NOC Tech Blog | Cloud Services

While our eastern Missouri offices are a safe 700 miles from the Gulf, we're no stranger to severe storms on the Central Plains. It’s impossible to know what to fully expect when a tornado or hurricane is headed your way, but we want to help you prepare to the best of our abilities. So how should your office prepare for severe weather (or other natural disasters)? Here's a checklist to follow. Severe weather tech checklist for SMBs Have a written plan for disaster recovery. More on that below. Create a tech inventory. Ensure you have an inventory of all the technology at your office. Communicate the computer equipment checklist to all staff. Prepare network documentation. – Make sure your IT Manager or IT Consultant has this information and can provide it to you in case you need it. Ensure your data is backed up offsite. Most businesses have an onsite backup. Having an offsite backup will ensure you maintain access to your data, even if your brick and mortar suffers devastating damage. Test your backup. Ask your IT team to verify that the backup is intact, and your data can be recovered in the case of a disaster. Establish a plan for remote access. Identify which parts of your operation can work remote in the case of an outage or disaster. Ensure that users can work remotely if needed. Create an SOP for natural disasters. Communicate with staff so they understand exactly what the procedure is if you are unable to return to the office for multiple days or even weeks. Practice working remotely. While many businesses have an idea of how to work remotely following the pandemic, working out the kinks before a potential outage will reduce your productivity losses. Ensure your IT team is prepared to respond to a server outage or assist with bringing your technology up after the storm. If you don’t have an IT team or work with a small group, develop a relationship with a larger entity that can respond quickly in the case of an incident. Set up call forwarding. Ensure your phones are forwarded to a cell phone, alternative number, or set up to a test softphone/software phone (if your phone system allows this). Special considerations hurricane preparedness Shut down computers and unplug all machines, including printers. Move computers and other computer equipment off the floor. This will protect your equipment from flooding. Unplug ethernet cables from computers or docking stations If possible, use dry bags or plastic to wrap electronics. Coordinate with IT to schedule a normal shutdown of servers prior to the storm. Consider getting a wireless internet failover. Your main coax or fiber line may have outages: having a backup internet option could be the missing link to keep your operation moving. 

Join 94% of global businesses in the cloud.

When it comes to cloud computing, you have public, private and hybrid options. We'll take a look at each with examples of how a business like yours might benefit from cloud computing and storage. But which option is right for you? Well, if you prioritize control, security, and compliance, a private cloud solution may be the way to go. However, if scalability, flexibility, and cost-effectiveness are your top concerns, a public cloud option could be more suitable. Ultimately, many businesses find that a hybrid approach offers the best of both worlds. By combining elements of private and public clouds, businesses can tailor their storage solutions to meet their unique requirements.

CISA indicates that up to 60% of small businesses that suffer a data breach will close within six months. So how can you prevent your small business from becoming yet another sad statistic? Enter Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery (BCDR), the planning that promises to keep your business up and running, no matter what.

This blog post by an IT support company in Missouri explains what Microsoft OneDrive is, how it works, and where Microsoft Office files go when they are saved to OneDrive. Helpful links can take you further to explain how to share OneDrive files with your colleagues and how the cloud works.

Are you thinking of replacing your servers? It is a necessary IT task that often goes neglected until the last possible moment due to the steep costs that go with it. Replacement time is an opportune moment to determine whether or not you should refresh your onsite servers or upload your operation to the cloud . New onsite servers can easily cost tens of thousands of dollars—a heavy, recurring capital expense for most small businesses. The cloud offers a more affordable, flexible option for SMBs, but you need to take the time to pick the solution that best fits your business. Companies that dive into the cloud without evaluating their needs first often find themselves in a tough situation. Before you migrate to the cloud, take the time to consider the following. Identify which applications you use to run your business and determine which cloud solution can host them all. Do you prefer a publicly-hosted cloud like Amazon AWS or Microsoft Azure or a private option like NOC’s private cloud? Do not assume that the cloud is the most cost-effective option. Though the cloud is often more affordable, quality hardware with warranties and support can remain an affordable solution. Do not just allow cost to guide your decision; determine what fits your company best. If you are a non-profit organization, you can access much (and maybe all) of Microsoft’s cloud offerings for a steep discount, or even for free. For additional information to aid you in your decision-making process, read more on our blog about what you can do with the cloud and about the advantages of the cloud . If you have any additional questions, always feel free to reach out .

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