Cybercrime Is On The Increase

 

Businesses have been facing a growing threat from data breaches, ransomware and supply chain weaknesses in recent years. According to the annual report of the National Cyber Security Centre, the number of cyber-attacks on UK businesses increased in the last year and is only expected to continue to rise.

Cybercrime is a very real issue that businesses today must address and protect themselves against, especially with the newly introduced General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) that took effect in May this year. IT infrastructures and systems are continuing to grow and evolve rapidly and the more technology systems a company has, the more potential there is for a security breach.

Cybercriminals are continually finding new and innovative ways to hack IT systems and to keep your business safe; it is essential to stay one step ahead.

The growing cybercrime problem

Cybercrime among businesses is a growing issue, with almost half of UK firms being hit by a cyber breach or attack in the last 12 months. Organisations of all sizes are under threat from cybercriminals, with firms that hold personal data the most likely to be a target for cybercrime. These cyber-attacks can come in many shapes and sizes, and cybercriminals are getting more intelligent in carrying out these attacks subtly and quickly.

The most common types of attack from the last 12 months were fraudulent emails, closely followed by viruses and malware. In 2017, The Cyber Security Breaches Survey identified that nearly seven in ten large businesses came under a security breach or attack during the year, and these attacks cost each firm an average of £20,000.

It is no secret that cybercriminals are targeting businesses across the UK on a daily basis, and this threat is continuing to grow. A serious security breach can not only be costly to a company but also have a significant impact on customer confidence, and many big brands have been hitting the headlines recently for being victims of massive data breaches. Dixons Carphone recently admitted a considerable data breach where 5.9 million customer bank cards and 1.2 million personal records were compromised, resulting in the most significant data breach ever in the UK.

GDPR and cybercrime

In May 2018, the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR) came into effect, in a bid to protect customers personal data and help individuals have more control over how and where their personal data is used and stored. The new regulations mean there are some drastic changes for businesses, as there is now a much higher level of responsibility for how customer data is stored and managed.

The main impact on businesses in the UK from GDPR is the vast fines that can be enforced should a data breach occur. Following a data breach, a firm can either be fined €20 million or 4 per cent of their global turnover, whichever is higher.

Compared with the previous fines, this is a considerable increase and could land a lot of small businesses in trouble should a data breach occur. In 2016 TalkTalk was fined £400,000 for a security breach that gave hackers access to their customer’s data, today that fine would have been a huge £59 million under GDPR.

With the risk of fines that are large enough to put many companies out of business and the increase in security attacks on businesses in recent years, it is more important than ever to make sure your data and security are safe and protected.

How to protect your business from cybercrime

In this day and age, no matter what size your business is or what industry you operate in, someone will try to steal your data, use your systems to spread viruses or hold your computers for ransom. Smaller companies are often considered better targets for cybercrime, because cybercriminals expect them to have weaker security systems in place, and they probably have a point.

Smaller businesses often have less money to spend on protecting themselves than their larger counterparts, but cybersecurity is a vital investment. It can be a struggle to know where to start, especially if you aren’t an expert in the IT. Technology systems are becoming increasingly complex, making protecting them from attackers ever more challenging.

Enlisting the help of an expert such as Cyan for your businesses computer and data security needs is beneficial and well worth the extra money involved. A professional in the field of cybersecurity will be top of the game and the first to know about new viruses and issues, giving them the ability to stay one step ahead of the cybercriminals and implement security patches before a breach has the chance to occur.

It is also vital to remember that under GDPR you are also responsible for how all your chosen suppliers and providers handle your customer’s data. When employing third-party companies to run systems or software for you, be sure to understand exactly how they are working to protect themselves from cybercrime. You could have the best cybersecurity in the world, and if one of your external suppliers doesn’t keep the same standard, you can still be at risk of a cyber attack or data breach.

Essential Data Back-Up & Disaster Recovery Tips

Even the most careful and cautious business in the world is at risk of natural and human-made disasters that could bring down essential infrastructures and systems. No matter what industry you are in or what size your business is, a foolproof data back up and disaster recovery plan is vital to protecting your company and avoiding a crisis should the worst happen.

Getting back-ups correct is no easy task, and disaster recovery is even more difficult to implement effectively. Ever changing and growing technology such as cloud solutions adds yet another layer of complexity to IT systems and is just another aspect that needs a reliable back up plan. As well as this, strict data laws such as GDPR put even more pressure on companies to protect their customer’s data and avoid security breaches.

