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As an IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) Cirrus Technology Solutions has always vowed to be ‘different’. People First, Technology Second is our ethos. Many MSP’s and IT technology companies focus on the ‘technology’, whether that’s business software, networking and infrastructure equipment or hardware, etc. Often forgetting the needs of the client and their team. This weekend (whilst watching a multitude of sports), it occurred to me just how much of a front seat technology has taken in recent years. From performance software in F1, VAR in football, DRS in cricket, TMO’s in rugby, the list goes on. Without doubt they are all clever bits of kit. Designed to enhance the sport, eliminate (or at the very least reduce) poor decisions and in turn increase popularity. BUT on the surface at least, it appears to me that the one thing not considered is personnel; fans, athletes, officials. When an organsiation is thinking of introducing technology to improve business process, efficiency, analysis etc it is vital that the impact on your team and your clients is considered. Unfortunately often they are not. I’ll explain….. As a football fan (and one very new to the Premier League, being a Brentford supporter) I’m going to use VAR as a case in point. There is no doubt that with the levels of monetary reward in the Premier League there was a need to ensure that ‘clear and obvious errors’ were minimised. But the impact on the game was not quite what was anticipated. The technology is highly capable. So much so that one can, if the time is taken spot a player that has a strand of hair ‘offside’.  And therein lies the issue. The ‘people’ aspect has not been represented sufficiently. Players and fans waiting three or four minutes to know if their team has scored a goal (or not). Players falling to the floor if an opponent sneezes in their direction hoping to win a penalty or free kick. Referees not taking the tough decisions because the technology could do it for them. The outcome – frustrated players, undermined officials and worst of all a customer base that doesn’t trust the technology. So, this weekend saw the start of a new Premier League season. And with it came the return of fans and thankfully some tweaks to VAR.  More responsibility has been placed back in the hands of the officials. There’s less minute scrutiny of offsides and tackles, things that the human eye would not distinguish without technology, fewer agonising delays and greater spontaneity of celebration. What a relief for all involved. And that’s why at Cirrus we talk to you and your team. We pinpoint the desired outcomes and take time to understand the needs of your business. Of course, the technology needs to be ‘fit for purpose’ but without considering the people and the processes you run the risk of making things worse before they get better.

That’s the million dollar question at the moment. Whether it be the boss of ASOS on Radio 5 Live recently, Rishi Sunak giving his opinion, colleagues in the office or social media posts. Everywhere one looks there’s another poll, or opinion. And everyone has questions, how will it work? Is flexible working achievable? Will it affect productivity? Can employees be trusted? The list goes on. At Cirrus Technology Solutions we believe flexible working is here to stay and should be welcomed. The last 12 months have shown that business can operate, grow and succeed even in challenging times. Mobilising your workforce to incorporate flexible working can in fact make your organisation a more attractive proposition to future employees and clients alike. Of course some industries and/or roles are more suited to flexible working than others, such as sales. And the IT Industry has had a work from anywhere capability for a while. But there are other ways to incorporate a flexible approach to work too. Most people think of flexible working as the opportunity to work from home, but it goes much further than that. It can be a shortened working week or the ability to work ‘anywhere’. Or the practical benefits. A reduction in commuting, a better work-life balance, improved mental health of the workforce, even less sick days. However flexible working is not for everyone, employees can struggle with the isolation and a potential lack of ‘routine’ and this highlights that ‘flexible’ working needs to deliver what it says on the tin. Cirrus Technology Solutions are an IT Managed Service provider that puts people first, vital when considering the implementation of a flexible working strategy.  There is such a multitude of questions and opinion, that Cirrus have collated 5 things that we would advise any organisation to include in their thought process when considering flexible working. Has flexible working during the pandemic lead to an increase in productivity? How do your staff feel about implementing a flexible working strategy? Cost v Benefit Analysis Will NOT offering a flexible working environment make recruiting more difficult? Technology – laptops, softphones, Teams, CyberSecurity. Is it fit for purpose? Of course these are not the only questions you should be asking, but they will at least give you a solid foundation. And after all, flexible working was always on the agenda, the pandemic has just accelerated the shift.

Hospitality perhaps more than any other industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. Whether that’s local pubs, independent restaurants, well-known chains, music venues or theatres, everyone has felt the pinch. Finally, a little relief arrived last week with the re-opening of outside spaces, drive-in events and even outdoor music. Hooray. From the personal experiences of the Cirrus Technology Solutions team, feedback from our clients and media coverage, it looks like a majority of guests were mindful and respectful of the difficulties that the pandemic have bought about. And more importantly, keen to support an industry that has faced much in the last 12 months. Whatever your choice of ‘hospitality’ it was a joy to be able to experience some sort of normality. Whether it was meeting friends to enjoy a glass of wine or a pint (Cirrus Technology Solutions MD, may have had a pint of Guinness or two), an outdoor meal, or perhaps like our Client Relationship Manager, enjoying some live music in a pub garden. There was most certainly a vibe and buzz, that was tempered in general, with understanding. So what happens when the ‘novelty’ of normality wears thin (if it ever does)? Or when the whole of the industry returns to opening in May (fingers crossed)? How can hospitality ensure that the recovery is long term and not just a boom? Top of the list may be enhancing the guest experience. From updating the look and feel of your venue to special offers, from an inspired menu to technology, many things contribute to the experience of your guests. Technology may not be the ‘go to’ idea when thinking about guest experience but these days it is an important factor. Fast, reliable wi-fi, audio/visual systems, ePos/tills, kitchen printers, CCTV, the list is ever growing. Providing these services can be a headache. Multiple suppliers, invoices, expense, staff training, apps for ordering, websites and more are all a factors to be considered.  They key is to make it as straightforward as possible for guests and employees alike. Finding a specialist technology partner who can provide you with everything you need for your venue, from email to CCTV, audio/visual systems to tills, can make the technology journey smoother. But beware, whilst technology is the outcome, selecting your partner should focus on people. Does the partner understand your business and your guest experience? Or what your staff need to operate at full capacity?  Without that understanding, the technology is ineffective.

