Fastmetrics Business Blog

Author: Cody Miller

Bay Area Local Business Spotlight – May 2015

Local Bay Area Businesses We Supported In May

This month, Fastmetrics supported the following Bay Area businesses through visits and purchases. Shopping locally is a great way to show your support for your local community. At least one of our team members visited each business and provided a quick review of what they saw, tasted, sampled and liked about each.

*These Bay Area businesses are not existing customers. We just like sharing what’s great about the Bay Area! To have your Bay Area business featured, send us a tweet or message @fastmetrics1. Every monthly post is shared with our followers.

Napa Soap Company

If you are traveling to the Napa Valley, do get some of these amazing soaps. The Napa Soap company crafts soaps by hand. Located in downtown St. Helena. With the bonus of keeping her 3 sons clean and the scent of lavender in the air, Sheila Rockwood founded and created the Napa Soap Company.

NSC only use all natural ingredients, buys organic, sources as many local products as possible and recycle all their packaging. All soaps are hand poured. This is a family business that started with a small business dream with a creative outlet. Hope you enjoy the soap as much as we did! Here is a link to their beautiful shop.

Philz Coffee

Phil Jaber founded Philz Coffee in 2003. This coffee is delicious, considered one of the best in the US. “Cup of love” is their motto and Philz go above and beyond to deliver. It all started after the closure of Phil’s corner grocery shop on 24th and Folsom Street in San Francisco that transformed his passion into a reality.

After researching and tweaking coffee beans / brewing methods for more than 25 years, Phil opened his doors in 2003. Now it’s a family empire with multiple stores. The small grocery corner shop is now their HQ. You can buy great coffee through their website or at one of their locations. Try the Mint Mojito iced coffee!

Image by: https://twitter.com/DariaBialik

Sun Basket

To busy to shop, think and prepare meals? Try Sun Basket. A new and amazing startup in the San Francisco Bay Area created by award winning chef Justine Kelly. Healthy, organic how-to meals that taste and look incredible. Sun Basket delivers the freshest ingredients from the best farms with customized pre-measured recipes.

Plenty of variety too; paleo friendly options, gluten free, vegetarian or the Chef’s basket. For $9.99 per person, a bargain. All made using organic produce. They have an incredible blog that shares delicious recipes and great tips. Thumbs up for this delightful startup.

The Vestry Restaurant At The Chapel

Restaurant @TheVestrySF is located in the heart of San Francisco’s Mission District, at 777 Valencia Street. Open 7 days a week from 5pm-1am + Sat & Sun brunch 11am-3pm. Live music, delicious food and bar with bottomless Mimosas and Bloody Mary specials. Thanks for your great hospitality.

H.D. Buttercup

Evan Cole is the founder and current CEO of H.D. Buttercup, a furniture store with a difference. Locations in Los Angeles and San Francisco. Their mission: “Designed from the ground up to provide customers a new way to shop for home furnishings. Never a dull moment, never a dull item. At HD Buttercup, we are here to create a memorable experience. This is no ordinary furniture store”.

This shop has a unique boutique feel with always evolving collections at prices of large retail chains. It does deliver on memorable experiences, as a one-stop shop for luxury furnishings. It definitely caters for the creative. A highly recommend stop-by or check out their shop online.

Fastmetrics proudly supports Bay Area businesses by shopping locally, whenever possible. With so many great businesses and local produce available, there really isn’t any reason why you can’t too.

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

May 13, 2015
San Francisco Local Business Spotlight – April 2015

Support Local San Francisco Businesses

San Francisco is where Fastmetrics began in 1994 and we wouldn’t want it any other way. We love living, working, eating and drinking in San Francisco and enjoy it’s many characters and scenery. Without doubt – SF is one of the United States’ most diverse cities, with great local talent, innovative, thought-leading startups and enterprises.

To showcase this talent, each month our business spotlight post will provide info on 5 different local businesses. They are not existing customers, although we have visited many of these businesses, and have provided some recommendations below. To have your San Francisco business featured, please send us a tweet @fastmetrics1. Every post will be shared with our followers and on our other social media channels.

