Buddy has spent the past few months as a trainee, living with a puppy walker who has begun the process of developing him into a guide dog. He will soon be moving on to early training, but here is an update of what he has been doing. During the summer, […]
Can your business continue to run in the event of failed server hardware? How would it affect your business if you could not use any of your IT equipment for several days? Backing up your data regularly is highly advisable, although depending on your IT equipment, it could take several […]
Windows 7 is still working hard on many computers used in businesses, even though it is almost a decade old. Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system was first pushed out globally in July 2015. The new system introduced a number of changes over older versions of Windows. However, despite some […]
Company directors often understand the benefits of introducing a server to their business. However, if you run a small business or are just starting out, you could be inclined to operate without a server due to perceived costs. Indeed, you might be tempted to simply use laptops or PCs to […]
IT security is vital for all companies and this must include secure printing. Have you taken steps to safeguard your network-connected printers? An unsecured network printer can lead to a data breach in your company. Using HP’s well established secure printing solutions, Vantage IT can make security concerns a thing […]
The FormBox is a fantastic tool for education, small businesses and hobbyists. It essentially makes moulds out of shapes which can be re used to create all types of things. What can FormBox do? Choose from a world of materials – you can bring unique ideas into the real world […]
Buddy, the guide dog sponsored by Vantage IT, is making great progress. He is being trained by a puppy walker to get him ready to join a person who need him. His walker has reported that he is maturing and gaining an understanding of what he is expected to do. […]
Refurbished IT equipment sounds appealing with its cheaper price, but does it really offer benefits over buying new? Does the adage of ‘buy cheap, buy twice’ apply? When meeting new customers, we sometimes find they have purchased refurbished PCs or servers at some point. However, these are not always positive […]
Protecting the data on your company’s laptops is one of the key components for GDPR compliance. This is because unencrypted data is easy to obtain from a hard drive. Data is valuable. That is why so many large organisations sell the data they hold on us. People want to obtain […]
With the fantastic weather due to continue for the next week or so, it’s worth remembering that your air cooling systems are working harder than ever to maintain a consistent environment. Do you have a system in place to alert you of a cooling failure? If not, what do you […]
Approximately two million online fraud incidents were reported in 2017, according to the UK Parliaments Public Accounts Committee. With only 20 percent of crimes actually reported, even this dreadful figure is just the tip of the iceberg. Online fraud is incredibly lucrative for the perpetrators, meaning it will not decrease […]
Your broadband connection is vital. In recent years, the use of cloud services has increased dramatically for most businesses. You may be using a Hosted Exchange service for your emails, Xero for accounts and Dropbox for cloud storage. You may even make calls on a VoIP (Voice-Over-IP) telephone system. When […]
Lithium-ion batteries (Li-ion) are more normally found in portable electronic devices but APC has just released some uninterruptible power supplies (UPS) using the technology. Li-ion batteries have much improved specifications when compared to traditional lead-acid batteries found in most UPSs. These will allow for better performance at higher temperatures and […]
When storms hit, is your vital IT hardware safe? You need to know that adverse weather conditions will not affect your business. The storms in recent weeks have caused power cuts and flooding. Both of these occurrences are not favourable to sensitive IT equipment! Water ingress will clearly damage […]
Many small businesses have been enjoying the benefits of Microsoft Windows Small Business Server (SBS) since its introduction over 20 years ago. The last edition Microsoft introduced was SBS 2011 which first appeared in December 2010. Many SMEs still use the software today. However, are you aware that Microsoft will […]
Do you struggle with a small, outdated monitor on your desk? When you spend so much of your working life looking at a computer screen, you need to be sure it is the most appropriate tool for the job. If perceived cost implications have prevented monitor upgrades, you could be […]
WatchGuard, a world leader in network security products, offers advice about protecting your business from phishing attacks. Phishing attacks continue to be a major concern for all of us. In fact, 76% of businesses report being a victim of a phishing attack in the last year alone. This is not […]
