NSK Inc Receives Woman-Owned Business Certification

Massachusetts State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance recognizes Nancy Keddy as a woman business owner, opens doors for opportunities

Boston, MA, March 26, 2010 – NSK Inc, a leading IT Consulting Firm has just received the Woman-Owned Business Enterprise (WBE) certification from the State office of Minority and Women Business Assistance (SOMWBA). As a result, NSK Inc will be listed in both the SOMWBA Directory and in the Massachusetts Central Register. As a member, NSK Inc is now eligible to better compete for government contracts as well as garner better connections through the services available as a WBE certified business.

Nancy Keddy, a veteran of the Information Technology industry, is now recognized by the Massachusetts Government for her achievements as a female CEO. Keddy, founded NSK Inc in 1996 and the company has grown into a leading IT consulting firm for small to medium businesses in the Greater Boston Area. “Since I am a woman-owned IT Service company, I am a minority in this industry,” states Keddy. “Having the WBE certification opens up a window of opportunities that otherwise may not have been available to NSK Inc.”

NSK Inc’s broad range of services include:

• Backup Disaster Recovery
• Networking
• Project Management
• Hosting
• Managed Care
• Custom Application and Web Development

The SOMWBA provides resources and referral services for certified firms with opportunities at the federal, state, and municipal level as well as in the private sector. The agency also provides contracting, financial resources, and business membership and networking opportunities. NSK Inc can now take advantage of these benefits to build the company’s network outside of the Greater Boston Area as the agency works throughout the state of Massachusetts.

About SOMWBA
The State Office of Minority and Women Business Assistance is an agency within the Massachusetts Department of Economic Development which promotes the development of certified minority business enterprises (MBE), women owned (WBE) business enterprises, and minority non-profit (M/NPO) and women (W/NPO) non-profit organizations. It does this by facilitating their participation in Massachusetts business and economic development opportunities. Specifically, SOMWBA offers services in certification, enforcement, business assistance and advocacy. For more information, please visit: http://www.somwba.state.ma.us.

About NSK Inc
NSK Inc is a leader in information technology consulting, with a focus on IT management for SMB companies. Headquartered in Boston, MA with an additional office in Palo Alto, CA, the company offers a wide array of IT services for business driven information challenges. They provide service and support for small and medium-sized businesses and groups working within large organizations. NSK Inc also creates custom software products for investment banks, equity management organizations, and other specialized industry areas. For more information, please visit http://www.nskinc.com.

Press Contact

For more information, please contact:

Cathie Briggette
NSK Inc.
(p) +1 617 303-0480
(e) cathie@nskinc.com
(w) http://www.nskinc.com

NSK Inc IT Associate Receives CCENT Certification

For Immediate Release

NSK Inc IT Associate Receives CCENT Certification

Associate at Boston-based IT Consulting firm is now certified in small network implementation and management

Boston, MA, March 17, 2010 – One of NSK Inc’s IT Associates, Michael McGowan, recently announced that he has received the CCENT™ certification from Cisco®. CCENT, short for Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician, validates skills in installing and managing small enterprise network systems, and is a stepping stone towards the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®) certification. McGowan’s new credentials demonstrate his knowledge and experience in data networks, IP addressing, wired and wireless networks, and network security in the small enterprise sector.

McGowan states “It took me about four months to prepare for the exam.” His efforts have paid off immensely. “Having a CCENT certification will help me provide better support with internet/networking, troubleshooting, and configurations for NSK and its clients.” Although time consuming, McGowan says, “The experience was totally worth it, as it is the largest industry-wide certification.” He will spend the next four months working towards his CCNA certification.

McGowan isn’t the only NSK member who is Cisco certified. Ben R. Howard, a Senior IT Associate, holds his CCNA certification. Howard says that “Having the CCNA Security certification ensures that NSK meets the standards set forth by Cisco to have an understanding not only of how to configure a range of Cisco products, but to recognize security issues and how to effectively configure and deploy the devices to address the issues.” NSK Inc is consistently expanding their knowledge base, and with two employees now Cisco certified the company can manage a multitude of network systems for their growing client base.

