We all know that technology is going to play a pivotal role in reducing the impact of COVID-19 on people and organisations, including helping them stay productive at work when they’re not able to be there in person. However, lots of businesses, as well as education and public sector organisations, are not geared to sudden mass home working.
For our customers at XMA I wanted to update you as to how you can work remotely without sacrificing collaboration, productivity or security.
Microsoft launched an interactive map that allows visitors to click on the country to see the specific number of cases of COVID-19 based on data from the World Health Organization (WHO); the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC); and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC).
Whilst it is scary to see this data outlined on a heatmap, I’m pleased to report that this website is not the only way that Microsoft are supporting in the COVID-19 crisis.
JP Courtois [Microsoft’s executive vice president and president of Microsoft global sales, marketing and operations] announced that Microsoft are making their paid for collaboration tool, Microsoft Teams, free for six months to help organisations deal with the demand of end users needing to work from home.
The Teams trial is part of a new Office 365 trial for enterprises (Office 365 E1) which includes full meeting, collaboration and workflow capabilities.
Microsoft rolled out a new update on March 10 which lifted restrictions on how many users can be part of a team in the free version of Teams. The newly released features include being able to set up Office on personal devices such as phones and tablets; 1TB of cloud storage; enterprise video-sharing service; and being able host online video conferences.
For me the key obvious benefits of this are the online meetings, increased file storage and Office Suite on a personal device.
You will be able to host online meetings with audio, HD video, and web conferencing. Even being able to present ‘Broadcast meetings’ which will allow up to 10,000 people join with just a web browser. This can be done on almost any device – perfect for large, companywide, conferences or events.
With OneDrive for Business each user has 1 TB of personal cloud storage that can be accessed from anywhere, on any device. This means that you can securely save the documents that you work on at home and share with others inside and outside your organization, whilst being in control of who can see and edit each file. You could then sync these documents when you get back into your place of work with your local drives.
Installing the native Office suite of products such as Word, Excel and PowerPoint will enable most workers to continue being productive especially if their own organisation can not afford to provide them with company owned hardware or the licences.
At XMA we were already regularly seeing the benefits of Teams but now with imposed travel reductions it is becoming a go to solution. Being well verse in the Microsoft Eco-structure internally as well as via our consultants, if you require any assistance on getting your trial setup, please let us know and we are of course happy to help.
In addition to this extended 6 month trial there are also specific ways that Azure AD can help enable remote access to work resources.
At XMA we want to help our customers in this time of need. So any support you require from your Account Manager, please let them know. For the more specific items I have covered here today, please feel free to reach out and contact me directly.
In summary stay safe, travel less, collaborate more.
Unless we technologically advance rather ferociously in the coming years, this is the last time we will see a double figure year in our lifetime, so it’s pretty special! An iconic year for us all to really make an impact.
Let’s jump straight into our technology predictions for 2020: sustainable innovation, experiencing technology, time limits, specialised talent, and transhumanism.
Sustainable Innovation
Change is upon us, effective change is imminent.
Being sustainable is at the core of every business. As businesses, we want to be seen making positive changes, but how far are we all actually going to make an impact? Is there any evidence to analyse? Any substance behind the claims?
We can expect to see greater investments in reuse and recycling for closed-loop innovation and expect to say goodbye to the days of bulky hardware, as just like the nano SIM, hardware are becoming smaller and more efficient and we will be more reliant on the Cloud. We can expect more organisations to source new sustainable materials for example being built with recycled and reclaimed goods.
In 2018, HP used 21,250 tonnes of recycled plastic in HP products – including 8,360 tonnes in their personal systems (a 3.5% increase from 2017); 4,790 tonnes in their printers (a 280% increase from 2017); and more than 8,000 tonnes in their ink and toner cartridges.
“As of September 2019, HP sourced about 450 tonnes of ocean-bound plastic bottles (equal to roughly 35 million bottles) that are recycled and used to make Original HP ink cartridges and hardware, including the HP EliteDisplay E273d Docking Monitor (announced in June 2019) – the world’s first display manufactured using ocean plastic. Display manufactured with 5% ocean bound plastic materials by weight, the equivalent of more than three 16 oz. recycled plastic water bottles.” (HP, 2019).