How do you know what the environment is like that your critical equipment is working in? You need someone monitoring it 24 hours a day and that is what the iMeter Lite does for you. Monitoring the environment within your critical IT locations is vital. It will ensure network uptime […]
If you have an upcoming office move, we hope the following proves helpful and prevents it becoming a major headache. If you have moved office in the past, you will be aware how much there is to organise, particularly in terms of your IT infrastructure. Thankfully, this does not need […]
If your company is using an outdated email system such as POP3, you may frequently experience performance or synchronisation issues. Fortunately, Microsoft Exchange can solve a lot of your problems. Although POP3 has been old technology for some time, it has been a necessary evil for many due to the […]
Attacks on guide dogs are more common than you would realise. The Guide Dogs for the Blind Association has started a new #TakeTheLead campaign that calls for pet dog owners to help prevent avoidable attacks on guide dogs. For a blind or partially sighted person, a guide dog can be […]
Protecting your data is vital. It is one of the most valuable resources you have and therefore the consequences of not keeping it safe could be disastrous. Vantage IT provides the assistance you need to help you find out where your data is and that it is securely controlled. We […]
We always look for ways we can save money for our clients. We would like to share a recent example of a customer with a faulty printer where we potentially saved them £3000! Case Study – Faulty Printer A customer contacted us to say they were experiencing problems with a […]
How is your Wi-Fi? Is the connection a bit sporadic? If it isn’t as reliable as you would like, here are some tips for improving the situation. Change Your Router’s Location When routers are hidden behind other devices or tucked in a corner, wireless signals can be affected. Many routers […]
Despite the weather we have just experienced, spring is almost upon us, so why not give your PC a spring clean of its own? Why a Spring Clean? If your PC takes ages to boot up or respond to your inputs, there is a chance it requires some basic housekeeping. […]
The internet is a huge, wondrous world, but are you using it effectively? From browser choices to shortcut keys that save you time, we offer tips so you can get the best out of your internet usage. Try Different Browsers Many people using Windows PCs will make use of […]
We all want to save ourselves time, and that is what Windows keyboard shortcuts will do. Keyboard shortcuts will speed up almost everything you do on your computer. However, long lists of shortcuts can quickly become overwhelming if you’re just getting started with them. With this in mind, we […]
Many of us regularly log in to online services such as Gmail or Hotmail as well as social media platforms such as Twitter or FaceBook. However, reports suggest that many people still don’t use the available 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication) features of these websites, although this is highly advisable. If you […]
WatchGuard firewalls currently block access to dangerous sites based on a feed of known malicious URLs and also allow customers to block traffic to potentially risky sites. The new service, based on technology called Strongarm, will add blocking based on known malicious domains. Furthermore, by monitoring requests at the domain […]
Adobe’s powerful suite of productivity software has been around for many years and is the preferred choice for many businesses across the world. Creative Cloud provides software for graphic design, photography, editing of videos and web development. Adobe was one of the first to move from perpetual licenses to a […]
How many times did your IT fail last year? It never ceases to amaze us at Vantage IT how some businesses seem to be so accepting of IT failures, no doubt persuaded of such ‘normality’ by their service provider or internal IT support personnel. However, IT failures should be […]
Your Christmas holiday should be a relaxing break from your busy work life. However, you don’t want to return feeling even more stressed than you did when you left! Efficient planning will allow you to enjoy your holiday worry-free, so we have put together a few tips that we hope […]
If your organisation is still using a traditional PBX telephone system, now is the time to switch to Voice-over-IP (VoIP). There are a number of benefits to be had from using this type of phone system, for example: Far less expensive phone bills Unified communications with your PC and smartphone […]
If you’re looking for an incredibly powerful, yet stylishly designed, all-in-one PC that’s not made by Apple, then the HP EliteOne All-in-One PC will be for you. With superb build quality and performance, you’ll not want to look any further. Featuring a stunning 23.8-inch micro-bezel display, popup camera (supports […]
