Tech – TotalCloudSolutions https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud Meaningful Tech and Talent Sat, 27 May 2023 20:12:16 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.3.2 Streamlining AVD Environment Automation with Bicep: A Comprehensive Guide https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/streamlining-avd-environment-automation-with-bicep-a-comprehensive-guide/ Sat, 27 May 2023 20:08:49 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7600 Introduction:

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, automation plays a pivotal role in enabling organizations to optimize their processes and increase productivity. As businesses embrace virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solutions like Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD), automating the setup and management of AVD environments becomes crucial. In this blog post, we will explore how Bicep, a domain-specific language (DSL) for Azure Resource Manager (ARM) templates, can be leveraged to automate AVD environment provisioning and configuration. We will delve into the benefits of using Bicep and provide concrete examples of how it can streamline the AVD automation process.

  1. Understanding Bicep and Its Significance in AVD Automation:

Bicep is an open-source DSL that simplifies the authoring and management of ARM templates, which are used to define and deploy Azure resources. By utilizing Bicep, you can take advantage of its concise syntax, modular structure, and enhanced tooling support. When it comes to AVD environment automation, Bicep can significantly simplify and accelerate the provisioning and configuration process.

  1. Provisioning AVD Environments with Bicep:

Bicep allows you to define AVD resources, such as host pools, virtual machines, storage accounts, and network configurations, in a declarative manner. This means you can describe the desired state of your AVD environment, and Bicep will handle the underlying infrastructure provisioning. With Bicep, you can automate the creation of AVD resources, ensuring consistent and reproducible environments across deployments.

For example, here’s a snippet showcasing how Bicep can define an AVD host pool:

resource avdHostPool 'Microsoft.DesktopVirtualization/hostPools@2021-07-12-preview' = {
name: 'myHostPool'
location: 'eastus'
properties: {
friendlyName: 'My Host Pool'
...
// Specify additional properties for the host pool
}
}
  1. Configuring AVD Environments using Bicep:

Once the AVD environment is provisioned, you can leverage Bicep to automate its configuration. Bicep supports the definition of ARM templates, which can be used to manage AVD session hosts, user assignments, application groups, and other essential components.

For instance, you can define an ARM template using Bicep to configure an application group within an AVD host pool:

resource avdAppGroup 'Microsoft.DesktopVirtualization/applicationGroups@2021-07-12-preview' = {
name: 'myAppGroup'
...
// Specify additional properties for the application group
}
  1. Leveraging Data Points for Dynamic AVD Automation:

Bicep allows you to incorporate data points within your ARM templates, enabling dynamic automation based on specific requirements. You can use parameters, variables, and expressions to customize the AVD environment provisioning and configuration process.

For example, you can utilize Bicep to prompt the user for input during deployment, such as the desired number of session hosts, and dynamically adjust the AVD environment accordingly.

  1. Benefits of AVD Automation with Bicep:
  • Consistency and Reproducibility: Bicep ensures that AVD environments are consistently provisioned and configured, eliminating manual errors and ensuring reproducibility across deployments.
  • Time and Cost Savings: Automating AVD environment setup and management with Bicep reduces the time and effort required for manual intervention, leading to significant cost savings in the long run.
  • Scalability and Flexibility: Bicep allows you to scale AVD environments effortlessly, accommodating changing demands and business requirements through automation.

Contact us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud today at to learn more about how we can help you to automate things in azure using Bicep, Terraform and ARM templates.

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Our recent Case Study : Empowering Org X with Azure Virtual Desktop: A Total Cloud Solutions Success Story https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/our-recent-case-study-empowering-org-x-with-azure-virtual-desktop-a-TotalCloudSolutions-success-story/ Mon, 15 May 2023 11:18:46 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7594 Introduction: At Total Cloud Solutions, we had the privilege of partnering with Org X, a leading global organization in the financial services sector, to address their pressing need for a secure and flexible remote working environment. This case study showcases our collaboration and the successful implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) to empower Org X with enhanced productivity, scalability, and robust data protection.

Challenges Faced by Org X: Org X approached us with several critical challenges that required immediate attention:

  1. Legacy Infrastructure: Org X’s existing on-premises infrastructure was outdated, limiting their ability to scale and impeding remote access for their workforce.
  2. Security Concerns: With sensitive financial data to protect and industry regulations to comply with, Org X needed a robust solution that ensured data security and privacy in their remote work environment.
  3. Application Compatibility: Org X relied on a diverse range of applications, including legacy software, and required seamless remote accessibility without compromising performance or user experience.

