gauge.it creates a safe space for employees to communicate important aspects of their wellbeing safely and anonymously, giving leadership critical insights into employee morale – all within Microsoft Teams, the most used business communication platform with over 270 million users.  gauge.it allows business leaders to automatically send a daily card to their team allowing them to rate their day by selecting the emoji that best represents their mood and adding an optional, anonymous comment.  The power of the system is in providing leadership with a simple breakdown of the team’s input, allowing changes and trends in morale to be identified within localised and remote teams. 

“The concept of gauge.it was created in 2021 as we were finding it increasingly difficult to monitor the wellbeing of the team, who had moved from office-based working to working from home.” Cloud Cover IT’s Head of Digital Transformation Alasdair Gauld explains. “We recognised the consequences that can result from employees feeling isolated and wanted to create a simple solution that would allow us to remain connected to our team, regardless of their location. Since the launch of an early version of gauge.it, we have received excellent feedback from leadership teams who report feeling more connected to their employees and see real value from daily reporting revealing trends in wellbeing across their team. With this full version release, we are excited that gauge.it now has more powerful reporting and new tools to assess employee morale.”

“Through Microsoft AppSource, customers around the world can easily find tailored line-of-business partner solutions that work with the products they already use,” said Toby Bowers, General Manager, Business Applications Group, Microsoft Corp. “We’re happy to welcome Cloud Cover IT’s solution to the growing AppSource ecosystem.”

Established in Glasgow in 2012, Cloud Cover IT empowers clients worldwide with innovative IT solutions that allow them to improve productivity, efficiency, and collaboration through technology. The company has two apps available within the Microsoft Teams App Store and Microsoft AppSource: gauge.it and check.it. To learn more about gauge.it, visit www.gaugeit.co.uk .

Watch the short video below to see gauge.it in action:

The post A New Focus on Employee Wellbeing; Cloud Cover IT Announces the Launch of gauge.it for Microsoft Teams appeared first on Flyte.

Early this year a hacking group known as ‘Hafnium’ started to attack Microsoft Exchange servers using previously unknown security vulnerabilities. These were publicly disclosed by Microsoft on the 2^nd March 2021 and patches made available for the affected software shortly thereafter.

You can read about the attack here: DIGIT, Microsoft Exchange Breach Brings New Tide of Ransomware.

We understand this may cause concern, but we have outlined below the recommended pathways to help protect your systems.

Should you still be concerned after following these steps, please do not hesitate to contact us on the following details:

Email: helpdesk@cloudcoverit.co.uk
Tel: +44(0) 141 2802 882

– Jim Murray, Group Head of Technology

Am I vulnerable?

If you are running Microsoft Exchange 2010, 2013, 2016 or 2019 you may be vulnerable to this attack.

To avoid the vulnerability your server must be patched to the latest available version AND have the appropriate security patches deployed.

This is not an automatic update – if you have not updated your server manually or using a patch management tool within the last 2 weeks you are almost certainly at risk.

For exact version details and links to the appropriate patches, please see: https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/exchange-team-blog/released-march-2021-exchange-server-security-updates/ba-p/2175901

I am running a vulnerable server, what should I do?

At this point, if you have not already patched a vulnerable server it is safest to assume it has already been compromised.

• If you have an incident response plan, activate it.
• Block all network access to the affected server immediately.
• Check the server thoroughly for indicators of compromise as described at https://www.microsoft.com/security/blog/2021/03/02/hafnium-targeting-exchange-servers/
• If none are found, update the server before returning it to production.

If you DO find indicators of compromise on your server, you must assume any data on the system has been compromised. This is because many attack groups are using these vulnerabilities to deploy remote access tools to compromised servers giving them almost complete control over the affected system.

• You should immediately change all passwords on your domain. Many attackers are exploiting the close link between domain passwords and e-mail passwords, dumping the entire password file for later analysis.
• You must consider whether you require to notify the relevant authorities (for example the Information Commissioner) as required under GDPR and similar legislation.
• The affected server must be completely rebuilt, it is not safe to assume you can clean any infection from the system.