About Cisco Systems

Cisco, (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

About NSK Inc

NSK Inc is a leader in information technology consulting, with a focus on IT management for SMB companies. Headquartered in Boston, MA with an additional office in Palo Alto, CA, the company offers a wide array of IT services for business driven information challenges. They provide service and support for small and medium-sized businesses and groups working within large organizations. NSK Inc also creates custom software products for investment banks, equity management organizations, and other specialized industry areas. For more information, please visit www.nskinc.com.

Press Contact

For more information, please contact:

Cathie Briggette

NSK Inc.

(p) +1 617 303-0480

(e) cathie@nskinc.com

Cloud Computing 101: Public Vs Private Clouds

The Benefits of Public Cloud Computing

Simplicity and efficiency are the overarching benefits of having a public cloud. Public clouds are offered as a service, usually over an Internet connection. An off-site third party provider hosts and manages the system. Users connect to the system via web applications or services. Public clouds usually charge a monthly usage fee per gigabyte and bandwidth transfer charges.

Cost: Having a cloud computing model in place, organizations can trim their IT budgets because they don’t have to purchase physical hardware (which also saves on energy costs), as the servers are virtual – hosted at a third party. Organizations can customize their clouds with specific storage parameters, applications, and security options so that they only pay for what they need. Since the cloud is hosted by a third party, the organization doesn’t need to spend money to have an employee monitor the system; it is taken care of by the host.

Time: In house servers take time to maintain. If hardware or software configurations need to be altered, or if a server crashes or needs to be restarted, the process can often take a couple of hours or a couple of days depending on the situation. With cloud computing, because everything is virtualized, reconfiguring the cloud takes minutes.[1] Also - because the servers are hosted on the cloud, if one server fails, another can instantly be activated, reducing down time.

Maintenance: Due to the fact that the public cloud system is hosted off site, internal employees are not responsible for maintaining the system. The design lets users update or introduce technologies into the system at a much faster rate as everything is managed at the host company. Having a virtualized public cloud means never having to deal with a physical server; it can be maintained from a simple configuration screen.[2]

Disadvantages of a Public Cloud

Lack of Control: Due to the fact that third party providers are in charge of storing and maintaining the data systems, many feel as if they don’t have enough control over their personal data.

Speed: Public Clouds are based on internet connections, meaning the data transfer rate is limited to that of the Internet Service Provider (ISP), which is usually no more than 10mbps. If an organization is storing and transferring large amounts of data (high definition video for example), a public cloud may not be the best bet.

Lack of Investment: Although a great cost saving method by reducing the need to invest upfront, renting the service from an outside provider also means that there is little capital gained. Having items such as servers and network equipment can pay off in the long run as assets and tax advantages.

The Benefits of Private Cloud Computing

Private clouds are built from software that runs on a piece of hardware at the organization. The difference between a public cloud and a private cloud is that a private cloud is controlled by the organization. The benefits of this system are that although an investment due to the fact hardware is required, it costs considerably less than traditional data management systems. The cost savings is due to virtualization in which one physical server acts as host to several virtual servers, each of which runs on a layer of software.[3]

Control: Due to the fact that the hardware is on-site, organizations have more control over their data. The organization is in charge of monitoring and maintaining the data giving them complete oversight of their data.

Performance: The private cloud is deployed inside the firewall on an organization’s intranet, meaning that transfer rates are dramatically increased. Read access off of private clouds can be as fast as 100mbps, or even more if the organization has a gigabit Ethernet connection. Storage capacity is also higher with a private cloud. Private clouds usually start with a few terabytes and can be increased by adding additional disks.[4]

Disadvantages of a Private Cloud

Cost: Private clouds are more expensive than public because they require both hardware and maintenance personnel. To build a private cloud, an organization needs to invest in hardware or use already existing systems whereas a public cloud is all handled off site. Private clouds also require system administrators. However, one system administrator could easily manage a 100-node cloud with a part-time effort. [5]

Maintenance: Since the private cloud is hosted on sight, the organization needs to provide adequate power, cooling, and general maintenance. The host organization also runs the risk of data loss due to physical damage of the unit (i.e. fire, power surge, water damage).

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[1] “Seeding the Clouds: Key Infrastructure Elements for Cloud Computing.” IBM. Feb.

2009. IBM Corporation. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www-935.ibm.com/services/in

/cio/pdf/oiw03022usen.pdf>.

