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NEWS

The latest from Simplify IT

Welcome to the latest news and what's going on in the world around Simplify IT.  We hope it's of interest. If you have something you'd like to share with us, get in touch. Check out the articles below.

by James Kiely 31 Mar, 2023
As unbelievable as it still seems, this weekend marks a year since our friend and founder, Lee Rogers, was reported missing en route to France. There is still a Lee-shaped hole in our world at Simplify Technology Group that no amount of time will truly repair. A great inspiration, a leader by example, an infectiously positive and generous spirit. As I write this, I can hear Lee's voice telling us to get on with it, as well as a politically incorrect jibe or two for good measure. Our shared commitment to getting on with Lee's vision is testament to his guidance, sound judgement and hard work. So that's what we're doing and doing well. I salute my colleagues for that. Anybody who knew Lee will have a great memory or 5 to make them smile. I'd ask you this weekend to remember Lee, raise a glass of something, and if you're able to, maybe share some of your fondest memories. Just days before that awful weekend, I had the honour of spending a day on Lee's boat with him. It was one of the best days of my life and certainly the best day of my working life. I told him so, and I'm glad I did. Miss you guv.
by Simplify IT 26 Sept, 2022
As you may have recently heard, Simplify Technology Group has been created to incorporate an umbrella of specialist companies that can offer the very best specialised services, yet work in unison across the group to provide complete services and solutions to our customers. At the moment, this unholy alliance (lovely people really) involves two companies - Simplify IT and CC Communications, each outstanding in their field. So it was decided that, in the spirit of unity and to get the ball rolling properly, both would come together and try and be outstanding in a field. So Spa, so good. In the breath-taking surroundings of Shrigley Hall Hotel and Spa in the stunning Cheshire countryside, the staff of the newly formed Simplify Technology Group met. Firstly for some delicious refreshments and to get to know each other. In truth, this union has been in the offing for about six months now and so many of the guys already knew each other in many respects, but not all. It quickly became apparent that getting on wasn't going to be an issue. So after lunch you'd imagine the parties would take advantage of the famous open air luxurious spa, or the perfectly maintained golf course. Nah. Fetch my axe! In the true and finest traditions of founder Lee Rogers, who would rather drive a Main Battle Tank across the thirteenth fairway, or do donuts on a jet ski in the spa, we resorted to sporting violence to break the ice. This involved pistol shooting, archery, clay pigeon shooting and of course, axe throwing. The group were divided up into four groups (orange, blue, black and pink - at least I think so) and got stuck in. An absolute blast was had by all, with orange team just about victorious. Some seriously good Robin Hoods, assassins, vikings, and... to the manor born aristocrats became known. The Group would fare well in a zombie apocalypse perhaps. In any case, great fun was had by all. All that remained to be decided on the field of valour was a 100m sprint race, weeks in the planning after some office shenanigans. Poor Tom injuring his hamstring left Joe victorious, even over the stand in competition. Mouth like a Pharaohs sock Forgive the vulgar analogy but I've rarely been so ready for... refreshment. It was thirsty work that afternoon after all. A beautiful September sun blazing away for the duration. That seemed to be a popular opinion too by all accounts. So after a quick change for the guys, and meticulous preparation for the gals, it was time to get a sup on before dinner. Not content to settle their differences on the field, Tom and Joe squared off to see who could throw a pint down their neck quickest. It was close but a steward's enquiry favoured Joe again. As the day wore on, both companies were feeling very comfortable in each other's company, talked a bit of shop, and shared some laughs. Dinner is served A fine dinner, with the marvellous fare matching the grand surroundings. Shrigley Hall truly is something to behold. Tom said a few words after dinner to mark the occasion and to remember Lee, without whom none of this would be possible. We miss him but we're going to make this a success - as was his vision. We're a good fit for each other, we offer far more to our customers together than we did alone. So here's to the success of Simplify Technology Group Ltd . We think it's going to work out just fine. Thank you to Sarah Rogers for arranging this fantastic day. Thank you to the staff at Shrigley Hall Hotel and Spa , and thank you for reading this.