Sightglass Coffee

At 270 Seventh Street, San Francisco, you’ll find the coffee bar and roastery of this “independant, sibling owned coffee company”, with a focus on hands-on coffee crafting. Sightglass sources all it’s coffee beans in small amounts from origin. Shop Sightglass coffees and their range of brewing tools online. Better yet, sip one of their freshly crafted lattes at a San Francisco location near you.

Photo by: www.theimaginaryzebra.com

SF Flower Mart

The San Francisco Flower Mart is one of only 5 grower-owned flower markets in the United States. With origins dating back to the late 1800s, it has been quoted as “the best flower market in the country” by Martha Stewart Living Magazine and a “one-stop floral source for the Northern California area”.

The SF Flower Mart supplies to retail florists, events planners, interior decorators – or every event, gift shops and home owners. You can find it at 6th and Brannan Street, San Francisco. Check opening hours, contact details and vendor info on the San Francisco Flower Market.

Image by: sfexaminer.com

Guitar Center

Starting in 1959 as The Organ Store in Hollywood, the business quickly evolved into the Guitar Center. Today, the business has expanded to a network of more than 100 nationwide stores. It also ships internationally to more than 90 countries.

The second ever Guitar Center was opened in 1972, right here in San Francisco. Innovative employees Ray Scherr and Larry Thomas both started at the San Francisco store, which is now at 1645 Van Ness Avenue. The Guitar Center story is best told through the timeline on their website, (rather than this post), spanning from the 60s through to today. Guitar Center wants you to get the “Greatest Feeling on Earth” and offers a range of free music lessons to help you do it.

Joe Satriani Appearance @ Guitar Center San Francisco. Image by: satriani.com

Bacon Bacon

Bacon Bacon operates a cafe at 205A Frederick Street San Francisco, provides home delivery and also a food truck, which runs on a schedule which you can see here. Try their famous bacon burger, grilled cheese, tacos, range of sides and even some bacon flavored desserts! We also recommend the LGBT sandwich – that’s short for little gem lettuce, goat cheese, bacon and tomato. Best washed down with a nice cold Mexican coke.

The Burger. Image from: Huffingtonpost.com

Smitten Ice Cream

Smitten Ice Cream was founded by Robyn Sue Fisher. Smitten is based on the idea that ice cream at it’s best, should be fresh and shouldn’t contain preservatives and other ingredients that are hard to pronounce, just to prolong shelf-life.

Smitten makes use of liquid nitrogen technology to produce “new, old-fashioned ice cream”. The ice cream is made using a one-of-a-kind ice cream maker that perfects the process, to make the “smoothest, densest, most flavorful ice cream on earth”. The company has 4 Bay Area locations and is opening a new store at 2404 California Street in San Francisco in May 2015.

We recommend the TCHO 60.5% chocolate, which combines toasted walnuts, spicy brown sugar and caramel plus whipped cream. There’s also a range of seasonal flavors available, all made from scratch, using local produce.

Image by: davidlebovitz.com

We are proud to support many local San Francisco businesses with their ISP services. You can help support local business by sharing this post!

April 1, 2015
Fastmetrics Sponsoring ARIN 35 San Francisco Event

ARIN 35 San Francisco Public Policy & Members Event

Fastmetrics is pleased to announce we will be sponsoring the upcoming ARIN 35 Public Policy and Members Event in San Francisco from April 12th – 15th.

The event is taking place at the JW Marriott San Francisco Union Square.

Registrations for the event are still open and you can register as an attendee or remote participant here.

Webcasting of the live event will also be provided by co-sponsor Google.

ARIN 35 Event Details

ARIN holds annual Public Policy and Members meetings to discuss Internet number resource policies, provide networking opportunities, workshops and social events for all attendees.

Also featuring will be two tutorials; “Life After IPv4 Depletion” and “How To Certify Your ARIN Resources”.

Short History of ARIN

ARIN is a nonprofit corporation founded in 1997. The acronym stands for the American Registry for Internet Numbers, with headquarters in Chantilly, Virginia, USA.

The organization is the Regional Internet Registry for the United States and Outlying Areas, Canada, various Caribbean / North Atlantic Islands and other regions. See a full list of service regions here.

