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Category: Microsoft 365

  • Thoughtful Design: The Secret to Tech That Actually Works

    “Just tell me what to use.” Sound familiar? When time is tight, it’s tempting to skip the strategy and jump straight to solutions.

    But here’s the truth: the fastest path to the right tool starts with slowing down—just enough to ask the right questions. This article shows why thoughtful design isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity for sustainable growth.

    It explains how tools like Microsoft 365, Power Automate, and QuickBooks can either streamline your business or create chaos depending on how well they’re configured. One client described their business as “a five-star restaurant with a kitchen in chaos” a polished customer experience hiding broken internal processes.

    If your systems feel like they’re held together with sticky notes and whiteboards, it’s time to rethink how you’re building. Click to learn how thoughtful design can save you time, money, and frustration.

     

    TechHouse

    Innovative Solutions. Practical Software. Friendly Support.

    Schedule a call  |  View Upcoming Events  |  Access our TechHouse Library of Articles

     

  • How to Get Started with AI Using Microsoft Copilot: A Simple Guide for Everyday Users

    If you use Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, or Teams, you might have noticed a new helper called Copilot. It’s part of Microsoft’s AI tools and makes your work easier, faster, and even more fun.

    But what exactly is Copilot? And how do you use it if you’re not a tech expert?

    Let’s break it down.

    Copilot Is More Like a Brain Than a Program

    Think of Copilot like a smart coworker, not a robot that always knows the correct answer. It’s designed to help you think, write, plan, and solve problems, but it doesn’t always get things perfect.

    That’s why it’s best to treat Copilot as a thought partner. It can help you:

    • Draft emails
    • Summarize documents
    • Create presentations
    • Brainstorm ideas
    • Analyze data

    But you’ll still need to review and guide what it gives you.

    Which Copilot Do You Have?

    There are different versions of Copilot depending on your Microsoft license. If your workplace uses Microsoft 365, you might already have access to:

    • Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook, and Teams
    • Copilot in PowerPoint to help build slides
    • Copilot in OneNote to organize your thoughts

    You can check with your IT team or visit Microsoft’s Copilot overview to see what’s included in your plan.

    Be Smart About AI Advice

    AI is exciting, but there’s also a lot of misinformation out there. Some people claim there’s “no risk” in using AI or training it with your data. That’s not true.

    Here are a few things to keep in mind:

    • Training AI on sensitive data can be risky—it might remember things it shouldn’t.
    • Check the sources of any information Copilot gives you.
    • Be cautious about who you learn from—some “AI experts” may not have real experience.

    If someone is giving you AI advice, ask about their background. Just like you wouldn’t take legal advice from someone who’s never studied law, you shouldn’t take AI advice from someone who’s never worked with it.

    Learn for Free—No Extra Cost

    You don’t need to pay for expensive courses to learn how to use Copilot. Microsoft offers free training that’s easy to follow:

    • Get started with AI on Microsoft Learn
    • Copilot for Microsoft 365 Training Hub

    These are included with your Microsoft license—no extra fees.

    Want to Get Better with Copilot? Build These Skills

    To get the most out of Copilot, focus on:

    • Critical Thinking – Don’t just accept the first answer.
    • Asking Good Questions – The better your prompt, the better the result.
    • Creative Problem Solving – Use Copilot to explore new ideas and solutions.

    Yes, Copilot can help you write a quick email. But it can also help you plan your day, solve tricky problems, and develop new ideas—if you know how to work with it.

    Final Tip: Start Small

    Try asking Copilot to:

    • Write a summary of a long email
    • Help you draft a meeting agenda
    • Create a to-do list from a Teams chat

    Once you get comfortable, you’ll see how powerful it can be.

    TechHouse

    Innovative Solutions. Practical Software. Friendly Support.

    Schedule a call  |  View Upcoming Events  |  Access our TechHouse Library of Articles

  • Consolidating Your IT Stack with Microsoft 365 Business Premium

    Small and mid-market businesses always have to be careful about spending and try to squeeze every bit of value out of every cent. This approach frees us up to grow and survive times of uncertainty or downturns. Whether times are good or bad, we always want to ensure we’re spending our money in the most cost-effective way possible.

