Fully Managed™ Blog

BYOD Best Practices

2013-05-27T10:47:00-07:00

Other than the Cloud, BYOD (bring your own device) is easily one of the most talked about terms in technology today and essentially refers to staff members or visitors attaching their personal devices to your corporate IT infrastructure. BYOD is widely defined and can range from a basic request for a Wi-Fi password from a guest in your lobby or staff using Wi-Fi for personal smartphones, to an executive requesting a new MacBook Air be integrated into your Windows-based infrastructure.

Given the myriad issues involved with integrating non-standard or consumer devices into existing environments, this trend was initially resisted by IT groups, but has slowly become more accepted as demand increases.

A 2012 article in Forbes observed that:

90% of company staff will be using personal devices at work by 2014
58% of businesses lack the ability to monitor what those devices do while they are attached to corporate assets
51% of businesses have experienced a breach from a mobile device

Dangerous data breaches are far more common than is generally thought and cybercrime is a massively profitable business for some. Experts suggest the market is as large as $26 billion a year, a staggering figure given the impact and relatively small number of participants compared to other industries.

BYOD Best Practices

Given the severe consequences of a data breach, security should be your top concern and it is important to create a BYOD policy for employees outlining how you expect staff to use the infrastructure. We have included some guidelines to forming your security policy, but keep in mind that every environment is unique and policies that accommodate BYOD are more likely to be followed.

Here are some important considerations:

Jail-broken devices should not be allowed on your network. Jail-Broken devices pose the most significant risk to businesses and they are usually found to be the source of rogue software penetrating internal systems.
Enforce minimum security policies on connected devices like complex passwords and remote wipe capability.
Segregate the corporate networks from guest-accessible networks. Guests should be able to gain access to the internet if you allow them, but should not have access to the same network as your workstations, printers and servers.
Enable a content-aware router, either via proxy server or intelligent firewall. This solution will allow you to passively monitor how your network bandwidth is being used. For example, your file transfers could be slow because a user is watching HD YouTube videos or multiple people are streaming web radio stations.
Have a strong and enforced process for deactivating staff access if they leave the company. If a security policy is not adhered to, your company could be at serious risk.

Next, take stock. Regardless of the policies you plan to enforce, you should be aware of what devices are running on your network.

Run a logical audit of the network and identify all the laptops, phones and VPN-attached devices and if possible, establish an authentication-based access model. This can be done via certificates or user-based login. Next, measure your network bandwidth and gauge its capability to handle the increased load from these additional devices.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) software can help you tremendously and the cost to implement these systems pale in comparison to the costs associated with doing nothing and hoping for the best.

Our best advice is to plan proactively to accommodate BYOD, because troubleshooting BYOD issues reactively can be very frustrating and costly. After all, hope is not a strategy.

Why We Won Alberta's Best Workplaces 2013

2013-05-25T13:46:00-07:00

We wanted to thank our valued partners for the influx of congratulations on this award. Over the past year, we've put a lot of effort into driving an employee-focused culture, and it's great to be rewarded for these results by receiving this prestigious award from Alberta Venture. Below are a few of the humbling comments we received from our clients since receiving the award:

"Congrats on the win, that is a great accomplishment! [...] I wonder if I would be able to pick your brain and see best practices for culture implementation and compensation."

"Congratulations Fully Managed™! Nice to be recognized for all the work you've done to re-engineer the company. Great news – that's a big win!"

"Please accept our sincere congratulations [...] to your organization for being recognized as Alberta Venture's Best Workplace for under 100 employees. As a former judge of this competition, I am very aware of the caliber of applications you were up against, and the significant criteria you must meet to be selected as the winner. Great job and well deserved recognition!"

"Congratulations on your award for best workplace under 100! These awards are very hard to come by - your company is very deserving of this award."

As far as why we won this award, we believe that at Fully Managed™ "the whole is greater than the sum of its parts".

The company has a role in enabling culture, but the reality is that culture is mostly about the synergy of the team - each individual's personal commitment to upholding our core purpose and core values, and taking ownership (accountability) of driving those values. Thank you to our incredible team for allowing us to get here!

Sometimes you gotta create what you want to be a part of. --Geri Weitzman

Introduction to Operational Maturity Level

2013-04-27T09:30:00-07:00

So, what is Operational Maturity Level (OML)?

I recently delivered two sessions in Vancouver and Edmonton to our Technology Strategy Council, introducing the concept / framework known as Operational Maturity Level (OML). Full disclosure: I did not invent this concept or its TLA (three-letter acronym). The Software Engineering Institute at Carnegie Mellon University developed a Capability Maturity Model (CMM) as a methodology for increasing or evolving operational maturity within software development projects. Microsoft also has similar model for IT infrastructure optimization, aptly named "Microsoft IO":

Optimization is a structured, systematic process for assessing organizations IT infrastructures across capabilities to provide an optimization road map that achieves dynamic IT. The road map can help companies define and implement optimization initiatives that will enable proactive IT management and reduce cost and risk across the IT organization. These optimization initiatives also enhance user needs and user experience to increase productivity and amplify the impact of employees. Optimization enables businesses to realize the full value of their IT infrastructure investments and establishes IT as a strategic business asset that can facilitate innovation and help organizations respond quickly to change.