The terms data back-up and disaster recovery are often misunderstood and misused; it is essential to understand that having a back-up plan is different from having a disaster recovery strategy and that you may need both!

What is data back up?

A data back-up is a copy of your businesses data stored on another device in a different location to your originals. Often data back-ups are in the form of a separate drive or storage device within a data centre or stored in a completely different location to everything else.

In most cases, back-ups are created on a daily basis, so your back-up file is always up to date and relevant. Cloud technology provides an automatic and remote solution for creating daily back-ups. However, some businesses still operate with a physical drive that is backed up regularly by an individual.

These data back-ups give you the ability to restore your data back to the original source should anything go wrong. When running a business, it is essential to have a back-up plan in place to protect your data from the worst-case scenario. Creating a back-up plan requires deciding what needs to be backed up, how often it needs backing up and how long it should be kept for.

You will also need to consider how and where this data will be backed up. There is a range of back-up data solutions out there and to properly understand which is right for you and your business; you first need to understand your back-up requirements fully.

What is disaster recovery?

Disaster recovery is much more in-depth than a data back up and includes having a full plan and technical solution to keep your business running should a disaster strike. To establish an effective disaster recovery plan, you first need to identify which systems are required to keep your business functioning should an incident occur and how long your business can run with each various system being offline.

Disaster recovery solutions come in many different forms; some will automatically take over from the primary system if the connection is lost, while others involve restoring the system from back-ups.

Top tips to keep your business protected

Many businesses will require both a back-up data plan and disaster recovery strategy to protect themselves from a crisis adequately. There are a few best practices that every business should follow to ensure their data and systems are effectively protected in the event of a disaster:

Plan

The most important practice for any business is to make sure you have both a back-up data plan and a disaster recovery strategy in place to protect yourself. If your data doesn’t exist in at least two different places, then it might as well not exist at all; the same can be said for your systems and workloads. Computers and the data within them make up your organisation, and if you choose not to protect them properly you could end up with nothing.

Cloud

Use the cloud to make reliable and automated back-ups. Cloud-based back-ups will back up your data over the internet and can be restored from anywhere in the world as long as you have an internet connection. Data is stored off-site and often protected from physical natural disasters such as flooding or fires. Back-ups can be arranged to complete automatically in the background, meaning you don’t have to worry about remembering to do them on a weekly or monthly basis.

Organise

Organisation is key. For a functional and reliable back up, ensure your files are organised into a sensible system. This way you will easily be able to locate your lost data should the worst happen.

Audit

When it comes to establishing an effective disaster recovery strategy, start by reviewing the basics. Audit all your internal back-up plans and determine where the areas of weaknesses are. Even the best disaster recovery plan in the world can’t recover data that hasn’t been properly backed up.

Update

Keep your disaster recovery plan current. A disaster recovery plan cannot simply be set up and then left to its own devices until it is required, it needs to be maintained and updated as the business grows and evolves. It should always be at the forefront of your mind, and whenever a system or process within your business is changed, your disaster recovery plan needs to reflect that.

To review your back-up and disaster recovery strategy, get in touch with the experts at Cyan  – we are ready to help to ensure your success.

Using The Cloud For Your Disaster Recovery Strategy

One of the priorities for every IT department is to ensure there is a sufficient recovery strategy in place should a disaster happen. Small businesses can lose thousands of pounds for every hour that their IT system is down. The best way to limit the costs and the damage of IT failure is to prepare for the eventuality and ensure there is a backup plan ready.

With over 60% of businesses using cloud technology in some form or other for their infrastructure, it is clear that a cloud solution can significantly help with the day to day. However, the cloud can also help with secondary workflows that include backup and archiving to help with your disaster recovery strategy.

Traditional disaster recovery strategies for businesses are expensive and inefficient; they often require multiple solutions as well as labour and maintenance which can increase the costs dramatically. Cloud-based solutions already offer increased security for businesses, and with a cloud-based disaster recovery strategy, you have a secure, scalable disaster recovery strategy.

If you want greater agility and protection for your business, should the worst happen, then a cloud-based disaster recovery could be a cost-saving solution that will help your business to feel prepared for every eventuality.

The benefits of using the cloud for your disaster recovery strategy

Reduced manual backup

A cloud-based disaster recovery strategy will automate the backup process for you. This helps to free up time and resources needs for manual backup. This is particularly helpful for businesses with a small IT team who need to dedicate their time to strategic aspects of IT and the company as a whole.

