Cyber security is no longer just about firewalls, passwords and antivirus software. This week’s IT news shows a clear shift: cyber resilience is becoming a business management issue.
For UK SMEs, that matters. Many smaller businesses are under pressure from rising costs, supplier demands, insurance requirements and customer expectations. At the same time, cyber threats are becoming more disruptive, more automated and more closely linked to supply chains.
(more…)This week’s IT news gives UK SMEs a clear message: the basics still matter. Attackers are becoming more targeted, cloud services still need resilience planning, AI tools are becoming more embedded in everyday work, and the countdown to the UK’s legacy phone network switch-off is getting harder to ignore.
For smaller businesses, the practical takeaway is not to panic. It is to review the areas where day-to-day operations depend on technology that may be out of date, poorly protected, or too reliant on a single service.
(more…)Not every busy week in IT produces genuinely useful stories for smaller businesses. This one did, but the value is in the practical detail rather than the headline drama. The three developments that stand out are the NCSC’s updated cyber guidance for small organisations, Microsoft’s continued push to embed AI into everyday business tools, and further signs that Microsoft customers need to prepare for broader AI, security and licensing changes.
(more…)If you run a small or mid-sized business, your IT priorities are usually the same every week: keep people working, keep costs predictable, and avoid nasty surprises. This week’s stories map neatly onto those three goals: security patching, connectivity contract clarity, and AI governance.
None of these require a big “transformation programme”. They do require a bit of focus and a few repeatable habits.
(more…)Comtek System Solutions is proud to once again serve as Community Sponsor for Bishop Auckland Football Club.
This sponsorship supports not just the team, but a range of vital community activities across the North East. From school leagues and youth training to inclusive football events, Bishop Auckland FC is a shining example of how sport can bring people together and we’re proud to be a part of that.
(more…)If you’re in business today and have looked at any IT or technology blog over the last few months, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll have read a piece about broadband.
Something that the UK government have had on the agenda for several years now, it’s often discussed that the whole of the country needs to have broadband access as soon as possible.
(more…)If you’ve taken a look through our website or spoken to us, you’ll be aware that we offer a vast array of different IT services.
From providing individual pieces of hardware, such as laptops, right through to developing and implementing full and in-depth networks, we believe we have the knowledge, experience and resources to be able to meet an organisation’s IT needs, whatever they may be.
(more…)As a popular IT support company, we have the pleasure of talking to a vast amount of people on a regular basis.
Covering a huge array of topics, a lot of the discussions we have are essentially based on problem-solving or alleviating fears. We speak to people who have an issue or who are concerned about something and we do our utmost to ensure they leave the conversation feeling more positive about the whole situation.
(more…)Since Comtek was set up many years ago, we’ve worked with numerous clients to provide IT support in a variety of different formats.
Some are just looking for a little help occasionally with a specific part of their IT environment, whilst many more are essentially wanting us to take control of their entire IT support network.
(more…)In many ways, IT security has always been an important talking point for organisations. Ever since computers started to be used in the workplace – and particularly when large-scale networks and internet usage became commonplace – organisations have had to have an eye on IT security.
In recent times, however, it has become a major talking point. A lot of this has to do with the fact we’re storing more and more information in the Cloud and therefore it’s become vastly important that we can feel completely confident that our data is safe and secure.
(more…)As a company experienced in the provision of various different IT solutions, such as a small business servers, we always do our utmost to ensure our customers are fully satisfied.
Relatively simple on some occasions and more difficult on others, it’s based purely on the requirements of the individual customer.
(more…)When it comes to IT support, everyone has got different requirements.
Even those organisations that are very similar, work in the exact same industry and have the same client base can have completely different needs when it comes to the IT support they require.
(more…)Although it can very easily be thought that VoIP is a new technology, it actually dates back close to two decades.
Initially aimed primarily at the business market, although the early pioneers’ efforts were particularly basic by today’s standards, they paved the way for many globally recognised services – such as Skype – in the private user section of the market.
Gaining traction in the business world once more in recent times as organisations look to utilise the most effective resources possible, at Comtek, we regularly implement full VoIP networks because of this exact reason.
(more…)Our focus at Comtek is to deliver IT solutions that are genuinely going to help our clients.
Whether you need a full and complete IT support service or help with data recovery, we have the knowledge and experience to be able to deliver to your requirements every single time.
(more…)We know that IT isn’t the simplest of things to understand. Whether it’s your first foray looking into integrating an IT solution within your business or you’ve got years of experience managing IT, it’s almost guaranteed there’ll be something that causes you problems.
Fully understanding this, our aim at Comtek is to provide the best products and IT support solutions possible to completely alleviate anything IT-related that could present a problem.
(more…)Our whole focus at Comtek is to provide a solution to as many IT problems, issues and complexities that organisations so regularly face as we possibly can.
From complete IT support to the one-off installation of a new network, our knowledge and experience gained over many years make us confident that we can easily and efficiently meet the growing IT demands required by the vast majority of organisations.
(more…)There’s little doubt that IT has developed extensively over the last few years in every respect.
From the data centres used to store the ever-growing amount of data we process on a daily basis to the actual machines used in offices, things have changed rapidly over the last decade in particular. However, we’re proud to say that our IT Support in the North East has always gone above and beyond our customers’ expectations.
The development of IT over the years often means considerable investment in continually upgrading existing systems, retraining employees and having to employ new staff. Unfortunately, this is likely to continue as technology develops and our data usage grows further.
Whilst there are various options available to help you manage the growth and associated costs, the IT support services we provide at Comtek have proven to be perfect for many organisations to date, with there being three clear reasons why outsourcing your IT support could be the ideal option.
When you keep everything in-house, it means you’re responsible for all of the associated costs, which are often far more significant than you first anticipated. From staff through to physical hardware, the costs can be clearly seen in some instances, but hidden – yet just as considerable – in others (for example, if keeping everything in-house means half a dozen employees need to spend two hours a week maintaining the system or in training, that’s 12 hours worth of work every week that they can’t spend on what are likely to be more business-critical tasks).
By outsourcing your IT support, you can greatly reduce the number of IT resources you need to pay out for or have dedicated to the cause, instantly freeing those resources up and reducing your related costs considerably.
For many organisations that keep their IT support in-house, their IT staff won’t just be dealing with support issues. The truth is support is likely only supposedly play a minimal role in their overall position, but chances are it’s going to take up much more time than first anticipated.
When you outsource your IT support, you essentially free up your IT staff and can be confident that their time really is being spent on the aspects of their role that are most vital to the organisation’s success.
As IT is constantly changing, it means you have to be continually updating everything to ensure you stay at the top of your game. Doing so is not a requirement as such, but just look at how far the PC has come in just a few years – could you really be running your business on machines that were more than a couple of years old?
When you outsource your IT support, you don’t have to worry about this development as we essentially carry it out for you, ensuring that the service you receive from the moment we first start working together is the one that meets your needs in the best way possible.
Our whole aim at Comtek is to ensure you get the best IT support in Newcastle, Durham and right across the whole North East possible for your organisation – and we’re confident that when you outsource your IT support to us, you’ll have more effective and efficient IT environment than ever before.