Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between a public cloud at a private cloud?
A managed private cloud is exclusively used by one organisation, offering more control and security. A managed public cloud, on the other hand, is a shared platform where services are offered over the Internet to multiple users. Each has its unique benefits, and the choice often depends on specific business requirements.
How can managed cloud services benefit my business?
Our Managed Cloud Services can help businesses to harness the power of the cloud. We’ll take care of all your cloud needs so you don’t have to stress about cloud security and day-to-day cloud management. From optimising costs to ensuring security and regular updates, we can take care of the technicalities of the cloud, letting you focus on your business.
What Our Clients Say
Justin Davies
Chief Operating Officer, Northrop
George Blake
IT & Systems Manager, Westside Corporation
Randall Smith
CEO, Churchill Education
Craig O'Connor
IT Manager, Darwin Port
Alan Smith
Chief Executive Officer, AEIOU Foundation
Letiscia Xavier
Director, Vital Chemical
Deanna Sligo
Kim Rooney
Mithila Wanigathunge
Christine Rea
Ken Madsen
Sheila Levine
Blogs
Leadership
What is your strategy? Do you really have one?
Strategy doesn't need to be difficult or complicated, but it does need to be well thought out and understood. After all, without strategy, execution is aimless.
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Cybersecurity
Why do Australian businesses require cyber security? Here are some eye opening stats.
In just the last five years, business leaders have changed the tone of their cyber security conversations. It is no longer a discussion about layers of defence or the beefiness of the firewall, instead Directors now understand it’s no longer a matter of ‘if’ but instead a matter of ‘when’ the system will be breached. And the...
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Leadership
How we operate remotely between Brisbane, Auckland and Clark
It’s been an amazing few years at Grassroots IT, not least of all because of the international growth that we’ve experienced both with our clients and our team. If you had have asked me five years ago whether Grassroots IT would one day not only be supporting multinational clients, but have our own workforce spread...
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IT Support
What is a Managed Service Provider and when do I need one?
Whether you are a Digital Transformation powerhouse, or you provide the best Tree Lopping services in Brisbane, technology is integral to the success of your organisation. This is especially true for small to medium businesses where margins can be thin, and the market competitive. To remain agile it’s critical to extract the most out of...
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Cybersecurity
The Notifiable Data Breach scheme. Is your business ready?
As the new Notifiable Data Breach Schemecomes into effect in Australia as of 22 February 2018, there is now an onus on business to protect and notify individuals whose personal information is involved in a data breach that is likely to result in serious harm. When most people think of data breaches, they think of sneaky...
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Leadership
Why aligning your IT strategy with business goals is critical for success
I recently threw a question out to a group of my professional peers, asking them what they saw as the benefits of aligning IT strategy with business strategy. The responses I received were nothing short of exceptional. It reinforced for me (yet again) what an insightful, intelligent and progressive professional community I have the good...
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Cybersecurity
3 reasons you need to enable Multi-factor Authentication (MFA) today
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security measure that requires more than one piece of evidence to verify your identity. MFA can protect your accounts from unauthorized access, even if your password is compromised. In this blog post, we will discuss three reasons why you should enable MFA for your online services.
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Cybersecurity
How Your Data Can Be Lost in the Cloud (and How to Prevent It)
If you are using one of the major Software as a Service Offerings (SAAS), such as Office 365 or public cloud file storage, then you are benefitting from incredible economies of scale. Your data is highly available and accessible from almost anywhere securely. So, you may be thinking… “All of my stuff is in the cloud. It’s safe!“ But...
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Microsoft 365
Office 365 vs. Microsoft 365: What’s the Difference?
Most people are aware of the Microsoft Office Suite. Office has been around for a very long time, in fact you used to be able to buy it on CDs, remember those things? Of course, these days, we are all used to a much more convenient and powerful way to create, collaborate and generally get...
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Cybersecurity
How to identify a phishing email
Phishing is the most common form of cyber threat that you are likely to face, while also being one of the easiest to avoid falling foul of. But to stay safe you must be able to quickly identify a phishing email. Read on to learn about the common traits of phishing email, and how to stay safe
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Cybersecurity
Why an Intelligent Firewall is Critical For Your Network Security
Find out the difference in our new video In years gone by, we may have thought the chance of experiencing a cybersecurity breach was pretty low but, these days, the more aware business leaders talk not about the possibility but of when a cyberattack will happen. So let’s talk about how can we take preventative action to defend our computer systems and keep...