How can I avoid this happening again?

We strongly recommend that most organisations migrate to Office365 hosted e-mail as it is normally both more cost effective and secure than running your own server. Where this is not possible, we advise retaining specialist help to secure and maintain your server.

Our sales team will be happy to advise on the most suitable services for your business needs. Should you wish to start discussions, please contact Owen Smith on osmith@cloudcoverit.co.uk or +44 (0)7964 291 970.

The post Statement: Hafnium Attack – Microsoft Exchange appeared first on Flyte.

As Glasgow enters Level 4 lockdown, our priority is to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers, communities and stakeholders. From Friday 20th November 2020, our offices at The Albus, Bridgeton, will be closed until further notice.

All members of staff within the organisation are working remotely at home with data security measures in place. For our customers, there will be no reduction in our remote service delivery.

Our field engineers will be able to carry out essential works where and when required, adhering to company COVID19 safety guidelines and where appropriate measures have been put in place by our clients when our teams are on site.

Should you have any questions or require any further information, please speak to:
For IT issues – Helpdesk: +44 (0) 141 280 2882 / helpdesk@cloudcoverit.co.uk
For General Enquiries – Nicola Brown, Head of Finance and Administration: nicola@cloudcoverit.co.uk
For specific Client Relations – Lance Gauld, Managing Director: lance@cloudcoverit.co.uk

The post COVID 19: Glasgow Level 4 response appeared first on Flyte.

With many of us now working from home, digital solutions which enable remote working are becoming increasingly fundamental in keeping us connected and productive. As Microsoft Gold Partners, we have a wealth of knowledge in Teams, SharePoint and Power BI, utilising them within our own workforce as well as integrating them into our clients’ operations. Now, we are keen to share that expertise with businesses that need it.

Platform Immersion Webinars on Microsoft Teams, Office 365, Power BI and more

Whether your team has been using Microsoft solutions for a while but need a refresher, or they are completely new to you – we can help! To share our expertise and help you to realise the full potential of these products, our Head of Cloud Development Alasdair and his team will be leading a series of Platform Immersion Webinars, accessible online for FREE.

Each webinar will focus on a single platform within the Microsoft stack, with participants invited to explore a demo-version of the application in action. Populated with data, documents and personas, these demo-versions represent a virtual ‘sandbox’ – an open, interactive environment in which participants can explore and discover the strengths of the platform. The Seminar leader will prompt discussion and offer tutorials throughout each session, allowing participants to learn hands-on how the platform can offer tangible benefits to communication, collaboration and productivity.

Personalised training

If a more bespoke tutorial would be preferred, Alasdair and the team can conduct a private Webinar to walk you and your team through the relevant platform at your own pace, in line with your specific needs and goals. This will showcase how the solution can directly relate to your day-to-day workflow and deliver real value for your organisation.

Keep an eye on our social channels for updates. For more information or to set up private tutorials for your team, please contact Alasdair Gauld or call us on 0141 280 2882.

Our free webinar sessions:

Below is a description of each of the scheduled Platform Immersion Webinars. You can sign up to one or more of these sessions using the form at the bottom of this page.

1. Getting Started with Microsoft Teams

Time: 12:00 (noon)
Date: Tuesday 7 April
Duration: 15 mins

• The right licence for you
• Back to basics: How to set up a meeting
• Q&A session

2. Teams and Office 365: the bigger picture

Time: 12:00 (noon)
Date: Wednesday 8 April
Duration: 30 mins

• A brief overview of the Office 365 ecosystem
• OneDrive – You personal storage on the Cloud
• SharePoint – Migrating your data
• Planner – Keeping track of your project & Agile Methodology
• Teams – Promote and manage collaboration
• Q&A session

3. How to collaborate on Teams

Time: 12:00 (noon)
Date: Thursday 9 April
Duration: 30 mins

• Sharing documents in a Team channel
• Sharing documents in a chat
• What happens when I create a new Team – SharePoint Sites
• Collaborating on documents
• Q&A session

4. Integration with Teams

Time: 12:00 (noon)
Date: Friday 10 April
Duration: 30 mins

• Standard applications that integrate with Teams
• Power Automate – setting up workflows
• PowerBi – Reporting on your data
• Integrating Zoom with Teams
• Q&A session

Missed our webinars?

