Thursday, December 15, 2011

All You Need To Know About Managed Services - Elements Magazine - Issue 004

The other day my son came to me and told me that I had to listen to a musicianʼs music because they were “sick.” Immediately, I thought how unfortunate it was that such a young and talented person be afflicted with an illness. Of course, my son corrected me, while making fun of my age, by explaining that “sick” meant they were really good and not dying of a horrible disease as I had first thought.

This made me think back to my childhood. The terms we used confused the adults, they were disconnected from our youth culture as well. Then I realized that youth culture, and culture in general, continually takes over words and phrases so that their meaning evolves.

The IT world is not unlike any other “scene” in the modern day. For example, we now speak of Cloud in passing conversation knowing exactly what it is and what its implications are. However, our parentʼs generation may have visions of us taking paper files and somehow launching them into the stratosphere, thus creating “storage in the cloud.”

My question is, how does one differentiate terms and their meanings if they evolve at such a fast rate? Look at the term “Hosted Services.” Can anyone in this day and age place a true meaning on the term? Or is this a term like “sick” that we all have to decipher? At Nitro, we obviously offer Hosted Services; some people might refer to it as Professional Services, and some people might not know what either term means.

Further, although we speak of “Hosted,” some people think of “Cloud” as we can store our files remotely.

In all, this issue outlines multiple aspects and meanings of the term Hosted Services. I encourage you to read these articles and determine their meaning for yourself. I also invite you to read about Nitroʼs Hosted Services as a comparative. At some point, perhaps we can all come to a conclusion as to what these terms mean to all of us.

Now, I must return to my youth-to-adult language dictionary to translate what my kids want for dinner.

Sincerely,
Larry Poirier
Chief Executive Officer
Nitro IT Business Solutions

+Read Elements Magazine

Thursday, September 29, 2011

The Cloud Issue: Elements Magazine - Issue 003

Flocks of Seagulls and the New World of Cloud Computing

Walking through a shopping mall this past weekend, I realized something—the past has returned with a vengeance. Kids in their teens and early twenties sport clothing resembling a bad 1980s new wave band. Our generation, like other generations before us, is dealing with classic vs. retro as the next generation places their own spin on what we thought we invented.

Oddly enough, it seems that the world of IT is now experiencing the same reinvention. After 30+ years in the mainstream, IT is moving back to what we invented years ago. The “kids these days” have lovingly called this retro approach to a grouping of computing technologies—“The Cloud.” Our generation merely referred to it as networking.

Far beyond that, weʼre now seeing this approach in all aspects of IT. Weʼre seeing terms that stir up a multitude of emotions ranging from optimism to fear. For example, Infrastructure as a Service or IaaS, as the new generation refers to it, is a service provider who owns, houses and operates computing resources for the customer. Perhaps Iʼm dating myself, but does anyone remember mainframes? Simply put, this new cloud technology is something weʼve used for decades—but the new name is more catchy, isnʼt it?

Another interesting situation arises from the Hosted Business Phone Services offered by a strategic partner of ours. Many have questioned moving PBX equipment away from the office environment, even though every day we pick up our phones at home and they work just fine––a “hosted service” that Bell has offered in North America since the late 1800s. The concept of having an actual PBX in our offices is actually a left over from the past few decades when companies moved away from the traditional telephone operator.

Thus, if you have any fears of moving to “The Cloud,” I assure you, you have nothing to worry about. Like anything, take the time to find and work with a company who will address all your needs and concerns. Youʼll save money, youʼll have increased productivity, and youʼll have trained professionals who can help you 24/7. And with any luck, that trained professional wonʼt have a hair style reminiscent of “A Flock of Seagulls”––that hair style wasnʼt good then—and itʼs not any better now.

+Read Elements Magazine

Sincerely,
Larry Poirier
Chief Executive Officer
Nitro IT Business Solutions

Thursday, June 30, 2011

Are You Mobilized? Elements Magazine - Issue 002

Mobility––itʼs something we read about every day. Now if this was three years ago, this is exactly the phrase I would use to kick off our second issue of Elements7 Magazine. However, itʼs 2011 and what I really mean is: Mobility––itʼs something we live with every day.
The reality is that if you are serious about business then you must remain connected constantly. Good or bad, being connected 24 hours a day to clients, colleagues, and data is imperative if your business model is to survive and grow.

The concept of downtime has, in may ways, become a thing of the past; however at the same time our limitless freedom supplied by the intrinsic nature of these devices (if managed appropriately) can mean better business and a better overall quality of life.

