Frequently Asked Questions

What applications do you offer?
Each customer gets a full Windows environment with the following standard applications:
Microsoft Office Professional including:
- Microsoft Excel
- Microsoft PowerPoint
- Microsoft Word
- Microsoft Outlook with Exchange Email
- Internet Explorer

Other applications are up to you. If it runs on Windows, chances are we can provide it. And if you have a Mac and need to run PC applications, we can do that too. Our clients use:
- Adobe Acrobat
- Microsoft Access
- Microsoft Infopath
- Microsoft Publisher
- PDF Authoring Software
- SQL
- TimeMatters
- MAS-90
- Microsoft Dynamics - Great Plains
- Microsoft Dynamics - Solomon
- Microsoft Small Business Accounting
- Outbound Fax Software
- QuickBooks Pro/Premier
- Worldox Document Management

Just let us know what you need. We’ll take it from there.
How does it work?
We operate a secure data center where we run all of your applications. The data center is filled with state-of-the-art servers, storage technology, and network gear. It looks a lot like the computer room of a Fortune 100 company. We provide all of this computing power to our customers with a simple login.

Our customers simply launch a browser and navigate to their login page. They simply login with their username and password, and all of their applications and files are provided to them within the browser window. It’s simple, easy, and very cool.
You can login from the office, from home, from your hotel, or even from your Wi-Fi connected laptop when you’re sitting at Starbucks. Productivity anywhere, anytime.
Is it secure?
Yes, very.

Each user transmission is encrypted to protect your data and your personal information. Your data is screened for viruses and malware and backed up nightly.

By storing your data at our secure data center, the risk of damage or loss to your desktop is reduced. If the luggage guys at the airport drop your laptop, don’t worry. Just login to Cloudworks from the hotel, and all of your data will be waiting for you.
The security at our data center is first rate. Two forms of authentication are required to enter, including biometric hand scanning. There are security cameras covering every entrance 24 hours a day, and all equipment is secured in locked cabinets.

We have yet to encounter a customer whose data security wasn’t improved after moving to Cloudworks.
How much bandwidth do we need?
The bandwidth of your Internet connection isn’t as important as the type. For businesses with five or more users, we recommend a T1. DSL and cable modems just don’t provide the same reliability and service levels as a T1. We have partners who can help you find the best connectivity option in your area and even help you negotiate the best price.

DSL and cable are fine for home users or for very small businesses. Cloudworks actually only uses a very modest amount of bandwidth. Bandwidth will vary depending on the applications you are using, but many of our customers average about 64k per user. Downloading files or graphic-intensive applications can increase this number, but the technology we use is highly network efficient.

We have customers who have logged in using network access over their cell phones and have been pleasantly surprised with the performance. We wouldn’t recommend using that option every day, but it’s nice to know it’s there.
What desktop computers and browsers do you support?
Cloudworks works on almost any type of computer. The recommended environment is a PC running Internet Explorer, but Cloudworks runs smoothly on a Macintosh or Unix machine, and we have clients using Mozilla Firefox and Safari.
Do I need to upgrade my desktop?
Probably not. One of the big benefits of hosted computing is that most of the computing is being done by the servers at the data center. Very little is required of your desktop. So you can forget about the pattern of replacing your desktop computers every 3 to 4 years. We have clients using PCs that are 7 and 8 years old and are performing just fine using Cloudworks.
What happens to desktop support?
Cloudworks significantly reduces the need for desktop support, but doesn’t eliminate it entirely. Most of our clients realize a 70% to 90% reduction in desktop support. Because Cloudworks servers are doing most of the work, your desktop doesn’t have to work so hard. All you need to do is launch a browser.

Support will be needed to install new systems if you hire a new employee, to deal with printer issues, and to maintain your local virus protection. So some desktop support will be needed, but much less than you’d need without Cloudworks.
What if keeping all of my data at your data center still makes me nervous?
We kindly ask you to get over it. Did that help? We didn’t think so.

Actually, we get this question a lot. We don’t want to be dismissive about customers’ concerns about having all their eggs in our baskets. Hosted computing is a bit of a paradigm shift for many of our customers. We know the technology works, but we also recognize the need to make sure our customers’ concerns are addressed so that they know it works. Here are a few ways we help increase your confidence.

