Coleman Technologies Blog

What Should You Know For Your 2022 Budget?

2022 is now here – have you started planning your technology for the new year? The sooner you get started on it, the more effective it will be.

If your IT budget isn’t going as far as you’d like, then you need to start planning it sooner rather than later. By understanding the value IT offers, you can learn how to better spend your IT budget.

IT planning is a key oversight in today’s business world...

Businesses Are Bad At Technology Planning

Despite the fact that 93% of surveyed businesses recognize that IT is strategically and operationally critical (Wakefield Research), very few are doing anything to properly plan their IT:

• 66% find that the amount they’re budgeting towards IT isn’t enough to keep up with what they need from it.
• 77% of those with less than 100 employees have found that their investments in IT are too limited
• A third of those surveyed said that less than 10% of their strategic planning was about IT

That's why you need to ensure you're planning your budget properly. That means knowing what your priorities should be, and how to invest in them.

4 Key Considerations For Your 2022 Technology Budget

Keep the following in mind when planning your investments for the coming year:

• Cybersecurity: You cannot afford to underinvest in your cybersecurity. Even a single breach can cost you tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why you should arrange for a cybersecurity assessment to double-check for any vulnerabilities and remediate them.
• Multi-Factor Authentication: The number one most effective cybersecurity investment you could make is a robust MFA solution. It will go a long way to protect your business against unauthorized access to sensitive accounts and data.
• Track Tech Lifecycles: Do you know how old your computers are? At a certain point, they will reach End Of Life, which means that you won't get bug fixes or security updates from the developers any longer.  Over time, the security and reliability of these systems will make your computers vulnerable:
  
  
  • Your computers could be infected by malware
  • Your antivirus won't be updated
  • Your online banking transaction protection may expire, and
  • Your financial data could be exposed to theft.

That’s why you need to have a detailed schedule of your hardware and operating systems’ lifecycles, so that you can plan ahead of new purchases and upgrades.

• Supply Chain Issues: Don’t forget that new technology is in high demand, and the available supply is especially low. This is due to both the pandemic and a shortage of key components. Any new technology purchases you will make will likely be more expensive and take much longer to fulfill.

Don’t Put Off Your IT Budget

With IT shifting from just another piece of equipment in the office to the core of operations and a key aspect of how you defend your business, you should designate it as a central part of your budget.

This also means that you must assess and clearly define how IT aligns with your business objectives to decide what you'll need for the coming year(s).

Proper IT budgeting will help you lay a foundation for success for the future. Using the right IT solutions can help you:

• Accelerate your business growth
• Increase your operational effectiveness
• Ensure optimal productivity from your employees
• Overcome operational challenges
• Increase collaboration and communication
• And, most importantly, stay protected!

Coleman Technologies Will Help You Plan For 2022

IT budget planning doesn't have to be a frustrating process.

Our team will develop a strategic plan specifically for your company to make sure you’re investing in the right solutions to truly help you meet your overall objectives and exceed your goals, in order to reach new heights within your business.

Effective IT planning should result in a wide range of benefits for any operation in any industry.

Benefits include:

• Increased productivity
• Minimized downtime and disruptions
• Increased and customized security measures
• Enhanced time management
• More effective communication
• The best possible return on your IT investments

Keep in mind, IT strategy isn’t a one-time thing. We can work alongside your team to provide ongoing guidance, support, and services.

Get in touch with our team to get started on your 2022 technology budget.

Your business’ software is one of its critical assets, so it really can’t also host many risks to your security and business continuity. Therefore, keeping your software up-to-date and fully patched should be a priority. Let’s go over what patch management entails and why it is so important.

What Causes Software Vulnerabilities?

Many people might incorrectly assume that, once a software is released and paid for, it won’t be the source of any major security issues from that point forward. Unfortunately, this isn’t entirely accurate. As hackers and cybercriminals work to identify vulnerabilities in the code that software developers have created, the software developers will fight back by creating patches to resolve these vulnerabilities.

This pattern continues until the software is eventually abandoned for a new and improved option, much like we’ve seen with the progression of the Windows OS. The reason that we are so adamant that everyone needs to migrate away from the antiquated Windows 7 is because hackers have had years to devise new ways of undermining its security while Microsoft has shifted focus to its later iterations of the operating system.

Regardless, this cat-and-mouse game goes on, with consumers, business owners, and IT admins caught in the crossfire.

Without consistent updates, all software titles can potentially be leveraged against the user—and with so many kinds of software in use within a business, there needs to be a process to ensure that they are all attended to on desktops, laptops, servers, and mobile devices alike. A good rule of thumb: if a software title interacts with the Internet, its software will need to be updated eventually.

Defining Patch Management

Patch management is the process by which a business ensures that updates and patches are applied to all vulnerable pieces of software. Whether it’s a productivity solution, communication and collaboration tool, digital security measure, an operating system, any kind of software under the sun could potentially be a risk that needs to be promptly addressed.

While this makes patch management an essential part of operating securely, it can be notoriously time consuming to dive into. This is why our team at Coleman Technologies utilizes cutting edge technology to see to our clients’ software solutions and keep them patched and upgraded. As a matter of fact, the technology we use keeps watch over our clients at all hours to ensure that all applicable updates are properly implemented.

Reiterating Why Patch Management Matters

Let’s touch back on Windows 7 once again, as the issues it causes are severe enough to bear repeating. As these words are first being written, almost 20 percent of PC users are still using Windows 7, despite Microsoft abandoning support for it a year ago in January 2020.

This effectively makes Windows 7 a clear and present danger for anyone using it—to the point that the Federal Bureau of Investigation effectively begged users and businesses to abandon it in a press release this past August.

For assistance with your patch management processes and the upkeep of your assorted IT solutions, reach out to the experts we have here at Coleman Technologies. Our team will be here to assist you behind the scenes, all you need to do is reach out to us at (604) 513-9428 for more information.

Email Migrations To Microsoft 365

The computing power in the cloud is breathtaking. Unlike most on-premise technologies that are costly, unreliable, insecure, and unscalable, cloud services are the exact opposite. They lower IT costs, enhance productivity, bolster security, increase business agility, among other benefits. No wonder businesses and IT leaders worldwide are grappling with replacing the "slowly dying" on-premise technologies with cloud services and applications.

One such awe-inspiring cloud-based service is Microsoft 365, an all-inclusive package of feature-packed apps tipped to revolutionize productivity, collaboration, and communication. But despite the transparent growth opportunity that the cloud presents, many organizations are still yet to migrate their critical systems and functionalities like Email. Why's that?

The migration process usually isn't child's play, especially when executed without expert assistance. Some of your employees may lag in adapting to the new email systems, enhancing data security during the transition can be tricky, and the process can take at least several months.

But provided you have the right strategy and cloud computing experts, you can effortlessly overcome the challenges and complete the migration in a breeze. This article shares some actionable tips for migrating email to Microsoft 365, plus the available methods (migration types) that you can explore. Stay tuned!

Tips and Tricks for Effective Email Migration to Microsoft 365

As you probably can tell, the email migration process is a long and tedious one, and it can be an absolute nightmare when improperly executed. Luckily, you can eliminate the pressure by implementing the following tips and tricks:

1. Do Your Background Check
Researching about Microsoft 365 can seem overwhelming from the outlook. But it's a necessary elementary step that will help you learn how everything will work and what to expect before, during, and after the email migration. It's critical to understand and forecast how your organization's everyday operations will change after the cloud transition. It's also vital to appreciate that you're about to enter a completely new environment that's different in features, functionality, and interface.

2. Create a List
Making a comprehensive checklist of the migration process is crucial to making it successful. Don't just focus on the technical aspects while failing on other areas that are equally important for the mission. Your list should have a clear-cut roadmap for:

• Informing employees and other users of the migration
• Training employees
• Gathering adoption feedback

3. Choose an Appropriate Migration Path
There are four different email migration paths (more details below) that you can choose to match your business-specific needs. These include:

• Staged migration
• Cutover or express migration
• Hybrid migration
• IMAP migration

4. Test at Every Phase
Breaking down the migration into several phases for testing purposes ensures that the process is successful and works as anticipated. We usually recommend devising a standard testing procedure for each stage involving:

• Application trials
• Sending and receiving of emails
• Migration of small amounts of data

Types of Email Migrations to Microsoft 365

There are four email migration types that you should consider when planning to transition to Microsoft 365. These include:

Cutover or Express Migration
Are you currently running on Exchange Server 2003, 2007, 2010, or 2013 and you have less than 2,000 mailboxes? If the answer is YES, then cutover or express migration is the best approach to migrate your emails to the cloud-based Microsoft 365. Here, all your on-premise resources at one go, including distribution groups, contacts, and mailboxes.

One thing to note about cutover migration is that you do not have dominion over what to select for relocation. And once the process is complete, everyone gets a Microsoft 365 account. Although cutover migration can move up to 2,000 mailboxes, the process is exceedingly time-consuming and is best broken down to at least 150 users at a time. Also, note that every user's Outlook profile will need reconfiguration to fit into Microsoft 365.

Staged Migration
A staged email migration is preferred if you have more than 2,000 mailboxes and run Exchange Server 2003 or 2007. Here, you'll be moving your on-premise resources in batches and over a controlled period. The migration process requires a Directory Synchronization tool used to replicate accounts from the on-site Active Directory database.

Staged migration's versatility makes it an excellent option for small and mid-size companies looking to ensure business continuity during the process. That's true because Microsoft 365 users will still be able to send and receive emails from users who are yet to make the transition. However, users can't access delegates and calendars under these circumstances.

Hybrid Migration
As the title suggests, hybrid migration lets you integrate both your on-site Exchange Servers and Microsoft 365 such that you can sync and manage them from both environments. With this type of migration, you can move your online mailboxes in and out of the Exchange Servers.

Consequently, you can pick which mailboxes you'd like to retain on-premise and which one you'd like to migrate to Microsoft 365. Even better, you can sync passwords and introduce one-tap sign-in, making it hassle-free for your team to access their accounts in both environments.

In essence, hybrid migration is preferred if:

• You have Exchange 2010 supporting between 150 and 2,000 mailboxes
• You have Exchange 2010 and wish to move the mailboxes in batches
• You have Exchange 2013

IMAP Migration
IMAP is an acronym for Internet Message Access Protocol, and it's a migration type that enables you to move users to Microsoft 365 from Gmail or other email systems supporting IMAP migration. Note that this type of migration doesn't depend on an Exchange Server but instead pulls data directly from your mailboxes, handing it over to Microsoft 365.

Also, IMAP only migrates emails and not any other resources like calendar items, contacts, or tasks. These extra resources usually stay intact in the original box, and users can migrate them manually should there be a need. Another point to note is that you have to create a mailbox for every user before beginning the migration process. Finally, IMAP migration is suitable if you have a maximum of 50,000 mailboxes or 5,000,000 items.

