Technology can quickly drain your budget without you being aware of it. Just when everything seems under control, unexpected expenses arise that you need to account for - as running a small business is far from easy!

Your IT expenses won't become an obstacle when partnering with an expert who can manage them properly, and this guide will help you better understand this aspect of IT expense management.

How to Manage IT Spend Strategically

Step One: Know Your Business Expenses

First and foremost, become mindful of all of the expenses related to your business. Ask yourself: "What am I paying for?" You should then pose this question:

• What equipment does your team rely upon daily?


• How many different so...

Microsoft recently made an important announcement: Azure sign-ins will soon require multifactor authentication (MFA). This change is designed to increase security; even if you do not use Azure yourself, MFA provides a simple and effective method for protecting digital assets.

What Is Multi-Factor Verification (MFV)?

Picture adding an extra layer of security to your business doorway.

Your normal login to an account involves just one password, which may no longer provide enough protection against cyber criminals; MFA provides additional layers of security by saying to someone, "Okay, I see the key but also need your ID!"

After entering your password, you are then required to take an extra step to ...

System updates may be bothersome; they take too much time and consume both bandwidth and storage space.

Microsoft promises to make life simpler for its Windows 11 24H2 Update users.

This feature, known as "checkpoint cumulative updates", may sound technical but it's actually very straightforward and helpful.

Windows receives regular cumulative updates that encompass the latest fixes and enhancements, making up one large bundle that may take time to download and install.

Checkpoint Cumulative Updates now offer an alternative approach to system upgrades: your system will receive smaller updates over time rather than one major one at a time, providing minor tweaks made since its last major checkpo...

Teams in the past relied on sticky notes and email threads to track tasks, but with modern hybrid workplaces and ever-evolving deadlines this approach no longer suffices; to stay on track effectively project management must now take precedence.

McKinsey reports that employees spend 28% of their workweek managing emails and another 20-25% searching for information or people who can assist.

This article introduces Microsoft Planner. A versatile tool, Planner can be used for everything from task management and project planning, to complex enterprise initiatives. Despite being easy-to-use and powerful enough to oversee multiple projects at the same time. With some assistance from an IT partner wit...

Are you and your team continuously innovating to stay competitive? Perhaps it is time to find more efficient ways of sharing the knowledge already present within your group.

Knowledge is at the core of any successful small business: what works, what has been tried and what yields results. Without documentation of this knowledge, mistakes repeat themselves and progress stalls.

Large companies estimate the annual costs associated with ineffective knowledge sharing at 47 billion dollars.

Knowledge management strategies offer solutions to this challenge. IT tools that keep all team members on the same page, speed up work processes and eliminate repetition can all help your team work more effectivel...

Why would you base your business decisions on unreliable data?

Studies indicate that bad data costs US businesses trillions each year; as a result, approximately 40% of company goals go unmet as a result of this poor information management.

Data can be found anywhere; if you ignore it, you could miss out. Emails, customer profiles and inventory systems all contain valuable pieces of information that could prove invaluable - but outdated or inaccurate data can cause confusion, slow your team down and cost you money.

Your company doesn't require hiring an entire IT team just to keep its data safe and organized, when an IT partner can do just as much with ease.

Why Accurate Data Is Essential?

Bad da...

Have you ever found yourself staring blankly at an unfilled PowerPoint Slide, trying to make an unsightly set of notes look acceptable?

Have a professionally written Word document but don't know how to turn it into an engaging, clear presentation?

Finding an answer could take hours of effort if you have other tasks to manage at the same time.

Microsoft just made solving that problem much simpler.

Microsoft Copilot now makes creating PowerPoint slides from Word documents simpler than ever - taking only seconds instead of hours or days to accomplish!

Copilot, Microsoft's Artificial Intelligence assistant is integrated into Microsoft Office products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint - acting like a...

Imagine this: your business's front doors are locked, the alarm systems are running and firewalls in place; yet someone still manages to gain entry via one of your trusted vendors. Does this sound like a nightmare scenario? Unfortunately it happens all too frequently: cybercriminals don't just hack directly into systems anymore - they exploit vulnerabilities in software, services and suppliers you rely on every day - making ensuring security an impossible challenge for small businesses with limited resources.

Reliable IT solutions can provide invaluable help. By giving you control and visibility over your supply chain, they enable you to identify risks quickly and protect your business withou...

Windows 11 will soon provide protection from public prying eyes with its Onlooker Detection feature.

Your screen protector is designed to detect when someone attempts to sneak up on you from behind and respond accordingly - dimming, notifying you or both as needed. There's nothing that requires action from you!

Based on Windows' existing presence sensing technology, this upgrade extends privacy by enabling you to keep your work confidential when on-the-go.

Though not yet officially confirmed by Microsoft, this feature has made its debut in Windows 11 preview builds, suggesting it may soon arrive.

However, specific hardware is required. Some laptops come equipped with presence sensors that may wo...