Is your business relocating in the near future? Are you looking to increase your headcount? Does your existing cabling look like spaghetti Bolognese? If you can answer YES to any of these, then get in touch with Vantage IT to discuss network cabling. Reliable network cabling is largely unseen but […]
Scanning can be a laborious task, especially if your office has only a flatbed scanner or basic multi-function printer (MFP). There are solutions available from Vantage IT which dramatically improve the scanning process, allowing you to concentrate on more important tasks. Our recommendation is the excellent Fujitsu ScanSnap, which is […]
Many routers come with Wi-Fi functionality already built in, but what if the signal doesn’t stretch far enough? As offices come in all shapes and sizes, and are sometimes spread across multiple floors, the Wi-Fi signal can struggle to cover the required areas. Fortunately, there is a solution to […]
Security researchers have released details of a weakness in the way wireless devices connect with each other. The security vulnerability is in Wi-Fi networks secured with WPA and WPA2. WPA2 is by far the most common encryption method for wireless networks (WPA should not be in use, as it is […]
Many organisations realise the benefits of an outsourced IT department. These benefits are not just in terms of cost, but also higher service levels and access to a wide range of skills and specialisms. Vantage IT has provided outstanding support to local organisations in business and education since 1990 and […]
As PDFs are one of the most common file types used in business, you may often wonder if there is a way to not only edit them, but also convert them into other file formats such as a Microsoft Word Document. Fortunately, there are solutions available that do this and […]
Do you remember a PC operating system used in the dim and distant past called Windows XP? Microsoft stopped supporting it several years ago which means no patches will be released to fix security vulnerabilities. Even so, according to the latest figures, there are still thousands of computers running on […]
Vantage IT is thrilled to be exhibiting at Watford Business Show in November – the biggest SME business exhibition in Hertfordshire. It attracts business people from North London, Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire & surrounding areas. Keynote speakers include Lyndsay Morgan, Operations Director of Climb Online, a business started by Apprentice Mark […]
According to recent reports, there are around 10 million office workers in the United Kingdom. Most of these will have access to a PC, so that represents a significant number of people using a keyboard, mouse or trackpad every day. But how many people think about the ergonomics of their […]
Intel has revealed details about its upcoming range of 8th Generation Core processors. Some of the new features will represent a significant improvement over previous generations. For example, mainstream laptops will have 4 cores instead of the usual 2. According to Intel, these new CPUs will provide better performance and […]
As we all know, genuine toner cartridges can be expensive. This has led other companies to produce compatible toner cartridges or even fakes at a much lower price. Whilst this can appear to result in a substantial cost saving, this is usually a false economy and can even cause damage […]
Buying a new PC for your organisation should be more than just a financial decision. Before buying a new PC, you should consider what benefits it will bring to your organisation and what the intended usage will be. For example, do the users have to wait for 5 minutes every […]
The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has fined TalkTalk after details for 21,000 people were exposed to fraudsters. It was found that TalkTalk failed to protect the information and unnecessarily allowed staff access to huge amounts of data which was then passed to unscrupulous third parties. The security breach was […]
The Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has launched a proposal to ensure organisations strengthen their IT infrastructure. Organisations who fail to implement effective cyber security measures could be fined as much as £17 million or 4% of global turnover. The Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive which will […]
Hundreds of thousands of pounds worth of fake Cisco equipment has been seized by police in Kent. Cisco had spotted the counterfeit equipment in circulation and notified the police. This is not an isolated incident and other hardware manufactures are also having their equipment faked. Due to the high […]
What can you do to ensure your IT systems are protected against the modern world of continuous security threats? We have always focused on keeping our customers’ networks secure and have provided you with a 10 point security checklist. 1) Firewall 2) Anti-Virus 3) Backups 4) Encryption 5) Patching 6) […]