Coleman Technologies Can Help!

There's no denying it; email migration to Microsoft 365 is a time-consuming and tedious process that can take up to several months when done alone. Not to mention, there's a high-risk element involved in the course of transferring sensitive data to the cloud - and you don't want to fall prey to the unforgiving cyber threat actors.

Luckily, we can help! Coleman Technologies is a team of highly qualified, self-motivated, and certified IT professionals who take pride in helping businesses with large to small email migrations to Microsoft 365. We have the necessary resources and expertise to complete the process in a cost-efficient and timely manner while you focus on more value-adding business responsibilities.

So what are you waiting for? Call Coleman Technologies today to get a NO-COST quote for your email migration to Microsoft 365!

OpEx and CapEx

Before the dawn of cloud computing, businesses could only pay for their IT systems in one way: upfront and as a capital expenditure (CapEx). Before businesses started thinking about deployment, IT managers had to investigate everything from servers to storage and then make the purchase.

By the moment of deployment, they had already made huge investments on CapEx that would ideally last a couple of years before the subsequent upgrade cycle. Due to this fact,  IT had developed the notoriety of being a costly department for most firms since it was a required expenditure that didn't add much value to the organization.

Not only did businesses have to fork up capital costs, but IT also had to accommodate the additional maintenance costs, which accounted for a bulk of their operating budget. Consequently, IT departments are unable to innovate or upgrade, putting the entire firm at a disadvantage.

What is the Distinction?

Capital expenditures (CapEx) are large purchases made by organizations and are meant to be utilized over time. Operating expenses (OpEx), on the other hand, are the costs an organization incurs daily to keep its business running.

What is the Cloud?

On the cloud, your information is stored in massive data centers worldwide. Rather than storing your data on-site, large corporations like Amazon, Apple, and Google, store it on their expansive data farms.

Common Challenges with CapEx

Some of the challenges with CapEx include:

• Lengthy and difficult red tape
• Greater chance of errors in forecasting future capacity requirements
• Complicated and costly upgrade

What are the Benefits of Cloud Solutions?

Deploying cloud computing for your company opens you up to several advantages:

The most significant benefit is that it frees up your resources. You easily eliminate the need to maintain equipment or networking infrastructure by hosting applications and data in a third-party cloud center. This allows you to host in a more scalable, versatile, and cost-effective way.

The cloud's flexibility to adapt to changes and advancements is another apparent advantage. With a third-party cloud provider, you can instantly scale up or down and readily adapt to new developments in your corporate structure. Cloud services, in fact, are helping small enterprises compete in the big leagues. This enables the market to get more competitive, offer greater value and helps you to cut costs through process automation.

CapEx, OpEx, and the Cloud

Understanding CapEx and OpEx is critical to determining which cloud services your company needs.

Public Cloud
The public cloud is among the most popular cloud alternatives available. In this case, your cloud provider invests in CapEx. As the customer, you only make an OpEx investment-a pay-as-you-go approach. This implies that your information will be kept alongside that of numerous other organizations, and your supplier will handle all upgrades and maintenance. This is a suitable approach for companies that don't have the resources to hire an in-house IT workforce.

Private Cloud
With a Private Cloud, your in-house IT team will invest in a CapEx option before distributing the resources to other company users or divisions inside the company on an OpEx basis. You can also opt for a hybrid cloud: A hybrid cloud is a system that allows a company to use resources from both public and private clouds. A hybrid Cloud allows management through a single platform and can give your company more cost-control flexibility.

Benefits of Migrating to OpEx Solutions

There are several benefits of migrating to OpEx. They include:

More Efficient Payment Methods
With OpEx's pay-as-you-go concept, cloud computing has revolutionized how IT manages expenditure. This apparently minor adjustment has effectively switched IT expenditure from a capital to an operational expense, removing the substantial initial cost and replacing it with a predictable or predetermined monthly price.

By transferring the cost to a third party, you may start focusing on new technologies and innovative strategies to help your business cut costs and grow. This might provide your firm with a competitive advantage over your competitors or even allow you to make forays into new markets. In the long haul, shifting how a firm pays for IT may significantly influence the entire organization.

Increased Synergy With Finance
While picking between CapEx and OpEx may appear to be something that the accounting team would address, by understanding the advantages of OpEx, IT managers may be in sync with finance. Recognizing how technological investments are classified as operational vs. capital expenditures and being able to explain the distinctions to the accounting department may help both departments.

Zero Depreciation
Choosing a CapEx model means you won't have to worry about your IT resources deteriorating or becoming obsolete as new technologies emerge. Under OpEx, all maintenance and upgrades are handled by a third party.

Reduced Bureaucracy
Approving an OpEx IT budget takes much less time because you only pay minimal monthly charges. This saves numerous hours spent chasing approvals in meetings and allows for a more efficient workflow.

Up-to-date IT Services
OpEx provides several ways for your firm to access the most up-to-date IT resources and services. With a managed IT framework, you obtain a stable and secure network at economical and fixed prices. With this framework, you don't have to purchase any pricey permits.

Easy Scalability
Markets and technology are always changing. Consequently, your business processes should be scalable and adaptable to changing circumstances. With OpEx, you can easily turn services on and off, switch to new and more efficient products and quickly scale your business.

Switching to OpEx With Coleman Technologies

The difference between CapEx and OpEx is evident, and the quick speed of technology lends itself to the dynamic nature of OpEx. Are you ready to switch to OpEx? Coleman Technologies is the perfect partner to help you make this important move and enhance your IT budgeting process.

Our primary aims as your managed IT firm are to be your strategic partner, grasp your organizational objectives and concerns, and collaborate with you to develop a plan that allows your organization to pick up the pace and succeed. Reach out to us today.

Microsoft is always working towards improving the user experience across all its platform. One of the latest developments is a feature that helps you improve your presentation skills when using Microsoft Teams. On September 9, 2021, the company announced that it would introduce a speaker coach feature to Microsoft Teams, a personalized meeting coach to help you prepare for presentations.

At Coleman Technologies, we sought to find out how the software works.

How Speaker Coach Works

Microsoft announced that the feature would be available on all platforms. Initially, it was introduced in PowerPoint for the web and was ideal for professionals to make them more confident presenters. Currently, the software is available for use on all platforms, including Windows, the web, Android, iOS, and Mac.

In a hybrid work environment, your presentation skills are crucial. Speaker coach relies on AI to guide you on your pace, poor grammar, use of monotone, sensitive phrases, and lack of originality. It also notifies you when you interrupt other speakers and reminds you to check in with your audience.

With the feature, you learn to become more confident whether you are the presenter in a meeting or a participant where your input is required. At the end of the rehearsal, speaker coach provides you with a Summary Report that highlights the critical pieces of feedback to help you build on your skills and refine the areas that need polishing.

The experience sounds closely familiar to what happens when you use PowerPoint's presenter coach. In fact, the presenter coach feature in PowerPoint is now speaker coach and works for both PowerPoint and Microsoft Teams.

While speaker coach will only be available from early 2022 for Microsoft Teams, you can get the exact version of the software in PowerPoint now.

Speaker Coach in Microsoft Teams

Speaker coach on the Microsoft Teams platform will be your personalized private coach, helping you bring out your confident side into every meeting. When you activate the feature during a session, you will privately get assistance in the following ways:

• The software guides you on when to slow down and take a breath
• It will help you identify the other person talking at the same time as you so that you can stop talking and listen to what they want to say.
• The speaker coach tool provides you with a comprehensive view of data after the meeting, which entails a confidential report of the moments the software captured to help you rehearse and internalize them for the next meeting.

It's essential to remember that speaker coach in Microsoft Teams is designed for anyone attending the meeting and not only for the presenter. The reason for this is that many meetings usually have more than one speaker. So even if you will only say a few sentences during the meeting, speaker coach will help you organize your ideas and empower you to speak confidently.

Main Critiques in Speaker Coach on PowerPoint

In addition to expanding the availability of the speaker coach on various platforms, Microsoft has also developed the kind of feedback the software provides. The three main areas of critique are:

Body Language 
An excellent presentation entails a lot more than just how you speak. When presenting to an audience virtually or in person, your body presentation significantly impacts the outcome. This is why Microsoft has introduced a capability that leverages your presentation camera to provide you with feedback on your body language.

You should ensure your audience can see your face clearly when making virtual presentations. It is also good practice to maintain a stable and confident glance towards your audience, creating an appropriate gap between you and the camera when making a presentation.

The feature provides feedback in the summary report, indicating the most appropriate distance for an engaging presentation where your audience can clearly see you. It reports whether you are too far or too close to the camera and reminds you to maintain eye contact by facing the camera.

Pronunciation 
One critique area of speaker coach that helps you polish your presentation is your pronunciation. The software will advise you about the correct pronunciation of the words you speak as you rehearse. When it detects a mispronunciation, it displays the word or words and provides an experience to help you practice the correct pronunciation.

You can listen to a recorded pronunciation guide and go over it as many times as necessary until you have mastered the correct pronunciation. The good thing is that the software accounts for variations in accents, which is essential for users in Canada. You have the option to turn off the suggestions if you don't find them helpful or applicable to your case.

Repetitive Language 
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you run out of words and keep saying the same thing using different words? While you may not realize it, your audience may notice, and it can distract them. When it happens, the speaker coach software will help you identify the incidents and rectify them accordingly. By avoiding repetitive phrases or words, you can keep your presentation more engaging. Besides, you will also build a list of synonyms which you can switch for common words and phrases in your next presentation.

Tips for Using Speaker Coach

For the best experience in using speaker coach, we recommend that you keep the following in mind:

• Sign in using a Microsoft account or Microsoft 365. You can view or edit a presentation for free in a web browser if you use PowerPoint and save the file to OneDrive
• Ensure your computer has a microphone so that you can listen to your presentation
• You should connect your computer to the internet
• Rehearse in a quiet place before the actual presentation
• Take a screenshot to save a copy of the rehearsal report, without which it will disappear once you close it.

At Coleman Technologies, we hope you are excited about the availability of the speaker coach software across various platforms as we are. Its multiple features help you make better presentations for more engagement and rewarding outcomes as you collaborate with team members. If you would like any help with any part of speaker coach or Microsoft products for your business, we are here to help. Contact us today to book a consultation with our experts for Microsoft networking, Microsoft security, and Microsoft support.

This Construction Firm’s IT Company Was Charging Them Too Much For Too Little — That’s Why They Switched To Coleman Technologies
Despite how much they were paying for their IT support, this construction firm was dealing with poor system performance, vulnerable data continuity, and they even suffered a major data breach. That’s why they chose to partner with Coleman Technologies instead.

IT support, at any price, should provide value.

No matter what you’re paying for your IT services, you need to be confident it’s worth it. At the very least, that means your systems are functioning properly, your support requests are being addressed, and your business is secured against cybercrime threats.

