Technology is constantly evolving, and Artificial Intelligence (AI) is taking centre stage, transforming how we work. Forget dystopian robots; AI is here to empower your human workforce, not replace it.
Curious how your business can leverage AI to optimise processes, boost creativity, and unlock hidden potential? Let’s delve into the top 5 ways AI can supercharge your office:
1. Automating the Mundane:
Say goodbye to repetitive tasks like scheduling meetings, data entry, and email management. AI-powered tools can intelligently automate these activities, freeing up your employees to focus on higher-value work. Imagine the time saved and the boost in productivity!
Information overload is real. AI can analyse vast amounts of data, uncovering hidden patterns and trends that traditional methods miss. Use these insights to make informed decisions, optimise marketing campaigns, and predict customer behaviour, giving your business a strategic edge.
Gone are the days of one-size-fits-all solutions. AI-powered personalisation takes centre stage, tailoring experiences to individual employees and customers. From creating custom learning paths to recommending relevant products, AI fosters deeper engagement and drives better results.
Think AI can’t be creative? Think again! Use AI tools to generate design ideas, write unique content, and compose compelling music. Let AI fuel your creative brainstorms, and free your team to refine and personalise the outcomes, unleashing innovation like never before.
Language barriers can be a hurdle. AI-powered translation tools break down these barriers, facilitating seamless communication across teams and borders. Real-time translation for meetings, multilingual customer support, and even content localisation become effortless, opening doors to global collaboration and market expansion.
Ready to embrace the AI revolution? Remember, AI is a tool, not a replacement. By integrating it strategically, you empower your workforce, unlock efficiency, and drive innovation, taking your business to the next level.
Get started by:
Identifying repetitive tasks that can be automated.
Exploring data analysis tools to gain valuable insights.
Experimenting with personalisation tools to engage employees and customers.
Utilising AI-powered creative tools to fuel brainstorming sessions.
Trying out translation tools to facilitate communication
There are a growing number of technologies that businesses can use to access speedy broadband or the Internet. For years, most businesses have used ADSL, which was limited to around 28mbps. With the rollout of fibre Internet, VDSL became the predominant form of Internet, this normally uses FTTC, which is fibre to the cabinet, it then uses copper for the connection to your home, and it is normally limited to around 70Mbps. Virgin Internet has been a popular option for years, and they have progressively been increasing the speeds available with gigabit currently available. More recently, many companies are rolling out FTTP, or Fibre to the premises. This is both via BT Openreach and CityFibre and will typically start at 150mbps and go up to 1000 Mbps. An increasingly popular option is to use 5G routers as a form of Internet access, in theory, this can hit gigabit speeds, but generally, it is a few hundred megabits per second.
What is speedy broadband?
Speedy broadband is a relatively loose term, encompassing a range of different types of internet connection. This includes:
• Superfast broadband: Broadband connections of over 100 Mbps and up to 300 Mbps
• Ultrafast broadband: Broadband connections of over 300 Mbps but less than 1 Mbps
• Gigabit broadband: Broadband that supplies speeds of more than 1 Mbps, typically using full-fibre connections.
All of these options provide business premises with consistent access to high-speed download and upload capacity. Broadband refers to more than the download speed that individual devices receive, also including the WiFi connection on the premises and the connection that IoT objects have to the internet.
Benefits of speedy broadband for a business
There are several benefits of using speedy broadband in a business, including:
Website hosting
Some companies host their own websites on business servers. These companies do so as a means of cutting down on costs, as hosting your own servers means no subscription fees to external companies. However, hosting a popular website can strain your servers, increasing loading times and ruining the customer experience. By focusing on increasing the speed of a company’s broadband, you reduce load times and ensure that people have a reason to come back to your business.
More users
Faster broadband is ideal as it has more bandwidth. This means that users can have more devices on the network without degrading the quality of the service everyone receives. According to a government report, there are over 40,000 companies with more than 50 employees. A good broadband connection is a necessity for getting all of these staff members connected in a reliable way.
