Like most other London businesses these days, your company will surely rely on IT infrastructure to get work done. Whether you need to send emails, draft proposals or create new designs; you will more than likely use IT systems of one kind or another to make it happen.

So, it is fair to say that IT problems can cause serious disruption to your business when they crop up, seemingly out of nowhere. Not only do problems of this kind stop you from carrying on with your work operations, they also make you focus your time and efforts on tying to rectify them.

Of course, having dedicated IT support to call on whenever you need it can be invaluable in this respect. Indeed, having trained experts available to help will enable you to leave your IT problems behind you almost as soon as they materialise.

As one of the capital’s leading IT support providers, we here at Syntax Integration are able to offer a wide range of services and products that will benefit your company’s operation. In addition to this, we also provide things – pretty basic things, in fact – which many other IT support companies in London simply fail to identify as being important.

Things such as:

Easy Access to your IT Support Team
There is nothing more frustrating than having an IT problem and not being able to get in touch with the people who are supposed to fix it. We here at Syntax have a clear channel of communication which doesn’t require you to be re-routed through call centres or via contractors, therefore you can enjoy peace of mind that your IT problem will be fixed as soon as possible.

Straightforward Answers to your IT questions
It is easy to be overwhelmed by the jargon and technical language that gets banded around when dealing with unfamiliar IT problems. This something you don’t need to worry about when you opt for our IT services in London as our personable technicians will listen to any concerns you have and explain the problem (and best solution) in plain English. No matter what your question or query may be; you can be sure that you will get a straightforward answer to it when you deal with us here at Syntax.

A Single Point of Contact for all your IT
If your company uses a wide range of different systems to support your IT infrastructure, you will probably have a long list of IT contacts that all specialise in different areas. Because of this, you may well be unsure who to get in touch with when you do experience IT problems. Our dedicated IT infrastructure management team here at Syntax will provide you with a single point for all of your IT concerns, so you won’t have to waste your time phoning all around the houses to try and resolve the problem at hand.

Explore our pages further to find out more.

We here at Syntax Integration see London businesses making great strides to plan and structure their IT effectively. However, we also see companies of all kinds getting things wrong in the same few areas every time.  Not only can this cause unnecessary business disruption, it can also lead to time and money being wasted on dealing with the problems.

Of course, it doesn’t need to be this way. Indeed, many of these common mistakes are relatively easy to fix.

So, what are the mistakes you should avoid in your IT planning?

Not Having the Right Internet Connection
Like most other companies these days, your business may well rely on Internet and emails for much of your day-to-day work. This being the case; why would you risk not having the right connection? Matching your internet package to your businesses needs should be an essential part of your IT planning. To be sure, getting this aspect right can be supremely beneficial as it will put an end to all those loss of connectivity problems which hinder productivity.

Not Having the Right Data Size Requirements
Whilst it’s not always easy to predict your data size requirements, it is fair to say that getting it wrong can be costly for your business. For sure, investing in a vastly over specified system will eat into your profits whilst not have enough space to do the functions your business needs will make you come up short in key areas. Ensure you get the balance right.

Not Having Off-Site or Online Data Backup Systems
Business backup systems are vital as they afford you the protection you need to ensure you can still access your business critical data after something disastrous has happened. But where is your data backed up exactly? On your work premises? In your office? This is a far from ideal solution as something like a fire or burglary could leave you your company completely data-free and effectively in a whole world of hurt. Keeping your backup data online or off-site is a simple yet very effective way of making sure you’ll always have at least one copy of your essential information at hand.

Reacting to IT Problems Instead of Solving Business Issues
Even a relatively minor IT problem can quickly develop into something that can affect your whole business. For instance, if you lose your internet connection, it will impact on your productivity. Naturally, you could have the connectivity problem fixed and be done with it, although the chances are it will happen again soon enough. Alternatively, you could find a solution that would ensure it doesn’t happen again. In this example, installing a second internet line would not only solve the IT problem (no internet connection) but also the potential business issue (loss of productivity) too.

