Microsoft 365, formerly Microsoft Office, is a collection of apps designed to help businesses improve their productivity and is being used by more and more companies. In fact, 70% of fortune 500 companies have purchased Microsoft 365 for their company in the past year. However, many companies do not know how Microsoft 365 can impact their company and help them improve.
Do you want to learn more about Microsoft 365 business standard and how Office 365 can help your company? Keep reading this guide to Microsoft 365.
What to Know About Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 for business are cloud-based services that offer productivity solutions for any company. Originally, it was known as Office 365. When you purchase Microsoft 365, you get subscription access to all Office apps.
Not only does this help improve productivity, but it can also protect your company from cybersecurity threats. It provides a higher level of security and allows businesses to protect their data.
Microsoft 365 is perfect for small to medium businesses and can help you improve communication with your employees, increase productivity, and more.
As was mentioned before, Microsoft 365 is the new and improved version of Office 365. One main difference is the subscription aspect. It is something that you purchase for your company each month or year, rather than buying it once.
Second, Office 365 included apps on your computer. However, Microsoft 365 allows you to access each of these services online. Whether you need your email, cloud storage, or other communication tools, you can access your work wherever you are.
Plans and Pricing
There are many subscriptions and plans available through Microsoft 365. Depending on the needs and budget of your business, you can choose whichever plan works best for you. Here are the Microsoft 365 pricing and plans and what they include.
Business Basic
The Microsoft 365 Business Basic plan is best for businesses who want online versions of the Office Apps. It is great for those who want remote solutions as it includes Microsoft Teams, cloud storage, and more.
Business Standard
The Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan is a little bit more expensive than the basic plan but is best for companies with full remote work. It provides more tools for collaboration and allows you to access premium office applications across each of your devices.
The main difference between the business basic and the business standard plan is the access to the apps. While the basic plan only allows you to access the Microsoft apps online, the business standard plan allows you to use the desktop apps on your local computer.
Business Premium
Finally, the Microsoft 365 Business Premium Plan is the plan that includes everything in the business standard plan and more. If you are looking for an option with a higher level of security and protection from cyber threats, the business premium plan is the best option for you.
The main difference between standard vs premium plans is the options for device management and improved security for your business.
Apps Included in Microsoft 365
There are many apps included in the Microsoft 365 subscriptions. First and foremost, it includes productivity tools. These are the most commonly used Microsoft tools, like Word, PowerPoint, Excel, and more.
However, there are other helpful apps in Microsoft as well! For example, there are online services that allow you to access your work from anywhere. These include Teams, an online communication platform, and OneDrive. OneDrive gives you 1TB of data storage for free and is a great way to keep your data and projects secure.
Depending on the subscription option you choose, you can have more features. This means that as a company, you can choose the plans that fit your unique needs. You don’t have to pay for tools that you don’t need to use!
How Is Microsoft 365 Useful for Businesses
There are many ways that any of these Microsoft 365 plans are useful for businesses. As was mentioned before, it is great for communication. You can hold conference calls, communicate online, and more through the Microsoft apps. Microsoft Teams makes it much easier to reach out to your employees, get updates throughout the day, and more.
Especially as many businesses have transitioned to remote work options, this is an easy and efficient way to stay connected with your team.
It is also useful for businesses because it provides you with each of the productivity apps you need at a predictable cost. Because the pricing for Microsoft 365 subscriptions is based on how many users you have, it is easier to budget for your IT spending. You will not have any additional or hidden costs when you use Microsoft 365.
Finally, as a business owner, you can be confident that you are using the best apps available. Microsoft 365 provides automatic upgrades to ensure that your apps are consistently performing as they should. You will not have to buy new software.
Instead, your apps will automatically update to the newest version!
Learn More About Microsoft 365 for Business Today
Using Microsoft 365 for your business is a great way to improve productivity and more. If you want to improve collaboration, communication, storage, and more, you should consider getting Microsoft 365 for your business. However, you want to make sure you buy it from a reliable source!
If you are looking for a professional company to help you find cloud services for your business, AdEPT can help! Contact our team today to learn more about Microsoft 365 pricing, plans, and more.
What Is Microsoft Azure Used For?
Are you looking for a cloud computing solution with a trusted brand?
Cloud computing is the newest undertaking and computing solution for businesses. In 2020, 93% of businesses already had a multi-cloud strategy in place. Like Google Cloud, Azure is another top cloud computing platform businesses use today.
If you want a cloud computing service designed for businesses, Microsoft Azure is the solution you’re looking for. Below is a guide on its services. Keep reading to find out how it works, how much it costs, and more.
What Is Microsoft Azure?
Azure is Microsoft’s public cloud computing platform. As a cloud platform, you could build, deploy, and manage services and apps anywhere. As the industry’s leading solution, you can use it as:
- Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
- Platform as a Service (PaaS)
- Software as a Service (SaaS)
These options open up services like analytics, virtual computing, networking, storage, and more.
Its flexibility lets you use Azure’s partial or full cloud-based system for your needs. As a Microsoft product, Azure ensures security, organisation, and many excellent features. These are the reasons behind Azure’s growth rate of 120,000 subscriptions per month in 2017.
How Does Azure Work?
Microsoft Azure stores data on remote servers and allows you to access them online. Once you place your data on the Microsoft cloud, you can access it anytime, regardless of your location. Such data includes files, applications, and more.
Use this Microsoft infrastructure to store your data to ensure they’re safe. Only you and any allowed parties can access the data and files uploaded on the cloud. In short, it works like a cloud-computing platform.
Services Provided by Microsoft Azure
Microsoft Azure lets you create virtual machines from marketplace templates or custom machine images. These virtual machines or VMs can host your apps and services. The difference is they’re cloud-based, allowing you to reap the benefits of using a cloud.
Speaking of apps, Azure allows you to create and deploy applications for your business. Use them to save time and money while watching over the progress and flow of your business. You won’t have to worry about compatibility with web platforms or scalability.
Another unique service to Microsoft Azure is the Visual Studio. Visual Studio team services offer application lifecycle management (ALM) in the cloud. Other than allowing you to find smarter, more secure networks, it opens many actions to developers.
Benefits of Using Microsoft Azure for Your Business
One of the top advantages of Microsoft Azure is it’s cost-effective. When you use the service, you only pay for what you use. It’s a great solution if your business only needs specific cloud services or apps.
Remember, Azure is also flexible and scalable. It’s another factor offering considerable benefits to its users. You won’t have to worry about using a complex one-size-fits-all solution.
Because most processes occur online, many businesses are now open to cyberattacks. However, with Microsoft Azure’s Active Directory, you get security and safety. Azure improves identity and access capabilities with multi-factor authentication.