Total Cloud Solutions’s Solution: To address these challenges, our expert team at Total Cloud Solutions devised a comprehensive solution leveraging Azure Virtual Desktop:

  1. Azure Virtual Desktop Deployment: We collaborated closely with Org X to design and implement a scalable AVD infrastructure hosted on Microsoft Azure. This cloud-based solution eliminated the limitations of their legacy infrastructure and enabled secure remote access to applications and data.
  2. Customized Application Deployment: Understanding Org X’s unique requirements, we meticulously analyzed their application landscape and customized the AVD environment to ensure seamless compatibility. Our team implemented necessary modifications, upgrades, and optimizations to guarantee a smooth transition for Org X.
  3. Robust Security Measures: Security was a top priority for Org X, and we left no stone unturned in implementing robust security measures within the AVD environment. This included multi-factor authentication, conditional access policies, and data encryption, ensuring the utmost protection for Org X’s sensitive financial data.
  4. Performance Optimization: To ensure optimal performance and user experience, our team fine-tuned the AVD environment by carefully managing resource allocation, optimizing network connectivity, and implementing performance monitoring and optimization tools.

Results and Business Impact: The implementation of Azure Virtual Desktop brought about transformative changes for Org X, delivering tangible benefits:

  1. Enhanced Remote Work Capabilities: Azure Virtual Desktop empowered Org X employees to seamlessly access business-critical applications and data from any location. This flexibility improved work-life balance and overall employee satisfaction.
  2. Scalability and Agility: With the scalability of AVD, Org X gained the ability to easily adjust resources based on workforce fluctuations. This ensured optimal performance, cost-efficiency, and adaptability to meet their evolving business needs.
  3. Heightened Security: The robust security measures implemented within the AVD environment significantly bolstered Org X’s data protection capabilities. Confidential financial data remained secure, ensuring compliance with industry regulations and mitigating potential breaches.
  4. Streamlined Operations and Cost Savings: By migrating to Azure Virtual Desktop, Org X reduced their dependency on aging infrastructure, leading to streamlined operations, reduced maintenance costs, and improved overall IT efficiency.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to the dedicated teams at Org X and Total Cloud Solutions who collaborated tirelessly to make this project a resounding success. Together, we have demonstrated the power of Azure Virtual Desktop in transforming remote work capabilities and enabling organizations to thrive in today’s dynamic business landscape.

If you’re seeking a secure, scalable, and efficient remote work solution, reach out to Total Cloud Solutions today. Our expert team is ready to help you unleash the full potential of Azure Virtual Desktop and drive your business towards greater success.

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Step-by-step guide on how to use Microsoft Co-Pilot. https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/step-by-step-guide-on-how-to-use-microsoft-co-pilot/ Thu, 27 Apr 2023 07:15:04 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7582 Microsoft Co-Pilot is an AI-powered tool that helps developers write code more efficiently and effectively. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Microsoft Co-Pilot:

Step 1: Install Visual Studio Code

To use Microsoft Co-Pilot, you will need to have Visual Studio Code installed on your computer. You can download and install Visual Studio Code for free from the official website: https://code.visualstudio.com/

Step 2: Install the Co-Pilot Extension

Once you have installed Visual Studio Code, you can install the Co-Pilot extension by following these steps:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.
  2. Click on the Extensions icon on the left-hand side of the screen.
  3. Search for “Co-Pilot” in the search bar.
  4. Click on the “Install” button next to the Co-Pilot extension.
  5. Wait for the installation to complete.

Step 3: Enable Co-Pilot

After installing the Co-Pilot extension, you will need to enable it to start using it. To enable Co-Pilot, follow these steps:

  1. Open Visual Studio Code.
  2. Click on the Co-Pilot icon on the left-hand side of the screen.
  3. Click on the “Enable Co-Pilot” button.
  4. Follow the instructions to sign in to your GitHub account.

Step 4: Use Co-Pilot

Now that you have enabled Co-Pilot, you can start using it to write code. Co-Pilot works by analyzing the code you are working on and providing suggestions for code completion and error detection. Here’s how to use Co-Pilot:

  1. Start typing your code as you normally would.
  2. As you type, Co-Pilot will provide suggestions for code completion.
  3. If you see a suggestion you like, press the Tab key to accept it.
  4. If you see an error in your code, Co-Pilot will provide suggestions for how to fix it.
  5. You can also use Co-Pilot to explore documentation and examples by typing a question or keyword and pressing Ctrl+Shift+Space.

Conclusion

Microsoft Co-Pilot is a powerful tool that can help developers write code more efficiently and effectively. By following these steps, you can install and enable Co-Pilot in Visual Studio Code and start using it to write better code today.

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Reduce your Azure cloud spend using our Cloud cost optimization experts . https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/reduce-your-azure-cloud-spend-using-our-cloud-cost-optimization-experts/ Tue, 25 Apr 2023 12:47:54 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7578 As more companies migrate to the cloud, the cost of using cloud services can quickly add up. At Total Cloud Solutions, we are committed to helping our customers get the most out of their cloud investments by providing cost-effective solutions. In this blog post, we will discuss some ways in which Total Cloud Solutions can help our customers save on their Azure cloud costs.

1. Right-size virtual machines (VMs)

One of the biggest factors affecting Azure cloud costs is the size of virtual machines (VMs). Overprovisioning VMs can lead to unnecessary costs, as customers may be paying for more resources than they need. Total Cloud Solutions can help customers right-size their VMs by analyzing their usage patterns and recommending the appropriate VM size. This can result in significant cost savings over time.

