Now is the perfect time to reach out to customers and prospects to say, "thank you" and wish them a "Happy New Year." Here is a festive, digital card to post on social media or email this week.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
We look forward to a great New Year together
Now is the perfect time to reach out to customers and prospects to say, "thank you" and wish them a "Happy New Year." Here is a festive, digital card to post on social media or email this week.
Tuesday, December 22, 2020
Risk by the numbers: 15 cybersecurity stats that matter most to your business
77% of businesses report that they would benefit from knowing more about cybersecurity best practices. Check out these cybersecurity stats from Microsoft for more. And contact us to determine the best course of action to protect your business and your customers' sensitive data.
View: Risk by the numbers: 15 cybersecurity stats that matter most to your business
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Microsoft AI Commercial Featuring Common
With innovative technology such as artificial intelligence and mixed reality, we have more power at our fingertips than entire generations that came before us. Yet, technology is just a tool, and a tool is only as useful as the person who wields it. We're celebrating individuals and organizations using Microsoft technology to change lives, inspiring us all to see the possibility within emerging technologies.
Modern Cloud
Optimize your cloud experience while lowering costs for your Windows Server desktops and apps. Don't miss out on all the amazing features Windows Virtual Desktop has to offer and subscribe now.
Monday, December 21, 2020
Risk by the numbers: 15 cybersecurity stats that matter most to your business
77% of businesses report that they would benefit from knowing more about cybersecurity best practices. Check out these cybersecurity stats from Microsoft for more. And contact us to determine the best course of action to protect your business and your customers' sensitive data.
View: Risk by the numbers: 15 cybersecurity stats that matter most to your business
Protect against cybersecurity threats with Microsoft 365
We get it. You're busy. You need to focus on your business and don't have time to be hindered by cybersecurity threats.
Lucky for you, Microsoft 365 Business provides robust security solutions with comprehensive external threat protection and internal data leak prevention. With our Microsoft 365 Business solutions, you can make sure that nothing stands in the way of your company's safety.
Check out this infographic for a quick view of industry trends, pain points, proof points, and more on why you should upgrade to Microsoft 365 Business.
View: Protect against cybersecurity threats with Microsoft 365
ESNEFT Customer Success Story - Microsoft Azure and Windows Virtual Desktop
Using Windows Virtual Desktop, the East Suffolk and North Essex Foundation Trust removed unnecessary stress and frustration with IT. This empowered them to devote more time providing excellent patient experiences and healthcare services. Listen to their experience and learn how you can apply these solutions to your business.
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Cybersecurity: A Small Business Guide
You already know that small businesses are particularly vulnerable to cyberattacks, but what can you do about it? How familiar are you with the common security pitfalls for small businesses, and do you know how to avoid them? Check out this article for an overview of the most common types of cyberattacks. It also details cybersecurity best practices targeted at protecting small businesses against data breaches.
And if you need help protecting your business and customers, we're here for you
Built-in Hybrid infographic
Microsoft is committed to enabling a seamless hybrid approach to cloud adoption. Azure was designed and built to natively support hybrid environments from its inception. This infographic introduces more about the hybrid value you can benefit from when you choose Azure.
Monday, December 14, 2020
Modernize digital processes to improve profitability and ensure data security
Improve profitability and ensure data security by modernizing digital processes with Microsoft.
View: Modernize digital processes to improve profitability and ensure data security
Customer story: Meals on Wheels
For the Meals on Wheels organization in Greenville County, South Carolina, serving and improving the lives of community members is a daily practice. As the nonprofit company grew, so did the need for their services in their community.
Leaders at Meals on Wheels knew they needed a comprehensive technology solution that would protect the data of the people they served. And, as more employees were onboarded and as employees began to increasingly work outside the office, team members needed a way to connect and share ideas from any location. With help from security and productivity tools from Microsoft 365 Business, Meals on Wheels completely transformed company technology solutions. And once employees were given better ways to collaborate, the organization's outreach in the community soared.
Church and Dwight move Windows Server licenses to Azure for cost optimization
Why run Windows Server on Azure? Find out from Church and Dwight, the major American manufacturer of household products. In this video, learn about the benefits of running their Windows Servers on Azure, the saving on costs by leveraging Azure Hybrid Benefit, and their short and long-term strategic goals.
Monday, December 7, 2020
Avoid security breaches: How to protect your data
Updating your security measures can be tricky, especially if you don't know where to start. Luckily, securing your sensitive data is easier than you think.
With these tips on how to protect your valuable company data, you can create a customizable plan of attack to ensure that your information is always protected, no matter the size of your business.
App migration to Azure
In this video, look at strategies to migrate to Microsoft Azure spanning zero to higher levels of coding and when to use which.
From rehosting your apps by lifting and shifting them to Azure to choosing to refactor your apps for greater efficiency, Azure offers you possibilities. You can also rearchitect your apps to be able to quickly add new capabilities or take a cloud-native approach by rebuilding them from scratch. This video also addresses Azure's new secure options in the wake of the end-of-support for Windows Server 2008 R2 or SQL Server 2008.
Protect your business with advanced security from Microsoft 365 Business
We get it: running a small business is no small task. We know your customers have no shortage of security concerns, whether it be preventing data loss or ensuring information-rights management.
Good news! Now, with security solutions from Microsoft 365 Business, you can have peace of mind knowing your business is defended against all manner of cyberattacks.
Need help paving the way to a more secure future for your company? Check out this infographic and contact us to learn more about our unique security solutions.
View: Protect your business with advanced security from Microsoft 365 Business
Tuesday, December 1, 2020
Small and Mid-Size Businesses Need to Focus on Cybersecurity
Contrary to popular opinion, small and mid-size businesses are at a greater risk for a cybersecurity attack than large corporations. But because many SMBs assume they're not at risk, they rarely invest in security measures that could save their businesses. Read this article for more on the real impact of a data breach on SMBs and what you can do to protect your business.
Realize up to a 406% ROI over on-premises and hosted solutions
When paired with Azure, Windows Server and SQL Server can provide unique benefits that range from unmatched security to better performance. Realize up to a 406% ROI over on-premises and hosted solutions. Learn more about Windows Server & SQL Server on Microsoft Azure. Subscribe now!
View: Realize up to a 406% ROI over on-premises and hosted solutions
Customer story: iSalon
For UK-based business iSalon, protecting sensitive customer data is their top priority. iSalon provides software and management systems to over 2,000 hair salons, and most of their customers are small business owners who have poured their life savings into their companies.
iSalon depends on security technology from Microsoft 365 Business to defend against information loss and cyberattacks like malware and malicious URLs. And with employees scattered across the UK, collaboration and productivity tools keep employees connected and engaged.
Monday, November 30, 2020
Commvault boosts capacity and performance with Windows Server and Azure
What are the benefits of running Windows Server and Azure? Learn from Ernie Costa, senior virtualization engineer from Commvault, about freeing up capacity and boosting performance. Also, learn how Commvault saves on cost by leveraging Azure Hybrid Benefit and running Windows Server and Azure services.
Tuesday, November 24, 2020
Protect your company with security solutions from Microsoft
Every company needs to have an updated security strategy—we're looking at you, small businesses. In a digital landscape that's constantly evolving, now's the time to adopt a cloud-based security solution to defend customer data against cyberattacks.
Want to secure your customers' sensitive data? Contact us to learn more.
View: Protect your company with security solutions from Microsoft
Just move it to the cloud
This blog outlines the different methods of data migration and use cases. Your method of migrating data to the cloud will depend on many factors. Migrating large amounts of data can be done with any of the methods explained in the blog, including Azure Data Box, File Shares, Site Recovery service, and more.
Monday, November 23, 2020
Customer story: Jack's Diving Locker
Jack's Diving Locker, a scuba diving and snorkel educational facility, uses Microsoft 365 Business to securely run their business and to streamline their outreach efforts. Since adopting a cloud-based security and communication solution, its founders have grown their business from five sets of gear and a Volkswagen van to a company with two retail stores and five boats at two harbors. They use security tools, like Microsoft Intune, to protect company data and devices and to ensure that business is conducted securely and efficiently. With help from Microsoft 365 Business, Jack's Diving Locker has expanded into a global ocean conservation and education company, teaching people all over the world to preserve and protect our oceans.
Tuesday, November 17, 2020
Technology's Impact on Employee Experience: Balancing Overload Versus Enablement
Adopting technology in the workplace is a double-edged sword. It's key to maintaining a competitive advantage in the marketplace and increasing workplace productivity, but it can also compromise connection and lead to isolation.
Check out this article for tips on how to use technology to build a better individual employee experience and a more connected company culture.
Do you want help improving communication and teamwork in your company? You've come to the right place. Contact us at silicon power solutionsto learn more.
