For most smaller businesses, IT support can be a huge drain on time, resources and money, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Outsourcing is the future, and we’re going to tell you why: It’s Way Cheaper To Outsource Your IT Support By choosing when you get IT support based on your exact needs, you can save a whole bunch of money. Why buy ten cows when you only need one carton of milk? Ok, weird metaphor, but paying for the exact amount of anything you need is always going to be advantageous. You may need to migrate your data, or need a new system such as Office 365 setting up. Once these tasks are complete, your IT requirements may be be greatly reduced – so why not pay someone on a temporary basis to do these jobs? Which brings us to the next reason.. Recruiting the Right Staff Is Hard If you are not from a technical background, how do you ensure that you recruit the right IT people? Recruitment is a tough, time-consuming and expensive process and it can be made even more difficult when you’re also trying to contend with the myriad technical terms and jargon of the IT world. Employing the wrong person mean you might have to deal with another costly search, or you may employ someone who won’t provide you with the adequate support you need. A team of IT specialists from a 3rd party will be able to offer you support on what you need, and take away considerable risk – if the company you’ve chosen isn’t good enough – you can simply move on and get a different one. Don’t Get Distracted Your business has limited resources. The old adage that time is money is especially pertinent here, and if your staff are getting sidetracked by sorting out IT issues instead of doing what they are employed to do – your business is losing out twice. You may think that you are saving money by keeping the responsibility for your technology in-house, but this is guaranteed to have a negative impact on their productivity. Instead, outsourcing your IT needs means your staff will have a dedicated service desk, with an experienced technician who can help them with their issue. This reduces downtime as the issue can be identified faster and leaves your valuable employees focused on what they know best. The Latest Tech at Your Fingertips Do you have time to be constantly researching and testing the newest technology? Of course you don’t. Using a dedicated 3rd party IT company means you’ll have an expert constantly surveying the changing technological landscape for new software and hardware to help you. An outsourced IT partner will can prepare your business for the future by being at the forefront of new technology, as well as the potential for further savings by utilising any partnerships the company has with providers like Microsoft, Dell or Cisco. Many businesses are removing the burden of in-house teams and embracing the agility and affordability of outsourced IT support. One surefire way of being future-proof in the field of technology and IT? Have someone else do the planning for you!
Five Benefits Of Using Office 365
Office 365 is the most popular suite of office tools out there, and we’re taking a look at why: No Upfront Cost Paying for new software for your business can be an expensive outgoing, and it’s not as if you can avoid it. Forever 21 had a lawsuit brought against them by Adobe for using pirated versions of Photoshop, and for many products there’s no way of avoiding the upfront cost of introducing new software. Office 365 works differently – offering an adjustable subscription service. You only pay for the specific amount of users you need, which can be extended or lowered at any time. There’s only a one year obligation when signing up, so you’re not tied down for too long in case you decide it’s not for you. Get On Cloud Nine Office 365 is a cloud based system, which means you have access to Word, Excel, Outlook and everything inbetween on any device as long as you have an internet connection. This also means that your files, email software and data is safely kept on Microsoft’s servers, so there’s no risk of losing anything due to hardware failure or any other complications that could affect your physical storage. Safety First and Safety Second Safety is paramount to any business, especially one that deals with sensitive data and documents. Cloud based systems have come under fire often for failing to offer adequate security, so Microsoft took great steps to remedy this. Office 365 applications are accessed through 128-bit SSL/TSL encryption so it’s impossible to read by any unwanted visitors, and generally the system is backed up by the ultra reliable Microsoft Trustworthy Computing initiative. Email is protected by Forefront Online Protection for Exchange (FOPE) from malware, as well as features like anti-spam filtering and antivirus capabilities. Microsoft monitors the systems continuously for suspicious activity and perform frequent security audits to make sure your data is safe. Available on Mobile Devices Need to get access to documents on the move? Maybe your sales team needs to be able to move around with a tablet or smartphone, or the nature of your company means you need to be able to show documents to clients or customers on the go – whatever your reason, Office 365 has it sorted. Office 365 is usable on iPads, iPhones, Windows phones, Windows PCs, Mac desktops, Mac laptops, Android devices and other smartphones and tablets, so you’ll be able to access everything you need, when you need it. Skype For Business Skype For Business is the communications service and a key feature of Office 365, offering instant messaging, audio communication, video calling and web conferencing. Sometimes getting to meetings can prove difficult, especially with international clients, so Skype For Business offers a host of solutions for this problem. You can arrange online meetings with audio, video, and Web conferencing using the Skype For Business client, or even using a phone with a PSTN audio conferencing service. These super useful features are encrypted, and there’s also data sharing, application sharing, and whiteboard capabilities. There’s so much that will you’ll wonder what you did before.