    Sometimes, it can feel like a bit of a guessing game. Do we have the right tools in place? Do we have the right amount of each tool? Are we possibly buying the same thing twice? It’s not always clear. This blog post is intended to provide a framework for consolidating your stack for relatively non-technical people. If you’re an executive or leader within your organization, wondering what you should think about and ask about to ensure meaningful consolidation, this blog post is for you.

    First, we need to think about the services to consider when it comes to consolidating the stack. There are six that I’d like to talk about: cloud storage, email and calendar, video conferencing and telephony, contact and sales management, data analytics, and project and work management.

    Six Cost and Time Savers

    Cloud Storage is a great one because it’s easy to understand. Many organizations have Microsoft 365, which includes OneDrive and SharePoint. Yet, they may have individuals using Dropbox, even the free version, in their company. In any case, that third-party product, whether Dropbox or something else, most likely hasn’t been secured and doesn’t have the same protections as the rest of their environment. This also refers to the shared responsibility model: you’re responsible if the environment gets hacked through your ID or the configuration is messed up. The third-party provider is not guaranteeing your environment will be safe but rather securing the areas they’re responsible for.

    Years ago, sharing files securely with external users on the Microsoft platform was difficult. That’s no longer true. At that time, it wasn’t apparent to everyone that the third-party provider they were using might not have had the required security controls.

    When thinking about security, consider on-premises servers. Some applications may have moved to the cloud, eliminating the need for those servers. We had a customer who didn’t realize they could leave the server behind and log in using the online version of Microsoft’s cloud.

    Many of us use Outlook Calendar to send and receive invitations to meetings. However, we need another alternative when we want the public to see our calendar. Microsoft Bookings, included with Business Premium, allows sharing your calendar.

    When it comes to holding meetings, Teams has made tremendous advances. A friend recently mentioned they were still using Zoom because they knew the product well and it could do transcripts, albeit only if she remembered while the meeting was being recorded. Now that they have started using Teams, they want to switch to that platform. Switching to Teams or Webex may make sense if you’re using Zoom. Teams offers an out-of-the-box version and additional features like telephone calls (domestic and international), webinars, and even town halls for up to 10,000 attendees if you want to think big 😊. Teams is the foundation for this, including collaboration tools.

    You may use SharePoint or OneDrive to store your files and another product like Salesforce to manage your contacts. But your emails, tasks, and files are all in Microsoft. Why not move the contacts there, too? With Power Platform, you can create custom workflows, cloud integrations, and more.

    With Power Platform, you can combine data from many other tools for reporting. If you’re using another platform for reports, consider Power Platform or even Power Query within Microsoft Excel.

    Device and Patch Management is a powerful feature not often used in Business Premium. If your current MSP does not offer this option today, consider exploring other options to maximize your investment.

    What is Not a Good Candidate for Consolidation?

    Some software is best served outside of your Microsoft Cloud. Although SharePoint has a recycle bin and Exchange has optional archiving, we recommend utilizing a third-party backup.

    Next Steps

    We recommend the TechHouse Blueprint process to move projects forward. The TechHouse process starts with a diagnostic—asking a series of questions to uncover the most meaningful outcome of this change. Is it reducing product costs? Increasing efficiency? Improving security?

    When you have a clear and measurable purpose, the next step is to design the consolidation. Work with someone familiar with the tools to identify how each can meet your needs. Depending on the size and scope of your needs, this could take less than an hour, a week, or more of effort. At this point, you are typically about 1/4 the way through the project. Next up: configuring the tools, migrating any information, training the team, and benefiting from the solution.

     

    TechHouse

    Innovative Solutions. Practical Software. Friendly Support.