[2] Fogarty, Kevin. "Cloud Computing Definitions and Solutions." CIO 10 Sep. 2009. Wed. 27 Feb 2010. <http://www.cio.com/article/501814/Cloud_Computing_

Definitions_and_Solutions>.

[3] Ibid

[4] "Cloud Computing Public or Private? How to Choose Cloud Storage." Sys-Con Media.

Sys-Con Media, 2008. Web. 26 Feb 2010. <http://www.sys-con.com/node/707840>.

[5] Ibid

NSK Inc Associate Getting CISSP Certified!

Ben. R Howard, a Senior IT Associate at NSK Inc recently took the CISSP Certification Exam and passed, placing him among roughly 64,000 other IT professionals in the world who have the certification.

The CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional) is a highly prestigious certification that requires a massive amount of training and credentials in order to be considered to even take the exam.

CISSP candidates must have at least five years of experience in information security as well as experience with two of ten domains of security before they even apply. They then have to train and prepare for a sixty page exam that lasts for six-hours.

Those who pass receive the certification. A CISSP Certified Associate knows how to formally manage an all encompassing security program. The CISSP credential is a testament to the years of experience, knowledge, and competency of information systems, these personnel have achieved.

Howard hopes to broaden NSK’s ability to provide security services to its clients with his new certification. Having a CISSP Certified IT Associate, will only help NSK Inc move forward as a premier consulting firm in Boston.

Cloud Computing 101

The Hype of the Cloud

2009 could be called “The Year of the Cloud.” The information technology sector has been buzzing with terminology such as “cloud computing” and “virtualization”. So what is all the hype about? In order to see why cloud computing has taken the technology world by storm (pun intended); we need to know what it is, how it works, and why it can be beneficial.

What is Cloud Computing?

“Cloud computing” isn’t a technology, but rather a model of computing.[1] A cloud consists of servers, networks, and applications that are available to end users via a network (usually the Internet). So anytime “cloud” is mentioned, it is referring to hardware, software, or services that are accessible from virtually anywhere, with a simple network connection.

“Virtualization” is usually in reference to server virtualization where one physical server actually hosts several virtual servers. In cloud computing, one stand alone server can make an entire data-center complete with servers, networking devices, systems management, storage, and security, look like a single computer. This lets companies buy exactly the amount of storage and security they need.[2]

Public Cloud

Public clouds are offered as a service, usually over an Internet connection. An off-site third party provider hosts and manages the system. Users connect to the system via web applications or services. Public clouds usually charge a monthly usage fee per gigabyte and bandwidth transfer charges.[3] The service is on-demand and users can add or subtract the amount of storage in their cloud simply by contacting the host provider.

Private Cloud

Private clouds are built from software that runs on a piece of hardware at the organization. The difference from a public cloud is that this system is controlled by the organization. The benefits of this system are that a private cloud, although an investment due to the fact hardware is required, costs considerably less than traditional data management systems. Deployments of a private cloud are easier as they are software based, and the system is more secure as the system is within the organization’s firewall and managed locally.

Why Go Virtual

There are a multitude of factors as to why a company would want to become virtualized. The most common reason why businesses adapt the cloud model is efficiency. Cloud computing drastically reduces the amount of time, money, and maintenance needed to operate a traditional data management system. With traditional systems; a company has to buy equipment; dedicate space within the office, while providing specific power and cooling needs to house the hardware; and hire administrators to install, secure, and maintain the data system. [4]

The cloud computing model helps to maximize efficiency and minimize cost.

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[1] Fogarty, Kevin. "Cloud Computing Definitions and Solutions." CIO 10 Sep. 2009:

Web. 27 Feb 2010. <http://www.cio.com/article/501814/Cloud_Computing_

Definitions_and_Solutions>.

[2] Ibid.

[3] Maxey, Mike. “Cloud Computing Public or Private? How to Choose Cloud Storage.”

Cloud Computing Journal (2009): Web. 2 Mar 2010. <http://cloudcomputing.sys-con.com/node/707840>.

[4] “Seeding the Clouds: Key Infrastructure Elements for Cloud Computing.” IBM. Feb.

2009. IBM Corporation. 26 Feb. 2010. <http://www-935.ibm.com/services/in

/cio/pdf/oiw03022usen.pdf>.