Feb132018

LoadSpring Q1 | 2018 eNews

Latest News in Cloud Project Management

 

Protect the Ones (and Zeros) You Love

Hackers: If You Can’t Beat Them, Hire Them

How many times were you told as a kid, “Keep that back door shut! You’ll let the bugs in!” And yet, the door was never consistently closed until you got one of those springy door closer thingamajigs.

In business, protecting your precious computer data from deadly bugs like viruses, hackers, and other toxic pests isn’t so easy. Even for the most hyper-vigilant IT managers, there can be hidden backdoors just waiting to be violated. That’s why the security and performance gurus at LoadSpring have developed a full-cycle, multi-pronged defense protocol that can safeguard your data from end to end.

The Risks Are Real

Any time information flows in or out of a data center, there’s a risk of compromise, depending on your data architecture. With LoadSpring, the only way attackers can snag your data is to penetrate our robust multiple security layers – a herculean task at best. Even if they could get through, exfiltrating your information would be next to impossible thanks to our proprietary processes that stop evil-doers in their tracks. Plus, we run penetration tests not only on our own Cloud Platform, but on all the applications you count on most.

Security: It Takes What It Takes

We actually hire mastermind hackers (formerly from ‘the dark side’) who expose any and all security gaps. That way, we can defend any vulnerabilities before the unthinkable can happen.

We’ve Got Your Back

The risks you’re exposed to differ depending on the type of attack. We analyze every possible intrusion route and go to amazing lengths to protect your project data. Here are a few of the more common ones:

  • SQL INJECTION ATTACKS. Rudely infuses your code with fatal flaws.
  • CROSS-SITE SCRIPTING. Allows wicked scripts to be executed through legitimate sites or apps.
  • BRUTE FORCE. Thugs generate multiple passwords to get past your firewalls.
  • DDoS. Recruits multiple computers to deny you access to your own servers, networks, or websites.
  • SSL VULNERABILITIES. These weaknesses allow attackers to steal “protected” data using the same encryption that secures the Internet.
  • RANSOMWARE. Just like it sounds, it holds your data hostage until you pay up.

 WE FEEL YOUR PAIN – AND EASE IT

Best Practices vs. Better-Than-Best Practices

 We go beyond industry standards since many times they’re just not enough. Most companies only do occasional penetration tests against Project Management apps like P6 and Unifier because digging deeper is too costly and gobbles up IT resources. That’s why LoadSpring skillfully and continually monitors and completes these tests for you.

Down For The Count

 We know of a certain company that suffered a massive data loss in their production systems, and it wasn’t due to a virus, security breach, or another attack. Even with adequate backups, the way the company was storing the information meant they’d be without data for a full week during restoration. A better solution would have been to let LoadSpring persistently capture local snapshots on their array, allowing for data recovery in as little as 15 minutes.

Moral of the story; backing up and testing your own data without LoadSpring isn’t enough. After all, can your business afford to be down for a week or more?

Find out how LoadSpring can manage, protect, and restore your priceless data more easily and efficiently. Email us at information@loadspring.com or call now +1 978-685-9715.

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Digitizing CAD and BIM

Engineering a Better Way

It’s not unusual to hear us carrying on (and on) about our Project Management software expertise, but did you know we also excel at helping engineering groups succeed? Think about it; Engineers and Designers are the primary users of CAD/BIM applications, and all those sophisticated tools can  be stored, supported and updated through the Cloud – our Cloud, while also improving efficiency and performance.

It’s in our nerd-ish blood to make your engineering and project control apps more accessible and useful. Our Cloud experts support the professionals who rely on CAD/BIM apps to visualize projects both physically and functionally.

Automation Has Its Benefits

There’s no question that CAD/BIM software has been a boon to the AEC industry. It’s a highly intelligent technology that lets you effortlessly extract and exchange critical engineering model data. And with LoadSpring supplying, storing, sharing and supporting those apps, you can accomplish all this:

  • Tackle complex infrastructure projects
  • Achieve higher quality design
  • Boost productivity
  • Strengthen manufacturing databases
  • Coordinate multiple teams
  • Maintain access to vital model data
  • Accelerate decision making from model concept to completion

Challenging The Challenges

Okay, so CAD/BIM applications help you boost project success. But are you ready to stand up to a few significant drawbacks?

  1. IT’S EXPENSIVE! Not only is the software pricey, but the capital cost of buying internal hardware and powerful laptops to support CAD/BIM applications can be enormous.
  2. YOU CAN’T GO MOBILE. There’s no option to bring your own devices (BYOD) and harness your sleek mobile gadgets to access these apps. Instead, you’re stuck lugging around a laptop everywhere you go.
  3. TECHNOLOGY KEEPS CHANGING. Everything associated with Graphics Processing Units (GPUs) and software is a moving target, leaving you to upgrade your own systems and apps more often than you hoped.

Full Lifecycle Solutions

Nobody said that the challenges listed here would be fun. Or easy. Unless, of course, you let our project gurus provide Full Lifecycle Cloud Solutions for engineering and project control. We work with best of breed software vendors in the CAD/BIM universe, so we can bring you end-to-end solutions you won’t find anywhere else. We can:

  1. CUT COSTS. We eliminate the capital expenditures of in-house systems.
  2. MOBILIZE YOU. LoadSpring makes apps and data accessible and sharable team-wide via your favorite mobile gadgets, streamlining performance and usability.
  3. KEEP YOU AHEAD. We monitor, update and support your software technologies, so you won’t have to.

