Explain IT

Ever wondered how we can stay ahead of cyber threats without burning out?

On this edition of Explain IT, we're talking about the leveraging of advanced technology to automatically detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats, reducing the need for constant human intervention that could lead to burnout. It's all about enhancing efficiency, speed, and accuracy in cybersecurity operations.

This week, Ashleigh Baker is g...

Keeping your data structured and secure is key to keeping your business safe. But how do we ensure that at every level of our IT infrastructure, including your backups? With data being stored across an organisation, from edge to the data center to the cloud, cyber resiliency is important when safeguarding an organization's assets against cyber threats.

Today, we'll discuss the evolving nature of backup strategies in response to ...

You rely on wireless connectivity, we all do… and having a good wireless system can have a big impact on the success of your business. 

As companies strive for greater flexibility, efficiency, and connectivity, Wireless First is emerging as a game-changer. Post Covid, we’re seeing employees want more dynamic and collaborative work environments, and teams need to be able to move freely and adapt to those changing spaces quic...

From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024.

In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just addre...

From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024.

In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just addre...

Workplace AI bots, like Microsoft Copilot, have exploded in use over the last 12 months. They are transforming how businesses operate by automating routine tasks, enhancing decision-making, and allowing employees to focus on more strategic activities.

Back in November 2023, Explain IT discussed how Copilot could potentially revolutionise the workplace. We’re back again to see how it has changed in the last 12 months with our gue...

Cloud computing, first introduced in the 1960s as the "intergalactic computer network," is now essential to our digital existence.

There are so many cloud options available on the market today. Private clouds are essentially dedicated environments that offer greater control and security. They are typically used by businesses to store sensitive data and run critical applications. On the other hand, public clouds are shared enviro...

Ever thought about how much of your life is protected by passwords? And why do hackers want to steal credentials? How do they do it and more importantly, how can we stop them in their tracks?

From your emails to your retirement savings, passwords are quite literally the gatekeepers to your online life. And there are layers to password security, from your own password to the passwords that companies use to protect the c...

Where do you want to work from today? The coffee shop? The beach? It’s all possible with a Virtual desktop infrastructure.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, lets you access your companies’ systems from almost any device, essentially you can carry your office in your pocket. In this special episode, we’ll answer some important questions to help you get it right. How do you keep VDI working for everyone? How do you manage it...

Customer service is tough for everyone, but how do we make it better for the employee and for the customer?

Business contact centres are starting to use AI at the very first step of their customer interactions. By automating elements of the customer service interaction and using AI insights, staff can resolve service incidents faster and keep customers happy.

Our team of experts, Andrew Hermsen, Softcat's Chief Technologist f...

In the hybrid working world, everyone needs a fast and secure way to connect to their company's data.

WAN or Wide Area Networks technologies have had an impressive impact; It's now easier than ever to do business. Using intelligence to optimize traffic across multiple links, we’ve gone from a trickle of information being sent between two direct points to terabytes of data sent at lighting speed across a network of points. 

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To the public, elections can look relatively simple. However for lots of public sector organisations, there are weeks of preparation fraught with risk, excitement and a huge sense of purpose. 

Despite using paper ballots and lots of people-based processes on the day, technology and digital is key to delivering a successful election. 

There are so many technology areas to think about pre and post-election, from how a...

In the year of AI, can we get even closer to having it right at our fingertips?

Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture, and a team of experts discuss this fascinating question. 

AI is developing quicker than we can think and we’re seeing it pop up in our everyday lives more and more and in this episode we'll answer the big AI questions of the moment like, what is an AI laptop or AI PC and what can one&n...

Do you know everything that’s going on in your organisation?

Today we’re talking about Observability. It isn't just a buzzword; it is the evolution of application and network performance monitoring into a seamless way to measure your full systems health.

As IT environments become more complicated, observability is crucial for pinpointing the root causes of issues, harnessing data and logs from every corner of your environment...

With the explosive growth of internet connected devices in our everyday world, from mobile phones to our cars and even our homes, we are generating massive amounts of data all the time. Traditional centralised infrastructures just can’t keep up with the pace of information. So how do we bring processing power closer to the source of this data to help us harness its insights? What is Edge Computing? What are the ...

On this edition of Explain IT we're discussing how to power your SOC. No, we're not talking super powered footwear. SOC stands for Security Operations Centre, and it’s where cyber experts battle threats posed against your data day and night.

We know security is a key part of any business, to protect your best kept secrets, and to keep third parties out of your information. But with a massive lack of Cyber Security skills in the ...

AI has been making headlines for a while now, and this year we’ll see more and more businesses adopting it to improve their performance and efficiency. But how do we ensure that AI is used in a responsible and ethical way? How do we avoid the risks and pitfalls that come with such a powerful technology? And how do we stop AI from getting out of control?

Podcast host Helen Gidney, Softcat’s Head of Architecture, along with a...

Part two of our Tech Predictions for 2024! You can hear part one, here.

In the past twelve months, Explain I.T has generated over 20,000 unique downloads and covered an array of topics.

In the present, we have a collective group of Softcat technologists here to share their thoughts on tech. 

And in the future, Explain I.T will have a new presenter; Helen Gidney, Softcat's very own Head of Architecture. 

So, along with...

In the past twelve months, Explain I.T has generated over 20,000 unique downloads and covered an array of topics.

In the present, we have a collective group of softcat technologists here to share their thoughts on tech. 

And in the future, Explain I.T will have a new presenter; Helen Gidney, Softcat's very own Head of Architecture. 

So, along with Dean Gardner, Softcat's Technology Director, join Helen alon...