Putting Big Data Into Action

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Big data processing is a way to drive business action, not just analyze past transactions and behaviors.

In the past, analyzing data helped teams write sales forecasts, determine inventory needs and decide the ideal time for buying a new piece of equipment. With big data, that’s all evolved into a setting where enterprises can predict customer behaviors, personalize marketing and buying experiences, and create new product lines based on social media analytics.

The impact of big data is currently taking another turn, and it means that all data processing will be big data processing. The advancing technology surrounding how data is used to drive business means it’s no longer just analysis and processing, but action-oriented.

Stop waiting. If you’re usually a late adopter of technology and prefer to watch the more risk-taking companies test out new tools and features while you wait for the 2.0 version, you may want to rethink that strategy when it comes to big data. Advances in big data are not slowing down and there’s no “later” for companies that pass on the advantages it offers now. Simply put, your competitors are likely jumping into big data, and they will far outpace you if you’re not engaged in these strategies.

The shift in big data processing: The reason you can’t afford to wait to implement big data processing is that all processing is becoming big data processing. It’s shifting from a system of gaining insight into a set of business metrics to becoming a system of taking action in real time based on data flowing in from a variety of sources.

Early big data analysis centered on offline batch analysis, with line of business managers pushing for faster, more comprehensive, smarter reporting. As this technology developed, it became feasible for data to become transaction-focused.

Two other trends are influencing the shift towards big data becoming action-oriented:

  • Internet of Things (IoT) devices are sending a massive influx of real-time data, and edge computing makes it possible to process and analyze that data right at the source so that enterprise systems act on that data immediately.
  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning are making it possible for big data to use extremely effective predictive models.

Enterprises will increasingly see big data as the driver of their actions, rather than simply informing decision-making. Is your enterprise ready for big data processing? If you’ve been holding out on implementing big data technology, the time is now. Contact us at Truth Comm for more information on how real-time data flows and machine learning could disrupt your business processes.

How SD-WAN Equips Enterprises for Growth

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SD-WAN pushes the network into a position of business driver, because it makes data-driven business possible.

The increasing flow of data into enterprises is staggering. Analytics provides detailed information about website visits. Social media feeds businesses data about the types of users that view, like and comment on posts. Cloud solutions pump data into the network about customer behaviors, inventory patterns and operational inefficiencies. While processing and mobilizing all of that data may be daunting, enterprises are making it happen by adopting software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN).

The greater volume of data coming into the enterprise causes congestion in the network. It also complicates security, takes up space in the data storage center, and requires a lot of computer for processing. Enterprises that manage to effectively use the data to equip their teams for better business processes, improved customer experiences, and informed forecasting are few and far between.

Those that are reaching a point of data-driven business practices are doing so with SD-WAN. SD-WAN applies virtual, cloud-based networking so that enterprises can leverage commodity broadband networks to lower costs, improve reliability and performance, and secure the data.

How SD-WAN Works

SD-WAN applies a virtual overlay to the physical network, creating a centralized hub for management, configuring, provisioning and troubleshooting. From that management dashboard, network engineers are able to set business policy to automatically route different types of network traffic. This means that important data transmissions such as a video conference are given a higher-priority pathway than transmissions that don’t require real-time connectivity, such as email.

How SD-WAN Makes Data Manageable for Business Growth

Security

This approach improves the security surrounding the data because if there’s a suspected threat of breach in any part of the network, it can be identified and segmented from the rest of the infrastructure. The high level of visibility with SD-WAN makes it possible to quickly locate the threat.

Performance

Because SD-WAN can automatically utilize multi-link routing to optimize network performance, there’s never any interruption in connectivity. This means that you can rely on the quality of the data being processed and analyzed, without any concern that downtime or degradation of a pathway is causing data to be incomplete. SD-WAN automatically reroutes data transmissions to the next best pathway if there’s congestion or any other reason for a delay or interruption.

Opportunity to Drive Growth

Utilizing data for business growth objectives is a truly disruptive business activity that will help you pull ahead of your competition. SD-WAN equips your enterprise with network optimization that makes data compilation, analysis and mobilization possible. Without the performance-enhancing features of an SD-WAN solution, most enterprises won’t be able to accommodate the levels of data flowing in from cloud solutions.