Taking time to manually backup data means time is taken away from troubleshooting, improving systems and creating efficiencies. Instead, the manual backup will require reviewing archives, monitoring progress and ensuring there is sufficient space and storage for backup. All of these processes could be significantly reduced with an automated cloud solution.

Predictability

Using a cloud-based system for your backup helps to ensure predictability not only for automated backup but also for knowing your costs. Having a cloud system for your disaster recovery strategy typically comes with a set monthly fee which can help you when it comes to budgeting and ensures you know your costs beforehand.

Utilising another provider for your backup and disaster recovery strategy also frees up IT staff, as well as the cost of time and resources, to give you better reliability and assurance that backup is always taken care of through immediate automation.

Immediate backup

When it comes to internal backups, companies rarely check their systems to see if they can recover and restore all data should the worst happen. Many businesses will only complete a backup process at night which means retrieving all data in a situation is almost impossible.

Cloud-based solutions use a continuous backup method which means you’ll lose minimal data should a disaster strike. As the cloud automatically detects and transmits changes to files, there is no manual process involved, and you do not need to worry about when the backup takes place. All of the data restoration is taken care of for complete peace of mind.

Off-site

Even if your business has a robust data recovery and disaster management plan, if your equipment for backup is on the same site as the business then it may not help you at all. Should the workplace suffer from an unforeseen accident such as a flood, storm, burst pipe or fire, then your servers and backup systems are likely to suffer, and you will lose all of your data.

With a cloud-based solution, you have backup data in an external location. This means that should there be a problem in the workplace, your data will remain safe. As cloud backup occurs within minutes, you know that data is safely stored offsite from your organisation which gives peace of mind and can help to relieve any backup issues such as loss of revenue, lower productivity or negative customer feedback.

Security

As many customers who already take advantage of the cloud for their day to day running will know, a cloud-based system can give an organisation additional security. A cloud-based solution keeps data secure by being offsite and using data encryption; this means that only authorised users can access and decrypt the data.

Data encryption in the cloud is also applicable to backup and archived data which can significantly add to the security of the organisation which can help to reduce the risk of security breaches for organisations as well as providing peace of mind to customers.

Plan your disaster recovery strategy

When it comes to planning your disaster recovery strategy, it is essential to not only prepare for the worst but make sure there is always a robust system in place that works for your business. At Cyan, we can help to make sure you have a secure and effective disaster recovery plan in place using the cloud. If you want to protect your business and prepare for every eventuality, get in touch with our team of expert advisors.

Managing Security With Remote Workers

Remote working is increasing rapidly. Staff who are travelling for business, working at home or commuting still want access to the same information they can receive while in their workplace. The increase of remote working undeniably helps organisations as well as assisting remote workers to stay in the loop and be efficient.

With remote working, staff can be more productive, there is a contingency plan in place and data can be shared with ease. However, with the increase in remote working comes an increased risk of security breaches. Those who are accessing work data inappropriately could be breaching the security and confidentiality of the business. For the organisation, particularly with GDPR in place, it is essential to manage and bolster security systems, so that remote working does not leave your business vulnerable.

Why is managing remote working important?

With employees that are keen to access work information outside of the workplace shows a commitment and conscientiousness to your organisation. However, many employees do not realise the risk they pose to the security of your business.

Recent studies have shown that almost a quarter of employees would use free WiFi hotspots to access their work emails. As well as this, 28% of employees will email work documents to and from their personal email address. Many employees do not realise that unsecured connections such as WiFi hotspots can pose a significant threat to cybersecurity, with cybercriminals being able to access information on low-security connections.

Fortunately, there are several ways that organisations can reduce the risk and help to manage security with remote workers.

How you can manage security with remote workers

Strong passwords

Having a secure password can give protection from hackers and more peace of mind if a device is lost or stolen. Organisations can implement password requirements such as having a minimum number of characters as well as asking for multi-characters. Organisations can also ask employees to have different passwords for different systems as well as imposing a two-step log-in process.

Create public WiFi guidelines

It is not always feasible for remote workers to connect to trusted networks, particularly when travelling or staying in a hotel. However, you can create a cybersecurity policy which explains how to use public WiFi with the most care. It is wise to define what systems they can access and which they need to refrain from when using a potentially unsecured network.

Mobile device management

As well as securing mobile devices with passwords, it is also essential to help boost your security if laptops or mobiles are lost or stolen. Utilising mobile device management software or applications can help your business to track lost or stolen devices as well as implementing additional security to protect business assets on the device.