So an absolute #GameChanger is the HP Elite Dragonfly, after launching in September 2019, this beautiful, slimline device has been the talk of Tech Town. Not only is the HP Dragonfly the world’s most lightweight 13” laptop, it is also the world’s first notebook with ocean-bound plastics, including 5% in its speaker, and has started a standing-ovation-worthy cybersecurity revolution…
The motherboard is where the magic happens, but with the Dragonfly, it’s more than magic, it’s where their intelligence driven superpowers are challenged. Sure Sense, required with Windows 10, is trained to seek and analyse trends in Malware. Unlike Norton for example, which detects known malware, Sure Sense looks for codes and changes in malware that Norton would not be able to spot. This is next level. This is now. This is the answer to your cybersecurity concerns.
We predict that the HP Dragonfly will have a snowball effect on other organisations and we will see more plans and launches of devices which use sustainable materials in their products. It’s all part of the sustainability grape vine. Find out why this is so important to us here.
Technology Experience – learning how to use technology more creatively to go the extra mile.
We predict that 2020 will create a new wave of fun for technology users. Consumers will use their devices and software to a fuller extent, producing a richer experience. Technology Education will make a breakthrough from younger ages through to adults and a better understanding of technology and it’s possibilities will be explored. Technology consumers will move forward and develop more creatively – beginning to safely experiment and enjoy the dormant or ‘unknown’ features to a fuller extent.
Time limits Apps/Personal
After studies suggest social media is addictive to younger consumers, we predict apps like Instagram and Facebook will set up ‘recommended screen time’ to present themselves as transparent and responsible media owners. At first, this could be promoted via a push notification, followed by a hideable banner on the homepage if not actioned by the user.
As well as apps encouraging this, we predict that tech users will start taking more of an active role to their technology intake and allocate certain time slots for apps.
As a side note, media giant Instagram appears to have the user at the forefront of their minds. Recently after a trial period in the UK, Instagram removed the amount of likes on photos to other users, only the photo owner can see the total number of likes; however this does not stop savvy users counting the profiles that liked it. The move was designed to promote positive well-being and to downplay the importance of users receiving ‘social validation’ on their posts after concerns of growing online anxiety, and instead to shift focus to the content they freely want to share.
Training for Specialised Talent
As I’m sure you’re aware, ICT is a rapidly growing industry, and after every layer is peeled, another 500 appear. Because of this, there is talent in special areas, we have seen the Facebook Content Manager and Social Media Community Manager, but we can expect to see wild job titles entering the mix. Perhaps Linkedin Automated Message Developer, Instagram Beauty Hashtag Expert, or Website Header Transition Engineer.
Technology has a major role to play in learning and in preparing students for the world and careers they’ll be responsible for in the future – a future where 65% of jobs they will apply for do not exist today. (World Economic Forum, “The Future of Jobs: Employment, Skills and Workforce Strategy for the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” January 2016).
In May 2017, BBC Sounds podcast covered this and even though this circulated figure is debatable, it creates a thought whirlwind… will technology in education create more doors to open with more space to explore? How is technology training in schools being implemented effectively to prepare for these changes? If you’re interested in finding out some more, sign up to one of our Google Interactive Learning Experiences at BETT 2020 here.
Transhumanism
How would you feel about opening your front door by the swish of your index finger? What about picking up loose change from behind the sofa with a magnetic middle finger? Would you find it helpful having a chip in your wrist which is full of your medical information?
Introducing… Transhumanism. The belief or theory that the human race can evolve beyond its current physical and mental limitations, especially by means of science and technology.
When we think of transhumanism and technological developments into our bodies, we could think of a certain alien invader – cyberhumans. And hello 2020, we can liken this concept to BBC’s hit drama ‘Years and Years’, where student Bethany is obsessed with transhumanism and the culture of integrating humans with technology. If you haven’t seen it yet, it is definitely worth a watch to examine life in possibility.
‘I’m going to escape and become digital’. Granted, talk of removing the brain with all your life’s information and storing it into the Cloud is a tad extreme, however that is transhumanism in its ultimate form. Saying this, Winter Mraz, 31, labelled as a ‘Tech Geek’, with a degree in Games Modelling, Animation, and Effects, began augmenting herself after a car crash in the United States.
With ‘bionic’ implants inserted around her body, she argues over popular contraceptive implants, presenting conflicting ideas of ‘what’s the difference between a contraceptive implant and a microchip?’