by Simplify IT 02 Aug, 2022
It hasn't even been a year since Lee Rogers set out to climb the 3 highest peaks in each nation of Great Britain, this to raise money to train a guide dog named 'Dannii' in honour of Lee's niece who had tragically passed away at a young age. And now we're mourning another tragic loss as we've lost Lee himself. It's not fair, it's incredibly cruel. After losing Dannii, Lee was quite clearly heartbroken but rather than retreat into darkness he took positive action. That was Lee all over - when life gives you Lemons, make Lemonade - and give it to the thirsty. So Matt Beacham, who accompanied Lee up the 3 peaks last year, decided to take them on again and this time in honour of Lee. Ever and strangely keen to tackle the arduous climbs and raise money for charity, Matt successfully completed the climbs on the weekend of the 30th July, kitted out with his all new Simplify IT sponsored walking shirt, which was very professionally prepared by Warwick printing company Pixel Studios who we'd like to thank for supporting this endeavour with speed and exceptional quality and service. They also donated the shirt itself once they heard it was for Lee. We thank Paul and team at Pixel and highly recommend them to anybody. Emblazoned on the shirt is what we hope will be the outcome of all this effort, the funding for at least one - and most likely more - Guide Dogs. Can you guess what the first one's name will be? A Guide Dog Named Lee... and maybe Roger? If you guessed Lee, you guessed right. Guide Dogs was a charity close to Lee's heart. His family would really appreciate it if you could show your support through charitable donation. Ideally they'd like to raise enough money in his memory to have a guide dog puppy named "Lee" - which his daughter Ellie reckons would obviously be the worst behaved pup of any litter & be unlikely to pass out! Well, we're sure he'll be trouble but if he's anything like his namesake he will absolutely smash it. Fundraising has been brilliant, and thanks to generosity of so many, not only is Lee the puppy going to happen, but a second (who may be name Roger) and more... In loving memory of Lee Some of you will be aware we had a celebration of Lee's life recently, and the family asked that instead of flowers anybody who wished to make a tribute did so by donating to Guide Dogs. We laughed, we cried, we shared so many amazing stories of Lee's adventures and we donated - And how! Simplify IT matched the many wonderful and generous donations on the day and so we're in a position to go beyond the original hopes of the fundraising initiative. Going above and beyond is what Lee was all about so what a fitting tribute. Lee the puppy, and hopefully Roger and however many others we can fund together, will follow Dannii into a wonderful cause. Thank you so much. If you have any stories, anecdotes or memories of Lee to share, no matter how dodgy (come on, we know who we're talking about here) please send them to StoriesOfLee@simplifyit.co.uk Thanks Matt Of course, all this is helped massively by the endeavours of Matt Beacham. A kind soul and a tireless fundraiser. Kate Bush may be running up that hill at the moment, but Matt chooses mountains and we salute him. It is no mean feat to climb so may metres (and descend them) in questionable conditions in so short a time - and to do so with a cheerful demeanour, with his sponsored walking shirt that would put most Formula 1 cars to shame - is admirable. Well done Matt. Please, if you can, give generously. You'll find details below of how you can donate. Thank you very, very much in advance.
by Simplify IT 10 May, 2022
After years of sustained success and growth, Simplify IT has restructured to meet the demands of the future, including specialising in areas like Education. With that in mind, Simplify Technology Group has been created to incorporate an umbrella of specialist companies that can offer the very best specialised services, yet work in synergy across the group to provide complete services and solutions to our customers. Under Simplify Technology Group (to begin with) will sit Simplify IT and, we're very excited to announce, CC Communications. About CC Communications Based in Burnley, CC Communications are a specialist Education IT solution provider with longstanding customer relationships with Schools, Colleges, Academy Chains and Trusts. CC pride themselves on outstanding quality of service & support and as a result many of their customers have been with them for over 15/20 years. CC passionately believe in the appropriate use of technology to support teaching and learning and to improve learning outcomes for all. Their unique combination of skills, resources and experience enables them to provide the full spectrum of new and refurbished teaching and learning technology in line with all budgets. Specialist Areas, solutions including Services: Education AV Specialists designing, supplying, and installing Interactive technology, large venue audio and video, video conferencing and digital signage New and refurbished IT equipment including network infrastructure, PCs, laptops, Chromebooks, tablets and Interactive Screens Special Educational Bid pricing with Tier 1 Manufacturers, HP, Lenovo, Fujitsu, and Dell Helping schools deliver 1:1 learning through allowing parents to access a device for as little as £1 a month Providing a school’s catalogue program to simplify the IT management of multiple establishments and the procurement process Hardware and software security solutions from individual users through to complete network infrastructures Trusted and flexible IT and support services Education financing and leasing options
by Simplify IT 23 Feb, 2022
Organisations should follow National Cyber Security Centre advice and act on improving their resilience with the cyber threat heightened, this comes after a major cyber attack is underway against Ukraine's Government Infrastructure. Websites belonging to a host of Ukrainian governmental bodies have been targeted in a massive cyber-attack, Reuters news agency has reported. Websites for the Ukrainian parliament (the Rada), the foreign ministry and the security services are among several services that have been affected by the attack. Following Russia’s further violation of Ukraine’s territorial integrity, the National Cyber Security Centre has called on organisations in the UK to bolster their online defences. The NCSC – which is a part of GCHQ – has urged organisations to follow its guidance on steps to take when the cyber threat is heightened (as it is now). While the NCSC is not aware of any current specific threats to UK organisations in relation to events in and around Ukraine, there has been an historical pattern of cyber attacks on Ukraine with international consequences . The guidance encourages organisations to follow actionable steps that reduce the risk of falling victim to an attack. If you are understandably concerned by this news - and whilst we are not advocating panic, we do stress that your Cyber Security measures need to be more robust than ever - please get in touch so we can advise you and get you protected before it's too late. Please note: This is not a ghoulish attempt to do business on the back of a genuine crisis, this is a genuine commitment to assist in getting vulnerable businesses protected - because we're experts and we can help and therefore should. If you're not sure how vulnerable you are, get in touch. We can evaluate your security systems and options in very little time.