Use the cloud

Hosted cloud desktop providers will use data encryption technology to transport data throughout the company intranet. If employees log in to your system using a cloud-based virtual desktop, there will be added encryption for confidential information between the remote worker and the business. Providers of cloud-based hosted desktops will typically have a range of security certification for additional peace of mind.

Monitoring

Your business can take advantage of 24/7 monitoring of your security systems which can help to quickly identify a threat and help you to prevent or reduce the issue rapidly. 24/7 monitoring will also help your business with future security planning as you can start to uncover common problems that your business faces. Using monitoring to protect your network will include analysing all remote workers as well as all of the mobile devices in your organisation.

Training

Many employees do not receive robust cybersecurity training that includes remote working. Staff should regularly receive cybersecurity training that helps them to understand the risk and how specific actions such as using public WiFi and public computers can threaten security. Using monitoring alongside training can help you to enforce your cybersecurity policies and make it easier to focus the training on specific issues that threaten your business.

Email encryption

As emails are one of the most popular technologies for remote workers, one of easiest ways to improve your organisation’s security is by using email encryption applications. Investing in the management of corporate email and using the safest technologies for email is essential for many businesses who use email without even thinking about its vulnerabilities.

If you need help securing your IT for remote workers, call us today so we can help you plan and implement a robust cybersecurity strategy.

What support should you expect from your IT provider

With so many things that can go wrong in IT, from hardware not working to lost files to data security breaches, what should you be looking for when choosing a service provider? There is a wide range of support available and not all suppliers are the same, even though the terms they use may be. How do you choose between them and ensure your solution matches what you need within your budget?

Here are some of the essential services you should demand from your managed services;

User Support

You should expect your Helpdesk team to deliver immediate assistance whenever needed. At Cyan Solutions, we provide unlimited help and guidance over the phone or can connect to systems remotely to fix problems, carry out maintenance work, or assist users when they have questions. Additionally, if we can’t resolve an issue remotely we will despatch an engineer to your site at no extra charge.

Infrastructure Support and Maintenance

Our engineers will manage and support your entire IT infrastructure and ensure your business is operational and compliant. We’ll keep your network secure, and your systems up-to-date. From servers to software licenses, whether in the cloud or onsite, we’ll maintain your entire IT estate and make sure it delivers exactly what you need.

IT Security

We manage security across all systems and devices under our control and combine industry-leading tools to deliver a unified security suite. We’ll keep users safe by protecting email, web browsing and cloud applications, we’ll secure Internet gateways from the threats of hacking and intrusion, and we’ll shield your systems with award winning anti-virus and malware defence. Our team will monitor security across all areas of your business and analyse and remove any potential threats as they occur.

Backup and Disaster Recovery

We safeguard your business against outages, fire, flood, theft, human error, ransomware and even hardware failure. We manage the entire backup process ensuring your important data, applications and databases are kept safe and secure. From a single file to an entire failed server, we have the tools to recover your business from complete disaster within hours.

IT Purchasing

Having in-depth technical knowledge of your business puts us in the perfect position to make important recommendations based on the true needs of your organisation. For example, we can supply and install new systems and software, we can design and build a more efficient network; or provision and integrate emerging Cloud technology.

Performance Monitoring

We proactively monitor your computers, servers, network and Cloud services and take immediate action to identify and fix smaller issues before they have time to develop into bigger problems or downtime. More importantly, we can ensure that system performance is optimal at all times.

IT Reporting

Having insight and visibility in to your technology, with all its related statistics and performance measurements, is key to justifying future direction or making important business decisions. Our reporting tools are designed to extract valuable information about your systems, your users, IT efficiencies, productivity and security

As an absolute minimum, these are the service levels you should expect from any provider. However, the real benefits come from working in partnership with your supplier, so your technology infrastructure becomes fully integrated with your business plans and is developed to meet your growth ambitions.

At Cyan Solutions we become an integral part of your team, planning your technology capability in line with your organisational strategy, creating the right solution for you and ensuring it is maintained ongoing. Contact us today to discuss your IT support needs.

Harnessing Technology to Enhance Housing Associations Performance

In all organisations, there is an increasing need to adopt a more streamlined digital strategy. In a rapidly changing arena, many housing associations are suffering due to the reduced investment, funding cuts, the mandatory rent freeze on social housing and the fact that there is a relatively slow uptake in digital efficiency. For housing associations to thrive, harnessing technology is vital in order to enhance performance and make the changes that are desperately needed in the fast-paced digital world.