Unfortunately, that’s not always the way it works. So many businesses put up with overly expensive and ineffective IT support. That was the case for this construction firm…

Download our complete case study here

This Construction Firm Was Being Held At Ransom By Their Construction IT Company

Prior to working with Coleman Technologies, this construction firm was struggling with its IT company. They were paying high service fees, and getting “nickel-and-dimed” on each monthly bill.

However, despite how much they were paying, they weren’t getting any value. Their servers were outdated and performing poorly. Their data wasn’t backed up properly. Their systems were vulnerable to external threats.

It wasn’t long until their systems were breached. A poorly chosen and configured firewall made it easy for cybercriminals to break into their systems and compromise their private data. When the extent of the damage became clear to this construction firm’s leadership, they decided enough was enough.

That’s when they called Coleman Technologies.

How Did We Help This Construction Firm?

Once this construction firm got in touch with us, our team came in and took stock of their IT environment. We quickly identified a number of areas that needed improvement:

• We upgraded their backup solution to Datto, ensuring they have a reliable and recent backup of their data no matter what happens onsite at their business.
• We upgraded their server, eliminating lag and other performance issues, while vastly mitigating the chance of failure and data loss.
• We upgraded their firewall to ensure it wouldn’t be breached again.
• We migrated their email from on-premise Exchange to Microsoft 365, providing them with a much more flexible and user-friendly email platform with which to communicate.

The best part is that we did all of this for the construction firm at a simple monthly flat rate. No surprise charges, no additional expenses.

Coleman Technologies Delivers High-Value IT Support

Are you in the same situation this construction firm was? You don’t have to pay high support costs for minimal results. Get in touch with the Coleman Technologies team today to lower your IT expenses and increase your ROI.

Langley BC IT Services For Growth-Focused Businesses

In the past few years, the IT industry has evolved drastically. Businesses can find various services on the market, including IT consulting, IT services, and software consulting companies. The best way to achieve your business bottom lines is to understand which service benefits you the most. But, this can become a problem if you have no idea of what.

IT services help implement solutions and provide expertise to boost your business and improve its operations. Currently, all companies rely on IT services to keep up with the fast-paced IT landscape. If you don't react quickly and accurately, you risk getting outpaced by competitors leveraging technology.

Savvy business owners focus on the future goals of their businesses. They identify the goals they want to achieve and map out the technologies they need to achieve them. IT managed service providers are critical of numerous organizations' roadmap and business success.

If you feel you don't have the right internal IT team and resources to realize your business goals, it is best to enlist consulting services and bridge the gap. You can use these managed services as a one-time project or ongoing guidance and strategic advice by working with our managed IT services.

At Coleman Technologies, we focus on helping our clients leverage state-of-the-art technological investments to boost their business performance. Talk to one of our IT specialists to set up an exploratory call and see how our technology consulting services enable you to achieve your business needs.

What IT Consulting Services Does Coleman Technologies Offer?

Coleman Technologies provides a full range of managed IT services from strategic IT planning, budgeting, compliance reviews, and security audits. Our IT consulting team will boost your local presence, deep resources, and exceptional expertise when you require expert assistance. Our top services include:

1.      IT Strategy & Planning
The most popular request service for business is assistance with strategic planning and IT organization. With planning, you understand your IT posture and execute the proper solution to suit your business demands. At Coleman Technologies, we think strategic IT is a critical competitive strength to help you invest in the right technologies and prepare your company for future changes. Our consultants work together to create a detailed plan to map out your business goals from short-term to long-term action plans that enable you to achieve those goals.

2.      I T Budgeting
After strategic IT planning, you need to build a proper budget to understand your company's needs clearly. You will work with our consultants to develop a realistic IT budget to incorporate your business assets and resources. They will ensure your budget also covers any projected costs of new technologies to deliver valuable service and enable you to achieve your bottom line.

3.      IT Assessments
All business networks develop over time as you add more layers of software and hardware for business growth. These changes are prone to causing unintended security gaps or inefficiencies.

Coleman Technologies consultants will conduct a comprehensive review and examine your business's existing technology that is helping or hindering your business. You will get a written evaluation of all critical areas that require improvements and prioritize recommendations for success.

4.      Security Risk Assessments
When your business relies heavily on technology, inherent risks involved with IT security increase. A data breach or ransomware attack can cause substantial financial, legal, and reputational damage. We offer detailed cybersecurity assessments to identify the business level of risk and define a mitigation approach to eliminate and manage threats and vulnerabilities.

5.      Cloud & Data Migration Services
The best way to leverage the current fast-paced digital world is to transfer data and applications from on-premise data centers to clouds. It reduces costs and builds redundancy, and boosts security effectively. We will help you develop the right cloud migration strategy, including robust security in place.

Our IT consulting IT experts will take you over the pros and cons. They'll help you evaluate cloud providers, manage costs, and implement a plan to create a successful cloud migration project.

6.      Governance, Risk & Compliance
Several organizations must adhere to compliance regulations set by authorities such as PCI-DSS, NIST/CMMC, HIPAA, FINRA, and ISO standards. We provide compliance-readiness risk assessments with audit preparation. We will ensure your company has a concise and well-documented framework to lead to successful industry compliance.

7.      Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery (BC/DR)
Interruptions can occur to your business at any time. To ensure your business continuity, you will need a proper disaster recovery plan to keep your company up and running throughout any crisis you may face.

At Coleman Technologies, we are a premier technology consulting firm dedicated to formulating an effective BC/DR plan encompassing how employees react to a crisis. Our services will also enable you to access critical company data, tools, and processes to perform jobs in all situations.

Benefits Of Coleman's IT Services for Langley BC Businesses

IT consultants' offers access to a wealth of unmatched talent, proven tactics, and winning process, all based on years of experience with hundreds of clients. The top benefits of IT services include:

• Expertise: Most in-house IT staff are mainly generalists. When you hire an external IT consultant, you will gain specialized skills and in-depth knowledge of your company's current solutions, tools, and capabilities.
• Reduced security risk: Businesses face several security threats. It is important to have consultants who identify and resolve security issues quickly. They work together with your team to create protocols and processes to ensure ongoing protection.
• Increased productivity: Most in-house IT teams are often overwhelmed with excess work and conflicting priorities. You can eliminate these cases by engaging an IT consultant to free up your team to focus on other critical business functions and priorities.
• Potential cost savings: IT specialists can complete several technology projects faster using fewer resources than your in-house team. These eliminate the need to invest in technological resources, allowing you to save on operational costs.

Partner With Coleman Technologies to Deliver Expert IT Consulting Services

Coleman Technologies Inc. has the best resources to serve businesses requiring support for their IT staff. We will help you enhance every aspect of your business operations with advanced IT solutions. Get reliable computer support for your Langley BC Businesses today. Contact us today to receive your risk-free quote.

YouTube is implementing a minor but crucial change that could see some of your videos on the platform being unavailable to the general public. The change affects all Unlisted videos uploaded to the platform prior to its 2017 security update. YouTube says it will make all such videos Private unless their owners take action. The company announced the change recently on its official blog and said that it will directly notify you if your video will be impacted.

In this post, we will cover more details about the change, highlighting the following areas:

• What are Unlisted videos?
• Why is this happening?
• What does the change mean for your videos?
• What can you do?

What are Unlisted videos?

Unlisted videos and playlists on Youtube are those that anyone with a link to can view and share, even if the person does not have a Google account. The videos do not appear during a normal Youtube search or in other tabs, such as the "Videos" tab of your channel's "Homepage." However, if someone adds such videos to a public playlist, they will appear in Youtube search results.

The Unlisted setting is one of the three video settings found on Youtube, with the others being "Public" and "Private." For public videos, anyone can see and share them with anyone. They typically appear in the "Videos" tab of your channel's "Homepage" and as part of search results. Private videos, on the other hand, are only visible to you and the select people you choose. They never show up in Youtube search results or in the "Videos" tab of your channel's "Homepage." Additionally, it is impossible to comment on Private videos. You have to change the setting of a Private video to "Unlisted" to allow comments on it.

Now, YouTube seeks to make all videos uploaded before January 1, 2017, Private. This means that if you own such videos and fail to take action, their total reach will reduce significantly.

Why is this happening?

According to a Google Support answer, the change is due to new YouTube security enhancements. In 2017, the company rolled out an update to the system that generates links for new Unlisted videos. The security enhancements that were part of the update made it harder for someone to discover the links to your Unlisted videos if you had not sent the links to them.

The new change will ensure that even the videos uploaded before the update will get the security enhancements. Google says the change will come into effect on July 23, 2021.

Here is how to check if some of your videos are affected:

Click this link to check the videos you uploaded before January 1, 2017. Alternatively, you can sign into YouTube Studio and do the following:

• Select "Content" from the menu on the left-hand side
• Click "Filter,'" then "Visibility," then "Unlisted," and finally "Apply"
• Choose to sort by upload date by clicking "Date"

What does the change mean for your videos?

The Unlisted videos you uploaded before January 2017 will automatically appear under the Private settings. This means that you have to do nothing if you want them to become Private. The videos will not appear during normal search results, nor will they be visible in the "Videos" tab of your channel's homepage.

The following will also apply:

• Once your Unlisted videos become Private, the people who previously had a link to any of them will no longer be able to view or share them
• Any video that you embedded in a website or app will cease being viewable
• You will only be able to share the Private videos to no more than 50 email addresses. The people you share the videos with have to own a Google account to view them
• The comments made when the video was Unlisted will no longer be available when the video becomes Private. However, they will not be deleted and will return when you make the video Public or Unlisted.

What can you do?

If any of your video content is affected by this change, it could negatively impact your business. From tutorials or product release videos, current and potential customers and partners could miss out on a lot of content. However, all is not lost. There are several steps you can take as listed below:

• Do nothing. If you take no action, Youtube will go ahead and make the video Private, starting July 23, 2021. This action will mean that only you and your selected group of viewers will be able to access and view the video. It will cease to work on any websites or apps where you have embedded it. However, even after the change takes place, you can continue and change the video's privacy settings at Youtube Studio whenever you want to.
• Opt out of the change. You can opt out if you want your Unlisted video to remain with the same privacy settings it currently has. To opt out your channel, ensure that you have filled this form before July 23, 2021, and keep your video in its Unlisted state. This is advisable if you use your Unlisted videos as you would the Public ones, such as by sharing them on social media or implanting them on third-party sites. When you opt out, your videos will not enjoy the benefits of the new security update, but the links will continue functioning as they do currently.
• Make your unlisted video public. Anyone who can access YouTube will be able to view the video, either in your channel homepage's "Videos" list or as part of search results.
• Re-upload the Unlisted video as a new Unlisted video. This action allows you to benefit from the new security update and still retain your video as Unlisted. To do this, download the video that you want to retain as Unlisted under the new YouTube settings and then re-upload it. The only downside that comes with this alternative is that data linked to the original upload such as likes, views, and comments, won't feature in the new upload. You will also have to upload any links you have used to embed the video on an app, third-party site, or social media to direct towards the re-uploaded video.