OML in the Real World

Where can we leverage the concept of Operational Maturity Level? The answer is: almost anywhere. We like to use the OML framework as a means by which to develop strategies to optimize the alignment of IT to business, mainly for the purpose of reducing risk or increasing productivity within organizations. Before we get into that, let's start with a non-tech example of two different garages:

Garage A

Garage B

Which garage runs more efficiently?
Which garage produces better track results?
Which garage is more expensive to setup?
Which garage is more expensive to maintain?
Which garage is highly automated?

When considering OML in the context of IT infrastructure, IT support, IT management or IT strategy, it's often very useful to consider this example above when considering technology goals and partnerships.

IT Operational Maturity Level Score

By applying a numeric scale to OML it is possible to categorize and rank key areas of IT and enable strategic planning around making OML progress. Generally, an entire organization can be fairly rapidly scored overall with a basic technology assessment, with more in-depth analysis required to assess the OML by key operational area (e.g. servers vs. applications vs. backup and disaster recovery). The scale is as follows:

OML 1 - Beginning ("Chaos")

Little if any order exists. IT infrastructure is unmanageable, unreliable, slow, insecure, plenty of downtime, and generally unusable. At this stage, immediate action is required as the business is likely at critical risk for downtime and/or data loss. Plans are being made to replace decrepit equipment and address critical risks as soon as possible. The environment can only be supported by "brute force" and with significant labour.

OML 2 - Emerging ("Fire Fighting")

There is an awareness of IT, but minimal or ad-hoc attention has been put towards it. Progress is not being made. Very little standardization exists, downtime is frequent, performance is affecting productivity, and generally very little confidence exists in the ability of IT to support business demands. Plans are being made to standardize the environment and address the performance and uptime challenges. It is costly and frustrating to support the environment, and even with a good IT support team, users are frustrated.

OML 3 - Scaling ("Stable")

Significant investments have been made in the IT infrastructure, all critical IT assets are under active hardware manufacturer warranty. Minimal risk exists in the environment, and uptime is acceptable. Users have stopped complaining daily. The environment is generally safe and secure, with minimal risks. IT process and documentation have improved significantly, and there is a new level of tolerance for IT within the user base. IT support load is still significant, but the nature of the issues are becoming easier to manage quickly and efficiently.

OML 4 - Optimizing ("Proactive")

Technology is starting to support business innovation. Critical business applications (e.g. ERP/CRM) can be reliably deployed and distributed to the various departments and the field. Uptime is excellent, and proactive IT support is possible (for example, assessing the quality of the network vs. simply the availability). The opportunity exists to look at methods to optimize performance, uptime and cost structure. Business continuity planning becomes possible, and overall governance and IT process development is actively being pursued.

OML 5 - Innovating ("Zen")

Technology is now a strategic advantage to the business and differentiated vs. the competition. High availability and near-realtime business continuity are a given. Provisioning of IT services is automated, secured, with self-serve capabilities (e.g. Tier-0 support). IT infrastructure issues are rare, and most issues are handled by the IT group without user impact.

Collective Energy and our Brand

2013-04-05T08:39:00-07:00

A brand is only as strong as the commitment of the people building it. Without the collective energy of a great team, there is no brand. Why collective energy is important to Fully Managed™:

1. Collective energy can work for us or against us

How it can work against us:

Without a one page plan, scorecards, playbooks and scoreboards, we would lack direction. If there is no synergy of energy (output), we end up becoming very efficient but focused on the wrong things. This will actually detract from building our brand.

How it works for us:

Using our one page plans, scorecards, playbooks and scoreboards will result in a cohesive unit. The synergy of energy (output) will be laser-focused on the right things to accelerate building our brand and will result in us being effective at everything we focus on. This is how you build a sustainable brand.

2. The multiplier effect

When you provide a product or service, it is important to be aware of the people who will be on the receiving end and to consider how they may be affected.
If you deliver a great product or service, the net effect is that the energy of the recipients is enhanced.
If you deliver a poor product or service, the net effect is that the energy of the recipients will be focused on waiting to have it made right and this detracts from what they should be focused on.
As an example, an error in service could cause a manufacturer to shut the plant down for four hours and send 60 people home.
Calculating 60 people x 4 hours = 240 hours of lost productivity/service x $50hr (all in wage cost) = $12,000.00 in wages. In addition, 240 hours x $300.00 productivity output loss = $72,000.00. That is $84,000.00 in lost energy.
Now if the provider of this service thinks "Oh well, we just made a mistake, what is the big deal?", well, the big deal is a $84,000.00 loss for their client.
This is the multiplier effect at work and can damage your brand significantly.

