Tony skinner 00:01
Hi, and welcome to the podcast channel with www.podcastmybusiness.com.au. And today we have Andrew Tucker from Iton cloud which is www.itoncloud.com. Is that named after Tron or something like that, Andrew? 
Andrew Tucker 00:21
No, actually the holding companies he could call but we wanted to play on the name a little bit better for search engines and so on. So that’s how it really came about was just it on cloud, and they just bought it together.
Tony skinner 00:35
I’m like, God, I didn’t even see that.
Andrew Tucker 00:39
But I’m here for
Tony skinner 00:40
this. Hope the search engines can see that.
Andrew Tucker 00:44
Well, they search for the word cloud, they find that one.
Tony skinner 00:46
Oh, there you go. That’s good. All right. So I got set up talking about cloud and whenever. And I think it’s a term that gets people confused and whatever, and let’s just make it easier. Cloud is just disruptive. computing. So all your data is stored off site so to speak.
Andrew Tucker 01:06
Yes, that’s in the spirit is probably not quite right. But I mean, it’s a good example but I would just say it’s more remote working. So allowing you to be able to work from anywhere, anyplace on any device. So it’s everything is brought in a secure environment and it should be secured in multiple environments, not just one.
Tony skinner 01:28
Right. Okay, so that’s good. So when you say secured in multiple environments, what do you mean by that?
Andrew Tucker 01:33
So the core of it is that the you have a data center that’s in different regions or in have a enough distance between each data center so that if one does get blown up for whatever reason, the other one is not affected? So you have the data that is replicated between the data centers,
Tony skinner 01:55
right okay, so Okay, that’s good to know cuz I thought it might have meant also in on the local computer On secure net, but as always.
Andrew Tucker 02:05
Yeah, it’s just that you have everything stored somewhere else. But it’s also duplicated into another environment just in case there’s a disaster.
Tony skinner 02:12
Yeah, it’s funny, you should mention that because a few years ago now, I that was well known then smaller web hosting company lost all their data. Yes. And guess how many backups they had?
Andrew Tucker 02:33
Yes. So, yeah. So there’s a combination of those. And there’s those horror stories unfortunately still exist today.
Tony skinner 02:40
Yeah, exactly. And the minute I had no backups and all those businesses that went well, where’s my website, and they’re going well, sorry about that. Yeah, that didn’t survive much longer and I guess is the courts and everything else available, but you know, let’s try to avoid going down that path. Some Yes, sir. jumped into on your website. I’m looking at the data centers. So we all hear about these. And Amazon has massive ones. And Google has massive ones. Yes. So what actually is a data center.
Andrew Tucker 03:11
So it’s a very secure building that has multiple feeds of both electricity and internet connections or, or any sort of communication networks that come into them. So you can have dedicated lines that go in from your business directly into the data center, or you can enter the data centers via the internet. So this security is all done through retina scanning, and you can’t get in it takes about an hour to get into the data centers. If they are truly secure. You’re off the street, forget it, you won’t be able to get in you’ve got to have you’ve been basically authenticated prior to even arriving there that you can go in and have a look at and work on the equipment. So the good old days used to have your servers that remained in your office. They were never really secure that and they weren’t properly air conditioned or fireproof or anything like that. So the data center takes care of all those mechanics, making it that much easier for you just to take your equipment and put them inside that secure environment, and then just work from wherever you are.
Tony skinner 04:12
Right. And I wanted to ask that because of course, these days, thanks to the Corona, virus outbreak lots more people working from home, lots more people working outside the office. And you’d think that all I need to do is plug into the cloud and everything is good.
Andrew Tucker 04:32
Yeah, unfortunately, that’s not quite there yet, because there is a combination of different clouds. So you have three different clouds available. And quite often, you sold a thing called hybrid cloud, which means that some of the information resides on your local environment, and some of it resides in the cloud via that it’s a public cloud or private cloud. So it’s not that easy. Sometimes, specifically, if you Have that environment for you just to pack up and go home and work. Whereas if you’re in a true cloud environment, which is everything is, is hosted inside a remote environment, you can you can literally just do that. 
