In today’s climate of rapid change and uncertainty, business challenges are not a possibility – but a reality that organisations of any shape or size will face sooner rather than later.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. By leveraging the learnings of these obstacles, businesses can turn what might have previously been a mediocre IT service into something jam-packed with strategy and resilience.
Whatever your IT requirements, we’ll help you to consider all options. Here at Central, you’ll never be just ‘a ticket’ to us, we make things happen through our passion for problem solving and will help you to make decisions with commercial interests in mind. So, without further ado.
Here’s three reasons why outsourcing your IT support starts with the objectives and challenges of your organisation…
You need to know the lie of the land.
You can't implement 'great IT' if you aren't aware of what the need for the tech is. Looking at the current objectives and challenges of your organisation and evaluating which tech foundations already exist gives you a starting point.
Perhaps you’re looking to set up a new IT network, or transfer your existing one, or you may be considering how best to protect your organisation from cyber-attacks and data breaches —whatever the need is for outsourcing your managed IT support, we’re here to be a trusted partner and help drive your organisation forward.
It helps to solve organisation-wide pain-points.
Tech and operational frustrations are often felt across an entire organisation. If you don't consider your business objectives and challenges and look at your IT set-up in tandem, any solution you implement won't be considered, and likely, not fit for purpose. Here at Central, we’re committed to making IT as seamless as possible, to ensure business continuity as well as supporting your team whenever they need it.
Technical issues may be having more of an impact on your organisation than you once thought, which is why outsourcing your IT needs to a trusted partner can help to increase productivity of your current team, minimise downtime, and significantly reduce the burden of mounting IT pressures.
It gives you a benchmark.
If you're able to evaluate where you are with new tech in comparison to your old tech, it helps to give a measure of how successful its implementation has been — as well as a clearer indicator of ROI. Equally, if you have specific goals in place — whether for staff and/or customers - these need to be established, so you can ensure your tech partner implements a solution that's future-proofed and directly supports where your organisation is heading.
Want to learn more about how objectives and challenges can supercharge your IT? We love to chat! Whether you’re seeking more information on our comprehensive service offering or want to know if we’d be the right fit for your business, contact us below.
Here at Central, people are at the heart of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything we do.
We started out on our IT journey back in 1991, and our mission and ethos haven’t changed. We’re a family-run firm that pride ourselves on our integrity, honesty, and objectivity – and we make IT stress free by keeping it as simple as possible.
But it’s our people who make this all possible. Get to know them more in our staff spotlight.
Name: Abdul Samad
Job title: Senior service desk engineer
Department: IT
Sum up your role at Central in one sentence:
I am a senior servicedesk engineer, assisting our customers with second- and third-line issues. I also provide support to other colleagues.
What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Polite, helpful, and approachable.
And what do you enjoy most about your job?
I love the exposure to new technologies and systems. I also relish opportunities to further develop myself and learn from others within my team – at Central, we’re like one big family.
Check your phone, what was the last emoji you sent?
A laughing face 🤣 – because I’m always positive and trying to make people laugh.
Who was or is your biggest inspiration?
My dad – he taught me it’s never too late to learn something new.
You’re hosting a three-course dinner party, what’s on the menu?
Lamb chops for starters, chicken jalfrezi with chapatis for main, and waffles for dessert.
Back to Central, what makes the company stand out?
We are a strong and close-knit team, and each person has their own unique skill set which helps us work together successfully.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself we might not know:
I am extremely interested in astronomy!
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Life is a journey, not a destination.
Central’s mission is to ‘restore faith in IT’ – tell us more about what this means to you:
For me, this is all about our people-centric, no-jargon approach to IT support. We know that the world of technology can be a confusing one, that’s why we always keep it simple and tailored to each client’s individual needs – we truly care about our customers and being an extension of their team.
If you’d like to receive more news and updates from the Central team, why not head over to our Twitter page or connect with us on LinkedIn?
After recently hitting our 30-year milestone of business, we thought there was no better moment to share some insight into the core principles that run through our DNA.