Media sharing
A significant part of working in a modern office is improving the media-sharing potential of the company. This means sending assets across the business, sending draft videos and content to clients and making quick edits to major files. Gigabit internet means receiving and adjusting files quickly, before sending them off again in no time at all. Companies work far more quickly with faster broadband connections, as a company’s output is much more flexible with potential for adjustments up until the last moment.
Try AGT Computer Services
If you’re looking for reliable IT support that can get your company working more effectively with a speedy broadband connection, get in touch with the AGT Computer Services team today to find out more and make the most of your company’s potential.
Ransomware attacks are nothing new, but they have been growing rapidly in recent years. One estimate puts the annual cost of such security breaches at $11trillion, with an attack every 11seconds of every day. Now there is a new player on the scene in the form of the Qlocker security threat, and it is something every SME needs to be aware of.
What is the Qlocker security threat?
The Qlocker security threat exploits a weakness in QNAP network attached storage (NAS) systems, which are permanently linked to the net. This is a popular system used by many SMEs to facilitate backups in case of system failure or ransomware attacks, yet this defence is being used against the system.
The attack does not use malware as such but exploits the software to password protect the 7zip files used for backup. To get the password to unlock the files, the victim must pay a ransom. This is pitched at an affordable 0.01bitcoin, around £263, to encourage companies to pay. By hitting a huge number of companies, this relatively small amount soon adds up for the attackers.
Why is my company at risk from the Qlocker security threat?
Unlike many ransomware attach, which target specific organisations, such as the NHS or major companies, demanding a large sum, the Qlocker security threat is much more widespread. Their software scans the net for QNAP devices and automatically exploits the weakness. They neither know or care, who you are or what you do, which means that every company, large or small is vulnerable if they use QNAP NAS.
Unfortunately, your system will not be protected by most antivirus or malware products. The Qlocker security threat simply exploits existing vulnerabilities in the system to execute the password protection scam on your files.
If you experience the Qlocker security threat, you should keep your system running. It is tempting to shut down and reboot, but this will only make things worse. QNAP’s advice is:
* immediately disable myQNAPcloud
* change the default web admin port from port 8080 to another port
* terminate any active ‘7z’ processes
Alternatively, you can contact AGT Computers and we will walk you through your immediate steps and work with you to get you up and running as soon as possible.
Avoiding the Qlocker security threat
QNAP are working to combat the Qlocker security threat and has issued a number of updates to its software. To avoid falling victim, it is important to keep your system updated with the latest versions of Multimedia Console, Media Streaming Add-on and Hybrid Backup Sync. Once again, AGT computers are on hand to help you with this and ensure that your system is as safe as possible from the Qlocker security threat.
Ongoing system security
After a year and a half of unprecedented challenges, the last thing your business needs is to take a hit from ransomware or malware. That’s why AGT offers a full suite of cyber security services, from managed cyber security, including complete cyber security training for your team, to disaster recovery and business continuity services in the event of an attack.
Our experts are available around the clock, all year round, to keep your company computers safe and keep your business data secure. To find out more about how AGT can enhance your security and help protect you against ransomware attacks like Qlocker, get in touch today or fill out our contact form. With first-class computer support in Manchester, Preston and the Fylde, you can beat the cybercriminals and protect your company both now and in the future.
Computer support has always been key to predicting the weather. It enables meteorologists to process data using complex models of the atmosphere, in order to forecast storms, flooding and droughts, both in the short term and over longer periods. From next year, the Met Office will have more computing power than ever, when a brand new £1.2bn supercomputer comes online.
What is a supercomputer?
Supercomputers are huge machines with mind-boggling processing power. While your average desktop machine will have two or perhaps four processing cores, the new Met Office machine will have 1.5million. This will enable it to process 60petaflops of data every second – that is 60 quadrillion or 60 with fifteen zeros after it. To put that in context, counting to a quadrillion would take you over 200million years.