    Schedule a call  |  View Upcoming Events  |  Access our TechHouse Library of Articles

  • Decisions, Decisions: Microsoft’s New Licensing

    Decisions, Decisions: Microsoft’s New Licensing

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    Decisions, Decisions: Microsoft’s New Licensing

    Starting in January 2022, Microsoft is rolling out three significant changes to their cloud per-seat licensing, like Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365. 

    There is a temporary discount for licenses before March, a considerable price increase in March, and a new subscription model, New Commerce Experience (NCE), with vastly different payment and cancellation terms. There is a way you can delay price increases for 12 months and save 5% of the total cost. 

    We will provide you with important dates from Microsoft to avoid costly penalties as you move to their new licensing format. Let’s discuss updated NCE information and cover your options for the smoothest transition.

    Choosing the right plan

    The main takeaway is how crucial it is to plan well to ensure you have the most cost-effective and beneficial plan for licensing in 2022. 

    We have now received the final word on some of the program features. We encourage you to evaluate your Microsoft License options and make decisions before the end of February to ensure you have the best plans for your organization over the next year.

    We recommend choosing one of two options:

    If month-to-month payments and variable license counts are helpful to you: Initiate annual legacy subscriptions for all your products in February. According to information we received from Microsoft, this price will protect your subscription until the end of January 2023, when it comes up for renewal. At that time, you will have to convert to NCE, and you will also have to pay the current price for the products.

    If you are comfortable with an annual payment: Initiate an NCE yearly subscription with a Tier 1 Direct reseller like TechHouse before March. You can receive a 5% discount on the subscription price, and the reseller will have access to Microsoft partner premier support for your subscription.

    More Details on Microsoft’s New Licensing

    Temporary Discount: Microsoft will offer a 5% discount on new annual NCE subscriptions through March 10, when all new subscriptions must be NCE.

    Price Increase: Microsoft is increasing the price of its core Microsoft products by 20 percent on annual terms. For month-to-month subscription terms, there is an additional surcharge by Microsoft of 20 percent.

    Detail of licensing price changes for commercial products with NCE:

    • Microsoft 365 Business Basic (from $5 to $6 per user)
    • Microsoft 365 Business Premium (from $20 to $22)
    • Office 365 E1 (from $8 to $10)
    • Office 365 E3 (from $20 to $23)
    • Office 365 E5 (from $35 to $38)
    • Microsoft 365 E3 (from $32 to $36)

    NCE: The new NCE program has significantly more draconian cancellation fees. You can only cancel within the first 72 hours of the purchase transaction. Unlike the current subscription, the annual term will not reduce the quantity during the term. The monthly term has a significant surcharge.

    Microsoft’s NCE Timeline

    March 10, 2022: New subscriptions must be purchased in NCE
    July 1, 2022: Legacy subscriptions must be renewed into NCE

    Microsoft’s NCE is here, and we are thankful for the opportunity to inform and support you through the transition. We recognize the power of adapting and pivoting when change comes; therefore, our suggestion is to see what option best fits your organization’s needs and renew sooner rather than later.

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  • Client Corner #3: Getting Creative and Adapting to New Changes

    Client Corner #3: Getting Creative and Adapting to New Changes

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    Getting Creative and Adapting to New Changes

    Adapting looks different for everyone.

    This week, we will be talking about a few clients we’re working with, the problems they’re facing, and what TechHouse is doing to help. The problems range in complexity, but the theme that ties them together is getting creative and adapting to new challenges.

    Last year, many companies had to pivot to adapt to the pandemic. Now, with a sense of normalcy returning, companies are having to readjust again. Many now have hybrid workforces as some employees return to the office and continue working from home.

    This first client is a prime example.

    Updating a Teams Phone System for a Hybrid Work Model

    We helped this client go fully remote last year with Microsoft Teams VoIP. They were not going into the office at all, and their entire phone system was on-premises and therefore useless during the pandemic.

    However, now their office building is back open, and both employees and guests are returning. Their old system had an extension in the building to buzz people in, but they lost that capability when they moved to Teams.

