Arraya Insights

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Change has a way of making people uncomfortable and Webex Teams is nothing if not a good-sized change for end users. Once rolled out, Cisco’s collaboration platform can completely overhaul Webex Teams tipsorganizational lines of communication, easing the burden on – and potentially even replacing – legacy methods such as email. Without an appropriate comfort level, that positive transformation can never happen as users cling to more familiar, but less efficient, methods.

Looking to help your team feel more at home in this solution? Check out these 11 insider Webex Teams tips and tricks you can share with them:

  • When to Space and when to Team.
    In our previous blog post on Webex Teams, we mentioned the difference between a Space and a Team. However, as a potential leading source of end user frustration, it is a subject worth diving into further:

    • Spaces are perfect tools for temporary projects. They can stand on their own or live inside of a Team. All members of a Space automatically have the authority to add others to the Space or adjust its settings – although this is adjustable.
    • Teams are meant to serve long term needs. Teams can contain several Spaces, each one focused on a given part of a particular project or discipline. The authority to control membership and settings initially resides solely with a Team’s creator, however, this can be delegated.
  • Reaching beyond the confines of your organization.
    Webex Teams isn’t just for internal communication, it can also connect organizations with suppliers, customers, and beyond. That being said, before officially launching an “open” Team or Space, users should:

    • Add “External” to the name of the Team or Space so all members are aware of the audience before they join.
    • Adjust the Team or Space settings to limit members’ ability to add others, restricting who outside members can invite from their organization.
    • Consider creating a Space within a Team just for interacting with those outside of your organization instead of granting everyone equal access the board.
  • Preventing notification overload.
    Are you a member of multiple Teams and Spaces? Brace yourself. Notifications are coming. The best way to stem the tide of new post and message alerts is through Webex Team’s notification settings. These allow you to choose between receiving all notifications, only those that mention you by name (or include the “All” handle) or none at all. These settings can be applied in two ways: Globally (across all of your Teams and Spaces) or Custom (you pick and choose).
  • Take advantage of video.
    Video can be a big part of Webex Teams for those who choose to leverage it. Research shows video can make your Team or Space meetings more effective as people absorb information 40% faster with it. Beyond that, video can make meetings shorter as video meetings finish on time 73% more often than those without. Food for thought.
  • Finding what you’re looking for … faster.
    For members of multiple Teams and Spaces, it can be a bear to find a particular document or file. The search bar is your friend in this case – even more so provided you know these tricks. If you have an idea which Team or Space you want to search in, type “In:” into the bar. In the event that you know who sent it, you can enter in “From:” to better direct your searches.
  • Need a hand? Ask a bot.
    Webex Teams integrates with all sorts of applications. In some cases, admins can incorporate “bots” that allow even greater levels of integration with those applications. Bots are included as members of a Team or Space and can be interacted with just like a person. So, for example, if a member needed some piece of information, he or she could receive it simply by addressing the appropriate bot.

Next steps: Get more Webex Teams tips and tricks

Want to learn even more Webex Teams tips and tricks? Arraya’s collaboration engineers are ready to share their expertise. You can start a conversation with our team today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/!

Leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs via social media – LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Then, after you’ve shared your thoughts, follow us on any of those platforms to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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Last month, technology professionals from more than 100 countries gathered in Orlando, FL for Microsoft Ignite 2018. As is always the case with Microsoft’s annual showcase, the event wasn’tMicrosoft Ignite 2018 recap hurting for headline-grabbing news. So, with the help of our cloud and workspace team, let’s recap the week’s biggest stories and consider the impact they could have on the tech giant’s user base.