Reasons to upgrade to an SSD Hard Drive
If your computer feels slow, it is easy to assume you need a brand-new machine. Sometimes you do. But in many cases, the problem is not the whole device. It is the hard drive. A traditional hard disk drive, often called an HDD, stores data on spinning mechanical parts. An SSD, or solid-state drive, stores data on flash memory. That simple difference can make your laptop or desktop feel much quicker, more responsive and easier to work with. For many UK businesses, upgrading to an SSD can be a sensible middle step before replacing hardware completely. A new business laptop can easily cost several hundred pounds, especially once setup, software and migration time are included. An SSD upgrade may cost far less and could give an older machine a useful second life. If you are reviewing ageing devices, Northern Star’s hardware and software support can help you decide whether an SSD upgrade is worth doing or whether a full replacement would make more sense. Your machine can start much faster One of the first things you notice after moving from an HDD to an SSD is the boot time. With an older hard drive, starting a computer can feel painfully slow. You switch it on, wait for Windows to load, wait for background apps to settle, then wait again before opening email or your browser. An SSD usually reduces that delay. Your machine can start faster, applications can open more quickly and everyday tasks feel less frustrating. This matters more than people think. If 5 members of staff each lose 10 minutes a day waiting for slow machines, that is more than 190 hours a year based on a typical working year. At even £20 per hour in staff cost, that is around £3,800 of lost time. The real cost may be higher if slow devices affect client service, deadlines or morale. For wider day-to-day technical problems, IT support and management can help keep users, devices and systems running smoothly. Files and applications can load more smoothly Slow machines do not only affect start-up. They also slow down normal work. Opening large spreadsheets, loading accounting software, searching folders, running updates and moving files can all take longer on an old mechanical drive. An SSD can make these actions feel much more immediate. That can be especially useful if your team works with Microsoft 365, cloud storage, design files, CRM systems or shared documents. The drive is not the only factor, but it is often one of the most noticeable bottlenecks. If your business uses Microsoft tools and cloud-based working, cloud services and Office 365 support can help make sure your wider setup is working properly too. You may not need to replace the whole computer Not every slow computer needs replacing. If the processor, memory and operating system are still suitable, changing the drive may be enough to make the machine useful again. This can be a practical option for smaller businesses that need to control costs but still want staff to work efficiently. A planned SSD upgrade can also reduce waste. Instead of discarding a laptop that still has value, you can improve its performance and keep it in use for longer. That said, it is worth checking the full picture first. If the device is too old, cannot support Windows 11, lacks enough memory or has other hardware issues, a replacement may be the better long-term option. Northern Star’s IT consulting services can help you review your setup before spending money. Your data can be moved safely with the right process A common concern when replacing a hard drive is data loss. You may worry that files, settings, applications and user profiles will disappear. With a properly planned upgrade, this should not be the case. The existing drive can usually be cloned or imaged, then transferred to the new SSD so the machine feels familiar when it is switched back on. This is where the upgrade should be handled carefully. Before any work starts, your data should be backed up, the health of the existing drive should be checked and the new SSD should be tested. If you are moving several machines or changing platforms at the same time, Northern Star’s IT migration services can help reduce disruption. SSDs are quieter and more durable A standard hard drive has moving parts. It spins, reads and writes using mechanical components. Over time, those moving parts can wear down or become more vulnerable to damage. An SSD has no moving parts. That usually makes it quieter, more resistant to knocks and better suited to laptops that are moved between offices, homes and client sites. This does not mean SSDs cannot fail. They can. You still need backups, security controls and proper device management. But for everyday business use, the lack of moving parts is a clear advantage. If your business has users across more than 1 location, global support and international projects can help with wider device planning and rollouts. You may get better battery life on laptops An SSD generally uses less power than a traditional hard drive because it does not need to keep mechanical parts spinning. The difference will depend on the laptop, battery health and workload, but it can help mobile users. If your team works from home, travels between sites or spends time in meetings, small improvements to battery life can make work less stressful. For organisations with staff across the UK and Europe, European IT support can help keep users supported wherever they are working. Security and backups still matter Upgrading to an SSD improves performance, but it does not automatically make your business secure. Before upgrading, it is sensible to review backups, encryption, antivirus protection, patching and access controls. A faster machine is useful, but only if the data on it is protected. For example, if a laptop is lost or stolen, a fast SSD will not help unless the device is encrypted and properly managed. If an old machine is infected with malware, cloning the drive without checking it first could move the problem to
