Five Nines IT Solutions

Wishing you and yours a happy holiday season!

Get clear-eyed insight from futurist Bernard Marr in this article revealing his predictions for the top challenges and opportunities that will face IT leaders in 2024. From cybercrime and data privacy to remote work to infrastructure to sustainability, Marr shares projections on leading trends and the implications for IT leaders and decision makers. Read the article and get ideas on reimagining IT with future-ready strategies to drive business success in the New Year and beyond. Read More...

Could you improve your IT infrastructure's security, efficiency and support? Our experts can analyze your operating system and help you build a plan. Book your free assessment today. View: Free OS assessment

Do you have a clear and cohesive AI strategy in place to help guide your AI procurement and implementation decisions? And are you continuously evaluating that strategy to make necessary tweaks when needed? Book a free consultation with an AI expert to help assess the state of your AI strategy. View: A free assessment of your AI strategy

From cost and operating capacity to security and innovation, a multitude of factors informs which cloud environment is right for your organization. Book a free meeting with one of our experts to help you decide. View: Which cloud environment is right for you? Free consultation

Is your cybersecurity strategy optimized for the rapidly evolving threat landscape? Book a free strategy assessment with one of our experts to answer this crucial question. View: Book a free assessment of your cybersecurity strategy

Struggling to hire the right staff required to manage your IT infrastructure? We can help you determine what your actual IT staffing needs are and how you can efficiently manage IT operations amid pervasive IT talent shortages. View: Book a free assessment of your IT talent needs

The desktop as a service (DaaS) market continues to grow, as does the need by organizations for flexible and secure remote access. In this free copy of Gartner's inaugural Magic Quadrant for DaaS, you'll read about the key DaaS solutions and providers - and learn why Gartner rated Microsoft a "Leader." Read More...

Beginning to implement generative AI comes with unique challenges and considerations—particularly for large organizations. Read More...

Explore the critical factors influencing the on-premise vs. cloud debate for enterprises. Analyze benefits, risks, and costs to make an informed decision. Read More...

From increasing market incentives for developing cyber resilience to shifting cybersecurity responsibility away from the end user, the new national cybersecurity strategy has big implications for SMBs. Read More...

Without the qualification of tech debt, business decisions will be made based on the old, comfortable, current status quo. And systemic risk will increase. Read More...

What are the biggest factors that go into your organization's decision on the right cloud environment? Cost? Operational needs? UX? #cloudcomputing

Is managing and optimizing your tech stack a major challenge at your organization? If so, what are you doing to solve it? #TechStack #ITOps

Does your organization have an overarching #cyberstrategy to inform your cybersecurity purchasing decisions? Or do you make decisions based on needs as they arise?

Thinking about either your organization or industry: are you seeing a clear shortage of #ITtalent? If so, how do you think businesses can fill this talent gap?

Tweet Email By Irana Wasti, chief product officer at BILL BPT From the news to social media to your favorite podcast, artificial intelligence (AI) is capturing headlines. You've probably heard about generative AI tools that can write articles, create plans and manipulate images, and as a business owner, you might be curious how this could... Read More...

Enterprises facing high cloud costs are taking a more balanced look at where workloads should reside and considering repatriation to a cloud in their own data center. Read More...

It's time to think about whether we need a new and improved approach to global cybersecurity. Read More...

The evolution of Kubernetes in enterprise IT: From day two operations to AI integration - SiliconANGLE Read More...

Managing multiple, disparate collaboration and communication tools is an inefficient and unreliable way to keep your hybrid workforce connected and engaged. Microsoft Teams addresses these inefficiencies with a unified, feature-rich integration platform that reduces workflow friction, streamlines routine tasks and saves time and resources. Forrester's analyst report, The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Teams," highlights the benefits of using Teams. Download your complimentary copy of the report. View: The Total Economic Impact™ Of Microsoft Teams

More than half of companies are remote or hybrid and have no plans to bring employees back to the office full-time. Read More...

The right OS can streamline administration, improve security and better support your team. Explore more benefits in this solution brief to understand the value of migrating from CentOS to Linux. View: Benefits of migrating from CentOS Linux to Red Hat Enterprise Linux

AI/ML's opaque processes challenge data quality and decision-making, emphasizing the need for understanding and control. Read More...

