| Where do you see this world in the next five to | | | | of the night while you are recharging your |
| ten years? How did the last five or ten years play | | | | batteries getting your 7 - 8 hours of |
| out for you? Like you expected? The world as | | | | recommended sleep. |
| we know it is constantly changing, new economic | | | | What about the cloud? Where does the cloud fit |
| factors are affecting the way we do business, | | | | in? The Internet is no longer just a tool for |
| the price of energy is creating second thoughts in | | | | business today; it is the toolbox that many |
| the minds of a lot of people, demand on an | | | | companies now use to deliver services to the |
| individual's time combined with many other factors | | | | market without geographical, time zone or any |
| are shaping the way we look at our lives and our | | | | other limitations. Are you embracing the cloud with |
| business. | | | | your business? Many services can now be |
| We do live in a virtual world today! The changing | | | | offloaded to the solutions available on the Internet |
| landscapes of life have forced many of us to | | | | such as spam filtering, CRM solutions with |
| change the way we do things today and those | | | | Microsoft CRM Online, web hosting and email have |
| who immediately understand it are reaping the | | | | been in the cloud forever, combine this with the |
| benefits. It is true; we are living in an always on | | | | offerings in Microsoft's Online Services that include |
| and always connected world that keeps business | | | | Live Meeting, SharePoint, Exchange and others. |
| rolling along and never really shuts down. In | | | | We can now move services once only thought |
| today's always on and connected world, | | | | for our offices into a virtual environment allowing |
| thousands of IT professionals have trouble simply | | | | clients to fully embrace technology only once |
| turning devices off and keeping our focus. | | | | thought of for the largest corporations. |
| However, does this new world of business | | | | Meeting new prospects is now being done |
| provide us with a competitive edge? | | | | virtually, business deals are being closed on the |
| With the virtual advantage, adopting a virtual | | | | Internet without people meeting each other. |
| practice can provide many IT Professionals with a | | | | Today's email services have become mission |
| competitive advantage over those businesses | | | | critical and business depends on these services |
| that elect to remain with the standard brick and | | | | being available at all times, even more important |
| mortar type of services. In the technology | | | | than the telephone. If the email goes down at a |
| industry, being able to respond to client needs | | | | client's site you will know about it almost |
| with lightening fast speed and pin point accuracy is | | | | immediately that is the impact virtual |
| separating the winners from those that struggle. | | | | communications has in today's flat world. Combine |
| Having a virtual strategy will free us from | | | | this with services online from services like Second |
| stresses of the Instant Gratification mindsets in | | | | Life which allow corporations to exist in a virtual |
| existence today. However, how do you do this | | | | world, virtual trade shows, meetings and many |
| without being plugged in 24 hours a day, 7 days a | | | | other transactions and even relationship building |
| week? | | | | activities are happening in these virtual worlds are |
| Virtually, is the only answer, with a combination of | | | | growing and expanding the economic landscape. |
| personal interactions to keep the relationship | | | | Is your business ready to go virtual? If you doubt |
| balanced. Many new services are now online that | | | | that this virtual world will continue to grow beyond |
| are leveraging the deep resource pools in the | | | | its current existence, it is time to accept the fact |
| emerging markets that have the capacity to | | | | that this interaction is occurring and it is time to |
| assist IT Professionals with the toughest technical | | | | learn what it is all about or hire someone who |
| challenges. | | | | understands this brave new world. The younger |
| Today, IT Professionals have options to lean on | | | | generations of today live on SMS, Messenger |
| remote help desks located on the other side of | | | | applications and on social networking sites, this is |
| the planet to take care of those important | | | | how they communicate and transact with |
| services that many of us struggle to do keep up | | | | everyone. The businesses of today that |
| with during regular business hours or continue to | | | | understand this world, can speak the language and |
| do things ourselves, with options of certified | | | | have a presence in the virtual world and economy |
| engineers in Network Operations Centers across | | | | will have real dollars in their pockets. |
| the globe who are able to assist us in the middle | | | | |