Desktop Hosting Significantly Reduces Cost of Computer Operations for Small Business
Data is one of your company’s most important assets. Correspondence with your customers, suppliers, and between employees now travels primarily via e-mail. Your old “Rolodex” likely has been replaced by an electronic contact manager. Your business records live in a computer financial accounting package, and your company’s brochures are stored on a computer hard drive. How can you be sure that this data is protected from loss or damage? How can you be sure that they are always accessible to you and your employees? How can you keep your software up to date, support new employees, and track the latest technology developments? That’s where PredictableIT (http://www.predictableit.com) comes in. PredictableIT brings the benefits of a large enterprise information technology department to your business. At a cost targeted to a small business.
Using PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop computer services your data, and the applications that access that data, run in our professionally managed secure Class A data center. You can use almost any Personal Computer (PC), including your existing office and home PCs to securely access your hosted desktops. In the PredictableIT Hosted Desktop environment PCs become “Thin Clients”, display and input devices, for a Microsoft Windows session running on PredictableIT servers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Server and Terminal Services. You interact with this Microsoft Windows session and the available applications, your Hosted Desktop, just as you would with a local PC. However, because the applications and data reside in our secure environment they are protected from many common mishaps.
In this white paper we explore how the PredictableIT service works and what benefits IT outsourcing brings to your business.
Thin Clients
In your business today you and your employees probably use a number of Personal Computers to run applications and store data. You may also have a Server Computer that is used for storing common files and processing email. These computers require considerable attention from you and your staff. The data on them must be backed up in order to avoid data loss. Software to protect your company from Viruses, SPAM, Spyware, Adware, and other forms of “malware” must be installed and updated on a regular basis. Updates to the Microsoft Windows operating system, Microsoft Office productivity tools, and all your other applications must be applied frequently to prevent security problems and improve software stability. New computers must be purchased and configured whenever a new employee joins your firm, and older computers must be replaced periodically. You must also deal with situations in which an employee loads a harmful application onto one or more of the computers in your business. Computer usage policies must be manually enforced. And you may need to call in outside help whenever there is a problem with one of your systems. You can avoid these problems by converting to a “Thin Client” model of computing.
You use Thin Clients at your business to talk to the PredictableIT Service. This moves the responsibility for maintaining your application software, data, and server infrastructure out of your business. It gives you access to current generation applications without requiring upgrades of all your PC hardware and the purchase of new versions of the applications. And it gives you access to future versions of the applications without additional cost.
In the Thin Client model there is no application software running on a local PC, and none of your data is stored locally. Instead your PC, or a dedicated Thin Client device, provides you with a display, keyboard, and mouse for interacting with the PredictableIT Service over the Internet. All applications run on the server and all data is stored at the server site, with backup copies stored offsite. Since no applications run on the client there is no need to install, update, replace, patch, or otherwise manage application software on the client. Since no data resides on the client there is no need to perform PC backups. These management tasks become the responsibility of PredictableIT.
Since application software isn’t running locally, Thin Clients do not become outdated as quickly as traditional Personal Computers. A PC purchased in the mid-1990s is not able to directly run the latest application software, but it is capable of being used as a Thin Client to access those same applications running on a current generation Server.
With PredictableIT, you use Thin Clients at your business to talk to our Servers running Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Server and Terminal Services. This moves the responsibility for maintaining your application software, data, and server infrastructure out of your business. It gives you access to current generation applications without requiring upgrades of all your PC hardware and the purchase of new versions of the applications. And it gives you access to future versions of the applications without additional cost.
Thin Client Options
PredictableIT supports a number of options for Thin Clients. These include:
1) PC Dedicated as a Thin Client
2) General Purpose PC with a Remote Desktop Connection software
3) Thin Client Device
4) PC converted to a Thin Client Device
Each of these options offers benefits, and your business may have requirements for a mix of all 4.
PC Dedicated as a Thin Client
With this option you use standard PCs, ones your business currently owns or newly purchased ones, as Thin Clients. Although the PCs may be capable of general purpose use, you choose to use them only as Thin Clients to talk to PredictableIT’s servers. They typically would be set up to automatically connect to the user’s PredictableIT Hosted Desktop whenever the user logs in to the local PC.
