Anyone who works in events will understand why me (Kerry) and Chloe are very tired this morning! However, I must say we are rather pleased with ourselves…

Over 2 months of planning, 6 weeks of promoting and 1 day of printing, producing and organising led to one good Tech Talks!

(For those who haven’t been, Tech Talks is a technology themed event for small business to learn, network, and be inspired).

The first of our speakers was Jo Reid of Calvium who spoke to us about mobile phone apps. Jo gave us some great ideas about how we could go about having a mobile app for our business and of course, why.

Some tweets throughout Jo’s talks:

#techtalksbristol over 50% of uk now have smartphones! (@arthursoft)

Jo Reid @appfurnace talking about app games company RedWasp & their new gameow.ly/1HmVRA #TechTalksBristol (@DickieArmour)

#techtalksbristol excellent parallel between the liberating effect of the early PCs & now with smartphone apps. (@kevleighton)

#techtalksbristol Great to know Bristol is such a creative and technology hub!!! (@IanThorneBrown)

Up next was Fred George who came across from London to deliver his talk: Developer Anarchy.  He spoke about the organisation Forward, and their approach to management systems; which is, they have none. This one sparked a lot of intrigue!

Some tweets throughout Fred’s talks:

#techtalksbristol I am glad there is a development methodology that describes the way I work. Anarchy. (@JeremyBassett)

@fgeorge52 talking about ‘programmer anarchy’ at#TechTalksBristol – looks and sounds crazy! (@mattrowntree)

Programmer anarchy! Awesomeness!#techtalksbristol (@CVC_Wizard)

Loving Fred George’s passion for his developer anarchy!! #techtalksbristol (@DickieArmour)

Our final speaker, Geoff Roberts, gave an information-packed talk about the vast opportunities in data.

Some tweets throughout Geoff’s talks:

The greatest barrier to success is fear of failure! Like it! #techtalksbristol (@KevLeighton)

Geoff Roberts recommending NetBase for social search ow.ly/i/u5i3 #TechTalksBristol (@DickieArmour)

How to maximize revenue using the RFM model at#TechTalksBristol (@Mattrowntree)

And the tweets continued!

Sadly the venue needed us to vacate at 6 so networking was cut slightly short. Some ventured to the pub afterwards though, Chloe and I included (can we get away with claiming that as expenses…?).

If you wish to get involved in the next Tech Talks on the 25th April you can book your place now, the line-up is a little special…

Thanks to all that came to Tech Talks #2 we hope you enjoyed it as much as we did… And our under-eye bags are not in vain

We’ve been speaking to local businesses in February about what they love – and what they don’t love – about the Cloud. The responses so far:

I love the Cloud:

• “Both Directors work from home, so everything that needs to be shared – notably e-mail, calendar and CRM has been in the Cloud for many years”.

• “We have used hosting on remote servers for the last two years.  We have no servers in house.  We use Microsoft Exchange for email which links to our CRM system which is hosted remotely and therefore available via mobile devices.  It means we don’t have to deal with tech issues, just lean on the supplier when there is a problem, which isn’t often.  Upgrades and other changes like adding more licences are seamless.  We also use remote servers for file sharing in our sister company”

• “I love the fact that someone else handles the geeky details of hosting/data/uptime/backup etc” (@GeorgeAdamson)

• “No need for the dreaded ‘synch’!” (@ie-Matt)

• “Cloud has enabled me to upload images and content to be used in real time by the office in India” (@YourMajesty)

I love it not:

• “It adds cost, but not major value or benefit to us”

• “The main issue I believe is to do with Data Protection legislation and the passing of data outside Europe.”

• “Whilst it’s naturally an agenda item the advice we’ve had to date is to maintain a local server based approach – a decision borne out of recognition that we don’t require extensive web based access all the time (occasional connection to our terminal server hasn’t yet  presented any issues)”

Cloud Computing clearly works for some businesses but won’t be embraced or needed by everyone. I still don’t think we’re seeing the peak of the Cloud, although when we do, I’m sure we’ll still find people who do not love it. It’s virtually impossible to please everyone, just look at the popularity of Apple and yet I still don’t have a single product.

