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When access to your data lags, your business lags. Understand how to apply machine learning in your data center to predict and prevent the problems that cause downtime.

This research by Nimble Storage, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company, outlines the top five causes of application delays. The report analyses more than 12,000 anonymised cases of downtime and slow performance. Read this report and find out:

• Top 5 causes of downtime and poor performance across the infrastructure stack
• How machine learning and predictive analytics can prevent issues
• Steps you can take to boost performance and availability

Download the free report by completing the fields below

Beating customer SLA’s

HPE InfoSight took infrastructure management out of the equation for Rent-a-Center, and freed up staff time to execute instead of managing storage. Hear from their Director of Technical Operations on how they transformed.

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Explore how an integrated network, built around 802.11ac, can provide SMBs with a higher-performing, secure network for today’s business environment, and how simple – and profitable – setting up such a network really is.

Download your FREE eBook by Aruba by completing the form below.

Historically, the IT industry has always been hugely male skewed but with the gender imbalance beginning to slide, it’s time we celebrated the women who are already making a significant difference in the channel.

The CRN Women in Channel awards recognises and applauds female talent, celebrating their success and achievements as entrepreneurs, leaders and exceptional employees. Over the recent months, resellers, distributors and vendors across the UK, have been nominating outstanding women within their organisation, as those they believe to be role models, able to inspire the next generation.

At XMA, we are powered by our people. We promote diversity and equal opportunities and as such, are extremely proud to announce four short listings at this year’s awards.

And the nominees are…

Technical Employee of the year

Jen Norman – Head of Infrastructure Transformation
Not only is Jen nominated for the Technical Employee of the Year award but she is also on the judging panel! As the Head of Infrastructure Transformation at XMA, Jen is leading the way in digitally transforming our customers and has also been working on a series of vital social impact projects as part of the huge University of Northampton project. For someone whose original career path was to be a ballerina, she has excelled in the industry!

Manager of the Year

Katie Goodwin – Head of HR
The manager of the people! As the Head of HR, Katie has helped XMA achieve its vision of being a great place to work.  Implementing a new HR system, helping enhance our vision and values, supporting the introduction of our Learning and Development Academy and working with partners to design an interactive and informative Induct and Inspire workshop for all staff – Katie has been at the forefront of allowing the workforce voice to be heard.

Rising Star

Emily Bovington – Head of Project Support Office
At 24 years old, Emily is already managing a team of 10! A self-taught manager, her staff’s success and satisfaction is what is most important to her and she has worked hard to build and restructure a team to offer progression and learning opportunities to support their career development. She is wise beyond her years, and has made huge career progress in a short space of time. She now has 100% staff retention in 12 months and has helped deliver over £10mill+ of projects for XMA – and growing!

Unsung Hero

Gina Vaccarella – Events Manager
Having meticulously organised more than 100 events since joining XMA, Gina has made a real difference to how we engage our customers and internal audiences. As example, with her desire to transform traditional learning styles, Gina took the lead on establishing a social outreach programme which offered teachers access to free training in a fun and exciting environment, providing fresh ideas and skills to apply in the classroom.

The awards ceremony will take place on the 18th October where we look forward to celebrating success with other inspirational women from across the channel.

It can seem to take forever to scan through the endless amount of HP print cartridges available online. As a job that is always left until the last minute, a rush to order means that some buyers may not pay as much detail as they need to the purchase.

Despite many reputable e-commerce websites to buy from, there are still third-party traders selling thousands of counterfeit goods – and HP print cartridges are no exception.

The cost of counterfeit

In fact, counterfeit goods are so much of an issue, that The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) estimates that the annual value of international trade in all counterfeit goods at $200 billion (£158 billion).

Easy to be tricked

In the printing world, counterfeiting consists of the manufacturing/remanufacturing or refilling of a print cartridge, with the intention to promote it in a way which suggests it is an original brand name product.

This usually involves an unofficial print cartridge being put into a box that closely resembles genuine HP packaging – deceiving the customers into paying a higher price as they believe the product is legitimate.

The disadvantages

As well as being deceived on price, the potential risk of using counterfeit print cartridges could play havoc with your printer. Problems you may incur, include:

• Poor quality print-outs
• Reduced page yield
• Damage to printer
• Premature fail or do not work
• Interruption of print infrastructure
• Invalidation of hardware warranty

Protecting yourself against counterfeit

Just like all counterfeit products you’ve probably witnessed, if an offer sounds too good to be true, it probably is. To avoid falling victim to questionable offers, you should look to buy from authorised resellers only. For HP, this includes us here at XMA.