While some of our people have been with us for more than two decades, we know that others have only recently become acquainted with the business. It’s important to us that, no matter how long we’ve been on this journey together, we’re on the same page – so we can seamlessly integrate ourselves as your reliable, trusted advisors to help put IT at the heart of your organisation. After all, synergy is key to a strong, long-term working relationship.
We’re by no means reinventing the wheel here with these principles – the way we operate has centred around these very ideas for as long as we can remember. But we know how difficult it can be to find the perfect IT partner for your organisation – one that keeps everything stress free, where excellent technology is a given, delivered with a personal approach, and a purpose to really listen to your needs.
Because it doesn’t exist, right? Wrong.
Whether you’re an established friend of Central or have just begun to explore our options, we want to remind you that you’ll never be just ‘a ticket’ to us. And that’s how it always will be.
So, without further ado, let’s delve deeper into what it really means to be Central, together…
Authentic.
It’s no secret that we’re a people-centred business. Being trusted to do what we say we will is an integral part of our existence, and we’ll always deliver on our promises.
We pride ourselves on our no pressure approach and always give advice based on integrity and objectivity. Our team of experienced IT professionals are problem solvers, innovators, and out-of-the-box thinkers – we’ll never offer a simple ‘sticking plaster’ solution. Instead, we’ll take a strategic view of your IT needs and offer you sophisticated support from start to finish.
That might mean we have to challenge you on occasions, or even say no, but you can be confident that this is because we have your best interests at heart. We want to make sure you get the absolute best from your IT solutions, and truly maximise your ROI.
Curious.
Understanding our customers and colleagues – from the things that they need to the way that they work – requires us to listen first and listen deeply. We get under the skin of each and every one of our people, asking the right questions and surfacing the most crucial details so we can provide the most sophisticated level of support.
We know technology can be complex at the best of times, which is why we strive to make it simple and stress-free for everyone we speak to. After all, businesses are their people.
Bothered.
Short-termism doesn’t reap results, so we take the long view and build lasting relationships with our customers. That means treating their businesses like our own and making decisions with their commercial benefit in mind.
Through our hard working ethic and holistic approach, we’ll always deliver above and beyond to protect your ROI. And as a family-owned business, we’ve got the resources and flexibility to keep our service personal too – we always have.
Measurable.
We make things happen through a passion for problem-solving, and continuously analyse the impact we’re having on your organisation so we can drive value where it matters.
By working towards the same goals and objectives as your in-house team, we can make your business increasingly nimble and empower your people to thrive. If we don’t create a positive impact, we haven’t done our job properly.
Want to get to know us on an even deeper level? We love to chat! Whether you’re seeking more information on our comprehensive service offering, or want to know if we’d be the right fit for your business, give us a call on 01706 747 474.
Central provides The Regenda Group – a medium-sized Registered Social Housing Provider (RSHP) with 13,000 homes – with multi-level support.
Microsoft Office 365 is a revolutionary tool, helping businesses across the globe achieve more through its comprehensive software suite housing over 20 applications, intelligent email hosting and cloud storage space, plus world-class security infrastructure.
Offering a host of collaborative, state-of-the-art features in one seamless, consolidated experience, the tool plays an integral role in the day-to-day operations of over 1.5 million company users worldwide. Not only do Office 365’s cloud capabilities remove geographical constraints – allowing around-the-clock access no matter where or when – they also present an abundance of cost and time-saving efficiencies for IT teams and finance departments by automatically issuing updates for products, patches, and new releases.
But while organisations large and small are continuing to invest in the subscription, a limited number of these are truly maximising its potential – with many business owners, and teams as a result, being unaware of some of the key features on offer.
That’s why, here at Central, we decided to put our tech-minded heads together to come up with 5 simple ways you can use your Microsoft Office 365 software to boost ROI – improving productivity within your teams, creating significant time efficiencies across the board, and spearheading creativity.
1. Anytime, anywhere access
Ok, so we’ve already touched on the fact that Microsoft Office 365 enables teams to access files at any given moment, but let’s delve a little deeper.