If not from cyberattacks, you may also suffer setbacks and data loss from other causes. For example, extreme weather events or fire accidents can hit your data centres. If you didn’t create backups on a cloud, you’d lose all the data for good.
However, if you have data backups on Azure, you won’t have to start from zero again. It has offsite replication, onsite maintenance, and up to 99 years of data retention. The best part is you don’t need to worry about any capital investments or extra operational costs.
Another Azure-specific advantage is you can use the platform to host, manage, and develop apps. It’s all thanks to its patch management, AutoScale, and integration services. It also allows you to link your apps and access resources inside your firewall.
Practical Microsoft Azure Tips to Keep in Mind
Don’t expect your DevOps or deployment team to learn about the new platform right away. Give them time to learn the ropes and master the basics. With that said, always give them extra time to familiarize themselves with the new platform.
Don’t hang onto processes or services that you don’t need. Remember, Azure is all about efficiency and practicality. Don’t be afraid to “un-deploy” certain processes and services.
Finding the right cloud service provider can make or break your business. Before you commit to Microsoft Azure, ensure it’s the best choice for your company. Check whether its services, availability, and cost fit your goals and budget.
Improve Your Business Development With Microsoft Azure
We hope this guide to Microsoft Azure gave you a better and broader understanding of its nuances. After reading our content, you now have a better idea of how to use it, especially how it works for your business processes.
However, learning the platform is only a facet. You need professional help to make the transition easier.
Are you looking for an IT provider and management team for your business? Get in touch with us and learn more about our services today. Feel free to shoot us any inquiries through our contact page here.
IP Telephony Benefits for Your Business
Why will 90% of business leaders stop purchasing traditional communications tools this year in favour of IP telephony?
VoIP telephony solutions now play a significant role in most businesses with an industry CAGR of 21.5%. Millions of companies recognise the benefits of IP telephony. But why are they moving from traditional PBX boxes to adopt this new technology?
This article highlights why VoIP and IP services and phone systems are so popular.
Learn the top IP telephony benefits like reduced overheads and reduced initial capital spend. Discover how the system works and how it can scale to match your business growth.
Read on to see why you should implement IP telephony and how AdEPT can help manage that transition.
What is IP Telephony?
IP or Internet Protocol telephony uses the Internet to exchange voice, fax, and other types of communications.
Traditional PSTNs used dedicated circuit-switched connections to send voice calls. IP telephony simplifies this by sending data in packets across the Internet or through a local area network (LAN).
In essence, it’s a revolution in how we communicate.
VoIP Communications
Voice over IP or VoIP is a term used to describe sending and receiving voice calls.
The technology is a subset of IP telephony where a person’s voice gets converted into a digital signal. That data then gets compressed and sent to the receiver, where it’s converted back and played through their speaker.
Providers like AdEPT now offer businesses of all sizes the opportunity to use a dedicated IP service of their own.
Yet why make the jump from a traditional phone service? What are the benefits of IP telephony?
IP Telephony Benefits
Below are 5 major benefits that an IP telephony solution can offer your business.
From reduced costs to instant access from any device, read on to see why you should adopt this modern platform.
1. Lower Costs
Would you like to save 30-50% on your monthly phone bills?
IP telephony can lower costs by offering cheaper call rates and removing unnecessary hardware.
Cloud-hosted solutions can manage all of your calls without the need to purchase expensive equipment. There’s no longer the need for major capital expenditure as you can lease cloud hardware instead.
Larger companies that require a more dedicated approach can also benefit from IP technologies.
Cloud hosting can come as a hybrid service and there are leased line options available through SIP. For example, our Nebula SIP Connectivity service works with leading carriers like BT for multi-site venues.
Prices are lower than traditional ISDN lines which are now almost obsolete thanks to IP telephony.
2. Worldwide Remote Access
As the need for a remote workforce continues, IP communications help to unify your staff, customers, and suppliers no matter where they are.
Because the technology uses the Internet, calls get routed to any online device. That includes mobile phones, VoIP phones, computers, tablets, or even fax machines.
Voice calls are now truly mobile so your employees no longer need to be under one roof. That could have a financial knock-on effect as you move your staff away from physical premises and into a digital workspace.
3. Additional Features
IP telephony offers much more than simple voice calls. Other features include:
- Instant messaging and screen sharing
- Call logging and queuing
- Digital receptionist (IVR)
- Voicemail to email
- Integration with CRM software, Microsoft 365, Google, etc.
The system is also simple to set up and configure.
You can temporarily route incoming calls for a particular number to a different mobile. Or you can activate a digital auto attendant to give callers several options to choose from.
Get in contact to learn all about our full list of IP features.
4. Reliable and Encrypted HD Calls
IP telephony boasts high-definition calls. Voices remain clear and distinct, and with the right provider, your calls won’t drop out.
If you’re concerned about the privacy of making calls over the Internet then there’s good news.
Data is automatically encrypted from sender to receiver. That means that even if someone intercepts a call those packets remain useless.
The technology uses the same tried-and-tested encryption methods used by secure online services. Combined with HD calls and a reliable connection, that’s a major reason to embrace IP.
5. Scalable Integrated Solutions
Does your current communications provider let you add new numbers easily? Can you manage this yourself? How much does it cost and does that expense concern you as your business grows?
IP telephony is becoming more popular because it can scale with ease.
It only takes a few days to install and configure and from there you have full control over your own network. That includes managing your phone numbers and services through an online web portal.
Adding phone numbers no longer requires expensive maintenance work. As everything’s digital, the process occurs online within seconds.
An IP system means you’re not tied to an expensive provider that dictates how you operate. Take charge of your communications and know that they will develop alongside your business’s growth.
IP Telephony Solutions for Business
Communication is the lifeblood of every company.
At AdEPT, we understand this and that’s why we offer several IP telephony solutions for businesses:
- Computer Telephony Integration (CTI)
- Voice over IP (VoIP)
- Least Cost Routing (LCR)
We can assist in the planning, design, and installation of your communications. And we’re there to train and support you moving forward.
IP Telephony for Businesses With AdEPT
IP telephony uses your company’s existing Internet connection to send and receive calls.
Yet the technology offers so much more like video conferencing and virtual menus. Not only does it connect your remote workplace but you’ll see huge savings from day one.
However, the quality of the service and the total costs depends on the provider you choose.
Thankfully, AdEPT offers a range of IP telephony services that will cater to all of your requirements.
Our unified communications service can reduce your monthly bills and boost your productivity. We combine voice, video, conference calls, IM, and visual voicemail for a full telephony experience.
Contact us today to learn more about the benefits of IP telephony.
As a certified Avaya Diamond, Microsoft Gold and Gamma Platinum partner, we are telephony and communications experts. And we want to share that expertise with you.
