Why ESP chose the 3CX VoIP Solution

      • Why ESP chose the 3CX VoIP Solution

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      • Donna Aplin

      Why ESP Is Using 3CX As Its VoIP Solution

      ESP has decided to upgrade from Kerio to the more widely used 3CX platform for its primary VoIP solution for its clients. Here’s why…

      • Should Your Company Install the COVID-19 Tracing App?

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      • Donna Aplin

      We have received many questions on how these apps will work. We hope that the following article will help to answer those questions.

      • How to Use Zoom Securely

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      • Donna Aplin

      This period of lock-down and remote working has seen a boom in the usage of video conferencing software in order to collaborate with colleagues. The most popular of these platforms has been Zoom. Here is our advice on how to create a safe and stable Zoom meeting…

      • 5 Not So Obvious Ways to Speed Up Your Home Internet

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      • Donna Aplin

      The demand on the internet provides has increased significantly in recent months due to swathes of us both working and learning from home. Because of this, many of us have experienced an internet connection that is a little slower than we would like.

      Read on for our top pro tactics on how to squeeze every last ounce of internet speed out of your home broadband line.

      • Microsoft Software – End of extended support

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      • Donna Aplin
      As you may already be aware (and you can see from the count-down timer at the top of our website), Microsoft are ending support for many of their legacy pieces of software, including Microsoft Windows 7, Office Suite 2010, SQL 2008 and Server Standard 2008.
      • Automated Patch Management from ESP

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      • Donna Aplin
      An Automated Patch Management solution will fully automate the patch management life-cycle for desktops, laptops and servers on a daily basis. Nowadays, even minor software bugs can lead to major headaches so the importance of implementing a regular patching schedule can’t be underestimated!
      • What is OSSIM?

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      • Donna Aplin
      OSSIM is an open source network security platform or SIEM (Security Information and Event Management). It is utilised by companies such as Foot Locker, Domino’s and All Pay and is by far the most popular security platform available on the market. OSSIM not only protects a network but can also be configured to help companies reach certain levels of regulation compliancy.
      • What is Patch Management?

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      • Donna Aplin
      Patch management is pretty much what the name suggests! It is an automated system that manages the system patches that are provided to the systems in use, be it a desktop PC, laptop or a server. An update schedule can be setup and enforced without the users or administrators having to pay granular attention to the update reminders, or chase staff to complete these.
      • The Hidden Cost of Ageing IT Hardware on your Network

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      • Donna Aplin
      As network and working practices continue to develop, flex and become more fluid, time becomes our precious resource in the modern office. Staff managing large and important amounts of data across multiple sites/projects are often juggling many plates, and the requirement to reduce wasted activities is brought to the forefront. New devices can assist in reducing these challenges, but many businesses are hesitant to upgrade their core network and the end user devices. 
      • 7 Tips for Successful Web Design Projects

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      • Donna Aplin
      We’ve been involved in hundreds of web projects over the years, and we’ve also helped to pick up the pieces when projects have gone wrong. Here are our 7 top tips for making sure your web project is a successful one...
      • Internet of Things – Cloud Solutions for Industry Part 2

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      • Donna Aplin

      In part one of this cloud solution article we introduced the the Internet of Things and explored how this concept might be used to improve processes for industry by allowing data to be transmitted between devices in several locations via the cloud. We came up with the idea of taking electronic equipment with associated data output and adding connectivity to it, enabling management and reporting of that data. It would also offer scope for control of said devices remotely, opening up possibilities for engineering support and maintenance without the need for someone to be on site. We thought that Raspberry Pis (mini PC’s) would be the ideal hardware component, that could be used alongside a controller device, adding an element of ‘Smart’ functionality to the equipment or machinery it was attached to. Here we look at the practical implementation of such a solution.

      • Internet of Things – Cloud Solutions for Industry Part 1

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      • Donna Aplin

      Internet of Things

      Many of you will have no doubt come across the term ‘Internet of Things’ (IoT). This is the term applied for the connection of devices (not just computers) over the internet, allowing them to communicate and share information. As a concept, this is something that has been bandied about for many years but its only recently that, due to progressions in technology, has really started to gain momentum.

      • GDPR Compliance – Are You Ready?

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      • Donna Aplin

      As many of you are now aware the new General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which is replacing the current Directive, will take full effect for all Member States on the 28th May 2018. That’s 216 days, 17 hours, 50 minutes and 8….7….6….5….4….3….seconds away. Although there are many articles being published regarding this regulation, there are still many grey areas around GDPR compliance, what must be done, how and where responsibility lies.

      • GDPR 2018 – What You Need To Know

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      • Donna Aplin

      In May 2018 the European General Data Protection Regulation will come into force. Organisations that don’t comply with these regulations could face crippling fines and very harmful publicity.

      There already are regulations about how we protect sensitive data and these are wrapped up in the 1995 data protection directive, which the Information Commissioner enforces. 

      • Is Your Email Secure?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Every day over 200 billion emails are sent, people use email to conduct business and to communicate with family and friends. But the question not many people think about; Is your email secure?

      The truth is, emails are no more private than a plain old postcard.

      Who have you given access to?

      Recently the service Unroll.me came under a lot of attention and some well-deserved flack over the recent article dropped by the New York Times look at Uber, which detailed Unroll.me selling inbox data of their users. Unroll.me helps users manage their email subscriptions, which for a lot of people is something that sounds really useful to help manage their inbox. However, Unroll.me has been found to be selling data to Uber, particularly anonymised data detailing ride receipts from Uber and Lyft.

      • Web Hosting Issues – 28/07/2017 – Resolved

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      • Donna Aplin

      5:12pm: We have been made aware of an issue whereby a small number of customers are experiencing issues accessing their websites. The issue was first raised at 4:57pm on Friday 28th July 2017. Our engineers are looking into the issue and further updates will be posted at 5:57pm.

      5:49pm: ESP engineers are onsite at our data centre working on the issue. A number of customers have had their service fully restored but a small number are yet to be resolved. A further update will be due at 6:49pm

      • Help for Homeless Rehabilitation – eLearning Platform

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      • Donna Aplin

      ESP Projects have joined forces with Sheffield Foyer to provide an intuitive e-learning course programme as part of their rehabilitation to help the homeless.

      The MoveOn course is aimed at people looking for their first job or first tenancy to prepare and give them the key life skills to live independently and re-integrate into the community.

      • Mobile Sites vs. Responsive Web Design

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      • Donna Aplin

      Mobile Marketing

      If you’re a business wanting to market yourself effectively, embracing the opportunities that mobile marketing presents are more important than ever. With mobile browsing now exceeding desktop, the question shouldn’t be ‘should my company use mobile marketing?’ but ‘how?’

      That’s all well and good if your company has the luxury of having its own in-house group of techies or a reliable marketing agency to hand, but staying ahead of the curve poses a number of problems, not least knowing where to start. This blog post hopes to at least give you some information to help you make an informed decision on the best course of action, by outlining the difference between responsive design and mobile websites; along with the pros and the cons for each.

      • ESP Projects UK Based Hosted Backup Service

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      • Donna Aplin

      Why use hosted backup?

      Backup is one of the most important elements of any IT network and ensuring that this procedure is completed regularly, reliably and securely is constantly under review.

      In many situations, swapping hard drives or simply remembering to complete this process on a daily basis is not feasible, i.e. access to the comms room is not readily accessible, staff are not in on certain days etc.