by Simplify IT 04 Feb, 2022
Simplify IT Solutions has been certified as a Cisco Premier Integrator in UK. This represents a levelling up from Premier Partner, in addition to our existing status as a Cisco Security Specialist. Cisco has bestowed this partnership status on us due to our increasing experience and excellent reputation with Cisco solutions. According to Cisco "Simplify IT has met all personnel, specialisation, support requirements and has demonstrated that it is qualified to sell, install and support Cisco solutions in UK." All this means that when it comes to supplying, installing and supporting Cisco Solutions, you can trust us to absolutely smash it. Not literally of course, we'd like to keep our status.
by Simplify IT 20 Dec, 2021
Last week, if you're not yet aware, a vulnerability was found in Log4j, an open-source logging library commonly used by apps and services across the internet. If left unfixed, attackers can break into systems, steal passwords and logins, extract data, and infect networks with malicious software. This library is being used in all kinds of enterprise and open-source software. In short, its something major that could take down huge portions of the internet and other connected networks and devices. Log4j is used worldwide across software applications and online services, and the vulnerability requires very little expertise to exploit. This makes Log4shell potentially the most severe computer vulnerability in years. This issue could allow hackers to take control of any Java-based web servers and launch remote-code execution attacks, which could give them control of the computer servers. That could open up a host of security-compromising possibilities. Patches were deployed quickly, however more vulnerabilities have since been found and so, even if you think you've responded to this already, the chances are there are more fixes to come, and more vulnerabilities discovered. Microsoft stated on Tuesday that international hacking groups have already been exploiting the vulnerabilities and that can only mean Ransomware attacks down the line. So the upshot is that you need to consider how this affects you and your estate. If you're a Simplify IT customer you will or already have received an alert asking you to get in touch so we can take action. If you're not a Simplify IT customer, now is a very good time to begin.
by Simplify IT 16 Dec, 2021
Simplify IT can now provide you with 5 free MT sensor licenses - in perpetuity. No action is required to receive the free licenses. They should automatically appear in dashboard and do not expire. The 5 free licenses - combined with the Meraki sensors 4 for 2 promotion (running through January 2022) make it easier than ever to get started with MT. Get in touch with us today to learn how MT sensors can transform any environment into a smart space and deliver significant business outcomes. We'll also explain below a little about what they do. The Cisco Meraki MT product family is a line of cloud-managed sensors that are exceptionally simple to configure and deploy due to its integration with the Meraki dashboard and the use of BLE technology. The MT family eliminates the complex and costly setup required by traditional solutions by removing the limitations of placement of these sensors. Let's look at what these Sensors do, and what they can do for your organisation...
by Simplify IT 30 Nov, 2021
Browne Jacobson is a major UK Nationwide law firm and are accredited experts across the private and public sectors. Browne Jacobson has true national reach, with offices in Nottingham, Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter, and London. With hundreds of lawyers and partners, and a significantly expanding client base, Browne Jacobson are a company that needs significant technical assistance to support their rapid growth. Simplify IT has provided such assistance for over 9 years. Here's one recent example of that kind of support, which we're proud to say was another big success. So please, if you'll indulge us, let us explain what we did and how, and what the outcome was. Hopefully it will give you a feel for the kind of excellence we pride ourselves in.
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