Learning Center: eBooks & White Papers
The 2025 IT Services Buyer’s Guide
Wow… what a crazy few years it’s been for business owners and managers. Whether you’re doing well today or having to fight for every bit of business you can get, you can’t have missed the dramatic changes in the technology we all rely on. We believe we’re in the middle of a series of massive and interrelated technological revolutions. There are 5 areas in particular that we see directly affecting our clients, AI, Hybrid Working, Cloud Computing, Internet of Things, and Security Risks, which are all discussed in Our IT Services Buyer’s Guide.
Windows 10 is reaching end of life: Your options
First things first: What does it mean when we say that Windows 10 is reaching its end of life? There are support and security implications. Microsoft works under a lifecycle policy for its operating systems, a roadmap that dictates the lifespan of each version from birth to retirement. And for Windows 10, that journey is drawing to a close. After a decade of faithful service, on October 14, 2025, Windows 10 will take its final bow and hit its end of life date.
When that happens, the operating system doesn’t simply stop working. It remains functional but is left vulnerable without the safety net of its usual regular updates.
Bigger Brains 2024 Course Catalog
Bigger Brains' extensive library of over 200 eLearning courses, focus on essential business productivity tools such as Microsoft 365, Excel, Outlook, Teams, and is tailored for professionals at all levels.
Our clients are amazed to discover new tips and tricks that make working in programs like Excel or Word faster and easier, or to discover new capabilities that have a significant impact on their productivity. We hope you will take advantage of this opportunity. Look through this catalog to discover new ways to work more productively. Then contact us to get started on creating a more productive business!
How to start planning a big IT project.
You’re thinking about making a major investment – of time, money, effort, and headspace. So take proper time now to understand how you got to this point. Is it solely about IT, or are there issues around process or workflow? Are there even steps in your workflow that only exist as a work around for something your current system can’t do?
We’ve written this guide to be your friend as you start the process of planning for a change.
Back up your data. One day it could save your business.
Fire, theft, accidental file deletion, or disgruntled employees… there are lots of reasons why you might need to rely on your backup system.
But the most likely reason by far is that your business becomes the victim of a cyber crime.
So if you don’t want to risk becoming a statistic, you need to take data backup seriously. That means having a strategy and a robust solution in place.
Human error. Your biggest cyber security risk.
Small and medium-sized businesses are the most likely targets for all kinds of cyber attack – and not just phishing scams. That’s because cyber criminals know that these companies are likely to have weaker security measures in place and will spend less time training their people.
That’s why good cyber security awareness training – for everyone in your business – is vital.
All businesses should adopt MFA. Now
If you haven’t upgraded your security, you could be making life far too easy for an intruder.
“The more barriers you put in the criminals’ way, the harder you make it for them to break into your systems”
Cyber criminals use increasingly sophisticated techniques to bypass security. A cyber attack on a small business can be devastating. What would the consequences be for your business if your customers’ private information was stolen and held to ransom?
Your need-to-know guide to cloud security
The growth of cloud computing has completely changed how we work. Zoom, Microsoft 365 – the whole array of collaboration tools that have become part of daily life over the past couple of years – these are all cloud-based applications that many of us wouldn’t want to do without.
Storing data in the cloud has become standard for many businesses, thanks in part to its ability to grow as your business grows. You never pay for more storage than you need; you have access to more facilities than you would if you kept your data inhouse. But security in a cloud environment can create challenges.
Getting to grips with email security.
It’s vital that smaller businesses take email security seriously – because the cost of a cyber attack can’t just be measured in financial terms. It comes with a loss of productivity and loss of customer trust. Research by Deloitte found that 91% of all cyber attacks begin with a phishing email.
We only hear about the high-profile cases, but small and medium-sized businesses are prime targets for these attacks. Your business email needs to be as secure as it can possibly be.
Cybersecurity Essentials For Business Owners.
Cybercrime and Cyber-Attacks are becoming more prevalent with each passing day. Over half of small and medium businesses (SMB) have reported being the victims of cybercrimes. Every day, there are new headlines about data breaches, hackings, Cyber-Attacks, and various forms of crimes against businesses.
A CEO's Survival Guide to Information Technology
Ignorance of technology is the new measure of illiteracy. Is it hurting you and your business?
You don't need to become a geek to make the best decisions or to grasp what your technology people are saying. You just have to develop some insight and intuition between the two worlds to effectively do your job. This manual will not turn you into a geek, but will teach you the important concepts behind the impact that IT has on your business.
I Don’t Want Your Job: Is Co-Managed IT Services the Right Fit For You?
About 2 years ago we here at Simplex-IT created a new service offering called “Co-Managed IT services”, or CoMITs. It’s a way to bring both parties, the Internal IT folks (you), and the MSP (us) together in a partnership. Together we can bring the strengths of both parties together. Together we can do a better job of delivering IT services to an organization than Internal IT folks or a traditional MSP relationship.
If we work together. If we trust each other. And if we take advantage of the strengths both parties bring to the table.
ComptTIA 2024 State of Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a constant balancing act. For years, the tug-of-war has been framed as a contest between security and convenience. In both business environments and the consumer space, tighter security controls often correspond with a lower degree of convenience, a tradeoff that most end users are hesitant to make. Organizations can force the issue with technology and policy, but this can open the door for risky workarounds. CompTIA’s 2024 State of Cybersecurity report explores the many variables that must be considered in balancing the cybersecurity equation.
7 Ways IT Can Increase The
Bottom Line of Your Business
Have you considered how improving your IT can enhance the bottom line of your business? Here are 7 actionable ways to start boosting the success of your organization right now through enhanced tech.