ISE 2023

The recent outage of the Microsoft 365 platform has sent shockwaves across various industries. The incident caused significant disruptions, including taking Sky News off the air and grounding airlines, highlighting the vulnerabilities inherent in centralised cloud services. The Impact On the morning of the outage, users worldwide found themselves unable to access essential Microsoft 365 services. For media organisations like Sky News, this meant a complete blackout, cutting off live broadcasts and hindering their ability to disseminate information. Similarly, airports experienced operational paralysis as critical communication and scheduling systems went offline, causing delays and cancellations that affected thousands of travellers. Day-to-day businesses also felt the impact of the outage. A Call for IT Resilience This incident has highlighted the need for robust IT resilience strategies. Companies relying solely on centralised cloud services should now re-evaluate their dependency and consider diversified approaches to safeguard against similar disruptions. The outage has sparked discussions about the importance of hybrid models, incorporating both cloud and local server-based networks to ensure continuity. The Risks of Centralised Cloud Services While cloud services offer numerous benefits, including scalability and cost-efficiency, their centralised nature poses significant risks. When a major provider like Microsoft experiences an outage, it can have a cascading effect, disrupting businesses and services globally. Centralisation makes these platforms attractive targets for cyberattacks. A single vulnerability can be exploited to compromise vast amounts of data, potentially leading to more successful and widespread cyberattacks. A Return to Local Server-Based Networks? The recent outage should prompt many organisations to reconsider the balance between cloud and on-premises solutions. Local server-based networks offer greater control and can serve as a reliable fallback during cloud service disruptions. By maintaining a hybrid IT infrastructure, businesses can enhance their resilience, ensuring that critical operations remain functional even when cloud services falter. The Microsoft 365 outage serves as a stark reminder of the importance of IT resilience. As businesses reassess their infrastructure strategies, there is a growing recognition of the need to diversify and incorporate hybrid models that blend the benefits of cloud services with the reliability of local servers. This balanced approach can mitigate the risks associated with centralised systems and bolster defences against potential cyber threats. In the wake of this incident, it is crucial for organisations to conduct thorough reviews of their IT strategies, invest in resilient infrastructure, and adopt best practices to safeguard against future disruptions. The lessons learned from this outage will undoubtedly shape the future of IT resilience, pushing for a more secure and reliable digital landscape.

Introducing the new UX Pro Edge – the latest addition to the Clevertouch lineup of interactive displays for business. This display offers a new level of collaboration for your workspace. Interact with others in a way that’s more efficient and cooperative. The Clevertouch UX Pro Edge display, boasts a number of revolutionary features in order to elevate your experience in the office. The UX Pro Edge is available in multiple sizes, including 65”, 75” and 86”, each with a 4K resolution to ensure that your picture is always clear and vibrant. Featuring a built-in Sony camera, which has a 90-degree field of view with advanced voice and face tracking features, boosting your Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Google meetings to the next level. In addition to this, sound is delivered clearly through an immersive audio design through front-mounted 2x 20W speakers and 2x 10W subwoofers. Complete with an Android 13 operating system, integrated NFC/RFID, and built-in quick launch digital buttons, this interactive display offers a stunning and easy way to collaborate with people both in your workspace and over video. Want to screen share? Not a problem! This display comes with a CleverShare USB-C dongle, which allows you to switch between your device and the display, making it easier than ever to share content from one device to another. You can easily swap between Android and PC mode, or simply turn off Android mode if it’s not needed, making the UX Pro Edge a flexible solution for your workspace, whether you’re a Windows or Android user. The Clevertouch UX Pro Edge, features many interactive options that allow you to level up teamwork in the office. The display is EDLA certified, so all of Google’s leading apps, including Google Drive, Sheets and Chrome can all be accessed directly from the screen. In addition to this, the UX Pro Edge gives you full access to all apps in the Google Play Store, unlocking a number of applications to integrate into your workplace. Not only this, but EDLA ensures that your device is guarded by advanced security, protecting against unauthorised access, cyber-attacks, data loss and much more, for peace of mind and stay focused on collaboration rather than potential security issues. This device also boasts a natural writing experience, making it feel almost like pen-to-paper. The UX Pro Edge comes with a passive pen, which requires no charging, so you to write without running out of battery mid-sentence. The precision eraser easily removes any mistakes or notes using the eraser, palm, or a finger. In addition to this, this device has palm rejection, ensuring that any unwanted touches or interactions do not affect the content on the board, by only picking up deliberate actions such as writing, erasing, or doodling rather than leaning on the board. The UX Pro Edge is also equipped with antibacterial glass, allowing it to be used by multiple users without needing to worry about the spread of germs between people. There is also the option to customise your home page, so you can personalise it as much as you wish. The Clevertouch UX Pro Edge also features a built-in award-winning digital signage platform, enabling you to present a variety of content to colleagues, visitors or other users. The new Clevertouch UX Pro Edge has it all, from customisation options, advanced security protocols and Google accessibility. If this sounds like something you would like to integrate into your workspace, then contact us!

