Psychologist Abraham Maslow to study the needs of people. Maslow has divided human needs into 5 main categories (physiological, safety, social, respectability, self-realization) and explained the relationship between them. According to Maslow, firstly, it meets the needs at the lower levels and then progresses to the needs at the upper levels step by step. The Needs Hierarchy is still used as a theory that explains people’s motivation sources and behavior.

Inspired by this theory, we can create an “ERP Pyramid Model” to help businesses approach ERP systems. Applications hosted by ERP (Enterprise Resource Planning) systems work-integrated and connected. The majority of these links are in the horizontal hierarchy, while some require vertical progress.

We can describe this structure as levels rising above each other, resembling the steps of a pyramid. Typically, it cannot be moved to the next level without meeting a lower level of requirements and criteria. A healthy ERP adaptation and project progress will not occur if it continues to the next level without meeting the lower-level requirements.

Let’s summarize the 6-level ERP Pyramid in the following headings.

Level 1: Concepts & Standards

Located at the lowest level of the pyramid, this step also covers the most space. This level does not include an ERP module or application, it represents the approach of more businesses to the ERP philosophy. The components of the first level that shoulders a full load of other digits rising exponentially are:

• All departments in the business have ERP awareness and basic concepts.
• Task shares in the organization are specific and defined.
• Uncovering current functions, process steps, and needs.
• Having a project team and key users to take part in ERP transformation

Of course, all the above components don’t have to be perfect. Some components will be better understood at progressive levels and will be further deeper across the business. However, the apparent weakness or lack of components at the first level will cause disruptions as they move forward at later levels.

Level 2: Basic Data

Basic data are elements that provide input to all applications in the ERP system. The basic data needed to create documents/records in ERP modules are mandatory for the effective operation of the system. For example; to create a “Purchase Order” in the system; material basic data, supplier information, purchase price, etc. are needed.

The main categories of Basic Data in ERP systems are:

Material Basic Data (raw material, semi-product, product, commercial material, etc.)

• Customer & Supplier Basic Data
• Cost (Expense) Centers
• Production Work Centers
• Product Trees (BOM)
• Production Operations and Routes
• Warehouse & Stock Place (Shelf) Definitions
• Sales & Purchase Price Lists

The design, editing, and management of basic data are some of the critical success factors in ERP projects. Basic data designed incorrectly or incompletely transferred to the system will adversely affect the operation of all other modules. In order to proceed firmly towards the next steps of the pyramid, basic data must be properly designed and managed.

Level 3: Main Processes

At this level, we can now start running modules in the ERP system. The main processes are mainly modules within the classic frame of ERP. Identification, adaptation, process design, commissioning activities are carried out for each module. These processes are fed by well-designed basic data and the first returns of ERP are seen by commissioning the main processes. After this stage, our goal should be to achieve the benefits expected from the ERP system.

Examples of main processes (modules) for this topic are:

• Sales Management
• Purchasing Management
• Accounting & Finance
• Production & Planning
• Quality control
• Warehouse and Inventory Management

Level 4: Top Processes

The upper processes step includes basic data and advanced applications that are above the main processes. We can give examples of the modules commissioned at this level as follows.

MRP – Material Requirement Planning: To calculate material needs through the system; purchase, sales, inventory management, production modules must be actively in use and provide up-to-date information.

Standard Cost: For the standard cost that we can also qualify as an estimated or projected cost account; product trees, purchase prices, route operations, standard times, unit activity cost information is needed.

Supplier Assessment: To give our suppliers points and evaluate certain criteria; supplier cards, purchase orders, receipts, input quality control processes will be required. In addition, the calculation of “Realized (actual) Cost” requires data from other modules to enable the system to be traceable from start to finish, capacity planning, and further scheduling processes. Upper processes are structures that feed on the data formed in the lower steps of the pyramid and rise above them.

Level 5: Management Reports

Management reports and business intelligence applications, which are among the biggest benefits of ERP systems, are at level 5. Data created by all users is translated into interpretable information, summary reports, and a meaningful result. The reports required to realize this transformation are designed and made available to management teams. Reporting applications can be supported by “Business Intelligence” tools so that ERP has a “Decision Support System”. Let’s take a look at the following scenarios to better understand the relationship between getting management reports and other steps:

The barrier to reporting material inventory and amounts up-to-date may be a glitch for underlying data in the second step. To accurately calculate the costs that have occurred, it may be necessary to provide more detailed training to key users in the first step. The solution to getting an administrative report correctly can be achieved by eliminating inaccuracies in different steps. Sample output may be reproduced based on the data in the different components in the ERP system

Level 6: Continuous Improvement

“Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs” which we mentioned at the beginning of the article is valid for individuals and the top step is defined as “Self-Realization”. The institutional structure of this level can be seen as the top step in which all the benefits expected from the ERP system are taken. Activities performed at this level are:

• Control of the commissioned processes, process improvement studies
• Control of the data generated in the ERP system and increasing the data quality
• Commissioning the new processes and modules
• Ensuring that the benefits gained from the ERP system are permanent
• Detecting and correcting what kind of defects at which step should be seen as part of continuous improvement activities.