Up-to-Date infographic
Azure SQL databases are always up-to-date. When you migrate SQL Server databases to the Azure cloud, you can adopt Azure SQL Database managed instance for evergreen SQL that never needs to be patched or upgraded along. At the same time, you gain end-to-end SQL Server Engine compatibility for migration without code changes.
Reduce up to 80% in administration costs by offloading server/storage infrastructures
When you offload server/storage infrastructures to Azure, you can reduce up to 80% in administration costs.
View: Reduce up to 80% in administration costs by offloading server/storage infrastructures
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee Recap
From the start, leaders at Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) knew they wanted to go beyond just roasting coffee. They wanted to empower other coffee companies to succeed. Now they provide technical support, delivery service, and back-of-house training to coffee shops across the UK, in addition to providing all of the products needed to run a coffee company.
But it wasn't always that way. In the company's early days, the team had a difficult time coming together, with employees scattered across the UK and no reliable means to connect them. Once they adopted a teamwork solution to improve internal communication, teamwork became easy and the business took off. The rest is history.
Want to take cues from CCR's teamwork game? Contact us for help getting started.
Financial tech company gains SQL Server performance and scalability on Linux
The dv01 financial reporting and analytics platform offers institutional investors transparency and insight into consumer lending markets. Based initially on PostgreSQL and Redshift data warehouse, the dv01 applications began to run slower as complexity increased. After exploring multiple solutions, dv01 eventually moved to Microsoft SQL Server 2016 running on Azure Virtual Machines. This move provided the scalability it needed to handle rapid growth, reduce query response time from 30 seconds to 1-2 seconds, and cut management time by 90 percent.
Tuesday, November 10, 2020
Secure Infographic
Companies choose Azure for Windows Server and SQL Server because of its unmatched security. Azure delivers multiple layers of security, including the secure foundation of physical datacenters, operational best practices, and engineering processes that follow industry-standard guidelines.
Unblocking Workplace Collaboration: 5 Tools and Strategies
Did you know that up to 80% of workers' time is spent on collaborative activities like responding to emails and attending meetings?
This guide to promoting a more collaborative workplace culture outlines common communication breakdowns in the modern workplace and provides strategies to help customers communicate and collaborate more effectively.
View: Unblocking Workplace Collaboration: 5 Tools and Strategies
Windows and SQL Server: The Best of Azure
Windows Server and SQL Server are best on Azure. This flyer highlights Azure's unmatched intelligent security, seamless hybrid capabilities, unparalleled innovation capabilities, and unique cost savings options.
Help customers bring teams and resources together with Microsoft technology
Digital teamwork tools are changing the way teams do business: Today, more than 30% of businesses use advanced communication tools in conference rooms.
With Teamwork solutions from Microsoft, you can facilitate better communication among your teams by using cloud-based email technology and calendaring services. You can also ensure that your teams are aligned with web conferencing and group chat. And that's just the beginning.
Contact us to see how your company can benefit from our enterprise-grade communication technology.
View: Help customers bring teams and resources together with Microsoft technology
Security with Azure SQL Database in Azure Government
This video highlights the types of security features customers have been asking for and how Azure SQL Database wraps these features into a unified package of intelligent security capabilities. You'll also learn about the three major pillars of this advanced data security: data classification, vulnerability assessments, and threat detection.
Tuesday, November 3, 2020
Cloud lessons learned: four companies that migrated their Windows Server and SQL Server workloads to Azure
Read the success stories of companies that increased workload performance and cut costs by moving Windows Server and SQL Server to Azure. Download this eBook to learn about the different cloud migration paths that Allscripts, Carlsberg Group, Epos Now, and TraXall France used. See how Azure helps to smoothly migrate legacy data and keep pace with innovation, among other features.
Five Benefits And Three Challenges Technology Can Bring To Global Companies
By now, you know that technology brings numerous advances in communication for your teams, but are you familiar with the most specific benefits teamwork technology has to offer? This article asserts that communication technology translates to faster communication, enhanced efficiency, and profit boosts for your employees, all essential components to connecting your teams and resources. Check out this article to learn more.
Carlsberg Group follows a recipe for success with Microsoft Azure, SAP, and a cloud-first strategy
Discover how the Carlsberg Group has successfully migrated SAP to Microsoft Azure. Migrating their environment to the cloud has helped them drive business performance and achieve digital transformation by streamlining their IT infrastructure.
Tuesday, October 27, 2020
Reduce Costs Infographic
While innovation has supplanted cost savings as the primary driver of cloud migration for many businesses, moving to the cloud needs to make sense for your bottom line. Learn about the unbeatable costs offers and benefits of migration to Azure cloud.
Crash course in Office 365: How it can help you grow your business
Your customers are probably already taking advantage of Office applications like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. But do they know that Office 365 gives them the capability to access content from any device, or allows them to leverage the power of AI to create more impactful content? Check out this guide for more on how Office 365 can help your customers protect their sensitive data and accomplish more in their workday.
View: Crash course in Office 365: How it can help you grow your business
10 reasons to use Azure SQL in your next project
There are many new features that developers don't know exist with Microsoft Azure SQL. Learn why Azure SQL is a post-relational, cloud-native database with these ten simple points, including complete storage control, complete monitorability, and full insights.
Create a connected guest experience with Microsoft technology
Employees who work with outside companies save time and money. With Teamwork solutions from Microsoft, they can easily share workspace, which results in $759,493 saved over three years. That's huge!
Now, you can deliver a cost-effective solution that will allow you to easily work with teams outside of your company. And, you can secure and preserve company data when sharing information with external users. Check out this infographic--which shows industry trends, pain points, and proof points--to learn more.
View: Create a connected guest experience with Microsoft technology
Tuesday, October 20, 2020
Managing Remote Employees? Spot This Problem and Improve Productivity
While this article focuses on creating successful business relationships among teams that work remotely, at its core it's about how to drive meaningful communication among team members. Building and maintaining good relationships is the backbone of any successful company. When employees feel comfortable while engaging in constructive discourse and have personal rapport conducive to exchanging ideas and working toward a common goal, workplace productivity and profit feel the impact. Want to encourage your teams to do their best work? Check out this article for more on how you can help your customers foster better communication in their teams.
Managing Remote Employees? Spot This Problem and Improve Productivity
While this article focuses on creating successful business relationships among teams that work remotely, at its core it's about how to drive meaningful communication among team members. Building and maintaining good relationships is the backbone of any successful company. When employees feel comfortable while engaging in constructive discourse and have personal rapport conducive to exchanging ideas and working toward a common goal, workplace productivity and profit feel the impact. Want to encourage your teams to do their best work? Check out this article for more on how you can help your customers foster better communication in their teams.
Benefits of using Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure
This whitepaper highlights why Azure makes sense for applications that rely on SQL Server or Windows Server, based on four themes: security, innovation, hybridity, and cost.
View: Benefits of using Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee | Connect and Collaborate
Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) was the first specialty coffee roaster to adopt the Teamwork solutions from Microsoft platform, which means they're breaking new ground in communications methods for their industry. As the company expands, they depend on Teamwork solutions from Microsoft to manage their growth, drive innovation, and help their employees connect in the most meaningful and productive ways possible.
Want to increase productivity and drive innovation in your business? Check out this video to see how CCR lead the way in communications innovation in their industry, and then contact us to learn more.
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee | Connect and Collaborate
Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) was the first specialty coffee roaster to adopt the Teamwork solutions from Microsoft platform, which means they're breaking new ground in communications methods for their industry. As the company expands, they depend on Teamwork solutions from Microsoft to manage their growth, drive innovation, and help their employees connect in the most meaningful and productive ways possible.
Want to increase productivity and drive innovation in your business? Check out this video to see how CCR lead the way in communications innovation in their industry, and then contact us to learn more.
Law firm runs better with server on Azure
Why run Windows Server on Azure? Ellen Kirby, senior manager of Technical Operations and senior enterprise architect at Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP, talks about the benefits of running the law firm's Windows Servers on Azure and about leveraging Windows Admin Center for better management and automation.
Tuesday, October 13, 2020
Six types of remote workers and how to support them
How can you improve and enable productivity across your team?
This e-book outlines different types of remote workers and how you can best encourage their success, from addressing specific technical needs to making it easier for employees to work from anywhere, on any device.
Help customers work from almost anywhere, on any device, with Microsoft technology
More than 50% of employees report that mobile technology helps them achieve work-life balance by enhancing productivity. We know that you probably want to empower your employees to work remotely, but we also recognize that it can be a struggle to enable remote workers and enhance mobility within companies.
Don't worry--we can help. With the latest communication technology from Microsoft, you can connect the tools and services that employees use every day in a single hub for easy access. You can also help increase productivity by integrating team chats and files, and you can even reduce your company's overhead by saving money on office space as employees are able to work remotely.
Check out this infographic for industry trends, pain points, proof points, and more on why you should adopt a teamwork platform from Microsoft. And contact us to help you build it.
