Practical IT for business.
Plain-English articles on managed IT, security, privacy and AI, from a team that’s been doing this since 1990.
Networks work because they’re designed, not because they’re sold
A box from a vendor quote isn't a network. Here is what real network design involves, from capacity planning to testing before…
Keeping the lights on isn’t managing your IT
If your systems run but never get better, you are being maintained, not managed. How contract incentives can reward doing the minimum,…
Year-end IT budgeting: planning for 2027
November is the time to plan next year's IT spending. A practical checklist for hardware, Microsoft 365 licensing, security, backup and connectivity,…
Windows 10 ESU year 2: decide now, PC by PC
Year 1 of paid Windows 10 security updates ends October 13, 2026. What Year 2 costs by Microsoft's own formula, which PCs…
Still on Windows 10? Your options after end of support
Windows 10 support has ended, and the first year of paid business security updates ends October 13, 2026. What to upgrade, what…
Windows updates: timely, not rushed
Skipping updates leaves known holes open. Installing every patch the minute it ships invites a different kind of trouble. How a managed…
Keeping your IT equipment room at the right temperature
Heat, cold and dry air quietly shorten the life of servers and network gear. A plain-English guide to the right temperature for…
Powering down PCs: savings in Anchorage, Reno, Atlanta and Phoenix
What does an office save by letting desktop PCs sleep or shut down nights and weekends? We worked it out per PC…
Thin clients with Windows RDS: the pros and cons
Thin clients let your team work on a Windows desktop that runs on a central server, on site, hosted or in the…
Why your team should log out at the end of the day
Staying logged in for weeks seems harmless. In a Windows network it quietly blocks policy changes and updates, leaves sessions open to…