    To solve this problem and keep their updated Teams phone system, TechHouse is helping the customer set up an E-Receptionist. With a Teams-powered device in the lobby and some configuration, the customer will be able to buzz in visitors as they used to while keeping their updated, online phone system to support their hybrid work model.

    Restaurant with Multiple Locations Turns to Automation to Handle Invoicing

    Another client we work with has struggled to find office labor to handle administrative tasks, specifically accounting and invoicing.

    This client is a restaurant with multiple locations, and now that more people are going out to eat, their accounting and invoicing volume has increased. Before the pandemic, they would have hired someone to handle the increased amount of work, but now they are having trouble finding someone and are turning to automation software to get the job done.

    Since this client doesn’t have a dedicated internal IT team, TechHouse, as their trusted technology partner, is helping them assess software and OCR scanning solutions to make the best decision for their growing business.

    Busy Entrepreneur Needs Help Jump-Starting His Tech Baseline

    The last client we want to highlight this month is an entrepreneur who has been so busy working on the other parts of his business that he hasn’t had the time to address technology at all.

    This client is a serial entrepreneur who has created several successful companies in various industries. He currently runs an agriculture company that focuses on sustainable farming and has ten employees.

    The problem he faces is a simple one: he has one email that goes to his computer and a different email that goes to his phone.

    TechHouse is helping him get set up on Microsoft 365, so he has one secure email for all his devices that is also on a platform that can scale with his business. Although this problem may seem simple, it’s easy to overlook as an entrepreneur who is heavily involved in many different parts of the business.

    Incremental Steps Lead to Long-Lasting Change

    Beyond displaying the willingness to adapt and solve problems creatively, all these client stories also exemplify the effectiveness of making incremental changes.

    It’s better to gradually make small changes to your business that will solve your current problems and further support your foundation down the road than to make sudden, drastic changes that solve existing problems but create more problems in the future.

    Switching to a VoIP phone system means your business will never be limited to an office ever again.

    Using automation means you won’t have to hire someone to do a certain process ever again, and you won’t have to worry about human error.

    Having your email set up correctly on a platform that can scale with your business means you can grow as much or as little as you want with the tools you need just a click away.

    How your business uses (or doesn’t use) technology can help or hinder your growth.

    Working with a partner who understands your business and can advise you every step of the way and even anticipate challenges before they affect your bottom line is the best way to grow sustainably. If your business is facing technological challenges, contact us today to see how we can help you adapt and thrive.

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  • Client Corner #2: A Tale of Two Breaches

    Client Corner #2: A Tale of Two Breaches

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    A Tale of Two Breaches

    We’ve been focusing on security for the last few weeks, and this week we want to specifically talk about breaches.

    This weekend, a ransomware attack shut down a major U.S. Gasoline Pipeline and even more recently another ransomware attack took down Ireland’s health care system.

    These incidents show that cyberattacks are getting more sophisticated, and perhaps Colonial Pipeline and Ireland’s health care system did not have sufficient security to defend against such attacks.

    Every organization has to decide where to mitigate risk and sometimes unfortunately not enough is done until after a breach has occurred.

    Below are two cautionary tales from our clients that hopefully will help inform your leadership before you too feel the pain of a breach.

    Security Breach #1: A Compromised Email Account and a Lack of Urgency

    The first client just signed up with us last month.

    Before working with us, this client took a “DIY” approach to their IT.

    As always, we support DIY if you or someone on your team has the IT experience and know-how.

    The owner, however, had decided it was time to have someone with more experience take over the IT side of the business, which is where our partnership began.

    To start, we moved the client’s Microsoft 365 licenses over to TechHouse.

    The owner opted for a phased security approach; however, we discovered one mailbox had already been breached as soon as we transferred them over. We locked it down right away, but unfortunately, the forensics were limited due to the lack of security tools in place at the time of the breach.

    It’s not enough to configure your environment to protect you anymore. You must also make sure auditing is enabled, so if a hacker breaches your environment, you have the forensics to figure out when and how they got in.

