Cybersecurity for Multi-Site Restaurants: What Actually Works (2026)

admin / June 19, 2026

Most restaurant groups think they’ve handled cybersecurity. There’s a password policy somewhere. A training session from last year. Maybe a conversation with someone in IT that ended with a nod and a PDF nobody reads again. It feels like enough. Until one compromised login shuts down your EPOS across three sites on a Saturday night. This post covers what cybersecurity for multi-site restaurants actually looks like in 2025, and the one piece of infrastructure most operators are missing. Why Multi-Site Restaurants Are a Target You might think cybercriminals go after banks and hospitals. They do. But hospitality is one of the most targeted sectors in the UK, and restaurants specifically sit in a difficult position. You process card payments across multiple sites. You hold guest data. You run booking systems, EPOS platforms, kitchen display screens, and guest WiFi, often on the same network. Each site is a potential entry point. Each staff member is a potential vulnerability. And unlike an office business that closes at six, you’re trading seven days a week, often until midnight. The NCSC reports that 39% of UK businesses identified a cyberattack in 2024. In hospitality, the attack surface is wider and the consequences hit harder, because downtime doesn’t just cost money, it costs covers, reputation, and reviews. The Problem With How Most Restaurants Handle Security The standard approach looks like this: This isn’t a criticism. It’s what most operators do, because most operators have never been told there’s a better way. The problem is that this approach is built on assumption. It assumes staff will follow the policy. It assumes no one will click a phishing link. It assumes that because nothing has gone wrong yet, the setup is fine. A 40-cover restaurant in Chester we spoke to had exactly this setup. Three sites, seven years of trading, no incidents. Then a phishing email reached a site manager. One click. The attacker was inside the network for eleven days before anyone noticed. The cost wasn’t just financial. The reputational damage with guests took months to recover from. What the Top Operators Do Differently The restaurant groups scaling past five venues aren’t running a tighter version of the same approach. They’ve changed the underlying structure. They’ve moved from a policy-based model to an infrastructure-based one. The difference is significant. A policy requires humans to behave correctly, every time, under pressure. Infrastructure doesn’t rely on that. It works regardless of whether someone’s tired, distracted, or simply didn’t read the handbook. Here’s what that infrastructure looks like in practice. The One Layer Most Multi-Site Restaurants Don’t Have It’s called Zero Trust architecture. The name sounds technical. The concept isn’t. Most networks operate on a simple assumption: if you’re inside the network, you’re trusted. Log in with the right credentials, and you have access. This is how most restaurant IT is set up. Zero Trust removes that assumption entirely. Every device, every login, every access request is verified every single time, regardless of where it’s coming from. A team member logging in from the restaurant floor gets the same check as someone trying to access your systems from the other side of the world. Your team doesn’t notice it. Your operations don’t slow down. But nothing gets through without being verified. And if credentials are ever compromised, the attacker doesn’t automatically get access to everything. For multi-site operators, this matters more than it does for a single-site business. You have more devices, more access points, more staff across more locations. The standard trust model creates a larger and larger gap the more you grow. Zero Trust closes that gap at the infrastructure level, not the policy level. What This Looks Like in Practice Implementing Zero Trust for a restaurant group doesn’t mean ripping everything out and starting again. For most operators it involves three things: None of this is complicated. But it requires a provider who understands hospitality operations, not just general IT. You can read more about how Cirrus approaches cybersecurity for hospitality businesses here, and what a properly structured hospitality IT setup looks like across a multi-site operation. The Question to Ask Yourself If one member of staff clicked a phishing link today, how far into your business could an attacker get? If the honest answer is “quite far,” that’s not a people problem. It’s an infrastructure problem. And it’s one that’s straightforward to fix with the right setup in place. The operators who sleep well at night aren’t crossing their fingers. They’ve built something that doesn’t depend on everyone doing the right thing every single time. Find Out Where Your Business Stands Not sure whether your current setup has these layers in place? We’ll take a look and tell you honestly what we find. Book a free IT security review or call us on 0330 313 0966. We’ll give you a plain-English answer, not a sales pitch.