Solution:

An enterprise that is prepared for an ERP journey or wants to benefit from the existing ERP system more effectively can determine its targets and strategy more clearly by making an evaluation on the basis of these levels. Correcting the deficiencies in the weak steps of the pyramid is an imperative need to move up to the upper levels.

Establishing a strong and permanent ERP system can give the business a great advantage. Businesses should strive to build robust and constantly strengthening ERP systems, rather than building sandcastles that will be destroyed by the first sea wave.

Written By:

Kaya Metinkaya / IAS İzmir Consultancy Manager

The post ‘ERP Pyramid Model’ for a Successful Project appeared first on ERP News.

 SAP SE (NYSE: SAP) today announced SAP was ranked a market leader in “The Forrester Wave™: Digital Operations Platforms for Manufacturing Businesses, Q3 2020.”

In the report, SAP S/4HANA was cited as a leader in digital operations platforms (DOPs) for manufacturing businesses, with the highest score in the current offering category of all 13 vendors reviewed.

In this 27-criterion vendor assessment, SAP received a score of five out of five in the current offering category’s criteria of finance and accounting, EPM, procurement, execution, inventory, warehouse management, maintenance, repair and operations, supply chain management, order management, billing and revenue management, and internationalization. In the strategy category, SAP received a five out of five scores in the product road map, partner ecosystem, and transformation strategy criteria. Within the market presence category, SAP received the highest possible scores both in the “number of large enterprise customers” and the “total revenues in category” criteria.

SAP was shown to be the largest digital operations platform in terms of revenue and, according to the report, “Historically, the firm has been a dominant force in the market for large, complex, global operations’ needs, in addition to offering front-office solutions and products for midsize enterprises and small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs).” This versatility stems from the modern, AI-driven, flexible, and easy-to-use nature of the SAP S/4HANA product.

The report stated: “SAP has comprehensive functionality for all major areas of DOP and a modern architecture that’s built for modularity, flexibility, and intelligence. It’s the number one finance solution for large enterprises globally by market share. SAP has some exceptional strengths, such as flexible billing, in-memory planning, and reports on live data.”

According to SAP, these findings suggest that SAP has demonstrated its ability to meet the needs of digital businesses and enterprises of all types while empowering them to be more resilient.

Learn more about “The Forrester Wave™: Digital Operations Platforms for Manufacturing Businesses, Q3 2020,” here.

The post SAP S/4HANA Named a Leader in Independent Research Firm’s Q3 2020 Evaluation of Digital Operations Platforms for Manufacturing Businesses appeared first on ERP News.

The role of technology in solving business problems has become more obvious of late. As the COVID lockdown hit, many of us were in the same boat, looking for ways to offer goods and services without interruption. While some wanted business as close to usual as possible, others were looking to make switches and offer new products. In each case, those with cloud ERP technology were better placed to deliver.

No
wonder businesses are now looking to fix themselves up with new technology
before they lose too much ground to their more prepared competitors.

But
with the benefits of a technology that streamlines business processes now clear,
how do you choose from all that the market has to offer?

One
decision is whether to choose a generic ERP system which offers the same
solution regardless of industry or something that has been designed
specifically with your particular industry in mind.

As
we shall see, there is a third way for mid-sized businesses that offer the best
of both worlds. But we’ll get to that shortly. First, let’s look at each option
in turn.

Generic ERP

Generic
ERP offers businesses an efficient way to streamline and automate business
processes. It has not been designed with any particular industry in mind but
takes as its starting point the most common business scenarios.

Benefits at a glance – generally cheaper. Can be quicker to implement if you are
happy to adopt the pre-configured processes based on best practice.

Downsides would include the lack of industry-specific and even company-specific functions.

Industry-Specific ERP

An industry-specific ERP has been designed with the needs of a particular industry in mind. Many companies within your industry may end up using the same solution, and it can be further customized to your specific needs.

Benefits at a glance include industry-specific functionality which may make
things quicker to implement.

Downsides would include cost and the possibility that the “big players” in your
industry dictate how things are done.

At In Cloud Solutions we asked our manufacturing and supply chain expert Paul McNally for some further pointers, pros, and cons for each type for ERP. Here is what he shared.

Generic ERP

• Generally cheaper, as a wider customer base is using the system
• New functionality can be brought on stream quicker for all users e.g. machine learning for invoice scanning
• Cloud ERP tends to be process-driven so you can configure processes and only select those applicable
• There is generally a wider pool of resources available to help and support the system
• Customization to specific industry requirements can be costly and time-consuming
• If you select Cloud ERP then you can use APIs to link to best of breed third-party solutions to solve your industry-specific needs. We suggest using Cloud ERP as a foundation for the business processes and use e best of breed additional solutions to support your businesses USP

Industry-Specific ERP

•          Being specific it can be quicker to
implement and get up and running as the processes are built and ready to go.

•          The product roadmap can ultimately be
driven by a few of the larger customers to fit their business which may not be
appropriate for you.