Secure-by-design—a CISA philosophy encouraging software manufacturers to design products in a way that minimizes security vulnerabilities—requires deft implementation. Here's the breakdown: Read More...

Should you stay with cloud partners - or play the field? Read More...

Separately, Wi-Fi and 5G are amazing technologies. When used together, they are unleashing incredible capabilities for enterprises, as in 1+1=3. Read More...

There are numerous tactics leaders can introduce to their organizations to keep IT workers from calling it quits. Read More...

Eurowings, Lufthansa Group's low-cost airline, serves more than 40 million customers at 100 destinations around the world. When the company's on-premises server farms, which provide application access and security to thousands of external and contract employees, needed upgrading, Eurowings decided to ditch its on-prem servers and embrace the cloud with Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop. Tim Thomer, Enterprise Architect at Eurowings explains:. "We wanted a cloud VDI solution capable of running modern authentication, and which could match our existing infrastructure in terms of security and reliability. That's how we found Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop." Read the Eurowings story of cloud adoption in this Microsoft article. Read More...

RUDN University economist and colleagues analyzed data from the largest oil and gas companies in Russia during the economic crises of 2020 and 2022 and proposed an algorithm that would increase the sustainability of the industry. The key factor here is Industry 4.0 technologies—artificial intelligence, Internet of things, Big data and others. The results were published in Resources Policy. Read More...

IT spending trends point to an uptick in cloud and services spending, with inflation contributing to the increase. Read about the tech growth outlook. Read More...

According to NSA and CISA, the worst cybersecurity misconfigurations include insufficient internal network monitoring, lack of network segmentation, and poor patch management. See the full list: Read More...

Here you'll find a complete list of all the known layoffs in tech, from Big Tech to startups, broken down by month throughout 2023. Read More...

But some employees don't love shuffling around their work supplies, or ending up in the noisy part of the office. Read More...

Maximizing customer satisfaction is a strategic imperitive. With Microsoft Dynamics 365, real-world organizations are reaching their service improvement goals by using AI and automation to transform customer experiences. The National Housing Company (NHC) is the perfect example. Get the story on how Microsoft Dynamics 365 enabled the state-owned Saudi real estate development company to improve customer satisfaction by 95% and enhance its capacity to scale. Read More...

Are your cloud costs far exceeding initial projections and wrecking your IT budget? Because we partner with leading cloud providers, we can help you reduce cloud waste. Schedule a free consultation to learn more. View: Are you paying too much for the cloud? Free assessment

Which new cyberattack vectors and tactics pose the biggest risk to your networks, data and hardware? Schedule a free consultation with one of our experts for a comprehensive overview of today's most dangerous threats. View: Secure your organization against new threats—free consultation

If you're finding it harder and harder to attract and retain tech talent, we can show you how you can increase productivity with a lean tech team. Book your free consultation today. View: A free consultation on increasing productivity

Are you keeping up with the emerging tech tailored to the fast-evolving hybrid work landscape? If not, you could fall behind the competition. Schedule a free consultation with one of our experts to learn more. View: A free consultation on emerging hybrid work trends and tech

Synopsys EDA Data Analytics (.da) leverages AI-driven analytics to accelerate root-cause analysis and otherwise drive more intelligent decision-making throughout the IC design, test, and manufacturing lifecycle. Read More...

Cloud pricing is going up, and August's Producer Price Index underscores this trend. Read about the factors behind cloud inflation. Read More...

Google, AWS and Cloudflare warned the HTTP/2 Rapid Reset attacks are beyond anything ever recorded.  Read More...

Enterprise IT/communications/CX now consider business alignment to be the most important skill, and when it comes to their own view of the job, work-life balance is what takes priority. Read More...

Many forward-thinking corporations are using technology to build connections between its management and the information they need to make impactful, data-driven decisions. Read this insightful customer story about how Heineken uses Azure OpenAI to bring innovation to its business processes. Read More...

Despite some employees still working remotely, managers recognize the wisdom of keeping their same office square footage. Read More...