First, when we migrate a customer to our service, we COPY his or her data from its current location to our environment. We never delete it. So at the very beginning, you have your data safely migrated to our environment as well as on your old systems. That safety net makes migration a little less worrisome.

Second, any time you select “My Computer” from within the Cloudworks hosted environment, you will see your local C drive. That means at any time, night or day, you can copy data down to your local computer. Maybe you want to save a copy of your QuickBooks backup file, or perhaps you’d like to save a copy of next year’s budget and work on it while you’re on a plane. Whatever the need, your data is your data and can be moved around as needed.

Finally, we have additional data protection and disaster recovery service available for clients who need that extra protection. We can host data in multiple data centers and even provide custom disaster recovery solutions as your needs dictate.
What if my Internet connection goes down?
A reliable Internet connection is an important prerequisite for the Cloudworks service. But now and then these services go down, and when they do, the connection to your Cloudworks session will be interrupted. Remember, any Internet connection will do. If the T1 in your office is down but your neighbor’s is still up, you can ask to borrow one of their PCs and log back in. Your session will be there waiting for you to finish the email or anything else you were working on.

You can also go to any Wi-Fi hotspot with your laptop or to an Internet café and login there. In most cases, T1s are back up fairly quickly, which is why we recommend this type of circuit for customers with five or more users.
Can I work offline?
Many of our clients are highly mobile and need to work offline. For example, sales reps or road warriors who travel frequently often have a locally installed version of Microsoft Office on their laptop. Before a flight, they simply copy a sales presentation or spreadsheet from the Cloudworks environment to their laptop, and then continue to work on it while on the plane.

We also offer our mobile users Outlook synchronization so that their Cloudworks Outlook and the Outlook installed on their local computer are in sync. Any emails they draft offline or new contacts they enter will be automatically sent and updated the next time they connect to the Internet.

Many mobile users also benefit from our Blackberry Enterprise and Good Mobile Messaging services. These services synchronize your Exchange email, contacts, and calendar with your Blackberry, Treo, or other Windows or Palm-based mobile device in real time so that you are always up-to-date.
What operating system does Cloudworks provide?
Cloudworks looks just like Windows XP
Can Cloudworks facilitate a fax server
Yes, with Cloudworks you can have the ability to fax from the network.
Will I need to continue to renew my existing software licenses?
With Cloudworks you will no longer need to license the software we provide such as Microsoft Office, Exchange, SQL, and QuickBooks.

If you have proprietary software specific to your business, just let us know what it is and we can help you determine whether you’ll need to maintain those licenses or not.
Does Cloudworks provide spam protection?
Yes, Cloudworks provides some of the best spam filtering and virus protection in the industry and it’s included with all of our Exchange, Professional and Small Business packages.
Can I add or subtract users and/or email accounts as needed?
Yes, if the number of users change just let us know and we can make that adjustment to your account. You can also add any of our additional options like blackberry enterprise service or additional applications at any time.
Is there written instructions on how to configure mobile devices and local email clients with the Cloudworks service?
Yes, you can obtain step by step instructions to configuring your mobile device and local e-mail by contacting our office. If you need additional assistance please feel free to contact our tech support at 877-CLOUD-02.
Can I hide folders, applications, etc. from users who shouldn’t have access?
Yes, Cloudworks will configure user access permissions with the direction of management. You have complete control over what files users have access to.
Do I need to reconfigure my workstations to use Cloudworks?
No, there is no major configuration needed on your workstations. You just need to download a small client to your desktop. Each user can also create a shortcut on their desktop to the cloudworks login for their convenience.
Does Cloudworks set the user passwords?
No, Cloudworks gives each user a first time login password and the user will be prompted to change and choose their own password at their first login.

You can select from several security levels that will determine how complex your passwords must be. But they are always private and should never be shared with anyone.
Will Cloudworks handle the purchasing of domain names?
Yes, if your company purchases a Professional or Small Business package, domain names are provided by Cloudworks.