Are you losing hours each week setting up video calls?

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You could be losing a full-time working week for every member of your team, thanks to the hassle of setting up video calls.

Video conferencing has revolutionised team meetings, and saves a huge amount of travel time. But we’re still not getting the full benefit from the new technology, according to new research.

Employees aged between 18 and 24 take up to 10 minutes to get set up for each remote meeting.

Times that by a typical five meetings a week, and it’s suddenly lost you 40 hours every year. That’s a whole working week of wasted time – a figure that gets even higher when you look at older age brackets.

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How to get faster Wi-Fi in your office and for remote workers

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How to get faster wifi in your business. watch out video and read our free downloadable guide

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Don’t walk the plank with pirated software

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A huge number of small and medium-sized businesses would consider using pirated software to try and save money. A new study has revealed a surprising number of businesses willing to break the law to save costs. Our advice? Think twice before you walk the plank.

Right now, the most popular types of pirated software are project management tools, and marketing and sales software. But a huge 56% of business owners said they’d even think about using illegal cyber security software in an effort to cut costs.

Don’t do it.

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Could avatars make your Teams meetings more fun?

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Do you inwardly (or outwardly) groan at the thought of yet another video call?

They’re now a normal part of our working lives, but it doesn’t make them any more exciting.

Good news: Microsoft is introducing Metaverse-style avatars, called Mesh avatars, to Teams.

You’ll be able to design your own avatar, personalising its appearance, accessories, and even choosing its reaction gestures.

According to Microsoft, it’s common for us to feel stressed and exhausted after spending a long time on camera. So using a virtual representation of yourself to reduce that stress is just one application for these new avatars.

Better still, you won’t need an expensive virtual reality headset. It’s all done using the Avatars app that’s available in the Microsoft Teams app store.

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Windows 12 is coming… here’s what we know so far

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While Windows 11 is only just celebrating its first birthday, we’re already hearing our first rumours about what Windows 12 will have in store.

There’s no rush for the time being – we won’t see this new operating system until the back end of 2024 – but we love to be ready for what’s coming next, so here’s what we know so far…

Details are sketchy and as usual, Microsoft is being coy about what it’s planning. But we’ve been digging into how it could look. And it’s… different!

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3 things your business must look for in a password manager

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Password managers are amazing pieces of software. They make it easy for you and your staff to stick to password best practice, while saving you time. Everyone wins.

Here are three things you must look for when choosing a password manager for your business.

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Are you using Teams to share sensitive data?

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Microsoft Teams has fast become one of THE most useful business tools for the way we work today.

No matter where your people work from, they can communicate and collaborate quickly and reliably.

But this remote way of working can also open the door to some MAJOR security issues.

New research shows that nearly HALF of employees frequently share confidential and sensitive files via Teams.

That can be a big problem if employees are using personal equipment rather than company issued kit… it’s simply not as secure as work devices.

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Everything you need to know about password managers for your business

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If you’re confused about password managers, you’re not alone.

A password manager is software that generates safe passwords, remembers them, and autofills logins for you.

That saves time. But means your business can quickly lock out staff when they leave.

Some people say they’re the best thing ever. Others are more negative.

We believe they’re a very useful business tool if you pick the right one. So we’ve created this new guide with the full lowdown on password managers for business.

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Are you really downloading Zoom… or is it malware?

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When you think about tools for remote working and chatting online, one of the first names in your mind is Zoom.

But its popularity has opened the door for cyber criminals. They’re using its name to steal sensitive data.

Researchers have discovered at least six convincing-looking download sites. They’re not the real thing. They’re designed to tempt you into downloading FAKE Zoom software, containing ‘info stealers’ and other forms of malware (malicious software).

Accidentally use one of these sites thinking that you’re downloading a Zoom update… and you risk having sensitive data stolen. Possibly your banking info, passwords or browser history.

Some can even steal your multi-factor authentication details. That could give cyber criminals access to your most sensitive data.

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Some bosses think their people do less when working from home

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Microsoft has become the leader of productivity over many decades. Can you imagine doing your day to day work without their software?

So it’s no surprise the tech giant recently conducted a major new survey into productivity in the workplace – and some of the results might surprise you.

Researchers surveyed 20,000 people working for businesses in 11 different countries.

They discovered the majority of bosses don’t believe their employees are as productive when working from home.

In fact, four out of five employers said they thought their people got less done when working remotely.

On the other hand, a massive 87% of staff felt they were MORE productive when working from home.

How is there such a big disconnect?

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