•          It can be a challenge to configure or customize to your specific business – because businesses often have their own USP which means they are indeed unique.

•          If your business has certain regulatory requirements covered by industry-specific ERP, then this is the best way to go as customization can be costly. Check which regulations are covered in generic before you decide.

At
In Cloud Solutions we implement the SAP solution Business ByDesign. This is considered to be
an out of the box generic ERP for mid-sized business. However, if you look at
the portfolio of any company selling this product you will see versions of the
product designed with specific industries in mind. This gives companies the
best of both worlds!

Versions
include; manufacturing, life sciences, public sector, professional services,
hotels, wholesale and distribution, and more.

The
point is that you get the speed and functionality of an out of the box solution
coupled with some of the features that your industry will need. Experts in
wholesale and distribution have thought about the issue of bar code scanners
and the life sciences experts have already designed a clever app to calculate
patents and royalty payments.

Big
software companies like SAP are moving towards a model that supports their
partners in developing their own industry-specific IP. We ourselves have had a
lot of success with our developments, not just the royalty payment app
mentioned above but also a Hospitality Solution that comes with the
uniform system of accounts for the hotel industry (USALI) built-in.

If
you have multiple companies using different currencies then something like  SAP ByDesign is going to help you streamline
your reporting on both the local or global levels. This is great for a hotel
chain for example or a company that wants access to live data across
warehouses, production, logistics, sales, and finance.

A
flexible generic system will allow you to enable as much or as little of the
functionality as required in implementation. The choice is yours.

The post How to Choose Between Generic and Industry-Specific ERP Systems appeared first on ERP News.

Do you really need to urgently change your online banking password, or is that email from a hacker who’s trying to get hold of your login details?

It’s not always easy to spot a phishing email but in this guide we’ll outline the tell-tale signs which suggest an email isn’t what it claims to be.

We’ll also look at what steps you can take to avoid falling for a phishing scam.

Five signs of a phishing email

1 Poor spelling/grammar

An email that’s littered with spelling mistakes and grammatical errors is a sure sign of a phishing email.

However, perfect spelling and grammar isn’t enough to indicate that an email is legitimate, as sophisticated phishing emails will do everything they can to look legitimate.

2 From an unusual email address

Another of the easiest ways to detect a phishing email is looking at the sender’s email address.

Legitimate emails will always come from an email address linked to the business, for example an email from 123 Reg will come from an address that ends “@123-reg.co.uk” or @marketing.123-reg.co.uk”.

If you get an email that says it’s from one organisation, but the email address it’s from isn’t related to that organisation then it’s a sure sign you’re dealing with a phishing email.

However, more sophisticated phishing emails will look like they’re from the company they claim to be from. This is because hackers can use email spoofing to disguise the address from which a phishing email was sent.

Even if the sender’s email address looks legitimate it doesn’t mean an email can be trusted, so be on the look out for other signs of phishing.

3 A prompt for urgent action

Phishing emails often call on you to take urgent action. Why? Because if you feel like you need to act quickly, you’re less likely to think about what you’re doing. If you’re not thinking about what you’re doing, you’re more likely to fall for a phishing email.

This prompt for urgent action could be something negative, such a warning that you’ll be locked out of your account, or a service will be suspended if you don’t act. Sometimes, phishing emails will claim that someone has already hacked your account and you need to change your password.

There are also phishing emails with positive prompts for urgent action, these are usually something like the promise of a prize or a tax refund.

If you receive an unexpected email which contains a prompt for urgent action, treat it with caution.

4 Requests for sensitive information

The aim of phishing emails is to gather sensitive information. As such another indicator of a phishing email is if you’re asked to send sensitive data such as bank details, account details, passwords, or personal information such as your date of birth.

In an unsophisticated phishing email, you’ll probably be asked to reply to the email with the requested information.

In more sophisticated phishing emails, you’ll be prompted to click a link to a malicious website, which we’ll talk about now.

5 Links to a malicious website

The other way phishing emails will seek to steal sensitive information is by getting you to click on a link to a malicious website.

This malicious website will look like it belongs to the organisation which was impersonated in the phishing email and will ask visitors to log in or provide some other form of information such as payment details.

However, if anyone does attempt to log in (or provides any other information via the malicious site) their details will be sent to the hacker behind the phishing email and their account will be compromised.

If you’re viewing an email via a laptop or desktop browser, you can hover your cursor over any links in the email and preview the address the link will take you to. If the address in the preview isn’t the one you were expecting, don’t click the link.

However, just because the link in the preview look legitimate, that doesn’t mean the site is safe. As with email addresses, hackers can spoof web addresses in a phishing email to make it seem legitimate.

If you have even the slightest suspicion that an email is a phishing attempt, do not click any links in it.

Tips to avoid being phished

It can be difficult to tell a sophisticated phishing email from a legitimate email. For that reason, it’s a good idea to play it safe. Here are some tips to help you do just that.

Treat all unexpected emails with caution

If you’re not expecting an email, treat it as if it’s a phishing email until you’re certain it isn’t one.

Look for the signs of a phishing email we outlined above, if you spot them ignore or delete the message.