    We asked if the owner would like to accelerate their phased security roadmap, but they replied, “No, we’ll just hope nothing else comes up.”

    Again, as a partner and consultant, we can only make recommendations to our clients, but a “hope and pray” approach to security is inadvisable, especially after a breach.

    We enable auditing with our Security Hardening, and depending on your Microsoft licensing, there are different options available for auditing and activity logs.

    We recommend every organization that chooses to partner with us start with a Security Hardening.

    Security Breach #2: Impersonating an Executive from the Inside

    One of our referring partners asked us to help a client of theirs last month, but the client had to cancel their meeting with us when they found out they had been breached.

    A hacker found their way into their system and compromised an executive’s email account. The hacker then impersonated the executive without anyone else noticing.

    Once the hacker had access to the account, they sent emails and set rules to delete them from the outbox immediately, so the victim never even knew they had been hacked.

    This company didn’t find out until it was already too late.

    The hacker ended up fraudulently wiring $250,000 from the company’s bank account to their own pockets.

    This money, now lost to the company, will directly fund the hacker’s cybercrime operations to make matters worse.

    A Proactive Approach to Security is Necessary to Prevent Breaches

    Cyber threats are real. Security breaches happen.

    They are now in our daily news cycle and affecting the lives of ordinary people around the United States and the world.

    If your company hasn’t been breached before, the threat may still feel like it’s “out there,” and cybersecurity isn’t something you need to worry about.

    Trust us, you don’t want to wait until the threat feels real and your organization is compromised.

    The only way to prevent attacks is to have a proactive cybersecurity plan in place. Working with a partner (and heeding their advice) is the best way to protect your organization.

    If you have been breached or if you need a plan to prevent breaches from occurring, contact us today to see how we can help.

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  • Client Corner #1: Get Organized and Secure from the Start

    Client Corner #1: Get Organized and Secure from the Start

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    Get Organized and Secure from the Start

    This is the first post in a new monthly blog series where we will share what our clients are struggling with, what we’re doing to help, and how our recommendations can also benefit your organization.

    This month is all about how to get organized to grow your business and why you should secure your files from the start.

    Get Organized with the Power Platform

    We had a client come to us this month who said they really needed to get organized.

    After working with us, they now have a better sense of who they are now, what they do, and are even changing their name to reflect their new sense of identity.

    Additionally, they want to make sure their processes are in alignment with who they are going forward to ensure continual growth. The three most crucial factors for growth in any company are People, Product, and Processes.

    When it comes to Processes, the Microsoft Power Platform can be a real game changer.

    We have helped companies use the Power Platform to:

    • Capture Data with Power Apps
    • Create Workflows with Power Automate
    • Bring Data to Life with Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power BI

    Automating tasks and tracking your company’s data are both crucial as your company scales, and the Microsoft Power Platform provides easy-to-use, low-code tools to do so.

    Secure from the Start for a Successful Digital Transformation

    The same client who came to us to get organized kept bringing up two other subjects throughout the conversation: Digital Transformation and Security.

    They wanted to know where their files were and wanted to make sure they were secure.

    We recommend any organization considering a move to the Cloud secures its files from the beginning; however, this client did not do that. They decided to use a third-party application for their file storage instead of OneDrive (included in every Microsoft 365 subscription).

    The application they use is designed for non-technical users to send large files and collaborate, but there is a glaring security issue on the user side: what is happening to data before and after it’s uploaded and sent?

    OneDrive, being integrated with the rest of Microsoft 365, provides robust security for your stored files, and further security optimizations can be made with the help of a partner.

    Additionally, our client told us their clients accidentally send sensitive information all the time and weren’t aware there are rules in Microsoft 365 one can use to prevent this.

    Neglecting security and organization of your files will only lead to further problems down the line as you grow which is why consulting with an expert before you start is always a good idea.

    An even better idea is to work with a partner who will be there to advise every step of the way.

    If your company is looking for this kind of partner or you just want to get organized or need help with digital transformation and security, contact us today for a free 15-minute consult to see how we can help.

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