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Cybersecurity
What is the Essential Eight cybersecurity framework
Cyber-security threats and data breaches are becoming increasingly rampant, sophisticated and difficult to mitigate. Statistics from the latest Australian Cyber Security Centre Threat Report show that instances of malware attacks, data breaches, and intrusion attempts are on the rise. The challenge of ensuring cybersecurity is a global issue affecting many industries and organisations.
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Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 security tips to implement today
Microsoft Office 365 has many security features and capabilities built in, however with a few simple steps you can greatly increase your cybersecurity stance with some easy changes to system configuration and business practices.
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IT Support
5 Tips for Successfully Outsourcing IT Support
A Managed Service Provider (MSP) can help your business stay up-to-date with the latest technology and remain competitive in today’s challenging business environment. What's more, it can do all this while cutting your in-house IT support costs and freeing up your technical staff for mission critical tasks.
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Microsoft 365
Why We Fell In Love with Microsoft Teams While Working from Home
So many communications apps and collaboration tools are readily available these days, with more being developed daily. With an abundant amount of options to choose from, how do you pick out one that is perfect for your business needs? If you’re looking for the best option to choose as your organisation’s collaboration channel and wondering...
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Microsoft 365
How Microsoft Teams Enables Seamless Collaboration
Collaboration has always been a foundation for organisational growth and efficiency. To put it simply, when we share ideas, knowledge, passion and skills, the outcome is better than if we had have done it alone. Organisations with employees who feel connected to their team members and workplace are also more likely to have increased engagement and retention rates, which can lead to greater productivity and profit, so it’s well worth pursuing a culture that supports and celebrates collaboration. So, how can we make it easier for collaboration to occur in the workplace?
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Microsoft 365
Office 365 is now Microsoft 365
On 21 April 2020, Microsoft revealed in an online announcement that its line of Office 365 subscription plans would be renamed, substituting it with the Microsoft 365 branding instead. Don’t hold out high expectations for an out-of-the-box name idea though (sometimes causing a little confusion, Microsoft tends to keep its product names pretty similar). Moving...
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Microsoft 365
How to run a daily huddle using Microsoft Teams
Tips for maintaining a happy & engaged workforce With a team covering three countries, remote working is at the core of how Grassroots IT functions, and our daily huddle is crucial to maintaining a high performing, happy and engaged team. Microsoft Teams is critical to the way we run our daily video huddle, with the...
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Leadership
How investing in the right IT services can save your business money
While investing in technology is not an insignificant part of any business’ budget, having the right IT services in place could actually help your business to save money. In this blog, we share our five essential services to ensure that your IT budget is well spent and your business isn’t just surviving but thriving. #1....
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IT Support, Leadership
How to get the best from your IT support team
It’s fair to say that you’ve invested a lot in your IT support team. If you have an IT support team in house, then you’ve spent time and money recruiting them, training them, and developing them with the hard and soft skills necessary to perform at a high standard. You’ve spent money on computers, software,...
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IT Support
The top 5 benefits of outsourced IT support
There can be significant benefits to outsourcing your IT to a managed IT service provider. Of course every organisation has unique business requirements, but there are some common themes that outsourcing IT can help address.
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IT Support
Managed IT Support pricing – everything you need to know (2024)
If you’re considering engaging a Managed Service Provider (MSP) it's important that you understand what factors can influence Managed IT Support pricing. You may be looking to change from an existing MSP, upgrade from adhoc support, or perhaps complement an existing in-house resource; either way it’s important that you understand the factors that can influence how much Managed IT Support might cost, and what that price is likely to look like.
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Microsoft 365
How to leverage the power of Microsoft 365 app integration
Every business has a multitude of processes and functions that must be performed in order to deliver value to stakeholders and ultimately remain in business. With technology at the heart of modern business this means that (as we hear so often) – “There’s an app for that”. The prevalence of cloud apps sold on a...
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IT Support
Choosing the best Managed IT service provider in Brisbane
Whether your business is growing and you’re ready to level up your IT to include a dedicated IT provider, or you’re looking for a new IT provider to partner with, you need to consider Managed IT Support - which means working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP) . So let's talk about choosing an MSP and how to find the right IT partner for your business.