2. Implement automation

Automation can be a powerful tool for reducing cloud costs. By automating routine tasks, such as starting and stopping VMs, customers can avoid paying for resources that are not being used. Total Cloud Solutions can help customers implement automation by leveraging Azure automation tools, such as Azure Automation and Azure Logic Apps.

3. Use reserved instances
Reserved instances (RIs) are a way for customers to save money on their Azure cloud costs by committing to a one- or three-year term for a specific VM size. By using RIs, customers can save up to 72% on their Azure compute costs. Total Cloud Solutions can help customers determine whether RIs are a good fit for their needs and assist them in purchasing RIs.

4. Utilize Azure cost management
Azure cost management is a powerful tool for managing cloud costs. It provides insights into cost trends, usage patterns, and cost-saving opportunities. Total Cloud Solutions can help customers leverage Azure cost management by setting up budgets, alerts, and cost analysis reports.

5. Optimize storage
Storage can be another significant cost driver for Azure customers. Total Cloud Solutions can help customers optimize their storage usage by analyzing their storage needs and recommending the appropriate storage tiers. For example, customers can save money by using the Azure cool or archive storage tiers for data that is accessed less frequently.

In conclusion, Total Cloud Solutions is committed to helping our customers save on their Azure cloud costs. By right-sizing VMs, implementing automation, using reserved instances, utilizing Azure cost management, and optimizing storage, we can help our customers get the most out of their cloud investments. Contact us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud today at to learn more about how we can help you save on your Azure cloud costs.

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How Businesses can leverage ChatGPT and Microsoft Power Platform to create automation and better customer experience ? https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/how-businesses-can-leverage-chatgpt-and-microsoft-power-platform-to-create-automation-and-better-customer-experience/ Thu, 20 Apr 2023 17:51:59 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7575 ChatGPT is a powerful language model that has been trained by OpenAI, and it is designed to understand natural language and respond to various queries. It is based on the GPT-3.5 architecture, which is considered one of the most advanced language models in the world. Businesses can leverage ChatGPT by integrating it with Microsoft Power Platform, which is a powerful low-code platform that allows organizations to build custom applications and automate business processes.

Microsoft Power Platform is a suite of tools that includes PowerApps, Power Automate, and Power BI. PowerApps is a tool that enables businesses to create custom mobile and web applications without requiring extensive coding knowledge. Power Automate is a tool that allows organizations to automate their workflows and streamline their business processes. Power BI is a data visualization tool that enables businesses to analyze data and gain insights into their operations.

By integrating ChatGPT with Microsoft Power Platform, businesses can leverage the power of natural language processing to improve their customer service, automate their workflows, and gain insights into their data. Here are some ways businesses can use ChatGPT with Microsoft Power Platform:

  1. Customer Service: Businesses can use ChatGPT to build custom chatbots that can interact with customers in a natural and conversational way. These chatbots can be integrated with PowerApps, which allows customers to interact with the chatbot using their mobile devices. By automating customer service interactions, businesses can reduce the workload on their support staff and improve the customer experience.
  2. Workflow Automation: Businesses can use ChatGPT to automate their workflows and streamline their business processes. For example, businesses can use ChatGPT to automatically respond to customer inquiries, schedule appointments, and perform other routine tasks. By automating these tasks, businesses can reduce the workload on their staff and free up time for more strategic activities.
  3. Data Analysis: Businesses can use ChatGPT to gain insights into their data and improve their operations. For example, businesses can use ChatGPT to analyze customer feedback and identify trends and patterns that can inform their marketing and product development strategies. By gaining insights into their data, businesses can make informed decisions that improve their operations and increase their profitability.

In conclusion, ChatGPT is a powerful tool that businesses can leverage to improve their customer service, automate their workflows, and gain insights into their data. By integrating ChatGPT with Microsoft Power Platform, businesses can build custom applications and automate their business processes in a natural and conversational way. If you’re interested in learning more about how ChatGPT can benefit your organization, contact us today.

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Have you tried Azure Virtual Desktop? It could be the solution to your organization’s challenges. https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/have-you-tried-azure-virtual-desktop-it-could-be-the-solution-to-your-organizations-challenges/ Mon, 31 Oct 2022 17:33:29 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7416 Introduction

IT organizations are under increasing pressure to be able to provide services 24/7, and the cloud is an excellent way to meet that goal. The cost of running an enterprise also comes into play when trying to determine whether or not moving your desktops onto Azure Virtual Desktop is worth it. But how can you know if this solution will work for your company? We’ve put together a list of reasons why this migration might just be what your organization needs in order

Enterprises today face an ever-increasing number of challenges .

Enterprises today face an ever-increasing number of challenges .

