Have you considered all your customisations and integrations before migrating to a Public Cloud platform? The Public Cloud can often present as many challenges as benefits. Working with partners who have helped companies to identify and navigate through these obstacles saves a lot of time and frees up resources to focus on the transition. Leveraging the flexibility provided by the Public Cloud also means thinking of traditional resources in a new way. What was once an invested capital into a set amount of resource would now become pay as you use.

Do you prefer controlling your own destiny and having the maximum freedom for your environment? Thanks to consolidation and software driven hardware available, a fully owned solution can still be cost effective while not being constrained by the sandbox limitations imposed by Public Cloud offerings.

Is there a benefit to being in both public and private cloud camps or is it just increasing complexity? For many this is perhaps the ideal solution. You can breakout your environment and leverage the strengths of both. However, you still have to be careful. It’s easy to let added complexity overrun the business benefits.

Are you current on the software advances in telephony and video conferencing over the last few years? Simplified video conferencing is finally a reality for many. The traditional desk phone has transitioned from simple dial tone to a multi-faceted communication platform. Contact Centres now integrate directly into your CRM and production databases for intelligence end user interaction and faster time to resolve.

Does it still make good business sense to migrate to the next version of Microsoft Office on premises? With Federation services allowing for single sign along with an instant platform upgrade of all Microsoft Office products, many businesses are quickly gravitating to towards Office 365. However, there are considerations to be had in regards to your licensing schemes, integrations into other services and existing customizations.

Is your backbone in good health? Infrastructure is the backbone for the vast array of technologies that run your company. Every bit and byte of data flows through it yet due to its invisible nature to the end user, it’s often addressed in a reactionary manner. Solidifying the backbone and ensuring you’re making best use of the LAN/WAN advances will ensure you the agility and diversification needed to compete in the modern landscape. A limited backbone is often the biggest technology challenge we see companies face when they are wanting to expand their business.

What percentage of your data is a good candidate for in line de-duplication? Picking a storage vendor has shifted paradigm from IOPS and space to which software platforms are a best fit for your datasets. The “appliance per function” need has be displaced with software sophistication and hardware acceleration within a converged platform. Coupled with a hypervisor for a central management solution to the ease of administration enables your team to spend more time delivering new technologies and features that benefit the end users.

Are you more concerned with internal data leak or threats from the internet? Security questions can often lead down many rabbit holes thus it’s important to first answer basic questions and then focus on a layered approach. Security is often a balance between providing enough flexibly to not hinder operational workflow while ensuring your data quality and integrity are preserved. Security appliances and software platforms are most efficiently used in companies who use these devices to fill a role rather than a catch all.

What is the material cost of your workforce being idle for a set period? That is the first answer needed for the foundation of a sound DR strategy. Thanks to advances in cloud, virtualisation, infrastructure and storage, the range of options available has never been greater. The challenge comes from having to piecemeal the different offerings to suit your needs, come within your budget and the ease of actually being able to perform the DR functions. When a DR scenario does occur, stress levels are at their highest, thus it’s important that the strategy can be carried out without major manual intervention.

How is your technology platform moving your business forward compared to your competitors? In order for the business to invest into the technology, the technology has to offer long term value to the business. We partner best with those who share our philosophy and thus we believe a consistent review of both roadmaps is healthy along with examining which new technologies are in the market and provide the best value for your budget. Just as critical, we work closely with your existing vendors to ensure their path aligns with yours and they will deliver on what is being promised.