3. ROI/ROE

We talk a lot about ROI (return on investment). In other words, what is our return, usually financial, if we invest in something or someone? This is important to the success of a company and its brand.
Equally important is ROE (return on energy). What is the energy cost and return and how does that enhance or detract from building our brand?
We must consider where our individual and collective energy goes with respect to the amount of time we spend trying to "fix" a member of our team. We need to direct our energy to growing our "A" players and our brand. Time spent on trying to make excuses for people or get them to fit with our culture is time wasted, it is damaging and brings the whole team down.
ROE and ROI are aligned and can be equally important when making decisions to build a brand.

Why We Focus on Building a Brand

2013-03-04T07:23:00-08:00

Why do we want to build a brand?

Simply put, we want to be unique. When you are unique, you get noticed for all the right reasons and you become attractive. When people find you to be both unique and attractive, you become an industry leader and that is a very appealing place to be.

Building a brand requires discipline

A lot of people think brands are colours and logos. Nothing could be further from the truth. Brands are not built overnight. It takes time and discipline to build the mindset, rhythm and platform. Brands are who you are and they must be run by disciplined people. What steps will you take to be unique in your marketplace? Here are a few things we do:

We have a purpose & core values
We use one page plans, scorecards, scoreboards & playbooks
We have developed our own language
We apply and leverage LEAN principles
We have the Dream Program
We have Fully Managed™ University
We celebrate wins with hero nominations
We focus on experience vs. transactions

We are building a brand. As we become more unique and attractive, we move closer to becoming an industry leader which is exactly where we want to be.

Microsoft Surface Pro: Great for Business

2013-02-10T10:52:00-08:00

With the release of Microsoft Surface Pro yesterday, I thought I would provide a quick rundown of my thoughts on this device as a business tool, now that I've been using it for about 24 hours. I used the Surface RT for several months, and while found it to be an innovative and refreshing platform, the Windows RT operating system was simply too limiting. The inability to install corporate applications, or even another browser (e.g. Chrome, Firefox), made it fairly useless as a business tool.

Many of the reviews I have read seem to focus on one aspect or another (e.g. battery life, weight, price) and I thought it would be useful to take a step back and look at this platform more holistically. So, what are my thoughts In a nutshell?

Microsoft Surface Pro is Great for Business.

Here are a few of the reasons why this stands apart from any other portable Windows 8 device at this time:

It runs Windows 8 Professional - this operating system is new, and you will require some skills retrofitting if you are used to Windows 7/Windows XP. Just because it's new and you need to learn new gestures doesn't mean it's not a good platform. Once you get the hang of Windows 8, it's incredibly fun to work with - just give it some time. People generally hate change, so, like most new technology there will be a technology adoption lifecycle associated with acceptance of these new methods of interaction with a computer. If you like Windows 8 now, consider yourself an early adopter... if you strongly dislike, well, look right on the curve! The key is this: Windows 8 is no fun without a touch screen, so in my not-so-humble-opinion you shouldn't bother switching unless you have one.
It's extremely portable - the naysayers whine about it being "so heavy" - which it is, if you are comparing against an iPad... but please don't do that, because that is insulting. This device is a full powered laptop, not a couch surfing device for playing games, music and reading books. This device easily fits inside a "man bag", weighs in at about 2 pounds, and does not require a full laptop case.
It's quick - the i5 processor, 4GB of memory and SSD disk provide a speedy experience under Windows 8. It's on par performance-wise with a $1700 HP EliteBook with SSD, so at $899 it's tough to complain about the value. Remember: this is not an Android tablet - this is a full blown PC!
The battery life is good - I got about 3.5 hours of use on a full charge. That is absolutely acceptable to me, considering I'm lucky to get even close to that on an iPhone or Android device. Would I like to see 8 hours? Absolutely, but this is not a showstopper for me.
The stylus brings Microsoft Office 2013 to life - this was probably the most incredible new experience for me. If you use the Microsoft Office suite, as most in business do, this device with the stylus pen brings a whole new world of possibilities to you. You can seamlessly annotate Word/Excel documents, take notes with OneNote (I am officially throwing out Evernote now).

There are many other reasons why I'm confident that this platform will see significant adoption in business. There are certainly things that could be improved upon, but this is a solid, well-designed device which is as of this time the best option for a compact Windows 8 portable. Microsoft has thrown down the gauntlet and raised the bar for what a Windows 8 touch-enabled device should be like. If you're not in a rush for a new device, give it another year and there will probably be something better. For now, this is the one. Questions or comments? Twitter please.