I agree, especially as it isnt the most famous one now [SM1]
ISDN [SM2]
Why Your Business Needs Data Backup and Recovery Plans in Place
Regardless of the size of your business, it’s likely that data is an essential aspect of running it. There are three fundamental components you should consider if you don’t yet have a robust strategy in place to keep your data safe.
All humans make errors, all computer systems crash, and disasters happen when you’re least prepared. In any of these situations, you need to have your data backed up and available.
Not only does having a data backup and recovery plan in place give you peace of mind, but it can help you recover valuable data in the event of a breach.
What Is Data Backup and Recovery?
Data backup and recovery is the process of generating and saving data. You can use this data to protect your business from data loss. That data loss is due to many different reasons but in particular, cyber-attacks, and you refer to it as backup and recovery. Disaster recovery is a term often used to describe this process.
The data from a backup is usually restored to its original location or to a different location where it can be used in place of the missing or damaged data. Backing up and restoring data is an essential part of every business’ disaster recovery plan.
Planning Your Backup and Recovery
The cost of losing access to data and applications for some amount of time, determines how you back up your data and applications. Also the cost of restoring or recreating the data if lost for good, (i.e., how often you back them up and to what system or location).
The first steps in developing a backup strategy are recovery time and recovery point objectives, and application. That is, especially in an enterprise backup strategy.
Recovery Time Objective (RTO) refers to the maximum period of time the company can afford to be without access to the data. Also the application time or how quickly recovery of the data and application is.
Recovery Point objective (RPO) refers to the amount of data your company can afford to lose. It also determines how often the data should be backed up to prevent further loss.
RTOs and RPOs can differ depending on the industry and the specific applications and data specifications. Mission-critical applications will have very small RTOs and RPOs. That is because downtime could result in significant financial losses. (i.e. such as a major retailer’s online shopping system or an airline reservation system)
Other factors that influence your backup and restore technology selection include your need for scalability, data protection, and even physical distance.
To recover from a local power outage or disaster, the business may need to keep backups far enough away from the production infrastructure.
Backup Solutions
In general, there are four types of backup. Let’s learn about them below:
Tape Drive
The oldest backup medium still in use today is a tape drive. Tape provides low-cost, high-capacity data storage. But its slow read/write performance makes it unsuitable for incremental backup. Or any other backup system requiring backups whenever data changes.
Tape is often more susceptible to physical wear and damage than other storage media. So it must be carefully monitored and checked to ensure that it can function when needed.
External Drives (HDD or SDD)
The majority of data nowadays is backed up to a hard disk drive (HDD) or solid-state drive (SDD), whether it’s a standalone drive or a backup server.
External HDD and SDD drives have much faster read/write speeds than tape, making them a better option for backups that need to be continuously updated and have a shorter RTO/RPO.
A minor disadvantage of both HDDs and SDDs is that neither is truly scalable—if more backup capacity is required, more disks must be purchased.
Backup Servers
A backup server is a dedicated server designed to back up files from several client computers connected to the same network. The server consists of a large amount of disk storage and backup scheduling and management tools. Backup server disks are often designed for redundancy to protect backup data and keep backups running even if a disk fails.
While an on-site backup server can be a cost-effective backup option for a small business, it does not secure backup data from local outages or natural disasters.
Backing Up To the Cloud
All data and applications are backed up to a virtual backup server at a remote data centre. That server is hosted by the business, a hosting provider, or a cloud services provider via a corporate network or internet connection.
The most versatile form of backup is usually cloud backup. It can backup files, application data, and even entire physical or virtual servers. Backups can be scheduled as regularly or infrequently as required. For protection against local power outages or disasters, cloud storage eliminates the need to physically transfer backup media to another location (and the relatively bigger RTOs and RPOs that can result).
Backup Methods
When selecting a backup system, consider the factors mentioned previously. But also privacy and confidentiality requirements, retention rules, what is being backed up, and, of course, budget.
No Backups – Pay the Price
Backups should be made on a consistent, regular basis for the best results. That will reduce the amount of data lost between backups.
Any data loss can endanger personal identity, destroy family history, and even put a company out of business.
A strong backup policy and sound procedures would undoubtedly secure confidential business data in the event of a hardware failure, hacker infiltration, or several other risks to digitally stored information.
This is why backing up your data regularly is so important. Contact our team to learn more about cloud services and the solutions that we offer!
Benefits of Data Network Installation for Business
Have you recently started looking into installing a data network within your business? Are you not sold and wish to know the benefits?
Within the world of job hunting, networking boasts of being the reason for 85% of positions filled.
Networking is any interaction you can have with another person. It is a vital part of computers as well. Networking is how computers or devices connect with one another.
Every organisation needs a robust and reliable network. This is possible through professional data network installation. Read on for more information.
What Is a Data Network?
The moment the internet was created, networking between people has become more accessible. As technology has improved, so too has the ability to network. You can now network through your mobile devices and computers.
Data networking is essentially the same concept. Rather than having a network for communication, you have a network to share data.
Data networking is perfect for the management of the system performance of platforms. Having access to technology in another building will make handling problems smoother.
Allow your business to take advantage of such technology. Doing this can ensure your company is keeping up with your competitors.
Take a restaurant, for example. They would have gone through a networking installation. The more modern restaurant will have tablets to place the orders of the tables.
Once the waiter inputs the complete meals, the order will then get sent to the kitchen. The data gets sent through a network, giving the kitchen individual parts of the order.
By maintaining a solid network, the service time is shortened. This allows for a higher turnover of tables. A high table turnover will increase the companies profits.
We offer a wide range of data networking solutions. Have a look and find the best solution for you.
What Are the Benefits of Data Network Installation Within Your Business?
When it comes to your business, you will want to ensure that having a business network is the right move. Which is entirely understandable.
Let’s cover a few advantages to having a business network within your company.
Information Is Readily Available
A network allows for information to be sent from one place to another with ease. Let’s go back to the restaurant. The network allowed the waiter to send data to the kitchen from the other side of the room.
The tablet that the waiter used will also be receiving data from the central computer. This data will allow them to see the availability of stock. Gone are the times of the pen and paper.
If you ask the waiter for something that isn’t in stock, they won’t have to run away and check to find the answer. You can also say this for information within a business.
It’s Flexible
The flexibility of a network is impressive. As a user, you can search for everything on a particular subject, for example, a business database.
Another plus point, you won’t have to worry about affecting the computer’s functionality. Before networks, the bigger the data you searched for, the longer the computer would take to find it.
The information is available and can be shared easily between one another. You also won’t be risking security or the ability of the device you are sending it from.
It’s Not Overly Expensive
Paying for a network installation isn’t as expensive as you may think and you can rest assured that it will last. You may need to tweak it here and there, but once you have the network installed, it will take a lot for it to need replacing. The effectiveness of how you share will not dwindle any time soon.