That said, if we are to remain connected to everyone and everything, we also have to take into consideration the ramifications that accompany that freedom and power. There is the obvious one–– security. With all these new mobile devices being introduced into the consumer space, itʼs difficult to determine what is and what isnʼt appropriate for business use.

Then, of course, comes the connectivity itself. Can you accurately manage contacts and data without third- party apps in the mix? Or, in some cases, can you pull yourself or your employees away from those third- party apps that have nothing to do with business? All questions that need to be answered and accounted for by senior management, IT staff, personnel, and even legal counsel.

I will leave these questions and more to be answered by the tremendous articles we have in this issue. Now, if youʼll excuse me, I need to get back to my mobile device to check out whatʼs happening on Facebook.

+Read Elements Magazine

Sincerely, Larry Poirier
Chief Executive Officer
Nitro IT Business Solutions

Monday, May 2, 2011

A Beautiful & Successful My Green IT Day

On April 27, 2011 Nitro IT Business Solutions partnered with TechnoPlanet, Tripp Lite, and Andash Property Management to bring My Green IT Day to Ottawa. Simple ideas that benefit everyone – and helps the environment.

MyGreenITDay.com was created to help IT businesses give back to the environment by partnering with industry leading technology companies who specialize in environmentally-friendly disposal, repair and repurposing of obsolete and non-functioning technology equipment. It is their belief that if every business held one 'Green IT Day' per year, it would help keep landfills and our drinking water safe from pollutants used in the manufacture of older computers, printers, faxes, networking components, peripherals, etc.

Tons of technology equipment waste continues to fill up our landfills and pollute our environment every day. This Nitro-specific My Green IT Day movement encouraged people to do something simple to reduce the impact of IT waste on the environment––it was a great success! A very special thank you to our sponsors and to all that participated––we could not have done it with out you!

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Run for Reach

As an Ottawa-based company, we at Nitro IT Business Solutions consider the community to be our utmost priority for one simple reason, and that is the opportunity to give back to a community that has always supported us.

This is why Nitro IT Business Solutions is very proud to have sponsored this year's  Reach Canada event.

For over 30 years, Reach Canada’s work to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the communities of Eastern Ontario is nothing short of inspiring. We at Nitro want to ensure their work continues to flourish and to benefit those that need their assistance.

Nitro recognizes that with Reach Canada’s support, equality and justice issues for disabled persons are addressed in a positive, inclusive manner at the community level. This has been the ethical factor behind Nitro’s ongoing support of Reach Canada.

As an IT solutions provider, Nitro is assisting Reach Canada with the upgrading of their IT infrastructure. Also, as Reach Canada is a charitable organization, Nitro has arranged for the following:

· A 50% reduction in the cost of hardware and software to be supplied by Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, and Symantec. 

· A donation of $20,000 of Nitro implementation services to ensure that Reach Canada’s new IT infrastructure is built according to industry best practices.

These donations have made it possible for Reach Canada to afford to move into the twenty-first century with a reliable and efficient technology environment. As a result, Reach Canada will be able to continue to advocate for and support Canada’s disabled citizens. 

Thus, we at Nitro IT Business Solutions challenged you to “Make a run for IT.” Although we are not professional athletes by any means, we challenged all of you to run with us, or even against us, in a friendly and competitive way to help Reach Canada, and to earn, perhaps, a few bragging rights as well.

Here is our team from this year's event:




Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Nitro IT Business Solutions Ranks 115 in Branham300

More than 30 Ottawa-headquartered companies listed on the Branham300, an annual measure of Canadian technology firms based on worldwide revenue. Nitro IT Business Solutions reached 115 of the top 300!

To read the complete article from the Ottawa Business Journal, click here

Thursday, February 24, 2011

Introducing Elements Magazine!

Welcome to the first edition of Elements Magazine. As you can see, a lot has changed for Nitro IT Business Solutions over the past year––the biggest change being how we communicate with our clients. 

With the launch of our new brand, our new website, and now our newly created quarterly magazine, it is our goal to inform, educate, and occasionally entertain you through a vast array of materials and topics as they relate to the world of IT.

As you will see in this issue of Elements Magazine, this is not your typical corporate newsletter. We have worked hard at ensuring that you, the reader, are not bombarded with marketing fluff, or the typical corporate sales pitch. Instead, we have brought you a collection of meaningful and insightful articles to spark thought, conversation, and perhaps even a little debate. 

In any case, we feel that this publication will become a much-anticipated document every quarter––perhaps making your job a little lighter, and your IT decisions and direction a little easier.

I hope you enjoy this issue as much as we have enjoyed creating it. Until next quarter, happy reading!


Sincerely,
Larry Poirier 
Chief Executive Officer 
Nitro IT Business Solutions