Windows 8 Shortcuts

2013-02-06T15:36:00-08:00

Windows 8 has not yet made its way into the business mainstream, however, we are starting to see a trickle of personal devices out there. Here are a couple of useful shortcuts to be aware of with Windows 8. For the purpose of this article, the bulleted list below:

Windows Key + _____

Nothing = Switch between start screen and primary running application or the Windows Desktop
B = Switch to classic Windows desktop and and select the tray notification area
C = Display Charms (a new feature in Windows 8) in the lower left
D = Switch to classic Windows desktop and toggle Show Desktop
E = Switch to classic Windows desktop and launch Windows Explorer (file manager)
F = Search Files using search pane
I = Display Settings pane for Start screen
L = Lock PC (this is not new)
M = Minimize Explorer window (this is not new)
O = Toggle orientation on table/slate/convertible PCs
P = Projection control pane for presentations/monitor outputs
Q = Search within Apps using new Windows Search pane
R = Run (this is not new)
Z = Display App Bar

The Evolution of IT: Step Four - Stabilization through standardization

2013-02-06T09:04:00-08:00

Most IT groups struggle to find the time to focus on the important tasks week to week. When most of your day is spent in a reactionary mode you have no time for strategy and forward thinking. The easiest way for IT groups to provide a better service is to provide less choice. Stabilization often comes from standardization. The truth is, a vast majority of users aren't terribly comfortable with technology. They couldn't care less about how it's done. Unifying IT support by standardizing the platform is central to lowering support request volume and perceived quality of service.

Define a service catalogue based on your findings from the asset and service review (see Step Two)
Match business SLA's to these offerings
Quickly rationalize down your support list and work on supporting the business essentials
Push for standards

The predictability of support and user interface will lower the number of reactionary requests. In addition, users should notice an improvement in the response and resolution times, which will deliver the fanatical service that they expect.

Fully Managed™ is creating peace of mind for our clients by designing customized hybrid cloud and private cloud environments. This strategy is one of several ways to quickly build a standardized and stable environment for users and to realize the massive ROI of standardization.

Core Purpose & Core Values

2013-02-04T09:25:00-08:00

Why do we have core values and why should anyone care? These are great questions to ask.

Why do we have core values?

Simply put, core values are the fabric of our character. They support our purpose through our actions. They are non-negotiable and act like a lighthouse to keep us off the rocks. They guide us to make the right decision in all situations, whether that be our hiring process, bringing on new clients or vendors, how we handle difficult situations and even how we celebrate.

How did Fully Manage arrive at our Core Values?

Like our purpose, we did not just happen to fall upon our four core values. We realized that Fully Managed™ has an 'eco system' - in other words, certain areas that make up our brand. What drives this 'eco system' is a mindset deeply rooted in delivering the ultimate experience. With this end-goal in mind, we developed the following four tenets:

Inspiring our People: internally and with our valued partners
Passion for Technology: in other words, we love this stuff
Fanatical Service: delivering a "WOW" client experience
Absolute Accountability: always taking the high road

Why should anyone care we have core values?

When we make decisions, the only true measuring stick we have is made up of our core values and our purpose. If we have not violated any of these in our decision, then we have made the right decision and we can feel good about it. If we have not honoured these, then we need to re-think our decision. Our core values are key to our existence. Without them, we are just like everyone else out there and who wants to be just like everyone else?

We are in the business of creating peace of mind; the engine driving our success is our core values.

IT Security & The Java Threat

2013-01-16T08:33:00-08:00

So you may have heard about a recent security threat surrounding Java. Even the US government advised uninstalling Java. So, should you be concerned? The simple answer is no.

The more complicated answer is that you really don't want to know how bad it is out there. Security is a gigantic growth industry. The truth is that most organizations have no idea how unsecure their environments are and for most it's really a non-issue. Even though the cyber-crime industry accounts for a $110 Billion dollar industry, it is distributed to a very small number of people.

For whatever reason, on occasion, the media attention focuses on certain threats. I would encourage greater media attention on those threats that surface on a daily basis. Consider these types of events as warnings. Security risks are not nearly as detectable as they were in the past. It used to be that people created viruses and malware for notoriety. The true criminal element of technology understands the power of being invisible. If a user never has an indication that something is wrong, the virus or malware, is more likely to stay and monitor all sorts of data: Data gathering (identity fraud), browsing history (extortion), credit card details (fraud), Data Ransom, the list goes on.

Absolute accountability for security should be taken in IT. In order to sleep at night, companies of all sizes should at least be aware of their level of risk exposure.

Why Purpose

2012-12-15T14:47:00-08:00

Why do we have a purpose and why should anyone care? These are great questions to ask.

Why do we have a purpose?

Simply put, our purpose is the 'Why' we do what we do – it is our rallying cry. As you have experienced during transactions with other companies, most companies focus on what they do and how they do it but they never address why they do it. This is why so many companies fail or have poor followings. In the big picture, people actually don't care what you do or how you do it. They do, however, attach themselves to the emotional value and that is the 'Why'. Apple has nailed this cold. Basically, we will buy anything with the name Apple on it - because they have nailed the 'Why' - they appeal to our emotions and they do it better than anyone else out there. Their ads, for example, do not focus on what they do or how their stuff works, they focus on your emotions and why you need all their stuff and we buy it in droves.