Once you have connected a group of computers, you can share data or information between them.
It will also improve the speed with which your employees can deal with customers. Having access to all the information in one place can focus on finding the right deals for your clients. Networks allow this to happen in a quick and efficient way.
Take the restaurant, for example. The waiters have access to the information they need. This leads to a high turn over of tables. Change the tables for your clients, and the outcome is the same.
Data Sharing Is Easier
As mentioned above, the speed that you can send data within the network is astounding. Such a speed will only grow alongside the increase in technological advances.
Say, for example, you needed to send a file to a member of your team in a different room. Rather than creating an email and zip the file, you can easily share it through the network.
Networks have deleted the risk of time-consuming tasks. Things have never been simpler.
Resource Sharing Is Far More Convenient
The convenience you will have sharing data isn’t only for data. You will also find that sharing resources is also easy and convenient.
For example, connecting a printer to the network allows any user connected to that network can to use that printer.
Having this ability will save you money on buying a bulk amount of resources for each user. Or it will save you time from having to send the documents you wish to print to a sole user to print for you.
Being able to share resources among the network will also save money.
Have Your Data Network Your Way
Now you have a better insight into network installation. Has this helped you with your choice of getting a network installed within your business?
Gain the flexibility of sharing data. Share resources throughout the office.
Give your business access to all the information they need with ease. Most importantly, save yourself some money.
For any information on what services we have to offer, contact us, and we will get in touch.
Local government cloud migration: put people first, technology second
A little-known fact about local government never ceases to amaze me: a typical council is responsible for more than 700 distinct public services for its local community.
This number, based on research by the Local Government Association, is all the more astonishing when you consider the diversity and complexity of those services – and the financial challenges that local government faces.
£16billion reduction in revenue
If you work in local government, you don’t need me to remind you of the services your organisation runs. But for the benefit of our wider readership, it’s worth elaborating.
At any one time, our local authorities are simultaneously protecting vulnerable people; keeping our streets clean; vetting and licensing pubs and restaurants; helping those who need it most have a roof over their head; running elections; attracting tourism and investment in the local economy; ensuring our buildings are safe; administering births, deaths and marriages; planning for disasters; running recreation and sports facilities… The list goes on… And on…
Now, for an interesting comparison, think about the number of services offered by a private company – for example, a high street bank. A quick scan of my own bank’s website, and I can count, at most, about 20 discrete services.
Next, take a look at the financial picture in local government. Clearly, our councils aren’t banks making millions of pounds of profits. Rather, they’re public organisations, funded by council tax and other fees, as well as grants from central government. Generally, it’s about a 50/50 split between local funding sources and those from Whitehall.
And finally, consider the past decade. Between 2012 and 2020, councils lost 60p out of every £1 provided by central government to spend on local services, compared to the preceding decade. This equates to a £16billion reduction in revenue.
How have our councils even started to address this colossal shortfall?
Increasing council tax and rates is rife with challenges. First, there are limits on the amount by which council tax may be increased without public consultation. Second, the taxpaying public does not generally welcome council tax rises with open arms.
And so, local government has had no choice but to explore other ways to offset the cuts.
This is often described as ‘doing more with less’. But in my experience, as councils face not only this immense financial pressure – but pressure from citizens for ‘smarter’ services, too – it isn’t just about ‘doing more with less’. It’s also about ‘doing better with less’.
The challenge of meeting digital expectations while serving diverse communities
Not only has the past decade seen local government income cut to the bone, it’s also seen consumers become more accustomed to digital services.
The more we’ve embraced digital technology, the more we expect the same joined-up digital experience in everything from the systems we use for work to the tools we use for shopping.
Additionally, we expect all of this to be available on our handheld devices. In fact, in the UK, 85 per cent of online activity in 2020 was conducted through smartphones.
In many ways, the Covid-19 pandemic has accelerated this shift. Obviously, one can argue that we’ve had no choice but to use online services during lockdown. But consider news about Amazon’s biggest profits ever, the cardboard box shortage, the surge in video calling and the growth in streaming services. These stories all point to one thing: the pandemic has led us to the point of no return with our digital lives.
At the same time, not every member of the public has the means, the inclination or the ability to use digital technology. So, while local government is looking to digitally transform services – and with good reason – it must do so in a way that works for everyone. This is no small feat – particularly in light of data and privacy issues…
Data in local government
It’s difficult to comprehend the staggering amount of data shared worldwide in a single minute, let alone an entire day, month or year – but this World Economic Forum article gives a good idea. However, it’s safe to say that the volume of data we produce and draw on is growing exponentially. And that’s the case in local government organisations, too.
As Big Data has gotten bigger, so too has public concern and regulations about the handling of that data. In 2018, the GDPR heralded stricter laws for data protection – and more recently, tech giant Apple has been on a crusade to improve data and privacy.
For local authorities, the challenges around data go beyond those seen in the private sector. The handling and processing of sensitive personal data within councils – for example, in children’s services – comes with other practical, ethical and legal challenges.
Additionally, unlike the companies that were born in the internet age – whose systems and data might be in the cloud from the outset – councils often have a legacy of paper-based records. And GDPR applies to physical data as much as it does to digital data.
Consequently, when it comes to their data, councils have another enormous job on their hands. Not only must they comply with GDPR and other strict regulations in their everyday activities – they must ensure decades or historical data are brought in line with the 21st century, too.
Digital transformation must be more than skin deep
As I’ve described, among the many challenges local government has faced in the past decade, there are three that stand out. And the pandemic has only compounded this situation:
- Significant loss of revenue
- Citizen demand for online services
- Greater concern and regulation around data
Additionally, due to the hundreds of services they run, councils also face the challenge of using and managing a wide range of disjointed back-office systems – many of them relatively old – all dependent on reliable IT.
One of the ways local government is responding is through digital transformation. It’s a term you’ll hear bandied about in discussion across all sectors. And it gets a lot of hype, often being lauded as a money-saving miracle worker.
This is true to an extent – effective digital transformation projects can cut costs and be hugely beneficial. But for local government, these projects must be much more than cosmetic fixes, such as launching an e-commerce site, giving staff tablets, or running customer service through social media.
While all of these activities are forms of digital enablement, they are likely to be a drop in the budgetary ocean – or worse, an expensive mistake – if they are poorly planned, or tacked onto services that were designed and established long before the advent of the internet.
As a result, many councils have been going back to the drawing board to overhaul their services to incorporate technology from the ground up. And this is what we at AdEPT consider to be true digital transformation. I have included some examples of this at the bottom of this blog – projects that are especially impressive given the challenges of the past decade.
One of the common themes in these examples is cloud migration. Put simply, this is the act of moving processes, data, applications and resources out of on-premise systems, into a cloud-based system.