What do you Love or Not Love about the Cloud? Or are you still a Cloud Virgin?

As I said in my last post, I believe that 2012 is going to be the year of the Cloud and here’s why:

• The Cloud is getting serious! People are actually starting to understand it (supported by statistics in my last post), and businesses can see what it can do for them; and so adoption will increase.
• Major companies like Apple are incorporating their Cloud services into their advertisements for the new iPhone which will help raise awareness and deepen understanding.
• The Cloud is already becoming more social, making it ever more appealing. The Cloud currently makes sharing and collaborating much easier. Companies like Salesforce are taking this even further with the introduction of Chatter: A private social network for employees; making communication easier and faster.
• Despite initial speculation over Cloud Computing decreasing the number of jobs available to IT professionals; 2012 will see new IT job titles emerging. The Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s Technology Sector Group recently announced that its members expect demand for staff with IT skills to increase in 2012 and recruitment has started to see the appearance of job roles such as cloud transformation officer.
• Trust will increase as the Cloud evolves and security becomes even tighter.

People have been claiming the last few years as ‘the year of the cloud’, but only recently have businesses started to understand it and make that transition. We are already seeing an increase in popularity and believe that this year, 2012, is without doubt the year of the cloud (and we promise not to say the same this time next year!).

The beginning

We’ve been an IT company since 2004, we embraced the Cloud in 2007  and we’ve been actively promoting the Cloud since March of 2011. Back in March we ran a quick Twitter poll, which found that 36% of respondents had not heard of Cloud Computing and upon speaking with some of the respondents, we understand that the majority of those who had heard of it, didn’t understand what it actually was.

In the middle

Cloud Computing has exploded into the news, and the workplace throughout 2011. We’ve heard good news about the number of businesses adopting and benefiting; exciting news when big companies like Amazon & Apple created their own Cloud and of course the bad news, such as Amazon’s EC2 going down in April.

We like to think that we’ve done our bit locally: we’ve had 3 events, posted over 30 blog articles and this year we’ve grown our team to support the education on the Cloud in Bristol.

Today

A Twitter poll this morning revealed that 91% of respondents had heard of the Cloud, and although only 27% were using it, a massive 75% said they would be considering it for 2012. Quite a difference in under a year!

The future

It has been said that 2011 has been the year of the Cloud. In our opinion 2011 has been the year of discovering the Cloud; sussing it out; testing the water. 2012 will be the year of adoption of the Cloud.

What does the future hold for the IT in your business?

Despite the 30th November protests, over 60 people turned out to Tech Talks last Wednesday – thank you!

I won’t deny we were nervous – as we get with all of our events, but of course there was no need. The room had a great atmosphere almost instantly; networkers were… well, networking, enjoying the mince pies and a warm coffee, and rather sensibly avoiding the red wine.

The speakers started just five minutes late and throughout their 20 minute talks people were engaged. If the speakers were nervous, they certainly hid it well.

Once the talks were over, the speakers were invited back up as a panel for people’s questions – of which there were many.

The event finished with more networking, which is when people did at last indulge in the wine! Most people stayed around and continued making connections, in fact some were reluctant to leave! Citypoint managers were due to leave at 6pm and were still working at 7pm when the last of us left the building. Legends.

Our verdict:

“We loved it and can’t wait for Tech Talks 2!”