No problem – you can catch up here.

The post Free webinars for Microsoft Teams, Office 365 and more appeared first on Flyte.

In light of ongoing concerns regarding COVID-19, Cloud Cover IT has activated its business continuity plans. Our priority is to ensure the health and safety of our employees, customers and other stakeholders, as well as the continuity of our services to safeguard the interests of our clients. 
  
We have established that all members of staff within the organisation are able to work from home and data security measures have been put in place to ensure the security of that work. 

Working from home

We are discussing with clients the best ways in which they can maintain access to their data. 

We recommend:

• SharePoint users: Make the files and documents you need readily available in the Cloud through your Office 365 account.
• OVH Cloud Hosting users: Remotely access your data through a VPN and Remote Desktop.
• Non-Cloud customers: Assess your company’s remote work/workplace readiness. Can we help? If so, get in touch promptly as we anticipate that our teams will become very busy setting up remote working solutions for clients over the coming weeks.
• Remote workers: If you are using a personal or home device, restrict your work to SharePoint or Remote Desktop. Under no circumstances should a VPN be used from home computers, as this poses a risk to cyber security, as well as data security under GDPR.

Do you need help configuring your devices to enable remote working?

Most employees will have access to either a personal or supplied device, be it a laptop, tablet or smartphone. But how many of those devices are properly set up to enable a seamless transition to the home office?

Our Helpdesk team is here to help. We are offering a fast and affordable service to configure any device with the tools needed to protect your productivity and keep your business moving forward. Get in touch if you or your business require this service.

Our Response Plan 

We are complying with government and public health organisation guidelines in order to keep everyone safe. Our staff are taking the necessary precautions and, where possible, restricting visits to sites unless absolutely necessary. 

We have initiated a response plan consisting of five levels of severity. Currently, we are operating at Level 5 (the lowest level of severity). This means that the following measures have been taken:

• Regular communication plan established
• Remote working capabilities have been tested 
• Some remote working for staff
• Site visitor checks

Commitment to staff and customers  

We have successfully tested our ability to deliver our services remotely, including the capability to monitor our data clients and platforms. All our employees have the necessary tools to carry out their responsibilities from a remote location. Where appropriate, we will segregate our workforce into teams that can operate from different locations, thereby minimising the risk of cross-contamination. 

All visitors to Cloud Cover IT’s offices will be required to confirm:  

• That they are not experiencing flu-like symptoms
• Whether or not they have travelled to an area known for a high number of cases of the virus within the last 14 days
• Whether or not they may have come into contact with anyone who may have contracted the virus

All visitors are expected to practice elevated levels of personal hygiene while at a CCIT site. This includes:

• Cleaning hands with sanitising gel upon entering the site. Additional hand sanitisers have been placed at the entrances
• Liquid soap, disposable towels and sanitising gel are available in our restrooms

We greatly appreciate your understanding and co-operation throughout this situation. We will continue to closely monitor this issue and will keep you informed of any significant changes to these procedures. 

Should you have any questions or require any further information at this stage, please speak to: 

Our Helpdesk Team: +44 (0) 141 280 2882 or info@cloudcoverit.co.uk

Nicola Brown, Office Manager: nicola@cloudcoverit.co.uk

Or myself: lance@cloudcoverit.co.uk

Lance Gauld 
CEO, Cloud Cover IT Services Limited

Last updated: 20^th March 2020

The post Responding to Coronavirus (COVID-19): putting people first appeared first on Flyte.