If you don’t spot any obvious signs that it is a phishing email, you may feel like you need to act, especially if the email is about the security of one of your accounts.

You should still avoid replying to, or clicking any links in, the email. Instead, you can go to the organisation directly.

Go directly to the organisation the email claims to be from

If an unexpected email has you worried and you think you might need to log in to an account and act, go directly to the organisation’s website.

By doing this, you eliminate the risk of clicking on a link to a malicious website in a phishing email.

You could also contact the organisation’s customer service department to ask if the email is legitimate. Again, if you decide to do this go directly to the organisation’s website and get its contact details from there.

Worried about an email that claims to be from 123 Reg?

Sometimes, you might get a phishing email that claims to be from 123 Reg. If you’re worried an email that seems to be from us is actually a phishing email, look for the signs we’ve outlined above.

Additionally, a legitimate 123 Reg email will always address you by your first name (rather than a generic greeting like “Dear customer”) and we will never ask for confidential details like your password or payment information.

Legitimate 123 Reg emails will always be sent from an email address ending either “@123-reg.co.uk” or @marketing.123-reg.co.uk”.

If you’re at all worried that an email which claims to be from 123 Reg is a fishing email, you can always log in to your Control Panel directly and manage your account from there.

You can also contact our support team on 0345 450 2310.

You can forward 123 Reg phishing emails to abuse@123-reg.co.uk so we can investigate. Please note that you may not receive a response from us after you’ve forwarded the message.

The post How to spot a phishing email appeared first on Better business online: Tips, insight and advice.

This year’s Women in Business Expo takes place virtually on the 14^th and 15^th of October and 123 Reg will be there.

You can book your ticket here but, before you do, here’s a run through of just some of the things you could learn over the course of the event.

How to build a business or personal brand website

Want to get online either to further your career or promote your business, but don’t know where to start?

Camille Simpson, head of product marketing at 123 Reg, will be explaining how to create your own business/personal brand website.

You’ll learn how to get the website you need and how to create content that will engage your visitors.

Find out more about Camille’s talk here.

How to work from home effectively

Struggling to get things done while working from home? Jaya Baloo, chief information security officer at Avast, will talk about her experience of dealing with issues such as engagement and wellness while working from home. Whether you’re employed or running your own business, Jaya’s talk has the potential to help you work better from home.

Find out more about Jaya’s talk here.

How to get paid on time

Late payments can really hurt a small business. Suzanne Burke, head of operations at the Small Business Commissioner, will offer advice on how you can make sure larger suppliers pay you on time.

Find out more about Suzanne’s talk here.

How to prep for investment

Looking for investment to expand your business but don’t think you’re ready to pitch? Joanne Baban Morales, CEO and founder of Nunude & Digginova, will cover the fundamentals you need to get right while you prepare your investment pitch.

Find out more about Joanne’s talk here.

Things you didn’t know about leadership

Want to improve your leadership skills? Farrah Storr, editor-in-chief at Elle, is promising to disclose the leadership tips you won’t find in management books.

Find out more about Farrah’s talk here.

How to survive when things are stacked against you

Ruby Wax OBE’s talk is subtitled “From madness to mindfulness” and in it she will explain the methods she used to avoid “a potential mental disaster”.

Find out more about Ruby’s talk here.

How to create the career you want

If you feel like you’re stuck on a career path that you don’t like, Suzy Walker, editor-in-chief of Psychologies, could have just the talk you need.

She promises to give you a five-step plan that will build a new work life that you love.

Find out more about Suzy’s talk here.

How to have more confidence

Struggling to feel confident in your business life? Jamie Fergus Crockett, founder and CEO of Developing Business Performance, will outline a ten-step plan you can use to develop more confidence in your business.

Find out more about Jamie’s talk here.

And much, much more

We’ve touched on just a handful of things happening over the course the Women In Business Expo.

For the price of your ticket, you’ll get access to seminars and roundtable events offering a range of tips and advice.

You can see everything that’s happening at the Women In Business Expo on the official website.

The post 8 things you could learn at the Women in Business Expo appeared first on Better business online: Tips, insight and advice.

According to Forbes, 35 zettabytes (35 trillion gigabytes) of data are predicted to be created in 2020. So, where is all that data going to be stored? How will you store large amounts of data that is also easily accessible?

If you’re a business owner, you must’ve thought about the data your business will generate or use, and now you are looking into flexible storage solutions.

What is SAN Storage?

A Storage Area Network (SAN) is a high-performance, high-speed network of storage devices that allows access to consolidated, block-level storage. Multiple client devices can access it, and it usually appears to the client OS as a disk. SAN storage separates the storage system from the rest of the local area network (LAN). This way, they improve application performance, data protection, and disaster recovery if needed.

How Does SAN Storage Work?

SAN storage provides a high-speed infrastructure connecting servers to their logical disk units. A logical disk unit is an array of blocks allocated from a pool of storage units that are presented to the server as a logical disk. Therefore, when connecting to a SAN from a LAN or a server, the SAN actually appears like a local disk. It does that in a way that any client device can store data on the logical unit, as it would on any local type of storage device. A well-designed and distributed SAN can withstand multiple device or component failures, keeping the data safe.