Cloud migration in local government
When it comes to cloud migration in a local authority, the responsibility usually lies with the Chief Information Officer or Chief Technology Officer. However, because such projects affect everyone in the organisation – and it’s vital all staff are on board such significant changes – I’d like to offer an analogy for our readers who don’t work in IT.
To me, cloud migration resembles the process of moving house. When you do this, unfortunately, you can’t just appear by magic in your new home.
There are many reasons you might move, and we all do so in the hope of a positive outcome. So you start by considering the size and type of property you need, what you can afford, and how it will suit your household. You’ll also research the area – is it near your workplace and schools, does it have good transport links and attractive local amenities?
Then you’ll consider the finer details. What might your new bills cost? How will your utilities change? Will you need new services, like fuel for a different heating system? Will your children take to their new bedrooms? Will you need a lawnmower? Will the home be right for you in the future – could you need an extension in five years’ time?
Once you’ve answered these questions and chosen your dream home, you’ll start the process of selling and buying. And with that comes another long list of questions, tasks and paperwork.
Then, you’ll move. But not before you’ve organised removal services, carefully packed up your belongings and checked every last cupboard to make sure it’s empty. By this point, you’ll have also switched your utilities, redirected your post and shared your new address with your loved ones.
And then, finally, you can settle into your new home. Invariably, there’ll be wrinkles to iron out – but ultimately, you’ll have gone through this major, stressful, change for the best.
A successful cloud migration project has similarities to this process, not least because it requires an enormous amount of upfront assessment and planning.
This is because, in any organisation, such a project can affect hundreds, thousands, or even millions of people – both customers and staff – and can impact everything from an employee’s swipe card to entire rooms of expensive hardware. It can change how and where people work, how customers might interact with your organisation and how you provide your products and services.
Additionally, in local government, cloud migration is about much more than the functioning of a business – and the bottom line. It affects the very lives of citizens – the people who rely on those essential services provided by our councils.
Cloud migration should be as much an exercise in careful, considered planning as it is migration. And with this, it offers significant gains.
Moving to the cloud: what’s in it for local government?
Being an IT company with a long history of helping the public sector adopt cloud services, it’s tricky to answer this question without sounding a little biased.
However, moving to the cloud does bring substantial benefits – and many local authorities are already realising this, as shown in the examples below. Additionally, these benefits can mitigate some of the challenges I’ve outlined in this blog. They include:
- Financial: given the economic picture described earlier, reducing costs is often the most attractive benefit of moving to the cloud. Such savings typically come through data storage, reduced capital investment, streamlined workflows and increased productivity. Cloud’s adaptability also brings financial benefits – see below.
- Modernisation: cloud platforms often work as springboards to greater innovation. For example, both Microsoft’s and Google’s cloud environments offer analytics, automation, and no-code app development tools. Additionally, both platforms have integrated marketplaces where users can buy vetted apps from independent developers. With such an environment, it’s not hard to see how cloud platforms can be valuable starting point to satisfy the public’s appetite for digital services.
- Data security: while this is invariably the top priority – and concern – for local authorities looking to migrate to the cloud, reputable providers also make this their number one priority. Impeccable security is crucial to vendors’ reputation and success, and they tend to invest heavily in security research and development for this reason.
- Flexibility: cloud-based environments are more conducive to flexible working. Having data and applications stored in the cloud means staff have easier and more flexible ways to access their work. This is especially beneficial for the widespread home and remote working that has emerged through the pandemic – and for council staff who may routinely be on the road, such as social workers.
- Adaptability: in the past, many councils might have over-invested in hardware and systems as an insurance for the future, taking the view that ‘I’ll buy twice as much data storage than I need right now because I might need it in a year’s time’. While this is understandable, it has meant councils have seen enormous setup costs. Cloud services are different. Not only do typical pricing models often mean lower costs at the outset, it’s much easier to scale up and scale down cloud services.
- Business continuity and disaster recovery: many cloud services started life as backup tools. With years of customer feedback under their belt, this means they have evolved to offer some of the most sophisticated backup functions on offer. Additionally, data in the cloud is available round the clock – and updates and patches often prove to be simpler than on-premise and physical upgrades, avoiding the need for system downtime.
Why cloud now? And what next?
In technology circles, discussion about cloud is neverending. But in truth, it is not a new topic. Central government has been championing its ‘cloud first’ policy since 2013 – and in fact, as long as the internet has existed, so too has the cloud.
When it comes to the digital transformation of local government, while there are examples of successful cloud adoption by councils, the projects tend to happen on a piecemeal basis – and for areas that are relatively straightforward, such as moving to Microsoft 365.
But, many councils want to go beyond this. They want their older, more complicated systems to work in the cloud – or a better alternative. Sometimes it’s seeing the art of the possible, and in our experience, there are more options available than might be immediately apparent. But all cloud migration work is a gradual process rather than an overnight switch. There is no such thing as a quick fix in the public sector – and given what’s at stake, rightly so.
Cloud vendors and technology companies must respect this. Cloud migration is not like installing a new piece of software or plugging in a new device. And it’s not about offering a particular product – or even mentioning a particular product – until the vendor has listened long and hard to the council – and not just IT staff, too.
Among many considerations, moving to the cloud is about understanding the IT landscape of the organisation, the infrastructure, the systems in place, the data held, and access rights and requirements. With such an extensive reach across different services provided by local authorities, this can be a complex exercise, so it’s essential to have the right method and support to undertake this.
At AdEPT, we start with our Cloud Readiness Assessment (CRA). As a specialist in local government cloud migration, we’ve developed this process to go beyond an IT audit, looking at existing systems, services and suitability, as well as the need for cloud migration. As with my house-moving analogy, we’ll help you answer the questions; we’ll find out what’s right for your organisation and the community you serve, and we’ll explore all the possibilities –including the things you might consider impossible.
We also believe that while councils are looking to innovate, a phased approach may be appropriate to provide a seamless transition. Any cloud migration plan that looks to change everything overnight is doomed to failure.
Beyond assessment
Once we have completed the CRA, the next step is to reduce the complexity of the IT environment that has evolved over many years. This includes reconfiguring, rehosting, retiring and consolidating systems and data in a way that is right for the organisation at the right time. While it might be easier to migrate some systems and services to the cloud, others may need to be reconfigured and rehosted before being migrated or retired at a later stage.
Additionally, working with us as a dedicated cloud migration provider offers other benefits. Helping staff access the systems they need to carry out offsite work on the go can substantially increase efficiency – and building in flexibility to adjust to seasonal fluctuation can be cost effective. A paid-for service can offer financial agility, too, with the ability to pay a consistent monthly service fee rather than outlay large capital expenditure. And having a dedicated IT support team can also reduce shadow IT, bringing all systems together, providing control and clear oversight of systems and applications across all departments.