In terms of digitalisation, the housing sector seems to be far behind other industries. There are many reasons why this may be. Firstly, the fact that many housing associations are fragmented, making it difficult to adopt a singular system. Another issue is the fact that there is a reluctance to switch from the legacy systems currently in place. One of the main problems is the initial investment that going digital takes, which can seem like an unnecessary cost in times of cuts and budget restraints. However, by adopting a digital strategy, housing associations can actually save money as well as enjoying a host of other benefits.

How housing associations can harness technology

One of the most significant ways that housing associations can enjoy the benefits of digitalisation is through adopting a cloud-hosted platform. With this, all team members can enjoy real-time access to the necessary systems on any device at any location. This means that those on-site with customers can instantly log reports. Furthermore, associations can reduce infrastructure and office costs with the flexibility of a cloud-based system.

Another opportunity for digitalisation comes from the automation and processing of customer information. Digitalisation reduces the need for paper forms that need manual processing. Instead, you can store all customer data in secure, personal accounts. This reduces the need for repetitive form filling and repeated information.

Organisations can also perform customer service functions digitally. In fact, using digitalisation, customers can find the answers to their questions instantly, meaning they can effectively self-serve should they have any issues. This will significantly reduce the time taken to resolve problems by staff.

Technology can also provide further communication methods. Using a digital system, customers can engage with the team in multiple ways such as online chat facilities as well as email and traditional methods. With customers becoming increasingly digital-savvy this is an ideal method of communication. The fact that customers can find answers for themselves, through a knowledge base, for example, can significantly reduce the workload for staff too.

Not only can technology improve customer relations, it can strengthen supplier management too. With a system that can be accessed by tenants, association staff and suppliers, problems can be actioned and addressed quickly. Everyone has access to the information they need, and this can stop vital information or actions from being missed.

The benefits of technology for housing associations

Cheaper transactions

When it comes to processing transactions, housing associations can reduce revenue through processing. However, it has been found that online transaction processing can save significant costs. In fact, online payment is 20 times cheaper than phone transactions and 50 times cheaper than face to face

Quicker processing

With real-time access to systems, staff can log and process issues much more quickly, which can then provide more customer facing time to increase services and greater flexibility with travel time and costs as things can be actioned on the go.

Enhance service levels

One of the primary benefits of digitalisation is the fact that customers receive a better service. They have the opportunity for 24/7 advice and help thanks to a knowledge base and the fact that account information is accessible. The fact that actions can be completed online means customers have no restrictions with time or having to speak to the right department.

Cost efficiency

While there is an initial investment in going digital, the benefits far outweigh the costs in the long-term. In fact, Croydon London Borough Council estimates savings of £20 million in 2018 thanks to their digitalisation. This is mainly due to the fact that customers are only asked for their information once with their digital records.

 

With increased performance, customer engagement and satisfaction and cost-efficiency, housing associations that choose to go digital can reap the benefits. From reduced operational costs to a more productive environment, there are advantages for all involved.  Furthermore, those that resist the changes will find it harder to adapt later and will have to do so, with an ever-decreasing budget.

Why Your Phone System is an Essential Part of Your Technology Strategy

When it comes to technology, it is essential that every part of your business stays up to date. In many organisations, traditional methods of communication such as fax and telephony are still vital. However, the fact the companies still use traditional methods does not mean the business lags behind technologically. With internet telephony, you can enjoy the freedom and benefits that digitalisation provides, without forgoing your most important communication tools.

Internet telephony is one of the most critical technologies for businesses who still value speaking to clients, suppliers and team members. It allows the use of traditional communication methods but with more freedom, flexibility and a wealth of business benefits.

What is internet telephony?

Internet telephony is a technology that allows communication (voice calls, voicemail, faxes, etc.) to be made anywhere with an internet connection and internet-enabled device. The digital system converts voice and other communication forms into a digital signal so they can be transferred across the internet to reach the recipient.

This digital signal enables a variety of different communication forms, allowing a mix of communication from fax machines, phones, PCs and laptops. In fact, any device with internet and an enabled system can utilise internet telephony, and no landline is needed.

The guises of internet telephony

There are many names for internet telephony, while some offer slight differences, they are commonly used interchangeably. These include terms such as;

  • VoIP (Voice over IP)
  • Broadband Telephony
  • VoBB (Voice over Broadband)
  • IP Telephony
  • OTT Voice Services (Over the top voice services)
  • Broadband Phone Services.

