Cloud Technology Services Archives

Migrating to Azure with Confidence

You’ve already envisioned the benefits: you know migrating to a cloud-based hosting platform can boost the performance of your organization’s computing infrastructure. You can see how it’ll improve efficiency, save time, and reduce costs. And you’re prepared to join the hundreds of thousands of other businesses, large and small, that have already chosen Microsoft Azure for its service quality, security, reliability, and global reach. But there’s no getting around it: migrating to the cloud entails significant organizational change. To make the best possible use of the Azure platform, you need to understand its unique attributes and keep them front of mind throughout the migration process, and beyond. Fortunately, Microsoft offers an extensive set of tools and services that can help ease and simplify migration. And as a Microsoft partner with extensive experience helping our clients shift existing applications to the Azure platform, Red Level can ensure that you’ll take advantage ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:15+00:00

Achieve More with the Office 365 Cloud Immersion Experience

We’ve all been there. We've had technology dumped on us, sometimes with no explanation. What we hear most often from our clients is that they have rolled out Office 365, but people are not adopting the technology. How do we solve that? People don't embrace technology, but they embrace solutions. Office 365 Offers Many Powerful Tools In the Office 365 environment, we see all these different opportunities to work with tools inside of the product. However, that can be overwhelming, and who has time to be overwhelmed in the workplace? “Empower & Inspire peopleby creating an immersive experience where they discover for themselveswhat’s possible in a Microsoft-powered organization.” Provide a Direction with an Office 365 Cloud Immersion Experience This Office 365 Cloud Immersion Experience is a chance for your users to become empowered. It’s a hands-on session to explore how to leverage the tools you already own to do more with less. We listen to what the needs of the business are. We walk through your business challenges one-by-one that way, we can see a clearer vision of ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:23+00:00

Top 5 Infrastructure Trends for 2019

We’ve bid 2018 farewell and welcomed 2019 with open arms. So what's next? What’s going to happen in 2019 from an infrastructure perspective? The answer for 2019 is similar to that of recent years. Cloud and security are still the top priorities. Let’s take a quick look at what may impact your infrastructure focus. 1. Exchange Migration Migrations from Exchange on-premises to Exchange online and upgrades from older versions of Exchange to the latest version are both projects going strong in 2019. We continue to support our clients who are going through these Exchange migration and upgrade processes and predict that Exchange migrations, upgrades, and support will continue to be a trend with our clients. 2. Multi-Factor Authentication To add additional security, Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) provides one or more additional forms of authentication for users when they log into company resources. Traditionally, users would log into their computers or other ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:29+00:00

Red Letter IT Newsletter – November 2018

MEET THE TEAM: Helpdesk Manager, Hayley Sargent Hayley Sargent leads Red Level's Helpdesk team as they wrangle technical issues and support the IT needs Detroit area business. TECH NEWS: What is Cloud Computing? If you aren't taking advantage of cloud computing, or don't know how best to implement it, we've written this guide to help you. THANKSGIVING: Happy Thanksgiving from Red Level A few members of our team of IT pros at Red Level sit down to share their favorite part of Thanksgiving dinner plus some of the reasons they are feeling thankful this year. DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION: What Digital Transformation Means for Your Business Mike Balatzis, Red Level's Microsoft Manager, talks Digital Transformation and what it really means for business owners and executives. FOOTBALL PICKS: Detroit Lions Thanksgiving Football Predictions Red Level shares a few of their predictions about the upcoming game between the Detroit Lions and the Chicago Bears on ...

Kristy Mossoian2023-02-16T16:01:32+00:00

VMWARE VSPHERE 5.5 REACHES END OF LIFE – AND IT’S TIME TO MOVE

VMware’s vSphere 5.5 has served countless businesses, and many Red Level clients, exceedingly well. As a cloud computing virtualization platform, vSphere 5.5 placed features and functions that were undreamed of previously, and made managing complex hybrid cloud environments incredibly easy and effective. Our clients reported outstanding stability and security, and they came to count on vSphere 5.5 to a remarkable degree – and many have been more than a little reluctant to let it go. …

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:35+00:00

Red Level’s Kyle Hildebrand is Unstoppable!