What Does SAN Storage Consist Of?

As already mentioned, storage area networks are usually physically separated from the rest of the LAN, and can span multiple sites. They’re composed of SAN switches, hosts, and storage devices that are connected internally through a variety of SAN technologies.

What are the Advantages of System Area Network?

The five advantages of system area networks are:

1. Greater Scalability – SAN storage can be scaled easily to suit evolving business needs. Should you need more storage, more capacity can be added when and as it is required. That way, you will never have more storage than you need.
2. Backup – Data backup should always be a major consideration, and if using SAN, you only need a single backup server for data that is potentially scattered across multiple locations.
3. Reduces LAN Bandwidth Issues – LAN-based storage systems can be subject to bandwidth bottlenecks due to the fact that a large chunk of the network traffic is caused by data transfers. Since SAN takes that part of traffic onto itself, the performance of the entire LAN would improve and decrease the time needed for other tasks.
4. Data Security – Using a SAN, data protection algorithms are consistent. Whenever you need it, you have access to accurate copies of any data on it. Additionally, should the LAN become compromised, your data would be secure, since it is stored on a separate network.
5. Disaster Recovery – Centralized data can be easily copied to a separate recovery device that’s ideally stored at a separate location as well. As such, if and when needed, the data can also be easily recovered, should anything disastrous happen.

The Most Common SAN Protocols

Here are three of the most common SAN protocols used:

1. Fibre Channel Protocol (FCP) – This is the most widely used SAN or block protocol. It is deployed in the majority of the SAN market. FCP uses Fibre Channel transport protocols embedded with SCSI commands.
2. Internet Small Computer System Interface (iSCSI) – iSCSI incorporates SCSI commands inside an Ethernet frame. For data transport, it uses an IP Ethernet network.
3. Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) – It is similar to iSCSI, since it incorporates an FC frame inside an Ethernet datagram. It also uses an IP Ethernet network for transport.

Use Cases for San Storage

Storage area networks have their own local file systems that enable the servers to partition and format the blocks to use as the local storage units they appear as. Storage area networks are used as support for performance-sensitive applications such as:

1. Oracle Databases – These are often business-critical, and require the highest performance and availability.
2. Microsoft SQL Server Databases – MS SQL Server databases also usually store an enterprise’s most valuable data. Therefore, they also require the highest performance and availability.
3. Virtualization Deployments using KVM, Microsoft Hyper-V, or VMware – These environments can extend to thousands of virtual machines running a wide range of operating systems and applications, sometimes with varying performance requirements. These environments support many applications, so infrastructure reliability becomes even more important, because a failure can cause multiple application outages.
4. Large Virtual Desktop Infrastructures (VDIs) – These environments serve virtual desktops to sometimes large numbers of an organization’s users. Some of them number tens of thousands of virtual desktops. By centralizing them, organizations can more easily manage data security.
5. SAP, Large ERP, or CRM Environments – SAN architectures can be a perfect fit for different resource planning and other resource management workloads.

Regarding the hardware, HDDs are being replaced, or combined with SSDs, thus creating hybrid arrays, as well as all-flash SANs.

What is NAS?

Network attached storage (NAS) is a network-based storage solution. NAS storage are methods of managing storage centrally, and sharing that storage with multiple servers. Unlike SAN, which uses Ethernet and FC, NAS uses Ethernet. Additionally, NAS focuses on ease-of-use, scalability, lower cost of ownership, and manageability. Unlike SAN, NAS storage controllers partition the storage. This makes a NAS server look like any other file server to the client server connected to it. While SAN stores data at the block level, NAS accesses it as files. Therefore, it’s usually associated with unstructured data, such as images or video content, while SAN usually handles structured workloads like databases. Hybrid and all-flash NAS hardware is also available due to the impact flash storage has had on storage mediums.

Most Common NAS Protocols:

Here are the two most commonly used NAS protocols:

1. Common Internet File Services / Server Message Block (CIFS/SMB) – This is the protocol that Windows usually uses.
2. Network File System (NFS) – NFS was first developed for use with UNIX servers, and is also a common Linux protocol.

SAN vs NAS: Which to Choose

In the end, the choice is yours, depending on the needs of your business, as well as the budget available for storage purposes.

What is Unified Storage?

Unified storage, or multiprotocol storage, is another type of network-based storage array. It was created out of desire and need for a single storage platform that would support both block and file storage in one system. Unified storage allows a single system to support FC and iSCSI block storage, as well as file storage protocols like NFS or SMB. Additionally, with systems like these, the same physical storage can be allocated to either SAN or NAS.

Liquid Web SAN Storage and Cloud Storage Solutions

Liquid Web’s Storage Area Network (SAN) is a highly scalable and fault-tolerant central network storage cluster for your critical data. It uses fast, low latency Gigabit Ethernet connections to connect to your servers. This allows for sequential, or parallel data transfer, without affecting the performance of the host server.

Other than the SAN solution, we also offer other cloud storage add-ons, such as Cloud Object Storage and Cloud Block Storage.

