August 2020

Hospitality IT – do you know where to start with your IT? Whether you’re new to the industry or an establish business, hospitality IT is essential. Your skills and knowledge are in the hospitality industry, not in IT. So why would you want to spend precious time working out what IT systems your business needs and how they all work together? The answer – you don’t, that’s where Think Cirrus come in. IT support is at the very forefront of what we do and we’re on hand to provide you and your business – whether it be a bar, restaurant or hotel – with a fast, reliable technology infrastructure that is fully supported by our IT experts 24/7, because IT isn’t just 9-5. We also have advanced 24/7 monitoring tools that alert us to any IT issues within your business – this then allows us to rapidly resolve the problem before it affects you and your customers. We have support plans available for a small fixed monthly fee which incorporates all the daily support your business needs or the choice of adhoc support. Networks and Infrastructure A major priority within any hospitality business is your IT networks and infrastructure as they consist of several fundamental services that work together in order to provide you with performance and efficiency that will streamline your trading process. Wifi – having fast and reliable internet connection is key, which is why we supply and install superior, high-quality wifi equipment that promises complete coverage for your entire premises. Guest wifi (which is usually for public use) and the business’s internal wifi are kept completely separate so that all data and personal information is kept safe and secure. Cloud-based applications – not only do we provide tools such as Microsoft 365 and SharePoint for all of your administrative needs, we also manage and maintain cloud-based applications that help facilitate online bookings and payments such as an Electronic Point of Sale (POS) which stores your sales information securely within the cloud, making it easy to access and manage from anywhere. The advanced data synchronisation framework allows the till to stay online even if the internet connection goes offline. We can also supply you with the latest IT equipment and business broadband solutions that will help your business run at optimum speed and at the highest performance levels. Telecoms Technology is ever-changing but the need for ‘traditional’ voice telephony stays, especially in the hospitality business. However, the way in which we utilise telecoms has progressed since the landline. VoIP – this internet-based telephone system is much cheaper than your standard phone line and less restrictive than a mobile tariff. This voice and conferencing system is really simple to use and boasts several smart features like the ability to answer calls anywhere using the ‘twinning’ functionality that twins your mobile to your landline, giving you and your staff the flexibility to work wherever you want. Our experts can install your VoIP system at a day and time that suits you, so your business isn’t interrupted. CCTV CCTV is an essential tool for most business premises – not only is it an effective deterrent, it can also help to ensure the safety of your customers and staff, and supplies a source of evidence should you need it for an incident. Security systems – Our expert team of engineers have the skills and knowledge to install a modern, digital CCTV system that will monitor all activity. We provide tailored CCTV solutions that work for you and your business’s needs, whether that is with a standard security system or amped up to include vehicle registration sensors or offsite monitoring streamed to your phone, we have you covered… literally. Cyber security “One-size fits all” is not how we operate when it comes to cyber security – we will provide your individual hospitality business with a bespoke solution that will keep it robust against cybercrime. Cybercrime is one of the biggest business challenges of our generation, and a failure to prevent it can have serious financial and brand reputational consequences. PCI compliance – in today’s digital age, most people pay via card which means you hold sensitive data and payment details. It’s vital that you become PCI compliant in order to protect your customers and your business against cyber attacks and data breaches. We will work hard to maintain your network, devices, and internet connection to protect data and help to keep you compliant. PCI compliance – in today’s digital age, most people pay via card which means you hold sensitive data and payment details. It’s vital that you become PCI compliant in order to protect your customers and your business against cyber attacks and data breaches. We will work hard to maintain your network, devices, and internet connection to protect data and help to keep you compliant. Think Cirrus have been supporting hospitality businesses like yours for years, which is why we are proud to say that when it comes to IT, we know our stuff! Ask any of our clients such as The Chesterfields Pub, Bar Lounge and Vin Santo to name a few – each of these successful hospitality businesses had their own IT needs and after an audit of the premises and a meeting with the managers, we provided each business with their very own tailored IT package. Have you recently opened a hospitality business and not sure where to start with IT? Are you considering changing your outsourced IT supplier? Does your IT system need upgrading? Contact us today and we will talk you through a bespoke package for your individual business’s needs.

