There's a major shift coming to Microsoft 365 this June, and small to medium businesses who rely on the platform for daily operations shouldn't ignore it. Microsoft has already outlined that new capabilities, particularly in device and endpoint management, will be added to core Microsoft 365 plans like E3 and E5.

At Simplex-IT, we talk a lot about relationships. Not just with our clients, but within the broader business community here in Northeast Ohio. Recently, we had the opportunity to connect with Cleveland Cavaliers Small Business Partners during an event hosted at Rocket Arena, home of the Cleveland Cavaliers.

AI is showing up in more corners of the business, often without much ceremony. Sometimes it’s a new feature inside a platform you already use. Sometimes it’s a team exploring a tool that promises to save time.

Have you ever sent a photo, video, or document from your iPhone, iPad, or Mac and noticed the quality looked a little different - or maybe the file arrived zipped up in a folder? That’s Apple’s file compression at work.

OneDrive or SharePoint? They sound similar, right? Both store files in the cloud, both let you access them anywhere. So, why does Microsoft give you two tools that seem to do the same thing? And knowing the difference can save your business from the dreaded ‘Where did we save that file?’ panic.

Are you still running Windows 10 because “it’s fine for now”? We hear that a lot. And to be fair, if you signed up for Extended Security Updates (ESU) program, Windows 10 probably does still feel fine. But that feeling of safety is temporary.

When was the last time you replaced a perfectly usable work computer, simply because it had become slow or unreliable? For a lot of businesses, that moment is coming sooner than it used to. Hardware prices have risen, upgrades cost more, and replacing machines that should have had a few good years left in them is now a painful expense rather than a routine decision.

So, you think your AI is smart? Your algorithm? Your fancy diagnostic tool? Well, let me introduce you to the real genius of medical diagnostics: Pigeons. Yes. Actual pigeons. Not metaphorical pigeons. Not a startup named “Pigeon.” Feathered, cooing, bread-stealing pigeons.

You wouldn’t leave your office unlocked overnight, right? So why leave your network wide open? If your digital doors are unlocked, anyone from a bored teenager to a professional cybercriminal can slip in and cause chaos.

Projects rarely crash and burn. They slow down. Then pause. Then quietly slip out of the conversation. The project is still important. Everyone still agrees it needs to happen. It just never quite gets the time it needs.

Let us ask you a slightly uncomfortable question. Do you know which AI tools your team is using at work… and what they’re putting into them? Most business owners we speak to think they do. And then we dig a little deeper.

When your business needs IT support, you usually have two choices. A big national provider with massive call centers or a local IT company where you can actually meet the person working on your systems. Both options have pros and cons. The right choice depends on your size, your needs, and how much you value a real relationship with your IT team.

Old passwords can still unlock systems. What would happen if someone got hold of one of your employees’ passwords from years ago? Not a password they’re using today. Not one they even remember. Just an old one that never got changed.

When people hear terms like firewall and antivirus, they often lump them together as the same thing - just “security tools” that IT companies like to throw around. But while they both protect your business, they do it in very different ways.

When it comes to Microsoft Office, business owners usually ask the same question: “Why do I need to pay for Microsoft 365 every month when I can just buy Office once?” On the surface, it looks like one is a subscription and the other is a one-time purchase. But the truth is, they’re built for very different needs.

When you open a browser on your phone, what do you think it knows about you? The websites you visit? Maybe your location? Possibly what you’ve searched for? The reality is, for many popular mobile browsers, it’s a lot more than that.

Can your company really go paperless? The short answer is yes - at least mostly. Going paperless doesn’t mean you’ll never see another sheet of paper in the office. What it really means is replacing as many paper-based processes as possible with digital tools and workflows.

Do you really want your team to use this? Here’s a question most business owners probably haven’t thought about yet. If one of your team buys something inside an AI chat window… is that okay with you? Because that’s exactly where things are heading.

The best image file type to use depends on what the image is for. Use JPG for photos online, PNG for logos or graphics that need transparency, SVG for scalable logos and icons on websites, and EPS or PDF for professional printing.

Microsoft is rolling out several Microsoft 365 changes between now and July that will impact pricing, Copilot licensing, and mailbox storage. Understanding what is changing and when can help your business avoid unnecessary costs and make smarter decisions about licensing and renewals.