Must-Hear Announcement #1: All About Cyber Security

No recap of Microsoft Ignite 2018 would be complete without mentioning cyber security. Among the week’s biggest cyber security announcements:

  • Microsoft Threat Protection – Good security doesn’t have to be a time drain. That’s the idea behind Microsoft Threat Protection. It bundles security insights regarding email, identity, devices, and more into one end-to-end platform. Leaning on Microsoft 365, Threat Protection can detect and remediate today’s most dangerous attack vectors. It can do that while leaving room to evolve alongside the threat landscape.
  • Password-Free Logins – At Ignite, Microsoft didn’t just declare the end of the password era, it sought to give organizations the tools they need to make it so. The Microsoft Authenticator app combines devices and biometrics to create a multifactor yet password-free login experience. Essentially, Authenticator serves as the secure gateway to an entire galaxy of Azure AD connected business apps.
  • Microsoft Secure Score – How do an organization’s cyber security efforts stack up? Where can improvement be made? Find out with Microsoft Secure Score. By working in conjunction with Microsoft’s other security and identity capabilities, Secure Score can help organizations assess where their vulnerabilities lie – and provide remediation advice.
  • Enhanced compliance capabilities – It’s getting harder for organizations to safely navigate the regulatory spider web. Microsoft 365 has several new features designed to make that process less painful. Among these enhancements is a refined approach to data labeling, one that allows policies and designations to be rolled out across both Office 365 and Azure Information Protection.

Must-Hear Announcement #2: How Microsoft is Making Life Simpler

Security was on plenty of minds during Ignite 2018, but so too was another s-word: simplicity. During the conference, Microsoft unveiled several new capabilities intended to make life easier on workspace admins everywhere. Chief among those spotlighted features were Hybrid Azure AD Join and Windows Autopilot.

Let’s start with Hybrid Azure AD Join. This feature lets admins more efficiently (and simply) manage their Active Directory domains by enabling group policy management. Previously joining a device to an Active Directory Domain required a direct connection. Now a policy push can accomplish this task.

A trio of new features in Windows Autopilot could inject some simplicity into the world of Windows 10 deployment and management. These new features include support for hybrid Azure AD which allows devices to be paired with either Azure AD or Azure Directory. Additionally, support will now exist for using Autopilot to update Windows 7 devices to Windows 10. Up last is a feature that first made headlines during the summer. This new capability will bring plug-and-go automatic resource provisioning to a variety of shared devices.

Must-Hear Announcement #3: How Teams is Getting Even More Useful

Teams also had a big week at Ignite 2018 as Microsoft announced a series of adjustments designed to widen the platform’s appeal. Among its new capabilities are schedule management tools primarily targeted at shift workers. Once fully rolled out, these tools will let supervisors more easily create and track schedules while employees will be able to better manage their shifts and availability. Furthermore, Teams’ new features will also enable it to address the needs of specific workforces. For example, the new image annotation and priority messaging features will allow healthcare professionals to leverage Teams’ chat capabilities while adhering to strict HIPAA regulations.

Also at Ignite 2018, Microsoft announced greater Yammer and SharePoint integration with Teams. A new Yammer tab in Teams lets users more easily access relevant conversations outside their particular group. In addition, come early next year, a new SharePoint tab will allow for better in-group document and data management.

Must-Hear Announcement #4: Keeping Staff Productive (and Safe) on the Go

Lastly, we’ll close out our Microsoft Ignite 2018 recap with a sampling of announcements from the conference concerning enterprise mobility and Microsoft’s plan to help businesses (and users) get a better handle on it.

  • Microsoft Intune now includes support for “scope tags.” This helps organize and restrict access on shared tenants to ensure the right people have access to the right data and devices.
  • A new Intune admin page is coming to Outlook Mobile. The idea is to empower admins to connect end users with the application-specific settings they need to be secure and productive.
  • Microsoft is looking to harden its Edge browser for Android and iOS devices. To do that, it debuted multiple new features, including a “dual identity” feature designed to help users keep their work and professional lives separate on split devices. Additionally, Intune can now push policies restricting functionality such as copy, paste, and print screen.