Most computer users will have relied on Microsoft Office to produce letters, spreadsheets and presentations, to send and receive emails, and utilise a database. But have you thought about using Office 365? Since Microsoft launched Office 365 in 2011, many organisations have benefited from the numerous features it offers. As […]
Do you struggle with a small monitor? Do you get eye strain from your existing monitor? Would you like to increase your working area to two screens? Do you regularly work with graphical 2D and 3D images? If you can answer yes to any of these questions, it is likely […]
Are you spending too much on ink cartridges? Do you have to wait too long for your documents to be printed? Is the print quality inconsistent or poor? Can you only print on one printer? Are you unable to scan? If you can answer ‘yes’ to any of these questions, […]
Earlier this week, Microsoft launched its latest Surface Pro 2-in-1 laptop. It is the first refresh to the company’s popular line of hybrid PCs since October 2015 and it will be available to purchase mid-June. The concept behind the new Surface Pro is the same as its predecessors. It is […]
Vantage IT will once again be delighted to be exhibiting at The Hertfordshire Business Expo in June, the biggest business event in Hertfordshire. The Expo will be taking place at Alban Arena, St Albans on Monday 12th June 2017 and it would be great to see you there. In […]
Globally, there are millions of people that suffer from financial loss due to online hackers. There are, however, many things you can do to stay safe. In this blog, we have given five helpful tips to keep in mind whenever doing a financial transaction online. Make Sure the Website is […]
Being a victim of computer malware could cripple your organisation. Taking shortcuts with malware protection is reckless and unnecessary. McAfee Endpoint Protection is so much more than just anti-virus software for your PCs. It will also provide: Anti-virus for your server Firewall protection for PCs Web filtering Encryption for […]
Microsoft has released the second major upgrade to Windows 10 and has recently started rolling it out to PCs worldwide. The new ‘Creators Update’ has introduced a number of changes to Windows 10, both visually and behind the scenes. We have therefore compiled a list of the main things to […]
Mobilising your organisation can dramatically improve your efficiency. From lowering office overheads to improving the strength of your customer relationships, the benefits can be vast. What’s more, enabling employees to work from anywhere can also deliver a competitive advantage from a happier, more productive team. But in order to enjoy […]
Microsoft will be patching a security vulnerability that was recently noticed in Word. The bug allows malicious software to attack an unsuspecting user’s PC with an infected Word document. The flaw was reported at the weekend and emails have already been noticed that are being sent out to exploit it. […]
On 25th May 2018, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will come into force. The GDPR replaces the Data Protection Act (DPA) and sets out what is required to keep individuals’ data secure. Although it is European legislation, it will still be introduced in the UK and will remain as […]
Cloud storage is great, but added care needs to be taken when you are entrusting your data to another organisation. Earlier this week it was reported that confidential documents which included passwords, credit card details, health data and legal documents were accidentally shared by organisations using Microsoft’s Office 365 service. […]
Product Lifecycle support for Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2007 email will end in April 2017, have you prepared for this? Existing email servers will continue to work past this date initially, but will receive no further patching from Microsoft, leaving your systems vulnerable to viruses, malware and instability. Each version of […]
Please don’t think you cannot be a victim of Ransomware. It is becoming more prevalent and it can affect anyone, even you! Criminals are constantly trying to find ways to extract money from unsuspecting victims and in ransomware, they have found a successful and easy to administer method. What is […]
You may be familiar with Cloud backup services from tech giants such as Microsoft, Google and Amazon. Examples of popular Cloud services are Microsoft Azure Backup and Office 365, which is Microsoft’s Email hosting platform. While these services can be right for some small to medium sized businesses, are they […]
Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices have become popular solutions for small businesses that would like easily accessible, centralised storage at a relatively low cost. What is a NAS? A NAS is a networked device which contains one or more storage drive. The drives will either be hard drives (HDD) or […]
Replacing your computer’s Hard Disk Drive (HDD) with a Solid State Drive (SSD) is simply the best upgrade at your disposal, capable of speeding up your computer in ways you had not thought possible. Vantage IT can upgrade your company’s PCs and laptops with these drives, providing significant improvements in […]
