Enterprise businesses require reliable networking and collaboration tools to stay competitive as digital disruption accelerates the need for agile, scalable, and flexible cloud computing solutions. IT leaders require cost-effective ways to enhance their networking capabilities and efficiently replace legacy systems and processes.

Download this infosheet to learn how CBTS can provide your business with a custom-tailored cloud computing technology stack.

Migrating mission-critical infrastructure and applications to the cloud provides the reliability and connectivity that your business needs without the burden of a significant upfront capital expenditure. Cloud computing is revolutionizing business operations through managed services, and CBTS offers a trio of cloud computing solutions to help businesses collaborate, network, and communicate in a centrally managed and unified way.

These cloud computing solutions provide businesses with a turnkey package to increase organizational efficiency and improve Quality of Service (QoS).

CBTS Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) replaces outdated phone systems and collaboration technologies, and allows businesses to operate on-demand, real-time communications and applications. These solutions include VoIP, collaboration applications, mobile solutions, chat, messaging, web conferencing, audio and video conferencing, contact center solutions, and advanced applications like call analytics and recording as a utility service. It is a flexible and scalable, OpEx cost model cloud computing solution that improves the quality of voice calls while adding omnichannel features. With CBTS UCaaS solutions, businesses save time and money.

WiFi-enabled NaaS centralizes data services

The CBTS Network as a Service (NaaS) solution delivers cost-effective sharing of smart wireless connectivity, cloud computing, powerful analytics, centralized data services, and countless other network resources across all branches of the organization. NaaS delivers network connectivity by leveraging the cloud and virtualization to unify network and computing resources.

Free your IT staff from managing complex and expensive network resources, including wireless LANs (Wi-Fi), security appliances, switches, and application delivery controllers in a data center or the campus network. All network MAC-D is only a phone call away to connect with a CBTS expert engineer to perform the work you need, when you need it. In fact, remember that CBTS experts are always available to support our cloud computing solutions.

SD-WAN employs a more effective use of Internet and MPLS network links

With Software Defined-Wide Area Network (SD-WAN), businesses can maximize the use of costly MPLS connections, augment current MPLS with a cheaper secondary connection, or even replace MPLS entirely in favor of broadband. SD-WAN can also help orchestrate services among UCaaS to provide a better quality of experience, LANs, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, security systems, and private and public cloud platforms.

CBTS SD-WAN is one of our cloud computing solutions that drive cost savings, drastic improvements on end-to-end voice and video communication, more efficient use of private and public networks, and the ability to optimize hybrid network activity and application-aware routing to your business. The solution also enables IT managers to establish rules for applications, specify 100 percent uptime for a specific application, and deliver remediation of packet loss or jitter.

The centralized, policy-based routing capability of SD-WAN can increase the performance and reliability of branch networks.

“The idea is to create a consistent experience for your employees, IT staff, and customers. The easiest way to manage that is through uniformity. Think about how easy it can be to end up with a mix of vendors and services in just one store.

“The enterprise landscape, by nature, is continuously faced with business mergers and acquisitions. And from the incorporation of multiple organizations, businesses end up with a surplus of disparate equipment, technology solutions, and innumerable vendors which can exponentially create complications. CBTS uniquely solves these pain points to meet the changing needs of enterprise businesses.”
– Jon Lloyd, Senior Solutions Design Engineer at CBTS

The trio of services enables your business to be “always-on,” with future-forward cloud computing solutions that keep employees and customers connected to your business initiatives and services.

Retailers have more technology options than ever. From inventory management systems to customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, cloud technology in retail is helping merchants increase productivity, reduce costs, and boost sales.

Cloud technology in retail is an integral part of the sales environment, and retailers who embrace it will gain a powerful competitive advantage over their peers, as customers expect merchants to provide an array of sales resources including:

• In-store digital displays that provide detailed product information.
• Immersive mobile apps that allow customers to visualize the product in their home or business.
• In-store pickup from items bought online.