View: Help customers work from almost anywhere, on any device, with Microsoft technology
Monday, October 12, 2020
Systems Imagination uses SQL Server 2019 Big Data Clusters to deliver cutting-edge medical insights
Systems Imagination uses big data to discover new tiers of medical insights unobtainable through conventional means. In order to gain the distributed computing power it needed, the company adopted Microsoft SQL Server 2019 Big Data Clusters. Now, it delivers results based on petabytes of data to its customers within hours while simultaneously keeping operating costs low.
Tuesday, October 6, 2020
eBook: The ultimate guide to Windows Server 2019
Take full advantage of your on-premises investments with Windows Server 2019. Learn how to extend your on-premises environments to the cloud with the Windows Server 2019 advanced hybrid capabilities. Additionally, learn how to add additional security layers and update your applications and infrastructure when you connect to the cloud.
Want To Be A Remote Worker? Get These Digital Skills
How can digital skills enable your employees to work remotely?
With the right communication tools and apps geared toward facilitating better teamwork, the benefits of working remotely can include increased productivity and reduced downtime, not to mention hitting that sweet spot in work-life balance.
Does your team need help navigating communication tools and apps? Contact us to learn how we can help you create a connected digital workspace.
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee | Work From Anywhere
Clifton Coffee Roasters always had far-reaching ambitions. They needed to maximize efficiency in their company and create a better way for employees to communicate, no matter where they were individually located.
With Teamwork solutions from Microsoft, their employees could work from virtually anywhere, on any device. With features like video conferencing and instant messaging, Microsoft Teamwork solutions help employees work more effectively. And with employees empowered to work remotely, Clifton Coffee Roasters created the digital office of its dreams.
Solution overview video
Learn about the features and benefits of migrating to Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure. This video discusses key aspects such as preventing the loss of valuable data and getting the lowest cost of ownership.
Tuesday, September 29, 2020
Innovate Infographic
Moving Windows Server and SQL workloads to Azure provides flexible, scalable, and highly available cloud infrastructure. It also supports rapid innovation and digital transformation, freeing you to innovate. This infographic presents the benefits of running Windows Server and SQL Server on Azure.
The Ultimate Meeting Guide
How could your employees benefit if you improved your businesses everyday meetings?
With meeting best practices, you can improve your company's bottom line and value your employees' time.
Sounds good, right? Check out this eBook for more information on how to achieve simple, direct meetings focused on clear action items.
Want to improve your employees communication in all aspects across your business? Contact our team to learn how we can help level up your communication game.
Help customers work together with Microsoft technology
The landscape of teamwork is changing. Did you know that 83% of employees depend on technology to work together?
We know many businesses struggle with disjointed file sharing and dispersed resources. If it sounds like we're describing your company, don't worry--we can help.
Now you can take the hassle out of workplace communication with Teamwork solutions from Microsoft. With an integrated Teamwork solution, your employees can bring their teams and resources together, connect with users outside the company, and even work remotely. What are you waiting for? Check out this infographic for more on how your company can benefit from a comprehensive teamwork solution.
View: Help customers work together with Microsoft technology
Itaú Unibanco boosts service availability and data processing with SQL Server 2019
As a banking leader in Latin America and one of the largest banks in the world, Itaú Unibanco handles thousands of transactions every second. Operating on an aging data infrastructure, the bank found it difficult to expand its digital services without breaking SLAs or putting its guarantee of continuous service availability at risk. Since it migrated database services to Microsoft SQL Server 2019 based on Intel datacenter technologies, Itaú Unibanco can confidently scale data collection and infrastructure maintenance while it delivers the high level of service its private and commercial banking customers rely on.
Tuesday, September 22, 2020
The value of moving to Azure
Considering modernizing and moving your business to the cloud? You're not alone. You're also not the one thinking about security and compliance.
Microsoft Azure has advanced security features and more compliance certifications than any other public cloud provider. Full back up and recovery to the cloud and built-in security features across on-premises and cloud deployments. Single sign on (SSO) for each employee, extending local user identities and permissions to the cloud.
For the best in security and compliance, Microsoft Azure sits alone.
Lackluster Teamwork? Tips For Boosting Performance
How can you improve teamwork for your team? And what does successful teamwork look like for employees across different generations? Research shows that regular constructive feedback is key to making employees feel that their contributions are valued, especially among younger workers. This in turn translates to increased motivation among all employees and a reinforcement of the team's core values. Check out this article for more on how to help engage your employees and facilitate better teamwork.
Why Microsoft Services for Modernization
Ready to move your applications to a modern cloud?
The Modernization Solution from Microsoft Services provides a thorough approach to move applications, data and infrastructure to an enterprise-ready cloud.
While migration requires commitment, Microsoft Services provides unparalleled guidance and support during the entire process.
Why Microsoft Services for Modernization
Ready to move your applications to a modern cloud?
The Modernization Solution from Microsoft Services provides a thorough approach to move applications, data and infrastructure to an enterprise-ready cloud.
While migration requires commitment, Microsoft Services provides unparalleled guidance and support during the entire process.
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee Overview
For Clifton Coffee Roasters, the first step to growing their business was to improve internal communication within the company. In the past, communication among team members was extremely disjointed, so it was challenging for team members to connect in an efficient manner. And as the business expanded and more employees were onboarded, the communication breakdown became even worse.
Enter Teamwork solutions from Microsoft. With a streamlined communication strategy that provided a single hub for company resources and multiple methods for team members to connect no matter where they were individually located, Clifton Coffee Roasters was able to grow into one of the UK's premier coffee companies. Contact our team to see how we can help transform your business with an upgraded teamwork platform.
Customer Story: SitePro Part 2
SitePro is a software company with a mission to enable the digital oil field. In this video, discover how Microsoft Azure helps SitePro harness the power of data to drive transformation for its oil and gas company customers.
Tuesday, September 15, 2020
Don't miss another post! Subscribe now.
Did you know that having resources available in Microsoft Teamwork solutions reduces downtime by 15%? The benefit to your company productivity can be huge.
Want to propel your business forward and change the way your team communicates? Subscribe now to learn how you can change the way your team works together.
What's The Future Of Your Technology Capabilities?
Though the coronavirus situation forced a remote work model for many businesses, some have realized that it might be more ideal than returning to the traditional go-to-work model. Why? Cloud technology.
In his article, "What's the Future of Your Technology Capabilities?" Gilles Muys writes that the cloud has proven it's here to stay, due to withstanding various vulnerabilities. He adds that another reason the cloud is long-term is "its ability to stand alone from being infrastructure-dependent makes it cost-effective." He points out that now is the time to transition to cost-saving technology because all signs point to increase cloud use and associated benefits.
Have questions about Azure cloud migration? Contact us—we'd like to help.
Customer Story: Clifton Coffee
Clifton Coffee Roasters (CCR) is a popular coffee company that profited from the recent boom in café culture. As Clifton Coffee Roasters' business grew, so did the company leaders' ambitions. They credit digital business and communication tools from Microsoft with helping them to grow and scale their business. Now, they provide additional services like technical support and delivery service to coffee shops across the UK. Check out this video to see how Clifton Coffee Roasters upgraded their teamwork strategy to grow their business.
Azure Migration Program Customer
The buzz is constant: What are the pros and cons of migrating my business to the cloud? What will it cost? How do I join the Azure Migration Program (AMP)?
It's a big jump to get to the cloud, but once you take it we are confident you will not regret it. We offer step-by-step guidance, including foundational and role-specific courses to help ensure your migration readiness.
Have a look at this informational one-pager that shows how you will benefit from the AMP and answers many of your questions. There's even a "Next steps" link when you're ready for it.
Tuesday, September 8, 2020
We All Knew Tech Would Make Work Better
By 2025, 75% of the workforce will be comprised of Millennials. What are you doing to modernize your workplace? Today, the answers are increasingly nuanced, characterized by a cycle of changes in the workplace.
After a revolution in the workplace spurred by technology, companies are finding that a balanced approach may be the most effective. Explore this article to learn more.
Don't miss another post! Subscribe now.
Businesses are amassing enormous amounts of data, more than they know what to do with. Most are just using it to put together dense periodic reports explaining "what" happened too long after the fact to be of much use. Modernizing your digital workplace by moving to Azure and utilizing its AI technology can help you get a handle on your data and graduate from "what" happened to "how" it happened and, finally, to what "will" happen to inform what you should do all within a relevant period of time.
Monday, September 7, 2020
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting Recap
With its global client base increasing, Think Up Consulting needed to improve its remote working capabilities. Its VPN-based system sometimes made it difficult for employees to remotely access files. And without a centralized platform, employees wasted time switching between disparate systems.
But with Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, Think Up created a unified solution, increased productivity and security, improved efficacy, and reduced costs. Think Up Consulting empowers its employees to achieve more together.
