Windows 10 support is ending: What to expect and how to prepare

Windows 10’s journey is coming to a close. How does this affect your business, and how should you prepare?

Microsoft announced last year that updates for Windows 10 will cease after October 14, 2025, making version 22H2 the final update.

For those who have transitioned to Windows 11, this may not pose a problem. However, if you’re still using Windows 10, you might be wondering what comes next. Here we address your concerns and help you prepare for the transition. As a Microsoft Partner, Complete IT Systems are well-equipped to handle any Microsoft 365 issues you might encounter.

When does windows 10 officially end?

Windows 10 support ends on October 14, 2025, except for Long-Term Service Channels (LTSCs), designed for organisations needing a stable and long-lasting environment with minimal changes. After this date, while you can still use Windows 10, you’ll be at risk of security breaches since new patches won’t be available without payment. This end-date is crucial for businesses reliant on Windows 10, as not all PCs can upgrade due to hardware limitations. We’ll discuss ways to navigate this situation.

Risks of using free Windows 10 after its end date:

  • Security vulnerabilities: Without new updates, Windows 10 devices become more susceptible to cyber threats.
  • Performance degradation: Lack of updates can lead to system instability, crashes, and decreased performance.
  • Lack of support: Microsoft will stop providing support for Windows 10, making troubleshooting difficult.
  • Software compatibility: New software may not be compatible with Windows 10, limiting functionality and potentially making critical applications slower.

Extended Security Updates (ESU)

Microsoft offers Extended Security Updates (ESU) for up to three years, but they come at a cost. There are three options:

  1. Activation key: A base license package costs £48 for the first year, doubling each year for three years.
  2. Cloud-based: Businesses using Microsoft cloud-based update management solutions get a 25% discount for up to five devices.
  3. Windows 365 subscription: Those with a Windows 365 subscription can access ESU services without additional costs for one year.

What are the options?

You have the following options based on your business needs:

  • Upgrade to Windows 11: This ensures your device is protected with the latest security updates.
  • Pay for ESU services: Use one of the ESU options to buy more time to transition to Windows 11.
  • Continue with Windows 10 unprotected: Not recommended due to the significant risks involved.
  • Purchase a new Windows PC or move to Mac OS: New Windows PCs come with Windows 11, or you could switch to a Mac if you prefer.

Benefits of Windows 11

Windows 11 offers numerous advantages:

  • Improved performance: Faster and smoother operation with optimised coding and resource management.
  • Innovative user interface: A revamped UI with a central taskbar, new snap layouts, and an aesthetically pleasing design.
  • Ideal for hybrid working: Features seamless Microsoft Teams integration and enhanced multitasking capabilities.
  • Integrated AI: Includes the AI-powered assistant “Copilot” to help generate ideas and improve productivity.

Want to learn more?

As Microsoft Gold OEM Partners, Complete IT Systems have a team of Microsoft specialists on hand to demo the solution, discuss business benefits and help you understand how the technology works for your organisation.

To get in touch or request a demo please contact us.

 

M365 Copilot basics webinar: 20th March

Hot on the heels of our successful recent webinars, by popular demand we’re running another!

Copilot aims to boost productivity and streamline work by providing AI-generated suggestions and content within Microsoft 365 apps. Join us to learn what it is, key use cases, and perhaps most importantly, some of the latest updates from Microsoft that are coming thick and fast!

Do you have your flight plan ready?

Join one of our Microsoft Copilot basics webinars, and our Copilot expert Scott Brunton, solution engineer from our partners Arrow ECS UK will outline the following:

  • An overview of what Copilot is
  • How to build an effective information management strategy
  • Securing your data and applications ready for Copilot
  • Last but by no means least, we’ll have a Copilot Q&A session

Register now

📅 Wednesday 20 March | ⏲ 10:00 GMT | ▶ Register now.

These links take you to our Microsoft Teams registration forms. Thank you for your interest, and we look forward to welcoming you to an enjoyable and productive session. You can connect with Scott on LinkedIn in advance of the session, or let us know any questions in the meantime.

 

 

M365 Copilot basics webcast

Need some help launching Copilot in your business, or understanding and managing the potential risks?

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology, Microsoft Copilot emerges as a game-changer. This webinar, hosted by Chris Charlesworth of Complete IT Systems and Scott Brunton of Arrow ECS, delves into the intricacies of Copilot’s capabilities within the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.