Tony skinner 05:14
Okay, so I guess let’s look at types of all let’s look at cloud providers and so forth. So my business data I go, it goes in Google Drive.
Andrew Tucker 05:25
Yes.
Tony skinner 05:26
Which is in the cloud. Correct. Now, I still have Dropbox because I used it for a long time. And actually, I don’t use it, but I’m afraid to get rid of it because I’ve tried to do a backup from Dropbox to Google Drive. Yeah. I found it easier to go from Dropbox to a USB stick. Yes. And the USB stick to Google Drive.
Andrew Tucker 05:59
Yes. So they’re awesome.
Tony skinner 06:04
Yeah, I guess sorry. Yeah, I was gonna ask you exactly that. Yeah,
Andrew Tucker 06:06
yeah, they’re awesome tools allow you to do that a little bit easier. But what you’ve done is probably the most practical way to do it without any expense or any concerns around security on who’s actually doing the copying for you. So, um, there are some reputable names out there that you can use. To do that. I mean, we use that sort of software to do migrations from Exchange server or office 365 into our environment, or into from other environments into ours. That might be a private poster that has looked off the client prior to us taking them over. So there are tools that make it a lot easier. But yours is a fairly common problem for the basic use at home. How do I get from OneDrive or from Google Drive into each other I want to share the data. Unfortunately, that sometimes the easiest part there is to just drop it down and then loaded if you’ve got the speed.
Tony skinner 07:02
Yeah, well, so that takes my next question. So how easy should it be to migrate into the cloud? I guess a lot of businesses these days had some elements of the cloud. And you’re right, they’ve got the hybrid. So how do they How do they know what they’ve got in the first instance?
Andrew Tucker 07:23
Well, depending on who has sold it to them, or advise them on it, I mean, they should have been made aware of the different offerings that are out there. And the pros and cons. I mean, they all have pros and cons to them with some form of manner. But migrating to a fully hosted environment should be very easy and it’s in its entirety. So with migrations into an environment that’s really populated, in other words, it’s really to take your business that shouldn’t be expensive. In fact, it should be free from your migration into the environment and they should have all the tools and it really does not take that long. The sides would recall line of business applications. In other words, your EOC peas, they take a bit of time for customization, and obviously the migration across and testing and proof of concept. So overall, depending on whatever you moving across the process should be easy if it has been done on tried and tested.
Tony skinner 08:25
Okay, so it should be easy. And I like the way that we’re catching a terms nicely because I think a great example of that I actually looked for software. And I started off with some software, found something apparently did all the usual searches and whatever, to use the software and it failed. And then I thought, well hang on what’s going on here. And then I dug into a little bit more for him, Who is this company that’s taking all my data, and then supposedly taking it somewhere else, when I’m doing it for security. reasons. So again, you know, having a camera like yourself to do it is probably a much better option.
Andrew Tucker 09:07
Yeah, I would just seek advice on what you’ve been using, you even know that they’re saying of ways your day to going. And that’s, you know, a lot depending on what industries we look at a lot of the medical and sort of companies that have a lot of private data, that we can’t take any chances, everything has to be internally managed. So I mean, that is pretty important to be aware one way or the software’s from and, and where they’re actually storing the data during the process. So it’s sometimes it’s too easy to jump online and say, Oh, that looks look and he has a bit of free way. But I do think a bit of research specifically around that if you have sensitive data, you should be probably getting advice on that.
Tony skinner 09:52
Excellent. Yeah, because it was free way so you nailed it.
Andrew Tucker 09:57
Perfect. You know, they have there’s some really good stuff out there. I’m not saying it’s all bad. But I think in today’s world, especially since, as you mentioned COVID, there has been a huge upliftment of male ways and all those fancy words that are out there to cryptovirus. And that has, it’s more than quadrupled.
