IT Support News & Blogs
Retention Is Not Backup: Where Microsoft 365 Stops and Backup Starts
Microsoft 365 backup is not bundled into any Microsoft 365 subscription. However, Microsoft bundles retention instead: it holds deleted items for a defined window, replicates data across data centres, and protects the platform from its own failures. None of that is...
PSTN Price Hike on 1 July 2026: Why UK Businesses Should Migrate Before Legacy Lines Double
The PSTN price increase in 2026 lands hardest on 1 July, when Openreach’s wholesale rental on legacy voice-only PSTN linesrises by a further 40% on top of April’s 20% rise. A third rise of 40% follows on 1 October. By the autumn, the published Openreach pricing...
Microsoft Agent 365: A Governance Starter Pack for Copilot Agents
Four key controls govern Copilot Agents: who can create agents, what data they can access, who can share them, and what actions they can perform externally. Get those four right and Microsoft Agent 365 becomes a useful productivity layer for your business. However,...
Out of Office, Out of Pocket: How UK Businesses Stop BEC and Invoice Fraud This Summer
Invoice fraud prevention is a seasonal problem for most UK SMEs, and the worst season is summer. Two of the three approvers are out, one new starter is covering the inbox, and the finance lead’s out-of-office reply tells anyone who emails that they are walking the...
AI Governance: The 10-Point Policy You Need Before Staff Use AI Tools at Work
Your staff are already using AI tools. Whether it is ChatGPT for drafting emails, an AI image generator for social media, or a browser extension that summarises documents, generative AI has entered most workplaces without a formal decision being made about it. The...
Microsoft Purview Starter Pack: 3 Labels, 2 DLP Rules and a Monthly Audit Routine
Most SMEs have no data classification in place. Microsoft Purview for SMEs can provide essential tools to address these challenges. Files sit in SharePoint and OneDrive with no labels, no restrictions on sharing, and no visibility into what is leaving the...
AI Readiness Check: The Infrastructure Gaps Stopping SMEs from Using AI Properly
Most businesses that try AI tools hit the same problem. The tools themselves are ready. The infrastructure underneath them is not. Microsoft Copilot is powerful, but it is only as useful as the data, permissions and device estate it sits on top of.If your business has...
Making Tax Digital April 2026: What Your IT Setup Needs to Be Ready
Making Tax Digital for Income Tax went live on 6 April 2026. If you are a sole trader or landlord with gross income above £50,000, you are now required to keep digital records and submit quarterly updates to HMRC using compatible software. The threshold drops to...
Windows 10 in 2026: ESU vs Upgrade vs Replace for UK SMEs
Windows 10 reached its end of support on 14 October 2025, but many organisations are already planning for Windows 10 end of support 2026 as they consider their next steps. Microsoft no longer provides free security updates for any Windows 10 device. If your business...
2G Switch-Off: Why UK Businesses Should Start a Device Audit Now
UK mobile network operators will switch off their 2G networks between 2029 and 2033. The 3G switch-off is already nearly complete, with most operators finishing by early 2026. DSIT published formal guidance on 24 March 2026 confirming the timeline and urging...
10 Power Automate Workflows Every SME Office Can Set Up This Quarter
If your business uses Microsoft 365, you already have access to Power Automate. Most SMEs never touch it. The tool sits inside your existing subscription, capable of automating repetitive admin tasks that eat into your team's working day, but nobody has time to...
How to Create a Cyber Incident Response Plan for Your SME
Most small businesses know a cyber attack could happen to them. Far fewer have a written plan for what to do when it does. The result is predictable. When something goes wrong, whether it is a ransomware notification, a compromised email account, or unusual activity...
Phishing Attacks in 2026: What UK Businesses Still Get Wrong
Phishing attacks remain the most common cause of cyber breaches in the UK. The government's Cyber Security Breaches Survey found that 85% of businesses that experienced a breach identified phishing as the attack method. That figure has barely shifted in three years....
ISDN Switch-Off Checklist: Every Device Your Business Needs to Migrate Before 2027
All ISDN and PSTN services in the UK will be permanently switched off on 31 January 2027. An estimated six million businesses still rely on these legacy connections for phone systems, broadband or connected devices, and many have not started planning their migration....
What Happens When a Cyber Threat Hits Your Business? Inside Huntress Managed EDR
Most businesses understand that antivirus is no longer enough. Fewer understand what happens next. Managed endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitors every laptop, desktop and server in your business for suspicious activity, then detects,...
What Happens When a Cyber Threat Hits Your Business? Inside Huntress Managed EDR
Most businesses understand that antivirus is no longer enough. Fewer understand what happens next. Managed endpoint detection and response (EDR) monitors every laptop, desktop and server in your business for suspicious activity, then detects,...
What Is SoGEA Broadband and Why Is It Replacing Your Business Phone Line?
SoGEA stands for Single Order Generic Ethernet Access. In plain English, it is broadband delivered over the same fibre-to-the-cabinet infrastructure your business probably already uses, but without requiring a traditional phone line. You get the...
From Experimental to Essential: How UK SMEs Are Embracing AI in 2026
AI for SMEs has shifted from ‘something to try when we have time’ to a practical way to get more done with the same headcount. For UK SMEs, AI is now less about experiments and more about quietly handling admin, content and routine decision-making in the background....