Coleman Technologies can help!

When you are running a business, it could be difficult to have a lot of focus on supporting aspects like digital marketing. This could make you miss out on important updates, such as the YouTube change highlighted in this post. Ultimately, this could have a negative impact which can include even losing money in the form of potential clients and partners. This is why you should rely on a strategic technology partner like Coleman Technologies.

We are a wholesome IT support company that can offer dedicated services that fit your industry's unique needs. Contact us today to learn how partnering with us can help with all your information technology, not just servers, routers, and firewalls. We can help with all your business IT needs.

Coleman Technologies Delivers Onsite Support ANYWHERE In BC

Can’t get the expert IT support you need outside of Vancouver? Coleman Technologies will help—we’re proud to provide field technician support throughout the province.

No matter where your BC business is located or where your team is working, when you need IT support, you need it fast.

Unfortunately, many IT companies limit their support capabilities to major cities like Vancouver, Victoria, and Kelowna. What are you supposed to do when you need expert and responsive IT support somewhere else?

Unavailable IT Support Will Hurt Your BC Business

IT that’s too slow or simply unavailable will quickly lead to a range of consequences:

• Impermanent Solutions: When your IT support charges by the hour, they’re encouraged to focus on billable hours. It doesn't benefit them if your tech is working the way it should. You could find yourself repeatedly calling them to help with a problem that never quite gets resolved.
• Rapid Escalation: A minor computer problem can quickly turn into a disaster. This is especially true today with the increase in cybercrime like ransomware. What starts out with just one malicious email can spread throughout your entire network, locking down your data, and your operations.
• Cost Of Downtime: A non-managed IT services provider will start charging you after you've already lost work hours—time spent on repairs or updates can add up fast.

These are just a few of the reasons why you need prompt and in-person IT support. Allow Coleman Technologies to help…

Coleman Technologies Partners With Field Nation To Deliver IT Support Across BC

The Coleman Technologies team is proud to partner with Field Nation in order to better serve clients all across the province. Whether you’re in Abbotsford, Castlegar, or anywhere else in BC, we can get boots on the ground to help you assess and remediate IT issues in person.

Field Nation allows us to access a deep roster of experienced and knowledgeable technicians located all across the province. If and when you encounter an issue, we can dispatch the necessary support personnel directly out of your local region. This ensures a fast response and effective solution to your IT problem.

Working with Coleman Technologies, you won’t be relying on generic IT support. Field Nation’s network of technicians offer a long list of certifications and specialties. No matter what systems you rely on or which specific line of business apps you’re encountering issues with, we can match the right technician to the job.

Team Up With Coleman Technologies For Responsive Onsite Support—No Matter Where Your BC Business Is

With support from Coleman Technologies, you can rely on an expert network of technicians ready to deliver assistance when and where you need it.

Don’t rely on unavailable IT support, or inefficient remote assistance. Coleman Technologies will get you the help you require.

Call us to get started.

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows 11

Microsoft has officially rolled out a new Windows 11 starting October 5, 2021. The new Operating System is packed with several top-notch features, including a new user interface, a redesigned start menu, updated Microsoft Store widgets, and more. If you are using a Windows PC for your business in Canada, you probably wonder how the upgrade will affect you. Coleman Technologies has researched common Windows 11 questions and assembled the following answers:

What Is Windows 11?

Windows 11 is the successor of Windows 10 and the latest Microsoft Windows OS. It is the first-ever new release of a Windows OS since Windows 10 was unveiled in 2015. Ideally, Windows 11 is a free upgrade. However, unlike in past releases, Microsoft has imposed stricter eligibility requirements that will likely exclude hundreds of millions of PCs running Windows 10.

When Will I Get Windows 11?

Windows 11 update began rolling out on October 5, meaning you can get it now if your device is compatible. Microsoft says the OS will be released in a phased approach on eligible devices through to mid-May 2022. Notably, the newer your device, the sooner you are likely to access the new Operating System. This means users with older PCs will have to wait longer to access the update.

What Are the Minimum System Requirements for Windows 11?

If your computer is three years old or less, the device is likely to meet Windows 11 system requirements. Computers older than three years may not run the new OS. Although Microsoft usually practices backward compatibility that allows old computers to run the new OS, they have changed their policy with the new Windows 11. The new OS has several minimum system and hardware requirements, including:

• Storage: 64 GB or larger storage device.
• Processor: A minimum of 1 gigahertz (GHz)
• System firmware: Microsoft reveals you must have a UEFI, and Secure Boot capable firmware. It should also be compatible with a 64-bit processor or system on a Chip (SoC).
• Graphics card: Compatibility with DirectX12 or earlier version. It should also come with a WDDM 2.0 driver
• Memory: 4GB RAM
• Display resolution: You need a display with a high definition resolution of 720p. It should be more than 9" diagonally, with 8 bits per colour channel.
• TPM requirements:  Current TPM version 2.0
• Internet connection: You must have internet connectivity and a Microsoft account to set up the Windows 11 Home edition.

Additionally, your device should be running Windows10 version 2004 or later to upgrade.

What Prevents Older PCs from Running the New OS?

The main restrictions preventing many users with older PCs from running the new OS are the CPU and TPM requirements. While most modern computers come with built-in TPM, older devices don't. Ideally, Trust Platform Modules or TPM are security chips helping reinforce security in your IT environment. Microsoft reveals it is imposing stricter system and hardware requirements for the new OS to address a range of performance and security concerns.

How Will I Know My Computer Is Compatible with Windows 11?

The following are the ways to check if your Windows 10 PC is eligible for the free upgrade to windows 11:

• Download the Microsoft PC Health check app and check whether your device is eligible. If not, the app provides details as to why your device is not compatible.
• Use third party open-source apps such as  WhyNotWin11 to check for compatibility

How Often Will Windows 11 Get Feature Updates?

Unlike the past releases, the crucial change with the Windows 11 era is not in software. Instead, you should focus more on what Microsoft refers to as a "servicing shelf" that will now produce servicing upgrades once per year instead of the frenetic two times a year update schedule typical of Windows 10. The support calendar, commonly referred to as Windows lifecycle, has also been pushed out. Microsoft is now providing 24 months of support for Home, Pro, Pro for Workstations, and Pro Education editions instead of the current 18 months. Users in business and education environments will access six months of support for enterprise and Education editions. Notably, the security updates continue arriving on the second Tuesday of each month.

How Much Will Windows 11 Cost?

At the moment, the upgrade to Windows 11 is free on any computer with a genuine licensed copy of Windows 10. Currently, Microsoft has not announced the prices for Windows 11 commercial editions. However, experts believe the prices will be similar to those of the corresponding Windows 10 edition.

Will My Current Apps and Hardware Devices Work with Windows 11?

Most of your existing apps and devices working with Windows 10 will work fine under Windows 11. The new OS is largely similar to its predecessor, and any differences should not present any significant issues. However, you can check compatibility of a device or app using the latest Windows Insider preview.

Can I Download My Favourite Android Apps on Windows 11?

One of the biggest updates in Windows 11 is the ability to download Android apps. The Microsoft Store has been refreshed to enable you to download Android apps via the Amazon AppStore integrated into the Windows Store. However, the feature is currently unavailable in the launch version of Windows 11, but it will be made available next year.

What Are the New Features in Windows 11?

There are myriads of features coming into Windows 11. Specifically, Windows have made notable tweaks in the new Operating System to make it more useful in the current hybrid work model. Some of the notable features include:

• Added integration with Microsoft 365 services like SharePoint, Teams, and OneDrive.
• A brand-new user interface (UI) design boasting unmatched simplicity and ease of use
• The Edge browser now has a safe Kids Mode
• New productivity features such as the new "Snap Navigator" menu designed to drop down from an app window's max button
• A new Chat app built right into the Taskbar for sharing files, texts, and videos with colleagues, friends, and family via Microsoft Teams
• A redesigned Explorer to make it more intuitive
• An improved Settings app. Quick Actions changed to Quick Settings and will appear once you click on the System icons located on the far right of the Taskbar.
• Introduction of new gaming technologies: Auto HDR and DirectStorage.

Should I Upgrade My Current PC to Window 11?

At Coleman Technologies, we recommend that businesses wait a little longer before upgrading their existing Windows 10 machines. Ideally, Microsoft will continue providing support for Windows 10 until October 14, 2025. This means you have four years to evaluate the new OS's stability, performance, and security levels. Notably, new operating systems may be less stable during the nascent stages, with a higher likelihood of some stability and performance issues being discovered once they are in wide usage. The stability of a system is crucial to the success of your business, and it is best to wait a little longer than implement rushed changes.

If you have further questions, don't hesitate to contact Coleman Technologies. Coleman Technologies provides reliable computer support for British Columbia local businesses. We support all Microsoft front and back-office services and desktop products, including Windows 10 and 11 operating systems. Contact us today to learn more about our Windows 11 support services.

Everything You Need to Know About the New macOS Monterey

The latest upgrade to Apple's macOS operating system, macOS Monterey, was launched on June 7 at the 2021 Worldwide Developers Conference. macOS Monterey is a lighter update than macOS Big Sur, but it still offers several notable new features that enhance the Mac experience. The update includes features already present in iOS, including a rebuilt Safari and Shortcuts. Other additions, such as SharePlay and Universal Control, which were revealed at WWDC, will not be available until later this year. Aside from the new features, Apple assured users that macOS Monterey would support the widest variety of Macs ranging from the latest iMacs to the intel-based Macs.

macOS Monterey Features

According to Apple, the new update brings new and exciting ways to share, connect, increase efficiency, and operate seamlessly across Apple devices. Some capabilities, however, will only be accessible on Macs with the M1, M1 Pro, and M1 Max models, indicating that Apple is already moving away from Intel-based Macs.

Universal Control
This convenient tool allows you to switch between Mac and iPad using a single mouse and keyboard. Using a trackpad on your MacBook will enable you to smoothly transition to your IOS devices. You can also drag files and drop them between iOS devices. You don't have to configure anything; you only have to place your devices close together and drag your cursor between the devices. This could turn out to be one of macOS 12 Monterey's most valuable new capabilities.

Facetime
The way we work and interact has changed dramatically in the last year, and video chats are now highly essential. Consequently, it's exciting to see the update improve FaceTime with additional capabilities. This includes spatial audio capability (a prominent feature of Apple's launch presentation), which means that the audio feels like it's coming from the individual's spatial location.

The update also incorporates Voice Isolation which employs artificial intelligence to remove background noise and make sound crisp, clearer, and simpler. On the other hand, the Wide Spectrum does the reverse and boosts all ambient noises (including voices), which might be advantageous in some situations where you need to hear acoustic signals where people are.