For example, Home Depot recently invested $5.4 billion to improve the customer experience in its physical stores and e-commerce platform. Home Depot gives customers multiple communication paths during a single transaction. Online customers who pick up orders at a physical retail location have the opportunity to talk with Home Depot’s expert associates, and a relationship is established that can drive repeat visits.

Additionally, cloud technology in retail enables retailers to streamline their processes, which gives them more time to create a fantastic customer experience. And retailers will only continue to invest in technology.

Cloud technology in retail increasingly important in today’s world

The CBTS Cloud Practice can help retailers improve their efficiency and effectiveness. By moving data and infrastructure to the cloud, retailers reduce the costs associated with maintaining aging equipment, and provide internal resources with instant access to mission-critical information that increases both productivity and sales.

CBTS provides cloud technology in retail services that:

• Free IT resources to focus on business initiatives.
• Help move retailers from a CapEx model to an OpEx model.
• Provide access to certified experts who monitor and manage solutions 24x7x365.
• Poise retailers for increased productivity, profit, and growth.

CBTS professionals will guide retailers through the cloud design, development, and implementation process that best fits their specific needs. And, as the retail business grows and changes, CBTS will scale and adjust its cloud technology in retail services accordingly.

At CBTS, your business is our priority. With a variety of technology solutions from data management to cloud services, we have what retailers need to increase sales in 2019 and beyond. Contact us today to see what the CBTS Cloud Practice can do for your retail environment.

Businesses must adopt cloud computing in retail technologies to grow. Cloud computing in retail  technology ensures employees and customers can quickly and easily access the information they need from anywhere, at any time. The benefits include:

1. Faster customer information processing
2. An enhanced customer experience
3. Increased sales
4. Reduced costs
5. Improved network performance

Cloud computing in retail technology allows retailers to reduce the costs associated with software and hardware development, maintenance, and staffing. This technology also allows retailers to deliver products and services more quickly, and to monitor performance data in real time.

UCaaS improves retail’s omnichannel services

UCaaS (Unified Communication as a Service), a managed service for voice and collaboration, is an increasingly popular tool for retailers.

UCaaS replaces outdated voice-only systems and allows retailers to operate on-demand, real-time communications and applications, such as VoIP, room-based video, mobile solutions, chat, messaging, web conferencing, audio conferencing, social media, contact center solutions, and more, as a utility service. It is a scalable cloud computing in retail solution that improves the quality of voice calls while adding omnichannel features such as call reporting, video conferencing, and email.

With CBTS UCaaS solutions, retailers save time and money by increasing productivity and eliminating upfront costs. Cisco’s Context Service, which is included in all CBTS contact center solutions, collects and provides customer data from all channels, and then delivers it to employees, who can use it for marketing, sales, and other applications.

NaaS unifies multiple store locations

NaaS (Network as a Service) is a Wi-Fi enabled network that provides centralized data services throughout stores. This allows retailers to share wireless connectivity, analytics, and other resources across various locations.

NaaS helps retailers:

• Decrease costs. With NaaS, retailers no longer need to spend time and resources managing expensive and complex network resources such as LANs, appliances, switches, and application delivery controllers.
• Boost sales. Customers expect retailers to provide Wi-Fi connectivity so they can access loyalty and rewards apps, and product information and reviews. According to a study conducted by IHL Group with NCR Corp., stores that offer Wi-Fi have 663 percent higher sales growth than stores that do not. Customers are also likely to spend more time at retailers that offer Wi-Fi and potentially purchase additional products.
• Enhance customer relationships. Retailers can use Wi-Fi to obtain customer data, such as travel paths and product interaction, and send customers personalized, in-store promotions. Wireless access points in stores provide information on where the customer moves within the store, which can help retailers design store layouts that maximize foot traffic.

SD-WAN improves overall network quality

A Software Defined-Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) is another cloud resource that retailers use to cost-effectively manage services among UCaaS, LANs, Software as a Service (SaaS) applications, security systems, and private and public clouds.

SD-WAN minimizes delays over long distances and improves overall network quality. This cloud computing in retail technology allows merchants to maximize their often costly multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) costs, or even replace MPLS entirely and switch to broadband since SD-WAN can be deployed over existing private WAN links such as MPLS and Ethernet, as well as broadband networks such as cable, fiber, DSL, Wi-Fi, and 4G cellular LTE.