Next Steps: Go Beyond Our Microsoft Ignite 2018 Recap

Want to learn more about what went down at Ignite 2018? Join us on November 1st at the Chubb Hotel and Conference Center in Lafayette Hill, PA for an event dedicated to recapping two of the year’s biggest technology conferences: Ignite and VMworld. This event will feature presentations from Arraya’s own team of experts as well as industry insiders, all to help you get a better feel for how these conferences could impact your day-to-day. VMworld + Ignite: Essential Insights is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//event/vmworld-ignite-essential-insights/. You can also contact our workspace team at: mssales@arrayasolutions.com.

As always, you can leave us a comment on this blog by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve shared your take, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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Legal and automation go together like peanut butter and jelly according to a majority of executives working in the industry. In a new survey by Intapp, Inc. and The Lawyer,legal automation leaders professed their belief that firms have a lot to gain by deploying hands-off technologies. Despite their overwhelming support, in practice the combination of law firms and automation remains curiously elusive.

In order to determine what’s preventing real world automation adoption from matching its on-paper support, let’s look more closely at Intapp and The Laywer’s research. The companies found:

  • 97% of leaders surveyed see automation as a way to reduce conflicts and create a more smooth new client onboarding process. Less than half (44%) of firms are taking advantage of it.
  • 90% see the value in using data-driven insights to manage client relationships yet only 16% are doing so.
  • 87% feel it can make resource allocation easier but only 14% are using it for that purpose.
  • 86% believe it can assist with delivering insights and analytics to clients, however only 18% of those surveyed are leveraging it that way.

One set of statistics indicates law firms are extremely positive about the potential of automation. The other, however, demonstrates a reluctance to implement the technology regardless of the advantages. Why? The authors of the survey floated a few theories that Arraya’s own subject matter experts have experienced firsthand.

What’s causing legal’s adoption divide?

The first? It’s tough to break habits. Whether they pertain to how employees prefer to work or the kinds of technologies firms prefer to invest in, old habits die hard. The kind of organizational support needed to break those old habits likely can’t come solely from IT. Instead, it must be organization-wide and start from the top. Often, the barrier to such widespread acceptance is built on fears of technology replacing employees so it’s important to demonstrate early on how automation will be used to augment workflows, not take ownership of them.

Another issue possibly leading to low adoption figures is a lack of in-house expertise. Automation is still relatively uncharted territory for many law firms and their technology teams. Without that built-in experience, many are averse to taking on the challenge of a new solution. In cases such as this, it can help to bring in a partner with experience in the field. Leaning on outside expertise in this way can allow firms to pursue advanced technology solutions while continuing to focus on what they do best.

Other firms aren’t suffering from a lack of experience with automation, but a lack of positive experience. Perhaps they rolled out automation in one part of their environment and simply weren’t blown away by the results. In those instances, it might not be the automation that came up short but the process. Instead of giving up on automation due to a less than stellar first impression, firms should re-examine their original goals. Then, they should contact an experienced automation partner, one who can build off initial experiences and help plan for and execute their vision in the most realistic and measured way possible.

Next Steps: Bringing together legal & automation

Does your law firm fall into any of the above buckets when it comes to automation? Arraya Solutions can help. Our team understands the challenges presented by bringing automation to the legal industry and can work with you to position your firm to achieve its automation goals.

Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to start a conversation with our experts today. Also, you can leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve let us know what you think, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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With trendsIoT Security indicating IoT’s reach may grow from 15 billion connected devices as of 2015 all the way up to 75 billion connected devices in 2025, it’s never been more important to have the IoT security talk. After all, that figure represents the network inroads and the computing might that, if left exposed, will be waiting for attackers to exploit. Given the potential risk/reward of IoT, one entity has interjected itself into the IoT security conversation.