To find out more and get advice and/or services from one of the leading IT support companies in London, simply take a few moments to explore our pages further here at Syntax Integration.

Different Office 365 migration methods have different benefits and drawbacks. Here are four key ones:

1. Manual Export and Import Migration

This simple method is good for organisations with few mailboxes.

Mailboxes are manually created in Office 365 with the correct email addresses, then mailboxes are exported to PST files and imported into Office 365 mailboxes.

Advantages

•    Simplicity – no Exchange Server changes.

Disadvantages

•    Manual method – mailboxes migrated singly – suitable for small numbers of user

•    The PST importer tool  can be unreliable

•    Exporting and importing with large mailboxes and a slow internet connection can be lengthy
•    Distribution groups and contacts are set up manually
•    Extra proxy addresses to each Office 365 Mailbox added manually
•    Replies to old internal emails don’t work automatically as the legacy exchange is missing
•    Permission to each mailbox is required to manually export mail to PST
•    New Outlook profile required for each user.

2. Cutover Migration

This is ideal if you can switch all users’ mailboxes to Office 365 in one night/weekend.  It involves configuring Office 365 to ‘pull’ all the mail from all the Exchange Mailboxes into Office 365 Mailboxes.  This process will then run daily to sync up the changes.  When you are ready to migrate to Office 365, the MX Records are changed, a final sync is done and Outlook users are manually set to use the new Office 365 Mailbox.

Advantages

•    All mailboxes, distribution lists and contacts synced up to Office 365 together
•    Correct proxy addresses added onto mailboxes
•    Legacy Exchange address added onto mailboxes for replies to old messages
•    Incremental sync runs daily to update mailboxes.

Disadvantages

•    New Outlook Profile required for each user
•    All in one switchover – extensive user support  needed
•    New cached .ost file must be downloaded for each mailbox.

3. Staged Migration

Staged exchange migration suits larger organisations or those wanting gradual migration to the cloud.  You can migrate some mailboxes to the cloud while keeping other mailboxes on site.

Advantages

•    Small numbers of mailboxes migrated together
•    All mailboxes, distribution lists and contacts synced up using Directory Sync Server
•    Correct proxy addresses added from Directory Sync Server
•    Legacy Exchange address added onto mailboxes for replying to old messages
•    Unified GAL between on-site and cloud
•    Mail routing between on-site and online.

Disadvantages

•    New Outlook profile required for each user
•    New cached .ost file downloaded for each mailbox
•    No free/busy information visible across platforms
•    Separate OWA for cloud users and on-site users.

4. Hybrid Migration

In a hybrid exchange, mailboxes reside on-site in an exchange organisation and the cloud. Messaging functionality is seamless across both deployments.  This long-term method causes minimal disruption.

Advantages

•    A small number of mailboxes is migrated at once
•    All mailboxes, distribution lists and contacts synced up using Directory Sync Server
•    Correct proxy addresses added onto mailboxes from Directory Sync Server
•    Legacy Exchange address added to mailboxes, allowing replies to old messages
•    Unified GAL between on-site and cloud
•    Mail routing between on-site and online
•    OST re-sync so no need to create separate Outlook profile or download old messages
•    Free/Busy and calendar sharing cross-premises
•    Out of Office understands cross-premises is “internal”
•    Outlook Web App redirection cross-premises (single Outlook Web App URL)
•    Can route outbound mail
•    Exchange Management Console (on-premises) used to manage cross-premises mailbox migrations
•    Mailbox moves support for on and off-boarding.

Disadvantages

•    Setup takes longer
•    On-site Exchange 2010 server required
•    ADFS required for single sign on – additional on-site servers required
•    Directory Sync Server required – and additional on-site servers.

If you need IT services, London has so many it can seem overwhelming. But Syntax’s extensive expertise makes it an ideal office 365 partner.