• Cloud Object Storage is a secure solution for storage needs of any size. It stores data as objects that can be manipulated through programmatic API calls by applications. With it, you can fully control who can read, write, and access your data. It offers easy per gig pricing, zero bandwidth or access fees, and is fully compatible with the Amazon S3 Protocol.
• Cloud Block Storage volumes can be instantly deployed in sizes ranging from 5GB to 15TB. They provide additional hard drive space for your cloud server with just a few clicks. The space is not pre-formatted, but rather, it is a raw block device. That way, you can mount and format the space on your server however you would like, with whatever filesystem is appropriate for your needs. It stores data in volumes or blocks that appear like a hard drive to an operating system. For this reason, block-based private cloud storage is ideal for applications that rely on structured data like file systems and databases. Additionally, you have the freedom to move or create block storage volumes that are separate from your cloud server environments, meaning they are portable between servers.

Choosing Flexible Storage

Whether you’re storing databases or other types of data, a flexible storage space like SAN storage is always a good idea. Network storage is cost-effective, remote, and secured, making it a perfect choice for our increasingly remote workforce of today.

Check Out Liquid Web SAN Storage Today For High-Performance Block-Level Storage For Your Growing Infrastructure

The post What is a Storage Area Network (SAN)? appeared first on Liquid Web.

The health of a subscription, SaaS, PaaS, or IaaS business is measuring by having consistent revenue. To do that, businesses rely on monthly recurring revenue (MRR).

We are going to discuss what MRR is, how it works, and how it is calculated in a subscription company. There is more to growing an MRR company than just adding new customers.

But what is MRR exactly?

Monthly Recurring Revenue Definition

Monthly recurring revenue (MRR) or monthly recurring charge (MRC) is the consistent monthly amount that you can expect to have as revenue for your company. MRR and MRC are two different terms that are used to define and understand the world of recurring revenue, also known as predictable revenue.

MRR is the most important metric in a PaaS, SaaS, or IaaS business model. These can include items such as service contracts, support contracts, or maintenance contracts.

As a company grows its subscribing customers, so too will the MRR of the company grow, thereby increasing the value to the company’s investors.

Netflix, Disney +, Hulu, Spotify, Wall Street Journal, Apple App stores, and Liquid Web are all great examples of the subscription recurring revenue model.”

Each of these examples are all using a subscription system to attract customers to pay a monthly price for their products and services. They use the subscription model as a way to gain long-term revenue by continuing to modify and change their offerings as a way to keep these customers.

Investors of these companies love the subscription model because there are primary finance functions that are calculated using an MRR model.

What are the Three Types of Monthly Recurring Revenue?

The three types of MRR are:

1. The Lifetime Value of the Customer (CLV) – Customer Lifetime Value is a predictor of future revenue.
2. Expansion MRR – Expansion MRR is defined as the ways you can increase revenue from your current customer base.
3. Churn MRR – Churn MRR is defined as the amount of customers who have cancelled or downgraded their subscription.

In a subscription world, MRR is very important to understand in order to track and project future cash flow and earnings. The more subscriptions you have signed up, the more revenue you can record each month. The longer the subscription, the longer the period of revenue you will record.

If you are looking to show growth to your investors, the more subscriptions, and the higher MRR a company has, the more valuable it is.

The object of the MRR business model is to keep renewals high and avoid customer churn. Building long-term relationships with your customers, rather than one-off deals, will be more lucrative.

How to Calculate Monthly Recurring Revenue

Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR) is calculated by taking the total amount of all annual, semi-annual, quarterly, or monthly recurring charges and dividing it by 12 months.

Monthly Recurring Revenue Formula

You would not include any one-time fees, set up charges, or any billing that would be billed in arrears. Other non-recurring charges could be items such as initiation fees or waived fees.

It is important to remember that MRR is not necessarily the amount of cash you will collect in a month, but the amount you will record as revenue in a month.

Why Is Monthly Recurring Revenue Important to Measure?

The following are reasons why a subscription business uses MRR as a target measurement:

1. Marketing Efforts Are Working

You need to understand what matters most to your customers, and you need to know how to meet those needs. You will need to learn the preferences and gain knowledge to refine your product or service offerings.

2. Sales Teams Are Working and Being Effective

Business owners need long-term relationships. The longer a customer stays, the more revenue they will bring. They are the gift that keeps on giving.

3. Determine Budgeting of Revenue

Being able to predict your revenue and match your company’s expenses will give you better insight into making better decisions. You will be able to manage your routine costs, and plan for the unexpected ones. Being predictable is sometimes a great thing.

4. Positive Cash Flow

You can show a steady cash flow stream, which can help offset the company’s expenses in a more consistent manner.

4 Ways to Grow MRR

If you are selling a subscription that is a product or a service, you’ll quickly be looking at ways to grow your customer base. Here are four ways to grow MRR:

1. Communication

Your product or service when selling PaaS, SaaS, or IaaS should be a primary focus. You need to show the value that exists by communicating to your current customers, as well as your future ones. Make sure this communication is clear and resonates with your intended audience. Inform the customers about this value, the benefits, and the impact it will have on their business.