  • The pace of technological innovation is accelerating faster than ever, making it harder for enterprises to keep up with their customers’ needs.
  • Employees and customers expect high levels of service from organizations that offer competitive levels of service at a reasonable cost .
  • IT budgets are being squeezed as governments seek better value for money from public sector organizations and private sector companies alike .
  • Organizations want better return on investment (ROI) by maximizing efficiency across all business processes; this is especially true when it comes to managing cloud infrastructure within an organization’s computing environment.

The shift to remote working has been a difficult transition for many companies .

The shift to remote working has been a difficult transition for many companies. But it’s also a trend that’s going to keep growing and becoming more mainstream, so it’s important for you to understand how your employees are feeling about the new way of working.

If you want to know whether your employees are happy with this change or not, ask them these questions:

  • What benefits do I get from working remotely? (e.g., flexibility)
  • How does it affect my job satisfaction?

Corporate cloud adoption is also on the rise .

Corporate cloud adoption is also on the rise. According to a recent survey by CIO Insight and Deloitte, about 80% of companies now use some form of cloud computing for their business applications and services.

The need for new applications and services has been driving this trend, but more importantly it’s helped to remove barriers that make it difficult or impossible for IT organizations to adopt new technologies such as virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI).

In addition , there ‘ s growing pressure to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to offer competitive levels of service to employees and customers.

In addition , there ‘ s growing pressure to keep up with the pace of technological innovation and to offer competitive levels of service to employees and customers.

Organizations are challenged by how they can effectively manage their data centers, including their network infrastructure, application delivery platforms and virtual desktops. They need a solution that enables them to:

  • reduce costs through consolidation by centralizing IT operations;
  • increase efficiency through automation in end-user computing;
  • enable seamless collaboration across organizational boundaries through workforce mobility solutions

Virtual desktops in the cloud are a solution that covers all these bases.

Virtual desktops in the cloud are a solution that covers all these bases.

They allow you to have access to your data from anywhere, anytime and at any device. They also allow you to work with people who are not physically in the same place as you but still collaborate on projects or solve problems together.

How Azure Virtual Desktop can help your enterprise succeed

Azure Virtual Desktop is a solution that covers all these bases. It can help you succeed in your enterprise, and it’s easy to use, too!

  • It’s cost-effective: Azure Virtual Desktop offers a price point that’s competitive with other cloud providers while still providing the same superior end user experience as standard VDI solutions.
  • It’s flexible: You can customize your deployment based on what works best for each business unit or department within your organization. This makes it flexible enough to meet any workload requirements without sacrificing performance or security risks associated with traditional desktop deployments (for example, unmanaged guest machines).

Financial services firm Natixis saw their IT costs go through the roof after a migration to Windows 10 left them with thousands of legacy PCs across their offices worldwide.

Natixis is a financial services firm that has offices worldwide, including in France. The company migrated to Windows 10 as part of its modernization efforts and found itself with thousands of legacy PCs across its offices globally. This led to high IT costs for Natixis, which were increasing by the month as it struggled to manage the increased workload on its IT department.

To make matters worse, Natixis already had limited bandwidth at its data center and needed additional bandwidth from a carrier partner like Verizon or AT&T so it could meet demand for new applications being developed by employees at different locations around the world – a problem made worse by how much data these new apps were consuming!

By moving their workplace PCs to Azure Virtual Desktop, they’re saving millions of dollars in maintenance costs and re-allocating resources towards areas that will help improve the company’s bottom line.

You can also save money by reducing the number of devices in your organization. If you have multiple PCs and laptops, it’s likely that there is some duplication between them. For example, if you have three PC users on one PC, then those users could all be using the same version of Microsoft Office (or other software). This means that everyone would need to purchase licenses for each individual user’s software when they upgrade or renew their license agreement with Microsoft. By moving your workplace PCs to Azure Virtual Desktop and consolidating them onto fewer machines so that only one person uses each device at any given time, you’ll be able to eliminate this unnecessary overhead expense altogether!

Another way Azure Virtual Desktop helps companies save money is through reducing the number of support staff required by eliminating expensive IT support contracts with third parties like IBM or Dell EMC which charge upwards $10-$20K per year! When employees don’t need help from outside providers anymore—their own IT departments handle everything automatically via remote access sessions over cellular networks like 3G/4G LTE connections instead–it frees up valuable resources inside an organization which can then focus more energy toward improving customer satisfaction ratings through improved productivity levels

Running an enterprise comes with a lot of challenges, but migrating your desktop PCs to the cloud may help you overcome them.

Running an enterprise comes with a lot of challenges, but migrating your desktop PCs to the cloud may help you overcome them.