Why ARIN Is Important

ARIN supports and manages the distribution of Internet number resources, such as IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4), the more recent IPv6 (Internet Protocol version 6) address space as well as AS (Autonomous System) numbers.

The organization also provides registration services, is the authority on policy development for Internet number resources and ensures advancement of the Internet through outreach.

Fastmetrics is proud to sponsor such an important event and prestigious organization and we look forward to attending.

Find out more about the upcoming event by following ARIN 35 on social media.

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics has connected Bay Area businesses and buildings with reliable business Internet and voice services. As a preferred local ISP, we empower businesses to grow and communicate more effectively. Our live Bay Area support team provides solutions to unique challenges. Fastmetrics network engineers are accredited Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Admins, Cisco Meraki qualified and Cisco Certified Specialists.

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

April 1, 2015
The Star Wars Tech Fan Quiz

Test Your Star Wars Knowledge With This Quiz

We love Star Wars here at Fastmetrics. The entire team are huge fans and very much looking forward to December 18th this year. That’s when Episode VII – The Force Awakens – is released in cinemas across the United States. We’re prepared for the premiere, with our costumes in the dry cleaners already. (Nobody likes a dusty cape at a film premiere).

We found a great quiz which combines our love of George Lucas’s ultimate creation and our other love, tech. Be warned: it is definitely suited for the super Star Wars fans among us!

Star Wars Fans – Test Your Knowledge

If you might know answers to Star Wars trivia or quiz questions such as; What special equipment was originally supposed to be standard issue for Stormtroopers, but was changed in script revisions? Then this quiz is for you. Enjoy!

https://www.playbuzz.com/brianhoffenberg10/star-wars-tech-junkies-quiz

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

March 17, 2015
Why Your Business Should Choose The Private Cloud

Private vs Public Cloud Services

Efficiency. Performance. Security. Savings. Growth. Just some of the reasons why today’s businesses are choosing private cloud services, as opposed to the more common (and shared) public cloud or even local hosting.

The Value Of Private vs Public Cloud Solutions

Below, check out the main ‘drivers’ behind why companies are upgrading to the private cloud over locally hosted or public cloud options.

This infographic uses the SharePoint platform as an example technology. (SharePoint is a web app framework from Microsoft, used by businesses for collaboration).

Infographic design by fpweb.net

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

February 9, 2015
15 Mac Shortcuts & MacBook Hacks
Mac Shortcuts Are Not Well Known

Many simple and effective Mac shortcuts are not well known for the iMac or MacBook. There’s a lot more to your Mac desktop or laptop than what comes in the MacBook Pro User Guide.

There’s A (Mac) Shortcut For That…

We have touched only the tip of the iceberg with our list below. Did you know you can…
- Quickly sign any document on your Mac using the ‘Preview’ program?
- Navigate faster than you are now between different windows and programs.
- Take a screenshot easily.
- Create shortcuts for long text.
- Customize scrolling of your Mac mouse so it’s like your iPhone or iPad.
- Right click on your MacBook touchpad? Simple.
Too many Mac shortcuts. Not enough space in this post for all of them. Below are 15 of our favorite shortcuts or ‘hacks’ with screenshots on where you can find them and how to do them.

If you find these hacks useful, please share with your friends.

https://www.playbuzz.com/drt0he10/15-everyday-mac-tips-that-every-mac-user-should-know
February 9, 2015
Test Your San Francisco Bay Area Knowledge

San Francisco Bay Area Quiz

Test your knowledge of the San Francisco Bay Area with this quiz. Know your celebrities from your cities, suburbs, streets and senators? See if you can get true local status!

Share your results with friends to test them out as well.

https://www.playbuzz.com/alexaj11/how-well-do-you-know-the-san-francisco-bay-area

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

January 14, 2015
Business Communication Skills – 10 Tips On Thanksgiving
Business Communication Tips To Give Thanks & Beyond

Happy Thanksgiving! Not just a time to say thanks, eat Turkey, take a break and celebrate with your family. A time to focus on the positives and tell your team, colleagues or employees, that you appreciate their efforts.

Effective business communication is vital to success at any time of the year, not just at Thanksgiving. From interns all the way up to the CEO, good, open communication is the basis of any relationship, be it personal or professional.