The new Met Office supercomputer will be made up of Hewlett Packard Enterprise Cray supercomputers and will utilise cloud computing from Microsoft Azure. It will be one of the top 25 supercomputers in the world and will be six times faster than the current system. What’s more, it will be upgraded in around five years to be three times faster again.
Why do we need so much computer support?
Weather forecasting computers work by creating a simulation of the atmosphere. New data is fed into this simulation to see how it reacts, and so predict how the real atmosphere might react. The current UK weather supercomputer (which cost a bargain £97m) processes 200billion pieces of data a day from satellites, global weather stations and even ocean buoys, and at six times faster, the new system will significantly increase this processing power. The more data you put in, the more accurate the forecast you get out.
Why spend so much on weather forecasting?
Accurate weather forecasting means much more than just wearing the right coat or planning a barbecue at the weekend. Forecasts allow the authorities to prepare for extreme weather events, such as floods or droughts that risk wildfires. They also help the energy companies to prepare for increased demand during cold spells. In the longer term, accurate weather forecasts allow us to monitor climate change and proactively protect ourselves from the effects.
Is it worth £1.2bn?
The new supercomputer may be the biggest single investment ever by the Met Office, but it is well worth it. With extreme weather events becoming more commonplace, it is more important than ever to have accurate weather forecasts as far into the future as possible. One government estimate says that for every £1 spent on the new supercomputer, the economy will benefit by around £19 – so it’s pretty good value for money, even with such a huge price tag.
Helping the climate
As well as predicting the climate, the new supercomputer will support it too, as it will be powered entirely by renewable energy. Part of its work will be to support the UK in its goal of net zero emissions by 2050. As Professor Penny Endersby, Met Office Chief Executive explains: “This investment will ultimately provide the information needed to build a more resilient world in a changing climate and help support the transition to a low carbon economy across the UK. It will help the UK to continue to lead the field in weather and climate science.”
Computer support in Manchester and Preston
Of course, you don’t need to have 60petabytes of processing power to enjoy top class computer support for your business. AGT Computer Services are here to support the computer systems that support your business, with responsive, reliable service from our expert team available around the clock. We might not be able to tell you if it’s going to rain, but we can always help you with the cloud.
There is a semiconductor shortage right now, and it is affecting all of us.
Semiconductors, or computer chips as they are more widely known, are part of almost every element of our lives these days. Not only do they appear in our computers, smart phones and laptops, they are also fundamental to all kinds of other devices, from cars to toasters to washing machines. As technology becomes more sophisticated, with the internet of things, and more cars become electric, the number of chips required will only increase.
All eggs in one basket
Given the prevalence of computer chips in modern equipment and machinery, it is staggering to find that more than half of the world supply comes from just one company, TSMC, in Taiwan. With a further 20% made by Samsung in South Korea, the two companies together account for three-quarters of the world’s microchip production, or around 750bn chips per year.
A global shortage
The inflexibility of this set-up has been brought to a head by the global pandemic, with significant swings in global demand causing real problems in the supply chain. In the motor industry, a big drop in sales at the start of 2020 meant many car manufacturers cancelled their chip orders. When the market bounced back unexpectedly quickly later that year, many of these firms were left high and dry, without the crucial chips they needed to meet the sudden surge in demand. One estimate puts lost sales at $60bn, with many car firms having to mothball production plants for lack of chips.
Not just cars
At the other end of the scale, the pandemic has brought an unprecedented demand for consumer electronics. The change in lifestyle has seen a huge rise in sales of everything from Play Stations and XBoxes to entertain the locked-down masses, to PCs and laptops for homeworkers. With companies like Apple far bigger customers than the motor manufacturers, they are inevitably jumping the new queue, making the semiconductor shortage even worse.
Why can’t we just make more chips?