It doesn’t matter whether you’re working remotely or in the office, on a laptop or smartphone – as long as your device is connected to the internet, the cloud-based model allows users to keep important files up to date anytime, anywhere. Whether you need to tap into a fellow staff member’s document for important information, or finish a piece of work at a later date, this is a key feature that SME’s should not overlook. And with the remote working surge over recent years dispersing teams across different parts of the country – and often world – the value of instantaneous, flexible access is truly indispensable.
2. Creative collaboration
Offering a foundation to share, edit and collaborate through OneDrive, Microsoft Teams, and more, Office 365 crucially unlocks contemporary ways of working.
Gone are the days of one in, one out document editing, constant link sharing to access files, and rushing around to be in five places at once. No matter your location, you can be confident that you have the tools to help you adapt – with the ability to share Office files both internally and externally, co-author in real time, attend meetings virtually, and be productive from anywhere.
Not only does this create a shared understanding across your organisation, but it bolsters the team dynamic and encourages innovative ideas into fruition.
3. Productive email management
With almost 320 billion emails estimated to have been sent and received globally throughout 2021, we know that staying on top of your e-correspondence can be a stressful experience to say the least. But from contact grouping to clutter management, Office 365 has a myriad of features to make managing your inbox a whole lot easier.
The ‘Distribution Lists’ feature presents a simpler alternative to painstakingly typing each email address into your recipient list when sending a group email. With the click of a button, you can send direct mail to organised segments of your contact list – such as an entire marketing department or type of client – and even automatically forward to multiple addresses. Excellent for project work and seamless communications within your department.
What’s more, with Office 365’s ‘Focused Inbox’ feature, there’s a more convenient way to declutter your inbox and streamline workflow. Separating emails into ‘focused’ and ‘other’ category tabs, Focused Inbox brings your most important emails to the fore, whilst any remaining communications are filed out of the way – but still easily accessible.
4. Data loss prevention
Thanks to OneDrive, file accessibility and recovery is extremely straightforward and contributes to the headache-free running of day-to-day tasks.
We already know that being cloud-based is one of Office 365’s many USPs – not least in terms of collaboration – but this model also contributes to a more secure, reliable way of working. As well as saving on local storage space, housing your company’s files on the cloud allows you to sync updates and back up files across multiple devices. Plus, with the added bonus of OneDrive’s ‘Version History’ functionality, users can easily restore older copies of files.
But that’s not all – there’s an abundance of other state-of-the-art features to explore from OneDrive.
5. Enhanced data protection
Office 365 features several built-in data encryption capabilities – which, if you’ve read our recent blog on cybersecurity best practice, you’ll know this is something that should be high on the agenda for all organisations.
BitLocker, for example, is a Windows-integrated data protection feature which safeguards against threats in case there are lapses in other processes or controls – such as access control or recycling of hardware – that have the potential to compromise disks containing data. In instances where someone gains physical access to your hardware, BitLocker eliminates the potential for data theft or exposure through a key protection chain – essentially, the management of credentials used to unlock or recover encrypted disks which requires a high-level of elevation and approvals to access.
And there’s a whole host of further data protection offerings – both default and optional – to discover, if you want to optimise the security of your firm’s data.
At Central, we know that tighter budgets and fluctuating productivity mean that processes need to add real value if they’re ever going to become a mainstay of your firm. That’s why leveraging Microsoft’s productivity suite and its comprehensive range of capabilities is a must.
Beyond these top tips for maximising Office 365’s potential, our managed IT services can help you breathe easy by providing around-the-clock, expert advice.
And you’ll never be just a ‘ticket’ to us. While we pride ourselves on providing leading, strategic support to a range of organisations, we’ve got the resources and flexibility to keep our approach personal.
So, if you’re seeking additional assistance on Microsoft Office 365 or simply want to know more about how we can help to understand and implement your business’ needs, get in touch.
And don’t forget, you can also find news updates from the Central team over on Twitter and LinkedIn.
A rare chance to join the Central team…
It’s been an exciting time at Central as we mark 30 years in business. Celebrating a period of continued growth, we are now looking to welcome two new faces to our team.