Your verdict:

“I feel bristol needs more meets like these. I’m a meetup groupie and will certainly strive to attend more of these types of sessions. All three talks were delivered well with riveting content. The next session has a lot to live up to and as homage to the speakers from the last session I could certainly hear more of what they have to say. ” @mysqlboy

“Loved techtalksbristol, good speakers, great networking and excellent mince pies!” @BabyCalendars

“Great to see such a strong combination of really interesting speakers and genuinely interested delegates” Thrings.com

“This was both a good networking opportunity and a good way to keep up to date on the development and use of some key technologies. A very productive use of my time! Thank you.” @MrPeterQuintana

Our next event will be in February and we have a top speaker lined up! To be revealed shortly…

We say: Cloud Computing is the future of your business.

You say: what the hell is it and how much is it gonna cost?

Cloud Computing is slowly moving beyond the hype stage as more and more people start to grasp what it is.

(But just in case, here’s a very quick summary: Cloud Computing involves storing your data/work over the internet. This means you can access your software and your documents from any computer. This has become a revelation for business owners, who are no longer tied to one office or one computer. Staff can work from home, in meetings, even whilst travelling. Documents & calendars can be shared easily; all thanks to the Cloud.)

Its flexible; its scalable; its secure; its green. But is it expensive?

For large corporate companies a move to the Cloud isn’t going to be cheap – and it’s not very likely to save you a great deal of money, however it should match the cost of your current IT expenditure and yet the extra benefits should be enough to persuade a move.

SME’s, depending on the size of your business and its requirements, Cloud Computing comes with varying costs:

There is nearly always a set up fee simply because the Cloud requires a change in your current infrastructure. The integration of Cloud into your business takes time so most cloud providers will charge for this.

Where you are likely to save money is on software, updates, back-up, IT Support, server replacements, disaster recovery, electricity – though of course it does depend on the provider! For example while some CC companies offer free 24/7 support, others such as Amazon charge from $100 per month.

I know, it’s confusing, but here are some tips on what to ask yourself when weighing up the costs of Cloud Computing:

• Do I wish to pay per user, per GB or per hour?
• What are the set-up costs?
• Does it include support?
• Does it include back-up?
• How much will it cost when my business expands?

At SpiderGroup we charge per user and we’re currently building a system which will allow freelancers, sole traders and small businesses to join the Cloud without a set-up fee and a monthly payment plan starting at £30 per user. We are constantly looking to tackle the cost of Cloud Computing in Bristol so that more businesses can benefit from the vast advantages of the Cloud.

So, will it save you pounds? Probably not.

Does it add value? Definitely.

(Image by Salvatore Vuono)

We get asked lots of questions about Cloud Computing, we even organise events in Bristol to help businesses to understand it. We do also recognise that getting out of the office and away from your computer can be difficult so we’ve compiled a list of our most commonly asked questions when it comes to the Cloud.

Q1. What is Cloud Computing? (Slightly obvious but one which we should really start with)

A. Cloud Computing is, in basic terms, computing over the Internet. It allows you to access your e-mail, documents, software, even your desktop on-line, so it’s like having a virtual computer. This means you can work from anywhere – your office, your home, a hotel, a cafe, basically anywhere that has an Internet connection.

Q2. Is it safe?

A. On the whole, yes. Although, you need to ask your Cloud provider about their security measures of course. Hackers have found breaking into the Cloud extremely difficult and the security is only getting tighter. It also makes your data safe from non-virtual theft! If anyone was to break into your office and steal your computer, they wouldn’t actually be able to access your data in the Cloud.

Q3. What if my Internet connection gets lost?

A. It’s worth looking into getting a back-up connection just in case – although, as we’ve covered, you can access it anywhere with an Internet connection. Therefore, if your Internet does go down, you could always pop to a coffee shop or a home office or make a cuppa whilst you re-boot.

Q4. Will it save me money?

A. Not neccessarily. It depends on how many users you’ll have. The great thing about it is that it’s entirely scalable – so you only pay for what you need, and as you grow, so can your Cloud. Saving money is never a guarantee, though it does save energy, in fact it equates to approximately £500 electricity savings per year for every 10 users.

Q5. Is it here for good?