SD-WAN makes it possible to effectively and cost-efficiently receive massive data amounts coming in from mobile devices, branch offices, manufacturing centers, Internet of Things (IoT) devices, retail stores, and more. To learn more about SD-WAN and how its features might be applied in your own enterprise IT infrastructure, contact us at Truth Comm.

The Importance of Managing Microdata in a Big Data Era

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Managing big data provides for better analysis and planning, but not protecting microdata has major implications.

Big data is impacting every area of business. No matter where you go or what you do, your behaviors are being captured for a variety of purposes. While your online buying behaviors are being tracked to help retailers maximize sales opportunities, you may also appreciate some of the benefits, like being offered a similar product with a better customer rating.

As a result of the advanced technology for collecting data, analyzing it and using those analyses to inform business decisions, data has become increasingly important for businesses. Your data related to customer files, product pricing and inventory and sales history needs to be protected with a security strategy designed for big data.

What some companies risk is the vulnerability of microdata as they pursue solutions to protect their big data assets. The massive files related to product pricing and inventory will always receive prioritized attention in terms of security, but what about the sensors that pick up inventory information? For instance, if you are storing bulk degreasing solutions that will later be bottled and the sensor on the vat of solution is malfunctioning, is that microdata somehow captured?

To get a sense of the role of microdata, it’s helpful to think in terms of credential data. Every system requires credentials for users to access applications, and these types of microdata files are critical. You’d never want them compromised or exposed. Without these files, there’s no access to anything else, yet they often represent one of the more vulnerable areas in enterprise IT.

Determining how to protect microdata is becoming a greater concern for enterprises as sensors and Internet of Things (IoT) technology are implemented to streamline business processes. There also need to be plans in place to protect the data should a sensor fail or the network isn’t prepared to handle the flow of data from sensors.

Companies spend a lot of time protecting big data. There are disaster recovery strategies and backups intended to protect against data loss or theft and corruption. Yet little time is ever dedicated to the actual applications, configuration files or a variety of other small data entities that can be vulnerable and cause a loss of data.

Replication and Duplication: It’s important that both big data and microdata be replicated and duplicated on a regular basis to protect the integrity of the data. Incremental backups are important for being able to go back to a certain time and pull that data, but only a complete duplication of data allows for enough protection.

To learn more about the protection of vulnerable microdata files or about a broader big data security strategy, contact us at Truth Comm. We are your trusted partner and can help you leverage the best technology to protect all types of data critical to your business success.

SD-WAN Offers Better Control While Reducing Costly MPLS Reliance

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Improve network performance while enjoying enhanced visibility and zero-touch provisioning with SD-WAN.

Multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) has long been the reliability gold standard for network pathways, but as cloud technology and increased mobility drive up the pace of data flow into and out of the network, MPLS becomes more known for its cost than reliability. While it’s rare for an enterprise to completely replace MPLS, software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) offers alternatives for optimizing network usage.

MPLS is still a valuable pathway for mission-critical transmissions, such as security video, video conferencing or voice calls. The challenge for many enterprises is handling the sheer volume of data transmissions that are medium-critical or non-critical, such as employees accessing social media on break or items that are important but don’t require real-time access, like sending an email.

SD-WAN offers the opportunity to optimize both network performance and cost with flexibility in the network. The technology allows administrators to set business policy so that traffic is prioritized to different pathways based on the policies stated. This means that scrolling through memes on Facebook never takes priority over a training video. SD-WAN allows the enterprise to balance the load so that users always experience a consistent network connection.

In addition, if your enterprise is on a growth trajectory and expects to open new branches regularly, SD-WAN answers a lot of challenges. Its centralized management design gives network administrators the ability to provision network settings for a new branch from headquarters, as well as troubleshoot when a problem arises. The high level of visibility available in the virtual overlay for the network saves travel time and costs. In addition, compared to a traditional MPLS pathway, network administrators can have a new branch connected in a fraction of the time.

Scalability is also a defining advantage for SD-WAN over traditional hub-and-spoke network configurations. It’s easy to scale up or down according to seasonality or other changes for the enterprise. For instance, if you have a retail company that operates kiosks in downtown areas during the holidays or inside shopping malls, you can pay for more users during that time period and then seamlessly scale back after the holidays.