In September, the state of California once again found itself on the regulatory cutting edge. Its legislature passed what has been called a “first-of-its-kind bill on IoT security.” The bill, designated “SB-327 Information privacy: connected devices,” puts the onus on manufacturers to build device-level protection directly into their products. These intrinsic security feature(s), via the exact text of the bill, should be:

  • appropriate to the nature and function of the device
  • appropriate to the information it may collect, contain, or transmit, and
  • designed to protect the device and any information contained therein from unauthorized access, destruction, use, modification, or disclosure.

Furthermore, connected devices with built-in authentication ability must meet a pair of conditions according to the bill:

  • The preprogrammed password must be unique to each device manufactured, and
  • A feature must exist requiring users to generate a new means of authentication before access is granted to the device for the first time.

Make IoT security an internal initiative

Some pundits have criticized California’s bill for not going far enough from a governance perspective. Of course, regulation tends to breed additional regulation. So, this could turn out to be the opening salvo in a much broader campaign to bring greater oversight to IoT. However, for organizations attempting to manage the influx of connected devices projected to inundate their facilities over the next decade, potential security-boosting regulations will do little good. Instead, businesses must take it upon themselves to ensure the security of their technology environments. On that topic, some recent news from Cisco could prove helpful.

Earlier this year, Cisco announced an IoT security-focused expansion of its DNA Center network management platform. As part of this update, DNA Center gained access to the profiles of more than 600 new IoT devices. These new devices – pulled mostly from sectors including manufacturing and medical – will now be accessible by DNA Center admins. As such, admins will be able to (via integration with Cisco ISE) push access and security policies out to those devices, gain insight into their health and performance, and beyond. This move represents just one phase of a larger DNA Center expansion designed to bring safer and more secure IoT connectivity to all industries.

Next steps: Keep the IoT security conversation going

Want to learn more about the changes to Cisco’s DNA Center? Or, would you like to have a conversation about how else your businesses can leverage IoT connectivity without sacrificing security? The Arraya team is here to help. Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to start a dialogue with our IoT experts today.

Want to leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs? You can do so through our social media pages. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve shared your two cents, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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Arraya Insights Radio

Episode 11:  Everything You Might Have Missed from VMworld 2018

On this episode of Arraya Insights Radio, our team turns their attention to reviewing VMworld 2018. While VMware’s massive industry showcase may have come and gone, the news and announcements it unveiled could have a lasting impact on businesses of all sizes. As a result, our special guests – Ron Longley (Data Center Practice Manager) and Halim Chtourou (Enterprise Architect) – help us recap all of the highlights from VMworld 2018 and analyze what they could mean for the data centers of today and beyond.

Host: Thomas York (Director, Quality and Operational Excellence)

Guests: Ron Longley (Data Center Practice Manager) and Halim Chtourou (Enterprise Architect)

Further Reading:

Theme Music: “I Don’t Remember (Yesterday)” by Hygh Risque

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When Microsoft first unveiled plans for a series of Office and Windows licensing and price changes, the October 1 go-live date seemed so far away. But Microsoft EA changes now? October is right around the corner and so too is that revamped price structure. Before it hits, organizations should make sure they can answer the following questions.

What exactly are Microsoft’s EA changes?

Let’s start by briefly reviewing some of the biggest changes set to take effect this fall regarding Microsoft’s price structure:

  • Office 2019 commercial licenses will increase 10% over their current position.
  • Windows Server 2019 Standard Edition as well as so-called “productivity servers” – solutions supporting Exchange, SharePoint Server, etc. – will both be subject to a 10% price increase.
  • Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Per Device faces a rebrand as Windows 10 Enterprise and will raise its price to match that of Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Per User which, in turn, will rebrand as Windows 10 Enterprise E3.

Additionally, Microsoft will eliminate volume discounts for a variety of programs. This includes Enterprise Agreements (EA) and Enterprise Agreement Subscriptions (EAS), MPSA, and Select/Select Plus among others. Lastly, to increase cost transparency for EA and EAS license holders, Microsoft will compile a pricing guide to better illustrate their cost breakdowns.