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Microsoft 365
What is the Microsoft Power Platform
The Microsoft Power Platform is the collective term for four Microsoft products: Power BI, Power Apps, Power Automate and Power Virtual Agents. More than the sum of its parts, the Power Platform is a no-code to low-code platform that users with no coding experience can use to analyse data, build solutions, automate processes and engage online.
Although perfectly at home integrating with third-party apps, the Power Platform truly shines when used with your Office 365 subscription, and being a low to no code platform means it can be used without the need to rely heavily on IT or coding experts.
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Microsoft 365
5 Reasons to Use Microsoft Teams Instead of Emails
Email has long been the mainstay of team communication and collaboration. Indeed, despite also being the bane of effective collaboration, for many organizations it remains at the heart of how teams communicate and work together.Part of the Microsoft 365 suite of cloud services, Microsoft Teams is the modern alternative to email, enabling clear, efficient and effective communication and collaboration both with...
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Cybersecurity
4 Cybersecurity Essentials Every Business Should Have
It’s no secret that, as we become more and more dependent on technology to run our businesses and become reliant on internet-connected devices, both for our personal and professional lives, we also become more vulnerable to cyber threats. US$2.9 billion is lost to cybercrime each minute and, as at 2020, the average cost of a data breach was a staggering US$3.86 million. However, there are basic cybersecurity foundations we can put in place, ranging from simple to more complex, in order to protect ourselves and our businesses from cyber attacks.
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Microsoft 365
Everything you need to know about Microsoft Teams Phone (aka Teams Calling)
Microsoft Teams Calling is a cloud-based PBX phone system built right into the familiar Microsoft Teams platform. Microsoft Teams already lets you make both voice and video calls to other Teams users, irrespective of if they are within your organisation or are external parties. By enabling Teams Calling, this functionality is extended even further to allow you to make and receive calls with people using traditional phone systems.
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Cybersecurity
5 questions board members need to ask about cybersecurity
Cybercrime is now a multi-billion-dollar industry that impacts organisations of all shapes and sizes. That means cybersecurity is no longer a matter to be left to your IT department. Ensuring that your organisation is properly protected from cyberattack must now be a board level priority.
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Cybersecurity
Cyberattacks today are constantly on the increase. And with most businesses using cloud solutions for data storage and email as their main form of communication, the term ‘ransomware’ is something all company executives should understand.
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IT Support
5 ways the right IT partner can support your in-house IT staff
Engaging with an IT partner doesn't need to be an all-or-nothing exercise. In many cases organisations will partner with an IT provider to work alongside existing in-house IT staff to provide complementary skills and capabilities. When choosing an IT partner to work alongside in-house IT staff it's important to choose one familiar with this model to ensure a productive, harmonious engagement.
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Microsoft 365
How to update your profile picture in Office 365
People do business with people, so your profile picture is a great way to represent you and your business. Whenever you send an Outlook email to your contacts, a little circle icon of you should be visible to the recipient and it should be something striking. Who wouldn’t want to look good in their email profile picture,...
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Microsoft 365
Using Conversation Clean Up to Achieve Inbox Zero
For most of us, the goal of achieving Inbox Zero (“a rigorous approach to inbox management, aimed at keeping the inbox empty”) is not an easy task to work on. It’s just a lot to have to go through tons of emails from who-knows-when with the goal of clearing up unwanted emails from your Outlook Inbox then,...
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Microsoft 365
Before you panic, here’s how to recall an email in Outlook
4 tips for avoiding an embarrassing mistake Have you ever experienced that sinking feeling as you realise you have accidentally sent an email to the wrong person? If you are lucky, it could just be an embarrassing blip on your day, but there is the potential for some very real damage. There is the occasional story on...
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Automation, Microsoft 365
Office Lens: a OneNote Scanner for your Pocket
There is one app on my iPhone that I now simply cannot live without. The app is called Office Lens and it is available for free at the Apple App Store and for your Android phone on Google Play. In a nutshell, the Office Lens app is a portable scanner in your pocket. Now, these kinds of apps aren’t new....
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Microsoft 365
How to install Office 365 desktop applications on your computer
Tips for installing Word and Excel A lot of Microsoft Office 365 plans include what’s called Desktop Licensing. This is the bit that lets you install the Microsoft Office applications such as Word and Excel on your computer. In this post we show you how to install Office 365 on your computer. 1. Sign in with your...
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Cybersecurity
How Easy Is It to Guess Your Password?