Closely monitoring the temperature within critical IT environments is vital. Jacarta, a leading supplier of environmental monitoring equipment, often hears horror stories of failing cooling systems, so they wondered how reliable they are. In 2007, they commissioned a survey of data centre managers which found that over 45% of the […]
HP is at the forefront of utilising new technologies to develop computers that are increasingly powerful yet smaller in size. The latest offering is the revolutionary Z2 Mini. Made for and by design professionals, the Z2 Mini gives you both performance and reliability in a small, elegant design for […]
HP has expanded the battery safety recall that it announced in 2016 because additional batteries are affected. Why is the Battery Recall Notice Being Issued? The faulty batteries have the potential to overheat, posing a fire and burn hazard to customers. What Products are Included? Affected batteries were shipped with […]
An increasing number of people are embracing ‘The Cloud’ to store their files, whether this is Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive, Amazon Cloud, or any of the other file syncing services out there. File syncing services can be very useful. However, it is a common misconception that these services are a […]
Vantage IT is delighted to be exhibiting at The Hertfordshire Business Expo in February, the biggest business event in Hertfordshire. The Expo will be taking place at Shendish Manor, Hemel Hempstead on Monday 6th February 2017 and it would be great to see you there. In addition to the exhibition, […]
Messaging, meetings and screen sharing – all this in one application that works with Microsoft Office. Microsoft Skype for Business simplifies your infrastructure by combining calling, conferencing, video, instant messaging and sharing into one platform. You can host a webinar, conference or other event from any device, enabling team […]
Data backup is one of the most important, yet also one of the most ignored areas of IT. ‘Backing up’ means making a copy of your most important files which can be restored if the original copy is lost. Preferably, a second copy should be held at a different location […]
Many business users have a separate laptop and mobile phone when working remotely or in the office. However, Microsoft and HP have a new Smartphone solution which can revolutionise the way you work. Due to Microsoft’s Windows 10 operating system and cloud services such as Office 365, this has provided […]
Data is one of the most valuable assets an organisation will possess and keeping it safe could be critical to the survival of your organisation. For this reason, it is vital that data is backed up with a reliable, comprehensive backup procedure. Be in control of your data Backing up your […]
If you want to understand your customers, then a CRM (Customer Relationship Management) system is essential. It is a way of documenting, knowing and appreciating your customers so you can identify and manage valuable customer relationships. Hosted CRM that focuses on simplicity Vantage IT Solutions provides Free, Premium and […]
Data is a critical part of every organisation, but this most valuable asset often poses a huge risk when it travels or is transmitted beyond your network. An Overview of Encryption Encryption protects information stored on mobile or static devices and during data transmission. It is a way of safeguarding […]
Microsoft has recently released an update to Windows 10 which some Sage users reported has stopped them logging in to Sage 50 Accounts. When users try to log in to Sage, they may get an error message such as ‘You have entered an invalid password’ or ‘Unable to register data […]
Vantage IT has been working with IT for many years and we recently took the opportunity to look through some of the items we have been given that have found their way in to our museum. One of these items was an 8 inch floppy disk. For the younger amongst […]
Have you considered the impact of an unreliable or slow broadband connection to your organisation? How long could you last without your internet connection? Reliable internet connections are now an essential tool for any organisation. Unreliable internet will give you considerable downtime for your emails, internet browsing, remote access, Voice […]
Anyone who has suffered with back pain will tell you how badly it has affected them. Vantage IT has always been an advocate of the importance of good posture, particularly for workers that spend lengthy periods of time in front of a computer. Sitting in the correct position and arranging […]
Microsoft officially released the highly anticipated Windows 10 Anniversary Update on 2nd August but the scale of the roll-out means they may stagger the updates gradually. Microsoft has introduced several new features and improvements to this update, so we have summarised some of the main ones for you. Redesigned Start […]