CBTS cloud computing in retail solutions ensure business longevity

UCaaS, NaaS, and SD-WAN are all subscription-based cloud cloud computing in retail solutions with monthly payments based on usage. This means no CapEx investment, ongoing hardware and software licensing, or upgrade costs. The trio of services ensures retailers never miss an opportunity to connect with customers, and allows them to analyze and maximize data to develop the most beneficial business strategies. Retailers also reduce costs while improving both overall business performance and customer service.

CBTS monitors and manages the network 24x7x365 to resolve issues quickly and effectively. It can also integrate these services with an existing MPLS network and legacy data apps.

Cloud networking is integral for today’s retailers. Cloud networking offers a more reliable and efficient alternative to traditional multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) networks, enterprise WAN, expensive bandwidth, and costly infrastructure. Cloud technology for retail can help businesses facing challenges that include:

• Limited budgets
• Multiple locations
• Continuous technological maintenance and upgrades

C-level executives require technology solutions that help them lower costs while providing maximum performance and scalability. Ultimately, the best strategy for these companies – especially those in the food service, retail, and restaurant sectors – is a cloud networking solution.

Executives are increasingly turning to CBTS to manage their cloud technology for retail solutions with a combination of Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and managed cloud Network as a Service (NaaS) to triple their performance.

Cloud technology for retail saves costs and increases efficiencies

UCaaS is a managed service for voice and collaboration tools that allows retailers to operate on-demand communications and applications as a utility service. NaaS is a Wi-Fi enabled network that provides centralized data services throughout unlimited locations. This allows retailers to share wireless connectivity, analytics, and other resources.

When provided by CBTS, cloud technology for retail solutions:

• Allow retail executives to focus on their core expertise rather than IT-related issues.
• Reduce redundancies through management and monitoring via one company rather than multiple vendors.
• Decrease the need for additional IT professionals and ongoing training.
• Combine mobile solutions, web conferencing, VoIP, contact centers, and collaborative efforts so that they integrate and work together seamlessly.
• Eliminate the need for costly equipment maintenance and upgrades.
• Place the burden of implementing upgrades and enhancements on CBTS.
• Scale and evolve as your business scales and evolves.
• Provide usage-based monthly pricing models.
• Offer effective and reliable 24x7x365 service.

UCaaS and NaaS provide retailers a single-pane-of-glass view

UCaaS and NaaS solutions encompass a wide range of communications services, including VoIP, phone, long distance, collaboration applications, contact centers, networking, firewalls, access points, and optical sensor cameras. With a real-time, web-based dashboard, retailers can view key metrics and performance indicators, and evaluate how they align with business goals and priorities. These cloud technology for retail solutions provide a more efficient and unified look at a retailer’s IT services, and offers a comprehensive analysis that would not be possible with solutions from multiple vendors.

CBTS solutions aid PCI compliance

Businesses that process credit card transactions face myriad security concerns. With CBTS NaaS solutions, retailers no longer need to worry about threats to customer information. The solution works with clients’ current payment card industry (PCI) compliance solutions, and adds state-of-the-art Intrusion Detection (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention (IPS) Systems. Anti-malware products protect against digital threats that could compromise data, and a network segmentation strategy limits hackers’ attack options.

Streamlined solutions allow for more in-depth analytics

CBTS analytics evaluate client data so retailers can identify their strengths and weaknesses, and adjust their business models accordingly. This information also helps forecast trends for the future, which is important for industries like retail that rely heavily on customer data. With the suite of CBTS cloud technology for retail solutions, retailers can identify customer demographics and shopping trends, track the effectiveness of customer loyalty programs, illustrate customer traffic patterns, and send promotions.

The retail marketplace is becoming increasingly digital, and retailers must adapt to remain competitive. With more merchants closing brick-and-mortar locations during the “retail apocalypse” of the past few years, it is critical that businesses adopt retail technologies to survive and thrive.