It is a common understanding that passwords are supposed to protect our accounts. But how much does your designated password protect you and your information? If the bad guys come hacking into your personal and corporate accounts one day, how sure are you that it’s going to be a tough job for them? Let us...
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Automation
Cheapest and Easiest Way to Manage Email Signatures
Businesses tend to spend considerable effort on social media, but email is still really important for client communication and marketing. In fact, compared to other marketing channels, email marketing actually has a 4400% ROI which means that for every $1 spent, you generate $38 in revenue. (Campaign Monitor) Email is an opportunity for us to...
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Microsoft 365
Voice-to-text dictation with Windows and Office 365
Manoeuvre your Windows PC with just your voice When Pam (a busy property manager) broke her wrist roller skating over the weekend, she thought she wouldn’t be able to get back to work at the real estate agency until she got her plaster off. However what Pam didn’t realise is that Microsoft has some pretty...
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Microsoft 365
5 Yammer tips to improve office communication
How the app can connect your staff and share ideas Microsoft Office 365 is designed from the ground up to enable seamless collaboration and encourage greater team communication. With this philosophy built into every app, it’s not surprising that there is some crossover between what each app can be used for. Yammer, SharePoint, and Teams...
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Automation
Automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks with Power Automate
Power Automate is a tool for automating repetitive and time-consuming tasks. As part of the Microsoft Power Platform, it can integrate quickly and easily into other Microsoft apps such as SharePoint and Outlook but can just as easily integrate with hundreds of non-Microsoft apps using an extensive collection of third-party and custom connectors. Even older legacy apps can be automated using a feature called Robotic Process Automation.
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Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity Policy Resources
Effective cybersecurity is as much about policy & governance as it is about tools and technology, however knowing where to start with these things can be challenging. In this post we have compiled a list of useful cybersecurity policy resources to help you build and enhance your cybersecurity governance.
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Leadership
3 technology trends to watch in 2023
From the mainstream adoption of artificial intelligence to the growing popularity of business process automation, companies must stay up-to-date in order to stay competitive. In this blog post, we explore three technology trends to watch in 2023, including the rise of AI, the increasing importance of business process automation, and the ever increasing cybersecurity threat. Stay ahead of the curve and learn how these trends can help your business succeed.
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IT Support
3 IT Support metrics that actually matter and why
When it comes to measuring the effectiveness of IT support, many senior business leaders find themselves drowning in a sea of data, with no clear understanding of which metrics really matter. In this blog post, we'll be taking a closer look at three key metrics that every business leader should be paying attention to when it comes to measuring IT support performance and optimising the effectiveness of IT within their organisation.
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Cybersecurity
The top 5 cybersecurity threats to your business and how to prevent them (2023)
Cybersecurity threats are a serious risk for any organization or individual that relies on digital systems. Cyberattacks can result in data breaches, financial losses, reputational damage, or even physical harm. In this blog post, you will discover the top 5 cybersecurity threats that you need to be aware of and how to protect yourself from them.
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Cybersecurity
Building a culture of cybersecurity awareness in your business
Cybersecurity is not just a technical issue, but a human one. Your employees are the first line of defense against cyber threats, and they need to be aware of the risks and best practices. In this blog post, we will share some tips on how to build a culture of cybersecurity awareness in your business.
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Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365
Boost Your Microsoft 365 Security: 5 Critical Questions to Ask
Microsoft Office 365 is built from the ground up to be a highly secure platform, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that your own Office 365 environment is configured securely. Ultimately the responsibility for securing your Office 365 environment, and the information and data stored in there, rests with you. Microsoft provides the platform and the means, but it’s up to you to consider your unique situation and ensure that appropriate security measures are taken.
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Cybersecurity
Decoding Cybersecurity: Busting 10 Common Myths
In the digital age, cybersecurity has become a critical concern for businesses of all sizes. However, there are numerous misconceptions surrounding this complex field that can lead to complacency and, ultimately, vulnerability. In this post, we debunk ten of the most common cybersecurity myths that could be putting your business at risk.
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Cybersecurity
How to mitigate the cybersecurity risks of working from home
While the long-term future of work is still unclear, it’s fair to say that remote working in some form is here to stay, bringing with it new challenges for business leaders, not least of all those tasked with cybersecurity. Old approaches to securing the organisations digital assets have been rendered outdated, while new unforeseen risks have emerged almost overnight.
