Archive

HP are committed to making the world a greener more sustainable place to live, with one of their many schemes including their efforts to improve the conditions in Haiti after the earthquake that devastated the country in 2010.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the western hemisphere, with little access to clean water, most of the population rely heavily on using water from plastic bottles. Without the infrastructure in place to recycle these bottles it can cause rubbish to pile up and sanitation problems to ensue.

HP have set up a system in which they work with Haitians to collect plastic bottles that are then recycled to make new HP print cartridges.

This initative has in turn helped put money into the local economy and XMA are very pleased to support this amazing story.

Watch the video below to meet Rosette and find out more about her reinvention story.

Windows 7 end of support is fast approaching and its not too late to begin your migration.

14th January marks the end of Windows 7 support, and what does this mean for your business?

If you continue to use Windows 7 after support has ended, your PC will still work, but it may become more vulnerable to security risks and viruses. Your PC will continue to start and run, but Microsoft will no longer provide support for your business.

Here are some of the questions you may be asking

Why should i upgrade to a new device?

Modern devices save time and money with improved security (33% reduction in security incidents),³ faster performance (80% better performance),^1,6,7 a speedy experience (2.1x faster multitasking),^1,5,6 and battery life for a full workday.^1,7

What happens if i continue to use Windows 7?

You can continue to use Windows 7, but once support ends, your PC will become more vulnerable to security risks. Windows will operate but you will stop receiving security and feature updates.

Can i upgrade my existing PC to Windows 10?

Yes, you can upgrade compatible Windows 7 PCs based on specific requirements with a full license. To take advantage of the latest hardware capabilities, we recommend moving to a new PC with Windows 10.

Will internet Explorer still be supported on Windows 7?

Support for Internet Explorer on Windows 7 devices will be discontinued on 14th January, 2020. As a component of Windows operation system Internet Explorer follows the same support life cycle.

Manufactured in the UK, Viglen desktops are built entirely around the way you work. Powered by Intel Core processors and a choice of motherboards, form factors and storage options, desktop computing opens to endless possibilities.

Our desktop solutions offer a wide range of quality components, customisable and versatile configurations, and innovative security options.

Equipped with the latest Windows 10 and Intel technologies, the Viglen range reflect innovative products that meet the requirements of the modern user in the evolving digital workspace.

Migrate today with Viglen and don’t risk being unprotected!

View our short animated explainer to learn the risks and associated costs of not migrating 

Our shared work area on the school server had become a bloated monster. It was stuffed full with the outdated worksheets, past papers and mark schemes that we’d been feeding it over the years. And to make matters worse, these documents were rarely referred to by staff, and seldom used by students.

So we started to look at how we could kill off this old monstrous shared drive, and look at other digital platforms. We wanted a dynamic digital hub with a range of features that could future-proof us in the rapidly changing world of technology.

Given that we were going to spend money on training, it was essential that we were confident the company we chose would still be around in five years’ time to provide support and updates. But most importantly, we wanted to see it having an impact in the classroom.  For these reasons, we chose Microsoft Teams in Office 365 Education 

One of the reasons we went for Teams is that our staff and students are already familiar with aspects of it as regular users of Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Outlook. Teams allows all of these familiar programs to seamlessly integrate with additional, sophisticated tools that promote collaboration and creativity. It’s also got a load of apps, such as Quizlet and Evernote, that you can use as extensions.

We have saved a lot of training time from not having to explain features; more importantly, we have saved a lot of lesson time not having to explain to students how to change the settings for an essay or adjust a presentation. Instead, the focus has been on the outcome, not the medium.

Edtech: Identifying what you want to change in the classroom

One of the biggest challenges we have is getting students to work more collaboratively. Our lessons are 35 minutes long, and sometimes setting up a task, in pairs and groups, can gobble up that time. Teams allows a teacher to “prep” a task in advance of seeing the class.

So, for example, if I am teaching my Year 11s poetry, I can annotate texts in Word on an iPad Pro using an Apple Pencil, share it with the students, get them to work on further annotations before the lesson, and share their work among classmates.