Data analytics, cloud, social media are powerful retail technologies

Let’s examine some of the key retail technologies that businesses can use to better engage with customers on a global level – both online and in physical locations.

Retailers must leverage data to enhance the customer experience

As retail technologies advance, personalization becomes more important. Merchants must leverage data and analytics to better understand customer demographics and shopping behaviors. Retailers should already have this customer data, as tracking customer contact information and shopping patterns are hardly new concepts.

However, many retailers do not know how to efficiently use this data. For example, retailers can:

• Personalize the shopping experience. Merchants can tailor products, services, advertising, and promotional offers to meet consumer wants and needs. Sales teams can use the data to match each customer with the right agent for them, and ensure that the right offer is being made to the right customer based on analytics.
• Remain competitive. Customer data identifies the products and services that customers want and the prices they are willing to pay.
• Drive traffic to stores. With exclusive promotions at brick-and-mortar locations, retailers can ensure their physical locations remain in business.
• Never miss a call. Centralized call routing from the cloud reduces the number of abandoned calls. Route customer calls to call center agents when a store is closed or the phone isn’t answered. With informative analytics, your business and your teams are better equipped to anticipate and meet customers’ needs.
• Eliminate blind spots. Advanced call analytics and data reporting allow your business to identify road blocks in delivering superior customer service and an enhanced consumer experience. This provides new visibility to help your business identify staffing needs, network issues, and underlying reasons for system issues.

To ensure retailer data is always available and never compromised, CBTS offers professional data protection services. These include data storage, backup, and recovery.

Moving retail technologies to the cloud saves time and money

Cloud-based retail technologies include functions such as inventory tracking and management, ordering, and shipping. By migrating these activities to the cloud, retailers can reduce costs related to software development, maintenance, and staffing while quickly delivering products and services, and viewing real-time data.

Moving data and applications to the cloud also eliminates the costs of housing data in large storage centers. CBTS can assist businesses in migrating devices, infrastructure, and applications to the cloud. We provide expert support and identify retailer needs to develop innovative strategies, design targeted solutions, and implement game-changing technology.

Optical Sensor Cameras provide retailers with valuable insights about their environment

Sensor data is an increasingly popular retail technology. Retailers can place small Optical Sensor Cameras in key locations throughout their businesses. The technology enables retailers to track the number of people in their stores, as well as better understand their customers’ behaviors and movements. For example, merchants can see how much time the customer spent in the store, and what items they purchased or viewed.

This ultimately helps retailers develop an in-store experience and layout that best aligns with their typical volume of customers, and how those customers prefer to shop.

Social media isn’t just about “likes” or “shares”

Most retailers have used social media for years, but simply posting on these sites isn’t enough. Retailers must understand that they’re marketing to a global audience. Social media is a powerful retail technology for exposing your product or service to new consumers.

One of the best ways retailers can leverage social media is by encouraging existing customers to share their products and services. Retailers can offer incentives, such as discounts or swag, to users who share their promotions or sign up new customers.

Social media technology now allows consumers to purchase directly from these sites with “buy” buttons. The ability to purchase directly from social media will likely become more streamlined in the future, and consumers will expect retailers to implement a seamless process.

Digital marketing and omnichannel commerce enable retailers to remain competitive

Today’s consumers rely on mobile devices more than ever to engage with retailers. Retailers must increase their reliance on digital promotions, virtual storytelling, and email campaigns to communicate their brand to consumers.

Retailers often struggle to remain relevant in an omnichannel marketplace in which customers not only desire – but require – a seamless shopping experience across multiple channels. However, merchants can adapt by adopting retail technologies such as:

• Order-by-text, which allows consumers to order products and services via text message.
• Photo snapping, which allows consumers to take a photo of a product to learn more about it.

These Omnichannel experiences offer convenience for customers, and allow retailers to personalize the shopping experience by suggesting additional products and services the consumer might like. Additionally, consumers who buy items online and pick them up in a store are more likely to make additional purchases once they enter a brick-and-mortar location.

CBTS makes omnichannel management easier via contact centers. CBTS ensures retailers provide extraordinary customer care through a connected digital experience.