Northern Star launch “Refer and Reward”
We’ve been told that we’re living in a digital age of sharing. Unfortunately as great as we are with technology, we’re not entirely behind the social media side of things. After all, do you really want to know what Oliver had for lunch after he just single-handedly fixed your printer queue, or what Jack did last Saturday night after his on-call shift? Exactly. But we do think sharing is a good thing. And if, like our other customers, you enjoy working with us and you hear someone has had a not-so-good experience with their IT team (slow systems, bounced emails or they just talk about having a generally irritating IT setup), point them in our direction. We’d love to help them out and as a thank you for thinking of us, we’ll give you £200 worth of Love 2 Shop vouchers, after they’ve had a successful month’s worth of a Northern Star support contract. This is more our idea of sharing, and we hope you’ll feel the same way too!
Windows 2003 Server end of life July 2015
They say “all things must pass” and it’s almost time once more for Microsoft to retire one of their main products. As of 14/07/2015 Microsoft Server 2003 will no longer be supported. But what does this mean to you? Firstly, Microsoft will no longer be releasing any security patches for this operating system, leaving your server vulnerable to any new threats that are released by any malicious parties. And you can bet there will be a lot of these. This will put your network and data at risk, with the potential of you losing assess to your data and being held ransomed or for it to ‘leaked’ online for everyone to use. Not pretty. Second to this, if there are any issues with the server operating system that one of our highly trained account managers are unable to fix, we will no longer be able to make use of the Microsoft support team to help resolve any complex issues. Both of these apply to equally a single server or servers that are installed as part of a larger infrastructure. What can we do to help? Northern Star is able to recommend, and implement, the best possible solution for your business to ensure a hassle free migration away from the 2003 platform. We’ll make sure we find the best fit, taking into account your operational requirements, budget, redundancies and required uptime. We think about the way your business works and ask questions such as: Do you need servers onsite or in the cloud? Is a hybrid solution best for your business? So you not only solve the legacy problem, but can do more once the solution has been put in place. Finally, once best solution has been decided on, we will quickly plan and deploy these recommendations with minimal impact to your everyday work. It can be tough for those without experience to do it the right way, but we’ve done this many times before for businesses just like yours. If you’re worried about having 2003 Servers in your IT estate and need a hand migrating away before the deadline, give us a call on 0800 319 6032 and we’d be happy to help.
Charity – Jeans For Genes Day
On the 19th of September we held a company fundraiser for Jeans for Genes, a charity which raises money for people with Genetic Disorders. They encourage groups to be creative with their ideas. We are quite a casual office, so we decided to jazz our Fundraiser day up a bit with some double denim, wearing everything from Dungarees, to Denim Jacket Cut Offs as well as denim shirts and jeans all round.
Dane Barnes – 5 Years This November
Dane, one of our Account Managers, has just received his congratulations as well as thanks for 5 years’ service here at Northern Star. We reward long service, with a voucher towards something of the employees choosing. Dane has decided to use his money towards a staff jolly at the end of the month. Big thanks to Dane for all his hard work and commitment to make Northern Star a better company.
Justin And Dane Become Managers
We are having a little change up on our structure here – Justin Webster and Dane Barnes have just taken on management roles within the company. Dane as Support Manager and Justin as Projects Manager. As a reward for their promotion they received a book on our management style here at Northern Star.
Mahesh – Qualified Apprentice
Our Apprentice Mahesh has just passed his Level 3 Apprentice course in Software, Hardware, Web and Telecoms. We have decided to keep him on as a full time employee due to his natural charisma and customer service excellence. A real joy to work with and a great asset to the team.