They learned from me, then themselves, then each other, and they did this in their own time, at their own pace, rather than in lessons. I couldn’t have done this so efficiently without an effective digital hub. I can also give them immediate feedback online through group Chat. Students find this very different approach stimulating and rewarding, and I am able to test their progress through another feature in Teams.

How to deliver impact

In the run-up to the exams, I was trying to ascertain from the class what it was that they wanted to recap, but I was finding that it was the voice of one or two students that seemed to be directing the topics. So in a bid to try and elicit some honest (and uninfluenced by their peers) responses, I changed up the way I was asking the questions by using Forms instead.

Forms is a really useful tool in Teams. Setting up a Form takes seconds, but the real work lies in the quality of the questions the teacher sets the students. The answers you get back can change how and what you teach. I asked the same Year 11 class 20 questions on different aspects of their GCSE language course and used their answers to map out revision lessons.

Now their answers were much more honest. I learned that the majority of them wanted to spend more time on particular topics and key skills. All this was given to me in easily understood graphics. Getting quick and clean data back from my classes empowered the students by making them stakeholders in their progress and, I believe, improved my teaching.

The impact of marking

Too often, teachers were finding the time it took to mark a set of students’ essays was doubling, because once it was done that student needed to sit with the teacher and recap everything that the teacher had written down. What we needed was a way to mark with the student there – but which didn’t add to our own marking time, and didn’t take up more time in class.

So instead, our teachers have the option to mark live, online, the students’ work. This can be a constructive dialogue focused on approaches to learning, rather than a final mark, which, in turn, leads to a more secure knowledge of the topic.

In other words, teachers are showing their students what works, rather than simply telling them. Seeing it live, in groups or one-to-one can be transformative because it develops skills and application, rather than just retrieval.

All this is good practice, but it is reassuring to know that there is compelling evidence to show that the right technology used appropriately can improve key skills, such as reading comprehension.

Improving professional development

Technology can be a powerful tool for learning, but it has to be used purposely and consistently. Crucially, teachers need to know how to use it, and that requires training.

There are free online courses for educators, but we have found that the most effective professional development comes from us: finding out what works and what doesn’t from colleagues ensures that we drive the learning with the students, rather than worrying about which apps to use, or which device to pick up.  If in doubt, you can always test progress using Forms.

There are alternatives available, and they’re good, but Teams is well-named: it brings people together in a secure space dedicated to collaboration.​

Credit: David James, Deputy Head (academic) of Bryanston School

Source: TES

Speak to one of our education experts about how Microsoft Surface coupled with Teams can improve learning outcomes.

Emails ding, are you listening?

Whether you’re planning on watching The Grinch for the 518th time, preparing for the annual Christmas Trivia family board game, or gathering last minute bits and bobs, we are in full festive swing.

In the spirit of this tech-induced time, we have come up with some technology inspired Christmas riddles to rattle your nutcrackers. Fancy yourself as a XMAs-Tech whizz? Show us what you’ve got!

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“What’s in it for me?”

In this celebratory season of giving, if all three riddles plus the bonus riddle are answered correctly, we will donate £10 to our chosen charity, Shelter.

Shelter support and advise millions of people facing homelessness or experiencing housing issues, pledging they won’t stop until there’s a safe, secure and affordable home for everyone. Shelter help people by organising face-to-face appointments, have a free national emergency helpline open 365 days a year, offer an online web chat, and provide legal support. Recently, they announced how London has the highest rate of homelessness in the UK. Let’s work together and care for those less fortunate than ourselves.

***

How about sharing some of these techie Christmas riddles around your office? The more correct responses we receive, the higher our donation for Shelter this Christmas.

Your spontaneous good deed of Christmas time = done.

Without further ado, let’s get going…

The spaces in which we work have changed dramatically within a single lifetime. Perhaps the most dramatic change comes from how much of our work is now done in a workspace which we can’t even see, which doesn’t exist physically; because the digital space in which we work has transformed services, experiences and entire companies beyond recognition.