We can help you increase your global client base. Contact us to learn more.
SitePro Part 1
SitePro gained a competitive advantage by combining onsite sensors and data collection with online data processing and management using Microsoft Azure. As a result, they were able to provide faster and more effective service to their customers, which in turn strengthened the offerings of their customers. It's a win for everyone.
Tuesday, September 1, 2020
Cost Savings and Business Benefits Enabled by Windows 10 Security Features
$1.1 million was saved by those using Windows 10 as a result of reduced productivity impact of malware infections. This Forrester Consulting study, commissioned by Microsoft, examines the Total Economic Impact™ of Windows 10 security features. Windows 10 provides a completely integrated solution, which impacts overall security and minimizes use of system resources.
Check out the full study to learn more about Windows 10 features to better understand the benefits, costs, and risks associated with this investment with silicon power solutions.
View: Cost Savings and Business Benefits Enabled by Windows 10 Security Features
Monday, August 31, 2020
Gartner Forecasts Worldwide Public Cloud Revenue to Grow 17% in 2020
According to Gartner, Inc., the world's leading research and advisory company, the worldwide public cloud services is forecast to grow 17% in 2020. This is significant projected growth and a good indicator that the cloud is reliable, trustworthy—and necessary.
Have a look at this report, which also forecasts infrastructure as a service (IaaS) to grow 24%--the highest growth rate across all market segments. The report attributes the growth to "the demands of modern applications and workloads, which require infrastructure that traditional data centers cannot meet."
Read the press release and summarized findings here.
Reduce costs with Windows and Office
70% of small and midsize businesses (SMBs) reinvest saved money into their business thanks to the cloud.
Simplify the process of keeping devices up to date while saving time, reducing costs, and gaining control. Check out this infographic--which shows industry trends, pain points, and proof points--to learn why and how.
And to find the right Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business solution for your business to reduce costs, contact our team at silicon power solutions.
Learn how to modernize your apps and data on Azure
Break down the cloud journey with four stages of the process—starting with a pre-migration assessment and then looking at migration, post-migration, and optimization. Microsoft Azure has you covered with tools created specifically for you.
Tuesday, August 25, 2020
Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: seamless scaling and automatic updating
Our final video in the Lizo series shows how a business can push the boundaries of what's possible for a data-driven company. To do this, they needed to be as agile and informed as possible. See how companies can move to Azure to enjoy the freedom and possibilities of the cloud.
Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: seamless scaling and automatic updating
Our final video in the Lizo series shows how a business can push the boundaries of what's possible for a data-driven company. To do this, they needed to be as agile and informed as possible. See how companies can move to Azure to enjoy the freedom and possibilities of the cloud.
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting | Reduce Costs
Brand strategy and change management firm, Think Up Consulting, has saved nearly $14,000, with more savings on the horizon, with Microsoft Teams. They've replaced several applications with Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, which feature a wide range of productivity tools. With modern technologies, Think Up has significantly improved efficiency and reduced costs.
Want to have cost savings like Think Up? Contact us at silicon power solutions to learn more.
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting | Reduce Costs
Brand strategy and change management firm, Think Up Consulting, has saved nearly $14,000, with more savings on the horizon, with Microsoft Teams. They've replaced several applications with Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, which feature a wide range of productivity tools. With modern technologies, Think Up has significantly improved efficiency and reduced costs.
Want to have cost savings like Think Up? Contact us at silicon power solutions to learn more.
Why Migrate with Azure?
With Microsoft Azure Migration Program (AMP), customers receive prescriptive guidance for a step-by-step approach for a path to the cloud from start to finish.
The program delivers technical skill building to ensure your organization can successfully adopt Azure; best practices for a step-to-step approach from start to finish; Azure engineering support for data and infrastructure foundations; expert guidance from specialized migration partners; free Azure tools to help you efficiently execute migrations; and cost effective offers to help you save money before, during, and after migration. All of this, available to all Azure customers, scaled through specialized migration partners.
Contact us for more information or assistance in migrating.
Quantifying the value of collaboration with Microsoft Teams
Employees save four hours each week with improved collaboration and information sharing, according to Forrester's Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Teams.
Microsoft Teams puts everything organizations need into one place. Everything from chats, meetings, calling, and Microsoft 365 Business apps are brought together to make faster, more informed decisions in a single, intelligent hub. With Teams, every type of worker can be empowered to contribute their voice and take shared accountability for business outcomes.
Read this blog to learn more and contact us at silicon power solutions to get started today.
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together
More frequently than ever, consumers are utilizing apps for news, food, information, social networking and more. Of course, the cloud forms the core of the app economy and small to medium businesses need service providers that support their financial needs and requirements.
In his article, "Bringing Apps and Start-ups Together," Prabhakar Jayakumar writes that 90% of all data used over the last two years was created using an optimized data management tool. For digitization to progress, modern app development requires efficient data management and processing. The app must engage users and generate content, "and then process the data generated to garner insights, which can enhance the performance of the app or brand," writes Jayakumar. He adds that this is where cloud service providers can be of great help, in setting up databases to be quick and fail-proof.
In short, Jayakumar sees service providers can help SMBs deploy applications quickly and cost-effectively: "Less coding, limitless scalability, exceedingly fast deployments, and fool-proof security are the pillars of tomorrow's app economy, powered by the cloud."
Read Jayakumar's entire article and contact us for cloud migration support.
Tuesday, August 18, 2020
Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
Check out the ways in which Azure SQL Database Managed Instance is designed to provide you with exactly what your business needs so you can save money without missing a beat.
View: Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
Tuesday, August 11, 2020
Helping Small Businesses Protect Their Greatest Asset--Their Data
Knowing your customer data is secure can free you up to do what you do best--and put your focus on customers and employees. That's where the right tools and tech come in.
Support for Windows 7 and Office 2010 is ending, and it's critical to ensure you not only have the most productive experience, but also the most secure. Work from anywhere, whenever, on a protected modern device.
Read the blog and learn more about three small businesses that use Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business to help grow their businesses and remain secure.
Monday, August 10, 2020
Microsoft Azure IaaS has the data to back it up
It's one thing to predict financial benefits during a switchover, but it's another thing to provide the data to back up actual savings. Forrester Research interviewed six customers, aggregated data, and produced a report of the five-year Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Azure IaaS.
Forrester concluded that there were four main challenges solved by Azure IaaS: continuously growing IT costs, limited ability to scale infrastructure, complex global expansion issues, and high process costs. Over five years, the ROI was 435% with $27.6 million in total benefits!
For a more detailed look at the data, read the entire report here: The Total Economic Impact of Microsoft Azure IaaS
Lizo | Digital transformation in the oil & gas industry: improving on-site safety
Safety is a priority for companies, especially those working in industries where a few seconds can mean a significant deficit for thousands of customers.
This time we show how companies such as Lizo partner their apps with Microsoft Azure for instant status updates of facilities and equipment that are vital for site operators to maintain safety around the globe. Their customers funnel real-time data from multiple sources into a single platform. Their facility oversight is improved, their operations are more efficient, and the workplace safety is right where it should be—at the top.
Watch this video to see how other data-driven companies could partner with Microsoft Azure to offer cloud-based software solutions to customers who need real-time response.
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting | Most Secure
With its global client base increasing, Think Up Consulting needed to improve its remote working capabilities and enhance security. The company adopted Microsoft Teams to securely accommodate remote employees. And with Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, Think Up unites its entire team. All employee devices are automatically updated with advanced-level security features, so Think Up can seamlessly deliver the top-notch service their customers expect and trust.
Tuesday, August 4, 2020
Crash Course in Microsoft 365 Business: How it Can Help You Grow Your Business
This e-book "crash course" will show you how adopting cloud-based Microsoft 365 Business gives you ever-improving versions of apps with new capabilities delivered every month. Learn how Microsoft 365 Business empowers you to access content from any device, coauthor with anyone in real time and use the power of AI to create more impactful content with less effort.
Contact our team at silicon power solutions to learn more about our Office 365 solutions.
View: Crash Course in Microsoft 365 Business: How it Can Help You Grow Your Business
Monday, August 3, 2020
The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter
It's no secret that more people, more than ever, are more digitally connected. The underlying network needed to support this connectivity must be faster, closer, and smarter, according to Forbes contributor Steve Alexander.
"On-demand content, bandwidth-hungry mobile apps, IoT devices, and new cloud-based applications are driving the need for more bandwidth and network capacity," Alexander writes. He reminds us that "fast ethernet" used to be the descriptive phrase for the network edge, and that over time we have quickly increased connectivity times—because users' needs demand it. This is no exception. "Since its inception, the internet has a been a catalyst for service providers to facilitate faster connectivity, an imperative that will increase over time," states Alexander.
Read the entire article, "The Network in 2020: Faster, Closer, Smarter" for valuable insight on why network requirements will continue to align with the need for cloud services.
