Today marks the last day that Microsoft will provide updates for the Windows 7 operating system.  Depending on who you talk to, your computer may burst into flames OR it may continue to work perfectly for the next several years.  Regardless of where you fall on the spectrum of that debate, the following three points are REALLY what the end of Windows 7 means:
Operating system updates are no longer optional
Like all your favorite cloud-based applications, you can't opt out of the changes that are made.

If your business and technology planning are out of sync, it may be time for a technology phase shift.  Fortunately technology capability is not cumulative, skipping some steps is allowed!  The services-first, app-first approach to technology planning can enable much higher productivity without a huge lag in implementation or capital expenditure.

The DIY (do it yourself) movement has taken off with the advent of social media.  Pinterest runs an entire business off of it!  The two biggest drivers of DIY are saving money, and being creative.  Neither of these are good reasons to DIY your corporate technology!  The number of businesses that are STILL taking a DIY approach to technology planning and support is surprising, and costly.

Microsoft Teams is fast becoming the go-to application for managing communication and information flow within organizations.  We wrote HERE about how Teams will be supplanting email for internal communication in the near future.  Many organizations don't plan their technology deployments and this is a big mistake.

It is time to shift your focus from managing devices to managing your data.  The threat landscape changes quickly but the target remains the same, your data!  Data is everywhere, and attempting to secure all the places it can be does not scale.  Starting with a "data first" mindset will help secure you in a way that locking down devices does not.

Cybersecurity has finally been elevated to a "standard" in the business world.  A business of ANY size needs to have a cybersecurity as part of their basic business planning checklist.  This is especially important for businesses that are in the 50-500 employee size range, as these groups often are utilizing processes, and tools that have not been reviewed since they were much smaller.

MFA is no longer optional in today's threat landscape.  Over three YEARS ago we started talking to our Clients about utilizing MFA, as passwords are no longer keeping your information safe.  The number of IT providers that STILL do not ENFORCE this critical security configuration is very surprising.

The first step to improve your business productivity is to understand the three illusions executives have about internal IT versus outsourcing.  These illusions are reinforced by unsophisticated technology providers, vendors what want you to use their (on-premise) products, and internal IT's need to stay employed.

Netflix has changed the way we consume video content, and grown into a streaming giant.  A key to their success was knowing what parts of the business to outsource, and which ones to keep in house.  Starting in 2008 they shifted their infrastructure over to a partner, and unplugged their last corporate datacenter in 2016.  The biggest benefit is their increased agility due to having the "operational load" of running ALL their technology shifted to an outside partner.

Congratulations, you are part of a growing business that is about to make an acquisition!  All the financials are thoroughly reviewed, corporate culture is synergistic, and everyone is excited.  Did anyone do a technology capacity and alignment review?  Nah, we will let the "IT folks" figure that out later, no big deal….except that it is.