Tony skinner 10:21
Yeah. And look, I think that’s a lesson for everyone as a warning for everyone. If you get a move from what might be a hybrid, how can someone know they’re on a hybrid cloud rather than in the cloud and when they think they’re in the cloud?
Andrew Tucker 10:36
Sure. So quite often, what it is, is that if you switch on your machine, and you load up your data and load up your software, so you have your Microsoft Excel or Word or PowerPoint, and then you go and you look at the drive that you’re going to store your data. If you’re then now looking at either your local machine for the information, then and you then want to copy it and work with it and so on you Everything resides on the local device. Then at the same time as that you want to jump on to your accounting software or your CRM, and then that now you connect to a new environment as in the web, or you go via the web or you go into data center. So you’ve got some applications in the data centers, some of the applications on your local machine. And then you’ve got a server in your office as well, that stores some other information. So that is a combination of different hybrids. You know, it’s not all in one place. And inherently office 365 is really like that, because a lot of it isn’t stored in your local machine. And you’re then connecting to OneDrive, or you’re connecting to Azure, which is a data center, same as Amazon and Google. And that’s where you store your your big applications. So you just need to make sure that it’s managing those carefully because it can be quite expensive to manage those to secure them because if you’ve got information locally, you need to make sure your firewalls just Security levels and all that are really up to standard if you are in an industry that requires that as well, but most of us do anyway. But when you’re in a fully hosted private environment, it’s all catered for you. You don’t really need to worry about that.
Tony skinner 12:16
Yeah, it’s interesting, because, and again, you know, I want to dig a little bit deeper on this. For other businesses out there, especially smaller businesses, so I’m aware of what’s happening because what I have Google Drive in my file explorer is local. I am aware, a little thing that tells me when it’s sinking, because I upload videos and things like that. Yes. That’s that’s a clue to look for. that your data is being stored in the cloud. Is that right?
Andrew Tucker 12:47
That is definitely one of those little tricks you can do. Yes, you can see it synchronizing. Just be aware though, if you are synchronizing with with one of those via OneDrive or Google Drive. If you did In the cloud a little deleted off your local machine and vice versa. So don’t think that if you delete it off your notebook or your computer to save some space, that synchronization will sync the deleted file. So it’ll tell the cloud to delete the file at the same time. And that’s not really
Tony skinner 13:16
a common problem. It’s interesting, you say, to save space, because if you’re on the cloud on any decent half decent Cloud account, you shouldn’t have to worry about space.
Andrew Tucker 13:27
You don’t but I’m not talking about the cloud space. You just keep paying for that. But I’m talking about your local device because it’s synchronizing. So it’s keeping a copy of the card and it’s keeping a copy on your local device if you have that little synchronization happening on that icon. But if you’re not, if you just if you’re logging on to the cloud via the web browser, and you’re uploading the file into the cloud, that is different. This is not synchronizing with your local device, so that you’re not deleting it. If you delete it locally. It doesn’t really matter because you already uploaded it into the cloud. 
Tony skinner 14:01
Right, let’s see what you just said is interesting because I’m having a look right now as we speak. Yeah. And I just checked on my C drive, and the folder called Google Drive. And it’s, I mean, the output or the amount of space, I’ve got us there. So that’s what’s being utilized on my computer. And then, when I see it being synchronized, that’s being backed up to use a one of a better expression called copy. Thank you. Okay, copy.
Andrew Tucker 14:33
backup is slightly different, because if you do do it that way, then what you need to do is you need to actually backup your local device because like I said, if you delete it, you’re deleting it in both areas. So you do not have that backup and then asking Google Drive or asking OneDrive to restore that. Good luck.
Tony skinner 14:50
Yeah, okay. And I do and probably not often enough, but I do occasionally do backups of all my data onto a USB stick anyway. Because Google Drive and Dropbox on the others, if they get hacked, something happens. You’re out of control. And I’m sure we know how much responsibility they’ll take.