Improve Productivity with Windows and Office
Employees spend 50% more time collaborating with other employees. Yet many are still not working to their full potential because of disorganized collaboration, file sharing and decision-making processes.
With Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, you can collaborate in real time and leverage the intelligence of the cloud with the latest from Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business. Check out this infographic for a quick view of industry trends, pain points, proof points and more on how going modern with Microsoft improves productivity.
To learn more, contact silicon power solutions.
MS Azure IaaS TEI Infographic
Curious about the ROI of Microsoft Azure Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS)? Have a look at this infographic that shows Forrester's conclusions after six customer interviews and data aggregation for a five-year financial impact.
Businesses experienced reduced data center and outsourcing costs, website scale and performance improvements, ease of experimentation through virtualized environments, and developer and testers enhancements.
Want to learn more about the potential ROI that could be realized by shifting some or all of your management and operations to Azure? Contact us today.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Microsoft Will Soon End Support for Windows 7. Now What?
End of support is fast approaching for Windows 7 and Office 2010. Is sticking with Windows 7 worth the risk? How much will it cost? What does this mean for your company? Check out this article to explore these questions. Contact silicon power solutions to #GetModern.
The Total Economic Impact™ of Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
According to Forrester, Microsoft Azure SQL Database Managed Instance has the best ROI, with a migration payback in six months or less and a potential 212% ROI over three years.
Additionally, Azure's intelligent database offers dynamic scalability that enables your database to transparently respond to rapidly changing requirements, and you pay only for the resources you need, when you need them.
Azure works with your on-premises investments so that customers use their same skills when they migrate, using familiar tools and features. All of this, along with easy and free migration tools, makes Azure the best fit option for your cloud needs.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Digital Transformation in the Oil & Gas Industry: Combining Azure Cloud-Based Services
Our third Lizo video shows how utilizing Cosmos DB, SQL Database and Cache for Redis is advantageous for a company managing large volumes of data. The outcome: increased operational efficiencies and improved visibility in predictive maintenance. Watch this video for another quick look at how Azure drives business results!
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting | Most Productive
Think Up Consulting is a business built on collaboration. Its 39 team members--known as Thinkers--spread their time across as many as 11 projects each. Seamless communication is a must for creating customized solutions for every Think Up customer.
With Microsoft Teams, Thinkers can easily access the tools they need from the platform. The company creates new channels for each project, so Thinkers can keep project-specific conversations and files organized and accessible. Since adopting Microsoft 365 Business, the company has quickly shifted much of its communications to Teams. Through Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, Think Up has streamlined communications across the organization, improving productivity.
To learn more, contact us at silicon power solutions to #GetModern.
Tuesday, July 21, 2020
Exposing the Top 4 Myths of Cloud Security
One in five organizations have lost customers as a result of a cyberattack. Nearly 30% have lost revenue, with the average cost of a single data breach reported to be $4 million.
At the same time, 74% of IT leaders say security concerns hold them back from moving to the cloud. What about you?
Get the real story. Here are four common myths about cloud security and facts about the Microsoft cloud.
Monday, July 20, 2020
It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?
In most of our homes, we utilize and depend on the cloud in multiple ways every single day—think online banking and shopping, social media, email and doorbell video cameras. "It might be the first time in history that our habits at home have outpaced how we function at work," writes Tyler Bowman in his Forbes article, "It's 2020. Do You Know Where Your Digital Future Is?"
Bowman addresses three main lingering concerns in the corporate world, including generational divide. "Millennials are driving a market disruption that many CEOs are grappling to embrace," Bowman adds, however, that this difference does not need to result in irreconcilable work practices and values. His suggestions for embracing the disruption support his main point, which is it's just a matter of time before our cloud utilization at work catches up to our already existing cloud dependency at home.
Read this article for interesting perspective on the corporate cloud in 2020 and beyond.
Increase Productivity and Security with Windows and Office
With the end of support for Windows 7 and Office 2010 fast approaching, your company's sensitive data is at risk -- a risk compounded by the skyrocketing number of employee devices.
Confirming this trend are findings from the World Trade Report and a Kaspersky Lab Study showing 50% of small businesses have suffered a data breach costing an average of $120,000.
Without the right tools, how would your company respond to a major breach?
Going modern with Microsoft can help. Specifically, it enables you to increase productivity and security, while reducing costs. This infographic provides more industry trends and customer stories. Check it out to better understand the risks and why Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business are the right solutions to address them.
View: Increase Productivity and Security with Windows and Office
SQL Server and Azure SQL Database GDPR Guidance Paper
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation in European law on data protection and privacy in the European Union and the European Economic Area. It also addresses the transfer of personal data outside of these areas.
To meet General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) requirements, Microsoft has implemented technical (tooling) and organizational measures (processes) to ensure that data processing is in accordance with GDPR privacy regulations. The actual path will be different for every organization, but general resources are available in a Service Trust Portal that Microsoft has created for customers to get started.
This white paper provides a good overview of GDPR and includes many links to sites with more specific information for associated topics. Contact us if you have questions!
Tuesday, July 14, 2020
4 Proven Ways To Accelerate Your Growth From Startup To Thriving SMB
More than 446 million records were exposed in over 1,200 data breaches within the SMB space in 2018. How secure is your business? Check out this article for four tips to accelerate business growth and remain secure.
Why the cloud? Why Microsoft Azure?
Is the cloud secure for my apps? Which apps make sense to run in the cloud? Can I trust my business-critical app to a cloud vendor? You want to head to the cloud, but naturally you have questions.
You may also wonder why customers choose Microsoft Azure for their cloud migration. One reason is unparalleled innovation: you can maximize your productivity with fully managed services such as App Service, Azure SQL Database, and global on-demand Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). Your focus should be driving your business priorities instead of worrying about running data centers.
Want to know the other reasons to choose Azure? Have questions? silicon power solutions is ready to help you!
Monday, July 13, 2020
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting Overview
When Think Up Consulting, a brand strategy and change management firm, introduced Microsoft Teams, it was a big shift for the organization from a collaboration standpoint. They brought file sharing, team chat and project management together using Teams as the main hub for each project. With Teams, Think Up is creating a central hub, and with Microsoft 365 Business, they have a complete unified solution. By adopting Windows 10 and Microsoft 365 Business, Think Up customers have the reassurance and confidence of security.
We can help you do the same. Contact us to learn more.
Digital Transformation in the Oil & Gas Industry: Collect and Monitor Sensor Data
At oil and gas facilities, data from sensors and cameras must be collected, analyzed and visualized economically in order to keep operations running smoothly. Watch this Lizo video to see how the Power BI application allows remote decision-making—significantly reducing overhead cost and achieving operational efficiency.
Tuesday, July 7, 2020
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Don't let the upcoming end of support for Windows 7 and Office 2010 put productivity and customer data at risk. Go modern with Microsoft to unlock and foster better collaboration, remain secure and reduce costs.
Subscribe now to learn how Microsoft can help you go modern with advanced security and device management capabilities that increase productivity and safeguard business.
Customer Story: Think Up Consulting
Think Up Consulting is a young, fast-growing agency based in Greenville, South Carolina. The agency specializes in brand strategy, change management and strategic consulting to help global brands make deep, lasting connections with customers.
For Think Up, the ability to ensure seamless communication and reliable security while maximizing productivity are musts. To support these priorities, the company chose Microsoft 365 Business to streamline internal processes and dramatically reduce the number of emails employees send.
A forward-thinking company, Think Up continues to explore and adapt new technology to help increase employee efficiency and better meet its customer's needs.
We can help you do the same. Contact us to learn more.
Monday, July 6, 2020
Lizo | Transformation in the oil & gas industry: data analysis and visualization
Data. There's a lot of it, and it's everywhere. Azure cloud services helps organizations manage all aspects of their volumes of data. Here is an example of how a company in the oil and gas industry could utilize Azure Cosmos DB for data acquisition and Power BI for rich analytics with real-time insights. Through partnering with Microsoft, a company like Lizo would be able to actualize their vision of next-generation data analysis and visualization. Watch this and look for additional Lizo videos to demonstrate the capabilities and power of Azure!
Tuesday, June 30, 2020
Top 10 Security Deployment Actions with Microsoft 365
If you're looking for a roadmap to a more secure system, we've got you covered. Check out this list to discover 10 actions you can take using the tools provided in Microsoft 365 to better protect your business from cybersecurity threats. And don't forget, silicon power solutions is here to help you every step of the way.
Bootiful Azure: Taking Your First Steps with Microsoft Azure (1/6)
As the first of six installments in this informational series, users of Spring can learn how to get started coding their applications via Microsoft Azure, leveraging all the unique tools and benefits along the way.
