4 Technology Trends All SMEs Should Look Out For

Image Credit: Luxury Report Mag

Today every business uses some form of technology, but some companies are better at tracking and utilising new and upcoming technology that can transform their business for the better. 

These are exciting and fast moving times for SMEs, and businesses that start adopting evolving technology at an early stage will get the most benefits. So we’ve put together a list of key technology trends to watch out for:

1. The cloud

Cloud solutions take away issues around hardware costs and create a flexible, scaleable and cost-effective service by hosting on the internet. It also allows companies to utilise technology driven tools such as mobile, social media and big data. 

Translating your legacy on-premise applications into a cloud environment can be super easy when using an IT managed service provider.

2. NoSQL databases

If you continue down the cloud route you’ll find out about NoSQL databases, which are part of the larger enterprise big data movement. NoSQL is great for the unstructured data you find in mobile and social media, including video and audio. It’s agile, scalable and flexible, like other cloud based solutions, and it complements what relational databases can offer. 

3. Business sensors

Sensors provide a way for companies to learn about their business, employees and customers. The data collected can then be used to improve all areas of the company including sales and productivity.

Pegged among the “Internet of Things” that brings smarter “things” together, sensors and connected devices with analytics, security, data and integration platforms will transform areas of a business.

4. Don’t completely overlook software

There are many reasons why a lot of companies are moving entirely to the cloud, and there’s much hype in the media surrounding this technology, so it’s often easy to overlook advances being made in infrastructure and operations. The entire operating environment—server, storage and network—can now be virtualised and automated. Data centres of the future promise lower complexity and affordability.

Now businesses are looking at hybrid solutions: Look for an IT support company that can provide expert consultation on whether cloud computing services are best suited to your business, and can also implement a hybrid solution with cloud-based elements that work alongside your legacy systems.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Which Political Party Offers The Most Support For SMES?

Image Source: Mark Pack

When it comes to the political divide there’s one thing that all entrepreneurs and SMEs can agree on: extra government support is needed. 

The Entrepreneurs Network recently carried out an annual poll of 100 MPs, which shows that Labour and Conservative MPs have very different views on how best to support British entrepreneurs and SMEs.

Growth Business highlighted the key findings from the report:

• ‘It suggests almost two-thirds (63%) of Labour MPs believe increasing grants and loans for entrepreneurs would be the best way to support them’
• Among Conservative MPs, ‘a regime of tax cuts, including slashing business rates and corporate tax, is the most popular policy for driving entrepreneurial growth. Almost all (89%) from the ruling party are in favour of this approach’
• ‘The issue that splits the house more than any other is the potential impact of the UK leaving the EU – or Brexit. More than half (58%) of Conservative MPs believe that this would be a positive move for entrepreneurs – whereas only 1% of Labour MPs feel the same way’

MPs Are Vocal

• Growth Business quotes the Entrepreneurs Network Director Philip Salter as saying he was encouraged to see that 'MPs are increasingly vocal about supporting Britain’s entrepreneurs’
• ‘But he added he found MPs respective view on the EU the most enlightening – especially Labour MPs’ strong support for the EU.’

Ill-Informed About Current Programmes

Growth Business says both sides seem equally poorly informed about current support structures

• ‘More than one-third of Conservative MPs (38%) have not heard of the Seed Enterprise Investment Scheme (SEIS). And a further 18% don’t feel they know enough’ to comment
• Labour MPs, despite presenting as broadly supportive of introducing more grants and loans, are ‘also similarly ignorant of current government programmes. More than half (61%) were not aware of Innovate UK – a series of competitions in which £536m of government money is up for grabs’

See the full piece on Growth Business.

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Will The Apprenticeship Levy Benefit SMEs?

Image source: www.tracweb.co.uk

The UK government is still 100% committed to the planned apprenticeship levy, despite concerns from business leaders, David Cameron said this week.

The Prime Minister has said the levy will help create 3 million apprenticeships across the country and will make larger employers contribute funding to apprenticeship training. 

A new series of industry standards will be introduced for apprenticeships in a varied range of professions from IT, engineering and transport to fashion. 

However, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has voiced concerns that it would not deliver the skilled youth businesses would want, and it would do very little to help SMEs. 