Working as an engineer, she said her magnetic and data-fuelled implants allow her to sense electromagnetic fields and help avoid touching live wires at work.
Some argue that either through genetics or artificial intelligence, humans will be able to create a human being that is far superior to what we are now. From robotic hearts which don’t stop ticking, to saying ‘see ya’ to Rapid Wrinkle Repair cream and welcoming in genetic enhancements to make us not age or stay young forever, and let’s not forget about the development of bionic eyes that immediately download TV shows.
Overall, the concept of transhumanism is to collaborate humans and technology to make us more functional beings which live longer and more efficiently.
Will humans be free thinking, decision making entities in the Cloud?
Will we upload different versions of ourselves?
What if our Cloud personas are hacked? Rewind to this iconic episode of Doctor Who and The Rise of The Cybermen.
Is this a work of art? Or work for reversal?
Implementing a lifestyle approach for better patient care
XMA, HPE Financial Services and Gloucestershire Care Services NHS Trust
XMA has been partnering with HPE Financial Services for years on solving end-user dilemmas around end-of-life equipment. “What used to be a problem for our customers – what to do with equipment they no longer want or need – is becoming an opportunity,” says Andy Wright, XMA Commercial Director. “Virtually every company, especially those in public sector, have sustainability goals and their IT departments have the opportunity to contribute significantly by working with specialists to remarket equipment instead of sending it to a landfill or even recycling it. It’s called a circular economy approach.”
Gloucestershire Care Services is no different. According to Ben, the Trust supports environmental sustainability through a series of initiatives including reducing water usage, energy consumption and waste to landfills. “GCS is intent on reducing waste throughout the services we administer to patients and our own operations. HPE Financial Services has an excellent reputation in extending the use of devices by remarketing them which fits perfectly with our corporate sustainability objectives.”
Make things easier for virtualised businesses
Making things easier for virtualised businesses: It’s HPE Nimble Storage dHCI, delivering the simplicity of HCI with the flexibility of converged
HPE Nimble Storage dHCI an intelligent platform with the flexibility of converged and the simplicity of HCI. It disaggregates compute and storage and integrates hyperconverged control to give enterprises simple infrastructure management on a flexible architecture. Built with HPE ProLiant and HPE Nimble Storage, this platform provides the flexibility to scale compute and storage independently for unpredictable growth and the data resiliency and performance needed for business-critical apps.
Powered with HPE InfoSight, the industry’s most advanced artificial intelligence for infrastructure, HPE Nimble Storage dHCI gives enterprises ultimate simplicity for their virtualised environments with fast app performance, always-on data resilience, and resource efficiency.
What’s new
Disaggregated HCI extends hyperconvergence to workloads with unpredictable growth, scaling compute and storage independently.
Hyperconverged control collapses storage and compute silos and all data services can be managed exclusively in VMware vCenter.
Resilient design center for 99.9999% availability with no single point of failure and advanced data integrity to tolerate three simultaneous dive failures.1
Low-latency performance as low as 200 microseconds data response with automatic QoS to ensure fast performance for every app.4
Industry-leading data efficiency with advanced data reduction and a modern OS providing up to 21X data reduction.3
Watch our short animation explainer
Features
Intelligently Simple
Free yourself to focus on apps, not infrastructure. Hyperconverged control and HPE InfoSight make it simple for any VM admin to deploy, manage, scale, and support this platform. Deploy in less than 15 minutes, manage exclusively in VMware vCenter, and upgrade transparently to your apps.1
Absolutely Resilient
Keep apps running nonstop and fast with a resilient design center and predictive analytics. Sub-millisecond latency and high IOPS for performance-intensive apps and consolidation. 99.9999% availability with automated QOS, advanced data integrity, and data protection that extends to the cloud.
Efficiently Scalable
Eliminate over provisioning and add only the resources needed with the flexibility to independently grow compute and storage, non-disruptively. Store more data per raw terabyte over competitive platforms with industry-leading data efficiency backed by the HPE Store More Guarantee.2
How XMA can help
XMA are an HPE Platinum Partner in the UK. In order to hold the HPE Platinum Partner accreditation, we must be able to demonstrate our commercial and technical ability to understand, design and implement the HPE Hybrid IT portfolio. XMA are an HPEFS Platinum Partner and the largest UK HPEFS partner for Asset Lifecycle Services / Circular Economy.