Ransomware – regardless of the size of the company, no one is protected from a cyber-attack. For those of you who don’t know who Brown-Forman is, they are a US multi-billion-dollar parent company who own the well-known spirit brand Jack Daniel’s whiskey amongst other global brands. In recent news, Brown-Forman has been the latest high-profile victim of a ransomware attack that is rumoured to be the result of notorious cyber criminals known as REvil or the Sodinokibi gang. The infamous REvil group are a generation of “new wave” cyber criminals who’s three-step strategy ends in double-barrelled blackmail. Here is how they operate their menacing master plan: Breaking and entering – not the physical kind, but the digital kind. These are highly intelligent cyber criminals who have obtained the skills to hack their victim’s network and grant themselves system admin level access without being noticed. They will then scope the victim’s sensitive data on their servers, hunt for online backups and inject system administration tools that can be exploited when they come to attack later. They then tamper with system security settings and create a set of ‘mini-attacks’ using malware to test which methods are successful at striking the main system. Just like a thief, they steal – we’re not talking jewellery or cars, we’re talking sensitive data and lots of it. In the Brown-Forman attack, the cyber criminals claimed to have stolen 1 terabyte of data spanning back over the past 10 years. Encryption is key (for them) – just when you think it cannot get any worse, the cyber criminals encrypt as many files as possible on the network using a clever scrambling algorithm that they hold the key for. The aim of this is to cause maximum disruption in minimum time. Luckily for Brown-Forman they managed to prevent step 3 of the attack so didn’t have to go offline which would have caused a detrimental impact on the business. How does this relate to my business? Anyone can be a victim of cybercrime – companies large or small and in the majority of cases, the aim of a ransomware attack is to steal data. If the breach is successful, not only is your business now a victim of a cybercrime but it also means your business has failed to protect data that it was meant to protect – this could be staff, customers or company data. Prevention, prevention, prevention – we really mean that! Cyber security is one of the most important IT systems that all businesses should have in place. It is crucial. But don’t worry, if you don’t have a system in place or are concerned your present practices may not be robust enough, we can help you. Visit our dedicated cyber security page for more details or contact our experts today to arrange a meeting.

Microsoft teams – What is it exactly? Over the years we have tried and tested multiple collaboration-based platforms, but there is only one winner in our eyes – Microsoft Teams. Better yet, it is totally free to use making it the ideal solution for businesses who work in a professional team setting. What is Microsoft teams exactly? Well, it is a chat-based collaboration platform that provides global, remote, and dispersed teams with the ability to work together and collaborate using highly effective features such as document sharing, one-on-one chat, online meetings, video calls and screen sharing just to name a few. In today’s modern era, not every employee is required to work within the company’s office – some prefer to work from home or even oversees, so having an intelligent team space like Microsoft Teams is fundamental because it allows the ability for colleagues to continue working productively and communicate instantly regardless of where they are located. Image courtesy of www.techcommunity.microsoft.com Chat from anywhere Chat between teams, groups, and individuals – you can even send gifs, stickers and emojis. Meet from anywhere Teams of 10 – 10,000 can meet in one conference call – invite people from inside and outside your business, it is the ideal solution for company-wide meetings and even training. You can take full advantage of the scheduling aid, note-taking app, file uploading and in-meeting chat features. Call from anywhere Anyone can join an online meeting via phone with a dial-in number – you can even jump on a call whilst on the move. Microsoft Teams can even fully replace your VoIP phone system which could save your business £££. Collaborate from anywhere High-quality, fast video calls can be made within your business or externally to your clients with a click of a button. Utilise Microsoft’s SharePoint and document library to share files such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations across all conversations in real-time. Why should your business use Microsoft Teams? Apart from the fact that it is one of the smartest collaborate-based tools, it is also extremely user-friendly and be rolled out over small and large businesses with ease. At Think Cirrus we are Microsoft Cloud Partner so we can provide tailored training to team members should they require any help. If you would like to discuss Microsoft Teams in more detail and find out how it could help your business with collaboration and productivity, please get in touch with one of our experts today.