Why should anyone care that we have a purpose?

We use our purpose to guide us in every decision. Whether hiring new 'Top Guns', bringing on new clients, aligning with new vendors or developing new ideas and strategies. It guides us to make the right decision; it is our moral compass and this is very important. We only want to align ourselves with other people who embrace our purpose. If we don't, then we are just like every other company out there and who really wants to be just like everyone else?

How did Fully Managed™ develop our purpose of Creating Peace of Mind?

We did not just happen to fall upon our purpose of Creating Peace of Mind. It was the result of being carefully thought out and truly digging into the question: why did we start this business? We looked inward, reflected on conversations with friends, clients, team members and on what drove us to get out of bed every morning. We arrived at Creating Peace of Mind.

We are in the business of Creating Peace of Mind, plain and simple. This is the business we are in.

We just happen to do it through IT services.

Business Continuity Planning Checklist

2012-12-05T08:28:00-08:00

As we are often asked to participate in the business continuity / disaster recovery planning for our clients. As such, I thought I would put together a checklist of talking points to assist with the planning stages of developing such plans. Please note that this is meant as a quick overview, and is by no means complete, but it does help shed some light on the complexity and scope involved in developing a comprehensive business continuity / disaster recovery plan.

Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan

The purpose of any business continuity plan is to prepare you for extended service outages caused by factors beyond your control (e.g., natural disasters, human error, data corruption, etc.) and to restore services to the widest extent possible in the shortest time possible. The plan should identifiy vulnerabilities and suggest necessary measures to prevent such extended service outages. The plan should encompass all systems, sites and operations facilities.

Outcomes of a Well-Designed Business Continuity Plan

Your business will be able to continue operations during and after a disaster
You will be able to service your clients during and after a disaster
You will maintain access to mission-critical applications and data
You will protect your technology infrastructure investments

Checklist to Build a Business Continuity Plan

Business Impact Analysis (BIA) - Have you identified and prioritized critical business applications?
Scope - How comprehensive is this plan to be and when is it to be used?
Objectives - Does this plan provide a comprehensive guide for those involved in recovery, including links to secured reference material (e.g. documentation, SOPs)?
Assumptions - What does this plan assume is in place in order to be successfully executed?
Definition of a Disaster - What are the different types of disasters accomodated by this plan? e.g. Power Outage, Fire/Flood, Theft, Data Corruption
Recovery Teams - Who will be involved in the recovery process (Teams) and who will lead each of those teams?
Invoking the Plan - Who will declare the disaster, how will notification occur, what scope of downtime would cause the plan to be invoked?
External Communication - Who will be tasked with public relations with clients, media, regulatory agencies, government, clients, etc.?
Data Backup - What data is backed up, how is it backed up (e.g. how often), how long is the data kept (retention), where is it stored?
Alternate Workplace - Where are employees to go in the event of a disaster and what processes around that are required?
"In the Event Of" Conditions - Specific steps (SOPs) to be taken in the event of specific types of events - e.g. natural disaster, fire, flood, server failure, network provider outage, etc.
Plan Review and Maintenance - How to ensure this document is living and updated frequently? - e.g. change of key personnel
Checklists and SOPs - Developed set of checklists which can be followed (preferably on paper)
Diagrams and Flowcharts - Visual documentation is often preferred under times of duress
Business Recovery Planning - System and facility operations, funding, operations recovery,

The Evolution of IT: Step Three - Root Cause Analysis

2012-10-28T15:49:00-07:00

The next stop in the road to an evolved IT environment is stabilization, but first we need to do some analysis. The mistake that people often make is skipping the previous steps. It's a lot like traditional troubleshooting mistakes. Starting at a higher layer than is necessary. There is no reason to try and troubleshoot software errors on failing hardware. In turn, there is no point to trying to brute force your way through a long list of support issues in IT. Now that you have collected feedback and analysis on your environment you need to step back and see the forest, not the trees. What are some of the common themes to the support requests?

Do you seem to do an abnormally high number of printer support requests? Why? Are the user profiles not configured to add printers automatically based on user group and location? Do people often report that their remote desktop sessions are very slow? Does the server have sufficient resources?

How much time is spent building workstations and laptops? This is a very common area for improvement. Desktop builds for users should be very simple for two reasons. A support person spending one hour to build a workstation is acceptable. Five hours is not. Also, if you can't fix a user problem after a few hours you shouldn't continue. Restore the machine to a "known good state" and get the user back up and running. There are no medals for the heroics of root causing a desktop issue for 14 hours.