Azure Virtual Desktop can help you cut costs and increase productivity by allowing you to:

  • Reduce licensing costs by up to 50%. You don’t need costly software licenses or updates anymore because Azure Virtual Desktop has access rights on all of your PCs in the cloud. This gives you access to all features available in Microsoft Office 365 and other popular products at no additional cost!
  • Increase security by keeping software patches up-to-date through automatic updates that are delivered over HTTP/2 connections (rather than TCP). This means better protection against viruses and malware attacks that target vulnerabilities in applications like Adobe Reader or Microsoft Office Suite 2016

Conclusion

The next time you’re considering a move to the cloud, consider Azure Virtual Desktop. We know it can be a bit overwhelming when you have so many different options and concerns to consider, and that’s why we want to help you navigate all the possibilities. Azure Virtual Desktop is an easy way for your company to save money—and more importantly, it helps your employees feel more connected with one another on their screens across the globe. Reach out to us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud for free first consultation on Azure Virtual Desktop.

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What is Microsoft Power Platform and how it can add value to your business. https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/what-is-microsoft-power-platform-and-how-it-can-add-value-to-your-business/ Thu, 20 Oct 2022 16:00:37 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7203 Introduction

The Microsoft Power platform is a collection of products that can be used together to create a holistic data and analytics engine. It includes Microsoft Power BI, Microsoft Power Apps and Microsoft Power Automate. These three products work together to help organizations gain insight into their business processes and data faster than ever before.

What is power platform?

Power Platform is a suite of products that work together to help you deliver secure, cloud-based solutions for your business. It’s a solution for the enterprise and it includes:

  • Microsoft Power BI – Dashboards, reports & visualizations
  • Microsoft Flow – Automated processes on any device with no code required (like Slack)
  • Azure Automation – Run scripts in minutes across multiple systems – from mobile devices to on premise servers

Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is a business analytics service that makes it easy for organizations of all sizes to analyze their data. It’s a cloud-based analytics and visualization tool that connects people with information, making them more productive, efficient and confident in their decisions.

Power BI offers users the ability to visualize complex datasets using simple drag-and-drop interfaces; create dashboards that show real-time data; build interactive reports on any platform (PC or mobile device); access millions of existing reports through its free SQL database; connect with external sources like Salesforce or PostgreSQL databases through connectors; run custom analyses or build your own integration points into your own applications through APIs

Microsoft Power Apps

Microsoft Power Platform is a cloud-based service that allows you to create applications for mobile, web and desktop. The platform also comes with its own app builder called Microsoft Power Apps.

Power Apps is an easy way for you to create apps for your organization’s needs. It has a drag-and-drop interface that allows users with basic programming skills to build their own apps without having any prior knowledge of coding or design tools like Photoshop.

The advantage of using this tool is that it makes it easy for anyone in your company (especially those involved in IT) who has limited technical knowledge about how things work behind the scenes within their computer systems such as Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 Standard Edition 64 Bit Enterprise Edition V2 Update Pack 2 MP01540007

Microsoft Power Automate

Power Automate is a cloud-based platform that simplifies and streamlines automation tasks. It can be used to automate both business processes and IT infrastructure, making it an important tool for any organization. Power Automate is the most recent addition to the power platform, which includes Microsoft Flow, Power BI and Azure Blob Storage.

Microsoft Flow is an end-to-end solution for creating, automating and governing business process flows in hybrid environments with multiple platforms (mobile devices). It allows you to connect devices from different ecosystems through webhooks or REST APIs.

Power BI gives you insights into your data so you can make better decisions faster. You can use this tool to visualize information about your organization such as sales results or customer satisfaction rates by using visuals such as charts and maps.

Conclusion

Microsoft Power Platform helps you to transform, modernize and simplify your business. It is a unique combination of software and services that enables you to transform your business by empowering self-service for your organization. Reach out to us at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud for Microsoft Power Platform related queries.

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A managed services provider can help organizations save money while optimizing performance, mitigating risk and increasing uptime, among other benefits. https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/a-managed-services-provider-can-help-organizations-save-money-while-optimizing-performance-mitigating-risk-and-increasing-uptime-among-other-benefits/ Wed, 19 Oct 2022 16:55:50 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7197 Introduction

A managed services provider (MSP) is a company that manages your IT infrastructure and helps you save money while optimizing performance, mitigating risk and increasing uptime, among other benefits. With an MSP on your side, you can focus on what matters most: growing your business.

A managed services provider can help organizations save money while optimizing performance, mitigating risk and increasing uptime, among other benefits.

A managed services provider can help organizations save money while optimizing performance, mitigating risk and increasing uptime.

  • Reducing costs: With a managed services provider in place, your organization will be able to eliminate any unnecessary costs associated with IT maintenance. By outsourcing the work to a company that specializes in this field, you can ensure that you’re not paying for unnecessary expenses like labor or equipment that aren’t needed anymore. This also means you’ll have more cash on hand for other things like hiring new staff members or expanding your business’ reach online via social media marketing strategies.
  • Increasing uptime: If a server goes down unexpectedly due to an error on one person’s part (or even just because they’re not paying attention), it could result in lost revenue from potential customers who were waiting patiently until everything was back up again before making their purchases online or at brick-and-mortar stores around town—and those lost sales could snowball into millions over time if left unchecked! Having someone else handle these issues ensures that there won’t be any downtime whatsoever due to technical glitches–which means even better ROI (return on investment).