It isn’t as easy as just increasing production. A new chip manufacturing plant is a high-tech environment and can cost as much as $20bn to build. Creating the cleanrooms required also makes it a lengthy process. But that doesn’t mean that other countries aren’t trying. Europe has set an ambitious target for 20% of its chips to be manufactured in the EU by 2030 and President Biden has said that he is “directing senior officials in my administration to work with industry leaders to identify solutions to the semiconductor shortage”. Unfortunately, neither of these plans will help the immediate semiconductor shortage worldwide.
Geopolitical tensions
As if the limited manufacturing issues weren’t bad enough, the fact that 55% of world production is based in the disputed territory of Taiwan makes matters much worse. The simmering tensions between the US and China, and between China and Taiwan, make the global semiconductor market a stressful and secretive business. It is all far too complicated to go into here, but you can learn more about it by listening to the BBC Business Daily programme on BBC Sounds.
How long will the semiconductor shortage last?
Most estimates for the scale of the semiconductor shortage range from at least a few months up to the rest of this year and beyond. A recent fire at one of the big chip manufacturing plants has put many of these estimates back even further, and with continuing uncertainty over second and third waves of Covid across the world, no one can be really sure when the semiconductor shortage will finally resolve itself.
This makes it all the more important to maintain the equipment you have in the best possible condition by using expert computer support in Manchester, Preston and Blackpool from AGT. With uncertainty about where your next machines are coming from, your current IT system is more important to you than ever before. Contact our friendly team today to see how AGT can help your company to make its IT systems last longer.
Working from home may seem strange, but if you look back, you’ll be amazed at how many other ways the workplace has changed. New technology has radically altered the way we work, but most of these changes happened gradually, until the pandemic came along. Faced with tiers, lockdowns and movement restrictions, many people across the UK have found themselves working from home, often for the first time.
Most companies would never have considered a remote workforce as little as 18months ago. Now they run their entire operation from the spare bedrooms and kitchen tables of their staff. Some people have come to love the freedoms and the work life balance that working from home brings. Others have found that they miss the banter, the collaboration and what the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, describes as “people riffing off each other”.
So, is working from home here to stay, or is it a passing convenience that will fade as vaccinations and testing get the virus under control?
Industry opinion is split, with as many people predicting a permanent change as there are longing for a swift return to the office.
Working from home is the future
One strong advocate of the work from home model is Zoom, a name most of us had barely heard of last year. The video conferencing platform saw sales rise by 326% to $2.6bn in 2020 and predicts a further 40% rise in 2021. “The future is here with the rise of working from home,” says CEO Eric Yuan.
Many companies in the tech sector have also taken to the working from home model. Spotify, Facebook and Twitter have all announced that working from home as part of their future plans. Microsoft predicts working from home part of the time to be ‘standard for most roles’.
Working from home is a fad
In the opposing corner, there are many companies who feel that working from home has had a negative effect on their productivity. JP Morgan and Barclays are typical of the financial sector in opposing the concept. Goldman Sachs boss, David Solomon, even goes as far as to describe working from home as “an aberration that we are going to correct as soon as possible.”
Even the Chancellor himself has weighed in on the debate. In a piece in the Daily Telegraph, he warned that some staff may quit if companies force them to work from home. “You can’t beat the spontaneity, the team building, the culture that you create in a firm or an organisation from people actually spending physical time together,” he said.
Here to help however you are working
At AGT, we have been working on throughout the pandemic, helping to keep companies connected. Whether they are soldiering on in the office, or struggling with remote networks as part of working from home. Our team can help your company to create safe, secure networks to connect remote workers. This ensures that they can continue to provide the same high levels of customer service, and enjoy the same degree of creative interaction with colleagues. We can also help with on-site computer support for remote workers who no longer have the luxury of calling their own tech team to fix their computer problems.
As companies return to their traditional offices, AGT will be on hand to support staff as they reacquaint themselves with the office systems, helping companies to get the most out of their IT and their team.