Communicating well internally at your business is a good place to start. It can boost morale, productivity and increase trust and loyalty at your company. Companies with great communication to all levels often build successful cultures of personal and business growth.

Thanksgiving is the ideal time to sharpen your internal business communication skills. We offer help so you can convey this simple message of thanks and beyond, no matter how busy you might be. See our 10 tips for effective business communication below.

Effective Business Communication – Use Technology To Your Advantage

Understandably, not everyone has time to write a personal gift card at Xmas time, thank all employees in person at thanksgiving, or call every team member when that new deal is signed off. By all means do so if you can, it’s sure to be appreciated. Is it likely to fit into your busy schedule? Maybe not, unless you have a small team, in which case, you have no excuses! Whilst it might not be as personable, use technology to your advantage for effective business communication. Show that you care enough to take the time in your busy schedule to say thanks or keep people in the loop, for general happenings in the business.

5 Tools For Efficient Business Communication
- Email – a short personal message to an inbox is likely to be well received.
- Text messages.
- Video message – outgoing type of boss? A video message to employees is highly personable, can provide direction, leadership and can be easily shared via a link from your email or smartphone.
- Tweet – company Twitter profile that employees follow? A carefully composed tweet can show your external followers that you care about your employees.
- Instant messenger – many companies use Slack, Pandion, Pidgin chat or other instant messaging clients. Use IM to your advantage to keep inter-office communication fresh and to collaborate quickly.
The above are highly efficient ways to communicate effectively. Quick turn-around time and can be sent from anywhere with an Internet connection.

10 More Tips For Effective Business Communication

Although communication has changed significantly through technology, there are some basics of business communication that remain unchanged. The below tips will help you give an encouraging thank you message to your staff, team or colleagues and to improve your overall internal business communication skills.

1. Pay Attention

There’s a difference between paying attention and listening. It’s a really simple tip which is often overlooked. When you are speaking to someone, don’t just hear what they have to say – actually pay attention.

Did you receive an email about an issue in your team? Is a team member airing some grievances with you in person? Pay attention. Listen to or look for the key details or messages.

2. Listen

Don’t be an arrogant or self-serving communicator. Communication is not just about you, it’s about effectively conveying your message, but also receiving messages from others. It’s what we were given ears for – use them.

3. Engage People

Connect and engage with people. When you need to resolve any sort of issue, rapport is that important bond that will take you closer to solving problems.

“Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I might remember. Involve me and I’ll understand”.

– Benjamin Franklin

4. The H.O.T Communication Technique
- H – Honest
- O – Open
- T – Two-way communication
This approach works quite effectively when it comes to maintaining effective business communication To keep high standards, practise HOT communication for desirable outcomes.
- Always tell the truth – lying and falsifying information to people will get you nowhere or worse – found out.
- Be open and other’s will be open with you as well.
- Two-way – be receptive to others to establish good communication lines and give people their time to talk.
5. Be Influential

People can be influenced by emails, web casts, handwritten notes, blog posts, tweets and more. Your words can affect people whom you have never met in your life. Therefore, choose your words very carefully.

6. Be Charismatic

Charisma means magnetism. It is a quality evident in most leaders and can help communicate your message. People who are winners are charismatic. Use humour and empathy to increase your levels of charisma.

7. The Power Of Silence

You don’t have to give a response to every accusation, conversation or statement. Consider the power of silence – but don’t ignore people! There’s a difference between taking the silent option;
- by not asking a question at a conference when you have a different opinion to the presenter and;
- not answering a team members email asking for help or guidance.
8. Be Clear

If you are speaking or writing, be clear about your point. People are short on time – so be clear in your words and explanations.

9. Be Confident

Effective public speakers convey confidence and it is a great method to engage people. It requires strong communication skills and self confidence. Show a willingness for sharing knowledge and expertise with other people.

10. Be Inquisitive

Ask really good questions of your team, employees and colleagues. Information will help you establish communication lines and be clear about what needs to happen. Questions get other people thinking, reacting and involved. Be ready to accept the responses of others.

The Fastmetrics team received a personal message from our CEO this Thanksgiving, thanking us for our efforts over the year. How did your manager or boss thank you?