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IT Support
Recognising the red flags: 5 signs your business needs a new Managed Service Provider
Do you know the signs that indicate when it's time to move on from your current Managed Service Provider? Learn what these are and how to find the best new partner for your business needs.
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Cybersecurity, Microsoft 365
Microsoft Secure Score: Quick Wins for Stronger Cybersecurity
As businesses increasingly migrate to digital platforms, cybersecurity has become a non-negotiable priority. Microsoft 365 leads the way in providing robust security solutions and offers an abundance of features designed to safeguard your business data and systems – but how do you navigate the plethora of options available to ensure that you’re choosing the best...
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Automation
Smart Up Your Business: Getting started with AI to streamline business processes
In today’s rapidly digitizing world, artificial intelligence (AI) has become synonymous with innovation. However, knowing how to introduce AI to your business can be a daunting prospect. Thankfully (and contrary to popular belief), integrating AI into your processes does not need to involve sophisticated systems or complex coding. In fact, there are numerous simple AI...
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Microsoft 365
Microsoft Office 365 Backup: Necessity or waste of money?
The question of whether you should be backing up your Microsoft Office 365 data will often illicit passionate arguments from both sides. On one hand, you have those who argue that Microsoft 365 already has built-in backup and disaster recovery features, making an additional backup unnecessary. On the other hand, you have those who swear...
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Automation
The Benefits of Automating Business Processes (and how to spot opportunities)
As technology continues to advance, the role of automation in business processes is becoming increasingly crucial, at the same time as the complexity and cost of automation rapidly falls. What used to be the domain of large organizations with deep pockets is now easily accessible to small and medium-sized businesses thanks to a raft of...
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Automation, Cybersecurity, Leadership
Three Crucial Elements for your IT Strategy in 2024
Defining your IT strategy is a powerful step towards success, yet alarmingly we still find organisations that don’t take the time to clarify what they expect or require from IT. At its simplest your IT strategy is a statement of how you intend to use IT to support your over-arching business goals. You don’t have...
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Automation
3 Short Automation Case Studies to Inspire Your Thinking
Business process automation is becoming increasingly important in today’s fast-paced and competitive world. It allows businesses to streamline their operations, save time and resources, and ultimately increase their efficiency and profitability. In this article, we will look at three real-life case studies of automation solutions that Grassroots IT has recently implemented for our clients. One...
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Leadership
Common IT Investment Mistakes to Avoid
Spent wisely an IT budget can be transformative. Spent without due caution your IT investment may be money down the drain. Here are 5 of the most common IT investment mistakes we see.
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Microsoft 365
Getting your business ready for Microsoft CoPilot
Updated 19 January 2024 with new licensing details. 2023 has well and truly been the year of Generative Artificial Intelligence, triggered by the release of ChatGPT in November 2022. Not only have we seen an entire wave of AI based start-ups spring into existence, but big players like Meta and Google have also launched their...
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Cybersecurity
Cost-effective Cybersecurity Strategies for Non-profits
Technology and the internet play a crucial role in the day-to-day operations of non-profit organisations of all sizes, from small volunteer-run operations to huge worldwide groups like the Red Cross. From fundraising to communication with donors and volunteers, technology has made these tasks more efficient and effective. However, this increased use of technology also brings...
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Microsoft 365
Understanding the different Microsoft 365 pricing plans
Tips on choosing the right plan for your business Navigating the multiple options and finding the right Microsoft 365 plan for your business can be tricky. In this blog post, we’ll help you cut through the confusion and make the best decision for your business needs. Price isn’t everything, but as consumers we often consider...
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Cybersecurity
The vital role of Managed Detection and Response in a complete Cybersecurity Strategy
In today’s digital era, cybersecurity threats are an ever-present and evolving danger. Organisations, regardless of size, are at constant risk of cyberattacks, including ransomware and data breaches. The increasing sophistication of these threats demands an advanced level of vigilance and response, which brings Managed Detection and Response (MDR) into the spotlight. What is Managed Detection...
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Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 Nonprofit Pricing Plans Explained
Microsoft 365 is the ideal platform to support and empower mission-driven nonprofit organisations, not least of all because Microsoft offers Microsoft 365 plans specifically designed for nonprofits. These plans are designed to provide the same high-quality technology and business tools that for-profit organisations use, but at a discount, making them accessible and affordable for nonprofits...
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