With a Technical Engineer and IT Support Analyst role up for grabs, we’re seeking individuals with a genuine passion and talent for what they do – people who will approach their roles with pride, helping Central to continue putting customers first, while seeing IT take its rightful position at the heart of every organisation.
In return for the skills, experience, and positive attitude that we’re looking for, we’ll provide a fantastic opportunity — a chance to join a team who care about what they do, to be part of a family-run organisation that’s committed to its people, and the ability to take the next steps in your career.
Find out the specifics of each role, below:
Job Title: Technical Engineer
Location: Field based / Rochdale HQ
Department: Operations
Reporting to: Service Manager
Salary: Dependent on experience (plus car allowance)
The Role: Joining a vibrant and innovative team of likeminded multi skilled engineers, the role will see you design, plan, and implement cutting edge solutions tailor made to the customers’ requirements. You will also be required to provide high-quality on-going maintenance and support services to a wide variety of customers.
The Company: Central Networks and Technologies Ltd (Central) was founded in September 1991. Since then, we have enjoyed 30 years of profitable operation and helped over 1200 customers with their IT and support needs. We are an independent IT services and support supplier.
Responsibilities:
Essential skills:
Desirable additional skills:
Job Title: Senior Support Engineer
Location: Heywood HQ
Department: Operations
Reporting to: Service Desk Manager
Salary: Dependent on experience
The Role: You will be working on a busy service desk supporting both private and public sector clients. Ideally you have experience working for a managed service provider in a similar role or you just want to take your career to the next level. You will be able to work on your own initiative and resolve complex support issues.
The technologies & vendors you will be expected to work with are Microsoft server (AD, DNS, DHCP & GPO), Microsoft Office, Microsoft Exchange, VMware & shared storage, Veeam, O365, Citrix, Horizon, Watchguard, FortiGate, Draytek, FTTC/ADSL, Cisco.
Although you may not possess all of the skills above, you will have a hunger to learn and become a master in all.
The Company: Central Networks and Technologies Ltd (Central) was founded in September 1991. Since then, we have enjoyed 30 years of profitable operation and helped over 1200 customers with their IT and support needs. We are an independent IT services and support supplier.
Essential skills:
Desirable skills:
Responsibilities:
People are at the heart of everything we do – whether they’re considered a part of the furniture having been with the team for decades or are a newer recruit just starting out on their journey, each plays an integral role in our future.
If you’d like to hear more about the roles we have available, or to apply, please send your CV to TechnicalRecruitment@centralnetworks.co.uk or call us on 01706 747474.
Whether you’re a business or charity organisation, we believe that technology should be at the heart of everything you do. With the increasing complexity of the digital revolution causing businesses to become victim to cyber-attacks and security breaches more frequently than ever, outsourcing your IT to a trusted partner could add real value to your existing team.
Offering reliable assistance that boasts a myriad of efficiencies — from widened access to industry knowledge and expertise, one often overlooked benefit of improved morale and productivity throughout your team — external partners can significantly reduce the burdens of mounting IT pressures.
So, whether you choose to wholly or partially outsource your IT needs, here are some of our top tips on leveraging the powers of professional IT services to grow your organisation…
And at Central, we think that service is even more important than the product itself. We always go the extra mile to look after our customers – and we’ve been doing this for 30 years. We’re committed to making IT as seamless as possible and placing people at the heart of everything we do.
Central can help to understand and implement your business’s digital transformation needs. To discuss your requirements with one of our specialists or for more advice on growing your organisation with professional IT services, Contact us.
And don’t forget, you can also find news updates from the Central team over on Twitter and LinkedIn.
With National Apprenticeship Week recently highlighting the importance of learning whilst you earn, we wanted to share our thoughts on the topic. Having launched our apprenticeship scheme in 2010 and welcomed 25 apprentices into the business during this time, we hold the same belief for our employees as we do our clients — they’re more than just a ticket to us.
If you’re wondering what a career in IT could look like for you, find out more below…
We believe in supporting and nurturing our talent, which is why all of our employees benefit from learning and development opportunities, no matter the role they hold within the business.