This digital workspace can’t be ignored – those entering the workforce now have lived their whole lives with access to the internet and take for granted the advantages which that connection brings. As organisations struggle to utilise the data and functionality at their fingertips, they risk disenfranchising those who expect the flexibility, immediacy and autonomy they have outside the office to be reflected within it.

Agile working isn’t a dream, it is a necessity. Organisations  focused on providing employees – as well as customers – with great experience, will grow far beyond those for whom employee engagement isn’t a driver. In research by Gallup we can see that an employee focused workspace creates greater engagement, which – in turn – affects key business outcomes.

But, What Does Agile Working Look Like?

Providing an agile workspace is about bringing together – intelligently – our physical and digital workplaces to provide employees with an experience which works for them, as well as the organisation .

A decade (or three) of employees feeling that technological advances have been grasped by organisations  to their own advantage, rather than providing better experience for staff, may make some wary. Agile working isn’t about promoting hot desking to provide less, and smaller, desks for cost reduction, or giving employees smartphones to ensure they answer emails at the weekend.

Agile working has to be about providing employees with the advantages of flexibility and autonomy which digital solutions can provide. It’s also about physical workspaces which promote collaboration, joint working and learning. Because, for organisations, it has become increasingly recognised that employees are what differentiate in an environment where choice is always growing – it’s essential to be the company in which great employees will thrive.

The companies who can bring together physical and digital spaces to create great experiences will be the ones who excel – both for customer and employee engagement.

So, How Does a Business Embrace Agile Working?

Transformation starts by understanding what’s possible, allowing the creation of a vision which embraces a realistic but forward-looking concept. Next, a roadmap can be created, identifying opportunities and driving innovation.

Design and implementation of any changes will only be effective when built against a true understanding of the ‘as-is’ and the ‘vision’. Additionally, it’s essential that this is done against a background which encompasses the whole of the ‘bigger picture’ ensuring the focus is providing a better experience for employees, not just customers or shareholders.

Final steps will involve companies exploring the outcomes of their development to identify opportunities for optimisation and scale.

Conclusion

This improved functionality we’re calling an agile workspace, should be providing benefits for companies and employees alike.

In a world where we can use a phone to find our nearest chemist, confirm they’re open and get directions to a parking space, individuals don’t expect to get lost finding a meeting room, struggle to locate an employee in their own office or want to face the frustration of not being able to book an empty desk.

It’s essential that companies look at employee concerns about their workspace and offer solutions, it’s also essential that these solutions are part of a joined-up picture which provides flexibility and autonomy to ensure employees feel enabled and trusted.

Engaged employees provide better service to customers, are more productive, are less likely to leave taking their skills with them, and instead are more likely to encourage like-minded peers to join firms they perceive to be good for them.

Engage your employees, providing solutions which work for them. If you want to find out more about how we can enable your transformation, get in touch.

Written by Terry Chana – Director of Workspace Transformation @ XMA

References 

1. https://www.gallup.com/workplace/236927/employee-engagement-drives-growth.aspx 
2. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/employee-wellbeing-victim-hotdeskings-success-terry-chana/ 
3. https://www.citrix.com/blogs/2018/11/27/treat-your-employees-like-customers-to-improve-employee-engagement/ 

With rapid advancements in technology and high-speed internet, collaboration in higher education has transcended geographical boundaries and opened a new world of global learning. With a wealth of knowledge at their fingertips, students and educators can communicate and explore new ideas in exciting and engaging ways by using the Microsoft Surface Hub 2S.

There are so many ways the Surface Hub 2S can benefit your university:

• Better engagement in classrooms
• Increased interaction with expert lecturers
• Seamless and simple global team collaboration
• On-demand viewing and sharing
• Making any place a teamwork space with a mobile, cordless collaboration device

University students now have the expectation that universities are able to provide the best technology to help aid learning. This is one of the main drivers for higher education institutions to integrate technology and stay competitive.