Hospitality perhaps more than any other industry has been hit hard by the pandemic. Whether that’s local pubs, independent restaurants, well-known chains, music venues or theatres, everyone has felt the pinch. Finally, a little relief arrived last week with the re-opening of outside spaces, drive-in events and even outdoor music. Hooray. From the personal experiences of the Cirrus Technology Solutions team, feedback from our clients and media coverage, it looks like a majority of guests were mindful and respectful of the difficulties that the pandemic have bought about. And more importantly, keen to support an industry that has faced much in the last 12 months. Whatever your choice of ‘hospitality’ it was a joy to be able to experience some sort of normality. Whether it was meeting friends to enjoy a glass of wine or a pint (Cirrus Technology Solutions MD, may have had a pint of Guinness or two), an outdoor meal, or perhaps like our Client Relationship Manager, enjoying some live music in a pub garden. There was most certainly a vibe and buzz, that was tempered in general, with understanding. So what happens when the ‘novelty’ of normality wears thin (if it ever does)? Or when the whole of the industry returns to opening in May (fingers crossed)? How can hospitality ensure that the recovery is long term and not just a boom? Top of the list may be enhancing the guest experience. From updating the look and feel of your venue to special offers, from an inspired menu to technology, many things contribute to the experience of your guests. Technology may not be the ‘go to’ idea when thinking about guest experience but these days it is an important factor. Fast, reliable wi-fi, audio/visual systems, ePos/tills, kitchen printers, CCTV, the list is ever growing. Providing these services can be a headache. Multiple suppliers, invoices, expense, staff training, apps for ordering, websites and more are all a factors to be considered.  They key is to make it as straightforward as possible for guests and employees alike. Finding a specialist technology partner who can provide you with everything you need for your venue, from email to CCTV, audio/visual systems to tills, can make the technology journey smoother. But beware, whilst technology is the outcome, selecting your partner should focus on people. Does the partner understand your business and your guest experience? Or what your staff need to operate at full capacity?  Without that understanding, the technology is ineffective.

It’s safe to say there has been a huge reaction to yesterday’s announcement that the ‘Big 6’ English football clubs have signed letters of intent to create a ‘Super League’ along with Spanish and Italian clubs. The fallout has been pretty conclusive. Words such as greed, betrayal and even ‘criminal’ have been used by many. Despite a few murmurs of support the negative reaction is far greater. Perhaps the idea of a ‘Super League’ is not so bad in essence, perhaps the governing bodies will finally do something to crack down on the super rich clubs trying to monopolise a sport with millions of fans and participants across the world. Who knows only time will tell. What is already clear is that a swift decision needs to be taken. But there are lessons to be learned that go well beyond the world of football. Whatever the motivations of the clubs involved (money is presumably at the root) they like many other businesses have forgotten or perhaps chosen to ignore something essential. People. At Cirrus Technology Solutions we put people first. Your people. The biggest asset your business has.  Many organisations concentrate on the ‘product’, revenue, technology, the processes, just like the ‘Big 6’. The ‘fans’, the club’s people have been forgotten. Don’t make the same mistake when implementing new technology. Consider the impact and needs of your people, employees and clients. Make sure they are central to any major changes and more importantly included in the decision making process. It is clear from the reaction from fans, employees (managers and players alike) that if you don’t look after them, eventually you will lose them. After all without clients, customers or ‘fans’ much of the value of what your business delivers disappears For more information on Cirrus Technology Solutions please do get in touch. Hello@thinkcirrus.co.uk