Perhaps, even more impressive is the option to invite any person to join a FaceTime call, including individuals using Microsoft and Android gadgets, and they too are set to enjoy end-to-end encryption.

Airplay
AirPlay is now available for use on Mac. You can now seamlessly use your MacBook or Mac as a speaker or video output. Users can expand or mirror the output of an Apple device to a Mac with this, and since it supports 2 Macs, a Mac can use another Mac as an external monitor. Until recently, this was only possible with Target Display Mode.

Shortcuts
Shortcuts are now available on Mac, enabling you to automate routine tasks. You can either customize your shortcuts or use pre-made ones. These shortcuts can be invoked through Siri, and you can import Automator workflows using Shortcuts. The menu panel, Finder, and Spotlight are all integrated with shortcuts in macOS 12 Monterey.

Safari 15
The Safari browser has been overhauled for this new update. Browser tabs are now more compact, the toolbar has been polished, and tab grouping is now possible. This stores and organizes tabs for convenient access. This is useful for folks who find themselves surfing with plenty of tabs open simultaneously.

The groups can be labelled and accessed from any device. If you alter the groups on your Mac, they will simultaneously change on your iPad and iPhone. You can also find certain websites using the search box, and the Tabs bar automatically changes colour based on the page you're visiting.

In the new update, Safari's Intelligent Tracking Prevention has been upgraded to deter trackers from monitoring and profiling you based on your IP address. Safari will also proactively upgrade sites that support HTTPS compared to the less secure HTTP.

Notes
The Notes app has been modified to make note organization and collaboration easier. You may take notes from any application or website with the Quick Note function, and you can also integrate links from Maps or Safari. Multiple users can also collaborate on notes and make their own contributions. The new Activity View makes it easy to find people's edits, and you can add tags to make it even easier to find them afterwards.

Focus
The new Focus feature in macOS 12 Monterey is a robust do not disturb mode for Mac devices. Notifications can be screened out based on your current activity. You can configure your status so that others know you don't desire to be interrupted. Any Focus configurations will reflect on all your devices.

Messages for You
A new "Shared with You" option in the Messages app moves items you've received in Messages to the appropriate app. For instance, if someone shares an Apple Music song, the music will appear in Apple Music's For You tab. When someone sends a website link, it appears in your Safari start page's "Shared With You" area.

Maps
Apple has updated its Maps app yet again, this time adding even more detail in select locations and improving the visibility of roads, neighbourhoods, vegetation, and buildings. Major cities such as Los Angeles and New York are given a more detailed city perspective. There's a new 3D view with 3D sights like the Golden Gate Bridge, as well as an interactive globe for globe-trotting. Apple has improved details for mountain ranges, seas, deserts, and more around the world.

Live Text and Visual Lookup
Like Google Lens on Android, the Mac Update has added Live Text and Visual Lookup Capabilities. Live Text is a function that allows you to pick, copy, and paste text from photographs. When you photograph a receipt, macOS Monterey identifies the text and converts it into a digital text format that can be copied and pasted. This works with typed and handwritten text and URLs, phone numbers, and addresses. This tool uses on-device text identification, so no personal data leaves your Mac.

The new Visual Look Up function can recognize locations, works of art, among other images. This feature is available in the Photos app for photos you've shot, but it also works on the web and in other apps. Right-click on an image and select "Look Up," and your Mac will try and figure out what it is using machine learning.

There you go. With our comprehensive guide, you can now get the most out of your new macOS update. If you want more details, or desire a great IT partner, reach out to Coleman Technologies today.

Outsourcing Critical IT Functions

In today's digital business environment, almost every organization requires technology to run its operations and improve efficiency. But, the initial cost of acquiring and maintaining the necessary IT assets can escalate quickly. So, outsourcing your business's IT needs to an established third party can help you keep the costs low without compromising on the quality of services you provide. Outsourcing critical IT functions come with several benefits, including saving time and money. Instead of investing in a full-fledged in-house IT department and wasting time worrying about complex IT functions, you can outsource them so you can find enough time to focus on the core aspects of your business.

Why Outsourcing Critical IT Functions is Beneficial

Here are some ways your business could benefit from outsourced IT services in British Columbia:

Managed Risks
Dealing with employee turnover can be very disruptive to the operations of your business, leading to huge business losses. But, through outsourcing, you get to enjoy consistency because the IT service provider will always be there to provide you with the IT support that your team needs. When your internal team gets the support they need, they can free up enough time to focus on what they're best skilled at. Furthermore, experienced IT service providers will deliver tailored IT solutions that meet the specific needs of your business.

Supports Business Growth
The process of growing your business technologically can be costly, time-consuming, and very painful. It's even more challenging to adapt to certain tech changes and keep up with business growth. Thankfully, when you supplement your internal IT team with the expertise of professional IT service providers, you get the boost you need to survive the current trends in IT.

Reduces Overhead Costs
Credible providers of IT services charge a flat monthly fee. Since the IT specialists from the service provider are not on your payroll, outsourcing IT functions will significantly reduce overhead costs by eliminating the cost of hiring, training, and maintaining an in-house IT team. You don't have to worry about health insurance, employee benefits, and paid leaves anymore.

Gives you Broader Access to IT Solutions

Internal IT teams require costly IT infrastructure to operate optimally. But, when you choose to outsource some or all of your IT functions, you gain access to a broader pool of resources that would otherwise be out of reach or too expensive for your limited resources.

The Critical IT Functions To Outsource

The duties and responsibilities of internal IT teams can sometimes be overwhelming. IT service providers have the right resources to meet the needs and expectations of your IT teams. With the right managed IT services provider, you'll be better placed in responding to your daily user issues. The service provider will support your internal IT team in areas such as:

•    Remote monitoring
•    Responding to user requests
•    Handling account configurations
•    Recovering lost files
•    Handling product upgrades
•    Ticketing management
•    Installing network resources
•    Conducting system updates
•    Implementing virtual servers for different departments
•    Configuring security solutions and firewall

Network Security 
Cyber-attacks have become a big concern for small businesses that have limited budgets to build a robust cybersecurity posture. A managed IT service provider with the right threat intelligence and security experts will help you find the right technology solutions to tighten your cybersecurity. The cost of accessing these vital technology solutions is prohibitive for small business owners who are under pressure to achieve their business objectives with their limited potential. Besides, without the right industry knowledge and skill set, choosing the right solutions to help you protect the business from cybercriminals can be challenging.

Therefore, it's crucial that you hire MSPs that can help you with email security, firewall management, threat detection, and vulnerability testing & assessment. The right company will take the burden of deploying, integrating, and monitoring cybersecurity tools off your shoulders. That also means that you won't have to worry about relying on outdated cybersecurity tools that may become obsolete and expose you to cybercrime threats.

Special IT Projects 
IT experts from established MSPs know how to identify the critical aspects and requirements of any special IT project. Since they can quickly draw the lines of responsibilities in your special IT projects, you can rest assured that the handling of the entire project is in safe hands. The specialists will further define various escalation procedures with your internal IT team to prevent resource and time wastage. The MSPs will work dutifully in negotiating with various carriers and vendors to help your business's network expand exponentially without compromising the predetermined performance requirements.

The IT service provider will conduct a site survey and prepare and coordinate all necessary systems to ensure that all performance requirements are properly set up for a smooth process. The service provider will also perform acceptance testing procedures on all your equipment in order to minimize disruptions to your day-to-day operations. The outsourcing firm can help your internal IT team manage the following processes:

•    Desktop rollouts
•    VoIP calls
•    Server migrations
•    IT compliance
•    Network upgrades
•    Cloud deployments

Network Management 
It's important to ensure that your network is constantly managed so that your internal IT team can seamlessly analyze data and configure changes to enhance performance and reliability. However, investing in an effective network management system suitable for your business can be very expensive. You can ensure that your critical devices, switches, wireless controllers, routers, and access points are being monitored around the clock. IT MSPs have the resources, experience, and expertise to handle all these critical functions for you at a fraction of the cost.

Moreover, the service providers will also provide you with network automation. This means you won't have to configure, deploy, manage repetitive tasks, and worry about operating both virtual and even physical devices manually. In general, automation has helped many businesses across the globe save time and become more efficient.

Final Thoughts

Outsourcing critical IT functions serve as a one-stop solution for almost all your IT-related needs. You'll have peace of mind knowing the right IT experts are in charge of your crucial business IT needs. Working with Coleman Technologies IT specialists makes the process of aligning your business goals easier while remaining relevant and competitive on the market. If you're looking for the right IT partner to help and manage your critical IT functions, contact our IT specialists today for more information.

New Microsoft Teams Features - January 2022

Microsoft Teams is an integral tool in the Microsoft 365/Office 365 that provides a collaborative workspace, enabling teams to start conversations, collaborate remotely on various projects, share documents and video chats – all aimed at improving productivity within a central, unified suite of tools.

The COVID-19 pandemic forced many enterprises and small businesses to adopt a work-from-home strategy, and MS Teams became a mainstay for many companies looking for workplace productivity and collaboration in remote working environments.

New Microsoft Teams Features and How to Use Them for Improved Team Collaboration and Productivity

To continue providing productivity-centric solutions within its Office 365 Teams suite, Microsoft has added a host of new capabilities to the tool, its chat, and virtual conferencing hub to make video conferencing more reliable among collaborative teams. However, to exploit the maximum potential of these tools, it would be best to use the Windows or macOS MSTeams desktop app included in the Microsoft 365/Office 365 suite. The mobile or free consumer versions usually have these tools in limited supply.

So, what are these new tools, and how can you use them to optimize your video-conferencing and virtual chats to your productivity goals?

Breakout rooms
Just like you'd have smaller meetings within a larger physical meeting, MS Teams breakout rooms offer the virtual version of that. It allows you to create mini-meetings where a section of co-workers can prep, confer, or compile critical agendas to present in the ongoing larger video conference. The breakout rooms feature meeting tools, such as video feeds, audio, screen-sharing, and a chat plane.

Breakout room creations are only limited to meeting organizers with breakout room manager access. You can access Teams breakout rooms feature during a virtual meeting by clicking the Breakout room icon located above the larger square on the interface's top-right corner. You can create one or multiple breakout rooms and assign tasks to team members manually or automatically.

As the initiator, you can also create breakout rooms before a meeting by accessing the meeting invite on Teams online. You also have the privilege to name breakout rooms, set meeting timelines, make announcements to various mini-meetings, and enter or leave breakout rooms. Simply click Breakout rooms > Create rooms to set up a virtual mini-meeting.

Enhanced Microsoft Whiteboard
Microsoft whiteboards have been part of MS Teams for several years, allowing team members to add texts and other infographics (images, charts, diagrams, etc.) to the whiteboard. Still, Microsoft improved the tool by adding 40+ templates, enabling users to insert images, documents, inking enhancements, and response icons.