Consumers no longer need to interact with human staff

Some retailers have adopted retail technologies that eliminate cashiers and allow consumers to purchase exclusively at self-checkout stations. Additionally, with the advent of IoT devices such as Google Home and Apple HomePod, consumers want to use their voice to interact with retailers. Alexa and Siri help consumers search for and buy products and services online.

Other artificial intelligence technologies include both augmented and virtual reality, which allow customers to digitally try on clothes, test makeup, or use services.

Consumers use mobile wallets for fast and immediate payment

Digital retail technologies enable consumers to store their payment information on mobile devices instead of carrying cash and credit cards. The benefits of mobile wallets include:

• Less risk of consumers forgetting their retailer discount or credit card.
• Seamless integration with retailer apps.
• Preferred payment options for consumers via bank, credit card, or online payment system.
• Increased likelihood of consumers making spontaneous purchases because payment is quick and easy.

Retailers must leverage digital technology to meet new demands

The retail industry is learning how to adopt emerging retail technologies to meet customer demands. Retailers are using innovative tools from artificial technology to product analytics to provide personalization, customization, security, efficiency, and enhanced customer service both online and in stores. E-commerce has forced incumbent retail to adapt, but everybody wins when retailers use this digital disruption to benefit customers.

2019 and beyond will be an exciting time thanks to the growing number of cloud solutions for retailers. With an increasing amount of advanced technology hitting the market, and with consumers demanding a responsive and robust user experience, retailers will need cloud-based solutions to ensure they keep up with the rapidly advancing market.

Cloud solutions for retailers offer multiple benefits

Cloud solutions for retailers help solve many challenges when navigating this dynamic environment.

Mitigate unpredictable costs

By eliminating ownership of older, outdated technology and equipment – which often requires expensive maintenance and upgrades – retailers save thousands of dollars both immediately and into the future. CBTS also helps retailers reduce staffing costs associated with hiring IT personnel to manage and maintain infrastructure. With CBTS cloud solutions, our clients only pay monthly usage-based fees rather than having to manage the constantly fluctuating costs of building and maintaining a large data center, hiring additional IT staff, and repairing or replacing technology.

Support information organization and management

Cloud-based technology allows retailers to monitor all of their resources, including inventory tracking and management, orders, and shipping information, through one convenient online portal. These businesses can access their data immediately, rather than contacting IT to determine where the information is stored.

Support security initiatives

Retailers can feel safe and secure knowing their data is being monitored by trained professionals 24x7x365 and housed in a high-availability, cloud-enabled data center. CBTS provides a cloud toolset that includes state-of-the-art Intrusion Detection (IDS) and Intrusion Prevention (IPS) Systems. Our robust anti-malware products guard against online threats to preserve the integrity of your data. Our security experts implement a network segmentation strategy to create a more secure network by limiting attack options—making it more difficult for an assault on your entire network.

Data analytics inform, direct strategic retail initiatives

Built-in analytics enable retailers to examine foot traffic patterns as well as determine which employees are using in-store Wi-Fi to access various applications. Retailers can also set rules restricting certain apps to specific individuals or user groups.

CBTS analytics can be easily integrated into contact center solutions to uncover traits for a more personalized shopping experience, track the effectiveness of client loyalty programs, show traffic trends, and launch targeted and timely push notifications and promotions.

Cloud management allows retailers to focus on business

By allowing CBTS to manage their cloud technology, retailers are freed to do what they do best: operate their business and focus on strategic objectives. Professionally certified engineers monitor the cloud environment every minute of the day, every day of the year. The infrastructure may be located on the retailer’s premises or in a third-party data center.

CBTS provides cloud solutions for retailers that are:

• Public: Allows application and server workload implementation in minutes. This solution is most beneficial for web-based applications that are built for native public cloud use.
• Private: All assets are dedicated to a retailer’s exclusive use. This solution is useful for highly regulated and complex environments.
• Hybrid: Connected management and support of both on- and off-site resources. This solution is ideal for integrated web and large database environments.

