• 15 October 2024, 07:29 AM

Author Archives: DSM Group

Veeam Unveils the Future of Modern Data Protection at VeeamON 2021

DSM Group Achieve Veeam GOLD Partner Status

DSM Group are proud to announce they have been awarded the Veeam Gold Cloud and Service Provider Partner Status.

Veeam are the number one global leader for Cloud Data Management solutions which encompasses Data Backup, Replication and Disaster Recovery.  Veeam provides a secure Backup & Recovery solution for both virtual and physical environments, ensuring data and systems are recoverable come what may.

DSM Group now join the select few Gold Service Providers across the United Kingdom.

VeeamGoldPartner


Related Solutions

DSM Aquire EasyLifeIT

DSM Group acquire Managed Services Provider EasyLifeIT

EasyLifeIT, founded in 2008 has built an excellent reputation for the provision of premium on-demand Managed Services.

DSM Group’s CEO, Mike Richardson said; “the fit with DSM is perfect, whilst both EasylifeIT and DSM operated in each other’s sectors, and did it well, the route to enhancing their offerings could really only be achieved by a united front”.  Mike went on to say “joining forces will enable the delivery of a refined and wider range of premium services, nationally and internationally, our five year vision is to make a number of strategic acquisitions, further solidifying DSM’s market position”

EasylifeIT’s Director and Founder, Lindsey Hall said; “EasylifeIT’s success has been built around its unique Help Desk model and proactive systems management. Joining the DSM Group not only provides the resource to continue growing this exceptional service, but also allows for EasylifeIT to bring to its clients the vast array of cloud services and expertise that DSM has to offer”  Lindsey concluded by saying “I’m excited to part of this new adventure, as Group IT Director I look forward to developing, enhancing  and combining, for the benefit of our clinets, the services of both DSM and EasylifeIT”

About DSM:

DSM was established in 1987 to provide business IT solutions to corporate entities. The portfolio of skills and services has steadily increased over the years in response to customer requirements and the constant changes in technology. 2004 saw the venture into Disaster Recovery, Business Continuity and Cloud & Data Centre services.

DSM operates out of a converted WW11 aircraft hangar situated in the East Midlands.  One of the key features is its own water cooled data centre – cooled with water from its on-site lake which is, in turn, filled via rain water from the hangar roof.

Managed Services

6 Benefits Of Using Managed IT Services

“By giving IT staff more time to focus on progression and increasing productivity, a managed IT supplier offers businesses the support and room they need to grow.”

While new technologies present powerful opportunities for enterprises, they also introduce challenges. The pace of change in IT is unprecedented. IT departments can no longer survive on one or two computer models, a single operating system, and a short list of approved applications. The mobile devices and cloud-based technologies that have brought so much possibility have also introduced a multitude of devices, platforms and apps for IT departments to manage and secure.

For many organisations those challenges add up to significant expense: the cost of hiring and training qualified workers, purchasing the infrastructure to support emerging technologies, and keeping systems up to date. Rather than struggle to keep pace with technology, many organisations turn to managed IT providers for help. By trusting a third party such as DSM to handle cloud deployments, data center solutions, mobile initiatives, collaboration tools and security, organisations can focus their time and resources on their core business objectives.

IT service providers take a pragmatic approach to IT solutions resulting in a higher standard than many organisations are able to achieve in-house. Top service providers also offer ongoing management and maintenance of the underlying infrastructure, along with end-user support and service guarantees.

The benefits of managed IT services are clear: In 2014, only 30 percent of organisations used managed services, but within a year, that figure had nearly doubled. Managed services can cut IT costs by as much as 40 percent while doubling operational efficiency.

Turning to a trusted IT partner offers several advantages, including:

1. Freeing up IT staff

Most internal IT departments are at capacity. Outsourcing back-end functions or complex, rapidly changing technologies to a managed service provider, organisations can dedicate their in-house technology experts to projects that will further their core objectives and promote innovation.

2. Keeping pace with the demands for IT expertise

Organisations around the UK are struggling to fill IT positions, particularly in cybersecurity and cloud solutions. Outsourcing these functions to a partner with technically skilled and specialized engineers in new and emerging technologies alleviates these pressures.

3. Greater scalability

IT organisations spend weeks, even months, deploying massive systems. Many organisations are finding it more effective to start small, move fast and expand as needed. DSM’s modular approach to managed services makes it easy for enterprises to scale up or down depending on demand, such as a retailer increasing capacity around peak periods or a startup experiencing sudden growth.

4. 24/7 availability

The 9-to-5 workday is as outdated today as the phone booth. When users work around the clock, so must the network. With a managed IT provider, help is always available — days, nights, weekends or holidays — to support users.

5. Shifting the burden of compliance

In addition to regular audits, many organisations are obligated to meet standards and requirements with their IT initiatives. Reporting and security are imperative in the healthcare, education, financial services and retail industries. DSM understands the regulations that organisations are bound by and can provide the systems, processes and reports to guarantee that organisations meet their requirements — without placing that burden on in-house staff.

6. Predictable monthly costs

Every IT investment comes with peripheral costs. Organisations need adequate networks, storage, and security. They must train staff, deploy systems and manage equipment. Unexpected costs arise at any time. By outsourcing initiatives to a managed IT provider, organisations can break down their costs into fixed monthly payments. Instead of the large capital expenditures that come with managing systems in-house.

To discuss your requirement or book a free IT review please contact us @ support@dsmgroup.co.uk or call 03333 22 11 00

 

data backup

Four key reasons why you should backup your data

Today’s world revolves around electronic data; Business simply cannot operate without it.  No data = no business.