The benefits of internet telephony

There are many advantages to using internet telephony as a business technology, here are just some of the many benefits that you can achieve by adopting this strategy for your business.

Increase productivity

The fact that staff can make and receive calls and faxes wherever there is an internet connection can significantly improve productivity. Whether they are working at a customer site, in the office or at another location, as long as they have internet, they will be able to communicate as necessary.

The agility of an internet phone system means that your workplace can be much more flexible and ideal for remote workers. This enables staff to action and answer calls wherever they are, which increases their productivity. Some services even offer a dedicated smartphone app to make internet telephony even easier on the move. Furthermore, there is no waiting for answers, for colleagues, customers or suppliers.

Cost efficiency

One of the primary benefits of an internet phone system is the cost savings you can achieve. Once you have a system set up, you are only paying for the service and the internet. There are no additional costs for long distance calls or roaming. Your costs are contained to your internet telephony provider and will be based on the quality of the service that you want to receive and your internet connection. You will not be charged for calls or faxes that you make or receive, wherever you are in the world.

Business stability

Having an internet telephony system means that you can keep the same number as long as you stay with your service. This means that you do not have to change your number if you move offices or workspaces. The number is not a landline, and will stay with you. This helps with the stability of the business and the fact that customers will be able to contact you, without the need to update their contact numbers.

This system is valuable when you do not have a dedicated workspace or a traditional work set up, as you still appear professional and trustworthy to customers.

Never miss a call

One of the benefits of internet telephony is that it can link to many devices. You can connect calls and communications to your desk phone, smartphone, PC and laptop. With this in mind, you will never miss a call, even if your battery has died or you are away from your desk. Customers will be able to get in touch with ease; you can reduce the number of callbacks and avoid the problematic game of ‘phone tag’ that can occur when you miss a call.

Local number

Another advantage of internet telephony is that fact that you can choose a local phone number, despite being located somewhere else. If your customers are concentrated in a particular area, you can select a local number, to enhance trust but actually answer the calls from anywhere in the world.

You can have multiple local numbers to satisfy all customer locations yet save on costs in terms of regional call centres and dedicated area staff.

Improve your communication technology strategy

At Cyan Solutions we conduct complete communication audits and total reviews of your technology systems to ensure that you have the most appropriate, business efficient solutions in place. We can help to provide your internet telephony system, complete with cloud hosting solutions to ensure all of your technology strategy is cohesive and beneficial. From encryption through a virtual private network to high bandwidth to support a quality service, we can assess your needs and ensure you have a practical and effective system in place. Get in touch for helpful advice from our friendly team.

 

Driving Business Growth Through IT Infrastructure

IT infrastructure is often a practice that is avoided or stepped around, with many companies simply going with the flow when it comes to their IT management. Many businesses will only make changes and upgrades when it becomes necessary due to equipment failures. Operating your IT planning in this reactive, fire-fighting way is not going to support and help your business grow. A good and well thought out IT infrastructure should be aligned with the businesses goals and growth plans.

While an efficient IT plan does take time and careful planning to create, they are worthwhile and will help your business reach its goals and prevent issues and faults. Having a decent IT infrastructure in place can help a company to optimise its resources, save costs, reduce dependencies and improve productivity. On the other end of the spectrum, having a poor or non-existent IT plan can result in outdated systems, digital skills gaps and lack of productivity all of which can affect your bottom line.

It can all be a bit overwhelming with where to start when creating an IT infrastructure for your business, which often puts organisations off. However, if it is done properly, it will pay off in the long run. Architecture and Governance Magazine revealed that some Fortune 500 companies and government agencies had validated returns on investment as high as 700% thanks to their investment in IT planning.

Here at Cyan Solutions, we have the expertise and knowledge to assist you in creating an effective and powerful IT infrastructure that supports your business and its long-term goals with a proactive approach. We do not believe in one-size-fits-all, and so our approach to all projects is considered and structured; we highly tailor every detail to fit seamlessly with your business model. Following a plan, create, maintain model, we work carefully at every stage to ensure we develop a service that truly addresses your individual needs – both now and in the future.

Plan: How to prepare for creating an effective IT infrastructure

A thorough audit of everything your business currently has by way of IT and everything it will need in the future is the best place to start when creating an IT plan. On the surface, it may seem that an IT plan only concerns hardware and software, but there is so much more to consider. It is important to think about the human resources of the business, the cost management involved, and also the risk management.