The above are the types of things you need to be able to understand and comment on. Without this depth of understanding you can't effectively address root cause issues. This is what's known as increasing your Operational Maturity Level or OML. Increasing your operational maturity allows you to stop fire fighting and getting beyond the day to day. This is the strategy that many people are looking for from an IT group. So how can you enable that?

IT Move Checklist

2012-10-10T10:43:00-07:00

Technology Strategy: IT Move Checklist

Part of being a Managed Services Provider is the responsibility of helping our clients to relocate offices, which happens fairly often as it turns out! We have some experience on this topic, and I thought I would share a quick list of tips / checklist on how to ensure that your move to new offices goes as smoothly as possible. Here are some things to think about as you round out your project plan:

Preparation

Movers - There are a wide array of different options available for moving companies, from "Full Serve" to "DIY" and everything in between.
Walk Through - Have your IT consultant walk through the existing space with you well in advance to identify any "red flags" before moving day.
Floor Plans - Have your IT consultant review the floor plans for the new space and determine any requirements - this will tie in many of the points below.
Managing the Operation - If you have a tight timeline on the move, often times the only way to mitigate risk/downtime is to have the existing & new facilities up and running at the same time. This typically results in additional expense to ensure that additional equipment is available and both locations are online at the same time.
Budget - A good general rule of thumb (as a starting point) is one hour of IT project management & services per employee. Of course, the complexity and scope of each move varies tremendously, so your budget could be significantly higher. Keep in mind that this does not include any services required to implement new technology (e.g. servers, networking, wireless, etc.). This is the time & effort required to keep all of the items below moving and on target.

Packing Up

Desktops - Will you be moving your desktops yourself or will the movers handle it? Most common is that the movers provide labels and plastic bags for accessories and each staff member "self packs".
Servers/Networking - Typically your IT group will want to pack up the servers and networking equipment for you, timing this with the movers' relocation to the new space.
Phone System - Who will be moving your phone system or will you be purchasing a new phone system? Typically, this is handled by your phone system provider although we can help catch issues in advance.

On Moving Day

Email - Do you have a plan to ensure access to email for the duration of your move?
Phones - What will you do with your phone system to ensure inbound calls are not lost?
Coordination - Have you nailed down the timing on an hour-by-hour basis? When will the disconnect and reconnect happen?

Network / Server Room

Physical Space - Where will your server(s) and networking equipment reside in the new space? Is there a dedicated room with adequate physical security?
Power - Have you considered the power requirements for your server room?
Cooling - How will the room maintain an appropriate operating temperature? Have you planned for dedicated air conditioning for the room?
Server Rack - Will you want to relocate your existing rack or purchase new? Often logistically it is much easier to purchase a new rack than try to move the existing one as they are very heavy and expensive to move.
Network Rack - If you have more than approximately 144 network ports, you should consider having a network rack to keep servers & networking equipment separate.
Cable Management - What would you like your server room to look like? An "F1 Garage" or a flea market? Now is your opportunity to invest in proper cable management, labeling, etc.

Servers & Networking

Servers & Virtualization - Have you considered any server upgrades as part of your move? When you are looking at significant infrastructure upgrades such as cooling & power, it makes sense to consider the question: Could we reduce the number of physical servers in our environment?
Internet - Will you be moving your existing Internet service to the new location or will you be looking at new options? Moving is a great time to assess the capacity and performance of your Internet line. Note: Often times providers are unable to provide service to the new location. Keep in mind that if you are with a larger telecommunications company often you may require 2-3 months or more of advanced notice.
Network Wiring - Have you considered all of the locations where you may need a computer, phone or printer in the future? We typically recommend placing at least 2 Cat5e cable runs per location. Remember to include wireless access points, TVs, A/V equipment and printers on your floor plan.
Wireless - Wireless is rapidly becoming a necessity versus a "nice to have". Have you considered providing ubiquitous coverage for your new location? Depending on the product selected and configuration of the space, a good rule of thumb is that you should plan for one wireless access point (WAP) per 2000 square feet.

Phones

Phone System - Who will be responsible for disconnecting and reconnecting the phone system? Is it time for a phone system upgrade? Typically this will be a specialized provider.
Connectivity - Have you coordinated to have your analog or digital lines moved across? This is probably one of the most problematic parts of a move. Give yourself lots of lead time and manage your phone providers very closely.

Workstations / Printers

Workstations - Have you marked on a floor plan exactly where existing computers will go as well as any new / additional systems? These will require dedicated network cabling and power.
Printers - Have you determined where you would like to place network printers? These will also require dedicated cabling and power.

Audio/Video

TVs - Have you considered any "smart TVs" for your new space? These are often a great option for providing real-time business intelligence, digital signage, etc.
Boardrooms / Meeting Rooms - If you would like to relocate an existing projector or boardroom configuration, or setup new, it is worth engaging in an AV specialist to coordinate and assist with this.