Andrew Tucker 15:13
Yes, and just be aware of some of those. I mean, they’re all very reputable companies, but they are often quite often the hosts for the crypto virus because they do tend to put the those viruses look for the malware looks for is actually for those drives on your computer and then jump onto it because they’re hoping that you’re sharing something on that drive with someone so that they can then spread themselves quick so that they don’t have virus checking and all that on them because they are just free offerings. In fundamentally, I mean, 50 bucks what it was for Google, they they didn’t then all it populates that way down through the system if if you sharing files and doing that sort of thing on those devices, so just be aware that they don’t have virus checking, running in that environment or They have the basic set, try and prevent it, that it’s not something that they are promising you either. So if you’re going to use it for business, you need to look at a business solution as opposed to just a commercial home environment. And that’s really what those are for. And then, but Dropbox does have a business one, OneDrive has a business one, and you can start to upgrade, but then the costs come in.
Tony skinner 16:23
Well, that’s interesting, because I know I’ve got the Google Drive for business websites and emails and whatever. And the Dropbox, I’m hopeful. And actually, I go a little bit step further. I get them through my web developer through my web hosts as well. So they’re good. You know, I, I know, there’ll be plenty of businesses out there going, Oh, well, hang on. I’ve got Google Drive. Sure, that does all the backups Well, guess what? Your needs, you need to find out more. And you need to get in touch with Andrew. And get that double check. Do would you do an audit and that sort of situation. I’ll let people out. Lots of people’s questions
Andrew Tucker 17:01
100% yours. So we would look at the environment and then do advice there. And it’s it’s, it’s Yeah, it’s a very quick and simple process. It’s we’ve got it down to fine off is we know that that’s time consuming. And here, we can just give you the advice on that. It’s not a problem at all.
Tony skinner 17:18
Okay, well, it seems that I’m doing ik, which is, I guess. Yeah. Oh, that’s the best you can do these days. And I happen to be a bit of an IT nerd. So I’ve figured that out. But you know what? Yeah. There’s not as many as people think around. Okay.
Andrew Tucker 17:38
Anything else you’d like to add? No, I just think, you know, it’s when it comes to this process, just, you know, one is this need to be aware about the history of the supplier that’s been there and just ask for additional references. If you’re going to do a migration across to a new business and someone that’s done it and been a because quite often You will find that the transition from being an old IT company into trying to be a cloud provider, that transition has never really been successful. So it’s just they will be selling you something that you might not. So just seek advice and get some customer references around that. Specifically as a lot of people don’t have the depth in it and are reliant on the device that they get. And, and you know, once once you’ve got it working well, it should just work. It should be like a light switch. You switch it on, and it just works.
Tony skinner 18:33
Yeah. And you passed my test, because you have your physical address and phone number, local phone number on your website.
Andrew Tucker 18:43
Oh, good. Thank you for
Tony skinner 18:47
that is something that I look for.
Andrew Tucker 18:52
And you know what, there are a lot of companies that don’t i don’t understand it, but it is true.
Tony skinner 18:57
Yes. That’s why I look Got it because I got it drives me insane as well hang on, if you’re a reputable company, having an address and an actual phone number isn’t too much to ask for and my phone number not being just a mobile number. And, like, I don’t know, even software that I use doesn’t seem to have that it’s like, seriously, anyway.
Andrew Tucker 19:20
The economies of scale done through the fact that everything is done online so that you can do it through the bots. And that’s how they channel it for their money. Look. We’ve automated so much in our business as well, but we haven’t lost the personal touch. I just think that’s something we just can’t ever renege on.
Tony skinner 19:38
Yeah, exactly. And even the software, they’ve got their address in Illinois on their website. So there you go. Good. So yeah, just one of the things I always double check. All right. No Andrew Look. Thanks very much for your time. And Andrew Tucker from www.itoncloud.com Not the Tron version. No. Sneaky.
Andrew Tucker 20:05
Thank you so much. Lovely to chat to you.