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5 Costly IT Downtime in Hospitality Risks You Can Stop Now

admin / May 22, 2026

IT downtime in hospitality costs more than most operators realise. You already know what a quiet Saturday costs you, but few can say what an hour of downtime does to the P&L. That gap is where the money quietly goes. This post puts a real number on it. It covers what downtime actually costs a hospitality business once you count everything, why the sector gets hit harder than most, and what reducing IT downtime in hospitality looks like in practice. No jargon, no scare tactics, just the maths most operators have never been shown. What does IT downtime actually cost a hospitality business? The repair bill is the smallest part of it. When your EPOS goes down mid-service, the cost stacks up across several lines at once. There’s the revenue you can’t take while tills are frozen. There’s the labour you’re still paying for staff who can’t work at full pace. There’s the covers you turn away because you can’t process them. And there’s the goodwill you spend on customers whose night you’ve disrupted. A 40-cover restaurant in Chester doing an average spend of £35 a head loses around £1,400 in covers for every hour of a full Saturday-night outage. That’s before staff cost, before refunds, before the table that walks out and posts about it. Run that across a multi-site group and a single bad evening can cost more than a month of IT support. Why does hospitality suffer more downtime than other sectors? Three reasons, and they compound. First, hospitality runs on more systems than people think. EPOS, card terminals, booking platforms, guest WiFi, CCTV, kitchen displays, stock and ordering, payroll. Each one is a point of failure, and most of them are connected. Second, the trading hours are brutal on IT. A law firm that loses its systems at 2pm has a bad afternoon. A restaurant that loses EPOS at 7pm on a Saturday loses the most valuable trading window of the week, and there is no quiet period to recover in. Third, the sector is now being targeted directly. Threat actors have built phishing campaigns specifically around hospitality workflows, using fake booking and reservation emails that staff are trained to action quickly. The National Cyber Security Centre has warned about exactly this kind of sector-specific social engineering. Downtime is no longer just a hardware question. It’s a security one. The downtime nobody budgets for Most operators plan for the obvious failures. A server dies, a router fails, a screen goes black. Those are visible and they get fixed. The expensive downtime is the kind that arrives through an email. A member of front of house clicks a link in what looks like a booking notification. Nothing appears to happen. Days later the systems lock, and the recovery runs into a second week while service limps along on paper. By then the cost has moved well past the IT line and into lost revenue, staff overtime, and in the worst cases, guest data on a leak site. This is the downtime that doesn’t show up in any budget, because nobody plans for the thing they haven’t been told is happening. What does reducing IT downtime in hospitality look like? It comes down to a handful of things done consistently, rather than one big purchase. None of this is exotic. The businesses that avoid expensive downtime are not the ones spending the most. They are the ones who treat IT as an operational risk, the same way they treat food safety or fire. The bottom line Hospitality margins in 2026 are tight enough without losing a weekend to an outage you could have prevented. The real cost of downtime is never the repair bill. It’s the trading you lose, the staff you pay to stand still, and the customers who don’t come back. If you don’t know what an hour of downtime would cost your business, that’s the first thing worth working out. The second is making sure it happens as rarely as possible. Not sure where your business stands? Book a free 30-minute IT review and we’ll tell you straight where your risks are. Call 0330 313 0966 or visit our hospitality IT page.

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Microsoft 365 for Professional Services Firms: Are You Actually Using It?