XMA have a clear strategic alignment and one with HPE, both at commercial and technical levels.
We are capable of delivering a full catalogue of professional and managed services, ranging from standard logistical services through to bespoke transformation projects that deliver our customers’ business outcomes. Over 650,000 orders were shipped last year, with over third being HPE into some large organisations.
Contact us today to find out more
What does ISDN switch off 2025 mean for your business?
In 2020 BT have announced they will stop taking new ISDN orders and will complete switching off the ISDN network in 2025. This article will enable you to understand what the impact of this is upon your business and what options are available to you to ensure your business is well prepared.
What is ISDN?
‘Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) is a set of communication standards for simultaneous digital transmission of voice, video, data and other network services over the traditional circuits of the public switched telephone network’.
Why are ISDN services being terminated?
ISDN was introduced in the 1980’s allowing both voice and data services to be delivered simultaneously. For the technology and services at the time, it served its purpose very well and continued to do so for many years. Now we’re well into the 21st century, technology has moved on and old telephone solutions are lagging behind the alternatives in an increasingly fast paced digital world.
What does this mean for businesses who currently use ISDN?
Quite simply it means that now is the time to review your organisations approach to data services provision in order to avoid the negative consequences in lost revenue that will be experienced if you do not have an alternative network service in place come 2025.
It can take time to review your strategy and understand what the right option is for your business going forwards therefore it is never too early to start planning. Read on to learn all you need to know to ensure you do not end up scrambling to get a solution in place at the last minute, a solution that ultimately might not be right for your business.
So, what options do you have?
If you are currently on an ISDN phone contract now is the right time to start exploring the option of switching to VoIP and SIP technologies.
What is VoIP?
Voice over Internet Protocol, also called IP telephony, is a method and group of technologies for the delivery of voice communications and multimedia sessions over Internet Protocol networks such as the Internet.
What are SIP technologies?
The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) is a signalling protocol that is used by technology products for creating session-oriented connections between two or more endpoints in an IP network. These endpoints could be IP telephones, instant messaging clients or a collaborative multimedia conference application.
Whilst the transition may seem complicated and a big disruption to your business, it doesn’t need to be. With upfront planning and budget allocation we can help make the transition as smooth as possible. As always, it’s important to take into consideration some of the below points:
Can your phone system support VoIP?
The latest desk phones already support this technology, however, if yours doesn’t now is the time to upgrade. Luckily a lot of telephony and IT solution providers offer options to roll handsets into a new contract. You can also look to trade in old hardware for new handsets in order to recoup residual value.
With the switch to cloud becoming ever more popular and feature rich it might be the time to ditch physical handsets for soft phones, replace on premise exchanges with cloud hosted systems or embrace collaboration applications which allow telecommunication integration. There are many options and we can help you identify which is best for your business.
Is my network strong enough to meet the demands of a VoIP phone system?
Having a strong and reliable bandwidth connection is important when switching to voice rather than the traditional circuit-switched telephone system. You don’t want to invest the time and money into switching to a new solution but being let down by poor audio quality due to a poor connection.
We can help you determine how much we predict you will need and work with you to achieve the high Quality of Service your business needs.
So, what’s next?
Now you better understand the impact the ISDN switch off can have on your business and what options are available to you, the next step is to review how your business consumes voice, video and data services now versus what how you anticipate that changing in the future.
At XMA, we are specialists in this field and guide organisations of all sizes and in all sectors to make the right choices. Our wealth of knowledge and team of technical experts can guide you through your decision-making journey, from designing and implementing your solution all the way through to helping you to manage your new network.
Contact us today to begin your journey and to ensure your business isn’t cut off when ISDN services are switched off.
New AMD-based HPE SimpliVity 325
The latest model in the HPE hyperconverged portfolio, isnow shipping and available worldwide.
Built on the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 server platform, the HPE SimpliVity 325 provides security and performance in a highly dense, 1U model.
HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10, based on the HPE ProLiant DL325 Gen10 Servers, is a compact, scalable, 1U rack-mounted building block that delivers integrated server, storage, and storage networking services. The HPE SimpliVity 325 Gen10 Server is the secure and versatile single socket server for virtualization and I/O intensive workloads is ideal for remote office or space-constrained locations.
This 1P, 1U server delivers an exceptional balance of processor, memory and I/O for 2P performance at 1P TCO.