Will I be affected?

Does your organization hold pay-as-you-go licenses for on-premises Office deployments or leverage Windows 10 Enterprise E3 Per Device? If so, the changes will likely affect your organization. The cost of those perpetual licenses will go up in just a few weeks.

Microsoft’s goals with these changes are simplification, consistency and better alignment of a solution’s cost and value. Of course, tweaking the price structure in this could also serve an additional purpose. There seems to be some hope of encouraging those who haven’t adopted Microsoft’s cloud solutions to reconsider.

What can I do?

If these changes could affect your organization, one solution would be to, as mentioned previously, reconsider Microsoft’s stable of cloud solutions. Working with a certified Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (CSP) to explore those options can lead to unheard of cost certainty. CSP participants like Arraya can offer customer-friendly options that allow organizations to add and remove cloud bandwidth on-demand, ensuring they have access to everything they need and nothing they don’t. Even better – through Arraya’s Cloud-One – powered by Microsoft CSP – you’ll receive a single bill for all of your Microsoft cloud solutions and access to a 24×7 support desk for those services.

Want to learn more about Microsoft’s upcoming price changes or how your organization can benefit from Arraya’s Cloud-One? Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to learn more.

As always, leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs through social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve let us know what you think, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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VMworld 2018 may be in the books but don’t count on its impact fading any time soon. Once again, VMware’s annual technology showcase didn’t disappoint in terms of noteworthy VMworld 2018 recap blog postannouncements. Once our Data Center team had time to digest all of the news to come out of the conference, we got their take on the biggest stories from Las Vegas. Also in this, their official VMworld 2018 recap, we’ll cover how those items could impact businesses during the coming months.

Topic #1: vSphere 6.7 U1

One of the biggest announcements at VMworld 2018 concerned the forthcoming release of vSphere 6.7 U1. This solution, which will hit general availability later this year, was positioned as a necessary evolution of the vSphere platform. Let’s rundown the practical applications of some of the more intriguing new features and integrations coming to vSphere.

Admins can say goodbye to Flash as 6.7 U1 brings total feature parity to vSphere’s HTML 5 web client. The old Flash-based client served its purpose but vSphere admins have been longing to use a more modern web interface to manage their environments. Well, it’s here – or at least it will be soon.

A new web client isn’t the only change coming with vSphere 6.7 U1. Admins can also expect to gain the ability to:

  • receive and execute essential drive and firmware upgrades by way of Update Manager.
  • more securely decommission hosts due to safeguards built directly into 6.7 U1.
  • dive deeper into vSAN cluster performance and issues using the new monitoring and remediation capabilities delivered through enhanced vRealize Operations integration.

VMware also debuted a new vSphere licensing tier called Platinum. This new level takes the features already offered in vSphere Enterprise Plus and incorporates them with VMware’s App Defense platform. This union will provide hands-free VM monitoring and response, in the event of suspicious activity. For organizations in need of all the bells and whistles contained in this package, this is the most cost effective way to get them.

Topic #2: Workspace One

Also at VMworld 2018, VMware unveiled several new features coming to Workspace One. While improving security was certainly a major theme of these upgrades, there was a broader story to tell about bringing some simplicity to admins’ workdays.

To start, VMware announced the integration of Workspace One with NIST’s Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures reporting. As a result, admins will be able to monitor the security status of their organization’s desktop endpoints and mobile devices all from a single location. With this capability, they can identify any vulnerabilities in monitored devices and easily determine the exact scope of those susceptibilities.

Additionally, VMware detailed the expansion of Workspace One’s Trust Network. This collection of integrated third party security offerings grew to include even more best of breed vendors, including CheckPoint. This further simplifies the security process by rolling insights generated by solutions from vendors like CheckPoint into a single management pane as opposed to multiple portals.