Outsourcing IT management to a Managed Services Provider (MSP) like Total Cloud Solutions offers organizations several benefits.

If you’re looking to reduce your costs, increase your performance and mitigate risk, a managed services provider like Total Cloud Solutions is the right solution.

  • Managed Services Providers (MSPs) are an extension of your internal team. They can help save money while optimizing performance and mitigating risk.
  • MSPs have the expertise that in-house teams may lack because they’ve been doing it for years—and they’re familiar with all kinds of different technologies that could come up when managing IT systems internally or across multiple departments at companies like yours.*

Managed Services Providers have the expertise that in-house teams may lack.

Managed services providers have the expertise that in-house teams may lack. MSPs have resources to handle complex IT environments, which means they can help companies keep up with new technologies and meet compliance standards. They also employ experts who understand how to optimize performance and mitigate risks.

Managed Services Providers can help companies understand their IT infrastructure needs.

Managed Services Providers can help you understand your IT infrastructure needs.

MSPs can help you manage your IT infrastructure.

MSPs can help you optimize your IT infrastructure.

MSPs can also help with maintenance of the existing equipment and systems that are part of their clients’ overall strategy and goals, as well as those they have purchased from other providers who have provided support in the past—and perhaps continue to provide services on an ongoing basis, such as maintenance contracts for any equipment or system within their portfolio (e.g., software applications).

MSPs can help reduce costs and monthly expenses because they become an extension of your internal team.

MSPs can help reduce costs and monthly expenses because they become an extension of your internal team. They will work with your business to ensure that you have the right technology solutions in place, which are backed by an experienced MSP staff member who knows what to do when things go wrong. As a result, you’ll have fewer issues with downtime or financial losses due to technical issues caused by outside contractors or third-party vendors.

With managed services providers acting as extensions of your own staff members (and not as separate entities), they can also take advantage of economies of scale when it comes time for upgrades or maintenance on systems such as databases or security software updates—saving organizations money while optimizing performance, mitigating risk and increasing uptime

MSPs help businesses meet compliance standards and mitigate risks.

Compliance standards are important because they protect your customers and the company. They can also help you meet regulatory requirements, such as Sarbanes Oxley (SOX) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). These regulations affect how your business operates, so it’s crucial that you have a plan in place for any changes or updates that may occur.

Compliance standards are also important because they provide regulatory protection for your brand and business objectives—such as protecting its reputation from lawsuits or negative publicity when there is an incident that involves customer data or personal information stored on company servers during operations planning process

MSPs offer proactive monitoring that prevents productivity loss.

MSPs monitor your network 24/7, ensuring that it remains operational at all times. They can alert you to any issues before they become a major problem, helping you avoid costly outages and save money on your IT budget. In addition to proactive monitoring, MSPs offer other valuable benefits for businesses:

  • They help reduce downtime by providing 24/7 support for their clients’ networks and servers. This means fewer days without access to critical applications or data loss due to equipment failure—which could lead to lost revenues or legal liabilities if not remedied immediately.*
  • Managed services providers provide ongoing maintenance contracts that include regular software updates as well as regular hardware replacement when necessary (such as hard drive upgrades). These contracts help ensure that your business keeps up with ever-changing technology trends while also reducing expenses associated with maintaining hardware systems over time.*

Conclusion

With so many advantages, it’s clear to see why managed services are becoming so popular. It’s also no wonder that companies are looking for ways to streamline their IT management processes and save time and money. If you’re interested in learning more about how MSPs can help your organization, contact us today at Sales@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud.

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What is Microsoft Viva and what is the buzz about ? https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/what-is-microsoft-viva-and-what-is-the-buzz-about/ Tue, 11 Oct 2022 17:03:32 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=7191 Microsoft Viva is a platform, initially being deployed within the Microsoft Teams package, designed to help businesses adjust to a work-from-home process. Microsoft pitches Viva to solve the problems that accompany working remotely while preserving the merits that come with it.
Microsoft Viva is built into apps like Microsoft Teams and Outlook, it’s an employee experience platform that brings together communications, knowledge, learning, resources, and insights in the flow of work. Powered by Microsoft 365 and experienced through Microsoft Teams, Viva fosters a culture that empowers employees and teams to be their best from anywhere. It provides actionable insights that help everyone establish better work practices. Employees can build and join communities with others across the company. With Viva, leaders listen, using continuous feedback to improve engagement and can also help to amplify workplace communications. Viva connections is your gateway to the experience, allowing stay engaged and informed no matter where you work. It is smarter and help with personalized reminders as well as prioritize time for focused work. When you come across with an unfamiliar topic just click to find people, resources and conversations related to the desired topic. If you have any question, just ask. where Viva uses AI to build topic pages, it automatically and make sure sensitive content remains protected. Microsoft viva brings communication, insights, learning and knowledge together into an integrated employee experience.
There are seven modules of Microsoft Viva are as below
Viva learning: Viva Learning is a centralized learning hub in Microsoft Teams that lets you seamlessly integrate learning and building skills into your day. In Viva Learning, your team can discover, share, recommend, and learn from content libraries provided by both your organization and partners. They can do all of this without leaving Microsoft Teams.
• Easily find learning opportunities provided by your organization.
• Browse courses from Microsoft and third-party content providers.
• Search for specific learning content that appeals to you or supports your career goals.
• Share relevant, interesting, and important learning content with your team members or groups in a Microsoft Teams chat or channel.
• Organize your custom selections of learning content in Microsoft Teams channels and tabs.
• Bookmark courses you’re interested in.
• Play LinkedIn Learning courses in the embedded player without leaving Microsoft Teams.