Modernizing the Data Estate with Azure | Rohan Kumar
What do you hope a modern estate will bring you? When Microsoft began their own transformation, they realized that they wanted a system that would allow them to empower employees, deeply engage with customers, develop new and better products, and increase agility and efficiency in operations. They also realized that at the center of making all this possible was data and AI capabilities. How could their learning experience help your business? Check out this video to find out.
Office 365 keeps your business compliant - around the clock
While implemented with the best of intentions, remaining compliant with data security requirements can be a massive burden on businesses, especially those in highly regulated industries. That's why Microsoft ensures that the security provided through Office 365 is always on the cutting edge of compliance, so your business can focus on delivering the best experience to your customers.
Monday, June 29, 2020
Modernizing the Data Estate with Azure | Rachita Sundar
Businesses are amassing enormous amounts of data, more than they know what to do with. Most are just using it to put together dense periodic reports explaining "what" happened too long after the fact to be of much use. Modernizing your digital workplace by moving to Azure and utilizing its AI technology can help you get a handle on your data and graduate from "what" happened to "how" it happened and, finally, to what "will" happen to inform what you should do all within a relevant period of time.
Tuesday, June 23, 2020
I have solutions from many vendors in my IT environment. How can Microsoft help me secure our entire digital landscape?
Keep your data protected as your business grows and changes with the times. Whether you're adding apps, devices, or moving to the cloud, Microsoft 365 ensures your data is secure without overburdening your security team.
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How small businesses can safeguard their data
With security risks like compromised credentials, stolen devices, and human error, keeping your business protected can seem overwhelming, especially for a small business that may not have the resources to dedicate to it. Microsoft 365 offers a complete solution, with tools like multifactor identification and data encryption that cover the areas you can't.
Monday, June 22, 2020
Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
Check out the ways in which Azure SQL Database Managed Instance is designed to provide you with exactly what your business needs so you can save money without missing a beat.
Tuesday, June 16, 2020
How can Microsoft help me understand my current security posture and get recommendations on how to improve?
This Thought Leadership provides an overview of the offerings Microsoft 365 has to help security CISOs and other security professionals gain better visibility and control of their current and future security position.
Azure SQL or SQL Server: Which one is right for you?
What makes Azure SQL different from SQL Server? Learn the technical differences, the reasons behind them, and the potential impact on your business in this article.
Breakthrough teamwork tools: 4 tips to identify what works for you
This eBook is for customers who are ready to achieve even more with their successful teams. Collaboration and easy communication are increasingly important—especially as more people are working from home. In this eBook, you can take a deep dive and read how to use teamwork tools like Microsoft Teams to empower your employees to do even more. Chapters cover communicating without effort, being more productive through better integration, customizing features, and working with confidence.
View: Breakthrough teamwork tools: 4 tips to identify what works for you
Empowering remote work with Microsoft Teams
In this infographic, discover suggestions to empower remote employees as they use Teams to embrace online communication, stay focused, share content, and stay connected.
Monday, June 15, 2020
Your Data is Safe with Office 365
Small businesses deserve the benefits of the cloud as much as any other company, and now they can do so without worrying about the security of their data.
Customer Story: SitePro - part 6
Take a closer look at the ways in which SitePro is able to save their customers valuable time by transporting data almost instantly over the cloud.
5 Ways to Be More Efficient While Working From Home
This article from Entrepreneur, highlights five ways remote workers can be more efficient at home. Tips to optimize time away from the office include establishing a routine, determining priorities, eliminating distractions, and more.
Saturday, June 13, 2020
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The way we think of and use technology holds so much potential. From increasing the productivity of farmers to helping researchers track endangered species, Microsoft is proud to support so many amazing people who inspire and improve the world we live in. Whether you're trying to make a difference on a global scale or trying to improve job satisfaction in the workplace, silicon power solutions can help! Subscribe today!
Tuesday, June 9, 2020
SQL Server and Azure SQL Database GDPR Guidance
The task of GDPR compliance can be overwhelming for businesses but it doesn't have to be. This guide is intended to help businesses better understand what GDPR entails and begin the process of adapting their current security measures to meet the new requirements. Luckily for small and large businesses alike, Microsoft has done a lot of the heavy lifting when it comes to preparing the infrastructure for successful compliance.
How do I find and manage shadow IT and rogue devices, and put policies in place to ensure we remain secure?
New cloud app capabilities offer the potential for teams to work smarter and more efficiently than ever before, but they can put huge pressure on IT and security teams to ensure company data remains secure without hindering forward progress. Microsoft 365 tools allow you to do this.
Growing SQL Server: Features from 2008 to 2017
As the end of service approaches for SQL Server 2008, let's take a moment to reflect on where we have been and the exciting new innovations available with SQL Server 2017.
Monday, June 8, 2020
Defend, protect, secure. IT heroes in action.
Walk through a week in the life of IT professionals to see the variety of work they do each day to address threats and protect your organization.
Customer Story: SitePro - part 5
SitePro is pushing the boundaries of what's possible for their oil and gas customers. To do this, they needed to be as agile and as informed as possible. They moved to Azure to enjoy the freedom and possibilities of the cloud.
Run effective meetings with Microsoft Teams
This video is a virtual class on running meetings with Microsoft Teams, led by a Microsoft training specialist. In this class, you'll learn how to schedule and manage Teams meetings end-to-end. You'll see how to access meetings and content easily and assess which devices will work best. The video also covers how to use Teams before, during, and after your meeting to create the best experience for your remote team.
Tuesday, June 2, 2020
Protect your data in files, apps, and devices, within and across an organization
In addition to protecting endpoints, Microsoft believes in protecting data, starting at its very inception. Check out the strategies and tools they have to keep data protected across all scenarios in this informational document.
View: Protect your data in files, apps, and devices, within and across an organization
Get started with Microsoft Teams quick start
This quick start guide is full of information to help you make the most of Microsoft Teams. With this tool, your employees have a shared workspace for conversations, files, and meetings. Everyone can be more engaged and effective, even when working remotely. Review this guide to access actionable tips for better connection, collaboration, and productivity.
Unblocking Teamwork: four tools and strategies to improve collaboration
This Microsoft eBook goes into detail about key tools and strategies to help customers overcome blockers and improve collaboration using Microsoft Teams. These tips can easily be adapted and applied to remote work. Suggestions include streamlining tools and apps, making virtual meetings more efficient, and improving version control.
View: Unblocking Teamwork: four tools and strategies to improve collaboration
SQL Database Engine Blog: What is Azure SQL Database Managed Instance?
Curious about the new Azure SQL Database Managed Instance? This article covers specifics about the offering, including features, security, scalability, and architecture.
Introducing Microsoft Teams: empowering remote work
This flyer highlights some of the key features in Microsoft Teams that allow customers to stay connected, collaborate, and increase productivity—all in one place. The flyer also offers ideas on how customers can use Teams to make remote work more efficient and even fun.
Monday, June 1, 2020
Customer Story: BP deploys Microsoft 365 to improve user experience and security
BP recognizes the significance of cybersecurity to their business and the importance of continual digital transformation to remain competitive. To accomplish both simultaneously, they implemented Microsoft 365 Enterprise E5, getting the best of Microsoft tools with an integrated security system that's simple and easy for all employees to use.
9 ways to make working from home more joyful - The Aesthetics of Joy
This article offers nine ways to create a workspace and routine to make working from home a more joyful, sustainable experience. Suggestions range from self-care to workspace set up to breaks. Read the article for all the ideas.
Tuesday, May 26, 2020
WS + SQL 2008 Extended Security Updates FAQ
As the end of support for Windows Server SQL Server 2008/2008 R2 approaches, questions will undoubtedly arise, especially relating to the Extended Security Updates offered by Microsoft. This document is here to answer those questions.
Discover threats quickly, remediate immediately, and mitigate the impact of malware and breaches
Technology is not static, and neither, therefore, are the methods cybercriminals can use to gain access to company networks or data. In light of this, an effective security system is one that can learn and react to new threats as they come. Discover the powerful combination of Microsoft tools that provide a comprehensive security strategy for your business.
Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
Why move your on-premises SQL Server to the Azure cloud? Check out this infographic to learn about the savings and latest technological benefits of switching to Azure SQL Database Managed Instance.
View: Discover the benefits of modernization and save with Azure SQL Database Managed Instance
Customer Story: SitePro - part 4
SitePro is harnessing the power of technology through the IoT and cloud capabilities to help their customers create safer, more efficient work environments.
Monday, May 25, 2020
J. Walter Thompson breaks new ground with Microsoft collaboration tools
This video shows how a global leader in marketing communications uses Microsoft Teams to increase collaboration across their entire organization. Teams helps them create a global, modern workplace so the company can innovate at the speed of culture. With this tool, they can stay connected and easily collaborate across different geographies.
Breaches happen. Learn how to protect your organization.
TIPS
Never click web links in your e-mail and no bank will ask you to update the accounts through online.
Never provide personal information including your passwords, credit card information, account numbers to unknown persons.