This option is how most customers will initially move to the PredictableIT service since it allows you to preserve your investment in existing PCs. A small amount of setup is required to lock these PCs into the dedicated role, and ideally you should continue to apply critical operating system patches to these systems to avoid security issues. Depending on what version of Microsoft Windows you are running you may also need to download the latest version of Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) software to the PC. A current version of RDC was distributed with Windows XP and is available at
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/tools/rdclientdl.mspx to download for operating systems as old as Windows 95 at no charge.
While this option is most attractive as a way of preserving your investment in existing PCs, it can also be used with newly purchased PCs. It allows you to purchase inexpensive entry-level PCs, that might have been inadequate for running your desired applications, but are perfectly suitable for operation as Thin Clients. The downside of this approach is that you must still complete setup of the Windows XP operating system and continue to apply operating system patches on a regular basis. An alternative is to use a specially designed Thin Client Device.
Thin Client Device
A number of companies, including HP, Neoware and Wyse, make computer systems designed specifically (and solely) to operate as Thin Clients. The benefit of these Thin Client Devices is that they require no local operating system installation or management. These systems do not have disk drives, eliminating a source of failure, power consumption, heat, and noise generation. The special dedicated Thin Client software they run is kept in read-only memory and comes on instantly when the Thin Client Device is powered on. Because Thin Client Devices require little more attention than a telephone, they can provide you with the lowest total cost of ownership.
While dedicating a PC as a Thin Client is best for utilizing your existing PC hardware, PredictableIT recommends the use of Thin Client Devices for new users or when PCs need to be replaced.
PC with a Remote Desktop Connection
There are scenarios where you may still require a General Purpose PC (one where you run applications and keep data locally) but still desire access to PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service. For example, you use your home PC to store and edit digital photographs but also occasionally use it for work. In this situation you continue to use your home PC as always, but when you want to use it for work you use Microsoft’s Remote Desktop Connection (RDC) feature to connect to your PredictableIT Hosted Desktop. Once connected via RDC, your PC temporarily functions as a Thin Client.
With this capability you are able to use any Internet-connected PC to access your Hosted Desktop. Need to get into your work “computer” while visiting relatives? Need to access work from a hotel business center? How about from your notebook computer at an airline club? Using RDC, all these scenarios are possible.
With the right software downloads it is even possible to use Apple Computer Macintosh systems to access your PredictableIT Hosted Desktop. For example, a graphic artist in your company may use a Mac for creating printed material. They could continue to use the Mac for that specialized application while accessing a PredictableIT Hosted Desktop for general productivity application usage. See
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=6573F9F1-8AE1-4DA9-AB5C-F8457ECDAF2D&displaylang=en to download RDC for the Mac OS X 10.3 or later operating systems at no charge.
PC converted to a Thin Client Device
It is possible to purchase software that converts existing PCs into Thin Client Devices. Generally this software turns the PC into a completely dedicated Thin Client Device (as described above), with many of the attendant benefits. Some software versions also allow for running some applications locally. For example, as an alternative to retaining a general purpose PC in your organization it might be valuable to use Neoware’s ThinPC software to turn an engineer’s PC into a Thin Client Device while allowing them to continue to run CAD software locally.
PredictableIT believes that purchasing software to convert PCs into Thin Client Devices is generally unnecessary. If a small number of your users requires access to a local application then having them retain a general purpose PC is the preferred solution.
Hosted Desktops
When you connect your Thin Client to PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service you create a session on our Microsoft Windows Server 2003 and Terminal Services infrastructure. This session is a form of ‘virtual computer’ that looks and behaves just like a PC running Microsoft Windows XP in a LAN environment. And just like a standard PC you use your Hosted Desktop to run applications and manipulate files. Each user who connects gets their own Hosted Desktop ‘virtual computer’, which isolates them from the activities of other users of the service. On one hand this means that you still get the benefits of a traditional PC, now let’s explore the additional benefits of having a Hosted Desktop.
Applications
PredictableIT offers popular applications like Microsoft Office 2003 as part of our service. PredictableIT keeps these applications updated with the latest fixes and enhancements as they are released by the application vendor. With the PredictableIT Hosted Desktop service you are renting these applications. When new versions of these applications become available, PredictableIT makes those new versions available to you as part of the Hosted Desktop service. There is no need for you to purchase new copies for each PC in your office. For a complete list of applications, see our Packages page.