There is one last Workspace One tidbit worth highlighting. Even though it is outside the security domain, it does fall squarely alongside the idea of simplicity. Workspace One admins will gain the ability to import app configurations right from Microsoft SCCM. This can be particularly valuable to those looking for a more modern way of managing Windows 10. Provided they already have their configurations down pat in SCCM, admins can achieve the modern management style they want without kicking up any additional manual work in the process.

Topic #3: VMware Cloud on AWS

The final major story our team wanted to highlight in this VMworld 2018 recap involves VMware Cloud on AWS. VMware announced it would be significantly lowering the barrier to entry, and not just in terms of price. Companies will have a chance to try out a single host version of VMware Cloud for AWS. Then, after seeing what the platform is all about, organizations can either call it a day or roll out a full, redundant environment within minutes. This is a great opportunity for organizations that have yet to invest in the cloud but who are interested getting a taste of what it has to offer.

Next Steps: Going beyond the recap with VMworld 2018

Want to discuss these or any other news from VMworld 2018 in greater detail? Our Data Center team members are ready to share their insights! Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to get the conversation started today!

If you’d like to leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs, you can reach us through social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve shared your take, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

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Cisco’s Webex Teams, just like all collaboration solutions, lives and dies based on end user acceptance. If the buy-in isn’t there, legacy methods will continue to thrive while the effort and expense Get started with Webex Teams that went into the upgrade ultimately goes to waste. Of course, the sooner goodwill campaigns kick off, the better the chance they generate the level of organization-wide support needed to successfully rollout a more modern approach to collaboration.

Using our own experiences, coupled with insights from industry insiders, we’ve put together a collection of six best practices designed to help organizations get started with Webex Teams and begin fostering buy-in before it is even fully rolled out:

  • Draw an organizational map. Most businesses already have an organizational chart at the ready. Take some time to consider how to recreate that reporting and workflow structure using Webex Teams. Determine if it would be better to group users together based on their department or by project responsibilities (or both). At first, it might make sense to limit the architecture to a few higher level teams before gradually subdividing those into more granular alignments.
  • Hold two sets of strategy meetings. Twice the meetings likely doesn’t sound all that appealing. However, it’s wise to split planning into two separate tracks, one focused on the technical aspects of implementing Webex Teams and another honed in on the strategic side. Doing so will keep meetings shorter and eliminate the risk of inundating stakeholders with information outside their jurisdiction.
  • It’s never too early to collect advocates. Try using Webex Teams as the communication backbone of its own organization-wide launch. Anyone participating in the rollout should receive an invite to join a project team, allowing them to see firsthand how the solution works. This way, should they go on to serve as internal advocates for the solution, they’ll be able to speak from real experience, not data sheets.
  • Nail down group naming conventions.  Webex Teams includes two types of designations – teams and spaces. Teams should more closely align with an organization’s structure. They are akin to departments or long-term project groups. Meanwhile, spaces should serve a more fluid, short-term collaborative function. Given their alignment with the organizational structure, teams will likely share a name with a specific department or function, e.g., marketing or sales. Spaces, however, offer more flexibility. It’s a best practice to name spaces after their intended purpose. If that doesn’t provide a specific enough designation, it’s also an option to name spaces after members. Without consistent naming conventions in place from the jump, it could lead to excessive numbers of teams with similar purposes.
  • Steer clear of communication channel overload. Webex Teams streamlines increasingly complex collaboration environments rather than further complicating them. Instead of working alongside legacy tools like internal distribution lists, shared mailboxes, and instant messaging platforms, Webex Teams serves in place of them. Before sunsetting these options, spend time with those who leverage them the most to determine how to migrate their preexisting workflows seamlessly into Webex Teams.
  • Select the right style of rollout. There are multiple ways to actually roll Webex Teams out to the organization. Example: Responsibility for creating all teams and spaces can go to one person or group. Once the structure is in place, stakeholders can then be set as moderators. Another option involves allowing stakeholders to set up their own teams and spaces. Of course, it’s also an option to grant this ability to anyone within the organization, regardless of position. Pick the approach that makes the most sense based on organizational culture and size.

