Is cloud computing right for your organization?

To cloud or not to cloud... that is the question. With all the hype about "moving to the cloud", it's easy to get caught up and assume that everything should be hosted in the internet. We've found that not all applications or situations are appropriate for cloud based services. Here are a few questions you can ask yourself to help determine if your application should be moved to the cloud:

1. Where are the users of the application located?
2. Is your user base growing, shrinking or staying constant?
3. What bandwidth requirements does your application have and how much bandwidth do you have available?
4. Is there a proven track record of this application being hosted in the cloud by the software provider?
5. What is the state of your current network infrastructure?

Click here to download our thoughts on these questions or visit our blog to see the series we have done on cloud computing.

Tablet Talk – Apple, Android, or Windows?

While the iPad is certainly still the most talked about tablet computer on the market today, there are a lot of choices out there and more are coming. The hardware is all pretty similar with hard drive size and whether or not you want 3G/4G connectivity being the main decisions you have to make. The single largest distinction is the operating system. Apple fans will tout the ease of use that iOS brings to the table but for those who haven't drunk the iKoolAid, there are also tablets with the Android and Microsoft operating systems.

The Android tablets have been around for a while with Samsung being a leader with that technology. Fans of the Android OS love the customizability that it brings unlike the Apple iOS. If you want to be able to change the look, feel and layout of the device, this may be the way to go.

Microsoft is a little late to the game with their versions but are soon announcing Windows Tables OS 8. This will be optimized to work on touch screen devices unlike the previous version but will have the familiar look and feel of Windows 7.

Depending upon what you want to do with the tablet, you may be swayed in one direction or another. While all have versions of word processing and spreadsheet apps, if you are used to Microsoft Office and don't want to change, the Windows tablet may be for you. For other apps though, iOS and Android tablets have a huge advantage with their respective app stores. New apps are launched every day for each of these which do everything from standard calculator functions to advanced business planning. With app prices ranging from $0 to $20, it's hard to go wrong trying one of these out. The Android store has an advantage in that apps can get into the store very easily so there is less lag between a need and an app launch where Apple highly regulates who can launch an app and when. The downside is that there are a lot of useless apps out there in the Android market and some that can be dangerous to your computer with embedded viruses and personal data collection methods. Be sure to read the reviews and the user agreements when downloading any app.

The bright side of all of this is that you can try most of these tablets before you buy them at the respective stores to see how you like the usability. There are plenty of websites that do grid style comparisons of each of the different types so you can make sure you are educated in the different strengths and weaknesses. Bottom line, these are not toys and they are here to stay so do your research and make sure that you have purchased the right one for you to be productive.

Growing Again, And Helping Again!

ForeSite was selected for the Inc 5000 fastest growing private companies list. Out of millions of private companies in the US, ForeSite ranked 3,188 on Inc's list.
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ForeSite is pleased to announce the addition of Bill Reyor to our staff as a Senior Network Engineer. Certified in Cisco, Apple and Microsoft technologies, Bill brings years of proven experience providing solutions for schools, businesses, and non-profits. Also experienced in VM Ware, Linux and Sonicwall, Bill's well rounded view of technology helps him recommend the right solutions at the right time. Matt Davis also joins ForeSite as a Business Development Manager. Matt's experience providing solutions for advertising to small and medium sized market helps him relate to the needs of our clients.
Mary Blair joins ForeSite as the Director of Production. Mary's most recent work experience had her fostering the growth of a software business from 8 – 80 employees through growing pains and cultural changes. Her experience in implementing solid processes to manage growth will be a real asset to ForeSite.

ForeSite is proud to be sponsoring the Hartford Business Journal's 40 Under Forty as well as their 40 Under Forty Alumni events on September 26^th. After many years of being involved with the events, ForeSite took a leading role in bringing the alumni winners together by building a community portal which allows them to share ideas, information, and contacts.

ForeSite President Mike Giuffrida participated in the annual gala for Hartford's Family Life Education. The focus of the gala was to raise much needed funding for their programs and to help begin the effort for a child wellness gym they hope to bring to the Hartford community to fight childhood obesity.

The Mark Twain House & Museum has partnered with ForeSite to launch a promotional website to support their special event Mark My Words: A Conversation with David Baldacci, John Grisham and Jodi Picoult coming up on October 19^th.

*According to CNET.com

Headquartered in East Hartford, CT, ForeSite has been designing solutions and troubleshooting problems for clients' computers, networks and websites since 1997. We are committed to providing personalized customer service and practical, yet insightful, solutions that fit a wide range of business needs. In conjunction with our Worcester office, ForeSite continues to provide premium technology solutions to the central Connecticut and western Massachusetts regions.