admin / May 7, 2026

You’re paying for Microsoft 365 every month. But if your firm is like most in professional services, you’re using about 30% of it. Email. Word. Excel. Maybe Teams for the occasional call. The rest of the platform, SharePoint, Defender, Intune, Conditional Access, sits there, licensed and idle, on an invoice nobody questions. This post covers what Microsoft 365 for professional services firms should actually look like, what most firms are missing, and what it’s costing them in real terms. Why Most Professional Services Firms Underuse M365 It usually starts the same way. Licences were set up at the start, by a supplier, during a growth phase, or because someone made a recommendation at the time. Nobody came back to finish the job. The team adapted. Workarounds became habits. New starters learned the broken version of things from whoever sat next to them. The platform never got configured for how the firm actually works. It got configured once, loosely, and then left. This isn’t a technology problem. It’s a configuration problem. And it’s almost universal across firms in legal, accountancy, consultancy, and financial services. What Microsoft 365 Business Premium Actually Includes If your firm is on Business Standard or Business Premium, the following is already in your licence. No upgrade required. SharePoint for client file management. Every matter in a structured, permission-controlled library. Version history built in. No more shared drives with six copies of the same document. No more emailing attachments between colleagues. Microsoft Defender for Business. Endpoint protection across every device, included in Business Premium. Most firms have it assigned. Almost none have it configured. Assigned and configured are not the same thing. Microsoft Intune for device management. Enforce security policies across every laptop, desktop, and mobile that touches your network. Remote wipe a lost or stolen device before the data on it becomes a problem. Most firms discover they need this capability when someone leaves unexpectedly, not before. Teams channels per client or project. All messages, files, and notes for a matter in one place. Searchable. Accessible to the right people. Not scattered across email threads, WhatsApp groups, and someone’s local desktop. Conditional Access and MFA policies. Multi-factor authentication on for some users is not the same as a properly configured security baseline. Conditional Access is where the real protection sits, blocking sign-ins from unrecognised devices, enforcing compliant endpoints, restricting access by location. Most firms haven’t touched it. What Does Poor M365 Configuration Actually Cost a Professional Services Firm? The idle licence fee is one number. The bigger cost doesn’t appear on any invoice. Fee earners in professional services lose between 45 and 90 minutes a day to tasks Microsoft 365 is already built to handle. Hunting for the right version of a document. Chasing a file buried in a colleague’s inbox. Rebuilding work after a leaver’s account was removed and their files went with it. At a £60,000 salary, 45 minutes a day is roughly £6,000 per person per year in lost productive time. Across a 20-person firm, that’s £120,000 annually in hours that could be billable, or at minimum, better spent. Then there’s the compliance risk. Firms in legal and financial services operate under SRA Principle 7, FCA SYSC requirements, and ICO registration obligations, all of which carry expectations around how client data is stored, accessed, and protected. A SharePoint environment that hasn’t been set up correctly, combined with Defender sitting unactivated, is a gap that won’t show up until something goes wrong. According to the NCSC, the most common cause of data breaches in professional services is compromised credentials, typically from phishing. Properly configured Conditional Access and MFA policies are the most direct defence. Both are included in Business Premium. Both are consistently under-configured. Four Checks You Can Run This Week You don’t need an IT firm to tell you where your gaps are. These four checks take under an hour and will surface most of what you need to know. 1. Pull your licence report. Microsoft 365 Admin Centre, then Billing, then Licences. Check what’s assigned against what’s available. If you’re on Business Premium and Defender and Intune aren’t configured, that’s the gap confirmed in one screen. 2. Check your MFA status. Admin Centre, Users, Active Users, then Multi-factor authentication. Any user showing “Disabled” or “Not registered” means that account is one convincing phishing email away from being compromised. 3. Look at your SharePoint usage. Admin Centre, Reports, Usage, SharePoint. If active file count is low relative to your headcount, your team is storing files somewhere else, shared drives, local machines, inboxes — and you have no central visibility over any of it. 4. Ask what happens when someone leaves. When a member of staff exits, what happens to their files? If the answer is “IT removes their account,” ask specifically where their OneDrive and SharePoint content goes in that process. If nobody knows, that’s the answer, and it’s a risk worth understanding before it becomes a problem. What a Properly Configured M365 Environment Looks Like A professional services firm running Microsoft 365 properly looks like this. Client files live in SharePoint, structured by matter, with permissions set so only the right people can access them. Teams channels are set up per client or project. Defender is active and monitored across all endpoints. Intune enforces a security baseline on every device. MFA is on for every user, with Conditional Access policies blocking anything that doesn’t meet the firm’s baseline. When someone joins, they’re set up in minutes with access to everything they need and nothing they don’t. When someone leaves, their account is disabled, their files are transferred, and their access is revoked, with a full audit trail. That’s not a complicated setup. It’s what the licence is designed to deliver. It just needs to be configured. If you want to see what this looks like for a firm your size, our professional services IT page covers how we approach it. Is Microsoft 365 Enough for a Professional Services Firm on Its Own?