To enable Teams whiteboard, hover your cursor to the meeting window's upper right section and click the Share Content icon. In the resulting panel, click Microsoft Whiteboard. Alternatively, you can add a whiteboard to any of your Teams channels before or after a meeting. To do that, open the channel and press the + icon above the channel; it opens an "Add a tab" panel, click the Whiteboard icon. Title the whiteboard in the resulting pane and press the "Save" button on the pane's lower right to add the whiteboard on the channel.

Integrated Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART) captioning 
Previously, meeting managers had to view CART captioning from a secondary window. Still, the new improvement enables video-conferencing initiators to view comments coming from a CART provider from the same MS Teams meeting window. That allows you to remain attentive to the meeting presentations without clicking a separate window to view captions.

You can access the CART function using Microsoft Teams' built-in captioning, which you can enable or disable from the meeting controls. Click more options > Turn on live captions/Turn off live captions.

Additionally, meeting organizers can switch to various languages. To do that, click the Caption Settings denoted by the "…" icon on the right side. Select Change spoken language > Choose the language spoken during the meeting > Confirm. There are over 28 language options, including Canadian English.

Spotlighting specific people
In a meeting where prominent figures/leaders have to address team members, the organizer can spotlight them and have their video feed positioned prominently onscreen. This feature lets you spotlight up to seven individuals during a meeting.

To put a participant in spotlight, right-click their video and click Spotlight or Add spotlight (if at least one participant has been spotlighted already). Instead, you can click Show Participants (indicated by the two-person icon) on the toolbar at the top of the screen. It opens a full list of all meeting participants. Right-click on a participant's name and choose Spotlight from the menu.

Removing a spotlighted person follows the same procedure – right-click on their video and select Stop spotlighting from the menu. You can also do that from the Show participants log.

Content from camera
Microsoft Teams' Content from camera activates intelligent capture that enables you to cast a physical whiteboard, book, or document on the meeting window in a high-quality and high-resolution presentation. You can do that by enabling your laptop's camera, an external webcam, or a document camera. It also has special effects that make your body appear slightly transparent to avoid blocking the contents of the cast object.

Activating the feature is easy. Direct the pointer to the upper right of the meeting window and click Share content (up arrow icon) > Content from camera > Document, Whiteboard, or Video. In a separate window, you'll get instructions on focusing the camera on the whiteboard or document. Once you've positioned the camera properly, the feature will automatically enhance the content legibility. Afterward, click the Share button to start your presentation on the meeting window.

Presenter mode
While the "Content from camera" from camera feature only focuses on the document being presented, MS Teams presenter mode combines your video feed and the document under presentation on the same window. You can choose among three presenter-mode layouts:

• Standout – Removes background items behind your video feed, replacing them with the content you're presenting.
• Reporter – It's similar to a TV news report, where the content goes above your right shoulder.
• Side-by-side – As the name suggests, the screen is separated into two sides. Your video feed goes to one side and the presentation on the other.

To activate presenter mode, access the Share content icon (up arrow) on the top-right section of the meeting window. Click Presenter mode and select the icon of the layout you prefer. Choose your presentation item under the "Screen" or "Window" option in the panel.

Call quality monitor
The Outlook Teams call quality monitor helps meeting organizers to troubleshoot any issues with video or audio feeds. To do that, click More Options indicated by the "…" icon. Click Call Health from the drop-down menu, which opens a sidebar detailing the quality status of your video, audio, network, and screen sharing.

Virtual hand-raising keyboard shortcuts
Like a physical meeting, Teams online allows meeting participants to raise their hands virtually to signal the meeting presenter that they have a query or comment. Microsoft added keyboard shortcuts to activate the raise hand feature to make that hassle-free.

To raise or lower your hand, or identify other people who've raised their hands, click Shift + K (Windows) or ⌘Shift + K (macOS). Alternatively, you can enable the screen reader to read out the names of participants who've raised their hands. You can do that on Windows by clicking Ctrl + Shift + L or ⌘ Shift + L on MacOS.

Need help leveraging Microsoft Teams' new features? Partner with Coleman Technologies

If you'd like professional support integrating Microsoft Teams into your collaborative strategy, Coleman Technologies is here to help. We are a reputable managed IT service provider in the British Columbia lower mainland with professional experts ready to provide quality training on how to use MS Teams and its new features for improved communication, collaboration, and productivity. Visit us online today, or contact us at (604) 513-9428 to speak with our sales representative.

Thanks to our colleagues at Pure IT, a Calgary IT support company for their help with this article.

A Brief History in IT Security (And Why it Matters to SMBs)

Over the past two decades, IT technology has altered the business topography making it easier to produce, collect, and collaborate on data. However, the use of modern-day, internet-connected equipment for any purpose opens your business up to threats. Whether you simply use email for business correspondence, or your point-of-sales solution integrates with your website’s ecommerce system, protecting your data and infrastructure from online threats isn’t something you want to skip.

Without going too deep into the nerdy details of cybersecurity, let’s take a brief look at where the world is at so far:

• In 1988, computer scientist and entrepreneur Robert Tappan Morris developed the first computer worm that self-replicated across the Internet. This worm single-handedly caused an Internet blackout.
• In the 1990s, computer viruses were quickly becoming widespread and were getting a lot of media coverage. You might remember the ILOVEYOU and Melissa viruses that infected tens of millions of PCs. None of these viruses really had any clear objective other than causing disruption.
• These viruses led to the development of Internet security companies and antivirus solutions. It also started to build awareness for online security threats, which only led to trickier types of malware and threats.
• Email was (and still is) one of the prominent ways viruses were spread, so businesses that relied on email were just as susceptible to online threats, however businesses started to have more at stake. If emails were compromised, the integrity of the business, or at the very least, the level of security of the business, would be questioned by clients and prospects.
• During the 2000s, internet threats started to become more organized and strategic. No longer were viruses just an annoying nuisance that spread haphazardly. Instead, many major threats were identified that had serious financial objectives.
• Starting in 2005, Criminal organizations were targeting retail outlets, syphoning credit card information. One of the first and largest was when 45.77 million credit cards were stolen from TJ Maxx, costing the company $256 million to repair damages.
• Finally, businesses were starting to take cybersecurity more seriously, because there were clear and heavy consequences for falling victim to an attack.
• Today, it hasn’t gotten any better. Over the past few years, huge brands like Sony, Target, Apple, Premera Blue Cross, Anthem, Chick-fil-A, Kmart, Dairy Queen, and even the US Postal Service have been targets of very successful, very aggressive, and very expensive hacks.
• With the massive popularity of mobile devices, smartphones and tablets are now being targeted more than ever. It’s estimated that 11% of all smartphone users get hacked each year, and that number is expected to rise.
• Don’t forget data theft. Laptops, tablets, and smartphones are extremely susceptible to this. Beyond the physical device being stolen, hackers can easily intercept data being sent from a mobile device over insecure Wi-Fi hotspots like those found in coffee shops, trade shows, and hotels.

Of course, these are all the big names we’ve heard in the media. Smaller companies don’t get the same publicity (thank goodness), but smaller companies are actually at a higher risk because they tend to have little to no defense. While a criminal organization might like to steal the data of 56 million customers from Home Depot, several hundred records from a small business can be done in a fraction of the time.

The points to take away from this are that cybercriminals are becoming smarter and more organized, and that it doesn’t matter how big or small your business is.

Protecting Your Business

To protect your business today, it takes several different approaches. There’s no single answer or software to purchase that will protect you from each type of risk. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean that throwing money and solutions is going to protect your assets.

Beyond the security measures in place, a sense of awareness needs to come into play. You and your staff need to keep security top-of-mind, and rely on an IT security consultant when questions arise.

Let’s start with the basics - the solutions on your network that should handle the heavy-lifting of your IT defense plan.

Backup and Business Continuity Planning

While data backup isn’t really a preventative security measure, it is a major player when it comes to your security plan, as well as a fundamental piece of your business continuity plan. A managed, properly monitored backup solution is basically the last line of defense. If all else fails, at least you can restore your data. It should be hoped that you never need to come down to this, because if you are compromised, much of the damage is already done, but if you are compromised and your data is gone, there’s little chance of survival.

Your backup solution should store data securely offsite, and backups should be ran regularly, several times per day. Other features to look for in a good backup solution would be fast restore times (image-based backups instead of file backups), versioning, and virtualization capabilities.

Managed Antivirus

A staple of traditional IT security, having antivirus properly installed and managed across your entire network will prevent the millions of different viruses and basic threats that cause computer downtime and other issues. Antivirus isn’t going to prevent more targeted attacks, but all businesses should have it in place.

Although there are plenty of great free antivirus solutions for home users, your business will want a solution that is centrally deployed and managed to ensure virus definitions and other updates are always in place, and that scans are ran regularly.

Firewall

Equipping a centrally controlled firewall will block incoming attacks. Not to be confused with the software-based firewalls that piggy-back on many antivirus suites, a business-class firewall typically sits on your network between your other devices and the wild Internet.

Spam Protection

As mentioned before, email is one of the main ways threats get into your business. Although most email clients have decent spam filtering, junk email is still getting into your organization. Utilizing a separate spam filter solution blocks these threats from getting delivered.

Secure WPA2 Wi-Fi

Unsecure Wi-Fi can give a user full access to your network and your data. Although this only opens you up to localized threats (the user has to be within range of your company Wi-Fi), ensuring that your routers are locked down and secure is a best practice. Many modern routers have this functionality built-in, it just needs to be properly configured.

Secure VPN Access

Data theft is a huge problem when traveling. Wireless hotspots, like those found at airports, coffee shops, and hotels can be very insecure. Hackers can easily intercept your data without your knowledge. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) solution lets you access your company files and applications securely without transmitting sensitive data. This also means that sensitive data doesn’t need to be stored on the device.

Mobile Device/BYOD Policies

With the widespread usage of devices like smartphones and tablets, employees are becoming much more likely to use these devices for work. This can improve communication, collaboration, and productivity, however there are downsides certain precautions aren’t put into play. Your organization needs to develop a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy with specific rules corresponding to the storage and transferring of company data on personal mobile devices. These policies need to be read and understood by all employees, and enforced by the organization.

While you don’t want to be so strict that you prevent engaged users from utilizing their own smartphones or tablets for work, you need to enforce the protection of your data (and your clients’ data). Setting up the ability to remotely wipe a lost or stolen device, or revoke the access to company email if the employee quits is a good start, while establishing document management solutions like cloud hosting or a VPN provides even more incentive to follow best practices.

Industry-specific Compliances

Depending on your business, there may be other regulations and compliances that you need to meet. It’s best to cover these on a case-by-case basis, as each regulation will have very specific requirements. We highly recommend you reach out to the IT security experts at Coleman Technologies for an evaluation.

Ongoing Management, Updates, and Testing

What good is a smoke detector if the batteries are dead? The same goes for IT security that isn’t properly managed, kept updated, and regularly tested.