In a few cases PredictableIT will host applications, such as Quickbooks, that you purchase and supply to us for installation and maintenance on your behalf. In these cases we will apply fixes as they are made available by the vendor, but you will need to purchase any new versions that you desire us to host.
File Sharing
Setting up a secure file sharing environment in a traditional PC network can be an administrative challenge. With PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service a file share is automatically established for your company. This share can only be accessed by your company’s PredictableIT Hosted Desktop users, and fully participates in all protection discussed below.
Universal Access
With a normal PC you are pretty much limited to accessing your applications and files from that PCs display, keyboard, and mouse. With a Hosted Desktop you can access your applications and files from any Thin Client. PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service doesn’t care what Thin Client you are connecting from. If you have no active Hosted Desktop then one is created for you when you log in. Even more interesting, if you already have an active Hosted Desktop then when you log in from a new location that Thin Client’s display, keyboard, and mouse take control of the Hosted Desktop. Say you are in the office preparing a report for the following day and have numerous applications open on your Hosted Desktop. You can leave the office, go home, and connect to PredictableIT and the Hosted Desktop will be exactly as you left it so you can productively finish working on the report. While similar in concept to remote control products for PCs, such as Citrix’s GoToMyPC, with PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service you don’t need to install special software or leave a PC turned on and accessible to the network in order to for universal access to work.
Virus, Spyware, and other ‘malware’ Protection
PredictableIT’s servers are protected by the latest Anti-Virus and Anti-Spyware technology. Virus and Spyware definitions are updated on a regular and frequent basis. The network in the data center housing our servers is protected by enterprise-grade firewall and intrusion detection/prevention technology. Critical security patches are applied to all our software on a regular and frequent basis. These best practices, which you would otherwise have to address on each of your PCs, are automatically provided as part of the PredictableIT Hosted Desktop service.
Some of the most important protection against viruses, spyware, and other forms of malware is unique to the Hosted Desktop environment. Unlike most PC environments, Hosted Desktops are a very controlled environment. Hosted Desktops run without Administrative privileges, which automatically eliminates the ability for most viruses and malware to cause harm. Hosted Desktops also present a more tightly controlled environment in which only authorized applications are allowed to run. This prevents an individual user from downloading and installing applications, such as a P2P File-Sharing application, that are well-known conduits for infecting machines with spyware and other malware. And the settings on applications such as Internet Explorer have been tuned to provide higher security than available with the defaults.
File Data Protection and Backup
Keeping data backed up and protected from loss is one of the largest problems with PCs. Often the first component of a PC to fail is the hard disk. And when it does fail that user, or perhaps your entire business, can’t operate until a new disk has been installed and data (if backups have been done) restored. With the PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service all files are protected by being written redundantly. So if a single disk fails, the data is still available for use. This is transparent and automatic, so your users will never know that the disk has failed. In addition, all files that have been created or modified are backed up every night. Once a week all data is backed up, even if it hasn’t changed that week, and a copy is sent to a secure offsite storage facility. These backup measures mean your data is secure and can be restored even in the unlikely event of a multi-disk failure, a major natural disaster, or if one of your users accidentally deletes a critical file.
Class A Data Center
PredictableIT’s servers are housed in one of the top hosting facilities in the country. This highly secure data center provides us with power conditioning and redundant backup power generators, redundant air conditioning, and redundant communications. The servers are monitored on a 24-hour basis so many problems can be addressed before they impact the user community. For example, a single failing disk will be spotted and replaced early to reduce the possibility of a multi-disk failure that could result in data loss for our users. This kind of computing environment is not easily available to small businesses, except through PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service.
Hosted Exchange Server E-mail
PredictableIT uses Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 to host email. Exchange Server 2003 is the leading collaboration-oriented e-mail system and is used by most large enterprises. It is a server-based e-mail system, meaning messages are generally stored on the server rather than being downloaded to the client. This brings a range of advantages in terms of universal access, mobility, shared calendaring, and data protection into the picture that are not part of traditional Internet (“POP3”) e-mail systems. PredictableIT brings the benefits of Exchange Server 2003 to small business.