Enterprises fighting the nearly-constant barrage of security threats will also appreciate the ability to segment network traffic with SD-WAN. If you have deployed a fleet of Internet of Things (IoT) devices, you may be particularly concerned about the additional endpoints that increase the vulnerability of the network. With SD-WAN, it’s possible to segment out all device traffic, so that if one is ever lost or stolen, the potential damage can be isolated and limited from exposing the rest of the network.

If you would like to learn more about the many benefits of SD-WAN for a business organization like yours, contact us at Truth Comm. Not every implementation looks the same, so let us describe for you how SD-WAN will function in your specific business situation and what benefits you’ll see both immediately and long-term.

Common Misconceptions About SD-WAN

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The challenges around SD-WAN include the expectation of reduced costs and difficulty understanding dynamic path selection.

As IT environments become more complex with cloud applications and enterprises expanding the number of their branch locations, the need for a better network solution becomes clear. Enterprises need better visibility and the ability to configure and troubleshoot from headquarters. The answer for many enterprises is software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN).

SD-WAN provides a number of solutions to the challenges of an overly complex network infrastructure. Centralized management, troubleshooting, and configuration, along with the ability to optimize pathways for different types of network traffic are just two of the benefits that come with SD-WAN.

Enterprises deploying SD-WAN anticipate these benefits, but the increasing use of the technology, as well as an explosion of vendors offering the solution, mean there are some common misconceptions that become intermingled with the true deliverables of the network. Take a look at a few of the most prevalent misconceptions:

Application performance is improved by forward error correction (FEC). FEC is a tool that makes data more reliable when it is encoded in a redundant method. While this does protect against dropped packets, it doesn’t improve performance. In fact, because FEC causes data traffic to increase, it can negatively impact performance. It’s important to note that performance and reliability are not interchangeable terms.

Quality of Service (QoS) and dynamic path selection are the same thing.Dynamic path selection is about choosing the right path for each type of network transmission. This is the decision to transmit video over multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) versus directing an email over broadband. QoS, by contrast, is about the reservation of bandwidth for better control over mission-critical transmissions. Dynamic path selection and QoS are related, but not the same.

SD-WAN always leads to cost reduction, specifically around MPLS. Reducing the cost of the network shouldn’t be the primary motivation for switching to SD-WAN, because the savings are often negligible. If an enterprise completely replaces MPLS, this might be possible, but in many cases, enterprises retain MPLS use for critical transmissions and add in more options for other types of traffic. The increased demand on the network due to data flowing from both cloud applications and Internet of Things (IoT) devices means that overall traffic increases. It may be better to measure savings in terms of the potential growth of the networking budget as it becomes more complex.

QoS isn’t necessary because it naturally happens with prioritization. Prioritizing network traffic isn’t the same as a focused strategy that prioritizes performance. It’s important for network plans to include objectives related to performance, reliability and availability, all executed within a QoS plan.

Learn more about the true benefits of SD-WAN and what it can do for organizations with an increasingly complex network environment. Contact us at Truth Comm for more information.

Tips on Transitioning to Cloud-Based Disaster Recovery

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Cloud-based disaster recovery solutions can save you money and save your data.

Disaster recovery solutions have evolved over time. When the idea of creating a disaster recovery solution came around and started gaining speed, the only way to connect to a solution was to come up with your own. In fact, many organizations would actually build a completely separate data center off site to store all their critical data.

While it has become vital for companies of all sizes to have a disaster recovery plan in place, it’s no longer acceptable that the only option one has is to build their own brick and mortar solution. Thanks to cloud-based vendors who have invested heavily in disaster recovery solutions, getting connected to a good one is no longer such a chore.

Navigating the Complexities

While it is true that cloud-based solutions come with many perks, going from an on-premise to an off-site solution doesn’t happen overnight. It takes intentional planning to make that migration a success. There are many complexities to consider, even after you’ve established who your vendor is going to be.

Your disaster recovery plan needs to begin with a breakdown of everything related to your IT. If you’ve got a secondary disaster recovery facility in place, what are the advantages you expect to see by going to the cloud? Some organizations might ease into the situation with a hybrid model, while in other cases, jumping directly and fully into the cloud is a better idea. As you account for what you currently do, you’ll have a better idea of which path is a better fit for your organization.

Are you already locked into software licenses? If you’re breaking any leases, you have to factor this into your costs, which could necessitate waiting for a while before moving forward. Furthermore, jumping to a cloud-based solution comes with support agreements and software licensing of its own, which means you have to fully vet whom you’re dealing with before you ink the deal.