🚀 Key takeaways:

  • Generative AI demystified: See how it creates content, whether it’s text, images, or music.
  • Large Language Models (LLM): The brains behind Copilot. These models, like OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Microsoft’s Copilot, are the driving force behind generative AI.
  • Prompt engineering: Explore how prompt engineering influences Copilot’s responses.
  • Vector search: Discover the relevance of vector search in Copilot’s capabilities.
  • Responsible AI: Delve into ethical considerations and responsible usage of AI.

Watch the recorded session from February 2024

▶ Click here to download the slide deck

Connect with Scott on LinkedIn.

Find out more

If you would like to speak to a member of our team, please contact your account manager or call the office on 01274 396 213 and we will be able to help you.

 

Need a flight plan for Copilot?

Microsoft has recently made its new AI-powered digital assistant, Microsoft 365 Copilot, available to business of all sizes. 

Originally an enterprise tool, on the 15 January 2024, Microsoft confirmed Copilot is available for organisations of all sizes.

Copilot aims to boost productivity and streamline work by providing AI-generated suggestions and content within Microsoft 365 apps. But what is it, how does it work, and what are the key use cases across Microsoft 365 apps?

Do you have your flight plan ready?

▶ This article from AvePoint gives you the 101 of Copilot, and some handy tips to ensure your organisation gets the most out of it.

Want to find out more?

As an AvePoint Partner, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.

Ensure your Office 365 data is secured and quickly recoverable

Modern business data is more than just data – it’s your business. And while it may be tempting to think that it’s safe in cloud applications, relying on cloud storage solutions that aren’t designed as backup or security tools can be risky.

So while we recognise that IT budgets are already under pressure and additional backups are yet another strain on them, in this article we look at the benefits of adding an additional protective layer to your business data in the Office 365 suite, and in other cloud applications such as Google Drive.

What are some of the risks of holding data only in cloud applications?

Among many other risks, these are some of the most common, and all contribute to unwanted levels of business downtime, or at the very least, distracted IT departments and users. To put it another way, is an additional solution worth it? These are the top 5 risks of holding business data exclusively in cloud applications:

  1. Additional costs and potential data loss from needing to keep inactive licenses open (from users that have left the business, but their data is still needed for example)
  2. Data loss due to accidental or malicious deletion by users
  3. Potential data loss when attempting to restore files
  4. Data loss when accidentally overwriting previous file drafts
  5. Ransomware and other cyber attacks

What’s the solution?

Datto SaaS Protection for Office 365 takes your data security far above and beyond the baseline industry standards to ensure that all business data in Office 365 and cloud apps data is secured, easily recoverable, and continually protected. Key features include:

  • Three-times daily backups of your business data
  • Encryption at rest and in transit
  • Quick and easy restores and exports of data

These features combine to significantly reduce the risk of losing key data, protect the business network from users, ransomware and other vulnerabilities, and support ongoing compliance efforts.

Keeping your team working on the right things

From a productivity point of view, Datto SaaS Protection for Office 365 make it easy to locate backed up files and folders. This is achieved through effective search filters that make their location quick and simple. The solution makes it possible to manage backups, see restores, and monitor all your activity via a clear and simple dashboard.

From this, it’s possible to analyse emails, files, contacts and full folders of data and, if necessary, restore files to users’ specific accounts, or to download them directly.

Do you need help convincing your colleagues about SaaS Protection? Check out this educational ebook, SaaS Protection for Office 365, and understand how to keep your critical business data people proof!

Find out more

You can read more about Datto SaaS data protection in this article.

As Datto Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.

Datto

Live Webinar: Top tips for using and backing up your Office 365 applications

Are Office 365 applications like Teams, Outlook and SharePoint rapidly turning into a core aspect of your users toolkits and working days? A significant part, if not all, of their productivity, critical communication and data are stored and created in this environment. Losing this data is not an option, and as Office 365 is not a back-up solution, we will help you with what you need to consider when making sure business data is safe.

Don’t miss this new webinar surrounding your productivity cloud and protecting your O365 data. Join experts from Microsoft and Barracuda for all of the latest details and best practices for using and backing up your O365 applications.

When?

Wednesday 15 July, 10am BST.