Different retailers have different cloud needs, and CBTS provides customized options to manage these technologies with end-to-end design, build, and run services:

• 24x7x365 monitoring and reporting
• Alert notifications and escalations
• Patch management and implementation
• Timely resolution of any incidents
• ITIL best practices
• Industry-leading infrastructure technology
• Decades of cloud, managed service, and data center experience
• Solutions that scale with business growth

Cloud protection ensures critical information is safe

Data breaches or data losses can be devastating and affect consumer loyalty and trust. It is imperative that merchants have data protection, backup, and recovery services to combat:

• Malicious software. CBTS security experts are constantly monitoring your network for potential threats and viruses such as ransomware.
• Infrastructure downtime. CBTS cloud services prevent infrastructure downtime, during which customers may not be able to use technology such as purchasing software, payment options, or point-of-sale terminals.
• Complete data loss. CBTS provides real-time cloud backup to an offsite data center and secondary failover to a third site.
• Outdated security. CBTS ensures security requirements are always compliant and up-to-date.

CBTS data protection services include both Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) and Backup as a Service (BaaS). DRaaS is a multi-tenant cloud-based disaster recovery solution that duplicates a retailer’s IT environment at a secure CBTS facility. BaaS, on the other hand, is a secondary offsite CBTS data backup solution that can restore files and data in minutes.

Cloud-based solutions for retailers support future success

Because many retailers have limited IT resources, a provider like CBTS is ideal to offload the burden of cloud management and protection.

With so many employees in today’s workplace relying on cloud-based apps to perform their jobs, network administrators are looking for better ways to ensure access and provide the required bandwidth. Increasingly, IT professionals are discovering the improved network performance they need in the cloud. Finding the right cloud solution for your specific environment, however, can be challenging, and IT staff often seek guidance from a trusted partner while investigating the technologies available to get the job done.

An experienced partner can be a game-changer and architect a solution based on your organization’s precise needs, and then help you navigate the migration path to the cloud.

Current cloud network technologies – whether software-defined networks (SDNs), software-defined wide area networks (SD-WANs), network function virtualization (NFV), or virtual network functions (VNF) – have one thing in common: They shift networks away from dedicated, single-function hardware at each location toward a software and virtualization model.

With cloud-based networks in place, organizations are much more efficient, flexible, scalable, and easy to administer.

To start building a foundation for making the transition to cloud networking, let’s talk about six common objectives IT personnel can achieve with these related technologies:

1. Ensure availability

The cloud removes the decision-making center (control plane) from the forwarding hardware (data plane), which helps data make it to the correct destination without interruption. These cloud-based solutions allow you to maintain network flows despite link failures, node failures, or other network issues that may occur. If an outage affects the data plane, the control plane can redirect the data flow elsewhere. If an outage affects the control plane, the data plane continues forwarding information without skipping a beat.

2. Reduce costs

By controlling network services and functions available at each data site remotely, IT departments save the costs involved with traveling to each location to install, maintain, and update their network equipment. Also, network administrators can implement VNFs to perform functions specific to the organization’s needs, saving the time typically spent to install or scale complex software manually. Finally, by using cloud-based technologies, companies eliminate significant capital expenditures when they need to expand or revamp their network. Instead, they enjoy a predictable monthly operating expense based on usage.

3. Centralize management

IT staff can implement, maintain, and upgrade software functions and services from anywhere around the world via a centralized dashboard. Your software instances do not just run on the cloud; they are the cloud.

4. Increase agility

All of the cloud-based technologies grant IT departments the ability to ensure their organization stays relevant as networks evolve and competitors adopt new ways to improve network performance. With these technologies, network administrators can download, move, upgrade, remove, activate, deactivate, and scale up or down any VNF at any time, with ease.

5. Eliminate vendor lock-in

Each of these network technologies is software-based and virtualized, performing functions that were formerly executed on proprietary, dedicated hardware. The transition to cloud-based technologies means companies can run their networks on open source, commodity hardware, which allows IT professionals to choose the right hardware for their business needs.