Whether you’re a budding techie or have no previous experience but are keen to develop your passion and skillset, Central will support you along the way.
An apprentice will usually start as a junior support technician, before advancing to a technical support analyst; once they have completed their apprenticeship. From here, they can move into senior positions if they wish to specialise in a certain area of the business — such as engineering or project management — or remain in their developed role. The main thing is there are different career paths to suit every need.
Our apprenticeships are fast paced and diverse. We encourage our apprentices to undertake as much training as they can to build on their existing skillset and enhance their career progression. Undertaking an apprenticeship with Central will give you exposure to lots of different technologies, as well as the opportunity to tap into the knowledge and expertise of our specialist team.
The benefits of undertaking an apprenticeship with Central include:
If you’re looking for an excellent career opportunity in IT and want to see where this could take you, please email info@centralnetworks.co.uk and a member of our team will put you in touch with our training provider on how to apply.
Here at Central, people are at the heart of the ‘how’ and ‘why’ of everything we do.
We started out on our IT journey back in 1991, and our mission and ethos haven’t changed. We’re a family-run firm that pride ourselves on our integrity, honesty, and objectivity – and we make IT stress free by keeping it as simple as possible.
But it’s our people who make this all possible. Get to know them more in our staff spotlight.
Name: Nick Bowling
Job title: Service desk manager
Department: Technical
Sum up your role at Central in one sentence:
I manage the technical team as well as the scheduling for all IT projects. As part of this, I deal with the allocation of customers’ project budgets as well as managing the service desk and dealing with client queries.
What three words would your colleagues use to describe you?
Hardworking, focused, and a perfectionist.
And what do you enjoy most about your job?
I love all things technical, but I’d have to say I particularly enjoy onboarding new customers, there is a real buzz in the air and I’m proud to have such an amazing team who always go the extra mile.
I also enjoy working on our own internal projects, over the last nine months I’ve been working on our professional service application (PSA), This gives our clients greater visibility via our customer portal of both Helpdesk tickets and Projects.
Check your phone, what was the last emoji you sent?
A very smiley face. 😁
Who was or is your biggest inspiration?
It’s not a single person in particular, but I’m inspired by all people who have overcome extreme adversity.
You’re hosting a three-course dinner party, what’s on the menu?
Chicken tikka to start, lamb rogan josh with homemade chapatis for main, and cheesecake for dessert!
Back to Central, what makes the company stand out?
Our unwavering flexibility and the range of skills each member of the team brings. We have a pool of knowledge and expertise to drive real business change forward for our customer – something we’ve been doing extremely well for over 30 years.
Tell us a fun fact about yourself we might not know:
I’m a keen ‘DIYer’ and one of my biggest projects to date is building a conservatory.
What would the title of your autobiography be?
Work hard and never give up.
Central’s mission is to ‘restore faith in IT’ – tell us more about what this means to you:
For me, this is about being less technical with customers – not bamboozling them with technical jargon they don’t need to know – and letting their business requirements drive the solution. At Central, we listen to what our customers’ want and tailor our advice and solutions accordingly - rather than trying to sell them something they may not necessarily need.
If you’d like to receive more news and updates from the Central team, why not head over to our Twitter page or connect with us on LinkedIn?
Despite the integral role email plays in maintaining consistent communication in both professional and personal use, many of us take default email privacy and security features for granted.
No matter the size or scope of your organisation – or the status of your individual profile – email hacks and data theft remain some of the most prolific cyber-attacks amongst perpetrators across the globe, with the primary motive being to turn a profit.
And with over 319 billion emails sent and received worldwide in 2021 – each containing personal data – protecting your inbox from tragedy is crucial, especially as companies work to bolster our digital strategies throughout 2022 and beyond.
From ransomware and phishing to fraud and identity theft, there are a whole host of cybercrime categories in circulation to target vulnerabilities. The good news is, there are lots of tips and procedures that can remove both you and your organisation from the firing line, and help mitigate the nuisance and chaos caused as a result of malicious email attacks.
