The Cloud Isn't Automatically Better. We'll Help You Figure Out If It's Better for You.
The cloud is supposed to make things simpler. Sometimes it does. Sometimes it just moves the server, the bill, and the headache somewhere else. Our job is to help you figure out which is which.
Emails in The Cloud: Microsoft 365 & Google Workspace
For most small businesses, cloud services start with email. Microsoft 365 (with Exchange Online) and Google Workspace are the two platforms most small businesses end up choosing between — and in most cases, we prefer to establish your account directly with Microsoft or Google, in your company's name.
We'll help you choose the right plan, set everything up, migrate your existing email, configure security and permissions, connect your computers and mobile devices, and continue helping you manage it afterward. What we generally don't need to do is stand between you and Microsoft or Google just so we can resell you the same service.
There are plenty of good third-party cloud providers and resellers, and sometimes using one makes sense. They can make the initial setup easier. But that convenience can also mean another layer between you and the company actually providing the service, higher per-user costs, and more complications if you ever decide to make a change.
We'd rather help you establish the relationship properly from the beginning. Your Microsoft or Google account belongs to your business, your billing relationship is with them, and we'll help you manage it.
If you ever decide you don't need us anymore, nothing needs to be transferred away from us or untangled first. It's yours.
Cloud File Storage and Collaboration
The same goes for cloud file storage and collaboration. Whether you're using OneDrive, SharePoint, Google Drive, or another platform, we'll help organize it properly, set permissions, migrate existing files, and make sure your staff can get to what they need without turning the whole thing into one giant shared folder that everyone can see.
For some businesses, cloud storage can also make it easier for employees to work from different locations, securely share files, and collaborate without depending entirely on a server sitting back at the office.
The important part is setting it up correctly from the beginning, so convenience doesn't come at the expense of security or organization.
Cloud-Hosted Servers
Cloud-based servers are another option that has become practical for more businesses. Instead of purchasing a physical server that sits in your office, certain applications and services can run on a virtual server hosted by Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud, or another provider. That can mean no physical server to purchase and replace every few years, easier access for businesses with multiple locations or remote employees, and the ability to increase or decrease computing resources as your needs change.
But moving a server to the cloud isn't automatically better, and it isn't automatically cheaper. For some businesses and applications, the server sitting in the office is still the better answer. For others, a cloud-hosted server may make a lot of sense.
We can help you look at what you're running, what it costs today, what you actually need, and determine whether moving some or all of it to the cloud is worth considering.
Smarter Options for Cloud Backups
Backups are another place where it pays to look a little deeper. Many cloud backup services ultimately store customer data on infrastructure from companies such as Amazon, Microsoft, or Google, with the backup provider adding its own software, management, and pricing on top. Sometimes that's absolutely worth paying for. Sometimes you're paying a significant monthly premium for something that can be accomplished another way.
We can help you look at the alternatives. That might mean keeping part of your backup system outside the cloud altogether, combining local and cloud backups, or establishing storage directly in your own company's Amazon S3, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud account and configuring backup software to use it.
For the right type of backup — particularly long-term or archival storage — direct cloud storage can cost significantly less than many all-inclusive per-terabyte backup plans. More importantly, the account and the data remain under your control instead of being tied to ours. We'll help choose the appropriate type of storage, set it up properly, secure it, and make sure the backup can actually be recovered when you need it.
The Cloud Keeps Changing
If the last time you looked at any of this was a few years ago, it's worth looking again. Cloud services are changing quickly. New options appear, prices change, old limitations disappear, and things that were too complicated or too expensive for a small business not very long ago may make perfect sense today.
So if there's something you've wanted to do but were previously told it was too expensive, too complicated, or simply wasn't possible, give us a call. We don't have a cloud service we're trying to sell you. We'll help you figure out which cloud services, if any, actually make sense for your business.
Not sure the cloud makes sense for your business yet?
We'll take a look at what you're running today and tell you honestly what's worth changing.
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IT Support & Help Desk
On-call troubleshooting for workstations, printers, email, connectivity, and the everyday tech issues that slow your team down. Your staff reaches us directly — no ticket queues, no automated phone trees.
Data Backup & Recovery
Local and cloud-based backups that run automatically and quietly in the background — so if something goes wrong, whether it's a crashed server, accidental deletion, or a ransomware attack, we can get you back up and running fast.