Universal Access
With Exchange Server 2003 you can access your e-mail from a variety of clients and locations. Your primary access to e-mail is through Microsoft Outlook running on the PredictableIT Hosted Desktop. You can also use Microsoft Outlook running on a local PC to access your PredictableIT Exchange Server e-mail. Microsoft Outlook gives you full access to Exchange Server’s advanced functionality. You can also access your e-mail from any PC with web access using Outlook Web Access (OWA), making e-mail access from kiosks, business centers, and other locations extremely easy. OWA supports most of Exchange Server’s advanced functionality, so you can schedule meetings and manage your account while on the road. Need to check your mail from a mobile phone or networked-PDA? PredictableIT offers access to your e-mail via Outlook Mobile Access (OMA). OMA is a simplified interface that works on most cell phones with a web browser. Have another e-mail client, such as Mac or PDA that uses the POP3 or IMAP protocols? PredictableIT offers access to your Exchange Server e-mail using those protocols. So, wherever you are and whatever your client’s capability, you can access your PredictableIT e-mail.
Mobility and Synchronization
In addition to being able to access your e-mail with Outlook Mobile Access (OMA), Exchange Server 2003 Activesync allows you to keep your Contacts, Calendar, and e-mail synchronized with a Windows Mobile-based Smartphone, PocketPC Phone Edition, or networked PocketPC. Or you can keep your Treo 650 synchronized with your Calendar and e-mail. So whether you are in the office or on the road you’ll always be in touch. You can even use Remote Desktop Connection software on your PocketPC Phone Edition or networked PocketPC to connect to your PredictableIT Hosted Desktop.
These services, available with PredictableIT Professional and Advanced Desktop packages, make your mobile device a true extension of your Hosted Desktop.
Shared Calendaring
Exchange Server 2003 is about more than just e-mail. Exchange Server 2003 offers powerful meeting scheduling facilities that let users check for free times on each others calendars and send scheduling requests. You can assign an assistant to help manage your calendar. And, of course, you can access you gain the universal access and mobility benefits outlines earlier.
E-mail Data Protection and Backup
The most important aspect of any e-mail system is that you receive your mail reliably, securely, and that it is protected against loss. With PredictableIT your e-mail is automatically filtered to remove harmful attachments, checked for Viruses, marked with warnings of potential Phishing attempts, and filtered to detect SPAM. With most forms of client e-mail access your e-mail is encrypted when it is transmitted from our server to your client.
Just as with PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service, all data on PredictableIT’s Exchange Servers is stored redundantly. So if a disk fails, your e-mail remains available while corrective action is taken. All e-mail is backed up nightly, and once a week a copy is moved to a secure offsite facility. While storing data redundantly eliminates most causes of lost data, having reliable backups allows recovery from more serious problems as well as accidental deletion of e-mail.
Virus Protection
PredictableIT uses multiple techniques to protect you from Viruses spreading through e-mail. First, incoming e-mail is scanned for attachments that are known to be potential virus carriers. These attachments are removed from the e-mail thus preventing the spread of new viruses that may not yet be blocked by anti-virus software. E-mail messages are then run through Anti-Virus software to detect and remove known viruses.
SPAM
PredictableIT also uses multiple techniques to filter e-mail for potential SPAM. The primary tool we use is the Exchange Intelligent Message Filter (IMF). IMF examines each mail message to see if it is SPAM and assigns the message a Spam Confidence Level. Messages with a high SCL are then put in the user’s Junk E-mail folder rather than their inbox. E-mail from senders on your Outlook Safe Senders list are always sent to your Inbox, while those on your Outlook Blocked Senders list are always sent to your Junk E-Mail folder.
Encrypted Communications
With PredictableIT’s Hosted Desktop service all data sent between our Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Server running Terminal Services and your Thin Client are encrypted. So when you view your e-mail by running Microsoft Outlook on the Hosted Desktop your e-mail communications from our servers to your desktop are completely private. Outlook Web Access and Exchange Server Activesync use Secure Socket Layer (SSL) protocol to encrypt their communications with PredictableIT’s Exchange Server. And if you use Outlook running on a general purpose client to access your PredictableIT e-mail you can optionally have it encrypt all client/server communications.
Conclusion
PredictableIT offers a reliable, protected, and professionally managed IT outsourcing alternative for small businesses. With PredictableIT you can be free of the cost and hassle of managing PCs and servers, know that your data is being backed up regularly, that you are covered by current anti-SPAM, anti-Virus, and anti-Spyware software, and that you have access to the latest software. All at a predictable cost.
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