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Why Poor Wi-Fi is Costing UK Restaurants More Than You Think

admin / May 6, 2026

In 2024, restaurants are expected to deliver more than just great food and atmosphere. Diners want fast, convenient service, digital ordering options, seamless payments, and strong, reliable Wi-Fi. But across the UK, Wi-Fi connectivity is quietly sabotaging even the most well-run hospitality businesses. This blog explores the real cost of poor Wi-Fi in restaurants and why it affects more than just your customer reviews. From lost revenue and order delays to operational chaos and security risks, we break down what bad Wi-Fi is really costing your business and how to fix it. Why Wi-Fi Is Business-Critical in Hospitality Wi-Fi used to be a nice-to-have feature. Today, it’s a core part of running a successful hospitality business. In a UK survey, 56% of customers said free Wi-Fi is the most important feature they expect when visiting a restaurant or pub. And 75% said high-quality Wi-Fi would make them more likely to return. Poor connectivity doesn’t just irritate customers—it directly impacts service. With more restaurants using wireless POS systems, QR code menus, mobile ordering, and cloud-based tools, a stable Wi-Fi connection is essential to keep the front and back of house running. Common Front-of-House Wi-Fi Issues 1. Poor Guest Wi-Fi Experience Customers expect strong internet access. If your guest network is slow, unreliable, or unavailable, many diners will be frustrated. This can: Lead to negative reviews Reduce average dwell time and spending Discourage return visits 60% of UK diners say internet access increases loyalty to a restaurant. On the other hand, customers are quick to avoid venues with spotty Wi-Fi. 2. Payment Processing Delays With the rise of cashless payments, card readers and POS systems rely on your internet connection. A poor connection can: Cause card transactions to fail Force staff to restart devices Lead to abandoned sales In the UK, the average restaurant loses £900 per hour of internet downtime, particularly during peak times like lunch or dinner service. 3. Order Delays and Drops When orders are taken via tablets and sent to the kitchen through the cloud, Wi-Fi failure can cause: Orders being lost or not sent Delays in service Confusion between front- and back-of-house staff These issues affect the dining experience, increase staff stress, and lead to wasted food. 4. Online Ordering and Delivery Glitches Restaurants now rely on platforms like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. But if your internet drops: Your business may disappear from delivery apps Orders can’t be received You lose visibility and customers choose competitors Just one 30-minute outage at peak time can mean dozens of lost orders-worth hundreds or even thousands of pounds. Common Back-of-House Wi-Fi Issues 1. POS System Failures Cloud-based POS systems depend on Wi-Fi to sync orders and process data. If the connection drops: Orders may not sync between devices Menu updates don’t reach all terminals Reporting and sales data may be lost or delayed This results in confusion, duplicated orders, or missed items-impacting both revenue and reputation. 2. Inventory Management Issues Many restaurants use smart inventory systems to track ingredient levels and reorder stock. Wi-Fi issues can: Prevent real-time updates Cause reordering delays Lead to stock shortages or over-ordering When kitchens don’t know what’s in stock, the result is inconsistent menus, staff frustration, and customer disappointment. 3. Admin and Scheduling Disruptions Back-office tools like rotas, payroll, reservation platforms, and cloud HR systems also need internet. If these tools go offline: Managers can’t update schedules or respond to changes Reservation systems might double-book or cancel incorrectly Payroll data may not sync All of this leads to inefficiencies, overtime costs, and frustrated employees. 4. Security and Compliance Risks A poorly managed Wi-Fi network isn’t just slow—it’s risky. Without proper security: Guests may access your internal systems Sensitive data may be exposed You may fail to meet PCI compliance for payment security Security breaches can result in serious fines and reputational damage. What’s the Real Cost? According to a UK business connectivity report, small businesses lose an average of £900 per hour during internet outages. For restaurants operating on slim margins, a few lost hours per week quickly add up. In 2023 alone, UK businesses lost an estimated £3.7 billion due to internet outages-up from £742 million in 2018. Examples: A small restaurant with an average turnover of £400/hour loses £800 during a 2-hour outage. A delivery-focused restaurant could lose 30+ online orders during an outage, costing £600–£1200 in one evening. Downtime during service hours may also mean extra labour to catch up, refunds, and bad reviews. How Restaurants Compare to Other Industries Retail Suffers from high device density (card readers, kiosks, tablets) 94% report growing bandwidth challenges Lost sales when tills go offline or apps don’t work Construction Often in remote sites with poor signal Internet dropouts delay project updates and communications Offices Lost productivity and missed deadlines Estimated to cost UK businesses £11 billion annually But hospitality stands out because issues impact real-time sales and customer satisfaction, not just productivity. How to Fix It: Improving Wi-Fi in Your Restaurant 1. Invest in Business-Grade Hardware Stop using cheap home routers. Upgrade to professional equipment: High-performance access points Multiple coverage zones Dual-band routers (2.4GHz and 5GHz) Conduct a Wi-Fi site survey to detect weak zones and signal interference. 2. Separate Guest and Internal Networks Create separate networks for: Customers (guest Wi-Fi) POS, staff tablets, back-office systems Use VLANs and apply bandwidth limits to prevent guests from slowing down your systems. 3. Use Redundancy and Backups Have a plan if your main connection fails: Use dual connections (e.g. fibre + 4G backup) Auto-failover routers ensure the system stays up This reduces the risk of outages during peak service hours. 4. Regularly Maintain and Monitor Schedule firmware updates during off-hours Use dashboards to monitor signal strength, usage, and errors Train key staff to troubleshoot minor Wi-Fi issues 5. Optimise Placement and Bandwidth Use both 2.4GHz (long range) and 5GHz (fast speed) Add access points in areas with poor coverage Prioritise important devices (POS, printers) over guest traffic 6. Prioritise Security Use WPA3 or