Next steps: Get started with your own Webex Teams success story

Success with Webex Teams starts prior to deployment, but it doesn’t end there. Check back in the coming weeks for additional best practices on how to continue getting the most from Cisco’s newest collaboration solution. If you’d like to take the conversation offline, our collaboration engineers are ready to share their expertise. Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to connect with our team today!

Want to leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs? You can also reach us through social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Once you’ve shared your two cents, follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and learning opportunities.

 

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Dell EMC’s newest offering in the SMB data protection space, called Integrated Data Protection Appliance (IDPA) DP4400, arrived with a bang earlier this summer. While the name may not IDPA DP4400 SMB data protection appliance exactly roll off the tongue, Dell EMC’s promises regarding the solution’s cost to protection and data deduplication rate have drummed up plenty of conversation nonetheless.

Here are five strategic questions we’re hearing most often from our customers – complete with answers from the Arraya Data Center team.

Question #1: “There are lots of tools out there – how much attention should I give this one?”

Answer: It depends. If your organization has ever felt as though it were falling through the cracks with the data protection market, then IDPA DP4400 could be worth a closer look. Often what we’ve seen with SMBs is they lack the resources, either in terms of budget or skill, demanded by enterprise-grade solutions. However, those marketed to the other side of the spectrum often slash too much in the way of performance or capabilities like diverse application support. IDPA DP4400 asks for no such compromises while boasting a price point ranked among the lowest in its class.

Question #2: “If I wasn’t a good fit for IDPA before, why would that be different now?”

Answer: A lot has changed from past incarnations. IDPA DP4400 is a 2U appliance that plugs directly into existing server racks. Previous iterations of IDPA? Not so much. Those were full-sized rack offerings, designed for mid-to-enterprise sized organizations, that occupied sizeable chunks of space within data centers. Compared to what came before, IDPA DP4400 is a truly software defined, integrated data protection appliance. Additionally, IDPA DP4400 includes a new feature called IDPA System Manager. This customizable user interface offers a centralized command center from which to execute backups, automate tasks, and manage the overall environment.

Question #3: “Will the IDPA DP4400 become an issue if we hit a growth spurt?”

Answer: The knock against some data protection solutions is that they don’t scale easily. As the businesses around them grow, they remain the same. In order to accommodate growth, IT would need to undertake the time-consuming and costly process of purchasing, installing and configuring new hardware components. The same criticisms can’t be levied at IDPA DP4400. This solution can scale from 24TB to 96TB of on premises capacity without the need to purchase or deploy any new technologies. This way, if a growth spurt does occur, data protection shouldn’t become a concern.

Question #4: “I’ve been hearing a lot about leveraging cloud storage for backup data – can IDPA DP4400 help with that?”

Answer: Conversations about data protection and disaster recovery just seem to have a way of ending up in the cloud before long – and for good reason. There’s value in moving appropriate workloads offsite … without incurring the expense of a colocation site in the process. IDPA DP4400 is perfect for today’s cloud-hungry world. In fact, cloud readiness comes standard with the solution. While IDPA DP4400’s cloud capabilities include the use of Cloud Tier (allowing customers to tier older backup data to both private and public cloud storage), there’s no need to purchase additional hardware or access gateways.

Question #5: “How exactly would this make data protection easier?”

Answer: Every SMB wants data protection to be simple yet reliable. Accomplishing both is a difficult ask, but not out of the question. IDPA DP4400 simplifies backup and recovery through the System Manager feature we mentioned earlier. Bigger picture, however, IDPA DP4400 functions as sort of a one-stop data protection solution. It supports physical and virtual environments and a massive application ecosystem, populated by solutions from Microsoft, IBM, and more. The idea is to eliminate silos and take care of irritating compatibility issues that crop up.  Finally, when it comes time to upgrade the components of the backup infrastructure, the IDPA DP4400 includes automated upgrade packages that are made available on a regular release schedule.