For existing cartridges that you may have that you are dubious about, you can action this three-step plan.

1. Check the security label – Tilt box front to back to see “OK” and “√” move in opposite directions. Then tilt box right to left to see “OK” and “√” move in the same direction. If it doesn’t, this is not a HP print cartridge.
2. Scan the code – Use the HP SureSupply app or a generic QR code reader to scan the QR code on the cartridge’s security label. Or go to www.hp.com/go/ok to validate online.
3. Report counterfeit – Keep the cartridge, packaging and any documents relating to the product, such as invoices, etc, and report it on the HP website.

Beating counterfeit cartridges

Unofficial traders have become smart in how they package and sell counterfeit cartridges online. Whilst HP and other companies are combatting the global issue, with this information, you can ensure that you are buying the right cartridges for your printers – delivering the quality, performance and value that you expect from a HP printer cartridge.

For more information on buying official HP printer cartridges from XMA, an approved HP reseller, speak to your Account Manager today.

You no longer have to imagine an all-flash storage solution because today it’s a real option for enterprise data centres.

Today’s storage challenges:

• Application performance demands
• Instant response times
• Always-on Availability
• Anywhere, anytime access
• 40% enterprise data growth per year
• 60% of storage taken up by copies of data

HPE Nimble Storage All Flash Arrays provide high performance and consistent low-latency storage with advanced data reduction technology, along with rich storage management functionality for radically simple operation—even for the most demanding applications.

Learn more in this free technical whitepaper

Printers that reside on your network could be hacked

Security breaches are becoming increasingly sophisticated and dangerous in the way hackers can now access confidential data… Did you know your printer could be an entry point to your whole network?

Multifunction Printers (MFPs) have evolved to become integral to the network, with many other functions than just printing, including copy, scan to network destinations and send email attachments, these devices come equipped with hard disk drives and often run internal web servers.

Whilst MFPs and printers have improved business productivity and many business rely on them, they pose the same security risk as any networked device if left unprotected. With data breaches rising and increasing industry and regulatory requirements around information security, businesses may suffer financial and reputational damage if they ignore the risks of unsecured printing.   

Device

Printing and imaging devices store user credentials and other sensitive data such as stored print jobs that can be accessed if it’s not encrypted or regularly erased.

Network data

Multi-function printers reside on your company network. They can also be hacked like a computer and be an entry point for malware and viruses

Access control & authentication

In the absence of a pull printing requirement, sensitive documents may be retrieved by any user. Anyone who has access to printer settings can exploit permissions if the settings aren’t restricted to admin only access.

Monitoring & management

Lack of centralised printer control can lead to inefficient, incomplete, and time-intensive efforts by IT to establish and maintain printer security settings.

Document

Output trays are an easy way for sensitive data to fall into the wrong hands. Unprotected input trays could lead to the theft of special paper–such as check stock.

Safeguarding

Many organisations still have work to do in safeguarding their print infrastructure, however by introducing secure printing controls reduces risk and can help reduce costs through user authentication, which can minimise wasteful printing and provides a method to audit user activity, this enables organisations with better control and responsibility.

Another measure to introduce increased security could to develop a print security strategy and ensure all employees are appropriately briefed and know how to use features such as PIN enabled printing so that features are used well and do not disrupt your organisation.

Are your devices fully secure?  

Do you fully understand the complexity of your print environment, the volumes you are printing, or how much it is costing you?  Our team of print professionals are on hand to discuss your exact needs and will work with you to ensure a solution is implemented which maximises productivity, whilst driving down unnecessary expenditure. Contact us now:

Call 01422 444 666
Email halifax@xma.co.uk

A smart strategy and the right investments can help organisations to stay ahead of cybersecurity threats

With health care experiencing accelerated adoption of the Internet of Things (IoT), demand is skyrocketing for connected medical, operational and personal “things.” Not coincidentally, attacks on health care organisations are also rising, with numerous high-profile breaches having been reported this past year.

Although many IoT devices offer extraordinary benefits for improving patient outcomes, staff effectiveness and operational cost savings, they also bring with them new security risks. Instead of just targeting employees with sophisticated email phishing schemes, hackers now can exploit vulnerabilities in any type of connected device, right down to your light bulbs.