A holiday should be a relaxing break from your busy work life. However, if you don’t adequately prepare for it, you could return feeling even more stressed than you did when you left! Efficient planning will allow you to enjoy your holiday worry-free, so we have put together a few […]
Cloud computing has become increasingly popular over the last few years, to the extent that most organisations use at least one cloud service out of the many available. Current trends suggest that the popularity for cloud services is likely to grow even more over the coming years. Here are some […]
As you may be aware, Microsoft’s latest operating system, Windows 10, has been a free upgrade for Windows 7 and 8 users since its launch last year. Microsoft is aiming for one billion devices to run Windows 10 in the next two years, and they will start charging for this […]
We attended the Infosecurity exhibition in London and met up with some important vendors in the IT security industry. This is an essential event for any serious business in the IT industry and all the major vendors presented their latest IT security innovations. Vantage IT will be introducing some of […]
Phishing emails are nothing new, but a recent one seems very personal. There have been an increasing number of them being reported and one of them was sent to a friend, so we have seen it first-hand. This was not the generic email that stands out as a scam the […]
Breaches in online security seem to be an increasingly common fact of life and there is the potential that any of us could be affected, whether it is as a consequence of an easily guessed password or because a site we use has been hacked. Earlier this week, VTech announced […]
Over recent weeks a financial scam aimed at businesses has become more prevalent. It is highly targeted and appears plausible, with some research possibly being performed prior to sending the email or making the call, such as calling the office to gather contact details. The scammers request accounts staff urgently […]
Hosted Exchange from Vantage IT will provide all the benefits of Microsoft Exchange and Outlook but without the hassle and cost of managing your own in-house server. We continually introduce new services to provide you with the best possible solutions to your business needs. Our newly introduced Hosted Exchange Online […]
Software manufactures frequently release updates to fix security flaws and to improve performance. We encounter computers that are not fully patched and consequently are at risk from security breaches. Security vulnerabilities are often discovered by people wanting to infect computers with malicious software. The companies that produced the software will […]
If you compare the outsourced IT support service offered by Vantage IT with what is on offer from other IT companies, we measure up very well. We were approached by a company who requested that we host their website and provide email facilities with our Hosted Exchange service because they […]
We always say we are the Complete IT Solution and will go the extra mile for our customers, something of which we are very proud. Here is an example of the service we provide going beyond outsourced IT support. Building work had taken place at the offices of a long […]
On 21st April, Google is planning to make changes to the algorithm it uses for people to obtain search results. They want web sites that are mobile-friendly to be given a greater weighting, meaning they will appear higher in search rankings. To assist people with adapting to the forthcoming change, […]
In July 2015, Windows Server 2003 R2 will go end of life when Microsoft withdraws support. Do you still use Server 2003? Are you ready for Microsoft no longer providing support? If not, Vantage IT is here to help you. The following information gives a brief explanation of what will […]
This information will allow you to clear all jump lists but allow you to add new items. Product Windows Server 2008 or later Windows Vista or later Solution 1. Press + R or click Start then Run 2. Type %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations 3. Delete all files in this folder. […]
If a thumbs.db file cannot be deleted from a network share even though no one is accessing the folder in which it resides, turn off caching of thumbnails in the default domain group policy. Product Windows Server 2008 or later Windows Vista or later Solution 1. Open the Group […]
Registry Editor enables you to view and edit critical Windows and application settings. Warning: Editing the registry incorrectly can result in serious problems. We advise that a backup of the machine or the registry is taken before making any changes. Product Windows Server 2008 or later Windows Vista or […]
Group Policy controls various configurations on multiple servers and clients, such as restricting access to specific features in Windows for specific users. Product Windows Server 2008 or later Windows Vista or later Solution For a Windows Server operating system: 1. Press + R or click Start then Run […]