2. Managing the Base

Increasing your pricing or offerings is very important to keep your current customers for the long-term. The longer they stay, the more money and revenue you will make and earn. Offering premium levels, extra features, upgrades, and even customizable plans are all great options to deploy. The goal is to create retention and reduce churn.

3. New Customers

Generating leads will lead to customer acquisition. It’s getting leads that is the difficult part. Knowing your target market and tailoring your messaging to this audience will help to get more leads in the door.

4. Customer First

Support is incredibly important in a SaaS business. All software sales, especially technology software customers, need helpful support. Creating a channel not only for your current customer base, but also the future ones, will be important to your MRR growth. This can be a benefit sales uses to get customers to see the value in your offerings. Customers flock to companies that show a high level of support for products, and treat their customers with respect.

How to Calculate MRR Growth

MRR Growth is calculated by subtracting Net MRR in the current period from Net MRR in the previous period, and dividing it by Net MRR from the previous period.

MRR Growth Formula

Monthly Recurring Revenue is Important

Making great business decisions starts with having the right data. For businesses that rely on MRR for revenue, this is even more important than ever. With the above steps for growing your company, you will be on your way to success.

The post What is Monthly Recurring Revenue (MRR)? appeared first on Liquid Web.

The cloud has transformed technology for businesses and consumers alike. Most of your favorite apps and websites are running in the cloud. Data crucial to business and industry is stored in the cloud. And systems and integrations that keep the trains running on time, both literally and figuratively, call the cloud “home.”

In short, the “Cloud” is where software and services run when they aren’t running on your desktop, or on the server stuck in the back closet. The cloud provides on-demand and as-needed resources, so that websites don’t go offline and applications don’t crash under a high traffic load.

While such technological power might seem reserved only for businesses with big budgets, that is not the case. Pay-for-use billing and economies of scale are just two ways that the cloud has been made more affordable for businesses of all shapes and sizes. For pricing near or sometimes even less than standard infrastructure pricing, the cloud is available to most everyone.

With one significant catch.

Getting the most out of the cloud is often different than using a standard, conventional web server. Just as a well-trained driver is useful in getting peak performance from a sports car, a well-trained cloud technician is useful, even necessary, for getting peak performance out of the cloud. Thankfully, there are a number of cloud managed service providers available to help organizations without the necessary resources in-house.

It’s finding the right cloud managed services partner that is the tricky part. Just as your business is unique, so too are the cloud partners available for your consideration.

We will dig into why businesses are moving to the cloud and the top 5 questions you should be asking when looking for the right cloud managed service provider for your business.

Why SMBs are Adopting the Cloud

Moving to the cloud provides small and medium businesses with numerous benefits.

For starters, cloud deployments are often less expensive than traditional hosting. Those that are a similar price usually offer better performance and reliability.

Cloud hosting also gives greater flexibility and room to grow in most business cases. In fact, Hosting Tribunal reports that 57% of businesses are already using the cloud in some capacity, and the majority plan on increasing their cloud investment in the coming years.

Performance, price, and scalability make the cloud a destination for businesses of all sizes.

But getting the most out of the cloud without losing data, breaking your website, or interrupting your business is not for the faint of heart.

Having a cloud-managed service provider at your side is the best way to minimize both risk and anxiety while getting the most out of your cloud investments.

Top Five Questions for Choosing the Right Cloud Managed Service Provider

Choosing the right cloud managed service provider is quite often like choosing the right accountant, bookkeeper, or attorney for your business. The best choice will be one that understands your business, understands your industry, and is looking for ways to help your organization grow.

Here are the top five questions to ask when choosing the right cloud managed service provider:

1. Are They Guiding You Through the Process?

Understanding what’s available to your business and how it works is just part of the equation. You’ll also need to plan for how to migrate to the cloud, and how things will work on a daily basis. The right cloud managed service provider will educate you on options and help you make the right decisions along the way.

2. Do They Validate What You Actually Need?

Investing in technology for technology’s sake is rarely a good idea. In most cases, your infrastructure needs will be very specific. It can be easy to get overwhelmed when considering new technology. The right cloud managed service provider should make sure that your cloud investments have a purpose and fit your necessary requirements.

3. Do They Show Restraint But Plan For Growth?

Just as users often want to get their hands on the newest technology, the right cloud managed service provider should take the opposite track, since there are so many options for cloud services available. The right partner is the one that will have an eye on the future, but not let you get ahead of yourself in the present.

4. Are They Providing a Positive Return on Investment?

A positive return on investment is essential to most any business expense. Investments in the cloud are no different. Make sure that your expenditures, from the infrastructure itself to any additional fees for support or consultation, maximize your investment. The right cloud managed service provider should be able to detail cost-savings and improved efficiency and performance, so that you can be comfortable investing in the cloud.

5. Do They Support Your Business and Users Alike?

Some cloud managed service providers may not offer the support your business needs. From SLAs to their hours of operation, it is imperative that your chosen partner be available how you need them and when you need them, especially if your business has odd hours or services customers in different locations. Make sure your cloud partner offers support and service that align with your business needs.