Measuring Metrics

All good plans account for success and failure. You need to know how long you can go without your critical data before it negatively impacts your organization. Your disaster recovery provider should be able to get you up and running before that time limit comes and goes. The amount of data you can afford to lose is another metric that needs to be studied as you choose a provider.

At Truth Comm, our clients need someone on their side that stays ahead of the technology curve, which is why we carry the latest solutions. Our in-depth experience give us insight into how a proper disaster recovery strategy should work, so contact us today and let’s discuss our methods.

Top Tips for Developing a Disaster Recovery Strategy

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Testing your disaster recovery plan before an actual disaster takes place can save your business.

We are approaching that time of year when summer storms begin to brew and hurricane season has everyone wondering how the storms could impact businesses across industries. This may lead you to wonder if your company is prepared in case a natural disaster hits. Now is the time to get on top of it before it’s too late.

Don’t Wait – Plan Now

Being proactive and setting up a leadership team for developing a good plan is the beginning of a smart strategy for preparing for the worst. Everything from training your staff to monitoring your infrastructure to taking care of preventative maintenance should be part of the preparation.

If the goal is to avoid downtime, even if you’re in the thick of a natural disaster, then everything must be considered in the planning stage. Be sure to investigate backup options via cloud-based vendors who are geographically disparate.

Picking the Right Cloud Vendor

 

The best cloud vendors will have multiple data centers in different areas of the country where your data will be duplicated. Furthermore, they will have multiple energy sources should their main source go down.

Ask your potential cloud vendors if they have at least three backup sources of energy/fuel so you will have unfettered access to your data. Uninterrupted power supply technology, such as an N+1 configuration, is an example of how the best are ensuring constant supply.

Run Emergency Drills

To really know if you’re going to be covered in the event of a disaster, perform regular drills to determine where your strategy needs work.

As the landscape regarding technology evolves, so too should your disaster recovery plan. By regularly running drills, you’re going to get a better look at how it’s changing and what you need to do to make improvements. Preventative maintenance, whether in-house or with your cloud service provider, should also be part of the strategy so that your system is always updated and hardware is in working order.

Cloud technologies offer a significant improvement to the way we do business today. At Truth Comm, our cloud solutions give you a complete look at what’s possible in the cloud and what our clients might need. For example, cloud-based voice services, while helping you offload costs related to hardware and software, can also be of significant advantage as you assemble your disaster recovery plan. Contact us today to discuss how our solutions will fit your needs.

Managing Compliance With Cloud Solutions

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With the right cloud tool, enterprises can meet compliance requirements.

As cybersecurity breaches make more common appearances in the headlines, it’s impossible to overstate the role that security and compliance issues are playing in the decisions CIOs make for their organizations. Protecting client data is a priority, but there are also other considerations to weigh when choosing the right technology to support compliance.

For instance, the way that data is stored, accessed and analyzed has a big impact on a company’s agility. If the data is locked up so tight that it can’t be readily accessed for decision-making, that can slow down critical advances that spur growth.

One of the big influences in compliance currently is the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that went into effect May 25. The rules laid out by the European Union include some stringent measures governing the ways that companies can handle data, and more clearly defines what constitutes personal data. GDPR requires companies to allow consumers the right to be forgotten, as well as mandatory disclosure any time there is a data breach.

It’s important not to treat compliance as a task that can be checked off a list. Instead, it should be a continuous monitoring and management focus, with companies striving to reach the next level of protection they can provide for customers.

There were likely some organizations that reached the deadline for GDPR and then found that their budgets were woefully inadequate for what was required to handle data appropriately. Some will spend the following months playing catch-up as they strive to implement every compliance requirement and avoid penalties.

Send in the cloud solution. While no software will make adhering to GDPR easy, there are tools available to make compliance a more streamlined area of management. The ability to set policies in a system and then have it handle data accordingly makes it easier to locate, categorize and correctly handle different types of data.

One of the challenges of cloud technology, in general, is that when using a public cloud solution, the company may really not have any idea where any specific piece of data is being stored. With a cloud solution designed to handle compliance issues, tracking the location of a data item is much more simple.

In addition to helping with compliance concerns, a cloud solution can also aid in the overall strategy related to handling the flood of data and how to best use it to create strategic growth or improve the customer experience.