We can help
AdEPT has extensive experience in helping the public sector with its technology. We support more than 100 councils, the London Grid for Learning and the Cabinet Office with their technology. And last year, we completed a project to switch the entirety of Kent NHS – serving some 1.6 million citizens – to the new HSCN network.
We’ve helped these organisations to not only digitally transform – but to also identify opportunities for efficiencies, increase agility and provide high-quality, uninterrupted support for the public benefit.
I hope this blog gives you a useful introduction to our stance and our unique approach. But if you have any questions, you can get in touch with me through LinkedIn. Alternatively, you can call
And as well as the examples below, you can find more useful information in the public sector section of our website, starting here.
Examples of cloud adoption in local government
- Surrey Heath Borough Council modernises its mapping services by moving to the cloud (Local Government Association, 19 August 2020)
- Lincolnshire County Council migrates its street asset management system to the cloud, helping inspectors to keep working during the pandemic (UK Authority, 4 August 2020)
- London Borough of Barking and Dagenham moves its entire contact centre to the cloud, minimising service disruption due to home working (LocalGov, 17 June 2020)
- Warwickshire County Council uses cloud in various areas, including productivity software, contact centre and HR (PublicTechnology.Net, 21 April 2016)
Best VoIP Systems for Schools: What are the Options?
Our world changed in an instant at the start of 2020 and we’ve all been rocked.
Businesses closed, children were sent home from school, and teachers were thrust into a virtual-learning frenzy. It was all quite unnerving.
Communication became even more difficult between administration, students, and educators, as not everyone had the same tech or methods to connect.
As the coronavirus pandemic lingers, the perfect solution for a school in need of communication upgrades is Voice over Internet Protocol technology. Nowadays, this is better known as VoIP.
Below you’ll find a breakdown of the benefits of switching to VoIP software from POTS (Plain Old Telephony System).
AND, taking the guesswork out for you, we have listed some of the best VoIP systems for schools.
Benefits of VoIP systems
We live in a day and age where remote work is more common, particularly given the impact of the global pandemic.
That said, looking into a VoIP system for your organisation is one of the smartest decisions you can make.
Not all VoIP systems are the same, but most have similar features that make them an amazing tool for all types of business, especially for schools. The top attributes to be aware of when doing your research are Centralised Device Management, Mobile Technology, Virtual Receptionist, Text/Instant Messaging, Voicemail to Email, and Video Conferencing.
Centralised Device Management
Planning an entire day to go phone-to-phone throughout your workplace, just to set them up properly, is counter-productive. Most of the time, you end up having to backtrack, adding to the frustration.
VoIP systems eliminate all of that nonsense.
Centralised Device Management is a technological feature of most of today’s top-rated products. It ensures device configurations are consistent, optimised, secure, and scalable.
Something else needed to be mentioned is how this feature works with Emergency Monitoring. Now, more than ever, it is critical for schools to have high-security measures in place and much more efficient ways of handling emergencies.
Although geographical flexibility is a highlight of VoIP systems, it is a tracking nightmare for emergency services. Enhanced 911 (E911) as a VoIP add-on has come into play as a necessary component for many businesses, schools included.
Managers can set a physical address for each user within the organisation. This is another benefit of centralised device management.
Ultimately, Centralised Device Management will save you a lot of time and is a way more cost-effective approach to doing business.
Mobile Technology
Mobile VoIP works with mobile carriers to send data over the internet. Whereas with traditional phones, you’re limited to voice calls, mobile VoIP opens up a world of possibility.
One huge advantage of this technology is being able to cut the cost of basic, cellular voice, or data plans, utilizing WIFI connections. Data transmission speeds increase, as well.
VoIP integration with mobile technology allows work to be done virtually anywhere. Many VoIP providers offer apps to be downloaded to your smartphone, where calls can be answered from remote locations.
Virtual Receptionist
We can’t always be at our desk, especially as a teacher or administrator. A Virtual Receptionist or Auto-Attendant answers and redirects calls for you when you are not available.
Your organisation can set up the main greeting with several options for callers to choose from, each redirecting them to a different destination. From there, users can personalise their greetings and include further directions to ensure callers’ needs are met.
Text/Instant Messaging
Another capability of many VoIP systems is text & instant messaging.
SMS through VoIP or “VoIP texting” allows users to send text messages from VoIP devices. This means that you can send a text right from your computer.
Using a desktop application installed by your VoIP service provider you can send messages to co-workers, students, parents, etc. This is a great tool for quick communication within the office as well.
If you’re looking for the best way to communicate with multiple parties, VoIP texting will deliver. In terms of efficacy, 98% of texts are read and 90% are within 3 minutes of delivery.
Keeping your team and all of the other players on the same page is a challenge that VoIP texting can simplify.
Voicemail to Email
Don’t you just hate it coming into the office in the morning and find yourself checking endless voicemails? There’s a much easier way to do it.
Enter, VoIP. Voicemails are recorded as an audio file and delivered right to your email, notifying you of a message much sooner. You even have the option of reading the message in the body of text depending on how you set up your account.
This gives you more flexibility as to when you check your voicemail messages instead of having to listen to several recordings at once.
Video Conferencing
Many adults and children alike, learnt very quickly how to use video conferencing this past year. This has become a standard in remote work and education.
Utilising VoIP technology, video conferencing can be made easier by streamlining it through one system.
Best VoIP Systems for Schools – What are the Options?
So, now that we’ve established what you should be on the lookout for, here are a few options that we believe will put you right on track for greater success within your organisation.
Avaya
Avaya is a highly-rated leader in business communication. They offer a wide array of communication technology products including VoIP solutions.
They have a keen understanding of the educational system, knowing that collaboration is key.
The Cloud Office lets you call, chat, text, video conference, file share, and manage tasks, all through VoIP! It is so much more than a phone system.
Nebula Voice
This cloud-based technology software offers all of the telephony essentials for a school phone system. Auto-attendant, Voicemail to Email, and the other bells and whistles of SMS, video conferencing; even screen-sharing!
Nebula Voice takes pride in its secure and reliable features, understanding the complexities of working remotely.
They are also powered by Ericsson-LG Enterprise, giving them even greater stability.
8×8
A trusted name in VoIP services, 8×8 has been around since the 1980s as a communications services provider. Since 8×8 is one of the larger providers, they offer industry-leading uptime and reliability guarantees.
8×8 takes a global approach to communication and supports a variety of sectors, including education.
VoIP Systems for Better Learning
Now that you’ve learned about the benefits and seen how VoIP services can help you and your organisation, are you ready to move forward with a new school phone system?
Upgrading to VoIP systems globally means better education opportunities, better business, and a better world.