Don’t wait for a security breach or data loss to start thinking about IT security. To get started, and to find out what it would take to establish the solutions found in our fundamental IT defense plan, give us a call at (604) 513-9428.

US Banks Targeting British Columbia Business Owners

Businesses in British Columbia are reporting an increase in US-based banks targeting them with fraudulent SMS messages in recent weeks. Phishing efforts, or spam texts, fool the receiver into giving their financial or personal information. It's not uncommon for the text message to have an embedded link that takes the receiver to a fake website that closely resembles the genuine thing.

The fraudsters may then access the victim's account and take their money once the victim has entered their login details. Businesses in British Columbia are encouraged to look for this sort of scam, which is growing more widespread.

HOW CAN YOU PROTECT YOURSELF

1. Don't interact
Having an opponent with no name or face may be frightening, particularly when we rely on technology to do our jobs, enjoy ourselves, and remain in touch with others we care about. Avoiding interaction is the greatest defence against robocalls and spam text messages. Keep your distance from both the human and the machine. Interacting with the messages alerts fraudsters that your phone number is active, making you a possible victim.

2. Never click a link
SMS phishing is when a scammer sends you a text message asking for your response or your click on a link leading to a malicious website that seems to be an official one to steal your data or install harmful software on your phone. Some spammers use fake phone numbers to make it seem like they are communicating with you directly.

Don't communicate with SMS scammers; never click on any links they provide you. Don't open links from websites you don't know or trust, even if they seem to be from reputable sources like news organizations. In addition, you should maintain tabs on the organizations to whom you've granted authorization to send SMS messages. Text message notifications from your pharmacy, for example, may have been an option for you to be notified as soon as your prescription is available. A trustworthy number may be saved as a contact, or you can learn how to recognize them.

Legal businesses will never SMS you a request to give them your bank account details. Suppose you have any doubts about the authenticity of the communication. In that case, you should contact the firm directly through a phone number you are sure is valid or via the company's official website.

3. Be cautious when replying STOP
Before, you could reply with "STOP" to unsubscribe yourself from a company's SMS program if you didn't like receiving messages from them.

Even when you've gotten a spammy text from a fraudster, you're unlikely to be removed from the scammer's messaging list since the scammer is likely trying to breach the law. Response to the scammer might expose your phone number to future spam messages.

You may respond with STOP if you are sure the communication came from a legitimate, ethical company. If unsure, the best course of action is to ignore the content and go on to the next stage.

4. Delete the message and block the number
It's impossible to eliminate unwanted robocalls or spam texts unless you give up your phone, and for most people, that's not an option. Blocking the numbers as soon as they come through is the best way to prevent additional spam calls and texts.

Blocking a specific phone number from calling you or sending a message is an option on almost every new phone. It's a whack-a-mole game since fraudsters regularly change their phone numbers, but it's still worth barring the number from contacting you in the future.

5. Report the spam message to the relevant authorities
From the messaging app itself, you may easily report a spam message to your phone's manufacturer to assist them in improving spam detection and law enforcement.

You may block a discussion by opening the Messages app, tapping the chat, and then tapping Block.

If you get a text message from a number you don't recognize, you may tap the "Report Junk" button underneath the message to send it to Apple, but this will not block the sender's phone number. The number must still be blocked.

6. Use a third-party spam text and call blocker
A spam-blocking program from a third-party developer may be helpful as a last resort.

In addition to enhancing your phone's caller ID, these applications use vast blocklists of spam numbers to automatically filter calls and texts in real-time and other blocking capabilities. Apps with more sophisticated features and customer support are available for a monthly or annual cost, although others are free with few frills.

HOW PHISHING OPERATES

Does your insurance company, bank, or government ever send you emails or texts that seem to come out of nowhere? If so, do they need that you act immediately and provide any relevant links or attachments? In reality, most professional organizations you rely on only allow you to use email to confirm your identification. As a result, any emails you get stating that you must take immediate action to prevent going to prison for unpaid debt are entirely fake.

Phishing attempts can come via SMS, social media, email, or even phone calls. They are, unfortunately, a continual source of frustration for today's computer users, and if not dealt with appropriately, they may be downright dangerous.

HOW COLEMAN TECHNOLOGIES CAN HELP YOU DEAL WITH SPAM MESSAGES

Most company owners spend a significant amount of time daily monitoring their email and reacting to potential customers, clients or workers. Due to the ubiquity of spam, email communication suffers from a significant flaw. Your time and money may be better spent elsewhere if your firm employs the most basic spam prevention measures.

Spam problems should not be common for ordinary small or medium-sized organizations. A complete spam prevention solution from Coleman Technologies is intended to prevent spam from ever reaching your inbox. You and your team will be able to focus on your work instead of spending time sifting through endless mountains of spam.

Cybersecurity is a never-ending endeavour. Contact our IT experts at Coleman Technologies now for guidance on training your personnel or other security measures you may use to protect your infrastructure and data.

Microsoft License Rate Increase As Of March 14, 2022

We wanted to make sure you know about a Microsoft pricing increase that takes effect now on March 14th, 2022, as a part of their New Commerce Experience (NCE).

Microsoft Extends License Price Update

Per-license rates will go up, and there will also be changes to monthly and annual commitment structures. Make sure to review the following price increases and other details so you know what to expect on your invoice in March.

Why Is Microsoft Changing Their Rates & Models

Primarily, Microsoft is endeavoring to both simplify the way their plans work and to offer flexibility to businesses like yours where needed. NCE offers a far less complex system of plans and rates than Microsoft’s previous model and allows businesses to better harness the exact services they need.

How Are Microsoft's Prices Changing?

Effective 3/1/2022, Microsoft has increased the following license prices (shown in CAD):

Should You Choose A Monthly Or Annual Commitment?

An important consideration is whether you opt for a monthly or annual license commitment. If you prefer the flexibility of changing license counts monthly, you will pay a 20% premium compared to the annual commitment rate.

However, it’s important to note that the commitments auto-renew, so you will want to track when you opt-in so you can review prior to the renewal date.

Furthermore, when you agree to an annual commitment, you are locked in at your current license count as a minimum. If you happen to dip below that number, you will not receive any discounts or money back within the one-year period.

Important Dates to Know

• March 1st, 2022: Four Enterprise SKUs, and two SMB SKUs are increasing in price as noted in the chart above.
• June 30th, 2022: All new licenses will need to be purchased through the NCE (and will be subject to term commitments and a 20% premium for monthly subscriptions).
• July 1st, 2022: All term renewals must be renewed through the NCE.
• February 1st, 2023: All remaining subscriptions must be moved to the NCE.

Key Decision Factors

• Monthly subscriptions are offered at a 20% premium price when compared to annual subscriptions, which are less flexible.
• Licenses that are canceled mid-month will be billed for the full month.
• After a 72-hour cancellation period, the client is committed to the full term of the agreement with no early cancellation.
• Clients cannot move subscriptions to a different provider while committed to a term.
• Companies can have a mix of both annual and monthly subscriptions.
• Term commitment percentages can vary based on your business forecast.
• Add-ons (i.e., Phone licenses) are purchased as individual Subscriptions, distinct from the base product Subscriptions (which means that end dates may not be the same).
• Product upgrades are available for higher-paid SKUs only; you cannot go from a higher-paid SKU to a lower-paid SKU (Full and Partial upgrades are available).
• Subscriptions will automatically renew with active licenses and quantities unless notified 30 days prior to the renewal date.

Want To Harness Microsoft 365’s Benefits?

Don’t settle for a sub-par cloud experience, and don’t think you have to be the one managing it. The Coleman Technologies team can take that off your plate for good, allowing you to take advantage of its optimized user experience and focus on your work.

Questions about these new rates? Get in touch with the Coleman Technologies team.

A Look Back at Ransomware's Impact On Canadian Business In 2021
2021 has underscored the importance of cybersecurity for Canadian businesses. As more employees work from home, security loopholes have increased, with a recent IBM security report showing that each data breach incident in Canada costs an average of $6.75 million in 2021. This figure represents an increase from $6.35 million the previous year, and it's even higher than the global average, which is $5.34 million.

One of the most popular forms of cyber attack that has affected various enterprises in Canada is Ransomware. Cybercriminals use a form of malicious software to infiltrate business systems, encrypt files, and steal data, then make ransom demands in exchange for the decryption key. Note that ransomware can be through several ways, such as when an individual visits an infected website or through phishing emails. Read on as we go through some notable ransomware attacks that happened in 2021 so that you can know what you are up against as you develop a ransomware protection plan for your business.

Who Is the Main Target for Ransomware Attacks?

If your business utilizes technology, there is a high potential of getting a ransomware attack regardless of your industry. In fact, this year has seen reports of ransomware attacks happening almost every month in Canada. Here are some of the most prominent cases reported so far in 2021.

Promutuel Assurance
In January, Promutuel Assurance was among the first companies to suffer a ransomware attack at the beginning of 2021. The cyberattack affected several of the company's systems, preventing its clients from accessing their accounts, and some of the customer details even leaked online. The company downplayed the incident, stating that it was just a small data leak that didn't contain highly sensitive information like credit card numbers, social insurance numbers, banking details, and drivers' licenses. However, it is likely that the bad actors held more sensitive subsets as they waited for the company to pay the ransom.

Montmagne City
The city of Montmagne was also a victim of a ransomware attack in January that made it impossible to access their system. Experts said that the process to recover these systems would take months. This type of malware used in the Montmagne attack has been used in most public organizations on target servers to encrypt data where the cyber attackers demand ransom.

Discount Car and Truck Rental
Discount Car and Truck Rental, one of the most successful rental agencies in Canada, was a victim of the Darkside ransomware gang in February. After the attack, the car dealership's website was offline and only displayed a 'technical issue' notice. However, after the Darkside ransomware group posted that it had copied several files of up to 120GB of banking, franchise, and corporate data, IT Word Canada asked the rental agency to comment on the matter. A company spokesman said they were investigating the matter and didn't disclose if the attackers copied any employee or customer personal data and how the attack happened. A published statement stated that the ransomware attack on the car dealership company impacted their headquarters' office. However, there was a clearer statement from the Darkside gang saying that they downloaded lots of interesting data from Discount Car and Truck Rental's network. They were even ready to provide proof of the data they managed to copy and threatened to automatically publish it if the dealership didn't pay the ransom.

Cornwall Electric
On March 17, Cornwall electric said they had suffered a ransomware attack that exposed their billing information. Still, the company wasn't sure if there were some customer details that the attackers had accessed. FortisOntario, a parent company of Cornwall, stated that in case the bad actors accessed customer data, the attackers could only get customer addresses, electricity consumption, and their names. However, they still asked their customers to remain vigilant of any suspicious activity, a clear sign that they could not rule out the possibility of other leaks.