Security

Access Control & Video Surveillance - Have you considered getting access control (e.g. swipe cards) installed for your new location for enhanced security? This provides a key-less entry system and these systems have become fairly cost-effective. It is worth engaging an access control/security specialist to coordinate and assist with this, if desired.

Recycling

Old Equipment - Have you lined up an electronics recycling company to take away any old, retired equipment? It's a great idea to have them come by shortly after the move is complete.

Closing Thoughts

While an IT move project is a lot of work, it can be a lot of fun too. Typically, significant upgrades are taking place which will improve the way in which the business interacts with technology. Take the time to thoughtfully plan out the move project from an IT perspective, and things will go just fine.

The Evolution of IT: Step Two - Take an Inventory

2012-09-21T12:34:00-07:00

Physical Audit

What assets do you have? Know the physical resources that make up your operational platform. This should be as detailed as possible, but you can also tell a lot about your operational maturity from the physical appearance. Does your server room look like something you'd be proud to show a peer company? Ask yourself honestly, if your server/network room/closet was in a glass walled room in the middle of the office, what would people see? Example one: Various pieces of hardware stacked on top of each other on the floor with a giant ball of spaghetti wires criss-crossing the room in no organized fashion? Example two: a clean and organized rack with bundled cables running to servers and equipment that are under warranty and have asset tags attached to them? It's okay if you're not an F1 garage, the truth is, most businesses aren't physically organized. Why? Usually because no one has time to spend on making the place presentable, they are too busy fighting fires and running from user request to user request.

Logical Audit

Do an inventory of your infrastructure, all hardware and software should be indexed to a database to be able to sort through it. This sounds daunting I know, but the truth is there is a ton of free software that can help you do this. Microsoft Assessment and Planning (MAP) tool is one, Spiceworks, LanSweeper, and others. You need to inventory your physical assets first. How many desktops, laptops, servers, firewalls, and switches do you have? How many aged desktops do you have? Ditch them! Legacy hardware not only makes for a slow unproductive worker, but it is at a drastically higher risk of failure than you will save by not replacing it.

What software is being used in your business? A LOT! You'd be surprised at how many apps there are out there. I once participated in a software rationalization audit for a large international oil and gas company. We came out of the assessment with 20,000 pieces of software. We were then able to rationalize it down it 200 critical applications. Does two hundred sound like a lot? It is. Realistically there should only be a handful of applications for any business. Most small to medium businesses will have 2-12 core applications. Beyond that, companies can choose to match what they allow with their own culture. Allow as much control over the computer as you feel appropriate, just know that the failure to set expectations will result in having expectations set on you. More to come on this topic ahead...

The Evolution of IT: Step One - Dialogue

2012-09-15T14:27:00-07:00

Feel like you want to change or improve something? The best place to start is truly understanding it. In order to be effective at developing an actionable strategy for any business, you should be informed about the current state of operations. IT operations is no different... Let's look at the steps for developing an IT strategy.

Interview Your Staff

Often in a technical business people are not terribly vocal. This doesn't mean they are unaware of the issues, in many cases they have a very real grasp on what the pressing issues are. If they aren't vocal, ask them. If they are vocal, ask again and again, but ask for specific examples.

Interview your Clients (Users)

If you are a business that serves customers, get to know them and their issues intimately. Express empathy for their views and don't get defensive. You aren't being criticized, you're being given a viewpoint. The point is not if it's a realistic view of your business, the point is it's their view of your business.

The Evolution of IT

2012-09-09T14:21:00-07:00

Information Technology is a fairly young industry. We often forget this because it has become such a powerful and prominent force in business today. Businesses have benefited massively from the role IT has played in making them grow and scale the way they have in the last few decades. Businesses have also felt the crippling effects of poorly managed IT infrastructure.

Technology as a business enabler is a much more modern view of IT and how its role matches the strategy of the business. Business owners can choose to treat technology as either a parasitic cost center, or a powerful symbiotic relationship. Sales and finance groups are often treated as very strategic in companies, and this focus produces forecasting, budgets, and strategy reviews. Technology can have an equally-powerful influence when given a similar priority in business.

Over the course of this blog series, I will detail a plan for how to give technology a seat at the board room table. By removing the mystery of IT, without removing the magic.

Cisco VPN User Authentication Using RADIUS in Mac OS X Server

2012-07-17T19:10:00-07:00

Since Mac OS X Snow Leopard (10.6), Apple has included a Cisco IPSec VPN client in the OS. In many environments where businesses deploy Open Directory (OD) as the main directory service for user authentication, it can be useful to also leverage it for VPN authentication, thereby reducing duplicate user account management.

Given an already-working Cisco VPN service (with AAA), the configuration to be added to the Cisco VPN router/concentrator is below.