That’s why the latest cybersecurity best practices call for a multilayered IoT security strategy to mitigate threats and reduce risks. These seven steps can help organisations to develop a comprehensive cybersecurity game plan while ensuring that they won’t become the next headline.

Step 1. Know what’s on your network

Understand how to secure the network that supports IoT infrastructure begins with knowing what’s running on it. Assuming it’s a great network, people will want to connect devices to it. Otherwise, what’s the point?

Further, it’s no longer just information technology (IT) staff who are connecting devices via wired ports or wireless systems. Practically every hospital staff member is skilled enough to connect a device. In other words, no matter how hard an IT team tries to establish guidelines and procedures, someone will always connect something unexpected.

This makes modern network access control (NAC) solutions the first line of defense, the best of which offer granular centralised, role-based management and network segmentation. Such solutions enable policies to be set regarding which devices or things can, and cannot, access a network, as well as what data or applications they can access and who has the ability to manage or maintain these devices.

Such solutions monitor connections 24/7 and automatically quarantine anything that doesn’t fit. Simultaneously, an alert about a quarantined device goes to the individual assigned.

Quickly alerting IT is a vital capability, as it ensures that a human can swiftly permit the right people to gain access in support of the primary mission: meeting patient needs. For example, an IT team can determine whether a quarantine alert is simply a biomedical technician attempting to connect a new patient device or a suspicious activity that merits further investigation.

Step 2. Know the role of each user, device and thing

Controlling IoT access to a network requires controlling both the devices and the humans who connect them. To determine what type of access to give a person or an IoT device, it’s not as important to know what each one is as it is to understand what they do. In other words, it requires understanding the business aspect of why a person or device is seeking network access.

This may seem like a no-brainer, but it needs to be emphasized because a significant number of health care IT and facilities professionals are hired from outside the field. It’s important for organisations that fall under this category to work with their business counterparts to understand the role each connected user or device plays.

For example, IoT-enabled, smart hand-washing stations track clinician compliance with organizational hygiene policies. The data these stations collect is critical to tracing and mitigating infection sources before they become a hazard to patients or put an organization at risk.

On the staff safety side, an increasing number of building security systems include a smartphone-enabled duress app. This empowers clinicians to request assistance with a single touch.

Clearly, each of these IoT connection types requires the right role to ensure smooth, seamless and always-on network access.

Step 3. Infuse real-time intelligence to detect subtle changes

Security experts agree. No matter how well wired and wireless network are secured, threats eventually will find their way in. In fact, recent reports show that more than two-thirds of breaches actually involve internal actors rather than external forces.

That’s why the most advanced defenses now include sophisticated analytics and artificial intelligence (AI)-based machine learning. Such solutions spot changes in user or device behavior that often indicates that an invader has evaded perimeter defenses, whether originating from inside or out.

So, if a smart hand-washing station tries to masquerade as a duress app, an AI-infused access control solution can detect this behavior faster than humanly possible and immediately deny network access while notifying both the appropriate IT staffer and facilities manager.

An even more advanced solution provides clear, understandable feedback to anyone attempting to use the compromised statio, such as sending a text message to a station’s potential user to redirect the person to an operational unit.

Step 4. Insist that your vendors improve device security

Historically, medical and facilities device vendors have focused on engineering their products to address health care and building needs with less, or no, regard for the security implications. Consequently, most are still well below IT networking standards, such as supporting the ability to utilize and store encryption keys on the device.

This is where you, the IoT-enabled device purchaser, comes in. By insisting that vendors place networking best-practice security protocols on their development road maps prior to making the investment, it will challenge them to improve their solutions to earn more business.

In some cases, health care organisations may even be able to share with prospective vendors why they’ve selected a competing product.

The sooner users start insisting that IoT device manufacturers comply with security expectations, the faster we’ll see solutions to match.

Step 5. Change default credentials and passwords

Despite the fact that most high-profile IoT-related breaches to date have resulted from failing to change default credentials, it’s surprising how often we still encounter organisations that permit devices to connect via manufacturer-supplied user names and passwords.

Although many vendors now embed options that are more unique than classic “admin” and “password” defaults, know that all factory settings are documented — to enable users to receive help remediating a device — and, therefore, are easily found on the internet.

However, this doesn’t require creating a unique user name and password for every single infusion pump or door lock. Instead, assign need role-based credentials that follow today’s recommendations for character combinations and length. This allows one set of credentials for all infusion pumps or other medical device types.