Viva Insights: It is an employee experience platform. It helps to delivers data driven and privacy protected insights and recommendations that help individual and team to improve their product and wellbeing. It helps leader to analytics when employees are struggling. Microsoft Viva Insights identifies collaboration patterns that impact productivity, workforce effectiveness, and employee engagement. Under Viva Insights tools are as below
Personal insights – It help in Briefing email in Outlook, in your personal Dashboard.
Teamwork habits It help in work habits that might lead to burnout and stress. It also learns how their habits impact their team while getting suggestions on how to foster team
Organization trends It helps qualifying managers and business leaders see outcomes page to see opportunities where a change could improve their business outcomes.
Advanced insights can also help business leaders address critical questions about organizational and work culture
Data privacy Learn how Viva Insights complies with applicable laws and regulations and how to protect and keep personal data private.

Viva Topics: Viva Topics uses AI to automatically search for and identify topics in your organization content and expertise across your organization, making it easy for people to find information and put knowledge to work. It compiles information about them, such as a short description, people working on the topic, and sites, files, and pages that are related to it. A knowledge manager or contributor can choose to update the topic information as needed. The topics are available to your users, which means that for every instance of the topic that appears in a modern SharePoint site in news and pages, the text will be highlighted.
Viva Connections: is a desktop and mobile experience that brings together relevant news, conversations, and resources in one place for your organization. Discover the company-branded destination where employees can explore news, join conversations, and connect with others across the organization in the apps and devices they use daily. Viva Connections is included in Microsoft 365 plans with SharePoint Online. Viva Connections is not supported on the Linux operating system. Viva Connections is not currently supported on tablet devices.

Viva Goals: Microsoft Viva Goals is a goal setting and management solution that aligns teams to your organization’s strategic priorities, driving results and a thriving business.
Viva Goals enables individuals and companies to organize and track their goals through “Objectives and Key Results” (OKRs). Viva Goals integrates with Microsoft native apps such as Teams to enables you to track your performance towards shared milestones.

Viva Sales: It is a seller experience application that lets sellers use Office 365 and Microsoft Teams to automatically capture data into any CRM system, eliminating manual data entry and giving more time to focus on selling. It dives deep into the vision of Viva Sales to see how it brings everything sellers need into the flow of work.
The Viva Sales public preview includes the following capabilities:
• Access important CRM customer data in Outlook and Teams to reduce time spent looking for information: Sellers can access customer contact details and related account and opportunity data from CRM inside Outlook and Teams applications.
• Connect to CRM of choice to reduce application switching: Viva Sales Public preview includes connectors to Dynamics 365 Sales and Salesforce. Sellers can update critical contact data without switching applications.
• Easily create customer contacts from Outlook: With Viva Sales, sellers can capture new customer contacts with a few clicks from Outlook. Key insights such as previous activities and files exchanged will soon be available to enrich this information further.
• Improve sales performance on customer calls with Sales Conversation Intelligence (SCI): When communicating with customers on Teams, sellers can utilize SCI to generate call summaries, track customer sentiment and suggest action items for customer follow-ups post calls.
• Collaborate with colleagues on relevant customer data in Teams and Outlook: Sellers can look up customers from within a Teams conversation and immediately share it with their team. They can copy customer contacts from Outlook as rich, editable context and paste them into a Teams conversation. All this allows sales teams to get customer context without switching to CRM.
• Stay secure and compliant: Viva Sales respects company security and privacy policies in sharing customer contact information, including CRM access controls and user permissions. Switching it on is an easy decision.
• Quick install and setup: A Microsoft 365 admin can set up the Viva Sales application from the admin centre and assign the right users.
Viva Engage: Connect everyone at your organization through employee communities and conversations using viva engage, a Microsoft teams app powered by yammer. It brings new capabilities and experiences to help people strengthen their work relationships, find, and share knowledge, and feel included all within Microsoft Teams. For users that already use the Communities app, this change will happen automatically and introduces new features designed to connect people, amplify their voice and perspective, and find belonging at work. Viva Engage includes a new Communities hub where you can find your communities and a list of recommended communities. New quick navigation provides easy access to your favourite and most frequented communities no matter where you are in the app.
At Total Cloud Solutions, we have trained Viva implementation engineers who can integrate Viva Suite with your existing M365 suites and makes it more synchronized and result oriented. Do connect us today for a quick demo.
For any kind of support required Kindly reach out to us at admin@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud or visit our website
at: https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud
You can also follow us for latest update on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/company/Total-Cloud-Solutions/mycompany/