Food for Thought? How Technology Can Help The Hospitality Industry Serve Up A Better Guest Experience It’s  been a ridiculously tough time for the hospitality industry over the last 12 months, but finally there may be some light at the end of the tunnel. With venues due to reopen (depending on facilities) within the next few weeks, analysts are predicting a busy 2 or 3 years ahead. BUT!!  Are venues ready for the predicted influx of footfall?  Industry experts suggest possibly not.     Whilst the industry is keen to open up as quickly as possible (as we speak Sacha Lord is questioning the government on the reopening schedule) there will of course be ongoing restrictions and standards to be met. Capacity limits,  extra security, contactless payments, table service only, continuing takeaway services, the list goes on.  Technology could  help. No matter the size or type of venue, from small intimate restaurants to  multi-site  chains, from cocktail bars to music halls the single most important piece of the puzzle is the guest experience.    Whether it’s CCTV to keep guests safe and secure, enhanced Wi-Fi connectivity, data analytics that underpin menu selections, special offers or entertainment preferences, excellent AV or simplifying online ordering and booking, technology can help the industry streamline and improve.    Having technology at the core of your hospitality business may seem an unnecessary expense in the current climate but it really is key to operational success. How often might you lose a customer because the telephone goes unanswered during a busy service or when you are closed? Might your licence be affected by  non-operational  or non-existent CCTV? What happens if your online booking system goes offline? Or your tills stop working? Working with a technology partner can erase all these issues and worries as well as ensure your team on the ground are concentrating on what really counts, your guests.    But the  use of technology in hospitality doesn’t stop there. During the  pandemic Cirrus Technology have been not only continuing to support our current clients  but discussing ideas on how to further utilise technology in their venues. These conversations have ranged from  the frustrations of guest wi-fi services  that are unreliable in outside spaces to  how the CCTV cameras already on site could be used to assist the chefs and kitchen staff to expedite orders more quickly and efficiently.    Increasingly we are seeing hospitality venues realising that whilst they have been hit hard by the pandemic, the future is looking bright and that needs to be capitalised on. Whether that is through enhancing the guest experience, inspiring customer loyalty, focusing on efficiencies (both time and cost) or  utilising the reams of data captured during the guests visit, there are many and various ideas to explore.      However, the bottom line  is:- if you haven’t thought about how technology can help your business you should. And if it’s not your thing, then  we suggest you find a specialist partner who will bring your ideas to life.       To find out how technology can be used to enhance the guest experience,  please join our online seminar on Tuesday, 6th April, 9.30am. Click the link below to book. Food for Thought? How Technology Serves Mowgli Street Food And Their Guests         

This week has seen significant press for the Exchange Server Vulnerability #HAFNIUM. Indeed #Microsoft have been forced into rapidly preparing patches from not only this but other threats that are exploiting the same shortcoming in the software. The exploits are require the use of soft passwords to be successful The respected global tech publishers ZDNET released a long article about this Microsoft: These Exchange Server zero-day flaws are being used by hackers, so update now | ZDNet covering the scale of the issue and what is being done to help users. The visibility and attention being drawn to the Exchange Server Vulnerability also provides some insight into the scale and concern for this threat So what does all this mean? Zero day attacks render (in this case) Exchange servers useless and allows hackers to steal data. For any business this is a problem on many fronts. This isn’t quite ransomware where you lose complete access to the system and forced to pay for them to be released but once you know the issue is happening it’s almost certainly too late to stop the loss of data and render the system unusable for a while. The hacks do however affect all on premise versions of exchange server including 2019 so the potential damage to be caused is significant What’s being done to address this? On 2nd March Microsoft released patches for the vulnerabilities. The challenge however is two fold. The first: people have been largely unaware of this situation and Secondly: businesses are typically very slow to patch operating systems meaning that although preventions have been released relatively few businesses will have applied them. #PaloAlto estimate over 120,000 systems worldwide remain unpatched and therefore vulnerable to this Exchange Server Vulnerability Good Practice As with any technology the race to encroach or be protected is perpetual and for this reason all vendors worldwide release updates for you to apply. These updates can happen hourly or maybe only once a year but they are critical components all the same in maintaining your perimeters and safeguarding business. Systems as a minimum should be checked daily and depending on the type of update being released you should never be more than 7 days adrift of the very latest updates. More critical updates like this should be applied immediately with less critical updates allowed to be bathed into a weekly cycle. If you are not pathing systems on a regular basis we suggest you review this immediately. It would be prudent to conduct an audit of systems and policies to see where else you may have risks It’s worth pointing out that even the most publicised of attacks in recent years have all been preventable with active management of systems, specifically patching. The current threats also suggest poor passwords have also been compromised in order to (in some way) facilitate access. Passwords are a perineal topic for basic security and the most likely route for exposure. A simply policy that’s enforced is often all that is needed Cirrus Technology Solutions If you have concerns about any of these we’d be happy to help and discuss our credentials for making your business #CyberSecure T: 03303 130966 E: hello@thinkcirrus.co.uk W: www.thinkcirrus.co.uk

Name: Benjamin Young Job role: Support Engineer Qualifications: BTech in Music Technology Length of time at Cirrus: 3 months In a nutshell, what do you do at Cirrus? I offer live support for Cirrus clients and provide engineering solutions to IT issues. When you are not at Cirrus you can be found… in my garden. What inspires you? Music! If your team members had to describe you in one word what would it be? Intense. What is your go to drink order? Grey Goose… a double. What will you never be seen without? Headphones. Favourite quote: “Don’t believe everything you read on the internet” …  Julius Caesar Something no one knows about me is… I’m a great dancer. If you had to be an animal what would you be and why? A great blue whale.

HikVision CCTV & Solution Partner