If you are in the market for outsourcing your computer suppor,t London alone has so many providers that it can seem hard to know where to begin.

Clearly, you will need to speak to a number of service providers in person to judge their approach to your business, and you will be looking for a company that strikes a chord with your own, and one which has business acumen as well as extensive technical expertise, so that you create long term value for your organisation.

It’s also worth considering how you will assess the value of your IT outsourcing, whether you are buying in backup services or anything else. Bear in mind that it may take a while to quantify the benefits of outsourced IT, and some benefits may be hard to measure, including things like increased efficiency and productivity and cultural changes in your business.

However, some of the things you can measure tangibly include:

•    A strong balance sheet
•    Reduced monthly outgoings as processes become more streamlined
•    Increased capital reserves

What to Do if Things Go Wrong

Things change, and if the market takes a totally fresh direction, or your outsourcing partner chooses a new business model, or if your own strategy takes a new course, you need to be able to regain control.

Bear in mind that your outsourcing partner may have implemented new applications and systems, and changed some processes. So it’s important to have an exit agreement agreed in advance, preferably as you are negotiating your contract.

This can also help concentrate your attention on what you need to achieve, and have a more clearly established view of what you need from you outsourcing partner and reducing the need to end your agreement.

Of course, if you choose the right partner in the first place, you shouldn’t need to put this exit clause into action.

IT Services from Syntax Integration

At Syntax Integration, we’re a leading London-based provider of an extensive range of high quality IT solutions, from server hosting to disaster recovery and business continuity services.

With nearly 20 years’ experience of designing, implementing and supporting complex IT business solutions, we have at our core an ethos of excellent customer service, best practice and high calibre staff.

We can install innovative, effective solutions and solve problems at speed. Our staff are highly qualified and we provide our services under a stringent
ISO9001:2000 Quality Management System.

We like to build long-term working relationships with our customers, and give them the solutions that will improve their business performance significantly.

And, as well as being able to offer extensive experience, quality of service and technical expertise, we also have financial security. Equally, we have received accreditations at the highest level from across the industry, giving us access to the best possible technical support, which really comes into its own when we’re working on complicated projects.

Clients who work with us know they can move confidently into the future. Learn more today about how you could join them.

Whilst many SMEs find information security management to be a complex subject, it is something which must be clearly understood. Failure to protect vital business systems and data can threaten the very existence of company. Indeed, companies that lose either (or both) do not tend to survive for very long.

So, if you own or manage an SME, you may well find the following information to be very important.

Ifosec Theory
The theory of information security (infosec) for business is often reduced to ‘CIA’ as it reflects the need to protect the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of your business data. However, whilst the theory is relatively simple, the ability to implement it is not, sadly.

In this article, we want to highlight two of the most common infosec (or cyber security) concerns for B2B SMEs, their potential outcomes, and how to combat them. They are getting hacked (a potential breach of integrity); and a loss of access to systems and data.

Getting Hacked
In essence, hacking is the incursion of an unauthorised entity onto your network that has the potential to compromise confidentiality, integrity and availability. Unfortunately, hacking is a not just a complex problem – it is a growing one (especially among SMEs).

Sadly, there is no simple or singular way to combat hacking. Indeed, the nature of this threat is such that it requires a combination of technological solutions (things like firewalls and antivirus), robust security policies, and above all, diligent employee awareness. The latter is perhaps the most important as almost all hacks involve tricking users into doing something they shouldn’t do.

Loss of Access
Loss of access can be caused by physical as well as cyber-based events. For example, ‘Acts of God’ such as fire, theft and flood are all more than capable of leaving you unable to access your system. The main way to combat these scenarios is to maintain effective business backup and continuity measures and to have relevant disaster recovery plans in place.

A cyber-based event can be created by a hack or a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Small businesses are becoming increasingly common targets in this respect as DDoS attacks are now seen as being effective weapons for individuals looking to gain from extortion and for organisations endeavouring to gain a competitive advantage.

