IT security and compliance can be a challenge to manage even with a generous budget and resources. Ever find yourself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of regulatory compliance around security? Does the acronym soup of MiFID, PCI-DSS, SAS70, DPA, and SarbOx turn your stomach? Read on…

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Microsoft Small Business Server (SBS) has been at the heart of many small businesses since its launch over 15 years ago. Today SBS is still used by many small businesses to provide on-premise Exchange to their employees. Since the news that Microsoft will be discontinuing SBS hit, many small businesses have been left wondering what to do next. We discuss the options available to help guide your business through this change.   (more…)

These days getting access to your email when you’re out of the office is relatively easy. Accessing all the features of your corporate network on the other hand is less straightforward. Until recently, most people have used a VPN (Virtual Private Network) connection to work remotely. VPNs can provide effective access to your emails and company files. However, if you’ve ever used one, you’ll know that they can also be frustrating, unreliable and slow. It’s never as good as being at your desk in the office.

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One of our most frequently asked questions from prospects and customers alike is: “What is the difference between DesktopLive and Office 365?” So let’s start off by looking at what the two solutions have in common, which will hopefully enable you to decide which (if either) suits your needs. (more…)

Earlier this year, The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) and Intellect produced a joint report, based on an online survey completed by 2,200 members, to understand how small firms are using technology to grow and create jobs. We discuss the key findings below and what opportunities these present for you and your business.

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By now you’re likely well aware that Microsoft will no longer provide any support for Windows XP and Office 2003. But how does that affect your business and what can you do to protect yourself and your data?

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As you’ll know we support a wide variety of charities both as an organisation and through the efforts of our staff. This year is no different. On Sunday 4^th August 2013 our CEO, Ben Rapp, will be riding 100 miles in the world-class cycling festival Prudential RideLondon to help raise money for the NSPCC. He aims to do so in under 6 hours – which is about an hour under his current speed! Our challenge, having chosen to accept and exceed it, is to raise  £1,000 for the NSPCC and help towards changing the lives of vulnerable children and families across the UK.

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Background

BYOS (Bring Your Own Services) and BYOD (Bring Your Own Devices) are inevitable evolutions of the consumerisation of IT. Users want to do their jobs as efficiently as possible, and the ability to work anywhere, anytime, and on whichever device is most convenient (BYOD). And now with BYOS they want to be able to transfer data between their various devices without too much objection from management. With the increasing adoption of third-party Cloud-based file synchronisation platforms BYOS is already infiltrating the modern workplace and posing new challenges around data security and the need for remote working. (more…)

The single most progressive step any company can take today is a move to the Cloud. It provides flexibility, scalability, and cost-efficiency – but all too often such progress is defeated by history. The problem is that public Clouds tend to offer a one-size-fits-all solution to applications; and legacy line-of-business (LOB) applications are rarely handled.

A simple example illustrates the problem. Public Cloud Google Apps can offer substantial cost savings over multiple copies of Microsoft Office. But although Google Apps claims a degree of compatibility with Office, you cannot simply convert existing complex Word and Excel documents to their Google equivalent without potentially dropping off unsupported elements. (more…)

Sooner or later, even SMEs will all need to bow to an overwhelming pressure: Cloud computing for the company, and BYOD for the staff. The problem is that there are many ways, and almost as many wrong ways, to do both.

BYOD and the public Cloud

Consider ‘bring your own device’, or BYOD. It’s a product of the anywhere, anytime society. Users want to be able to access their email, their calendar, the presentation they’re giving tomorrow, while at home or during their daily commute. (more…)