Agenda:

  • 10:00 – 10:05 Opening
    Speaker: Chris Hill, RVP Public Cloud, Barracuda Networks
  • 10:05 – 10:50 Your Microsoft 365 Productivity Cloud
    Speaker: Mike Martin, Technical Evangelist, Microsoft
  • 10:50 – 11:00 Co-Development of a Fit for Purpose Backup
    Speaker: Mike Martin
  • 11:00 – 11:30 Your Barracuda Cloud to Cloud Backup & Closing
    Speaker: Charles Smith, Consulting Solutions Engineer, Data Protection, Barracuda
    Networks

How can I find out more?

As Barracuda Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.

 

How to secure data on Microsoft Office 365

Although it may be tempting to think that with data in the cloud your business isn’t susceptible to data loss, it’s still vital to add an additional security layer to protect email from spam, phishing, ransomware and other advanced cyber threats. In fact, nowadays malware is usually sent via email and hosted on cloud storage platforms.

Protecting even a cloud-oriented business from known and unknown threats is therefore critical in order to instantly stop the spread of malicious software, phishing, ransomware, spam and business email compromise (BEC) – and best of all requires no high-tech skills.

What’s the solution?

With Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365, your company can protect Exchange Online, OneDrive files, SharePoint files, and Teams files against malware, phishing, spam, and other threats.

 

Make use of the most sophisticated technologies for your security and at the same time enjoy a quick start thanks to predefined policies and auto configuration.

Get a 6 month FREE trial!

To support remote working in this challenging time, we’re offering 6 months’ FREE protection with the very latest version of Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365. This extends protection for SharePoint Online and Microsoft Teams, securing all collaboration and messaging channels within Microsoft Office 365.

Kaspersky Security for Microsoft Office 365 uses advanced heuristics, machine learning and other next-generation technologies to protect your communication and collaboration processes from ransomware, malicious attachments, spam, phishing (including Business Email Compromise) and unknown threats.

Sign up NOW for a FREE 6-month license and take protecting remote workers off your to-do list.

Click here to view the full datasheet, or watch the short video below.

Want to find out more?

As Kaspersky Gold Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.

 

Remote working that doesn’t feel remote

In the era of accidental homeworking, it’s vital to give your users the tools to enable them to remain productive, creative and efficient from remote locations – the trick is combining this flexibility with the requisite levels of security to prevent your customers’ data from falling into the wrong hands, or your core IT systems to be hacked.

The trick during the COVID-19 crisis (and for effective homeworking strategies in general) is to provide the right portfolio of collaboration tools to ensure that teams don’t become remote and isolated from one another, and that customers, prospects, suppliers and partners can be managed effectively.

Remote working that doesn’t feel remote…

The best initiatives come from meeting, talking and sharing ideas, so it’s crucial that your users working from different locations doesn’t mean that teams drift apart and become more siloed.

It’s therefore crucial that your users can connect, chat, collaborate and produce just as productively than they can in a face-to-face environment in an office.

Collaboration, virtual meetings and file sharing with Office 365

The Microsoft Office 365 portfolio provides the perfect way of handling these challenges of remote work – and in some ways make for an even more productive environment than that of an office environment!

The power of Microsoft combines to provide a best-in-class operating system, enterprise level security safeguards, and seamless integration between applications for optimal user efficiency.

Where to start?

We know that the Office 365 portfolio can be a bit daunting due to the number of options and variables. But that’s where the licensing experts at Complete IT Systems come in, and we can guide you on where to start based on your priorities and composition of your teams and users. We can also help you choose, deploy, use and maintain your solutions.

There’s no “off the shelf” fit for any business, but in short the Microsoft tools can be summarised into the following business needs:

  • Work hub: Teams provides a central “place” where employees, contractors and partners can talk, chat, hold meetings, and share files and apps for a fully collaborative working experience
  • Securely sharing and editing documents: OneDrive for Business and SharePoint enable seamless sharing and collaboration on presentations and other documents
  • Email and calendars: Online and offline with Outlook

Need some help quickly deploying homeworking for your business?

The expert team at Complete IT Systems are publishing a series of guidance and tips to help you and your business through this situation. This takes in all aspects of quickly providing safe, comfortable and efficient home offices for your users, including data security, collaboration tools, laptops, desktops, print and consumables, support for critical IT tasks, and more. Read more in our central COVID-19 crisis hub.