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.
November 27, 2014
Bria Softphone User Guide Videos
Bria User Features & Videos

A Bria Softphone from Counterpath offers the flexibility of managing incoming and outgoing voice or video phone calls from your desktop. This softphone with click to call capability compliments or can completely replace your business phone hardware. It integrates with any business VoIP service.

Why We Love The Bria Softphone Solution

We have continuously recommended and supported Bria solutions because they integrate so easily with the hosted business VoIP and SIP phone services we offer. Because we use a privately managed voice network, our VoIP lines never travel over the public Internet. This ensures better call quality. Combined with Bria, this is a very cost efficient business phone service for our clients.

With Bria, users receive voice and video calling, presence, contact management and voicemail support, plus they can save money. No heavy investments in phone handsets or hardware. Get started with our Bria configuration guide.

Updates: Bria 5 for Mac and Windows is now available with MS Office integrations, 1080p video and an improved user experience. Buy the latest Bria solution from CounterPath here for $49.99 USD per license, before prices increase to $59.95 USD on August 1st, 2019.

Bria Video Call (Bria 3 Softphone shown)

Bria Features Available

In addition to click to call / answer capabilities, Bria soft phones include instant messaging (IM), HD voice calls and you can see when all of your contacts are on or offline. The softphone integrates seamlessly with any business VoIP service. The latest version, Bria 4.1, also has add-ons for syncing with your Outlook email, as well as a screen sharing feature. Check out some important Bria Softphone features below.

Bria Video Guides

Our Lead Voice Technician, Matt Smith, has put together these user guide and setup videos on the Bria 4 Softphone. Two videos to watch; (1) an overview of the Bria 4.1 user interface and (2) how to transfer a call / conference using the softphone. Enjoy!

Bria 4 Softphone User Interface Overview Video

How To Transfer & Conference Calls Using Bria 4 Softphones

What Is A Bria Softphone?

The Bria softphone is based on a SIP application built using open standards, which assists you manage your voice and video communications from your desktop.

A Bria softphone can completely replace or complement your desk phone, using our cloud based pbx service. Make voice or video calls, instant message and see when your contacts are available. You can also transfer files using this app.

The latest version of Bria has been enhanced with features for business and enterprise users. It can be deployed manually or by using a server.

Contact Us on voice service with a flexible Bria softphone solution. Save 20% on 10+ voice lines. Save 40% on 20+ lines.

Bria Softphone Features
- Available for Windows, Mac, Linux and with the Bria iPhone app.
- Enhanced media engine providing significant voice quality improvements.
- VP8 video and SILK HD voice codecs.
- API enhancements to expand call handling features, support of authentication of the connecting client and remote login and logoff.
- New webkit library that provides better content rendering and improved stability within the web tabs in Bria.
- Bria Add-In for Outlook that enables calls directly from Microsoft Outlook emails and contacts (Windows only).
About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.
October 31, 2014
What Is Cloud Computing & How Does It Work?

What Is Cloud Computing? How Does ‘The Cloud’ Work?

What is cloud computing? How does it work? The term “cloud” when talking about technology or computing, is not new. In simple terms, ‘cloud’ is a metaphor for the Internet. In fact, cloud symbols are repeatedly used to depict the Internet on diagrams. If you think of the Internet as a virtual ‘space’ that connects users from all over the globe, it is like a cloud. It shares information by the way of networks.

So, if we go back to the question of what cloud computing actually is, it refers to sharing resources, software and information through a network. In this case, via ‘the Internet’ or more correctly, an Internet connection. Information and data is stored on physical or virtual servers, which are maintained and controlled by a cloud computing provider, such as Amazon and their AWS product. Amazon offer their cloud connect aws which is a great cloud solution. As a personal or business cloud computing user, you access your stored information on the ‘cloud’, via an Internet connection.

What Are The Different Types Of Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing can mean many different things these days, but there’s three main categories of cloud services. You might have heard about these or use them already; Software as a Service (SaaS), for example – Microsoft 365, Platform as a Service (PaaS), example – salesforce.com and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), example – Rackspace.

