Technology Roadmap

What happens when you don’t plan for the future

Technology Roadmap

When IT consultants serve mainly as technology ambulance workers, it’s inefficient, costly, and ultimately a disservice to the client. One of our most important jobs is to make the client understand something is going to break before there is a tech emergency.

Tech Republic September issue 2011

Technology Roadmap

• Remember the ending of Frankenstein didn’t end well for him either.

• What is your current disaster recovery plan?

Technology RoadmapHow to develop a great IT

Roadmap• Step 1: Identify current and potential business challenges.− My salespeople never know what new products we offer.

− We all appear to be doing our own thing.− I need to have my staff connected because our clients

are in different time zones or require unified responses.− I'm tired of loosing my data, contacts or emailing myself.

− I need my voice and data communication to be seamless.− Things are really slow and I just want to leave at 5

Technology RoadmapHow to develop a great IT

Roadmap• Step 2: Map the new technology solution to the biggest business challenge.− Is it mobile users− Is it your Line of Business Application− Is it Collaboration

Technology RoadmapHow to develop a great IT

Roadmap• Step 3: Ensure that the immediate technology choice will help evolve your business over time.− On Premises vs. Cloud service now has a whole new

option− Privacy and control of your data. Exchange Online

adheres to Microsoft’s privacy guidelines, which were created specifically to give customers control of their information. Google Apps adheres to Google’s privacy policy, shared across business and consumer applications, which allows for Google to use customer information to improve advertising and other services in some instances.

Technology Roadmap

• Google Apps and Google Apps for Business include contextual advertising functionality in some instances, just like free consumer Gmail.

Technology RoadmapHow to develop a great IT

Roadmap• Step 4: Determine what phase your business is in. − Foundation: is a small business is seeking to get

established.− Growth: is established and looking to be more efficient

and cost-effective.− Optimization: wants to differentiate their business with

customers and suppliers.

Is your business in its foundation, growth or optimization phase?• In the foundation phase, a small business is seeking

to get established. Communicating effectively--with employees, customers and suppliers--is especially critical. So your technology road map should take into account the need to provide the easiest possible access to information, offering the best service to customers, and keeping information secure.

Is your business in its foundation, growth or optimization phase?• Businesses in the growth phase are established and

looking to be more efficient and cost-effective. Technology considerations might include offering workers the ability to work from home or on the go. You might also want to enhance your communications infrastructure to provide greater operational efficiencies and cost savings through IP telephony.

Is your business in its foundation, growth or optimization phase?• In the optimization phase, it's time to differentiate

your business with customers and suppliers. To do so, implementing customer relationship management, sales-force automation and call-center applications to enhance information sharing may be your priority.

Technology RoadmapIf you can’t track it you can’t prove it.

Connect and Empower People

Cut Costs with a Unified Infrastructure

Rapidly Respond to Business Needs

Remote Challenges

Shared Documents

In-house Challenges

Secure Communicatio

ns

EmailDisaster Recovery

Technology RoadmapIdentify current and potential business

challenges• improving operational efficiencies− Remote access either with workstations or mobile

devices.− Email: Outside Vendor− Remote Access: GoToMyPC− Transfer Files: VPN

− GoTo: $597.00/yr− Email: $597.00/yr BELL− VPN: $ 85.00/yr SecVPN− Still require Fileserver− $1500.00COST: $7895.00 /5yr

Technology RoadmapHardware Challenges

• Server keeps running out of space.• Told I need or require multiple servers for

everything.• Backup solution is complex and confusing.• Reports are non existent or complicated.• Multiple consultants.

− New server Approx. $2000.00 based on 5 to 75 users− Software Approx. $1500.00 based on 5 with expansion

to 75− Consulting and implementation based on 5 to 75 $3000− COST: $6500.00 one time outlay

What things you hate about your network• You have to make a list of all the issues you are

currently tackling.• You have to get input from the various departments• You must track your costs.

− Track hardware and software separately.− Track Consulting and break it down. New projects vs.

Ongoing support− Define what constitutes IT. Is your phone system part of

the equation? If not it should be.

What things do you like about your network• If there is software or a Line of Business application

(LOB) that works and your are happy with the product, make it known.

• Perhaps there can be integration with current offerings you are unaware of.

Business Productivity• Remote Web Workplace

− Email− Files− Intranet− Remote PC access

• Windows SharePoint Services 3.0 installed by default− Document Collaboration− Many new features: Wikis,

Blogs, per item security

Customer Example Roadmap

Hardware37%

Software31%

Consulting32%

2010 Budgett $100,000

Consulting30%

Hardware58%

Software12%

2011 Budget$ 15,000

Server SBS 2008 and 2008 R2 Enterprise

New Dell R510 Servers

Designed for above 75 users and 4 VM plus Host

Existing Network 2003

Proposed Network

8 Servers with various Operating systems

All require hardware upgrades

Some end of life and downages daily

Server 2008 R2 Enterprise $4200.00 CAD

Dell Server $4500.00 CAD

Designed for above 75 users and 4 VM plus Host

Windows 2003 R2 “End of Lifecycle” Windows Server 2008 R2

Server 2003 R2 Enterprise System $3200

IBM Server $2300.00 CAD

Designed for above 75 users 1 to 1

Budget

Number of PCs

25 50 100 250

Windows Small Business Server 2008 / 2011

Windows Server 2008

Point at which, on average, businesses hire Full-time IT person

Windows Foundation

Hardware/software/repair $71,000

Consulting Costs (1 Consultant) $38,000

3rd Party Repairs/Maintenance NIL

Windows 2003 R2 2008/2009 Hardware/Consulting Windows Server 2008 R2 2010

Hardware/software/repair $40,000

Consulting Costs (5 consultants) $170,000

3rd Party Repairs/Maintenance $20,000

Budget

Cost in Thousands

25 50 100 250

Costs Before Changeover

Costs During Changeover

Current

RDC NetworksWe mind your network

While you mind your business

“If at first you don't succeed; call it version 1.0”

Acceptable Downtime

Acceptable Uptime (%) Downtime Per day Downtime Per month Downtime Per year

95 72.00 minutes 36 hours 18.26 days

99 14.40 minutes 7 hours 3.65 days

99.9 86.40 seconds 43 minutes 8.77 hours

99.99 8.64 seconds 4 minutes 52.60 minutes

99.999 0.86 seconds 26 seconds 5.26 minutes

percentage of time that a given system is active and working. The following table correlates the percentage of availability to calendar time equivalents.

RDC Networks – What the heck do we do?• We take an idea of how you run your company and

combine it with your customers needs.• So many products and options can become quickly

overwhelming so we start with the basics.− Are you efficient− Do you find yourself doing a single task multiple times?

− Email− Mobile devices like Blackberry, iPhone, Windows Phone or

Android− Presentations or Collaboration with customers

What is a network ?

• .

Mobile Devices

Servers

Security AppliancesPhones

Workstations

RDC NetworksWe mind your network

While you mind your business

“If at first you don't succeed; call it version 1.0”