One of the often-overlooked elements in designing meeting rooms, conference rooms and town hall spaces, is the use of motorised blinds. While it might seem like a minor detail, motorised blinds can significantly enhance the functionality and aesthetics of a meeting space. Without the suitable lighting fearures in place, meetings could look like this… We think your organisation should consider investing in motorised blinds and here is why: Improved Convenience and Efficiency: With the touch of a button, you can adjust the blinds to the perfect level, whether you need to block out glaring sunlight during a presentation or let in natural light during a brainstorming session. This ease of control saves time and minimises disruptions, allowing meetings to proceed smoothly and efficiently. Improved Comfort and Focus: Natural light is known to boost mood and energy levels, but too much can cause glare on screens and discomfort. Motorised blinds allow precise control over the amount of natural light entering the room, helping to maintain a comfortable environment that keeps attendees focused and engaged. Professional Aesthetics: A well-designed meeting room creates a positive impression on clients and stakeholders. Motorised blinds contribute to a sleek, modern aesthetic, giving your meeting room a polished and professional look. They can be integrated seamlessly with your décor by using a variety of colours/fabrics, adding to the overall ambiance without the need for unsightly cords or manual adjustments. Integration with Smart Technology: In the age of smart offices, motorised office blinds can be integrated into your existing smart system. This means you can program them to adjust automatically based on the time of day or the position of the sun, further enhancing energy efficiency and convenience. Integration with voice-controlled assistants or centralised control systems allows for even more streamlined operation. Energy Efficiency: Managing sunlight effectively can also lead to energy savings. By reducing the need for artificial lighting and managing heat gain or loss through windows, motorised blinds contribute to a more energy-efficient building. This not only helps reduce utility bills but also supports sustainability goals, making your organisation greener and more environmentally responsible. Enhanced Privacy and Security: Meeting rooms often host sensitive discussions and presentations. Motorised blinds offer an added layer of privacy, ensuring that prying eyes cannot see in from the outside. They can be programmed to close automatically after hours, enhancing security and protecting your workspace from potential breaches. Acoustics: There is an acoustic rating to blinds, meaning that they can help improve the acoustic quality within a space by reducing echo and reverberation. Incorporating motorised blinds into your meeting room is a smart investment that pays dividends in comfort, efficiency and professional appeal. As organisations continue to prioritise creating optimal work environments, motorised blinds are an important consideration in the design of contemporary meeting rooms and shouldn’t be overlooked. If you are interested in integrating motorised blinds into your space, please get in touch!

In a time when many offices are choosing to adopt a more hybrid approach, it is important to keep up to date with the latest technologies that enhance communication and collaboration. This is especially important to those who work remotely, as they are given the flexibility to work together both online and in-person without any barriers. Google Meet is an Android video conferencing platform that is simple to use, offers a wide range of features and can be adapted to suit many users’ needs. The platform supports video, audio & screen-sharing and can also be used in a number of different environments such as conference rooms, flex spaces, home offices and many more. By combining Google Meet and Logitech hardware, you get a simple and efficient way to communicate with anyone. Logitech enables Google Meet to be used through an appliance-based device, which can support the capabilities needed to run video call platforms smoothly. Benefits: Combining Google Meet with a Logitech system, offers many benefits to its users. Google Meet can be set up on an appliance-based device such as a Rally Bar or Rally Bar Mini, which means that the computing capability is built into the camera, as opposed to a room solution where the device is separate to the camera. A Rally Bar is designed to support the necessary requirements of Google Meet whilst eliminating the need for an additional device, as they are made with video conferencing in mind. In addition to this, using a singular device allows for simplified maintenance, as well as a more efficient setup and regular firmware updates. The Logitech Rally Bar comes in a variety of sizes and specifications, allowing for Google Meet to be easily integrated into your workspace with a streamlined all-in-one solution. The Rally Bar offers a flexible way to accommodate up to 20 participants, perfect for larger corporations or for those requiring a large video conference. For smaller setups, a Rally Bar Mini is ideal for businesses looking for a device to suit a room for up to 12 participants, such as in a huddle space or a flex space. Setup: In a standard Logitech room, Google Meet only requires a Rally Bar and a Tap, reducing the need for additional clutter in your workspace. A Tap meeting controller is crucial for your setup, as it provides a way to control and configure necessary settings. With Tap IP, you can easily start and stop your meetings with a single touch and adjust display settings, camera and audio thanks to its touch screen interface. Once your device is set up and ready to go, less devices and wires means that monitoring, troubleshooting and updating is simple and hassle-free, allowing you to focus on your video calls. System: Logitech’s Operating System CollabOS offers customisable settings to enhance device performance, allowing for your video collaboration device to be configured perfectly. CollabOS also runs Android 10, allowing for enhanced security, privacy and performance for your video meetings. Sync is Logitech’s remote management system, which gives IT teams control. Easily monitor devices and carry out updates remotely and gain access to insights into the device and room usage, which in turn allows for more effective decision-making and a way to see if the setup is being used to the best of its ability. Another benefit of the Logitech x Google Meet setup, is that your devices can continually update, with CollabOS ensuring that partner features are integrated easily. This allows for participants to utilise these new functionalities and make sure that your device is always up to date with the latest security protection features, so it’s always efficient and secure.   If you are interested in integrating Logitech into your workspace, then please get in touch!