Lloyds IP Blog

Yes, if you haven't heard already then take it from us, Windows Server 2003 Support is officially retiring on 14th July 2015. If you are still using any version of Windows 2003 including Small Business Server 2003 it is vital that you prepare for this new age of IT, particularly since you are now racing against the clock. But, there's no need to panic. As always, Lloyds IP are here to help. We've written this blog article to ensure that your migration from Windows Server 2003 to the latest version (Windows Server 2012) is as smooth and stress-free as possible.

First things first...

You have to upgrade. There is no getting around it, if you continue to use Windows Server 2003 after 14th July 2015 then you'll receive no security updates, no support from Microsoft, and you will likely fail compliance audits for putting your data and possibly customer data at risk. Here at Lloyds IP, we understand more than anyone how busy working within IT can be. There's just never a good time is there? Don't worry, you're not alone. Analysts estimate that there are more than 10 million machines still running on WS2003, despite strenuous efforts by Microsoft to make customers aware that they need to address the issue. Unfortunately, you just have to make time, there is less than a year left to get this sorted (and we all know how quickly they fly by!). Waiting to make the move can be both risky and expensive for your business.

Change is Good!

There are many benefits to be gained by moving from Windows Server 2003 to Windows Server 2012. The advances in this new version allow for enterprise-class scalability, with the high-performance storage options to run critical workloads with robust recovery options. You can build, deploy, operate, and monitor applications on-site or in the cloud. And with options such as virtualisation and Remote Desktop Services you can deliver applications much faster than with the Windows Server 2003. Microsoft have broken the migration process down into four steps known as: discover, assess, target, and migrate. Each of these steps includes specific milestones that need to be reached before moving forward. 1. Discover: To begin with, find out which of your applications and/or workloads are currently running on the Windows Server 2003 2. Assess: Categorize these applications and/or workloads by type, importance, and degree of complexity. 3. Target: The next step is to choose a migration destination for each application and workload. This can be either be on-site or in the cloud. 4. Migrate: Then it's time to begin planning your move. Microsoft advise collaborating with an external partner to build your migration plan, and that's where we come in!

Final Thoughts

Have you ever considered using just one supplier for all of your technology needs? If you haven’t, then you could be spending more money than necessary. In fact, a study undertaken by Turnstone found they saved a company £65k per year, by consolidating their ICT suppliers.

Forward thinking companies are starting to realise that by consolidating their suppliers, they can save a great amount of money on their overhead – and you could be one of them.

Still not convinced? Take a look at the following benefits that you can gain if your company uses just one supplier....

1. Reduce purchasing costs

The first benefit which tends to be the most attractive, is a reduction in purchasing cost. Take a look at your expenses and find out how much you are currently spending on your IT, mobile, telecoms and connectivity services separately.

In addition to the actual product they are supplying, when you take into consideration tax, delivery, service, and possible shipping costs, this amount begins to add up. Where-as if you were to use just one company, you'd be cutting down on a lot of fees that you probably didn’t even realise you are paying for.

In such a competitive environment, suppliers will do all they can to beat out the competition. So by using just one supplier, you will be able to negotiate a good discount across all products that they are offering. The more volume that you do with one supplier, the better deal you should be able to receive.

2. Reduced procurement and management costs

Not only will you save on outside costs, but you'll also save on costs within your business. Managing and procuring different suppliers will incur overtime costs, as your employees will have to spend longer organising compliances, data and contracts.

Take your finance department for example. Once the number of transactions decrease, your finance department will only have to work on paperwork and invoicing for one company, rather than spending unnecessary hours dealing with different suppliers and their individual processes.

So the employees who manage accounts payable and receivable, will be able to concentrate on different priorities and it will help simplify their process. Plus, it will free up time for procurement employees to work on more strategic planning.

3. Less risk, better performance

Looking to decrease risk within your business is important, and this is especially true when it comes to IT or telecoms services. Think about what would happen if your telephone lines that are provided by 'supplier A' fail, and then your phone systems go down, provided by 'suppler B'. You'd have to go to the trouble of contacting two different suppliers, and hope that they can both fix the problem, at the same time. In our experience it is often left with the customer to try and decide who is responsible thus increasing the time to restore.

We've already blogged in the past about how much money you can lose if your equipment is down, and if the worst happened, you would want the problem to be fixed quickly and efficiently as possible. By using one supplier across all technology services, you're cutting out the risk of this happening, and if it did happen, you can be certain that the problem will be solved quickly.

Plus if you shop around for the right supplier, you'll be able to find a trusted company who can offer quality backup features such as the secure Lloyds Cloud, if you ever needed it. Meaning that you're lowering your company's risk, while enjoying a better performance all round.

4. Better working relationship

When looking for a supplier to help with your IT, mobile, telecoms and connectivity solutions, one of the most important aspects is to build up an excellent working relationship with them. By using just one supplier for all, the supplier will learn who you are as a company and what you need.

They will go from being a supplier, to a technology partner – and that's the best relationship you can have. As you'll be providing them with a bigger contract, your technology partner will have a vested interest in making sure that your company succeeds, and all technology services are catered for.

You should aim to find a technology partner who provides a bespoke service – after all no two companies are the same. Technology solutions provided to you should be cost-justified and custom-fit to match your business needs.