6. Future-proof the network

The risks of running an organization’s network on outdated technology keeps IT professionals and corporate management teams up at night. Outdated systems and software lead to network instability, increased downtime, and loss of productivity. They also open up vulnerabilities in security or falling behind the competition. With cloud-based solutions, network systems and software are continually refreshed and updated, and can flex with business activity. Centralized control means administrators can instantly adjust scale by assigning appropriate, policy-based server resources and priorities to the VNF.

Understanding the common goals of today’s network technologies is a starting point for IT professionals looking to transform their networks to meet business objectives. Each technology has its strengths, but at the core, they all use the cloud to allow organizations to stay agile, control data from anywhere on the globe, and ultimately reduce a company’s capital expenditures while improving performance.

Download our free guide to SDN, SD-WAN, NFV, and VNF, or learn more about how to choose the right SD-WAN partner.

Cisco recently honored CBTS, a leading technology provider that delivers communications, cloud, infrastructure, and consulting solutions to clients across North America, with two awards at the Cisco Partner Summit annual conference in Las Vegas, Nevada.

• CBTS received the Execution Excellence Regional Partner of the Year award for its innovation, leadership and best practice as a Cisco business partner across the Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio region.
• CBTS received the SLED Breakaway Partner of the Year award in the U.S. Public Sector.

Joe Putnick, Vice President and Principal for the CBTS Communications Practice, accepted the awards on behalf of the company.

“These awards reflect our commitment to strategic partnerships with Cisco. We pride ourselves in delivering best-in-class solutions, built on Cisco technologies, that deliver positive business outcomes to our clients,” said Putnick.

“We have seen tremendous success with our Hosted Unified Communications as a Service solutions, especially in the SLED space, as more and more clients wish to consume technologies in a hosted model.”

Cisco Partner Summit Theatre awards reflect the top-performing partners within specific technology markets across the country. All award recipients are selected by a group of Cisco Global Partner Organization and regional and theatre executives.

Cisco Partner Summit is attended by more than 2,100 global attendees from Cisco’s ecosystem of partners representing more than 1,000 companies worldwide from more than 75 countries.

Related News:

CBTS awarded Cisco Master of Security Certification

Cisco Certifies CBTS as Unified Contact Center Enterprise Partner

CIO Review names CBTS to Top 20 UC List

“We’re very sorry, but your data has been lost.”

“We’re very sorry, but your data has been compromised.”

These are words that no CEO, CFO, or manager wants to tell his or her clients, and for good reason.

Compromised or lost data devastates businesses because it destroys trust. When clients don’t trust a business, they look elsewhere, which impacts the bottom line.

Cyber attackers and hackers are proliferating, and their skills continue to evolve. Chief among these attackers are those who use ransomware in an attempt to bring companies down.

Ransomware is a form of blackmail. Hackers take over the computer systems of any entity with deep pockets, whether it’s a business, hospital, or a public utility provider. They freeze the system and demand payment before they’ll release the system back to administrators.

Data backups must be part of your security plan to protect your institution from this scenario.

Effective backup solutions can protect your data from ransomware

Ransomware attacks succeed when businesses fail to back up their data, or keep that backed-up data secure. CBTS keeps your data secure by backing it up on a daily basis and storing it in a monitored, offsite environment.

And fortunately, companies can adopt proactive solutions that alleviate the damage that ransomware attacks inflict. Automated backups of all computer files on a real-time basis will go a long way toward foiling ransomware attacks, especially if your business quickly detects such an attack. As long as current back-up data exists, companies can usually wipe servers and reinstall clean backups with little or no impact to its clients.

CBTS Backup as a Service (BaaS)

CBTS offers Backup as a Service (BaaS) to ensure your business infrastructure and critical systems are protected from malicious activity and sustained downtime. With CBTS Backup as a Service, your data backups are stored offsite in a secure environment. We monitor this environment and ensure that it retains full restoration capabilities in the event of a ransomware attack.

Companies that rely on outdated technology such as tape-based backups do themselves, and their clients, a disservice. Companies that expect their employees to manually back up data on a regular basis also run the risk of being severely unprepared for a ransomware attack.

Every business needs a robust data backup and restore policy to prevent the potential loss of hundreds of thousands of dollars in computer downtime and lost income from disaffected clients.