Flexible support whatever the future holds
From Nationwide Building Society, who have said that they will not force anyone back into the office, to Amazon, who plan to “return to an office-centric culture as a baseline”, there is no clear picture of what the future workplace will look like post-pandemic. But whatever your company’s plans, it’s good to know you can count on AGT computer support in Manchester, Preston and the Fylde.
The cloud has revolutionised how we access and back-up our data, with files available on multiple machines, wherever and whenever we need them. You can create a document at work, check it on your train ride home, and make changes to it at home – then find the amended version waiting for you on your work computer the next morning. Better still, you can collaborate with colleagues around the country, or even around the world, and all have access to the latest version of the document.
The cloud is so useful and flexible that a lot of people think that they don’t have a business back-up service anymore. Unfortunately, this couldn’t be further from the truth. The cloud is great for access, and for backing-up your main files, but it is not a substitute for a full, professional back-up service in the North West, such as the one provided by the Manchester computer support team at AGT.
Why cloud sync services are not back ups
There are a number of key differences that make cloud sync services, such as iCloud, Google Drive and Dropbox, and business back-up services two very different animals.
Limited storage – most people only use the free, entry level of their cloud sync service, or pay a small fee for the next level up. This is fine for your day to day files, but it is nowhere near large enough to provide a full back up.
Limited security – there have been a number of cases recently where a ransomware attack has not only encrypted the
host machine, but also the connected cloud back-up files.
Limited back-up – cloud sync services only back up files, not the software or other data stored on your computer.
This means you could have to re-install everything on your new machines and may even have to pay for your software a second time.
Unlimited vulnerability – the fact that any connected colleague can contribute to a cloud stored file, also means that any of them could accidentally delete it, permanently.
Unlimited restoration time – even if you do have a comprehensive back-up stored on your cloud sync service, restoring your files over the internet can take days and days, with your files constantly at risk of corruption or the back-up failing at any point.
Reliable business server back-up from AGT
While cloud sync services certainly have their place, they are no substitute for professional back-up services from AGT. We will take a full copy of your server and store it safely and separately, so that it is safe from hackers, natural disasters and any other risks, so you can rest assured that it will always be ready whenever you need it.
Our back-ups are done automatically, so you’ll never forget, and we’ll regularly monitor your back-up and fix any problems pro-actively without you ever knowing there was an issue. The whole thing happens behind the scenes, keeping your company data safe and giving you the peace of mind that even in the worst disaster, your company can bounce back fast with a fast and effective disaster recovery plan.
Back on track fast
Our expert team of Preston computer support engineers will help get your company back up and running in just 24hours, with access to all your files, software and data. There is no need to log on for days to download your files. Our team will reimage your data, software and files onto your new server straight away, so you can get back to business without missing a step. We can even help you set up secure remote access if your premises have been compromised, so your staff can keep working from home using their familiar desktops and software, and with access to all the data they need.
Don’t get lost with your head in the cloud. Find out more about reliable, affordable and simple computer back-up services in Preston, Manchester and across the Fylde by contacting AGT Computers today.
To us, IT Support don’t end when we close a ticket. We continue to work right alongside you to ensure you have all the insights, the strategies and the tactics to ensure you’re achieving tangible results every single step of the way
Our IT Support Services:
We provide a full IT Support Service for businesses across the North West. From bespoke to c all-encompassing, we’ve got your sorted. We pride ourselves on being ‘that tech support with a personality’, on our super fast response times, our scalability, our innovation knowledge. We’re your IT provider with a difference, the ones you didn’t know you and needed our until you couldn’t live without us
Managed IT Services
We get it, IT can feel like an ongoing headache, that nagging feeling at the back of your mind, that one last point that never leaves your to-do list – until now. your The AGT way means we take the wheel, we manage everything from beginning right through until, well… ongoing! You can concentrate on everything else, confident in the knowledge that your IT is working perfectly in tune with your business.
Supercharged Managed IT Support
Doing IT better We’re the Tech Experts with a heart Here at AGT, we’re not your standard IT Support Company, oh no! We’re the superheroes of the tech world, the elite, the focused, the tech experts with a personality and a heart. We want nothing more than you and your company to achieve ultimate success, and we’re here to help.