Our very own Kyle Hildebrand was recently promoted to Network Administrator from his previous role as a Senior Helpdesk Specialist to meet our clients growing needs. He's unstoppable as he also won the Red Level 2017 Professionalism Award where he demonstrates enthusiasm, openness, diversity, teamwork, accountability, and a sense of purpose for the company. Kyle received high praise for his Office 365 migration project including OneDrive and Skype for Business training with a prominent automotive and aerospace organization. Some of his expertise includes: Support relating to complex technical issues involving Microsoft’s core business applications, especially Office 365 and directory synchronization Support for backup systems/disaster recovery solutions Support of peripheral devices/technology such as printers, copiers, scan-to-email/folder Mobile device support for various platforms including iOS and Android Do you want more information on Office 365, Skype or Disaster Recovery? Maybe superstar Kyle will work on your next project!

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:38+00:00

Checklist For Evaluating Managed Services Providers

Think of the last business partner you selected for your company. Was it your accountant, attorney or financial advisor? Evaluating your IT consulting firm and even more specifically, your managed service provider is one of more important business decisions you'll make. The right managed service partner helps tobuild reliability and performance into your company’s IT environment – and takes problems and support costs out. A study by SpiceWorks done in November 2017, shows the budget breakdown by company size which states smaller companies are more likely to shell out more for managed hosting, while larger companies are more likely to invest in managed cloud infrastructure in 2018. Here is the Managed Services budget portion breakdown for 2018: Managed hosting (12%), managed storage/backup (9%), managed hardware support and maintenance (9%), and managed security (9%). What does it all mean? Managed Services allow you to augment your existing IT staff and infrastructure by partnering with ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:41+00:00

Eight is Great!

Red Level named as one of "Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For" for eighth consecutive year Not to be arrogant, but we kinda thought this might be coming. For the eighth year in a row, Red Level's been named to the National Association of Business Resources' Detroit's 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work For list. That makes us very happy, just as it has for each of the last seven years - even if we aren't completely surprised. In all honesty, any well-run business should have at least some idea as to how well it's performing according to a variety of metrics beyond dollars and cents. To our way of thinking, one of these has to be employee satisfaction. In our view, it simply makes good business sense to make sure that the people you hire enjoy what they do, enjoy where they work, have opportunities ...

David King2023-02-16T16:01:42+00:00

For the 6th Time, Red Level Appears on the Inc. 5000 list, Posting Three-Year Sales Growth of 50%

Novi, Michigan-August 18, 2017 – Inc. magazine today ranked Red Level at NO. 4648 on its 36th annual Inc. 5000, the most prestigious ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment— its independent small and midsized businesses. Companies such as Microsoft, Dell, Domino’s Pizza, Pandora, Timberland, LinkedIn, Yelp, Zillow, and many other well-known names gained their first national exposure as honorees of the Inc. 5000. “We are certainly tremendously pleased to find ourselves included in the Inc. 5000 again,” says Dave King, Red Level CEO. “Recognition such as this is certainly a badge of honor, coming as it does from a publication that’s this widely read and broadly respected. We’ve managed to achieve a good pattern of solid, sustained growth in what can be a volatile and unpredictable market; it is gratifying for ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:43+00:00

Smoothing the (Sometimes) Bumpy Path to the Cloud

For all of its entrepreneurial spirit and historical legacy of innovation, Southeast Michigan isn't Silicon Valley. This region built its business foundation on hardware, in the truest sense of the word - big factories, big machines, big cars - and lots of it. Given our mindset, a transition from a self-run, in-house IT infrastructure to the new and seemingly nebulous Cloud environment doesn't seem like the most natural move for many. Nonetheless, that's what Michigan businesses are doing - and they're doing it in droves. For many if not most companies, the Cloud question has become a matter of 'when,' not 'if.' Businesses are looking past their crowded, cable-filled server rooms and envisioning a future of fast, secure, accessible-anywhere applications, data and services. These businesses are immediately faced with some critical questions: What information and services should they move the Cloud? What benefits might they expect to receive? When should ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:43+00:00