Lloyds IP

As you can see, by consolidating suppliers not only are you saving your company money, but it's also a more efficient and effective way to work. In the competitive world of technology, keeping one step ahead is important, and that's why we offer a broad range of services, that are customised to suit your business needs.

Take a look at some of the services we offer:

You may have heard this quote floating around the internet grapevine: 'Antivirus is dead', coined by Brian Dye, one of Norton antivirus's very own developers. It may shock you to know that this statement actually holds a lot of truth, but of course, it's not as black and white as this -- nothing ever is! So listen up... All the way back in 1991, Symantec released the first version of Norton antivirus software. Around the same time, the equally popular AVG (antivirus guard) software was founded (going by the name of Grisoft at the time). Over twenty years later and Norton and AVG are still popular and widely used, but the question now arising is: Are they enough? Obviously, the Norton and AVG we use nowadays are massive improvements compared to the first versions released back in the 90s. All antivirus software is constantly upgrading and updating in order to continue protecting us from the threats caused by the internet underbelly. According to The Guardian: 'Symantec [is being forced to] diversify its products, moving into the "detect and respond" sector rather than the simple "protect" segment.' But, the truth of it is, the very moment a new antivirus software is released, there will be a team of internet baddies at the ready giving it their best shot to hack it. An article on PCWorld.com states that, 'While detecting and protecting against malicious software installed on your computer still plays a very vital role, many of the sophisticated attacks of today still manage to penetrate PCs with antivirus programs installed.' When Brian Dye released his 'Antivirus is dead' statement, he also admitted that antivirus software only catches 45% of malware attacks, which, while an acceptable figure (no use throwing your antivirus software away because of this), subsequently answers our question: No. Antivirus software alone is not enough. So what now?! Don't panic. Just like in the movies, the good guys will always prevail. Luckily there are more ways to protect yourself and your business. Here's our top three recommendations:

1. Enhanced Disaster Recovery options

If you don't have one already, you need to consider creating a disaster recovery plan which will outline what needs to be done in order for your company to prepare, and ultimately, recover from any kind of security breach or attack. There are an increasing number of horror stories emerging online of companies being blackmailed by hackers that have targeted their computer systems with Trojan Horse programs that basically give the hacker complete control over their system. Having a Disaster Recovery plan and performing regular tests is an essential component in making sure you can continue trading without interruption. Disaster Recovery works by enabling your data to be moved to other physical servers without interruption to services. Llip offers various flexible on-site and online Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity solutions for all types of customers.

2. Cloud Storage

Cloud Storage is the process of data being stored online -- 'in the cloud'. This means that your data will not only be safely stored but also available to access via the internet on any device. With Llip Cloud you can back up all of your critical data in a way that is not only cost-effective, but time-saving too. It is vital to back up your data in order to protect your company from set-backs should a security breach occur.

3 Keep up-to-date

As mentioned above, experts at Norton antivirus have practically admitted to struggling to keep up with internet hackers. If the experts start to struggle, you know there is a serious problem. The only way we can advise you further is to keep yourself in the know - read blog articles (like this one!), search for updated antivirus software every now and then, watch informative videos. IT Security company Sophos update their YouTube channels with regular videos like this one that should keep you up to date with all the DON'Ts of internet security:

One element of Unify's Openscape Unified Communications Solution allows users to benefit from working anywhere. Here we highlight the benefits to users on the road, users away from their desks in the workplace and homeworkers.

No SMB can afford to lose a customer because it can’t immediately address their needs. What if you and your staff could instantly identify a caller, locate the relevant information, route the call to the most appropriate employee, and satisfy every customer, every time? With presence information, chat capabilities, auto attendant and built-in conferencing, unified communications makes it possible to do just that.

Cloud Models

The cloud is not a one size fits all proposition. Companies can choose from several types of ser­vices, including public, private and hybrid clouds.

Phone Hacking, or Toll Fraud as it’s also known, is a growing threat to businesses whose phone systems are exposed to access by fraudsters who are estimated to be generating over £1.5 billion worth of calls in the UK alone. The businesses that are hacked will normally be liable for the call charges. 

Many customers are confused about what cloud computing is and what benefits they will get from moving to that model.  I have given hereunder 4 key points in simple terms that will explain why this is something that all businesses should at least consider.

Research from ‘Insideview’ suggests that 90% of CEO’s don’t respond to cold calls or cold emails.

You probably already knew that and are constantly looking for alternatives to telemarketing and email campaigns. I even bought a book ‘Never Cold Call Again’ by Frank J. Rumbauskas Jr which has a fair bit of good stuff but also quite a bit of stating the obvious.

January is the bleakest month of the year and after the Christmas break Solicitors get more calls for help than at any other time of the year from couples who want a divorce. It’s the final straw and the partnership can’t survive the relationship breakdown that has finally come to a head over the holiday period and it’s time to split. Apparently people are more likely to get divorced than switch bank accounts.

There is nothing more annoying than slow inefficient broadband which will certainly affect productivity in your business. Even those businesses who have opted for fibre broadband are still sharing bandwidth with other residential and business users on the local exchange. They are also fighting for space on BT’s network across the UK sharing with millions of other broadband users.