Data is one of the life bloods of a business; With the ever increasing risks (viruses, hackers, natural disasters, hardware failures etc.) it’s almost inevitable something will, eventually, go wrong;  It’s not an ‘if’ but more like a ‘when’. The scale of loss could be anything from a hard drive failure to a ransomware attack.

We have created a list of the four main reasons why you should ensure your data is correctly and securely backed up.

Hacking and ransomware

It is estimated around half of UK businesses faced some form of cyber-security breach in 2019/20. Most of the time the firewall and/or anti-virus software will trap the attempted infiltration however…. just like some human viruses, there’s an occasional one that gets through and causes havoc.

In extreme cases, hackers can encrypt and hold your data to ransom. If you don’t have your data backed up (effectively), the only way to recover it might be to pay them.  There is, of course, no guarantee that your data will be returned.

Ransomware or a virus may not be specifically targeted to you – they are designed to be smart and will automatically seek the weakness in IT systems then spread further and embed themselves until the circumstances are right for maximum damage.

The best way to negate a ransomware attack is to ensure your systems are correctly patched, firewalled and an effective data backup is in place.

Not all data loss is malicious

While it’s easy to think of data loss as being a purposeful act, UK government stats, indicate that the vast majority of data losses and breaches are the result of human error.

Staff within your business have to handle your data as part of their job, so there’s always a chance of data being deleted by accident. If you don’t want your company to be detrimentally impacted by a business critical file or email that’s accidentally been deleted (or maybe purposeful by a disgruntled employee), you need an effective backup solution.

Disasters happen

When protecting against data loss, businesses also need to think about the safety of the hardware that stores their data. It is often more fragile than you might think.

Disaster is often thought of as being a grand scale event eg: Fire, Flood, Explosion but, in fact, it’s often more mundane actions that cause the issues: Poor-quality electrics, leaking roof or pipe, failed air conditioning unit etc

Without an effective backup, you can seriously risk the future of your business.

Critical data loss destroys businesses

Approximately 9 out of 10 companies that lose their data for more than 10 days end up filing for bankruptcy within a year. In fact, many of those businesses file for bankruptcy immediately.

Why? The loss of data can cause significant business interruption. Most businesses simply cannot afford such downtime. Depending on the scale of the breach, a business may also be subject to regulatory fines (as a result of GDPR for example).

Data loss can also prove catastrophically damaging to reputation. Companies can find that the cost of losing (and subsequently trying to win back) customer confidence, following data loss or theft, far outweighs the actual cost of the data loss itself.

The faster you can get up and running again, the more likely you are to retain customer confidence. This is why an effective data backup is imperative.

Protecting your data

There’s a number of ways you can backup your business data however, the most recognised and effective solution is an offsite, cloud backup.  ‘Cloud’ is not a  mythical place but a purpose designed building with specialist technical staff and systems.

By working with such a specialist provider, you can ensure that your critical data is automatically backed-up  – effectively and securely and perhaps, more importantly, capable of being recovered – easily.

Don’t know where to start? We are here to work with you to create a custom backup solution for your business data.

 

home working

Covid-19 – Home Working v Workplace Recovery

The covid-19 pandemic was/is not a ‘normal’ disaster; a normal disaster generally affects a single company whereby it is left unable to trade (normally) and amongst other things, faces loss to its competitors.   Covid-19 affected the majority of businesses and thus competitors were also closed or subject to equally disruptive service offerings. There was hence no benefit to look for alternatives – none were available.

Home working whilst popular is beginning to show its foibles.  De-centralised working in terms of technology alone is hugely problematic and requires significant and continued investment and management;  The social aspect is the subject matter of many professional scholars with numerous articles circulating; Those relating to BC focus on the cost comparison of the increased HR + IT requirement against  that of an out-sourced BC contract;  a quote taken from a recent media posting provides a view:  “Each home has its differences, each person has their differences. Combine the two and multiply by the additional tasks needed per ‘home-working-employee’ and there you have an immense management requirement which continues almost infinitum. Each house move, each home improvement, each new employee, necessitates some employer involvement.  Even in times of economic calm, the involvement is likely to cause constant grief for the employer, throw in an unforeseen event, when it is critical that differences make no difference, and the potential for business damaging mayhem is all too apparent”

Other studies have focused on well-being and in particular mental health issues brought about by isolation which is widely publicised as being on the increase.  Managing such issues in a centralised office is demanding enough but doing so on a widespread campus of decentralised home workers is fraught with complexities for which the employer is responsible and liable. Again, the problems of management become magnified when dealing with a company-wide crisis brought about by an unforeseen event.

Lockdown closed/disrupted 99% of businesses.  Everyone became frustratingly patient – but this was because they had no choice;  In a ‘normal’ crisis – where only one or a few businesses are affected – the ‘frustratingly patient’ person no longer remains ‘as patient’ – why? Because there is choice; The businesses that are closed, risk losing business to those that are open.  This is evident when seeking to buy something as simple as a sandwich; if your normal sandwich shop is closed, you’ll go elsewhere – you won’t wait.

In a ‘normal’ crisis the first few days, leading up to the first few weeks are critical.  Decentralise people with decentralised systems and there lays a good recipe for disaster. Essentially decentralising anything creates additional tasks; and no matter how much automation or planning is engaged, it is extremely unlikely the overall tasks will ever be less or even close to those of a centralised version or error free.  Keeping tasks to a minimum (and simple) in a crisis is paramount to success. Ideally the task is singular – invoke contract and carry on with business (as normal).   Centralising as much as possible is absolutely key to a smooth transition from normal-to-crisis-to-normal.

DSM’s view:  Home working is an essential BC tool – it’s one spanner of a set – however, it isn’t a spanner that fits all. Try to make it fit all and serious damage may result.

Please note: All DSM’s positions are in-line with current UK government & WHO guidelines on Social Distancing.