A. Afraid so Yes! The Cloud has already been around for years and the recent coverage shows that interest is growing. According to the Cloud Industry Forum, 48% of businesses in the UK are already using Cloud Computing of some capacity in their organisation and 85% of those already using it plan to adopt even more within the next 12 months.

Q6. How do I know if it’s for my business?

A. Cloud Computing can be used by just about any business of any size in any industry. You might be a start-up looking for secure back-up or an employer who wants easier sharing and more flexible working for your staff; either way the Cloud has various benefits and is without doubt, the future of technology.

Last Thursday we held our first event dedicated to The Cloud in Bristol:

This made for a challenging event; how do we clearly demonstrate what it does without patronising those that know?

Well, the programme for the event was quite clearly aimed at those new to it, so we stuck with that…

The feedback was brilliant, in fact we even managed to persuade people to say so on video! Until we edit and publish that, here is some of what was said:

“James is a very consumate presenter. I would be keen to know how Spider used the cloud so that we could see it in action. Next one perhaps. Not a sales event but an opportunity to see how it can benefit an organisation”. (Rob Hook, The Business CoPilot)

“Just a quick thank you for yesterday’s Cloud session – It was really well organised and enjoyable.” (Catrin MacDonnell, The Accelerator Sessions )

“I really enjoyed yesterday.  I really warmed to James and I think he did a brilliant job of what was an incredibly difficult task: Presenting to an audience with such an extreme range of understanding of the cloud.” (Susie Newman Turner, Design Rock)

To view the full presentation, you can check it out on Slide Share:

Cloud computing for my business

In the last day Microsoft have shelled out a reported £5B to purchase Skype from an investment company and ebay (who still owned around 35%). There has been a lot of buzz on the internet about this purchase: Why have they done it? Have they paid too much? Are they going to ruin Skype?

At the moment no one knows the answers to these questions but I personally think this is quite a good purchase, as long as they can integrate this into the rest of the product range.

So let’s look at why they’ve done it:
Now they have access to 700 million users; obtained a great technology; and are now the market leader in VoIP.

In one foul swoop they have jumped ahead of Apple and Google in consumer internet telephony and video conferencing, plus kept it out of the hands of Facebook. The interesting thing is that Skype is the only truly platform agnostic offering, in that it runs all major desktop systems as well as nearly all mobile phones, which is something Apple and Google can’t claim yet.

Have they paid too much?
It is hard to say if they have paid too much or not, my feeling is yes but if it helps them gain ground in the consumer market, which is something they are striving for (this is why Apple has done so well), then it could be money well spent. The issue Microsoft had was that they were bidding against other companies with pretty deep pockets and they probably needed/wanted Skype more than the others.

Will Microsoft ruin Skype??
I don’t think they will ruin Skype, they’ve paid too much to allow it to wither and die. I think they will wait for a while, take stock of their acquisition and look for ways to integrate it into their other products. XBOX live is ripe for integration as is the Microsoft Office platform, there is also the possibility of aligning it with - or replacing - Live Messenger. (That said I wouldn’t want to be responsible for integrating those platforms together.)

Overall I think this is a good move for Microsoft and quite a brave one, time will tell to see if it is a wise one.

The launch of Music Beta by Google is said to be announced today at I/O developer conference.

However, it seems they are not only likely to get Amazon & Apple’s back up but also that of many record labels for proceeding without their permission. Like Amazon, Google argues that consumers will only be able to store and stream music that they already own, claiming therefore that licenses aren’t necessary.

Rival Apple is expected to launch a music streaming service this year also, and with their relationships with record labels already established, their journey is very likely to be an easier one.

Legal rubbish aside, which is to be best??

Until it officially launches, impossible to tell – especially as the beta version is said to be invitation only and in just the US for now. However, Google is ensuring that it’s Cloud Music service will be suitably integrated with the Android, which looks set to be a very popular feature and starting point when competing with Amazon & Apple.

Image source: Skruggen.com