CBI said: "With an apprenticeship levy for larger employers set to be introduced following the Budget, the CBI is concerned that while it may fund more apprenticeships to meet the Government's target of three million, it will not deliver the high-quality, business-relevant training needed, and do little to help small or medium-sized businesses.”

David Cameron responded: "The greatest asset any employer has is their workforce. And by investing in them, they are investing in the success and future of their business. As a One Nation Government, we are committed to supporting three million quality apprenticeships over the next five years - to help strengthen our economy, deliver the skills that employers need and give millions more hard-working people financial security and a brighter future.”

The government has set an extremely high target to reach. Should they focus on creating quality apprenticeships over volume? Would the scheme be more likely to benefit small businesses if this were the case? 

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Are SMEs Doing Enough To Market Their Business Online?

Image source: Jerrard Wayne

A new survey conducted by ReachLocal in the UK has revealed that 55% of small businesses, believe that not enough is being done to market their business online. 

The survey polls UK SMEs from a wide range of industries and it explores how they feel about online marketing and managing the enquiries they receive. 

54% stated that they are not sure which marketing tactics are delivering a return for their business and 23% spend their money on the marketing initiatives that they think are successful, even if there is little evidence to back up their success. 

The survey also reveals that 31-35% of email or website enquiries are not responded to in less than an hour, a staggering figure that could cost small businesses a lot of money.

Paul Liascos, UK managing director for ReachLocal, said: “Online marketing can be highly effective, but it’s wasted money if you can't respond quickly to the enquiries generated. The whole marketing and buying cycle has to work well to ensure that companies do not leak leads.”

A Harvard Business Review study found that 50% of customers choose to do business with the company that responds to them first, and according to a researcher from Portsmouth Business School, small businesses are also lacking in social media marketing, even though they are more likely to be striking the right personal tone in comparison to big corporations. 

How do you feel about your online marketing strategies? Do you think there’s more that you could be doing? Let us know your thoughts. 

360ict provides managed IT services and emergency IT support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

UK SMEs Have Their Say About The Country's EU Membership

This week a survey was released by Bibby Financial Services, which shows that UK SMEs want the new Government to provide simplicity and stability.

The survey highlights EU membership as a key concern for small businesses over the next few years and that almost a quarter want a simplified PAYE system. A reduction in business tax rates and an end of late payments by large companies were also high among concerns. And like many in the business community we are all left wondering what an exit from the EU might mean for staffing, exports and tariffs.

The survey highlighted many problems that SMEs face including the red tape that comes with being part of the EU. Talking to The Guardian Paul Statham, director of software development business Condeco, says he is pro-Europe but “there is a burden and I know that that is something which the government is continually battling with and I think they should continue to fight with the British point of view.”

Andy Bagnall, director of campaigns at the Confederation of British Industry also pointed out to The Guardian [that] “it is vital that the EU does more to support small businesses, like scaling back unnecessary regulation that can often burden smaller businesses, and making it easier to sell online across Europe.”

Business for Britain has stated that EU regulations accounted for 60% of all EU law, which led its chief executive Matthew Elliott to say that the Commission and the European Parliament see regulation as the answer “to every problem the EU faces”.

However, there is a feeling of indifference towards the EU from companies who don’t export. The IoD’s head of Europe and trade policy Alexandra Renison says: “For many of these businesses, they see all of the regulation with comparatively little in terms of concrete benefits that they're exporting counterparts do. Keeping in mind that over 99% of private sector businesses in the UK are SMEs (according to the government’s own estimate) and that only one in five UK SMEs export, that apathy may be more widely shared than many in internationally-oriented (both politically and economically) London may realise.”

From a business point of view would you rather see the UK in the EU? Let us know your thoughts!

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or contact us via our website.

What Does A Tory Majority Government Mean For Small Businesses?

The UK has been up in arms over the Conservative win, however it might not be all bad: their small business manifesto has been welcomed by many entrepreneurs as well as the promise of a stable government. Here’s what SMEs across the UK can expect to happen over the next five years:

The Conservatives have won the 2015 General Election and are forming a single party government. Not only is this result a surprise, it has been received with mixed reviews and a minority have taken to the streets to protest. Business owners, however, have high hopes for the next five years. Conservatives have repeatedly described SMEs as “the lifeblood of the economy."

The Conservative’s small business manifesto pledges to increase the number of startups to 600,000 a year by 2020. Business owners will also be hoping that unnecessary, time consuming and costly regulations and paper work will be slashed under the full Tory government. So far the Conservatives have pledged to reduce such regulations and save businesses £10bn over the next five years.