Take advantage of this technology. Enquire with us today about VoIP for your school.
The Key Differences of Shared and Cloud Hosting for Business
In an increasingly remote workforce, it’s more essential than ever to have remote access to business resources. And the best way to unify your business’s technology is through hosting.
So then comes the question of cloud hosting vs shared hosting. What is the difference between the two, and which one is right for your business?
The decision can feel daunting, but with an understanding of the benefits and downfalls of each, you’ll feel confident in the type of hosting you choose. Read on to discover which type of hosting is right for your business needs.
Cloud Hosting vs Shared Hosting: An Overview
Businesses use hosting for several different needs. One of the most common is website hosting, which is when you pay a hosting provider to store your site’s data. But hosting is also good for several other business needs.
Hosting is particularly useful for your IT department. For example, you can use desktop hosting to allow access to important business data, applications, and email from any device. This allows your IT department to work from anywhere and have all the information they need at their fingertips.
When you choose a hosting provider, you are essentially renting out space on the company’s hardware. This is where you store your data. The difference between cloud hosting and shared hosting is where your files are stored.
What Is Shared Hosting?
With shared hosting, you share space on a single server with other businesses. This is the most common hosting type and is often the most affordable option.
Unfortunately, this type of hosting comes with a major downside: when you opt for shared hosting, you are sharing your server with several other customers. There can be hundreds or even thousands of businesses on a single server, which limits the amount of data and computing power available for your needs.
What Is Cloud Hosting?
With cloud hosting, a network of multiple servers shares your data. Cloud hosting virtually connects several servers to share storage and processing resources. This avoids the competition for computing resources as they can be redistributed as needed.
The main benefits of cloud hosting are its reliability, scalability, and performance.
- Reliability: If one server goes down, there are others available to pick up the slack
- Scalability: Unlike shared hosting, there is plenty of space and computing power available
- Performance: Often with cloud hosting, hardware components are optimized for particular tasks, meaning they perform better at what they need to do
We will discuss the differences between the two hosting types in more detail to give you a better understanding of what this means.
Server Resources
With shared hosting, your data is on a single piece of hardware that is shared among many customers. This means there is a limited amount of resources to go around. This also means you are competing for data space and processing power.
A major complaint with shared hosting is the impact of one customer’s usage on another’s performance. If there are spikes in hosting usage on your shared server, this will boggle down the resources and slow the transfer of data.
With cloud hosting, there are plenty of resources to go around. Due to the shared network of servers, different sites are bounced between different servers to account for spikes in traffic or other stresses. Because of this dynamic setup, the server performs better consistently.
Scalability
As you may have guessed, shared hosting doesn’t offer unlimited scalability. Shared hosting platforms have to place limits on the amount of storage and computing resources available. Going over this limit can result in fees or decreased performance.
Cloud hosting offers a huge advantage here: when more data and processing is needed, it is readily available. The hosting packages are flexible. Most cloud hosts offer a portal for you to scale up and down as needed based on your server usage.
Cost
Of course, with any comparison, you have to discuss the cost. Here is where shared hosting beats cloud hosting. With shared hosting, you generally pay a flat fee and can save money by paying for years at a time.
This makes shared hosting the cheapest option. Plus, due to competition among hosts, they will add extra services for a competitive edge.
With cloud hosting, you pay based on the services used. This can make it difficult to predict costs since your services may scale up or down based on your company’s needs at a given time.
Performance
As you’ve probably guessed, cloud hosting outperforms shared hosting by a landslide. While shared hosting is adequate for some business’ needs, cloud hosting offers more servers and more computing power to draw from.
Shared hosting performance can be hit or miss. Since your data shares space with others, performance and speed will often depend on how boggled down the server is with other requests.
Security
Shared hosting offers the advantage of a much more hands-off approach to hosting, especially when it comes to security. Shared hosting providers work hard to protect users’ security. Many encrypt data that is sent to web users, among other precautions.
You also have the option to increase security depending on the host you choose. With cloud hosting, you have more control over how things are configured — security included. This can be good or bad: you may have to install your own firewalls and monitoring tools.
Luckily, most cloud providers take on major anti-virus and data encryption measures. But if you aren’t confident in your ability to secure data, you may want to opt for shared hosting or managed cloud hosting services.
Shared vs Cloud Hosting: The Choice Is Yours
There is no clear-cut answer in the cloud hosting vs shared hosting debate. Cloud hosting wins out for its server resources, scalability, and performance. But you can’t beat the cost of shared hosting, and depending on your comfort with technology the fully managed security that comes with shared hosting may be tempting.
Choosing a hosting type is really a matter of what makes sense for your business. If you’re still having trouble deciding between the two, we can help you figure out if cloud services are the right fit for your company. Learn more about our cloud services and contact us today!
The Importance of Unified Communications in Today’s Business
Unified communications may not be a term with which you’re familiar. Yet you’ve almost certainly used one of these systems. The Google suite, Microsoft Teams, and CISCO all offer a unified communication solution.
Yet the approach isn’t new. Hewlett Packard, Juniper, Microsoft, Logitech and Polycom founded the Unified Communications Interoperability Forum in 2010. They wanted to ensure collaboration between tech firms so the platforms could work together.
The COVID-19 pandemic has revealed just how important this interoperability is. The key difference is that these platforms wanted compatibility. A unified communications system offers centrality—we’ll explain how and why below.
Yet the pandemic has also underlined how important these systems are for a modern business. With the widespread move to online working, employees need a more flexible and user-friendly approach. A unified communications platform provides that.
Read on to learn about the importance of this exciting business solution.
What Is Unified Communications?
A unified communications system pulls your communication tools onto a single platform. It blends real-time services, like instant messaging, with asynchronous tools like email.
This is not the same as voice over the internet (VoIP). Here, workers can take calls to their work number in several ways. That might involve using a desk handset, their mobile phone, or even their computer.
Yet VoIP only works for voice calls. By contrast, unified communications systems provide VoIP functions and text-based tools.
Microsoft Teams is a good example of a unified communications system. Colleagues can send instant chats, make voice or video calls, schedule meetings, and even access files on SharePoint.
This frees up how employees send and receive information.
For example, a colleague might send you a voicemail message. Using the system, you can listen to it on your phone, or through an email.
You can either call your colleague back or send them a response using text chat or email. You can choose the medium that best suits your reply.
The platform stores all the information, whether that’s a call or a text-based message. This makes it easier to search a single database for specific information.
Why Is Using Unified Communications Important?
Many businesses think their success depends on a specific part of the business. Perhaps it’s the sales team or a hero product.
In reality, communication is what can make or break a business. Poor communication can lead to catastrophic errors which could damage your brand’s reputation.