Pre-requisites:

Good working knowledge of Cisco IOS
Mac OS X Server version 10.6 or 10.7
Mac OS X (for client remote connections) version 10.6 or 10.7

Note: Variables are listed inside angled brackets, e.g. <variable>

[code]aaa authentication login <client_authentication_list_name> group radius local
aaa authorization network <isakmp_auth_list_name> local[/code]

If you have used CCP and its built-in wizards to configure the EasyVPN server, the client authentication list name might look like this:

[code]ciscocp_vpn_xauth_ml_3[/code]

And the isakmp authorization list name might look like this:

[code]ciscocp_vpn_group_ml_3[/code]

The isakmp profile should already exist if you have EasyVPN server configured and working:

[code]crypto isakmp profile <ike_profile_name>
match identity group <VPNGROUP>
client authentication list <x_auth_list_name>
isakmp authorization list <auth_list_name>
client configuration address respond
virtual-template 1[/code]

Add the RADIUS server information, including ports and unique RADIUS key:

[code]radius-server host <OD_IP_ADDRESS> auth-port 1812 acct-port 1813 key <your_special_radius_key>[/code]

On your Mac OS X server, add the RADIUS client config to the RADIUS client file:

[code]/etc/raddb/clients.conf[/code]

In the format of:

[code]client <IP_OF_VPN_ROUTER> {
secret = <your_special_radius_key>
shortname = <arbitrary name to identify RADIUS client>
}[/code]

Manually start the RADIUS service via CLI:

[code]sudo serveradmin start radius[/code]

The response from the server should be:

[code]radius:state = "RUNNING"
radius:status = 0[/code]

You can monitor/debug RADIUS requests with

[code]radius -X[/code]

You will now be able to authenticate VPN users against your Open Directory server!

Grind for Kids 2012

2012-05-27T13:53:00-07:00

What is Grind for Kids?

Grind For Kids is now in its third year and leverages the enthusiasm of the thousands of people in the Lower Mainland that do the Grouse Grind on a regular basis. People sign up and ask friends, family and co-workers pledge $1 or more for every Grouse Grind they do between June and October. At the end of the season participants will share their success with the people who have pledged them and request they fulfill their pledges.

Why are we doing it?

Fully Managed™ has put together a team, to see how many Grouse Grinds we can capture this summer season, with three key objectives:

Deliver on our Core Purpose of Creating Peace of Mind by donating to the BC Children's Hospital Foundation, because it is an undeniably amazing cause!
Get out and get physically active, because the tech industry is not exactly synonymous with healthly living!
Get in "beach body shape", because we know it's going to be an amazing summer in Vancouver!

What can you do?

Visit our Grind for Kids page
We are looking for team members... like our "why"? Join us!
Any donations go directly to BCCHF and are much appreciated

Keeping Drives Mounted in OS X Client

2012-04-21T02:05:00-07:00

Many times, it's nice to be able to re-purpose old machines for specific functions. One such function, in my case, is a CrashPlan Storage Server (with the new PROe). However, if that machine came with Mac OS X (not server), then external drives are unmounted by default upon user logout.

Below is a little trick that tells the OS to keep drives mounted in OS X client while logged out.

Create (touch) the following file:

[code]sudo touch /Library/Preferences/SystemConfiguration/autodiskmount.plist[/code]

Edit the file, and add the following content:

[code]<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<!DOCTYPE plist PUBLIC "-//Apple//DTD PLIST 1.0//EN" "http://www.apple.com/DTDs/PropertyList-1.0.dtd">
<plist version="1.0">
<dict>
<key>AutomountDisksWithoutUserLogin</key>
<true/>
</dict>
</plist>[/code]

Save the file, and restart - now your external drives will mount automatically without having to log in.

Enjoy!

Laptops for Africa: Logo Ready

2012-04-06T06:11:00-07:00

We are pleased to announce that thanks to Jon Day, our Laptops for Africa logo is now ready for production and looks amazing (and not a moment too soon)! If you would like to read more about or get involved this inspiring project, please contact us and we'd love your help. Our Nathan Tymos is headed to Zimbabwe in exactly 9 days, so please read over this mission as soon as possible if you or your organization would like to help out. Thank you to all of our Top Guns and valued clients/partners who have contributed already.

Laptops for Africa: Thanks Waiward Steel M&D Drafting

2012-04-01T11:16:00-07:00

We are overwhelmed by the outpour of support we have received since launching our campaign to collect Laptops for Africa. It has been so inspiring hearing back from our clients that they share our passion for this cause.

Our most recent donation was a big one! We are pleased to announce that we have collected a donation of 12 laptops from Waiward Steel and 6 laptops from M&D Drafting!

Waiward Steel and M&D Drafting are committed to showing leadership not only in their industry through safety, quality and production excellence, but also through their commitment to social and environmental responsibility in their community. We are grateful to these organizations for their generous donation to our Laptops for Africa program and our Top Guns are hard at work getting them ready for their new life!

Please contact miranda@fullymanaged.com if you are interested in donating. Click here to learn more about what we are doing.