Many employers want greater flexibility in hiring and firing decisions, with a reduced risk of being taken to an employment tribunal. The previously overruled Beecroft report looks likely to be implemented now that the Liberal Democrats can’t stand in the way. It suggests a shakeup of employment legislation and the proposal to allow employers to make no-fault dismissals.

Europe. The in/out referendum. It’s an issue that divides SMEs: Many business owners who have offices or clients in Europe are worried that changes to the UK’s EU membership will make it harder to access the European market. Change and uncertainty on this level is unnerving for everyone involved.

Late payment remains a big issue for businesses. The Conservatives have promised to strengthen the prompt payment code and improve transparency. The Tories have also pledged to invest £100bn in infrastructure during this parliament with high profile projects such as HS2 and proposed airport expansion in the South East.

Business owners can expect George Osborne to implement a bunch of new changes in regard to tax, including increases in personal allowances, national insurance holidays, a cut in corporation tax and a freeze on VAT. There’s also a plan to review business rates.

UK business owners impact jobs, exports, investment and tax revenues and are crucial to our nation’s success. For our country’s economy to grow, SMEs will play a big part in making that happen therefore further financial assistance should become available.

On the whole it seems that a Conservative win will massively benefit business owners, but as always with politics, we shall wait and see whether they can deliver on any of their promises.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or contact us via our website.

End Of The Road for Windows Server 2003

Time has nearly run out for Windows Server 2003, in a few short months Microsoft is going to stop support. This means that the stream of security updates and bug fixes customers have received over the last 12 years will cease. 

People may wonder what all the fuss is about: Windows Server 2003 has been around for 12 years, surely it’s time for an update, right? However, businesses typically don’t replace critical servers and infrastructure often, definitely not in the same way consumers upgrade to the latest Apple products. 

Microsoft will pull support on July 14, and over the last week businesses have been discussing the effect impending support suspension will have on SMEs who haven’t upgraded their servers. Over the next few weeks these businesses will have some major decisions to make about the future of their server environments, and we're here to help with this awkward transition.  

A recent survey from Spiceworks revealed that companies across the US are allocating $60,000 for migration-related expenses on average, and that many of these migrations have already begun. For SMEs in the UK, if you haven’t started migrating to new servers, now is definitely the time to do so, because after July 14 2015 holdouts face a risky future. 

When it comes to security, Windows Server 2003 is certainly no Fort Knox, but continuing to use it post July 14 could have some serious security repercussions. 

Ade Foxall, CEO of application portfolio management firm Camwood, believes that “after the recent migration away from Windows XP, IT departments should be more aware than ever of the dangers of using an out-of-date platform. And yet, the lack of awareness surrounding Server 2003 is about to pose an unprecedented security threat to businesses all over the world.”

There is an upside to moving away from Windows Server 2003: businesses have the opportunity to modernise their environments, like moving to the cloud. In another survey conducted by Spiceworks, they found that 64% of business planned to migrate to Windows Server 2012 while the remainder would take their applications into the virtual space.

This is a critical time for SMEs and it’s important that the right decisions are made. Here at 360ict we can help businesses move away from Windows Server 2003 in a simple and affordable manner. If you have any questions, please get in touch!  

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website.

Standard Chartered To Combat Cybercrime By Hiring Former UK Surveillance Chief

Image credit: Reuters

Standard Chartered has appointed Iain Lobban to its new financial crime committee to bolster its cyber defence strategy.

The former head of Britain’s security and intelligence body, GCHQ, will become a member and senior advisor to the committee. Lobban will be responsible for matters including anti-money laundering, sanctions compliance and prevention of corruption.

Lobban was director of the UK’s electronic intelligence gathering agency from mid-2008 to late 2014 and Standard Chartered said cybersecurity had been at the heart of Lobban's role in recent years.

Cyber criminals pose a rising threat to businesses across the UK. Businesses are being targeted by increasingly sophisticated criminals trying to steal money, client data or innovative ideas, score political points or to simply cause havoc. Many companies make the mistake of thinking their greatest risks are external ones like burglary or flooding — they underestimate the danger of internal failures in data security and data protection.

Standard Chartered announced the committee a day after U.S authorities extended monitoring of the bank, which follows the institution’s $667 million fine in 2012 over violations related to U.S sanctions.