Talk to us – we’re just at the end of a phone

Complete IT Systems Ltd have been providing these services to our customers for over 10 years and have many satisfied clients. For more information on how we can help, or just to get some general advice on IT and business supplies during the crisis, please call us on 01274 396 213. You can also see the full range of products and services we offer, or read more about our support services here.

5 reasons you need Barracuda if you’re running Microsoft Office 365

Using Office 365 for your business productivity tools certainly has many advantages; easy, user-friendly accessibility from anywhere and at anytime, simplified email access, and reduced costs of business operations and management.

However, the migration and use of Office 365 isn’t without security risks. In this article we look at 5 of those risks, and how your organisation can get best in class protection from ourselves and Barracuda solutions.

1) Defend your Office 365 environment against email-borne threats

Barracuda Essentials for Office 365 stops spam, viruses, and known malware using signature-matching that leverages Barracuda’s vast global threat intelligence system, which gathers real-time threat data from millions of collection points around the world. It also includes a subscription to Barracuda Advanced Threat Protection—a cloud-based service that uses a multilayered architecture with a CPU-emulation sandbox to detect and block new (zero-day) and advanced, evasive threats before they touch your deployment.

2) Prevent data loss and theft

Outbound email filtering protects sensitive data against accidental or deliberate leaking. You can define keywords to look for, along with specific types of data (social-security and credit-card numbers, for example). And if your users have inadvertently allowed their systems to be used for botnet spam, Essentials ensures that outgoing spam and viruses are blocked.

Sensitive emails can be manually marked for encryption, or you can set up rules to automatically encrypt emails based on the sender, content, and other criteria. Your Office 365 emails are sent to the Barracuda Message Center for 256-bit encryption in the cloud. They remain encrypted via Transport Layer Security (TLS) until they reach the intended recipients.

3) Discover latent threats in your mailboxes

The email files stored in your Office 365 environment almost certainly include latent threats—malicious URLs and attachments that are just waiting for a single distracted click to launch an attack on your network. Given the volume and variety of threat-bearing emails, it’s not realistic to consider a manual approach to finding and deleting them all.

The Barracuda Email Threat Scanner is a cloud-based service available to anyone, at no charge. It scans your Office 365 email folders using advanced analytic techniques. It then delivers a report that details all the latent threats, including risk levels, affected users, and more. The information not only lets you clear out the latent threats in your environment; it also gives you the insights you need to adjust or improve your email security policies and strategies to reduce the chance of more malicious email getting into your system.

4) Don’t fall victim to phishing, brand hijacking, and domain fraud

The most sophisticated email-based attacks are the ones that personal. Attackers convincingly impersonate legitimate businesses, colleagues and even customers to obtain sensitive data and money. Barracuda Sentinel uses artificial intelligence engine to add real-time defense from email-based fraud.

Barracuda Sentinel automatically learns the unique communication patterns of each individual organisation. It uses this knowledge to find anomalous signals in the attributes of the incoming message’s metadata and content. It also adds DMARC (Domain-Based Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance) to track potentially sensitive emails being sent from your organisation.

5) Turn employees into a line of defence against phishing attacks

Phishing attacks are more convincing than ever, and they can be difficult to spot. To complicate matters, the attackers are targeting unsecured personal mail accounts more than ever. As a last line of defence, employees need to get better at spotting socially engineered spear phishing attacks.

Barracuda PhishLine provides leading-edge user awareness training to counter sophisticated phishing and socially engineered spear phishing attacks. PhishLine helps your users sharpen their anti-phishing skills with advanced phishing simulations along with end-user testing, reporting, and comprehensive metrics that let you take prompt and meaningful action against threats.

How can I find out more?

As Barracuda Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.

Cut through business complexity with Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Edition

Find out how your organisation can benefit with this short video – you’ll see how a small business owner uses Dynamics 365 Business Edition to take control of multiple business processes within one powerful seamless solution, resulting in a swift and efficient customer experience.

Want to find out more?

As Microsoft Gold Partners, Complete IT Systems can offer you expert advice on the solutions and how they could be effectively deployed in your business.

To find out more please call us on 01274 396 213 or use our contact form and we’ll arrange a good time to call you back.