Investing in a Surface Hub 2S alleviates these obstacles and minimises disruption to all parties. Surface Hub 2S allows experts to give lectures in specialist fields without placing an economic burden on institutes.

Another issue that universities face is tight budgets that do not allow for integrated smart hubs and they are always seeking an affordable and viable option. Therefore, a highly desirable feature would be the ability to have a mobile smart hub that can be use utilised in any classroom or lecture theatre, without the need for renovation.

The Surface Hub 2S enables lectures to be distributed to the entire student body afterwards as a valuable content piece that can be accessed whenever and wherever needed. Going one step further, adding subtitles will allow students whose first language is not English to absorb the information at their own pace. Additionally, lectures can be given in any language with English subtitles to be more accessible, proving that language is no longer a barrier to learning.

Real-time collaboration

Students benefit by having group meetings that allow multiple collaboration in real time without the need to be in the same room or even the same country. This instant feedback from colleagues enables group work to be both more effective and efficient. Having a large multi-touch screen allows details to be seen clearly and mistakes to be picked up at an early stage, increasing the quality of the content produced.

The smart collaboration screens are an asset to have across any higher education subject as they develop skills needed for career readiness. Final project presentations can be given in a professional manner that would mirror what they would do in industry with clients.

In business-related subjects, students can contribute, annotate and interact within a project in real time when discussing product development, marketing, finance and strategy. This is powerful as information is shared with all team members through programmes like Microsoft Teams and Office 365 – all powered by Windows 10.

“Surgeons can perform operations that are transmitted in real time to medical students sitting in a classroom on the other side of the world”

As technology continues to develop, so do the opportunities to help medical schools innovate in how they prepare students to enter the workforce. A hands-on approach is required in medicine: surgeons can perform operations that are transmitted in real time to medical students sitting in a classroom on the other side of the world. Students can communicate with experts who they previously may not have had access to, demonstrating that you can collaborate from any location to enable global learning.

Video conferencing enables sharing between partner universities over a secure network. Sharing not only improves the outcomes of collaborative sessions, but also helps to build a stronger relationship between the partner institutes.

Smart screens have revolutionised the way students are taught and how teaching is delivered. Technology is empowering collaborative learning and with every new wave of progress it will benefit students who have invested heavily in their education. Universities will be able to reduce spend without compromising on the quality of services they provide to students. Technology should be intuitive, invisible and allow the focus to be on learning.

XMA are leading the way for institutions across the UK to transform their lecture halls into collaborative and interactive learning spaces with Surface Hub 2S, delivering innovative and engaging experiences for students.

Within the last 10 years there has been a huge increase in the popularity of remote workers in organisations.  A study carried out by the Office of National Statistics found there is currently over 4 million employees who work remotely within the UK, with this number forecast to more than double in the next few years.

Organisations see a variety of benefits from having such a workforce these include: money and time saving implications as well as a positive impact on employees health and productivity. These benefits could be seen as a direct reason why organisations are steering more towards a workforce who are spending an increasing amount of time working outside the office.

These remote methods of working  mean businesses need to invest in devices that support their employees. A study carried out by Samsung found 93% of the workforce use their mobile device to carry out work on a daily basis. Employees using a mobile device in this way have found communication and collaboration between staff has improved as well as seen productivity increase.

However, not all aspects of remote working and the use of work devices are beneficial to organisations. Devices being used that are unsecure can put organisations in particular danger from data breaches and security risks. The risks can include loosing important and sensitive information that could be costly and detrimental to your organisation.

An important step in protecting your  work devices is to invest in a security solution for your fleet which will protect against intrusion, malware and malicious threats.

The Solution

Samsung Knox is a leading mobile security solution that provides a secure environment for corporate data and apps. Privacy for your Samsung device:

Data encryption: All data is securely encrypted by default, using a government-certified encryption module.

Data isolation: Your personal data can be completely isolated in a secure place on device.

