Cloud Source

4 Steps to Ensure a Successful PSTN Migration

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When undertaking public switched telephone network (PSTN) migration projects, businesses should first have a plan in place that lays out capabilities, detailed instructions for execution, and partners. Migration brings about specialized issues and can be complex to implement, and it affects most areas of the business. However, a well-planned and well-executed migration brings many benefits, including:

  • Lowered OPEX
  • Reduction in costs
  • Opportunities to upsell

Keep in mind that there are also four major challenges to overcome before a successful migration:

  • Lack of experts in PSTN: Many telephone professionals are close to retirement
  • Managing daily activities without interruption while the migration is happening
  • Required input from stakeholders; ensuring that all stakeholders know the benefits of migration
  • Effective control of the complexities of migration to avoid rising costs, running out of time, or interrupting vital operations

Ensuring a Successful Migration

Balance is the key to a successful PSTN migration project, ensuring that costs are kept down, services aren’t interrupted, and the project completes on time. A business-focused approach is vital to ensuring that milestones are reached and that the migration delivers the promised benefits. This can be accomplished by following four steps:

  • Having the right plan
  • Using the right tools and skills
  • Ensuring an industrial-scale execution
  • Choosing the right partner

The Right Plan

A detailed plan is the first step to ensuring a successful PSTN migration, based on the business’s unique goals and requirements. The planning process is a chance to assess potential risks and the business’s current capabilities, and lay out a realistic schedule for each process.

The Right Tools

PSTN migration is a complicated endeavor and cannot be accomplished in bits and pieces, or without the help of experts. Businesses need to know beforehand whether or not they have experts in-house, or whether they have to look outside the organization — and where they can look. An assessment from a vendor or from consultants will allow the business to recognize risks and mitigate them, as well as decide how much they can accomplish with their own resources.

Industrial-Scale Execution

When planning out a PSTN migration, businesses need to be aware of the scale of such a project. Migration will affect both employees — who will need new equipment and training — and customers, who may have their services interrupted. Businesses can help reduce the risks associated with large-scale execution by using the following tools:

  • A dedicated migration team
  • Streamlined management of resources and tasks
  • Tools designed specifically for mass migration
  • Specialized tools for field technicians

The Right Partner

Working with an experienced partner is usually the most cost-effective solution for migration because doing so gets the job done right the first time. When looking for the right partner, businesses should find one that:

  • Has real-world experience with both legacy and next-gen networks
  • Can provide the appropriate tools
  • Will be objective
  • Can be relied on to mitigate costs and time

An efficient PSTN migration is a complex project, but it doesn’t have to be a headache. Having a plan in place, knowing the risks, and gathering all the resources the business needs before beginning the migration will ensure a smooth transition, especially with the aid of experts.

BYOD in Government Agencies: Clear Policies Protect Critical Data

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Bring your own device (BYOD) has the benefit of allowing businesses to cut costs on providing devices to employees, but it also creates a number of security issues. This is an especially important factor to consider for government agencies, which often handle very sensitive data but may not have a focused, detailed policy for employees to follow. Employees aren’t necessarily creating security holes on purpose, but agencies should still have a firm policy in place — or make the decision not to allow employees to bring their own devices at all.

Implementing a BYOD Program

If the decision is made to implement a BYOD program, there are a few basics to keep in mind:

  • Create clear policies that outline exactly how employees are allowed to use their devices for work-related data like email and documents
  • Only allow approved application stores, and ensure that employees know they cannot root or jailbreak their devices
  • Use software that allows for work data to be kept separate from personal data and ensures the work data can be easily removed

BYOD and Security

Both potential security problems and their solutions must be spelled out clearly in a BYOD policy. This is especially important for government agencies that need to strike a balance between keeping data safe and avoiding infringement on employee rights. This can involve:

  • Containerization
  • Connection via a secure third party
  • Lockout codes
  • Ensuring employees are up to date with security patches

Agencies should also keep in mind what sort of data they handle, including personal data like SSNs and data critical for infrastructure such as power grids. If the data is too sensitive, or could cause massive problems if it leaked, then it may not make sense to implement a BYOD policy at all.

Deciding Against a BYOD Policy

Even if the agency decides against allowing employees to bring their own devices, the agency should still ensure that all employees are aware of the restriction. Clarity is key to helping protect sensitive data; employees may not mean any harm by using their personal cell phone to check their email or look at a document, but the chance of a security breach is lessened if they know that they’re not allowed to do so.

Mobility is an ever-growing and ever-changing field. In order to keep up with the evolution of BYOD, agencies and businesses should be aware of where their sensitive data is and what it’s being used for. A policy that outlines exactly what is and isn’t allowed will keep all devices, whether personal or business, safe and secure.

Colocation: Factors to Consider When Renting Space in a Third-Party Data Center

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Colocation, the practice of renting space from a third-party data center, has grown in popularity over the past few years. Businesses can rent a mix of hardware, services, and software. Market research firm IDC predicts that by 2018, companies will have 65% of their IT assets hosted off-site, and 33% of their IT staff will actually be third-party employees.