Home Hardware 
Home Hardware, one of the largest hardware stores in Canada, was also a victim of the Darkside bad actors in April. The ransomware group even posted corporate data that it claims to have copied from the retailer and threatened to publicly release the remaining data on their blog if Home Hardware failed to pay the ransom. The retailer also acknowledged that indeed there was a ransomware attack, but it didn't affect customer transactions or payment information.

Ski Resort Whistler

Ski Resort whistler also suffered a ransomware attack that forced them to shut down their services, including phone systems, websites, email, and the entire network. The Resort said that it had suffered a cyber attack that led to the suspension of its services. Although the municipality didn't state the exact form of attack, there was a message on the Whistler.ca website showing that the site was under construction while the URL led visitors to the attackers' Dark Web chat site.

D-Box Technologies
In July, D-Box Technologies also announced that their information technology system suffered a ransomware cyber attack. The cyber attackers used malware that encrypted electronic data stored on the organization's network. Most of the organization's systems and business operations were hugely hit and would take several days to recover the lost data. The corporation had to involve cyber security experts to help them deal with the matter.

Sault Ste. Marie Police
Sault Ste. Marie Police ransomware attack is proof that government entities are not immune to cyberattacks. The Northern Ontario police force suffered an attack in the third week of August that affected some of their services. However, Marie police stated that the attack did not impact 911 services. Cybercriminals target government departments on the assumption that they will most likely pay a huge ransom because they offer critical services to the public.

How Can You Safeguard Your Business Against Ransomware Attacks?

In 2021 alone, we have seen several trends in Canada's cybercrime landscape. Generally, no corporation or business is not at risk of a ransomware attack. Therefore, you don't have to wait until your business becomes the next victim to come up with a plan.

Coleman Technologies provides quality IT services to several business professionals. You can partner with them to ensure that your existing system doesn't have any loopholes where cybercriminals can infiltrate. Contact us today to help you improve your IT infrastructure and protect your organization against ransomware attacks.

Windows 11 Support In British Columbia

The world has changed significantly since the initial rollout of Windows 10, and Microsoft's recent announcement that Windows 11 will be available in the near future has users both intrigued and concerned about what the new version may bring. The upgraded software will be filled with the latest features as far as hybrid work capabilities, security, and other tech specs, but some users are not quite ready to get used to a new program. Here is an overview of the changes you can expect to see once Windows 11 becomes available later this year, as well as your next step to take if you do run into problems while using it!

Updates to Windows 11

Windows has not seen a major overhaul since Windows 10 was released in the summer of 2015, even though the world's reliance on the internet and programs that can keep up with our constant need to stay connected has increased exponentially over the last six years. Windows 11 is filled with significant promise as far as matching the speed and reliability that work, school, and personal use demand in 2021.

Increased Hybrid Work Capabilities
Although remote and hybrid work models have gradually been increasing in popularity over the past decade, the last year has seen a dramatic spike in working from locations other than the office that is not likely to go anywhere any time soon. Many people eventually found success in and even a preference for working from home, and this shift in what a typical workday looks like has led many major companies to consider implementing a permanent hybrid workplace model that allows all employees to work from home part of the time and only come into the office a limited number of days each week if they choose to.

While many workers will find this change to be an advantage, having the best tech available will be a must in order to continue to find success with remote work moving forward. Not everyone found success working from home with their current devices, as older computers and poor internet led to lags in streaming, constantly getting kicked out of Zoom meetings, and other problems. While Windows 10 was not the direct cause of most of these issues, they emphasize the fact that the software was not quite ready for the immediate and widespread increase in remote work around the world.

Windows 11 promises an upgrade to its capability to handle a consistent hybrid work model, which will boost productivity, increase the opportunities your team members have to collaborate even if they are not in the same room or even in the same country and provide a higher level of security to protect your personal information or your company's digital assets.

Higher Security
With this increase in reliance on technology has come a greater need for keeping files, digital assets, and devices secure, and Windows 11 promises to provide a higher level of security than any version of Windows 10. The software will come equipped with a variety of built-in security measures, such as hardware-based isolation, encryption, and malware protection, which will ensure a higher level of security and peace of mind.

Potential Problems With Windows 11

Although Windows 11 is expected to benefit most users, it may come with potential drawbacks for some individuals and businesses. Here are some potential problems some potential Windows 11 users have voiced concerns about that Coleman Technologies can provide assistance with!

Not Compatible With Every Computer
Most users will not have any problems installing or running Windows 11 on their computers, but some owners of older devices may run into issues. Certain older computers, particularly those that are not currently using Windows 10, may not have enough storage space to install the new program or enough RAM to run it at its intended speed. In these circumstances, some users may be able to remove enough unneeded files and programs to install Windows 11.

Microsoft offers a free PC health app that outlines basic system requirements for properly running Windows 11 and can help users identify steps they may be able to take to free up space or otherwise improve the efficiency of their computers if needed.

Dislike New Design
Although many people embrace new technology and are quick to add the latest updates as soon as they become available, not everyone enjoys it when a program they like and that adequately meets their personal and business needs changes abruptly. If you or your company is hesitant to switch to a new program that will likely look and function quite differently from Windows 10, you can take advantage of up to ten days of experimenting with Windows 11 before making a final decision.

Current sources reveal that Windows will allow a ten-day grace period in which you will be allowed to uninstall your Windows 11 update and go back to your most recent version of Windows 10, at least for the time being. Although Windows 10 is currently set to retire in 2025, Microsoft does not appear to have any current intention of forcing users to upgrade before that time.

Choose Coleman Technologies for All Your Windows 11 Support Needs

No matter how beneficial Windows 11 turns out to be, it will likely come with a learning curve for many users. If you do run into problems while acclimating to the new software, Coleman Technologies is here to help residents of British Columbia understand and troubleshoot their new software.

We know that attempting to contact Microsoft directly, get through to a human being, explain the problem you are experiencing, and get an answer that actually solves your problem can be difficult and time-consuming, and it is likely to be even more challenging than usual during the days and weeks following the rollout of Windows 11. For this reason, our IT support company is a much quicker and reliable option for getting assistance from locals right when you need it.  We prioritize providing hassle-free help so you can get back to being productive. Contact us right away if you run into issues when setting up or using Windows 11 or with any other IT problems you have!

Data backups protect a business from catastrophic data loss resulting from hardware failures, natural disasters, cybersecurity attacks, system outages, or network disruptions. Backing up data involves replicating it and storing it in different places, such as the cloud, backup servers, and dedicated backup devices. This way, you can recover your data and information from a previous state and time in case of system outages.

However, the efficiency and effectiveness of backups are reduced drastically when you do not test them regularly and routinely. Backup and recovery testing is the process of assessing the effectiveness of the systems, procedures, and methods that a company uses to replicate, store, and retrieve data in times of need. Testing remains to be essential despite the availability of data recovery software, like checksum validation. Unfortunately, many businesses do not take this seriously. Analysts report that one in every three companies does not test their backups. Sadly, even the ones that do; don't do it effectively.

How To Perform Effective Data Backup and Recovery Tests

Experts recommend monthly or weekly tests. These can be more frequent for critical data, systems, and applications. However, you should discuss your schedule and comfort level with your IT service provider to determine the best routine for the backups. It is also essential to remember to test your data backups in the following instances

• Before and after system upgrades or changes
• Following an outage
• When implementing new systems
• Ideally, every time your system completes a backup

Top 5 Benefits of Data Backup and Recovery Test

1. Give You Confidence and Peace of Mind
Data loss can hurt a business in many ways, such as revenue loss, business disruption, permanent business loss, and loss of customer loyalty. Successful data backups and recovery can spare you all these losses. However, statistics reveal that 60% of all backups are incomplete and partial, while 50% of all data restores might fail.

This worrying statistic verifies the importance of testing your backups to ensure all backups are complete and increase the likelihood of recovery success. When you perform regular tests, you always know that you can still recover most or all of your data in case critical parts of your IT infrastructure fail.

2. Verify That The Necessary Data is Available For Recovery
Data and recovery testing are quite like an emergency drill. You do it to confirm that all measures are in place and, if a disaster strikes, there will be no cause of alarm or chaos. A test will guarantee that all data is available and readily accessible for recovery.

Additionally, testing reveals any weak spots that could hinder the successful restoration of data from the cloud, disks, and offsite data centres. It should also confirm that the system can adequately handle more data as your business keeps growing.

3. Confirm Recovery Data Accuracy and Consistency
IT teams also need to test backup and recovery systems to confirm that the correct data is backed up to the accurate systems. Testing also helps to authenticate data precision and efficiency and guard your data against corruption.

It also reduces inefficiencies, redundancies, and vulnerabilities in your data and infrastructure to ensure you restore reliable data and reduce the chances of backup failures. The tests should also determine whether backup and recovery procedures work consistently across all departments in a company.

4. Learn To Implement Recovery After A Data Loss
Backup testing helps to determine how long it takes to implement recovery following a data loss. Unbeknownst to many, this information could help you retain clients during these unprecedented times. That's because you have a straight and clear answer for your clients when they ask when you will resume normal operations.

Furthermore, testing eliminates the guesswork in recovery planning by revealing the potential problems during recovery and providing solutions to these problems to avoid adverse data loss when disaster strikes. The testing should confirm whether documented procedures work as intended. It also ensures business continuity measures and ransomware protections are in place during the outage to ensure minimal disruption and loss.

5. Reveal Backup Software Misconfiguration
Although most backup software sends error messages whenever a problem arises, these may be easy for your in-house team to miss, especially when they are overwhelmed with other pressing tasks. A test will reveal any misconfiguration and incomplete or partial backups that could cause profound data loss if there's an outage.

Besides, it enables you to keep track of software changes that impact your backup and recovery efforts. Testing also reveals inaccuracies in how data is being backed up by members of your team, allowing you to correct this before it gets out of hand.

Verify Efficient Use of Business Resources

Backing up company data requires a significant investment in terms of time, money and other resources. Testing the systems and procedures is a proven way to secure and ensure this investment. That's because it verifies that the systems and methods are working as intended, and you don't have to spend another fortune correcting these in case disaster strikes today.

Disaster recovery testing boosts accountability by ensuring critical recovery tasks are assigned to the right people. To make the most of this investment, your IT service provider should maintain a record of the test results, learn and act on them. It would also help if they shared these results with you for future reference.

How a Reliable MSP Can Help With Data Backup and Recovery Testing

Coleman Technologies Managed IT services can effectively handle your data backup testing needs. We are readily available to regularly test your backup and recovery systems after natural disasters, a cyber attack, or system changes and updates. Our IT experts can determine failures and implement necessary changes to get your backup systems running correctly again. Our efforts are proactive and aimed at ensuring that your data is protected 24/7, saving you a lot of time spent worrying and money spent recovering lost data.

Additionally, you can count on our recovery services to have your business up and running in no time. Contact us today to thoroughly discuss your backup requirements and have a friendly team member take you through the next step of protecting your business.