Our performance-optimized infrastructure and powerful LoadSpring Cloud Platform can make a world of difference in getting your graphically-intense apps to perform without a hitch.

Name your software – from AutoDesk, Revit, Bentley, and Synchro to Intergraph, ESRI Geospatial, RIB, and Navisworks. If you design and build with it, we’ve got it.

When your firm’s mission revolves around complex Project Controls and Engineering apps, you’ll always do better with LoadSpring’s expertise in hosting and support.

Learn more about boosting the accessibility, performance, and usability of your most critical apps, email us at  information@loadspring.com or call +1 978-685-9715 for a custom demo of our Platform.

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Application Rationalization

Separating the Wheat from the Chaff in Project Management Software

Figuring out the type and number of Project Management & Control applications that are right for your enterprise is a common cause of G/3BS (Goldilocks/Three Bears Syndrome). One solution might be too much, another not enough and one, you hope, will be “just right.”

Which Software Titles Are You Actually Using?

Look around your company. Some of your users only work with a couple of apps, yet have dozens of others languishing on their computers or your server. As these unused titles gather dust as worthless shelfware, they’re costing you plenty in terms of licensing, upgrades and administration.

Other users may switch back and forth among many different applications, making it difficult for the rest of your teams to standardize and stay on the same page.

Are You Helping Or Hurting?

 Some companies may resort to authoritarian rules, allowing only best-of-breed applications, of which there are many. Other times there may be attempts to standardize by picking a handful of specific apps and hope they work across an entire portfolio of projects.

To reach a solution you might undertake the near-impossible task of sifting through hundreds of software titles in a sprawling, unorganized repository. Now imagine repeating this process for every category of software your teams use: scheduling, project portfolio management, estimating, BIM, business intelligence…you get the idea.

The Real Problem

May we be blunt? The vast majority of companies don’t have a clue as to which employees use which applications or how often they use them. So, how can you rationalize who uses what?

The Real Solution

This may seem almost too simple to be true, but when you work with LoadSpring and rely on our proprietary LoadSpring Cloud Platform, you get a single landing point for every project app in your arsenal. That means you can get an instant overview of every employee’s most (and least) used apps. When you compare that list to the software in your repository, you can see at a glance which titles (and licensing/support costs) can be eliminated.

Result? Reduced costs, greater efficiency and a higher return on investment. In other words, a solution that’s “just right.”

LoadSpring is ready, willing and able to help you make your most important software decisions. Call +1 978-685-9715 or email us at information@loadspring.com for details anytime.

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EVMS forProject Joins the LoadSpring Family

Now Appearing in the LoadSpring Cloud

My, how our family has grown! Meet the latest LoadSpring software partner, forProject Technology. This company is a top developer of the newest, easiest-to-use Earned Value Management Software (EVMS). The result is a strategic partnership where literally everyone wins – especially LoadSpring customers.

LoadSpring, the market leader in Cloud-based project management solutions, recognized EVMS forProject as a powerful way to help customers access Microsoft Project, Project Server or Primavera P6 through the LoadSpring Cloud Platform at a sensible price.

With this new partnership, LoadSpring customers can get key EVMS apps up and running in record time. And they can do it without plunking down major capital to maintain their own server or database infrastructure.

“This alliance lets the Project Management market quickly meet EVM (ANSI 748) requirements through speedy deployment and interoperability,” said Glenn Gallop, President at forProject.

Established in 2007, forProject Technology is a trailblazer in EVMS software solutions. They offer a range of modern, flexible applications, along with world-class implementation, training and customer support. Their flagship product, EVMS forProject, keeps gaining popularity based on up-to-the-nanosecond, scalable architecture, configurability and ease of use.

LoadSpring’s CEO and resident mastermind D. Eric Leighton said, “The partnership adds up to a strong business advantage for Project Management companies, thanks to faster deployment and near-instantaneous adoption by users.”

Check out this new offering at http://www.loadspring.com.
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LoadSpring’s Newest and Coolest Customers

As more and more customers join the LoadSpring movement, our commitment to their success gets stronger every day. A few of our newest believers include:

  • APTIM Inc
  • ClearPlan
  • HS2 – Align Joint Venture
  • HX5
  • DN Tanks Inc.
  • JGC, through our partner Chiyoda System Technologies Corporation

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Fresh Talent Just Boosted Our Corporate IQ

Our talent pool is getting deeper (and smarter) every day. Please welcome our latest Rockstars.

  • Kevin Barnes – Software Support
  • Briana Beatty – Marketing Specialist
  • T Katie Bradshaw – Office Administrator
  • Jon Coles – Systems Administrator
  • Ian Harkins – Strategic Account Director
  • Shelby Krueger – Staff Accountant
  • Brian Markey – Software Engineer
  • Brian Reichwein – Strategic Account Director

Hello. Do you think you’d be a perfect fit for the LoadSpring team? Reach out and let us know why! Call +1 978-685-9715 or email us at information@loadspring.com.

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