At Cyan Solutions, we work closely with our customers to undergo comprehensive reviews that will give us a detailed insight into the businesses IT needs and assets. This process provides us with the opportunity to integrate our strategic thinking as part of your team.

Once we have completed a comprehensive audit and got a full understanding of your business needs, we can then help to create an actionable IT framework strategy and plan that covers all aspects of the company. At this stage, we will also ensure that your IT infrastructure is fully GDPR compliant.

Create: Designing and implementing the IT framework

Once the plan has been finalised and agreed upon, we will get started on designing and implementing the infrastructure, while ensuring minimal disruption to the day to day running of your business. We will develop your new IT capabilities through the previously planned and agreed software and hardware. Working closely with all vendors and software providers, we will unlock the potential of your IT.

At this stage we also ensure everyone within the business is happy and fully trained on any new platforms or applications that have been implemented. We use technical architecture to tailor the IT infrastructure to be specific to your business needs while ensuring the highest levels of security, flexibility and accessibility. It is the advantage of proven technology, tailored to your individual needs and goals.

Maintain: Proactive maintenance and performance monitoring

We guarantee a long-term solution and offer the highest level of service with a robust set of agreements. Once your new IT infrastructure is up and running, we continue to work hard to troubleshoot for any potential issues and provide proactive maintenance to help keep your systems up to date and running in the best possible way for your business.

We will implement any relevant patches, monitor overall performance, and keep on top of industry issues. Our expert teams will guarantee your new system is upgraded and adapted where necessary and ensure that your infrastructure is properly protecting your customer’s data and is always fully GDPR compliant.

When you choose Cyan Solutions, you can expect fast and responsive help from a knowledgeable team that is always on hand to help. As a result, you will get exceptional service whenever you need it, as well as total transparency on our performance. With your IT infrastructure taken care of, you can reap the rewards and focus your attention on your business growth strategy.

Start your growth strategy today

If you want to find out more about how Cyan Solutions can help you to plan, create and maintain an IT infrastructure that will support your business growth, get in touch with our expert team today.

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Managing Volunteer Teams Through Good Technology

Coordination and communication are key to running a successful charity campaign. Organisations often want to bring together large, transient teams of volunteers to raise money. Making sure everyone works from the same playbook to the same ends can be difficult and time consuming.  

Getting the management of volunteer teams right, of course, ensures more money is raised while overheads are reduced, and efficiency and engagement improved.  

The good news is that today’s digital options are helping many charities achieve their campaign goals in more flexible and beneficial ways. 

The Challenge of Organising Remote Volunteers 

There’s no doubt that volunteers are the life blood of all charities. They give their time and effort to raise money and promote important causes across the UK and around the world on a daily basis. Many small charities have very few full-time or paid staff on board, so volunteers are vital factors for any campaign and ongoing fund raising.  

Charities, particularly smaller ones, operate on a tight budget and building effective relationships with volunteers is necessary. Even the simple act of thanking someone for all their work can prove challenging if you don’t have the proper resources at hand.  

Better engagement requires charities to find new and innovative ways to reach out to volunteers as well as organise remote teams when campaigns are running to achieve maximum results. Focused and flexible solutions such as cloud technology are attractive options, certainly for charities that are seeking to improve performance and lower costs at the same time.  

The Benefits of Cloud Technology  

  • Cloud technology meets the challenges of working with large remote teams, especially volunteers. 
  • It allows charities to access better communication management, collaboration tools and benefit from online date, whether staff are working at the head office or in a remote team. 
  • Cloud services can quickly be scaled up and down to meet needs of any campaign. 

In its simplest sense, cloud technology is a way of storing and accessing files and programs on a range of different devices and locations independent of where you are and what time it is. Someone can sign onto a cloud service and access all they need on their tablet, laptop or smartphone, wherever they are in the world. All they need is an internet connection.  

What is more important for charities is how scalable cloud technology is. This delivers high degrees of flexibility for organisations who can expand or contract their services depending on their current needs. For example, if a charity is running a campaign, it can roll out services to volunteers and improve communication and coordination. Once the campaign is finished they can then scale back that provision.  

Cloud technology brings a high-value solution that can be tailored to each charity’s specific needs. It greatly reduces the cost of administration and can certainly help charities spend more of their time raising money rather than administrating. Neither is there the need to worry about licences and permissions which can all be handled by the cloud provider.  