Microsoft's "Global State of Customer Service Sophistication" explores the crucial alignment between customer service and brand loyalty. With research showing a staggering 96% of customers might leave after receiving subpar service, the whitepaper provides actionable steps you can take today to uplevel the sophistication of your customer service experiences and ensure your success, tomorrow. Get insight on risk factors, challenges and steps to address them by modernizing service experiences with the right strategies and technology solutions. Download it here. View: Global State of Customer Service Sophistication

Microsoft is committed to delivering continuous innovation to Windows 11. In this article, Microsoft showcases many of the new privacy, security and accessibility features that Microsoft has added to Windows 11 this year. Find out what new innovations are available to you in Windows 11. Read More...

Transform your employee experience for the hybrid workplace with insights from Microsoft's journey. Discover the benefits of focusing on digital capabilities, physical spaces and organizational culture. Find out how Microsoft Viva can help your employees find balance in the hybrid work environment, and leverage the Microsoft Power Platform to drive innovation. Ensure network security with Zero Trust and build strong partnerships. Read the blog, "Reinventing Microsoft's Employee Experience for a Hybrid World." Read More...

Discover how the Microsoft Surface Hub 3 can help you break meeting boundaries and elevate your Teams experience. Watch this video for details.

Does your organization offer opportunities for remote work? If you're re-evaluating your model, watch this episode of the Ripple Effect podcast where experts discuss pros and cons. Explore how power dynamics, resource access and visibility impact work experiences. With insights from experts at the Wharton School, this podcast will help you navigate the challenges of hybrid work arrangements. Gain a deeper understanding of how remote work can reshape work-life balance. Join the conversation.

Good news! You can now preview Microsoft's Personal Desktop Autoscale, which is Azure Virtual Desktop's native scaling solution that automatically starts session host virtual machines according to schedule. With Personal Desktop Autoscale, you can save costs by shutting down idle session hosts while ensuring session hosts can be started by users when needed. Find out more in this article. Read More...

Will your next computer be A.I.-capable? Read More...

"By stealthily recording sensitive personal and financial information, like usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers, [spyware] presents a significant risk," the expert said. Read More...

Metropolitan areas tend to have the largest #workfromhome shares of the population. And this trend has some surprising ripple effects. Read More...

The hard truth is that most traditional tech talent retention strategies are obsolete. Here's how your organization can adapt to ensure you don't lose your best people. Read More...

Generative AI is proving to be an essential tool in many industries, creating realistic images and videos that enhance the customer experience. Read this enlightening blog about the ten ways generative AI is being used by organizations to transform their operations and drive growth. Read More...

Westpac, one of the largest banks in Australia, wanted to improve support for its more than 40,000 people, including its hybrid workforce, by transforming its IT environment. In 2023, the bank chose a solution based on Windows 11 Enterprise E5 and Microsoft cloud services which has since improved user experience for staff and supported secure flexible work that is inclusive of all work styles. Read the story. Read More...

Introducing Microsoft 365 Copilot, the generative AI companion that empowers employees at your small or medium business to experience new levels of creativity and productivity. With Copilot, employees streamline daily tasks to stay focused on the work they love and that matters most to your business. Read the blog to explore what Copilot can do. Read More...

Discover how caregivers can provide better healthcare and patient access with Surface devices. Read this flyer to learn more. View: Transforming to virtual healthcare

Public sector IT decision makers and contractors: book a free consultation with an AI expert to discover how the right AI-powered solution that meets all regulations can help streamline and significantly improve your operations. View: A free offer for public sector IT decision makers and contractors

You're probably too busy running your business to keep track of the rapidly growing number of cybersecurity regulations. Fortunately, we have you covered. Book a free consultation to see if your business is security compliant. View: Ensure cybersecurity compliance—free consultation

Wondering which cybersecurity compliance standard is right for your business? Explore GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001 to see which aligns best with your ne Read More...

With ever-increasing incidents of security breaches, companies must use efficient endpoint security for all their endpoints to prevent any loss of data. Read More...

The National Artificial Intelligence Institute is developing an approach to bring uniformity across the Veterans Health Administration and its various regions and medical centers. Read More...