You deserve better! When you and your tech partner work together, then your business is improved it’s as simple as that! We take the time to analyse every single aspect of your IT infrastructure and then we make it our mission to uncover any hidden away opportunities to grow the business. Analysis which makes a REAL difference.
You deserve to have an IT support company that’s in sync! Let’s hit fast forward and speed things up. With us, you have a dedicated team of tech wizards, who are pros in having everything up and running as fast as possible. Our cloud-based systems make the onboardIng process super easy and straightforward, in fact rather than wizards, we’re ninjas, you barely notice we’ve been in and out, just your new systems working at effortless speed.
Check out what our existing customers say about us here:
You’ve taken the leap, picked up the phone and decided we’re the ones for you (Hurrah!) So, what’s next? Usually, we hear these three Qs from our new clients:
1. How long will it take to move away from my current provider?
2. How long will my systems be down for?
3. Will it go smoothly?
There are five steps we follow to bring you onboard, it’s pretty straightforward and even better we tend to complete this in just ONE weekend. That’s right, your staff can finish work on a Friday and arrive back on a Monday to everything done, dusted and ready to go! That’s zero downtime and minimum disruption right there.
Here’s how we roll in the onboarding process:
Get to know you
We come down to your offices to check out the environment. We find out from you what it is that’s had you throwing your hands up in despair and make a decision to give us a call. We then work with you to decide which would be the best solution for you. We take a look at your phones, servers and computers, we investigate what’s not working and why not and we discuss with you what you want from your IT systems to ensure an awesome streamlined way of working in the future.
As part of our initial process we also take over liaising with your current IT providers, we send them a document to fill in so we can ensure all services and IP are transferred smoothly during the switch over period. If you don’t have a current IT company then we can still gather all this info from your bills and systems and include it in our documentation process (which we cover a little bit further down) That’s one fewer headache for you to worry about then!
2. In-depth
We conduct a full and extremely thorough site documentation. We take a look at all aspects including things such as
• Who you pay for broadband
• Who you pay for website domains
• Who has control of your website and design
• Passwords for computers and servers
• Phones/Phone numbers
Documenting everything as the first job enables complete organisation, accessibility and control for us and you going forward.
3. Clense
This bit for us is like a day trip to a spa, except we’re cleansing your systems instead. Once we know what’s going wrong, we don the proverbial rubber gloves and get down to business. We clean up all the systems, remove any unnecessary applications or temporary systems which are slowing you down and strip everything right back down to the basics.
4. Optimisation
Time to bring things back up to speed. We take a look at your core systems and ensure
they’re working at their top levels. We ensure they’re both quick and reliable, after all time is money right!
5. Advise and teach
Once everything’s complete, updated and switched over, we’re 100% available to teach your staff everything they need to know about the systems, we’re at the end of the phone to answer any questions and provide ongoing support. Educating your staff is crucial to ensure you get the best out of your new IT service, so we’re able to offer training workshops on anything and everything they need to know.
So basically, a switch over to AGT is faster than a Sunday morning jog with Usain Bolt, easier than 1+1= 2 and as straightforward as A to B.
If your business still runs Windows 7, then you need to take urgent action.
It reaches the end of its life in January. Along with a load of other popular Microsoft software. And once Microsoft no longer supports the operating system, it becomes irresistible to hackers.
This is the 2020 problem. Half of all UK businesses are affected. And the time to take action is NOW.
Don’t leave it till the end of the year… you don’t want to have to put in place an emergency fix. Better to plan a replacement program now.
We come down to your offices to check out the environment. We find out from you what it is that’s had you throwing your hands up in despair and make a decision to give us a call. We then work with you to decide which would be the best solution for you. We take a look at your phones, servers and computers, we investigate what’s not working and why not and we discuss with you what you want from your IT systems to ensure an awesome streamlined way of working in the future.