To spearhead your journey towards safeguarding your inbox, here are seven tips from the team here at Central…
1. Get to know your service provider’s Terms of Service
The first step in any digital privacy and security strategy is getting to know your email provider’s Terms of Service – only by knowing and understanding what the gaps are, can you fill them effectively.
While you might – rightfully – assume that your email provider shares the same values as you when it comes to data protection, this isn’t always the case. Take Google as a key reminder. If you’re not careful about who you grant permissions to, third-party developers could be trawling through your inbox. You can see an exhaustive list of those with access, by going to myaccount.google.com and going to ‘security’.
2. Adopt and maintain regular training protocols
Your employees are your first line of defence in any threat. Ensuring full compliance throughout your organisation is essential in reducing the likelihood of compromise, Furthermore, undertaking regular tests will allow you to evaluate understanding of best practice within your firm to better inform future privacy and security decisions.
For example, company-wide phishing exercises can uncover whether or not your employees could successfully identify a malicious email – with a notification being triggered from clicking a masked link. Alternatively, you could regularly quiz your staff on different scenarios, to see whether their approach to a security threat would be correct.
3. Download anti-virus software
Anti-virus software is self-explanatory – it protects your device against viruses. And with cyber-attacks becoming increasingly sophisticated, these programs are becoming increasingly accustomed to tackling a diverse range of threats – including using behaviour monitoring and machine learning to scope out threats before they even exist.
Not only does anti-virus software scan inbound email attachments for potential dangers, but it also monitors outbound communications to prevent spam emails or corrupted files from being distributed to your network and ruining your credibility.
4. Use multi-factor authentication
While weak passwords are an obvious risk to security, strong passwords aren’t always enough to keep cybercriminals out of your account. Hackers are often either sophisticated enough to guess your login credentials, or have powerful insight into information on the dark web.
Multi-factor authentication (MFA) offers additional inbox protection by relying on more than just a password to gain entry. Such measures include one-time passwords, responding to an SMS prompt, biometric scanning, or even diverting your login attempt to a pre-listed, alternative device.
5. Create custom email filters
Cyber criminals are coming up with innovative ways of evading your spam filter every day, but configuring your email account with tailored filters can help to catch those that slip through the net.
Involving both inbound and outbound proactive email monitoring, email filtering services classify messages into different categories to mark them as safe – protecting both you and your network. By partnering with security and data protection leader, Barracuda, Central Networks offers a complete email management solution – with powerful and customisable governing of messages – to ensure productivity isn’t impacted throughout your business.
6. Encrypt your connections
To prevent private and personal information from being intercepted by data thieves, it’s important to encrypt the connection between your device and your email server. You’ll know if a site is encrypted because it will begin with https://.
While some email service providers encrypt your connection automatically, others require you to actively alter your account settings. Using a Virtual Private Network (VPN) offers peace of mind that your emails are secure, by routing traffic through a separate server and making your online movements less trackable.
Alternatively, you can encrypt individual emails through designated apps that make private messages impossible to decipher, unless you are explicitly authorised to access them – even in cases where your inbox might be compromised.
7. Lock your device in public spaces
Whether you’re stepping away from your device for thirty seconds or thirty minutes, never leave your email account visible for others to read at a glance or – even worse – go in and access. Not only could they retrieve sensitive data from your inbox, they could also change your log-in information to prevent you from accessing it for good.
To temporarily lock your desktop, simply press Windows+L on a Windows device, or Command+Control+A on a Mac. Then, once you’re ready to go again, re-enter your password and see your tabs re-open as before.
Whilst specific requirements will differ from one organisation – and person – to another, these tips provide a great foundation for everyone to bolster their email privacy and security strategies even further.
So, whether you’ve fallen victim to an email attack or are simply concerned about your current level of protection, it’s important to explore what your options are. To hear further advice from our team of cyber security experts, or to learn more about the value we can add to your business, please don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Central Networks are a strategic technology partner. Excellent technology is a given, customer service, trust and long-term relationships are what drive our business. We support CEOs, Heads of IT, IT technicians and transformation directors to ensure technology provides an edge to their organisations.
Company No: 02604843
VAT: GB 562 6919 13