Your Business in the Cloud

Liquid Web was founded two decades ago to help small and medium businesses get the most out of the Internet.

While technology has evolved a great deal in that time, our dedication to helping others get the most out of their infrastructure has never waivered. We’ve earned a reputation as the Most Helpful Humans in Hosting® for good reason! Our cloud technologists are ready to help your organization get the most out of your cloud investments.

Cloud Servers can provide the power and performance your business needs to grow into the future. Having the right cloud managed service provider on your side can make all the difference in the world. Contact us to learn more about cloud availability with Liquid Web.

The post Why You Need to Choose the Right Cloud Managed Service Provider appeared first on Liquid Web.

A member of the iThemes Marketing Team on bringing a creative spirit to the world of tech.

An ethos of creativity and curiosity marks Kristen Wright’s life. Wright is the author of two memoirs, A Tiny Existence and Tell the Trail. “Besides giving birth in February of this year to my son, my books are my proudest personal achievements.” Each book, she says, represents her attempt to record the meaning and beauty found in daily life. It is exactly this sort of artistic attention that influences the ingenuity she brings to both her personal life and professional work.

This introspection isn’t new for Wright. A self-proclaimed “Okie from Muskogee,” Wright spent her teenage years driving around her hometown listening to the radio. “A Long December” by Counting Crows is still her favorite song. “The older I get, the more I find the song still resonates,” she says. “The lyrics have a sort of profound melancholy, but there’s a hopefulness to them, too.”

Wright brings this thoughtfulness to her role on the marketing team at iThemes, part of the Liquid Web Family of Brands. iThemes specializes in WordPress plugins and tools, the most extensive website content management system (CMS) in existence today. “I wear a lot of hats,” she says. “I’m the Content Strategist, Campaign Strategist, and BackupBuddy Product Lead, which means I help our customers learn how to maintain and secure their WordPress websites, or grow their web design and development businesses by providing maintenance and security services to their clients.”

Though Wright has been with iThemes for nearly a decade, her path to the tech industry is one she characterizes as unexpected. “I studied studio art in college and planned to teach art or be an art therapist,” she says. “I took a few graphic design courses one semester, and that led to an interest in web design.” After college, she worked for a large non-profit doing event-planning and then became the office manager and executive assistant at iThemes. Wright quickly transitioned into marketing and further explored her interest in blogging, content marketing, and web design.

It’s a role that encapsulates so many of Wright’s loves. “Creativity plays a huge part in the tech industry,” she says. “While that doesn’t mean paint on a canvas or composing descriptive prose, we get to solve problems every day in creative ways.” For Wright, that has meant learning how to communicate with customers artfully, from the instructions in iThemes plugins to the content of email newsletters and the landing pages on the website.

She takes great pride in the product lineup at iThemes and the ways each product functions to solve problems; problems customers may not even know they have. “I’m very proud of the content marketing and email marketing strategy we’ve built at iThemes—from our blog, to our free ebook library, to our iThemes Training brand, to our weekly WordPress News & Updates newsletter.” Everything, Wright says, is in service of their team motto: Make People’s Lives Awesome.

There are several things that Wright attributes to her success (therapy, reading, and hard work among them), but it’s her definition of success itself that has planted the seeds for the life she leads. “Success, for me,” she says, “encompasses living a whole-hearted life. Does that mean failing sometimes? Yes. Does that mean making mistakes? Absolutely. The important thing is to keep learning and growing—both in business and in life.” Ultimately, she relies on craft, care, and attention to guide her. “The most important things in life require attention and devotion. I’m thankful to have seen this modeled by my parents, who are some of the hardest working people I know.”

With her innate understanding of storytelling, it is unsurprising that Wright is eager for the world of technology to benefit from a diversity of viewpoints. “The reality is the tech industry needs both the individual and collective perspective, insights, and histories of women to move forward,” she says. “Women are needed in all areas of tech—from programming, engineering, design, product management, customer support, and marketing. At every level of a tech business, women need to have a seat at the table. Education and recruiting initiatives have greatly improved over the last decade, but we still need to work hard at bringing more women and diversity into tech.” Technology, Wright says, offers an incredible opportunity for women to innovate and create. “Consider yourself a ‘creative’? You can work in tech. Want to help people? There’s a place for you in tech.”

This is a path Wright feels grateful to be on—and she’s savoring the experiences life offers her along the way. “Success isn’t achieved overnight; great novels or paintings weren’t created in a weekend. This also means that sometimes answers or solutions aren’t immediately obvious, only with time. I often need to embrace how you can’t rush things in life; there are no shortcuts. Some things just take time.”

Hanging on the wall above her desk is a quote by Ann Patchett: It’s up to you to choose a life that keeps expanding. “I want a life that continues to expand with new joys, meaning, and connection,” says Wright. “That often means embracing struggle, challenge, and discomfort. It’s up to me—and me alone—to choose that life.”

The post Women in Technology: Kristen Wright appeared first on Liquid Web.