With colocation, businesses can switch to operating expense models instead of the more expensive capital expense budget. This is the main draw to renting space from third parties, but there are other things to consider when making the decision to rent, including:

  • Business continuity
  • Disaster recovery
  • Location
  • Pricing
  • Security

Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

Colo has no distinct advantage over an in-house solution when it comes to business continuity and disaster recovery, but it should still be an important consideration when choosing a colo provider. Wherever the colo center is, the provider should have a plan in place to ensure uninterrupted service and recovery in the event of a natural disaster, including frequent testing and tweaking to keep everything up to date.

Location

Because data will be hosted at least partly in a physical location, businesses must look at exactly where that location will be. It needs to be close enough to a power source and somewhere that IT staff can easily access, and it should also be somewhere that’s unlikely to be hit with natural disasters like hurricanes and earthquakes.

Pricing

Switching to colocation can help businesses save money through usage-based pricing. Colo can even help reduce electricity costs by up to 40%, according to the National Resources Defense Council. However, when looking for the right facility, be aware of any hidden costs and monthly fees. This can include bandwidth, hardware maintenance, and support services.

Security

Using colocation means that sensitive data may be hosted outside the organization, away from the security measures put in place to protect it in-house. Not only should the provider ensure that only authorized personnel can access the facility, but they should also have monitoring in place so that if there is a breach, they are alerted as soon as possible.

Switching to colo can be a big change for any business, but by considering these factors, businesses can have peace of mind and the assurance that they are reducing their budget and improving their efficiency.

BYOD: Improving Security by Educating End Users

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With the explosion in affordable mobile devices like smartphones, tablets, personal laptops, and even smartwatches, many businesses have or are in the process of implementing a bring your own device (BYOD) policy. Software company Code 42 reveals in their 2016 Datastrophe Study that 67% of IT decision makers and 87% of CIOs and CISOs believe that they have a clear and comprehensive policy.

However, end users do not share that belief: 67% of employees find their BYOD policy is unclear. This divide between IT professionals and end users can have consequences within the organization, especially when it comes to security.

The Increase in Employee Endpoint Devices

In the past, employees used a single device, usually one that is stationary and connected to their organization’s IT-maintained firewall. Now, however, many employees use multiple mobile devices: 26% have a minimum of two devices from their employer, and 5% have five or more.

This means that businesses need a clear, concise BYOD policy that all employees must adhere to in order to maintain a level of security. According to the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology, unsecure mobile devices are especially susceptible to ransomware. Backup and recovery solutions will help with this, but a clear BYOD policy will help stop problems at the endpoint — before they happen.

Working with Employees

The convenience of BYOD is one of its biggest selling points, but it also means that the devices are not under the full control of IT professionals. IT professionals need to work with employees, which means not only training them to consider security alongside flexibility, but also taking into account the habits and needs of their end users. Monitoring and tracking employee behavior will help IT understand what apps are being accessed, how safe they are, and whether or not they should be allowed within the company environment. A clear policy will also help employees understand what personal data they can mix with their business data.

Education and Communication

Uneducated employees often have bad habits that can harm a business’s security, but because they haven’t had the proper training, they don’t know that these habits can compromise their devices. Education and open communication is key to changing bad habits and improving security at all levels. At the same time, IT professionals need to be flexible so that they can adapt to ever-changing technology and the working environment.

Although it may seem like a lot of work, especially for an already established business with multiple employees, a clear BYOD policy will ensure better security and less confusion. Educating and communicating with employees will reduce the risk of ransomware at the end point and help eradicate bad habits, without sacrificing flexibility.

The Importance of Converged Technologies in Unified Communications

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Technology has become so ubiquitous that customers are constantly looking for the fastest, most convenient way to get what they want. Fortunately, the continuing switch from analog to digital has made it easier than ever for businesses to purchase unified communications solutions, from Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) to video conferencing and file sharing. For businesses looking to keep ahead of the competition without sacrificing efficiency, convergence of services is key.

The Importance of Convergence

As of 2015, according to a report from the Pew Research Center, almost 66% of American adults own a smartphone, and 19% rely on it to access the Internet. This convergence of technologies allows them to use one device to access multiple applications; not only can it go online and function as a phone, but it can offer services like a calculator, a calendar, and a digital notepad.

Businesses that can offer customers the complete package will have an advantage over businesses that only offer a single service. This means partnering with providers to offer not only services like data storage, but also a connected VoIP system.

Value Over Features

Partnering with providers is just one half of improving a business’s unified communications with convergence. Businesses also have to make sure that their customers understand the benefits, and this can be more difficult if the customers aren’t technologically inclined. The best way to show customers that convergence is important is to explain to them the value of the new services rather than just the features.

Maintaining Customer Relationships

The value of a service comes down to what it can do for the business in terms of achieving goals and improving efficiency and costs. Customers generally want to stay with a business they’ve worked with before, especially if that business can offer them both convenience and an amicable partnership. In this way the customer avoids focusing too heavily on risks, as they might if presented with a big change that they don’t understand.

In today’s fast-paced unified communications market, businesses must stay relevant in order to remain competitive. Businesses need to take the time to explain the benefits of converged services to customers that don’t understand the impact of features alone. This will allow businesses to maintain important relationships when they make the move to a converged unified communications solution.

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