Welcome to Utility Computing
It just works! What a bright idea.
You walk into your office and flick the light switch - the lights turn on. You sit at your desk and pick up the phone - there's that familiar dial-tone. Wouldn't it be great if your business applications worked the same way?...
They should ... and they can!
Utility Computing. It's the only type of computing that most small businesses should ever do, and Hoolipot can get you there. Never install or update software again. Never fix or buy a server again. Never do a backup again. Never worry about IT again.
It's a utility ... just use it!
Jill is an architect looking for ways to free herself of the hassle of managing IT systems. She just wants to design great office environments, not worry about servers, databases, and backups.
Robert is a real estate agent who spends a lot of his time on the road. He needs to access all his business documents from wherever he is - at home, in the office, on the golf course, or at a client's office.
Graeme is a travel agent who is passionate about the environment. He wants to do whatever he can to reduce his footprint on the planet without compromising his growing business.
Sara is an accountant worried about the security of her data. All her customer information is kept on the server in her office, and she can't afford to lose it or have it fall into the wrong hands.
Jack runs a boutique hotel where occupancy dramatically grows and shrinks with the seasons. He worries about being able to cater for the busy periods without being over-capitalized in the quiet times of the year.
Jill is not an IT person, but needs to use computer applications to run her business. She wanted to get away from doing upgrades, installs and backups, and focus on what she does best: designing commercial office environments! So, she turned to Hoolipot...
- Jill no longer worries about her computer applications
- Her business data is being looked after by IT professionals
- She has seen a 75% reduction in the cost of managing her data and applications
- Jill now uses IT just like any other utility - so she can get on with her business
If you're anything like Jill and you want to focus on the strengths of your business, Hoolipot can help you, too. Contact us, and we'll show you what we can do for your business.
The very nature of Robert's business keeps him on the road - from running open houses, to taking buyers on area tours, to working with banks and mortgage brokers - Robert is lucky to be in the office for an hour or two each day. But, he needs to have the right version of the right document at the right time, or he and his business will be in trouble. So, he turned to Hoolipot...
- Robert can now securely access all his documents, contracts and data - from anywhere
- He never has to worry about having the latest version of a document on hand
- He has access through any web browser (even the one on his cell-phone)
- He has secure access to his contact database and his applications, too!
If you're like Robert and need to access your applications anywhere/anytime, Hoolipot can help. Contact us, and we'll show you what we can do for your business.
Graeme has always cared about the environment, and has centered his business around this, too. He conducts eco-tours and even arranges travel for groups to help in environmental disasters like oil spills. Graeme needs to use computers to run his business and communicate with partners, but he wants to do it in the "greenest" way possible. So, he turned to Hoolipot...
- He no longer needs to buy or run servers for his business
- All his applications and data are securely stored online, so he's actually using someone else's excess computing capacity
- He can access his applications anywhere - he no longer needs to drive to the office to retrieve a lost itinerary for an important customer
- Lower cost, less electricity, less commuting and less waste - it's a win for all concerned!
If you're like Graeme and would like to help both the environment and your business, contact us, and we'll show you what we can do for your business.
Sara's business is all about financial data ... and all of that financial data was on a server sitting under a desk at the back of her office. If anything happened to that server, her business and her customers would be in real trouble. So, she turned to Hoolipot ...
- All of Sara's data is now securely stored online
- Data is replicated to servers across the country - so even if an entire data center were destroyed, Sara's data would be safe and accessible to her
- Her data is safely stored in security accredited data centers that have both physical and advanced technical security to prevent unauthorized access
- Sara and her customers can rest assured that their information is protected
If you're like Sara, and worry about the security of your business information, Hoolipot can help you. Contact us, and we'll show you what we can do for your business.
Jack's business changes dramatically over the course of the year - in the summer, it's extremely busy, but in winter it becomes a much quieter operation. Jack doesn't want to invest in the computing infrastructure he needs in his busiest times knowing that it will sit idle for half the year. So, he turned to Hoolipot ...
- Jack now has the flexibility he needs for his business
- Because of the "pay per use" model of Utility Computing, Jack can grow - or scale back - his operation, and pay accordingly
- The only computer equipment Jack needs in his office are a few basic computers and an Internet connection
- Jack can now focus on his business, without worrying about the impact of IT expenditure
If you're like Jack and have a seasonal business, Hoolipot can help you. Contact us, and we'll show you what we can do for your business.
Utility, Defined
Simple & Reliable
What do you think of when you hear the word "utility"? At Hoolipot, we believe that any utility should have two primary characteristics - it must be both reliable and simple to use.
Reliability just means that it's there when you need it. When you plug an appliance into a power socket, it gets electricity. You don't have to put elaborate backups in place in case there's no electricity - because generally it's there. You also know that the electricity that comes out of the socket meets certain specifications (110v at 60Hz) and you don't have to confirm this before you plug something in.