The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has made the importance of these systems more apparent. Staff couldn’t walk up to a colleague’s desk or call their extension. So, they need to be able to contact each other in another way.
A unified communications system becomes crucial in becoming the centralised space in which all communications happen and are stored.
The System Reduces Errors through Collaboration
Before unified communications became commonplace, errors were all too easy to make. Look at the potential flaws with emailing documents back and forward within a team.
How can you be sure everyone is using the right version? If several people are working on the file, how do you condense changes onto one document?
With unified communications, the team works from the same master document. No more version control errors, like saving an old document over a newer one. This improves accuracy and clarity for the whole team.
This is also important to consider when you work with other businesses. You don’t want employees sending outdated documents to clients.
It’s also easy to invite external partners to video meetings using a unified communications platform. This streamlines the process and improves the conference call experience for all involved.
Employees Become More Productive
If we use a platform like Microsoft Teams as an example, it cuts down on the number of single services you need. Workers can conduct many of their tasks within the same application.
They can collaborate on documents during a group call. Following the call, they can continue to send messages about it through the chat feature. Group messaging also allows teams to communicate in a transparent way.
They can also let colleagues know about their availability in advance. It’s easy to set statuses such as ‘do not disturb’ or ‘available’. This means employees can create blocks of undisturbed, productive working time.
This isn’t possible with non-unified systems. Phone calls or instant message chats might still disturb employees. Without a status, others don’t know their colleagues are unavailable.
Good Hardware and Security Is Essential
You can scale your business with ease because many systems operate in the cloud. You won’t need to buy physical hardware to expand your communications capacities. This also leads to lower maintenance costs.
46 percent of businesses have reported a cyberattack. Such issues are on the rise, so security should be your priority with any system.
Users only need one set of password credentials instead of several. This makes their credentials easier to remember, so they don’t need to write them down. It’s much easier to enable security measures for a single login, reducing the threat of attacks.
It Improves the Customer Experience
The customer experience should be central to any modern business. 81 percent of businesses even compete on the basis of customer experience. This makes a unified communications system a key part of your customer experience strategy.
If you deal with customers, then a unified system makes it easier to transfer customer calls to the right staff. This streamlines the customer experience, improving their perception of your brand.
You use also your system as a customer relationship management platform. Staff can access up-to-date information while on a customer call. This makes it easier and faster to solve customer problems.
Enjoy Your New Communication Solution
A unified communications system is important for any modern business because it allows you to adapt to changing situations with ease. Look at how smoothly businesses who already used platforms like Teams adjusted to remote working.
A flexible unified communications platform allows your staff to collaborate on accurate work, reducing errors and improving the quality of work. This makes it easier to provide a clean and consistent experience for clients and customers alike.
If you’d like to experience the power of a unified communications solution for yourself, contact us today.
Key Benefits of Google Workspace for Education (Formerly G Suite)
Close to 90 million students and educators use Google Workspace for education. Google Workspace, previously known as G-Suite, provides educational tools for students and educators. When students use Google Workspace, they can share and edit documents and other projects.
Keep reading to learn more about the educational resources available through Google Workspace!
What Is Google Workspace?
Google Workspace is a cloud-based collaborative tool. It allows users to share and edit many types of files, share calendars, emails, and more. It includes every tool needed to stay productive, all in one place. It is one of the easiest ways to connect, create, and collaborate, whether you are at work or school.
What Does Google Workspace Include?
There are many amazing features of Google Workspace that make it the best online program on the market. No matter what features you need, Google Workspace offers them! Some of the primary features that are included in Google Workspace for education are cloud storage, file sharing, Google Classroom, and more. These are all beneficial for students and teachers!
Top Benefits Of Google Workspace
There are many great features in Google Workspace that make it a great option for educators. Here are a few of the key benefits that come from each of the features included in Google Workspace for education.
Protects Against Data Threats
One main benefit of Google workspace is that it will keep your data safe. This cloud-based service protects against many data threats, from data leaks to data loss. In a time where cloud security is so important, you need an organization that you can trust to protect your information.
The data stored on Google Drive is encrypted, which protects it from outside threats. Users can also choose who has access to their files. This means that you can protect your files from people who don’t have viewer, commenter, or editor access granted to them. Each of these benefits will keep your information safe and will help you know who has access to your files.
Easy To Collaborate and Share
By far the biggest benefit of Google Workspace is how easy it is to collaborate and share different types of files. Especially in educational organizations, it is vital to collaborate and communicate effectively. Using the collaboration capabilities on Google Workspace to share work, share calendars, and more will help improve the organization and productivity of your institution.
This is also a great benefit for group projects that you can’t do in person. Having an easy way to simultaneously work on files, while showing real-time edits, will help you or your students easily work together.
Another benefit of Google Workspace is that you will no longer have to worry about saving your work or knowing who has access to your information. You can assign users the ability to view, comment, edit, and more. This will protect your data and with autosave features, your projects are in safe hands!
The last benefit that comes from Google Workspace is that you can sync and share your Google calendars. It will make it much easier for students and teachers in your school district to schedule meetings, online classes, and it also offers a more efficient way to invite people to events.
Great Storage Options
One of the greatest benefits of using Google Workspace is that you will never have to worry about running out of storage space. Although most users are only given 15 GB of storage space, you can upgrade your plan to find a storage option that works best for you!
Another benefit that comes from Google Workspace’s cloud storage is that you will save space on your computer! Rather than storing all of your files on your computer hard drive, you can keep them on the cloud. This will keep your computer running faster for much longer!
You have unlimited storage options for your files when you use Google Drive and cloud storage. This makes it easy to share files safely, prevent data threats, and manage the users who have access to your data.
Another benefit of cloud storage is that you can organize files based on projects and teams. Storing files in team-specific folders lets you easily find important documents and keep each of your teammates up to date on your collaborative projects.
Easy To Learn and Implement
Google Workspace is a program that is easy to learn and integrate into your organization! Google even provides training resources to help new users learn the basics of the program.
It Is A Great Learning Tool
One amazing benefit of using Google Workspace as a student or a teacher is that it is a great learning tool. If you are looking for educational resources or tools for teachers, Google Classroom is a great place to start! Some of the benefits of this online learning system are that it is an easy program to learn, it shows real-time progress, and it makes it even easier for students to receive effective feedback.
Free For Qualified Educational Institutions
Another amazing quality of Google Workspace is that it is free for teachers and students in qualified educational institutions. However, this only includes the fundamental features. You can upgrade to other paid subscriptions that offer more features that you want to use in your classroom!
Learn More About Google Workspace today!
Google Workspace is an amazing tool that will increase productivity for students and educators. If you want to learn more about Google Workspace and how it provides great resources for educators, AdEPT can help!
Contact our team to learn more about Google Workspace and the School IT education services that we offer!