‘The Cloud’ Covers Many Different Technologies Today

What Are Popular Examples Of Cloud Computing Services At Work Today?

There has been a significant evolution in the way in which we save, store and access data. You no longer need to save documents on one particular device. You can access personal files and data from anywhere with a solid Internet service connection, at any time. That’s all because of cloud technology. The cloud storage market spoils you for choice too.

A variety of cloud storage providers are available, many of which offer free storage space. Out with file saving on floppy disks, CDs and even USB flash drives, in with cloud storage providers such as Dropbox, Box.com and Backblaze. (Sites like Cloudwards allows you to compare a range of different cloud storage providers in one place).

Physical servers are now virtual via cloud computing

How Does Cloud Storage Work?

Via an Internet service connection, cloud storage works by enabling users access and to download data on any chosen device, such as a laptop, tablet or smartphone. Cloud storage users can also edit documents simultaneously with other users as well, making it easier to work away from the office. Depending on specific needs, prices vary for cloud storage. As an individual user, you can usually get initial amounts of cloud storage for free – such as 5GB with Apple iCloud, which previously dealt with some highly publicized cloud security issues. You have to pay a fee for additional storage. Common price models include monthly or yearly rates, depending on the services you are using.

How Else Does ‘The Cloud’ Make Work Easier?

Other cloud based services include cloud hosting and servers, offered by companies such as Rackspace. You can see PaaS in action with the Fastmetrics cloud phone service, which offers a cloud PBX phone system, hosted securely in the cloud. Another example is this server for free video conference calls, for anyone from anywhere, without the use of software.

How Does Cloud Computing Work?

To understand the workings of a cloud system, it is easier to divide it into two sections: the front end and the back end. They are connected to each other through a network, usually the Internet. The front end is the side of the computer user or client. The back end is ‘the cloud’ section of the system.

The front end consists of the client’s computer or computer network. Also the application essential to access the cloud system. It is not necessary that all cloud computing systems have the same user interface. On the back end of the cloud technology system, there are various computers, servers and data storage systems that make up the cloud. A cloud computing system could potentially include any computer program, from data processing to video games. Generally, each application will have its own dedicated server.

What Are Some Risks Of Cloud Computing Technology?

Large companies often require hundreds of digital storage devices. Cloud computing systems need at least twice the number of devices to keep client information stored. That’s because these devices occasionally break down. A cloud system makes copies of clients’ information, to store it on other devices. This method of making copies of data as a backup is called redundancy. Read the latest cloud security news, updates, how-tos and reviews or watch cloud security videos via Networkworld here. Additionally, here is another useful resource which helps explain some of the considerations of cloud computing security.

How Is Cloud Computing Technology Managed?

A central server manages the cloud system. It’s purpose is to manage traffic and client demands to ensure everything runs smoothly. It pursues a set of rules called protocols and uses a special kind of software known as middle ware. Middle ware permits networked computers to communicate with each other.

How Is Cloud Storage Managed & How Do Cloud Service Providers Store So Much Data?

If the cloud service provider or cloud technology company has multiple clients, there’s likely to be a high demand for storage space. It’s possible to ‘fool’ a physical server into thinking that it’s actually multiple servers, each running it’s own independent operating system. This technique is known as server virtualization, which reduces the need for physical machines. This method maximizes the output of individual servers.

So there we have it – a very short look at what cloud computing involves and how database as a service providers works. Also some use cases and risks for this rapidly growing technology, referred to broadly as ‘the cloud’.

About Fastmetrics, Inc. Building & Business ISP

Since 2002, Fastmetrics is the Bay Area’s only dedicated business ISP. We provide telecommunication services in California and the San Francisco Bay Area. Reliable service – backed by better live and local support. From install to 24-7 proactive monitoring, get treated like a VIP customer. Not a number by a faceless call center. We specialize in managed business internet and phones, dedicated high speed business fiber internet, business WiFi, SIP voice solutions / UCaaS and managed network services. We are a Microsoft and Cisco Meraki Partner. Our team are Certified Cisco Specialists, Ubiquiti Enterprise Wireless Accredited and Polycom Authorized Solution Advisors. We take care of your business network, so you can focus on growth.

October 27, 2014