The most difficult crisis public sector organisations have had to cope with is the austerity measures that have been put in place by the Government and the impact that has had on funding. Many healthcare organisations have taken steps to adjust their financial situation by looking at ways to:

• Increase their income
• Drive efficiencies through increasing shared services and process efficiencies
• Eliminating or reducing services they offer

Healthcare organisations have looked to invest in technology to ensure that performance, particularly quality of care improves while total costs decrease. This drive for efficiencies has resulted in a sharp focus on how patient data is collected, processed and stored. The collection of patient data on paper, the inefficient and expensive methods of transporting and storing that paper and the impact it has on patient healthcare quality and overall costs have been identified as a key area to drive major efficiencies.

A drive for digital ways of working has seen healthcare take tremendous steps towards a more efficient and modern way of managing patient records. However the eradication of the use of paper in the treatment of patients has not yet been realised for many organisations and they are still grappling with the challenge of planning this complex transformation. Kodak Alaris have supported dozens of healthcare customers in their digital transformation to a paper-lite environment and helped them make progress towards their ultimate objective of a a paperless NHS.

The Challenges

Clinicians rely on accurate patient data made available in a timely manner to deliver the best patient care. If patient information is exclusively on paper it can cause problems, such as:

• Accessing patient records that are exclusively recorded on paper can be slow and lengthens both appointment times and waiting times.
• The movement of patient records can be expensive and time consuming.

Overall, historic methods of collecting patient information on paper, manually moving this by post, vans and trolleys, and storing it in large centralised stores is no longer suitable due to its overall costs and the delays it causes in patient care.

The Solution

Moving from a paper heavy approach to a digital one is a significant transformation. It requires organisations to look at how they capture information and make it digital as soon as possible, how they process that information and how they store it. With the right planning and preparation, it can have a significant positive impact on patient care and deliver long term cost savings.

Kodak Alaris along with XMA have provided their expert assistance to NHS trusts, Primary care trusts and Acute trusts through the UK and Ireland. The unique expertise in hardware, software and services have helped digitise millions of patient records reducing the time spent by clinicians finding and retrieving information necessary for patient care. Kodak Alaris solutions provide every feature you could need in the healthcare environment to improve efficiency and streamline patient care.

Utilising Kodak Alaris solutions brings a wide range of benefits to healthcare organisations:

• A quicker patient record retrieval
• Reduction in time taken to discover data within records
• Reduction in physical storage space requirements
• Reduction in logistic costs of patient record movement
• Improved staff time utilisation- more time can be spent with patients rather than looking for patient information

Imagine what’s possible when you take the complexity out of document-based processes. You can deliver a better patient experience at lower cost when you digitise routines that rely solely on paper.

XMA are passionate about delivering an outstanding customer experience. Trusted by some of the largest Public Sector organisations in the UK, we put our customers at the heart of all that we do to enable healthcare professionals to evolve and transform the way they work.

For more information on how XMA along with Kodak Alaris can help digitalise your health organisation call: 01422 444 666 Email: info@xma.co.uk

We tasked our Senior Corporate Account Manager, Raj Patel, with using a Surface Go as his main device for a full working week. We wanted to know whether the Surface Go really is as powerful and durable as it says, and whether this device really is the right one for a field worker like Raj. Let’s find out how he got on…

Raj Patel – Senior Corporate Account Manager at XMA

In early October, the marketing team tasked me with using a Surface Go for the entire week whilst out on my customer meetings. As a field salesman, I am always on the road visiting customers – and working for a company that sells technology… well, I need to be equipped with some of the best devices that we have to offer. After all, if I am trying to sell a product to a customer, being able to show the practicality of the device is one of the most important parts of my job.

As a field worker I need a device that has built-in LTE connectivity, is versatile enough to function throughout whatever task I’m doing, is light enough for me to carry on the go but also powerful enough to run the apps that I need.

So, when I was asked to test out the Surface Go for the week, I was never going to turn it down! My customers are always enquiring about the Surface Go, especially for their field workers. So, I figured that this was the perfect opportunity to really experience it for myself, and find out what it is about the Surface Go that makes it such a great device for remote workers such as myself.