Surface devices can empower you to deliver even better patient care. Read through this solution brief to learn more about mobile device strategy, use cases, and more. View: Supporting device needs for Healthcare Providers

IBM's 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report — conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by IBM— examines the root causes and both short-term and long-term consequences of data breaches. The report includes information from 553 organizations impacted by data breaches that occurred between March 2022 and March 2023 and explores the various factors and technologies that either limited or increased the costs of a breach. Download the report and learn what works, and doesn't, in preventing data breaches. View: IBM Security 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report

Opinion: In many ways, the computing cloud is the cyber version of the Trinity mushroom cloud. Read More...

Good read on how AI is reshaping public sector operations and service delivery capabilities. Read More...

IT departments are facing a growing application backlog because of the lack of developers and technical specialists who can produce these solutions. Read this urgent blog about an answer to this problem: low code. This is the solution that empowers IT departments to rapidly build apps and streamline data insights while lowering costs. Read More...

Cybersecurity professionals need to keep up to date on the latest cyber-threat trends. This report from Microsoft analysts covers the threat landscape from IoT and infrastructure threats to disinformation campaigns, ransomware, and guidelines for thwarting these complex new threats. Each chapter provides the key lessons learned and insights based on Microsoft's unique vantage point. The trillions of signals that Microsoft analyzes from its worldwide ecosystem of products and services reveal the ferocity, scope, and scale of digital threats across the globe. You and your security team can read this comprehensive report on threats and Microsoft technologies that identify and block billions of phishing attempts, identity thefts, and other cyber-threats to Microsoft customers. View: Microsoft Digital Defense Report

If there's ongoing tension between you and your employees when it comes to remote work policies, we may be able to help bridge the divide by introducing you to the newest collaboration and productivity tech. Book a free consultation to learn more. View: A free consultation on optimizing your hybrid work environment

Build a strong SEO foundation for your enterprise website. Learn how to bridge the gaps in your technical SEO with this guide. Read More...

Less than a quarter of baby boomers support in-office work, the study found. Read More...

"The goal is to create a complete and efficient AI and ML development and delivery operational pipeline (AI/MLOps) with supporting services for sensor programs within PEO IEW&S while managing cost, schedule, risk and performance," according to a request for information. Read More...

Enterprise Linux® 9 is the stable and scalable foundation your organization needs to ensure simplified and centralized management across your hybrid cloud environments. Explore 9 reasons to choose Linux 9. View: 9 reasons to explore Red Hat Enterprise Linux 9

Compliance and security often go hand in hand as ideas that attempt to protect against cyber threats. While both compliance and security are designed to lower risk, they are not mutually inclusive. Read More...

Steer clear from common misconceptions that lead to haphazard decisions, poor vendor choices and failed implementations. Read More...

Need help learning to use the new Microsoft Azure Virtual Desktop Watermarking feature? We have it here! Watermarking is an optional protection feature to Screen Capture in Virtual Desktop that acts as a deterrent for data leakage. This watermarking capability was first introduced in Feb 2023 via Public Preview of Windows Desktop clients. With General Availability, we're introducing support for Azure Virtual Desktop web client. Read how to access Watermarking support in this article. Read More...

Data security is a constant concern of CISOs and business executives. To better understand the security issues, Microsoft partnered with the independent research agency Hypothesis Group to conduct a multinational survey involving more than 800 data security professionals. Our collaborative effort has resulted in the publication of the Data Security Index report, designed to offer valuable insights into current data security practices and trends. Moreover, it aims to identify practical opportunities for organizations to enhance their data security efforts. In this article, you'll learn some of the key findings from the report, including: - Data security incidents remain frequent - Vulnerabilities manifest in various dimensions due to a diverse set of factors - How a fragmented solution landscape can weaken an organization's data security posture Read More...

Make informed decisions to drive front-office transformation and customer obsession. In this 31-criterion evaluation of CRM suites providers, Forrester identified the nine most significant — including Microsoft. Get this summary of the report to see how each provider measures up and help select the right one for your organization's needs. Read the summary, "The Forrester WaveTM CRM Suites, Q32022. Read More...