Sadly, combating DDoS is not simple. A correctly configured firewall can help, but not against major attacks. There are some specialist hardware defences that can filter out bad packets; but these aren’t full-proof. The fact is, the only real solution is to use specialist IT technical support services such as those offered by us here at Syntax Integration as these will manage your bandwidth and take necessary steps before any attack reaches your network.

Truly, keeping your SME’s IT system safe and secure can be a big challenge. However, keeping up to speed and having the most up-to-date IT services London has to offer on your side will most certainly help your cause.

‘Bring your own device’, or BYOD, is a product of the anywhere, anytime society we now find ourselves living in. BYOD has come to be because individuals want to be able to access their email, calendar, or even the important presentation they’re working on, whilst they are at home, at lunch or commuting on the train.

Of course, Smartphones and tablets make it possible for people to do this; however, it is fair to say that most companies’ IT departments don’t make a habit of supporting it.

Because of this, many employees end up copying data from their company’s servers to a personal public Cloud storage account which they can then use to download relevant information to their personal device whenever (and wherever) they like. Whilst this is undoubtedly an effective use of the Cloud; it presents all sorts of compliance, confidentiality and even malware issues for the company.

This doesn’t necessarily mean that BYOD is to be frowned upon – it just needs to be utilised with Cloud computing in a wider, more holistic way.

If you run a company then you are right to be wary of BYOD and the public Cloud. Indeed, losing control of your data without losing responsibility for it is not good business in anyone’s book. And, if your business data does go ‘missing’, you won’t even know where it is. At a technical level, this may not be important; but at a legal and regulatory level it certainly is. Moreover, your only real control over your business data is via your contract with the Cloud supplier – and if the supplier fails; well: let’s face it – contracts are no substitute for data.

More Problems
Unsurprisingly, there are a whole host of other potential problems with Cloud implementation which your business may have to deal with. For instance, will you be able to choose and securely configure the right routers, switches and firewalls? Will you know how to react under a DDoS (distributed denial of service) attack? Can you manage product patch routines without disrupting service? What about Internet connections and BYOD security? Who will provide support to employees? And of course, what will you do if it all goes wrong?

Solutions
Fortunately, the solution to all of these issues is not to abandon a move to the Cloud, but to seek out IT services in London that can provide exemplary Cloud solutions. We here at Syntax Integration should be your first port of call in this respect as our public and private Cloud solutions will help to ensure your data remains safe and secure and that any compliance issues you may have will be dealt with swiftly and professionally. Indeed, we will make sure you always get the right level of IT technical support and provide you with immediate access to security specialists whenever you need them.

To find out more about the best IT support services London has to offer, simply take a few moments to browse our pages further.

One respected group of analysts has kicked off 2013 by warning bosses that they risk being marginalised by the rest of their business if they do not invest in  the skills and processes needed to effectively manage cloud services.

As other areas of businesses begin to directly buy in public cloud services, the danger is, the analyst says, that IT departments risk losing the initiative over cloud.

Now bosses in charge of IT are being urged to redress the balance by investing so that cloud services can be provided internally.

In particular, it’s being suggested that infrastructure and operations within IT departments need to be comfortable with cloud.

At the same time, it’s important that those responsible for infrastructure and operations to select their cloud technology with great care, and to avoid the risk of becoming locked into a particular supplier’s technology.

One indicator the analyst group has developed shows that infrastructure and operations departments on average currently score just over two out of a possible five for process management, yet three is reckoned to be the minimum required for the delivery of cloud services to be effective. This shows that many organisations simply do not have the in-house expertise necessary to take advantage of cloud-based solutions.

The sort of investment that cloud needs is significant. And if you are not able to provide training or to develop these services in-house, you will need to choose one of the many IT support companies around and outsource.