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F1-Level Cybersecurity: Our Partnership with Keeper

admin / May 7, 2025

When Cybersecurity and Motorsport Combine This past weekend’s Formula 1 race showcased not only raw driver talent but the strategic excellence of engineering teams. Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris clinched first and second for McLaren, while Alex Albon’s impressive 5th place finish for Williams Racing drew attention beyond the track. Behind that performance is a relentless focus on data integrity, secure communication, and controlled system access – enabled by Keeper Security. In motorsport, milliseconds and megabytes are equally important. A single breach in data confidentiality or a delay in system access can mean the difference between podium and the pit lane. That’s why Keeper Security’s partnership with Williams Racing isn’t just symbolic – it’s operationally essential. Why Keeper Security Powers F1-Level Protection Keeper Security delivers zero-trust, zero-knowledge architecture, offering enterprise-grade protection for credentials, secrets, and infrastructure access. For Williams Racing, this translates to: Protection of proprietary strategy models and telemetry data Secure credential access across international engineering teams Defence against phishing, ransomware, and credential compromise With solutions like KeeperPAM®, Secrets Manager, and real-time threat intelligence, Keeper ensures uninterrupted, secure collaboration from garage to grid. Keeper’s technology goes beyond passwords. It includes: Privileged Session Management for auditing sensitive actions Secure File Sharing across global operations Passwordless and SSO integrations that streamline access while preserving control Just as pit crews operate with precision and clarity, Keeper equips cybersecurity teams with the visibility and governance to act with speed and certainty. What Businesses Can Learn from the Track Formula 1 is a masterclass in systems integration and situational awareness. Every subsystem – brakes, aerodynamics, engine performance – feeds into real-time strategic decisions. Likewise, businesses rely on efficient yet secure system access. Keeper enables: Secrets Management for DevOps to secure credentials in CI/CD environments SSH Key and Remote Database Access without exposing credentials Automated Password Rotation for critical infrastructure Whether you’re running retail operations, financial systems, or cloud-native deployments – your architecture deserves the same discipline and protection. Trusted Globally – And Locally As Williams Racing’s cybersecurity partner, Keeper is trusted at the highest level of competitive performance. But the same tools that power elite motorsport teams are available for businesses across the UK. Keeper helps you: Prevent breaches caused by compromised credentials Maintain compliance with standards like GDPR, ISO 27001, and Cyber Essentials Gain full control over infrastructure access without sacrificing speed In fact, 81% of UK businesses experienced cyber incidents in the past 12 months – many from common vectors like email compromise and poor credential hygiene. Want F1-Level Cyber Control in Your Organisation? From passwordless authentication to privileged access auditing, Keeper Security delivers the same technologies trusted in Formula 1 to protect your business. Whether you’re managing five users or five thousand, your access control deserves the same precision as a race-winning pit stop.