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What is managed services provider? https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/what-is-managed-services-provider/ Sun, 28 Aug 2022 08:33:06 +0000 https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/?p=6906 A managed service provider (MSP) takes care of all functions of IT infrastructure management from network administration to data backup and staffing. It available for businesses who are looking into outsourcing options for their IT needs. With the help of MSP, we can monitor remote system and real-time alerts. Mostly, MSPs own the entire physical back-end infrastructure and provide resources to their clients. All this is performed over the internet through remotely and helps clients in cut costing.  Managed service providers offer support for your company’s tech at a monthly flat fee. It also helps to minimizes IT problems and troubleshoots any issues that come up on the network. Managed services help to prevent failures and fix problems directly. Where as Outsourcing solutions available through vendors could include mobile device management, software as a service, and platform as a service, help desk and backup recovery. Most managed service providers provide IT resources by hiring for clients.

Why does a business need managed IT services?

Businesses need managed service providers because it stop/block risks which effect on project. Instead of outsourcing IT when a problem occurs, managed services allow consistent monitoring of a network. Managed IT services benefits allow you to stay focused on expanding your business while a managed services vendor can help you with day by day tasks of more time consuming and complex projects such as: Data centre solutions. Cloud computing. Disaster recovery planning.  Whereas updating and maintenance tasks are handled by a managed service provider.

Who are Managed IT Service Providers?

(MSP) are referred to as third-party companies responsible for managing and maintaining enterprise networks so that these enterprises will be able to focus on improving their services without worrying about break-downs or interruptions. MSP Providers have been in action since the 1990s. Originally, they were known as Application Service Providers (ASPs), which were only responsible for remote IT infrastructure management. Their services expanded over the years and thus comprised of remote firewall administration, security-as-a-service, and mobile device management

Advantages of Using MSP Providers

Avoid downtime: An MSP can help your business adopt a proactive approach when it comes to your critical systems. If a problem should happen, they analysis root cause and not occurs again. It also help to optimize the network.

Latest technology: MSP ensure you to provide services with later technology.

Cost-efficient: It Ability to manage your systems 24/7, No need to recruit and train new staff where unplanned repair and service fixed remotely issue when it required. It cover all kinds of repairs and service costs on a contractual basis.

24/7 assistance: Managed Service Providers guarantee for 24×7 assistance support when it needed.

Improved Security: MSP also ensure to assist in cyber security and data bleaching issue. They also have equipment with efficient backup and disaster recovery plans. They will also help protect your network from cybercriminals and the ever-present threat of ransomware.

Scale up or down: It’s easy to scale skills and resources up or down as required, 365 stack are designed to be scalable and easy to add on or remove applications.

Scope: In MSP it supports from globally to cover with all latest technology.

Types of Managed Services Providers

Scheduled Maintenance: An MSP guarantees scheduled maintenance of the organizations’ networks on a quarterly basis or monthly according to the decided.

Centralized Management: MSPs provide a single and powerful console capable of handling complex networks. They also provide patch management solutions, service desk, remote monitoring, and security solutions to multiple clients with centralized controls.

Remote Support: MSPs provide cloud-based solutions to handle remote computers MSPs also provide support remotely troubleshooting technical problems.

Monitoring: An MSP offers efficient, customized, and real-time monitoring solutions for any network device, website, application, or server of an organization.

Simplified Billing: An MSP provides a billing management system to handle tasks like invoicing, payments, tracking, and budgeting. MSPs offering this option manage billing systems to guarantee visibility.

Other types of MSP are Print services, Data analytics, software as a service, Network & infrasture.

Qualities of MSP

Responsiveness: Here it shows how much active responsive it is

SLA pricing: It is written agreement between the MSP and the customer. This agreement outlines the expectations that have been contractually agreed upon—for example, expected response times for service requests submitted by the customer.

Security: The big quality of MSP is it provide full protection from Cybercrimes.

Backup Recovery options: It also provide option of backup and data recovery.

Other options (one stop tech shop): Not only it deal in support and services, it also full fill requirements by dealing in hardware and equipment’s needed to client

Data Accessibility: MSP also support in data availability, data integrity and to keep data confidentiality as well as it also helps keep same copy of data in different location as a backup

MSP Pricing Models:

Flat fee, typically monthly now they  focus more on  flat rate option on monthly bases as per user or per devices  as they know in company what will be IT expenses going to each month and if you need new computer deployment it also including extra cost and all these depend on different SLA tiers which show what response you are excepting either next business day or you expecting response with in few hours.

For any MSP support related queries, please reach out to us at AllEyes@TotalCloudSolutions.cloud or visit the website at : https://TotalCloudSolutions.cloud/contact-us/

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