Office 365 has given business owners access to online organisational programs and collaboration tools for years. In an effort to become more user-friendly, Microsoft recently added new security features for Office 365, including two security upgrades and the addition of productivity tracking. Keep reading to find out more about Office 365's new Azure Information Protection, Enterprise Mobile Device Management and Productive Insight features. Azure Information Protection Using Office 365 protection technology, also known as Azure RMS, this feature allows business leaders to mark sensitive documents and control who has access to information in various documents. The protection travels with the data, whether it is online or provided through another device. Business owners can mark a document as internal and keep it from being sent outside the company. Drop-down menus also allow users to apply traceable data protection in order to identify potential leaks and gain insight into how a business is structured. Enterprise Mobility + Security Suite Re-branded from the Enterprise Mobility Suite, this feature adds more security potential to sensitive data while allowing business owners to manage apps on any device from one location. Users have more control over identity-driven access and also encrypts data to allow secure collaboration among employees. Productivity Insight This feature, an addition to Delve Analytics, tracks an employee's time management at the office. MyAnalytics for Outlook allows business owners or managers to see who has read, replied, and forwarded their email while also providing them with information on the the email sender. The feature also acts as a storage receptacle for shared files and contact information so they can be accessed quickly. As Office 365 expands its services to include security and productivity features, companies using cloud-based servers have an advantage over old-school computer users. Not only do they have access to the technology to keep their data safe and accessible to employees, but they also have the management software to see where their efforts are paying off by way of productivity programs. If you need to know more about the new security features for Office 365, contact our Multi IT & Telephony Solution professionals now. We can answer your questions and help you get the most out of the new Security and Productivity Insight additions.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is a buzzword that inspires business owners yet also instils in them a sense of dread. More accurately described as “machine learning,” this exciting innovation is swiftly becoming an integral part of doing business. In fact, industry experts are predicting that by 2020, 85 percent of the interactions between corporate customer service departments and customers will involve AI. If you’re an e-commerce business owner, you’re in a prime spot to get ahead of the curve early. Predicting what your customers want There are numerous ways for AI to be used in e-commerce to the benefit of both businesses and the consumer. Machine learning algorithms can, for example, identify customer habits and their interests based on search histories (both inside and outside of a specific business's site). With the proper configuration, this service can analyse shopping behaviours to customise and tailor the online shopping experience to that specific user. Product recommendations, pairings, and promotions can target individuals, improving the customer experience, and in turn, your bottom line. “I’m looking for something a little more…” Machine learning is also great for cataloguing products. In the past, businesses would send out dense and cumbersome product catalogues that made it difficult for customers to find what they were looking for. In the near future, customers will be able to upload photographs of an article of clothing that’s similar to what they want to purchase or pair with another. Through AI, a website will be able to analyse the photographs and create a catalogue of suggestions based on data from the image for a true machine-learning solution. Customers can still talk to a “representative” With advances in “plain language” systems, more and more users will rely on e-commerce over face-to-face sales interactions. Machine learning is getting better at interpreting conversations, and answering with natural-sounding responses. If the choice is either searching “Blue summer dress,” or “I’m looking for something relaxed and in a warm blue color,” which do you think would make customers’ shopping experience better? By replicating the in-person shopping experience over the internet, businesses can shift away from brick and mortar overheads to an e-commerce-centred structure. Significant savings can be realised in the areas of capital expenditures and human resources, all while reducing the opportunity for costly human error as well. AI augments e-commerce businesses Given all of these factors, you can see how AI could improve your e-commerce business’s potential. Believe it or not, if you’re ready to begin integrating more “machine learning” into your business model, we already have the means to make that happen. Contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions for your own e-commerce website. We can also transform your e-commerce business into a money-making powerhouse!

If you’ve read this blog before, you already know security is paramount to the success of any small business. Multi IT & Telephony Solutions is BIG on security and we have compiled five tips to avoid a security breach. We cover the ever increasing cases of security violation in big and small businesses, as well as national and international organisations where data, applications, networks, devices and networks have been illegally accessed by unauthorised people. But today we want to look at simple preventative measures to ensure these risks never befall your organisation. Limitation of lateral data transfers Employees not being educated on data sharing and security is one of the biggest reasons for internal data breaches. It’s a good idea to limit access to important data and information by restricting access privileges to only a small number of individuals. Also, you can decide to use network segmentation to cut unnecessary communication from your own network to others. Keeping your machines and devices updated Internal breaches might also occur when employees work with unguarded or unprotected machines. They might unknowingly download malware, which normally wouldn’t be a problem if machines were properly managed. Updating your operating systems, antivirus software, business software, and firewalls as often as possible will go a long way toward solidifying your defence systems. Use monitoring and machine learning to sniff out abnormalities It’s not all on your employees, however. Network administrators should employ monitoring software to prevent breaches by analysing what is “normal” behaviour and comparing that to what appears to be suspicious behaviour. Cyber criminals often hide in networks to exploit them over a long period of time. Even if you miss them the first time, you should monitor suspicious activity so you can recognise impropriety and amend security policies before it goes any further. Creating strong security passwords and credentials No matter how often we say it, there’s always room for improvement when it comes to your passwords and login procedures. In addition to text-based credentials, you should require other methods whenever possible. Great for fortifying your network, fingerprints and smart cards, for example, are much harder for cyber criminals to fake. Regardless of which factors are used, they must be frequently updated to prevent breaches, accidental or otherwise. Security Insurance In the end, no system is perfect. Zero-day attacks exploit unknown gaps in security, and human error, accidental or otherwise, can never be totally prevented. And for this reason, small businesses need to start embracing cyber insurance policies. These policies help cover the damages that might occur even under a top-of-the-line security infrastructure. Considerations for selecting a policy include legal fees, first and third-party coverage, and coverage for reputation rehabilitation. The field of cyber security is overwhelming -- even for seasoned IT professionals. But not for us. We spend our days researching and experimenting to craft the best security solutions on the market. If you're interested in one of our cutting-edge cyber-security plans, contact Multi IT & Telephony Solutions today.