If your organization is struggling to keep up with compliance, or you simply recognize the need for a more streamlined way of handling it, contact us at Truth Comm. We look forward to helping you handle your current compliance and prepare for the ongoing nature of compliance management.

Cybersecurity Is Essential for Every Business. Is Your Data Secure?

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There is no such thing as being too careful. Guard your company with cybersecurity.

In today’s digital age, businesses are turning toward technological mediums to promote their services. There are more options across various platforms than ever before, whether it is social media or electronic advertisements. However, more options mean more chances of cyberattacks. Thus, you must be prepared to defend yourself.

No business is exempt from vulnerability. Regardless of the size of the business, cyberattacks can strike at any time. Recovery is difficult, especially for businesses that are not prepared. It is vital to be ready for uncertainty and risk in the future.

A business’s data breach costs a fortune – both financially and commercially. The price of a data breach immensely affects customers as well. Not only must businesses deal with the dollar amount, but they also must compensate for lost credibility, assets, confidential information, credit scores, and customer loyalty.

Smaller, growing businesses are in even more danger. For example, some businesses that operate as vendors for larger companies have more risks; they usually have less indemnity and emergency preparation. If targeted, the data breach would also negatively affect the larger company.

Protection against potential threats and IT hazards should be a primary concern for each business. Cybersecurity needs to go beyond mere consideration; it must be a necessity and is it is crucial for a company to preserve, maintain, and secure data.

The pressure to meet and uphold cash flow, customer, and management needs is one reason companies must improve and boost their security. Every business needs both defense against and preparation for the worst possible outcome.

Often, businesses fall into the false presumption that cybersecurity is not essential because they never consider potential harm or believe that cybersecurity is too pricey. However, no business is truly safe from data breaches. Additionally, businesses will save more in the long run if they invest in cybersecurity; thus, the expense of rebuilding a company – both in finance and credibility – will outweigh the price to pay for protection against threats.

Your business should consider a cost-efficient defense against data breach: freelance security experts. These experts can strategize effective solutions, locate vulnerable spots, develop preparations and plans, and implement proactive solutions. Take the necessary steps to guard your company against any possible cyberattacks.

At Truth Comm, your business’s security is one of our priorities. Our aim is to educate you so that you can make the best and safest decision for your business. Contact us today to secure your future.

BYOD: Best Practices and Best Policies

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Whatever devices are being used, BYOD offers both advantages and possible drawbacks.

Smartphones, tablets small and large – they’re everywhere today, including the workplace. The bring your own device (BYOD) movement is now well established, and it’s offering organizations flexibility they didn’t have before. However, there can also be some drawbacks if policies aren’t put in place.

Employees are using their mobile devices for work and play, which can pose security issues. Breaches, which occur because a “door” was left open in a mobile device, are becoming more common. In the healthcare industry where privacy is highly regulated, fines are quite large. Consider a provider in Dallas that had to pay over $3.2 million in a privacy breach issue that was caused by an unencrypted and password-deficient mobile phone.

Beefing Up the Policy

BYOD policies help to keep organizations from falling victim to what can be a wide open door for hackers to breeze through. Policies take into account the various security risks and liabilities, as well as acceptable use, support, passwords and encryption.

Perhaps one of the biggest components of a BYOD policy is in regard to education and awareness. This involves everyone in the organization, from the newest on the team to top executives, because it only takes one person clicking on the wrong link or leaving their device unprotected to create a Trojan Horse scenario.

Also consider who has access to what data. Your policy should account for the various levels of sensitive materials your company stores, and address who should and shouldn’t be able to gain access to it and what your organization will do when data becomes compromised.

Best Practices

Some organizations have best practices set up regarding what devices can be on the company’s network. For example, personal devices like iPhones, iPads and BlackBerry and Android devices, which can be a threat to the security of the organization, must remain offline in the sense that they are not tied into the company’s network.

Best practices for some organizations include not giving various employees access to email on their phones, as this is where phishing scams do their damage.

Another best practice is to approach security from the point of view that considers the technology and applications within a device instead of the device itself. For example, cloud-based applications are fairly ubiquitous now, which means it’s less about the device and more about the virtual infrastructure and how it’s accessed.

At Truth Comm, we’re committed to assisting our clients with all the confusing telecom options out there. At the same time, we know our clients are also concerned about security. Contact us today and let’s talk about the needs that are unique to your organization.

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Email: contact@truthcomm.com

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