Never keep username, account name and passwords at one place. Always try to remember passwords.
Always use phishing filters at your Internet browser.
Do not click any images in the web sites if you are unsure.
Confirm whether email is received from bank or not.
Be cautious while providing bank details via online, before proceed further confirm with bank about the email you received. Think that if something is important or urgent why don't bank calling me instead of sending email?
Delete all cookies and history file before you perform online trasactions.
Always use virtual keyboard while accessing online banking.
Delete all the history and cookies once you are done with online transactions.
Avoid accessing online banking in cybercafes.Check out this infographic to learn the three most commonly used inroads into your system and how best to secure your data from each strategy.
View: Breaches happen. Learn how to protect your organization.
Tuesday, May 19, 2020
Three reasons why Windows Server and SQL Server customers continue to choose Azure
For the past 25 years, companies of every size have trusted Windows Server and SQL Server to run their business-critical workloads. In fact, more than 70 percent of on-premises server workloads today run on Windows Server.
A breach is inevitable. How can Microsoft help me detect and respond fast?
An all too familiar scenario: A single click in a phishing email and hackers are into a network, resulting in a ransomware request and an uneasy feeling. Learn what tools Microsoft 365 E5 has in its arsenal to ensure this isn't you.
View: A breach is inevitable. How can Microsoft help me detect and respond fast?
Staying productive while working remotely with Microsoft Teams
With the COVID-19 outbreak turning a massive amount of the global workforce to remote work, everyone is adjusting to meetings, chatting, and collaborating exclusively online. This blog post shares the top tips from the team behind Teams on how to make working from home productive and healthy.
How to manage meetings in Microsoft Teams
This video is a quick tutorial on how to use the meeting features in Microsoft Teams.
Monday, May 18, 2020
Customer Story: Guarding university data with a holistic security model
Watch the University of Arizona, in partnership with Microsoft, tackle the challenges of revamping a new, secure Active Directory system and move both students and staff to Office 365.
Customer Story: SitePro - part 3
This week, delve deeper into the multiple service offerings from Azure that allow SitePro to run their entire turnkey application from this single platform.
How to maintain your mental health while working from home
During this uncertain time, it's increasingly important for people to take care of their mental health. This article from Fast Company offers suggestions to maintain mental health while working remotely. Tips range from acknowledging the impact to streamlining work, and more.
Microsoft AI Commercial Featuring Common
With innovative technology such as artificial intelligence and mixed reality, we have more power at our fingertips than entire generations that came before us. Yet, technology is just a tool, and a tool is only as useful as the person who wields it. We're celebrating individuals and organizations using Microsoft technology to change lives, inspiring us all to see the possibility within emerging technologies.
Wednesday, May 13, 2020
Microsoft Security Intelligence Report: Volume 23
In this bi-annual publication, learn about the latest security threats affecting us all, including botnets, hacker methods, and ransomware.
SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 end of support is coming
As the saying goes, all things must come to an end. With end of support nearing for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2, this solution brief provides information to help you make a smooth transition and an overview of the new features you can benefit from in SQL Server 2017 and the Azure SQL Database Managed Instance.
Remote working checklist
This infographic provides helpful guidance on how to be productive and maintain healthy boundaries while working from home.
Tuesday, May 12, 2020
Microsoft identity-driven security
As the security landscape becomes more mobile and complex, traditional security methods are no longer up to the task. Check out this infographic to learn why the holistic approach of Microsoft's Identity-Driven Security was designed to handle the threats of today, and tomorrow.
Microsoft Security Intelligence Report: Volume 23
In this bi-annual publication, learn about the latest security threats affecting us all, including botnets, hacker methods, and ransomware.
Microsoft Security Intelligence Report: Volume 23
In this bi-annual publication, learn about the latest security threats affecting us all, including botnets, hacker methods, and ransomware.
The total economic impact of Microsoft Azure SQL Database managed instance
What is the economic impact of switching from an on-premises SQL Server to Azure? Microsoft asked Forrester to find out. Four client interviews later, the results are in: See how you can save by switching to Azure!
View: The total economic impact of Microsoft Azure SQL Database managed instance
Welcome to Microsoft Teams
This video is a quick introduction on how to use Microsoft Teams. The tutorial highlights such features as channels, chat, calls, and files. Watch this video to see how Teams can help your employees collaborate and stay organized.
Monday, May 11, 2020
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The way we think of and use technology holds so much potential. From increasing the productivity of farmers to helping researchers track endangered species, Microsoft is proud to support so many amazing people who inspire and improve the world we live in. Whether you're trying to make a difference on a global scale or trying to improve job satisfaction in the workplace, silicon power solutions can help! Subscribe today!
Tuesday, May 5, 2020
Fresno Unified, the futures challenge, and 21C Learning Design
Take an in-depth look inside Fresno Unified School District's innovative Personalized Learning Initiative including their overall goals, year one progress, and adjustments for the future.
View: Fresno Unified, the futures challenge, and 21C Learning Design
Announcing new options for SQL Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 End of Support
This article outlines the end of support timeline for SQL Server 2008 and 2008 R2 and Windows Server 2008 and 2008 R2, as well as options and recommendations for current users moving forward.
Microsoft 365 Holistic Security
From privileges to passwords, check out how Microsoft 365 delivers comprehensive security for employees who are always on the go.
Say hello to Microsoft Teams
Watch this 30-minute instructor-led training to see real-world scenarios of Microsoft Teams in action. Learn about the advantages of Teams including staying connected with teammates during remote work, collaborating on documents, and managing projects more easily. Due to increased demand, classes are filling quickly, so sign up soon. Microsoft will be adding more live sessions, but you are also invited to view training on-demand.
Intelligent security for the modern workplace
Microsoft 365 E5 security covers a broad range of functions that work together to produce an easy-to-implement, effective, and cohesive system that is backed by continuous learning through ever expanding data.
A day in the life of the remote worker
This infographic outlines a day in the life of a remote worker using Microsoft Teams to collaborate, create, and be more productive while working at home. See how this employee uses multiple features to stay connected with the team and work efficiently.
Monday, May 4, 2020
Customer Story: Fresno Unified School District
Through the lens of the Fresno Unified School District, check out the incredible transformations on an individual and community-wide level that happen when technology allows students to take greater control of their own learning experience.
Customer Story: SitePro video 2
SitePro is a software company with a mission to enable the digital oil field. In this video, discover how Microsoft Azure helps SitePro harness the power of data to drive transformation for its oil and gas company customers.
Our commitment to customers during COVID-19
This post from Microsoft's leadership team details our commitment to customers during the COVID-19 crisis. It outlines how Microsoft's top priority is the health and safety of employees, customers, partners, and communities. It also explains how Teams is available for everyone and what Microsoft is doing to keep the application running smoothly.
The Unsung Volume 1: The Gripping Security Story of Microsoft 365
Explore the story of The Unsung, the security heroes who ensure our data remains safe and secure from "faceless foes," those who steal or corrupt corporate data for their own personal gains.your digital life savers are always with you. we silicon power is trying to save this world from attacks.
Stay home Stay Safe.
Monday, April 27, 2020
4 tips for working from home with Microsoft Teams
This blog outlines four best practices for working from home and using Teams to make your remote work productive. Tips include details on making the most of your virtual meetings, reminders on being inclusive, advice on using chats to collaborate, and information on customizing your workspace.
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Catholic Education WA (CEWA) fires up Teams and Office 365 for Virtual School Network, expands student opportunities | Microsoft EDU
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) uses Microsoft Teams to promote equity of access to learning opportunities for students. This online school originated out of needs associated with distance and limited class offerings at small schools—but shortly after opening, they discovered that it was also beneficial for several other categories of students, such as elite athletes who frequently traveled or students experiencing health concerns and needed to work remotely. After only two years of operation, CEWA sees a continued demand for its service.
Though the schools looking at online education due to the COVID-19 outbreak did not originally intend to offer virtual learning, it will likely lead to a discovery of benefits that may not have been previously considered. This blog provides an insight into what CEWA experienced during its transition, the advantages and peculiarities of virtual learning, and how Teams made communication and collaboration possible: "We believe that when you have strong relationships between students and teacher you get a great connection, and with a great connection you get great collaboration. Teams gives us the flexibility to collaborate in one spot," shares CEWA program manager Meredith Roe.
Share this blog with educators for insight into what it's actually like in remote learning classrooms.
Stay Connected with Teams
This video highlights how Teams helps people stay connected—even while social distancing. It briefly and visually covers a variety of Microsoft Teams features, showing you how to communicate and collaborate easily. Watch this short video to see how you can empower your team.
Sunday, April 19, 2020
Mobile Device Sharing With KIDS
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YouTube Parental Control Options
YouTube is world’s favorite video sharing application but at the same time it has become a nightmare for parents. As a parent, you have the responsibility to guide your child with basic internet ethics and safeguard from bad aspects of Internet and other applications. Please note that there is no guarantee that these safeguards will keep bad content from reaching your children's eyes, but something is at least better than nothing.