Most charitable organisations are worried about security because they hold sensitive data on everyone from donors to volunteers. This is another area that cloud services generally cover more effectively than inhouse IT providers nowadays – security is updated automatically to help keep users safe online, wherever they are in the world.  

The Apps Helping Charities 

Better connectivity and the fact that so many of us have smartphones and tablets nowadays has also begun to change the way organisations such as charities view the use of apps. Developing an app is becoming increasingly common but there are also many off-the-shelf solutions available now that are aimed at volunteers and improving communication and engagement in the third sector.  

Charities often have large numbers of volunteers working across different departments and areas, sometimes all around the world. Checking what they are up to, producing reports and maximising performance has often depended on an old-fashioned form-filling exercise. An app like Track It Forward allows volunteers to log their activity and for charities to quickly access information that, in the past, would have taken weeks or even months to collate. Another similar app is Sign Up which helps get volunteers onboard and track their progress.  

Attracting volunteers has always been challenging for smaller organisations that don’t have the visibility or advertising power of some of their third sector peers. An app like VolunteerMatch is designed to put people in touch with their perfect charity – they sign on and browse for organisations in a particular area and which meet their criteria. Charities can post their details for free and reach new volunteers within a matter of minutes.  

The Challenge of Embracing Tech for Charities 

A survey carried out by Blackbaud in 2016 found that just over 7% of all charitable giving is carried out online. It’s a potential that smaller organisations have been slow to grasp but which presents a huge opportunity for not only encouraging donations but engaging with volunteers more effectively. Larger organisations like Oxfam have been moving forward in this area for a few years now, for instance, introducing opportunities for people to donate using contactless payment systems at points around the UK.  

While for smaller charities, who make up the vast majority in the third sector, it can be difficult to develop a dedicated app, there are plenty of low cost solutions out there than can improve efficiency and engagement, particularly when it comes to organising volunteers.  

Today’s cutting-edge cloud services not only provide a range of on demand IT support services that many can benefit from, they are highly scalable. That means charities can keep a tight control on where their IT is used and how budgets are spent. It also means that smaller organisations now have the capacity to explore new and exciting ways of bringing volunteers together and coordinating them during important campaigns.  

 

Cyan Solutions are the perfect fit for charities that want to be empowered using technology. Highly scalable cloud solutions mean that you can tailor your IT support to meet your immediate needs, including organising and communicating with networks of volunteers during campaigns. If you want to find out how the cloud can revolutionise your organisation, contact our friendly team today.    

How technology innovation can improve efficiencies for charities

Technology innovations help charities deliver critical services, engage new supporters and raise money faster than has ever been possible before. Through leveraging the range of options available, non-profit organisations can increase their effectiveness and agility, whilst future-proofing the technology investment. In particular, utilising the cloud can make the day to day running of a charity so much easier and is extremely cost-effective.

Here are our top 5 ways that such organisations can benefit from migrating their systems to the cloud.

1. Discounted Licences

Microsoft strives to make its software donation programme as accessible as possible to charitable organisations around the world. Globally, they give away £1.5 million worth of software every day. Office 365 Business Essentials (which comprises of Exchange email, OneDrive and browser versions of Office applications) can be free for eligible not-for-profit organisations. There are a range of subscription models available, so even if you are benefitting already it is worth having an expert review your licenses as you may be able to realise even greater cost savings.

2. Equipment Savings

By migrating your IT infrastructure and applications to the cloud you can significantly reduce the hefty hardware costs associated with maintaining or replacing your physical servers. Desktops can be repurposed instead of replaced. Plus, staff can take advantage of using their own devices to connect to the apps and data they need.

3. Improved Security

Cyber security is becoming a critical issue for all organisations. For charities who may be handling sensitive data, such as patient or supporter records and financial information linked to donations, security will be very high on their list of priorities. It’s therefore important to know that your valuable data is being protected. Having your data residing in a datacentre with high levels of security, governance and data protection, is a much better option than using on-site servers.

4. Greater Accessibility

Many charities rely heavily on remote and mobile workers or volunteers, as opposed to centrally based office teams. By migrating to cloud based technology services there is no limit as to what can be shared by the entire organisation. All files and applications can be shared with all users, ensuring consistent and timely communications.

5. Growth and Flexibility

If you are taking on more staff or a group of volunteers for a single campaign, then with a good cloud strategy it can be easy and quick to get them up and running with access to the data and applications they need. It’s also easy to close their accounts once the campaign is over.

We offer free licensing audits for all charities and can review where cost savings and operational efficiencies could be made. Contact our expert team today to find out more.