Additionally, only employees with the correct role, based on their login credentials and the device’s role, should be permitted to access device settings, all of which are then monitored by the sophisticated access control solutions already addressed.

Step 6. Remember, cybersecurity is really about people

No matter what technologies are adopted for securing IoT, people remain the most important priority. All of the sophisticated systems in the world won’t protect a network if someone places the credentials for a device on the unit itself or hangs a list of passwords on the wall in his or her office.

Most of the time, inadequate practices result from insufficient understanding. This makes training on IoT device security policies critical, as well as requiring regular review or recertification, for all staff members across all departments. Strict enforcement of security protocols is also key.

When training, one of the most important tips to give employees is to create prompts for passwords based on something they know, but others will not, and record only the prompt where it’s accessible. For example, the prompt “fishing trip” could relate to the password “B$gH0rnMTo9^2o^16.”

Once employees have created their lists of prompts and associated passwords, make sure they lock lists containing passwords in a drawer and never, ever, discuss them — either at or outside of work. Of course, they can keep their prompt lists handy for efficiency.

Step 7: Reassess and revise

Regardless of how thorough an IT department is at creating a comprehensive IoT security strategy, it should never be considered “complete.” Instead, the most secure organisations are those that continue to evolve their practices as new tools and recommendations emerge.

This doesn’t mean becoming a cybersecurity guru. Instead, savvy professionals leverage trusted resources to learn about the latest best practices and options. Simultaneously, they regularly scan their organisations for ways to improve.

Source: Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company.

Reducing outside of school hours

It’s now not an unfamiliar sight to see a teacher lugging boxes of books and folders between classrooms and then home again in the evening. Research from the Department for Education’s ‘Teachers Workload Survey’ has revealed that on average teachers are spending over 18 hours working outside of school hours each week.

The reality of bigger class sizes means that the workload for teachers is on the increase. As the pile of 25 text books grows to over 30 – not to mention the added time needed to plan lessons to keep larger classes engaged; the teaching targets begin to appear increasingly less achievable.

Amongst many professions balancing work and home life can be a particular struggle, but no more so than for teachers. In order to help reduce the time, outside of school hours, that teaching staff are spending on marking each week, we’ve compiled some top tips for turning the marking mountain into a molehill.

1. Review the time within your working day
   Ever get to the end of a school day and wonder where on earth the time has gone? Perhaps it’s time to start tracking and scrutinising your work days.One of the best ways to do this is to create a work-time diary. This will act as a summary of the tasks or jobs that filled your day – whether that’s an extra 10 minutes spent at the photocopier due to faulty devices, your computer just rebooting for updates or having to keep students back after class – it all adds up.Create a spreadsheet or table and include all of the tasks that you covered within school hours, as well as any work related jobs you pick up out of hours. By doing this you’re able to keep track of any tasks that are taking up too much time throughout your day, and find the areas that are taking up too much of your valuable time and troubleshoot how your time could be better spent.
2. Encourage peer-to-peer assessment
   Peer assessment is becoming more and more popular with the education sector. Not only does this method alleviate the amount of marking you’ll be taking home, it also helps students build their confidence, analytical skills and encourages engagement throughout lessons.In order to approach peer assessment in the right way, you’ll need to share your own techniques with the class as well as give them an assessment criteria to judge the work against. Ask them to try and give constructive criticism to their peers and/or assign designated ‘study-buddies’. The feedback can then either be shared back within small groups or with the wider class as a whole.
3. Listen to music
   When sitting down at home and preparing yourself for an evening of marking, it’s important that you remove any distractions. The less time spent on distractions, the quicker you will get through the pile of papers sitting in front of you.
   In fact research shows that listening to music when working is proven to increase the standard of your work and make you work faster!While the nature and style of the music can cause specific responses in the brain, some studies suggest that it really is down to personal preference. Want some inspiration? Check out this article from The Telegraph.
4. Optimise your surroundings
   Although marking from home may be inevitable, it doesn’t have to be an drawn out chore. Research into the productivity of working from home has revealed that by setting aside a separate work space in your home, you will help gain a better work-life-balance.With this said, why not have a designated and removed area in your home for marking. This could be a specific chair or even an entire room. This space should be set away from any distractions and be treated as if you would your own desk at school. Having a nominated ‘work area’ helps to separate the ever-competing worlds work and home and prevent the blurring of the two; allowing you to complete your marking quicker, in order to get back to enjoying your free time.
5. Use the right equipment
   When marking digitally, there’s nothing worse than slow technology slowing down the process. Faulty equipment can not only end up with your spending unnecessary extra hours at home attempting to mark, but also will increase frustration leading to you becoming more hostile towards the task.Research by BESA, together with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has revealed that 80% of teachers now say they need better access to IT to improve learning.Statistics like this therefore suggest that technology is an important and contributory factor in the job satisfaction and morale of teachers. If schools and other education establishments are smart, investment in IT doesn’t need to cost the big bucks and can actually start to deliver a return on investment.