Should IDPA DP4400 Be Part of My SMB Data Protection Strategy?

Still have questions about whether IDPA DP4400 fits your SMB’s data protection strategy? Want to more fully explore what it takes to keep data safe and available despite the rising tide of cyber attacks? The members of Arraya’s Data Center team are ready to help. Reach out to them any time by visiting https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

Leave us a comment on this or any of our blogs through social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. Let us know what you think and follow us to stay updated on our industry insights and exclusive learning opportunities.

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Let’s say you have Cisco’s Advanced Malware Protection (AMP) keeping an eye on your corporate network – so you’re good, right? After all, AMP promises to be a cyber security difference-maker,Cisco AMP optimization checklist catching the 1% of threats legacy defensive tools miss. Here’s the thing, even though AMP can absolutely be the missing piece that helps your security environment take the final step up from 99% efficiency, it is not a tool you should set and forget.

In order to get the best value from your deployment, you should perform regular AMP health assessments. These assessments are an excellent opportunity to ensure your AMP solution is operating at top efficiency and in accordance with industry best practices. What should you look for during an assessment? Here’s a checklist of steps you can take in pursuit of Cisco AMP optimization.

  • Ensure all AMP client software is up to date. As far as advice goes, this is fairly 101. However, keeping AMP software up to date is the only way to prepare it to go up against the advanced tactics and tools deployed by today’s cyber criminals. Without a doubt, this is the best place to start any assessment.
  • Secure all AMP admin credentials. Multifactor authentication (MFA) is a best practice for all corporate (and personal) accounts. It is especially wise to use on any accounts granted AMP admin privileges. These accounts hold a tremendous amount of power over what comes and goes on your network and, as such, they must be kept safe.
  • Schedule weekly scans for off-hours. IT should program weekly scans to launch during a device’s off-hours and to investigate the entire machine for malware. Such scans can be resource-intensive, leading to frustrating slowdowns and delays if performed during busy hours. The most effective security programs are the ones that function as partnerships with end users and this is a great way to keep them on your side.
  • Tune notifications to the proper frequency. If danger is near, users – and more importantly – security needs to know about it. AMP admins must ensure notifications are in place to let users know about hazards they encounter – and that those alerts are properly customized to the environment. Additionally, a line of communication must extend to IT or security teams so that they remain acutely aware of what their users are seeing in the field.
  • Enable (and review) monthly trend reports. AMP optimization should include activating the solution’s reporting capabilities. Doing so will keep you informed of everything AMP has caught and encountered. These reports can be invaluable to helping shape future cyber security initiatives – if they are actually reviewed. Separate from the health assessment, you should set time aside to parse through AMP’s logs regularly in search of malicious trends.
  • Audit organizational AMP feature usage. AMP includes tools that can help organizations stay safe, it’s just a matter of using them. During a Cisco AMP optimization assessment, you should look to the feature sets your company frequently uses and those it doesn’t to ensure you’re not leaving value on the table. One tool you should be taking advantage of is AMP’s file analysis feature. This can shed light on the origins of malicious activity, leading to faster issue remediation.
  • Weed out conflicts between AMP and other security solutions. AMP’s performance can degrade due to conflicts between it and legacy anti-virus utilities. You should take a look at AMP’s settings and configure them to exclude anti-virus directories from its scans – and vice versa. Not doing so can lead to one solution classifying another’s critical data as malicious, increasing false alarms and, potentially, breaking something.

Next steps: Don’t face Cisco AMP optimization alone

These are just some of the ways in which businesses can execute a Cisco AMP optimization initiative. If you’d like to learn more about the above steps – or need a hand performing your own Cisco AMP health assessment, reach out to Arraya Solutions today. Our team has the experience needed to ensure you’re getting the most out of your deployment. Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to schedule your assessment now.

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