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Gift Aid

admin / May 1, 2025

Gift Aid Simply put, Gift Aid is a form of tax relief. This allows charities to receive up to 25% more income from a donation made by a UK taxpayer. Once a donation has been made, a charity is able to claim back the basic rate of tax from it from the government CAF Cirrus has developed a paperless Gift Aid system, that also has Point of Sale (POS) stock control and can link into accounting systems specifically for charities. Your all-in-one system for charity led retail is now available. To help here are a few essential Q&A’s Q: Can we just use the Gift Aid standalone, without the POS? – YES. The system is modular so we can turn this on or off as needed Q: Does the system allow multiple items as part of a single gift (Perhaps a bag of clothes or box of books)? – YES. Each item can be individually tracked, priced and sold Q: Does the system capture details and report on them in-line with HMRC guidelines? – YES. We have back office reporting that tracks each person who gifts and each item they have gifted, been sold or held in stock Q: Can the system remember people who gift on a regular basis and save their information for speedy drop-off? – YES. Our system securely records the contact details and can issue a membership style system. These frequent drops off are also recorded for HMRC requirements Q: Can we set prices and calculate profit? – YES. Our production valuation screen lets you set this per item and print the necessary labels POS Our cloud based POS system is perfect for retail, bars & restaurants, builders merchants, Garden Centres, Visitor Attractions and more. The system integrates with a number of handheld payment terminals and accounting systems for real end to end record keeping too. At Cirrus we strive to be your technology partner of choice. In the case of Gift Aid we listened to our clients, developed a system and put it into use in their locations, saving them not only in tax but also the efficiencies the business realized in the process. Get in Touch If you are in need of a partner to manage your IT, drive change & improve operations perhaps you should #ThinkCirrus. For Consulting, Design, Delivery and Managed Service…. #ThinkCirrus Call us on 033013 130966 or book an appointment here : Time to #ThinkCirrus #Giftaid #Manageditservices #POS #ukwide

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Wi-Fi 7

admin / December 10, 2024

What is Wi-Fi 7 and do you need it in your business? A bit like your smartphone or Microsoft Windows getting a version upgrade it’s time for Wi-Fi to take another leap forward with Wi-Fi 7. Delivering more capacity, more flexibility & reliability to your Wi-Fi Network Wi-Fi 7 is literally like a gadget from StarTrek The Technical Stuff Wi-Fi 7 has 2 big differences (OK there are many but these the two big items), the first is the introduction to 320 MHz channels which is double what’s currently possible with Wi-Fi 6. Double the capacity means more simultaneous connection and faster speeds. The other key aspect is Multi-link functionality meaning any device can connect using 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz channels simultaneously. Connections will be smoother and more reliable. There’s a useful link here from the WiFi Alliance If you would like to read more 4x higher data rates (The theoretical throughput of approximately 46 Gbps) Increased speed, reduced latency, and greater reliability with multi-link operation (MLO) Enhanced spectral efficiency and interference mitigation with multiple resource units (MRUs) Efficient use of channel and bandwidth via preamble puncturing Lets talk Business Wi-Fi is a bit like breathing air, we want it, we need it and we just expect it to be there always. Wi-Fi 7 can be your air, always there and as much as you want. If your office has been hesitant in adopting Wi-Fi this could be the key you need to unlock the potential and flexibility you need. As a business you need to ability and flexibility to add ever increasing wireless devices without limits. In addition to the speed benefits and the concurrent connections the new standard also offers lower latency which is significant for gaming, virtual & augmented reality plus 8K video. If you operate a stadium Wi-Fi 7 should be your go to selection for the ultimate guest experience. Shopping centres are also ideal deployments, the volume of connections makes the technology for the footfall you are likely seeing. Further if you a re looking to provide shoppers with a more immersive experience 7 provides the capacity you need. In education the capacity for new learning mediums and healthcare better patient experience lend themselves to Wi-Fi 7 and the greater capacity Wi-Fi 7 was approved for use in the UK this year (2024) so in terms of future proofing your business you truly are stepping into new territory and ensuring your technology will scale with you. If you are looking for a large scale deployment we have the tools to plan and design your ideal environment. A thorough design, with both AP placement and selection across your site are necessary to ensure correct coverage and the required level of service About Us Cirrus are a leading UK provider of Managed Services and been supplying enterprise Wireless for high capacity/ large footfall locations for over 10 years. If you are looking for a true partner capable of managing your entire estate you should #ThinkCirrus https://thinkcirrus.co.uk T: 03303 130966