But, of course, with so many service providers to make your selection from, where do you start?

What Syntax Offers

Syntax covers the London area, and for the last two decades we have been offering a broad range of services, from online data back up to business continuity consulting.

There are three main elements to what we offer:

•    Business continuity and disaster recovery
•    IT project solutions
•    IT support and outsourcing.

As part of our IT project solutions, we can help you to install solutions including private and public cloud services, and much more. With our assistance, you could take control of your IT expenditure and benefit from services that are closely tailored to your business strategy. (We only ever recommend the level of support which is right for your business.)

And with our specialist support, you will be able to highlight the improvements that can be made to your IT which will add value to what you do, and boost the performance of your system – and therefore your staff.

The switch to Syntax from the solutions you use at the moment will be smooth thanks to our tried and tested transition strategy, keeping any potential risks related to changing service provider to an absolute minimum. We also invest a lot of time at an early stage, reviewing any existing issues and doing any necessary remedial work to provide greater reliability and enhanced performance.

So, whether are you are keen not to be left behind in the cloud revolution, or to learn more about all of our services, visit our website or get in touch today. Our experts are here to help.

The economic climate leaves businesses across the UK and Europe with plenty of challenges – but what is 2013 likely to have in store for outsourced IT services?

A leading technical magazine asked experts what they thought lie immediately ahead for the industry.

One head of outsourcing at a large legal firm predicts that 2013 will be a busy year for those who provide outsourced IT support, especially those who are both bold and creative.

The industry outsider added: “More of the larger organisations will adopt public cloud at enterprise level so that we’ll see it being used by financial institutions like banks for some areas of their business, as the EU publishes new standards and regulations for the public cloud.”

There is a feeling that new security initiatives will be behind increased interest in public cloud storage. Many organisations may start to consider that storing data in the cloud is a viable and cost-effective proposition.

Other predictions include increased use of outsourcing across southern Europe, and Britain’s public sector is set to remain open to extensive outsource IT support opportunities – both at local and central level.

Another UK IT boss has predicted that Software as a Service (SaaS) will see renewed enthusiasm in the form of application portal implementations.

At the same time, companies also need to prepare themselves for an extensively collaborative approach this year, thanks to the continued power of social media and toolkits for communal working such as Google Docs and Office 365.

Outsource IT Support through Syntax

If you’re looking for computer support, London has so many options that it can be hard to know where to start.

But, as a leading IT support and outsourcing provider, Syntax offers a high calibre of support in which you can have complete confidence, with solutions closely tailored to suit your business needs.

You will then be free to concentrate on the most important thing of all – your core business.

With some two decades of industry experience under our belts, our services fall into three broad categories:

•    IT Support and Outsourcing

We use industry best practice, as well as quality systems and very experienced consultants to provide essential IT support services when you need extensive availability from your outsource partner, cast-iron reliability and a high degree of responsiveness.

•    IT Project Solutions

Whether you want to introduce email archiving, virtualisation, public and private cloud solutions, storage area networks or any other tech solutions, we at Syntax can help. We’ll give you back control of your IT outgoings, while providing solutions that support your business goals.

•    Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery

As disaster recovery specialists and experts, we offer a range of services including online data backup, minimising the potential dangers of disruption to your business.

Computer viruses are an unfortunate yet very present threat to small businesses these days. Indeed, there are a great many viruses around that can not only cause serious damage to your IT infrastructure; they can actually bring down your computer set-up completely.

With this in mind, we here at Syntax Integration thought we would provide you with a list of reasons why antivirus protection is essential for your small business.

Viruses can Force you to Experience Long Periods of Downtime

Having a virus on your computer system can cause it to slow down and become woefully inefficient. However, perhaps even more importantly, not having effective antivirus measures can cause your computer to suffer with the dreaded ‘Blue Screen of Death’ (BSOD). This truly unwelcome event can result in your computer crashing and experiencing significant data loss. Unfortunately, restoring this data (assuming you do not have online data backup) will lead to a considerable amount of downtime, and therefore, a loss in productivity.