Here’s what I found:

1.      Built in connectivity and protection

One of my biggest challenge as a field worker is trying to stay productive when you don’t have reliable Wi-Fi access when you’re out of the office. I need to make sure I can stay connected with both my colleagues and my customers whilst I’m on the go. The always-on Outlook connectivity really helps when it comes to staying online, which means I can also remain productive throughout the day between meetings. The built-in protection with Windows 10 security also means that when I’m working in a public place or at a remote site, I can rest assured that my data is always going to be stored safely and securely.

2.      Versatile and powerful

I can start using my device by using Windows Hello, which unlocks the device using Face ID. This means I don’t have to spend lots of time in front of the customer trying to unlock the device.

The long battery life also means I don’t have to worry about the device losing power whilst I’m on the go. I’m a busy man! So I’m always spending time between meetings catching up on emails… doing some of my admin work… and jumping on calls using Microsoft Teams. An all-day battery life allows me to get a full working days use out of it, and then I just plug it in to charge when I get home ready for the next day. Winner, winner!

3.      On-the-go portability

One of the best things about the Surface Go is arguably its slim and lightweight design. Travelling around a lot means I don’t want to carry around a heavy, bulky laptop that requires a completely separate bag! The Surface Go is so light sometimes I forget it’s already in my bag (and then I have that moment of panic where I think I haven’t packed it at all!).

When I use the Surface Go in my customer meetings, I don’t necessarily want to be using the screen to type notes. So, in more professional and formal environments I attach the Surface Go to my Surface type cover and mouse. This turns my tablet into a functional laptop in the space of a few seconds. Customers always seem impressed when I attach the accessories to the Surface Go, as they can see in front of their very eyes how the Surface Go can be used in different ways.

The Surface Go is definitely the best device for me to use when I’m on the road and travelling. As a field worker, I knew I needed something light… portable… powerful enough to last all day… and looks sleek and stylish enough to impress in my customer meetings. I would highly recommend the Surface Go, and after this week I have asked XMA if I can keep the device as I became so attached to it. I’m now the proud new owner of a Surface Go, and I couldn’t be more satisfied with it.

Speak to our team of experts today to learn how Microsoft Surface can benefit your business

With the impending deadline of January 14th 2020, the shift to Windows 10 is one of the most important topics on every IT professionals mind. Migrating is only one part of the puzzle and there are many other important things you should be considering if you are one of the many organisations who are already halfway through migrating!

 Here are the top 4 challenges that you could face on your Migration to Windows 10

1.Legacy Application Issues

Organisations who are reliant on legacy applications within their environment may be delaying upgrading to Windows 10 or having issues mid-migration due to interoperability issues.

2.Struggling to obtain meaningful and actionable data to migrate

Although Microsoft have made available a number of free tools to help identify what devices and applications will be compatible with Windows 10, it’s actually very hard for organisations to get meaningful data that they can make actionable decisions on around that.

3.Internal capabilities and resource capacity

Upgrading to Windows 10 will most likely be one of many projects your organisations IT team will be involved in at any one time therefore having the time and resource required to properly commit to ensuring a smooth transition may prove challenging.

4.Functionality

Adoption and utilisation of any new technology is dependent on your organisation and it’s employees understanding how to make best use of the full suite of features and benefits Windows 10 offers. Training your workforce can significantly improve their productivity and reduce the burden on your IT support resources ongoing but is often an afterthought for many organisations.

Another point to consider is an understanding of how your organisation can benefit from Modern Management and the efficiencies to be gained from streamlined device provisioning to your users.

If any of these challenges sound familiar, get in touch with us to discuss further.

Our experienced in-house team of Microsoft accredited consultants and engineers are experts in migrating data and systems across a wide range of business systems including Windows 10. We have the expertise and knowledge to guide you through your migration journey, from assessing the readiness of your current applications to migrating data and ensuring you’re making the most of your investment, we can manage the whole lifecycle of your migration project and beyond.

You can also find our more about what to consider for Windows 7 End of Support by listening to our podcast

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