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Your IT Partner

admin / November 18, 2024

We’re back in the press today with an advert we’ve run with the Business Post. It’s all about being your IT partner. The Article A Technology Partner for Your Business? Our business is to look after your business, specifically the technology you use or perhaps need. A partner capable of designing, installing and managing your various services from internet connections to CCTV, phones, POS or security. Let’s face it your IT is ever growing, becoming more complex and you need to trust it’s in safe hands. You don’t have time for checking backups, performing maintenance or ensuring the necessary compliance is taken care of. Would it be beneficial to have a single point of contact you can go to? Would it be favourable to get advice when needed and trade issues for solutions? Would a single partner who can deliver projects and manage the day-to-day operations add value? If You Are Thinking About a New Technology Partner? ThinkCirrus Your partner for BAU We operate our UK based service desk 7 days a week to handle all your issues. Everything from a P1 site issue to paper jam our team can assist you through a solution. As needed one of our 60 field team members can visit your site and rectify more complex challenges. We carry temporary stock so if a band-aid is needed to keep you going we’ve got you covered Your partner for PROJECTS Our project team can fully oversee new openings, refurbs or smaller deployment projects. This includes any third-party suppliers such as Zonal, QSR or your preferred supplier. We have existing relationships with many of these companies and are fully able to deliver projects before handing over to BAU Want someone to look after the mundane? ThinkCirrus Looking for strategic advice? ThinkCirrus Need help with expansion? ThinkCirrus Keen to ensure your technology is keeping pace with the business? ThinkCirrus Internet Connectivity Back Office Systems POS & Kitchen Automation Phones and Reservations Systems CCTV & Security Audio & Presentation Screens Full Project Management of Technology If this resonates with you would why not visit our website Cirrus Technology Solutions or call 03303 130966, we’d love to talk with you The full magazine article can be found here : Business Post If you are interested in the location it’s a Louis Restaurant Manchester https://louisrestaurants.com/

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Cirrus and ViPRE

admin / August 18, 2024

Cirrus and Vipre October is Cyber Security Month. So during October we’ll be running a a series of event focused on the topic and how you can build a strategy for on-line security. This will include steps you can take to protect your business. This first event is hosted with Vipre a global partner who specialise in mail security through it’s machine learning technology and real time protection. Vipre provides a number of unique solutions including Sandbox featured included in it’s threat explorer module. Vipre’s mail scanning and mail filtering works 24/7 to stop threat loaded e-mail reaching your business Our Webinar will include a demo of the service and how it works and what users see. Users can control and refine what’s blocked or allowed for delivery. For those items you are not sure about Sandbox allows you to safely explore the e-mail content before making a decision Protection for Incoming and Sending of E-Mail All E-mail can be scanned both as it is sent and received. So not only can you be sure knowing the e-mail you receive is safe but also the people receiving your messages get the same benefit. Vipre can work with on-premise mail, Office365 and GoogleWorkspace plus others so regardless of your mail provider we get you covered Booking For more information we have a dedicated page Vipre all of which will be covered during the event which you can book here Vipre on-line event The event is taking place on Tuesday 1st October at 1pm.