Use YouTube Kids – Using kids channel doesn’t totally make kids safe, but there can be one more way to help filter and monitor what your kids are watching on YouTube.
Set up separate accounts – Another tip is to set up separate Google (and thus YouTube) accounts for your kids, but be sure you know the passwords so you can easily monitor it. You can check their history after each session to see what they have been watching.
Use YouTube Safety Mode /Restricted mode – There is also a Safe Mode feature that many parents find useful. Safety Mode allows you to block mature content from YouTube. It is an “opt in” feature and it’s not 100% reliable. Also, savvy children will know how to turn it off. You can use it as an extra safeguard, but know that it does not guarantee ultimate safety.
To enable YouTube Restricted Mode, follow these steps:
- Log in YouTube and open the home page.
- Click your profile picture (or the blank face icon if you don't have one in your account) on the upper right-hand side of the page.
- Select Restricted Mode from the drop down menu.
- Toggle Restricted Mode on by clicking the option to the right of the line that reads ACTIVATE RESTRICTED MODE.
Note: In order to prevent your child from just turning safety mode off, go to step 4 mentioned above click Lock Restricted Mode on this browser. Repeat this process for all other web browsers that are on your computer
Make playlists – This is a good way to protect younger children from bad content available in youtube. But it may not work well for other older age groups. You can create playlists for the videos you have already watched and allow them to watch. Then, make sure your child watch only from the playlist.
Check history regularly – it is always better to regularly monitor what your child is watching by checking their history. One thing that gets many kids is the “related videos” that preload after watching something. It is very tempting for a child to just click on a related video and it might not be something safe for watching.
Watch with your kid. Simply ask your kids what they are watching and join them.
Watch by yourself. If kids don't want to share, get the name of the channel they are watching and watch it later. Watch a few videos by the same creator to get a feel for the content.
Take a role of detective. If you are concerned about the content your kid is watching on YouTube -- and you have tried talking to her -- there are ways of tracking her viewing habits. If she has a YouTube account (which only requires a Gmail address), her YouTube page will display her recently watched videos, recommended videos based on her watch history, and suggestions for channels similar to the ones she has watched. Even if your kid deletes her "watch history," the recommendations all will be related to stuff she has watched.
Subscribe. Encourage your kids to subscribe to their favorite channels rather than hunting around on YouTube for the latest ones from a specific creator. Subscribers are notified when a new video is uploaded, plus all their channels are displayed in the Subscriptions section, making it easier, and faster, to go directly to the stuff they like. Consider choosing subscriptions together, and make an event out of watching the newest uploads with your kids.
Things to be taken care while sharing Mobile with kids
- Most mobile phone company like Microsoft's Windows, Apple's Mac OS, comes with robust built-in parental controls. Use the most updated version for best results.
- Download Google Family Link, Bank, Limitly and Teensafe to control and track online activity of children.
- Most Mobile phones allow parents to turn off features, like web access, texting or downloading.
- There are mobile phones designed for children with easy to use, and have features like limited internet access, minute management, number privacy, and emergency buttons.
- Turn on web filtering
- Phone with limited internet access
- Advise kids share GPS location to Friends that the trust and not with strangers.
- Web Browsers like Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari offers different ways of filtering out websites, that you don't want your kids to visit. Learn how to set restrictions in your browser.
- Sometimes called "walled gardens," these are protected environments that fill up your entire screen (so kids can't click out of them). They typically offer games, preapproved websites, email, and various activities. Examples include Zoodles, Kido'z, andTweens Browser.
Discuss these basic safety rules before you give your child a mobile phone.
Texting
- Be respectful, both to the people you are texting with and those around you.
- Be careful. Assume that even private texts can become public.
Calling
- Verify the caller or texter. Don't respond to numbers you don't know.
Taking pictures
- Ask permission before you take someone's picture, take a video, or forward a photo.
- Don't publicly embarrass people. Don't post someone's photo -- especially an unflattering one -- from your phone without his or her permission.
Apps and downloads
- Manage costs. Make sure your kids understand that they are spending real money when they download apps, games, and music. Consider giving them an allowance for downloads or password-protecting the download function.
- Use parental controls. Depending on the age of your kid, consider using the settings to filter out age-inappropriate content, restrict downloads, and prevent in-app purchases.
Posting
- Be selective, not impulsive. Make sure kids know to be very choosy about what they post from their phones.
- Be safe. Explain the risks involved in using location services.
Facebook
What are the Dangers of Facebook?
Just like any social media, Facebook does come with potential risks and dangers. These include:
- Cyberbullying – Cyberbullying is the use of electronic equipment to bully a person. Any social media site provides a platform where cyberbullying can occur. Children may be bullied and peer pressured by their Facebook ‘friends’.
- Risk of grooming – A child may be at risk of being contacted by sexual predators if they do not take proper safety precautions. Often, predators create a fake account and pose as other children to build up a trusting relationship.
- Exposure to explicit content – Although Facebook does ban adult content, there may be a chance that some content slips through the net, which children may be exposed to.
- Over-sharing of personal information – Children need to be taught about the dangers of over-sharing. Sharing personal information and photos can reach predators’ hands.
- Exposure to radical/hate speech – Hate preachers can easily upload content onto Facebook which glorifies and comments terrorist acts and behaviors. While Facebook does have a team dedicated to monitoring and removing this type of content, things are not removed immediately due to high demand.
How to use Facebook Safely
There are certain measures you can take to ensure optimum safety on Facebook. You should show your child how to:
Use the safest privacy settings
If you access Facebook on a desktop, you should see a drop-down arrow in the top right corner. Click this for a settings option which allows you to choose your privacy settings, tagging settings, blocking, and many other features.
To ensure safety, we suggest the following settings:
- Make sure only your child’s friends can see their posts. To do this: go to ‘Privacy’ > go to the section ‘Your Activity’ > click on the edit button next to ‘Who can see your future posts?’ > set it to ‘Friends’.
- Only allow friends of friends to send friend requests. To do this: go to ‘Privacy’ > go to the section ‘How people can find and contact you?’ > click on the edit button next to ‘Who can send you friend requests?’ > set it to ‘Friends of Friends’.
- Use Timeline Review. Timeline review allows users to review what they have been tagged in, and what people try to post on their Timeline, before it appears there. This means they can hide any content they do not want their friends to see.
To set up timeline review: go to ‘Privacy’ in that go to ‘Timeline and tagging’ > go to the section ‘Who can post on your timeline?’ > set it to ‘Friends of Friends’
To enable timeline review got o ‘Privacy’ in that go to ‘Timeline and tagging’ > go to the section’ Review’ click on the edit button next to ‘Review posts that friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?’ > set it to ‘enabled’.
The settings page can also be used to adjust various account settings, such as who can see posts on the user’s timeline. Adjust the settings accordingly.
Blocking
Facebook lets users block other users, message, app invites, event invitations, apps, and pages. Your child can freely block anyone who he/she feels is harassing him, or who he does not want to be in touch with.
To manage blocking,
Go to ‘Settings’ and then go to ‘Privacy’ in that go to ‘Blocking’. This will move to the page on which you can block accounts. Simply fill in the name of a friend or app that you want to block and click ‘Block’. You can unblock users or apps in future by using this same page.
Reporting
You can report abusive or explicit content, or spam, on Facebook. You can do this for anything you are able to see, including profiles, posts, groups, and ads.
To report a post: click the drop-down arrow in the top right of the post > click ‘Report post’ or ‘Report photo’ > select the option that best describes the issue and follow the on-screen instructions. For information about how to report other issues, Facebook Help Centre provides all the details.
Reporting Concerns to Police
Unfortunately, dangerous people do exist online. If cyber-bullying or grooming involves threats of violence, sending sexually explicit messages or photos, or stalking, you can report it to the police. Ensure that you keep messages as evidence, and do not hesitate to contact 100 in the case of emergency.
Parents guide for sharing a tab
- Settings for age appropriate Games and Apps
- Location services to be disabled
- Password control in app purchases
- Disable in app purchases
- Download age appropriate apps
- Change search Engine from google to child friendly search engine
Apps guide for parents
Some apps that allow children to create and maintain online relationships raise some important safety issues:
- Chatting with strangers
Meeting and chatting with strangers online poses risks to children who might be vulnerable to grooming and online (and offline) forms of sexual abuse.
- Sharing a location
Many apps share the user’s location. This can put children at risk from others who actively seek out children with the intention of meeting in the real world. Sharing a location can also raise concerns with identity theft and privacy.
- Sending inappropriate content
With the physical barrier of a screen, some people feel more empowered to pressurize others into sending messages, often of a sexual or derogatory nature.
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