Antivirus Measures Enable you to Quickly Diagnose Performance Problems

If you do not have antivirus protection then you cannot be sure if your computers are performing slowly because of a virus or as a result of another problem. Slow operation isn’t always related to viruses; however, if you don’t have antivirus measures to rule out that option, you can end up wasting a lot of time trying to solve a problem that effectively does not exist.

Antivirus Protection Stops you from Being Spied Upon

Spyware enables unscrupulous individuals to gather information about you and your business without you realising they are doing it. This can include sensitive information, such as business data and client bank account details. Unlike other types of viruses, spyware will not necessarily slow down your computer. So, if you don’t have antivirus measures in place, you are unlike to know you have been infected with spyware until after your system has been compromised.

Antivirus Protection Prevents you from Spreading Viruses to Other Users

Once you have a virus on your computers, it can easily be spread onto other computers. Indeed, what can start out as an isolated infection on one PC can quickly spread to all of the devices in your company (as well as those of your clients and customers). To be sure, the prevalence of USB flash drives makes it relatively easy for unchecked viruses to spread from one device to another these days. Naturally, this infection can run and run and do even more harm if other devices in your operation do not have suitable antivirus measures installed.

So, it really is clear to see just how integral effective antivirus measures can be to the safety and security of your small business’ IT operations.

Fortunately, we here at Syntax Integration are one of London’s leading IT support companies so we are well qualified to provide you with unrivalled antivirus advice and IT technical support. To find out more, explore our pages further or call 020 7307 5008.

If you run a small business in London then you will no doubt have heard the term ‘Cloud computing’ on more than one occasion.

But what is it exactly?

Well, in essence, cloud computing is both a bi-product and a consequence of the ease with which users can now access remote computing internet sites. There is a wide range of cloud computing services available these days, covering everything from managing online data backup and storage services and spam filtering to applications.

Of course, there is a lot more to cloud computing than this.

Below are some of the more essential things which you as a small business owner could benefit from knowing about cloud computing.

Tell me More about ‘The Cloud’

The concept of the ‘The Cloud’ comes from network diagrams. Essentially, these diagrams use symbols to represent the different parts of a network and illustate how it is structured and connected together.

In general, the symbol for the Internet is a cloud; therefore, ‘The Cloud’ is an established metaphor for the Internet.

To put it in a nutshell, cloud computing can best be described as web-based computing. It involves using shared servers to provide resources, data and software on an on-demand basis to PC’s and other web-devices, with all the information being stored on the Internet rather than on the device itself.

Cloud Computing for Small Businesses

Cloud computing solutions are web-based applications or tools which enable users to access and use the application in a web browser, instead of through their local network or hard drive. Because cloud computing exists mostly over the internet, you as a small business owner can increase your network infrastructure without having to invest in more hardware. In practice, this means that your company can increase its overall capacity or number of users without having to spend money on new equipment.

Why Opt for Small Business Cloud Computing?

There are many reasons why you might consider cloud computing to be the ideal solution for your business. These include:

•    Having the means to increase your business’s IT capacity.
•    Being able to add new IT capabilities or functions to your business.
•    Expanding your IT structure whilst all the all maintaining suitably efficient infrastructure management.
•    Having the capability to access data, even when away from the office.

Put simply, small business cloud computing enables you to scale your IT structure so that it matches your company’s business needs. Indeed, the fact that most IT support companies offer cloud computing services on a pay-as-you-go or subscription basis means that you can make further additions to your IT capabilities (as well as remove functions that you no longer need) with relative ease.

And, if you don’t fancy the idea of moving your entire IT infrastructure into ‘The Cloud’ then you could always opt for a hybrid cloud computing solution instead, as this enables you to pick and choose only the elements of cloud computing which will suit your own particular business needs.