Reflect and review year-on-year

Universities are under increasing pressures year-on-year to reduce their expenditure. With cuts to government funding and university applications decreasing by 6%, its’s now more important than ever that Universities reflect on their spending habits, and review areas in which costs can be saved.

However, how do Higher Education establishments ensure that cutting costs doesn’t result in lower quality education? How can Universities leverage technology in a way that bring long-term benefits?

1. Online Education and Hybrid Learning

There are multiple costs involved with hosting lectures. A single 1 hour lecture incurs costs such as electrical and heating costs, powering student laptops through the network, and costs to the lecturer. Each student will attend an average of 14 hours of lectures per week – equating to 56 hours per month. By reducing this down to 12 hours per work, Universities can save the costs of powering 96 hours’ worth of lectures per year.

Through various apps such as Teachable, Skillshare and Learnworlds, students can virtually attend their lectures online, and access the teaching material as and whenever they need.

2. Streamline your business processes

Administration is one of the highest costs to any organisation, yet one with an effective alternative. If people are used to process forms and information repetitively, consider doing this electronically where it requires little to no human intervention.

3. Leverage technology

We are living through an ongoing digital revolution. Students expect their education to deliver a digital experience in line with the one they have in their leisure. It is important to ensure that Universities explore all options for the best possible deal on technical solutions. Read thoroughly through each bid Universities receive in response to their tender.

Additionally, seeking out the best warranty and service deals will save any University money should devices or a network go wrong.

4. Go paperless!

Going paperless doesn’t just save costs, it helps to save and neuter the environment. Universities are being encouraged to “embrace the digital reality which we ourselves are responsible for leading at the University.”

University students may pay for their printing, but consider all of the other associated costs: services, delivery, and mailing, storage, processing, disposing, and recycling. Copier and printer supplies alone amount to a huge expenditure.

By going paperless, and avoiding printing where possible, your University could save up to £25,000 per annum. Digital communications, such as emails and online portals, will reduce overall costs of printed communications and help to save the environment.

Empower your staff

Earlier this year, the Department for Education published eye-opening statistics from their ‘Teacher Workload Survey’, showing that teachers are spending over 54 hours working both in and out of the classroom per week.

With class sizes set to continue increasing, the workload for teaching staff is expected to follow suit, and this has subsequently led to the education sector within the UK taking a huge hit over the past few years. Furthermore research from The Guardian reveals that a whopping 79% of schools are struggling to recruit or retain teachers.

With central government continuing to make funding cuts, schools need to start seeking alternative methods to empower their staff.

Edtech in the classroom

Technology is increasingly playing more and more of a pivotal role within the classroom. In fact, a recent report conducted by The British Educational Suppliers Association (BESA) has predicted that by 2018, 58% of teaching time in UK State schools will be supported with ICT equipment.

But, although research has shown the monopoly of technology within the classroom, 80% of our teachers have said that they need better access to IT in order to improve the quality of learning.

What role does technology play in saving our teachers?

There are a number of ways technology can help keep our teachers happy and reduce the amount of time they’re having to spend on simple tasks that quickly become arduous when not equipped sufficiently.

As an overview, in and out of the classroom, well-suited classroom tech can help teachers with:

• Lesson planning – reducing time through the use of collaboration tools and faster technology
• Working from home – new and more portable devices allow teachers to easily transition from the classroom to the comfort of their own homes
• In-class teaching – Slow and malfunctioning computers can drastically eat into lesson time. With the introduction of faster devices you can say goodbye to slow start-up speeds, and welcome the onset of more productive lessons.

Discover the smart way to invest in IT and empower your teaching staff

Schools, colleges and universities need to become smarter with the technology they’re investing in, not only due to budget cuts but to also maximise productivity and therefore job satisfaction amongst their teaching staff.