Get the most out of your virtualized environment with this versatile server delivering a lower hypervisor software cost and better cost per virtual machine (VM).
HPE InfoSight: Now on HPE SimpliVity
HPE InfoSight has been extended to HPE SimpliVity HCI offerings. HPE is integrating HPE InfoSight AI operations to provide customers with global visibility into detailed system, performance and capacity utilisation – enabling predictive data analytics and recommendations for system and performance optimisation. Automatically predicts and resolves 86% of problems before you even know there is an issue.
Check out the specifications below
Nutanix and HPE – A great partnership
Nutanix and HPE announced a global agreement in April this year to produce Nutanix Hyper Converged Infrastructure (HCI) available on the HPE ProLiant Server platform known as Nutanix DX Appliances.
This offering will also be available on a consumption-based model utilising HPE GreenLakes Infrastructure as a service. This means more flexibility and cost savings using a pay per use model so you can start implementing this new technology today, without the worry of upfront costs and planned budgets.
Nutanix DX Appliances are now available and ready to ship and will be available as a consumption-based model using the HPE GreenLake solution from October 2019.
Nutanix are market leaders for Hyper-Converged Infrastructure (HCI) and have added HPE ProLiant Server as a hardware platform choice, with such strong reputations as market leaders in their own rights this joint partnership means Nutanix DX Appliance combines cutting edge technologies to bring this new product to the market.
XMA are a platinum HPE partner and a Nutanix Scaler partner meaning we have strong alliances with both vendors and have unrivalled in-house technical resource, to help plan and implement this new technology across your organisation.
What does it mean for your organisation?
More choice with Nutanix in terms of Hardware platforms from XMA; Nutanix, HPE, Lenovo or Dell as well as broad Hypervisor choice; Nutanix AHV, VMware vSphere and Microsoft Hyper-V. Nutanix Software on HPE Hardware, with world class support from both organisations.
Contact us today to find out more about this exciting new announcement
London Borough of Enfield adopts The Circular Economy approach
XMA, HPE and London Borough of Enfield
Enfield is a UK Local Government (Federal) agency in North London with a population of about 330K. They had been using a small local recycler for their end-of-use assets, but needed to work with a partner that could provide a secure collection service. As a governmental agency, WEEE compliant recycling is important as is strict data security.
XMA were the best company to address this situation. We were already Enfield’s resource for new IT solutions but until now had not been involved in the retirement of assets for the Borough. Combining a strong commitment to the environment (both in its own business practices as well as services it delivers to customers) and deep expertise in working with governmental agencies, XMA put together a solution that not only solved the customer’s immediate need but also provided extra funds back to the agency.
We teamed with HPE Financial Services to provide a Circular Economy approach to Enfield’s challenge by employing HPE Asset Upcycling Services. HPE Financial Services would take out the governmental agency’s existing hardware, securely remove data, then expertly refurbish the equipment and remarket it, returning value from the sale back to the Borough. By remarketing the assets, technology is returned to the circle and there is no e-waste, both of which are tenets of Circular Economy thinking.
Connecting students to the right University with Aruba Networks
Students are faced with a massive decision when choosing a University to continue their education and carve out their futures.
With so many University’s battling to enrol the best students onto their courses, how does the student make this decision?
What if every University they have applied for offers the exact course they want?
What makes YOU the institution stand out to THEM the student?
Facts
In 2017 – 2018 it was recorded that there are 164 Higher Education Institutions in the UK1
When applying through UCAS a student can apply for a maximum of 5 Universities2
That’s a lot of choice.
As an institution you need to make your offer more appealing than the rest, you want students to pick you above the other institutions on offer and here is how Aruba Networks can help.
Offering your students, the best network connectivity across campus allows your students to work intelligently and unrestricted. With Aruba’s secure and reliable offerings, you can equip your University to meet and withstand the ever-growing demands of user technology.
HPE InfoSight: A smart move for Colleges and Universities
HPE InfoSight and its recommendation engine can pave your institutions path towards an automated, self-learning and self-managing data centre that can free your IT department to focus on creating value and allows your institution to turn exponentially growing data into valuable, actionable insights.
Learn how it ensures 99.9999% guaranteed availability and predicts and resolves 86% of problems before they can disrupt the business of learning, research, and administration. Analysing millions of sensors a second, everyone benefits as the university’s systems grow continuously smarter and more reliable.