Offload the burden of risk with CBTS Managed Data Protection

• Customized data backup strategy assessments. CBTS assessments provide tailored solutions to your company after identifying your current backup policies and determining your needs to establish data protection best practices against ransomware and other cyber threats.
• Managed data backup. If you have several branch offices, CBTS solutions will manage real-time backups of each offices’ data, which then is backed up to your central headquarters.
• Offsite data storage. Data from your central headquarters is then backed up to a secure CBTS facility.

Our Backup as a Service is scalable depending on the size of your company.

Managed disaster recovery. We discuss our clients’ needs before instituting the necessary BaaS. Recovery Time Objectives and Recovery Point Objectives are discussed in order to best meet budget needs.

• Recovery Time Objective defines how long a system can be down before it impacts the day-to-day business of the company.
• Recovery Point Objective defines how often your data is backed up. A backup every four hours meets the needs and budget for many companies; others need a backup every few minutes, which requires a larger budget.

Contact CBTS today for a free consultation

Protect your business, and your customers, from attacks with the CBTS backup and disaster recovery programs. Contact us today to learn about our Data Protection Assessment services, and the wide array of effective and proven data backup and recovery solutions we offer to suit the needs and budget of every business.

To learn more about CBTS security strategies, read our Ebook on “Why your backup solution is crucial to defending your organization from ransomware.”

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Three steps to enhancing security solutions

The cloud offers a wide variety of new opportunities for government organizations.

These solutions can streamline project collaboration, improve interdepartmental communication, save time and resources, and ensure important data is safe from cyber attacks or incidents. CBTS, a proven IT solutions provider to government institutions, has created four steps to successfully migrate your government organization to the cloud.

Step 1: Get to know your cloud options

There are many options for a quality cloud provider. Every platform has its strengths, so it’s about finding the right fit for your team. No two groups are alike, and depending on your structure and workload, you may want to consider a hybrid cloud solution. A hybrid cloud environment uses a mix of on-premise solutions, IT providers, private cloud, and third-party public cloud partners.

With a CBTS cloud solution, your administration benefits from having access to:

• World-class security, so you know your constituents’ information is protected.
• Broad compliance, ensuring your sector’s standards and regulations are met.
• Cost efficiencies, permitting you to remain within strict program budgets.
• Flexibility and scalability, allowing your organization to evolve without restrictions.

Step 2: Assess your workloads, plan a cloud migration strategy

Every journey to the cloud is different. Your organization’s structure is unique and full of intricacies and nuances. Before beginning your transition to the cloud, take time to inventory your current workload and initiatives, and outline a cloud migration strategy that is tailored specifically to your group. An experienced cloud provider will walk you through the transition, and you can be confident that the experience will benefit your organization.

Step 3: Ensure sensitive data is secured

Moving your organization to the cloud is a great way to improve security, but there are some extra steps you should take to ensure that your data is protected. Many cloud providers have additional security features such as disaster recovery and data backup. These measures are important in order to secure and protect taxpayer information. Moving your backup recovery environments to the cloud is an essential part of the migration process. When you diversify where your data is stored, you help safeguard and protect sensitive information against cyber attacks or natural disasters.

Step 4: Partner with a trusted managed cloud provider

Cloud offers endless opportunities for your organization, but cloud effectiveness is not a given. As a government organization, you face certain challenges and have specific compliance and regulatory needs. You’ll need a cloud partner that understands this reality. Enlist a trusted cloud partner that has deep knowledge of the government sector. This will ensure a smooth and sustainable transition to the cloud.

CBTS has decades of experience partnering with the government sector on a variety of IT solutions. We offer a wide variety of managed cloud solutions, including managed cloud backup, disaster recovery as a service in the cloud, and more. When you partner with CBTS, you are working with a devoted cloud provider that is dedicated to making your government operations efficient, impactful, and secure.

Contact CBTS today to learn more about your public cloud options and learn how our experts can guide you on your journey to the cloud. To learn how your organization can address IT challenges with a CBTS cloud solution, download our free guide.

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