Simplicity means that a utility is so easy to use that you wouldn't go to the effort of recreating it yourself. You could create your own package delivery system ... but why not just call FedEx, and have them deliver your package for you? They are experts in shipping and logistics management - and their systems are already in place and proven. Simplicity also results in cost savings - would you prefer to make one phone call to FedEx ... or to pay for the time and expense of having one of your employees deliver a package?
Utility Computing offers a reliable and simple alternative to small businesses - so they can focus on their core competencies, without worrying about IT infrastructure.
Download a checklist you can use to determine if Utility Computing can help your business.
Benefits of Utility Computing
Remove the worry, cost and effort from managing your business
Businesses switch to Utility Computing for many different reasons - but the main reasons center around data security, business focus and cost reduction.
Data Security means knowing that your critical business information is safe and accessible to you - so it's always there when you need it, and available only to the people who you want to see it. Utility Computing gives you this security by storing your data in accredited data centers - behind layers of physical and digital protection. Now you can have the same levels of data security as Fortune 500 companies!
Business Focus means being able to spend more time focusing on your core competencies. In the same way that you outsource non-core parts of your business today (like payroll, accounting and insurance), switching to Utility Computing gives you more time to focus on your speciality by removing you from the administrative burden of making sure your technology works properly.
Cost Reduction is something that every small business is interested in - and moving to a Utility Computing approach can help you with lowering your technology-related expenses almost immediately! For an instant idea of your potential savings, fill in the three boxes below.
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Utility Computing |
Local Installation |
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| Server cost |
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| Exchange software cost1 |
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| MS Office software cost2 |
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| Quickbooks software cost3 |
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| Office/Exchange configuration cost4 |
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| Quickbooks configuration cost5 |
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| Hoolipot basic package6 |
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| Hoolipot enhanced package7 |
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| Infrastructure maintenance4 |
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| Admin labor8 |
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| Total over 3 years |
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Cost savings per year:
Yearly CO2 emission reduction9:
Peace of mind knowing
your IT's in good hands:
Priceless
Notes:
- List price for Exchange Server 2007 Standard Edition ($699) + users @ $67 ea
- List price for MS-Office Standard 2007 @ $399.95/user
- List price for Quickbooks Pro (3-user license)
- Based on estimates by Google from studies of existing customers
- Based on estimates from Quickbooks Implementers
- Includes email, calendaring, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, voice and video messaging, webpage authoring, securely shared internal videos and web & message security
- Includes Quickbooks Online for three users + accountant access
- Admin is included in the Hoolipot packages
- Based on power usage estimates by the EPA for small servers running 24x365
Savings calculator estimates are based on sample customers, and may not reflect your actual experience with Hoolipot or locally installed traditional software. Also, the numbers produced by this calculator are for comparative purposes only, and do not constitute a quote. To get an accurate quote for your business, please contact us.
Frequently Asked Questions
Got questions? We've got answers.
Click on a question to view the answer. If you don't see your question below, please don't hesitate to contact us.
Cost
- How much does this all cost to implement?
- A lot less than you would think. Hoolipot can implement a suite of general business applications (email, word processing, spreadsheets, presentations, calendaring, instant messaging, webpage authoring and web and message security) for a flat fee. The cost of implementing custom applications depends on several factors and will differ from application to application.
- What are my ongoing costs?
- Because Hoolipot's basic offering is based on the Google Apps Premier offering, ongoing costs can be as low as $70 per user per year. Specialized application implementation and support requirements will add to this cost.
Support
- How do I know that my applications will be available when I need them?
- We offer a 99.9% uptime guarantee. That means that in an entire year, your applications could only be unavailable for a maximum of just over 8 hours. If we don't meet that promise, you will receive service credits.
- What ongoing support is available?
- There are several levels of support available from Hoolipot. We would discuss these with you on a case-by-case basis.
Utility Computing Resources
Additional Info & Useful Links
The following Web sites provide additional information about Utility Computing and other concepts discussed on this site. Please feel free to contact us with comments and/or suggestions.
- The Big Switch: Rewiring The World, From Edison to Google
- A book by Nicholas Carr (of "IT Doesn't Matter" fame) discussing the rise of Utility Computing and how he predicts it will change the world we live in. This book is a "must-read" for anyone interested in Utility Computing.
- Top 10 Small Business Trends
- From Emergent Research. Interesting to note here is that several of the "top 10" involve Utility Computing in one form or another - and those that don't would probably benefit from it!
- Utility Computing Blog
- By none other than Hoolipot's CEO. His personal musings, thoughts, opinions and the occasional rant about Utility Computing.
- Software as a Service: Expect to See More of It
- An article from Small Business Trends discussing the adjacent Software as a Service (SaaS) market. SaaS is a form of Utility Computing that is generally offered by software vendors looking for alternate routes to market.
We'd Love To Hear From You
Here's How To Get In Touch
To discuss how Utility Computing from Hoolipot can work for your business, please contact us by phone or email:
- 408-679-0582
- info@hoolipot.com