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Managing Technology Projects

admin / July 27, 2024

Managing Technology Projects Last week we wrote about why you might want a Technology Partner. This week we’re off to Gloucester for our latest restaurant opening managed from start to finish. The project is a good example of how we at Cirrus runs our client projects and why it’s important for you. So lets provide you a flour of what to expect. Its All Part Of A Plan Whilst we’re very much a technology company our involvement begins in the early stages of planning, often part of the design process. As a client we have a model we delivery against for each venue. What we mean by this is we provide a number of services, such as Wi-Fi. The list is services we provide in total includes Internet connectivity, Networking, Firewalls, Point of Sale, Music, TV’s, Voucher systems and so on. But in order to provide the service we need to understand layout, preferences, building materials etc. Once we have this we can design the WiFi (or any other service) for the clients exacting needs. The model of equipment, how many, mounting positions etc are all agreed as part of an iterative process that only works if we all contribute actively to the process. At the start of each new opening we ask questions about where services are needed. In the case of Hickory’s Smokehouse WiFi is needed almost everywhere. The restaurant, obviously but also the kitchens, offices, the team area and outside for the extensive seating. We work through the correct product specifications and locations and have them all confirmed with the wider project team. The same is true for tills, time entry systems, printers, payment terminals and so on. Importantly there are significant back office operations to ensure we correctly cater for. It’s very much a joined up activity that takes several weeks to complete. Managing Technology Projects is very much about phases of work, all linked to a completion date. Build & Test Having completed the journey of checking requirements and scope we move to build and test. All of the equipment is procured and delivered to our office and setup in our build area. This process often includes third party equipment being delivered to us. We replicate every part of the network and attach the equipment precisely the same as it will be in the final location on premise. Tills are connected to switch ports, back office functions are tested, fobs validated and accounts created. Every device that’s part of the scope is connected, configured and documented. It’s all about quality and the end result. Our philosophy is that when we get to site, the install should be as painless and straightforward as possible. It should have only the minimum additional configuration outstanding with everything tested. It makes sense that if we’re going to have any issues it’s better they occur in our offices where we can mange them. When done all equipment is labelled and packed ready for transport. All of the builds are checked and a full inventory validated for loading. With some of our larger partners, they come to our offices too. POS terminals (For this client Zonal POS). The engineers from zonal visit our offices to setup and configure the systems, knowing they are working against a live system and one that will not change. Again the goal here is to ensure fast and accurate installation. As I’ve said, this is all about quality. On-Site Managing Technology Projects, like any project is all about managing risks and dependencies as well as actually getting the job done. So project management is very much part of getting the job done. Our projects team will have checked dependent activities are all compete and the environment is ready for us many times as part of the preparation. When we arrive on site our team have a pre-created checklist to work through, are fixtures and fittings actually where they should be, Is any work taking place that we need to accommodate? are the basics like power all available. The project team will have validated these questions multiple times ahead of us arriving on-site but it’s standard practice to do it when we arrive. For the most part it’s about unbox, connect & test. Project Closure Our final day on site includes formal handover. Our clients decide if they are happy and prepared to accept handover. Additionally we have a post project review about 7-10 days later where we meet again and look for improvements and learning we can take to the next project. There is always something to learn. The important thing is we deliver to the programmed deadline. In this example it’s a restaurant opening and after we’ve handed over training starts. The opening plan also includes soft openings ahead of a set launch date two weeks later. If the technology is late or does not work as intended it has the potential to have an knock on effect for our client. Reputations are hard earned and we have to be as passionate about our service as our client is with theirs. Ensuring we have a quality process ensures the outcome is of the highest quality too. Why would you not want that? We wrote this as a way to demonstrate some of what we go through when delivering technology projects. Each is different. Each client has their own way. We can accommodate styles but we always bring our experience and passion to your project Contact us Consult, Design, Deploy & Manage. Way more than IT Support. A true partner. Project Management for your Technology Install? ThinkCirrus Looking for strategic advice? ThinkCirrus Need help with expansion? ThinkCirrus Keen to ensure your technology is keeping pace with the business? ThinkCirrus If this resonates and you would like to know more you can arrange an intro meeting here On-line Meeting with Cirrus if you’d prefer face to face drop us an e-mail to hello@thinkcirrus.co.uk or call 03303 130966, we’d be more than happy meet

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