As cyber attacks are becoming more frequent, it’s advised that businesses take precautions to combat these attacks. We offer SMEs across the UK industry-leading solutions designed to solve mainstream IT problems spanning over three distinct markets: data storage, data protection and disaster recovery. Our solutions combat crime and improve conduct and compliance capabilities.

To make sure your organisation is compliant with all data security and data protection regulations, have our experts carry out an on-site review. To talk to us about your options, call 0208 663 4000 or contact us via our website.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. 

Why SMEs Are Choosing 360ict For Their IT Managed Services

Why Choose Us?

360ict has been a full managed services provider in London for over 10 years. We help small and midsize enterprises achieve the results that matter most with our technology expertise and flexible ICT solutions. 

We believe in:

No contracts. 
We believe in earning your business so there’s nothing keeping you as a client from staying with us other than you knowing we’re the best Business IT Support Company out there. To date, all of our clients have given 100% positive feedback. 

Keeping it simple. 
We provide essential office support, from basics such as business internet to cloud and data centres, relocation services and printer fleets. We want to be the one phone number you call when problems come up.

Transparency. 
No hidden fees, no hidden advice, we give you what we promise the first time.

Reasons to work with us:

- We offer a simple to use, commitment free (no email address / portal login) calculator to help you review the value of your ICT service provision.

- We guarantee 100% absolute satisfaction. No contracts make sure we have to be on top of our game.

- We’ve been around for a while! We’ve found the right formula for servicing ICT.

- Get all your ICT services under one roof, no more dropped lines of communication between two third parties. We do it all and you get one number to call for anything ICT related.

- We’ll have a technician working on your issue in 60 minutes or less. Our location (Central London, Victoria, Euston, Bromley and Croydon) lets us respond, fast.

- We’re one of the first IT service providers in London to offer “green hosting” which uses low-cost power and natural weather resources so your business can be proud of its environmental ethics.

- We make sure your office is secure. Remote backups, firewalls and network monitoring means that you can have piece of mind that nothing will get lost or stolen.

- None of our services are pre-determined. We tweak and cater our services towards your offices’ specific needs. Get exactly what you need and want.

- You’ll have a fully supported infrastructure leaving you free to concentrate on your customers.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east, including London Victoria, Euston, Croydon and Bromley. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000 or head to our website. 

How to set your SMB up for BYOD success

Bring Your Own Device is here to stay after 75 per cent of all companies admitted they will be allowing it over the coming 12 months and small and medium sized businesses are among those that can benefit the most from it.

Before implementing it, SMBs must make it a matter of urgency to implement a fully-fledged and water-tight plan of action to prevent any security mishaps that have the ability to bring a firm to its knees.

Do you even allow BYOD?

The single biggest decision to make is whether to even allow your employees to use their own devices in the workplace. Once you’ve made a decision either way there are a raft of ways to make sure it’s as secure as possible.

Establish an Acceptable Use Policy

SMBs are a group that can benefit the most from BYOD and accordingly a policy must be devised to be sure that devices are being used correctly and at the same time preventing any security problems. The policy will cover all bases by setting out a list of rules and guidelines for personal devices and how they can be used. Ideally the document will be created alongside employees and be progressive so that new devices don’t cause problems.

Educate Your Workforce

For BYOD to work for your SMB, employees must be clear on the policy mentioned above and the limitations that it places on personal devices in the workplace. A training session would be an excellent way to impart this knowledge to help each employee understand the restrictions and allowances they have been given. Once the training has ended each person must agree to and sign the policy document.

Pick An Appropriate BYOD Platform

By the time employees understand the BYOD policy of the company, an appropriate platform should be chosen that fulfils your SMB’s needs. There are plenty to choose from and putting in the time to research will mean pitfalls are avoided further down the line. It’s at this point that the level of support available on each one should be looked in to so that employees are never left in the lurch with problems they cannot solve.

Keep It Updated

Security is the thing BYOD opponents flag up as a huge concern and to make it less of one SMBs must make sure that the platform is updated regularly. This helps to protect against the latest threats that are in the wild and give support for any new devices or software that need to be configured.

360ict provides managed IT services and support for SMEs in central London and the south-east. For more advice on gaining competitive advantage as a mid-sized company, give us a call on 0208 663 4000.