For over 10 years, we’ve been plugging our toolkit with only the most sophisticated solutions the market has to offer. And recently, we were reeling with excitement over the news that two of our trusted partners — Veeam and Microsoft — are partnering to bring unprecedented speed and scale of backup and recovery experiences to customers. But why is the new Microsoft 365 Backup solution currently making headlines, and what benefits will it bring to SMEs across the UK? Let’s explore…

As business continuity strategies come into sharper focus, the tech world has seen rising demand for robust backup solutions. More specifically, customers are becoming increasingly aware of their shared responsibility to own and protect their critical data — a principle that has formed the bedrock of Microsoft’s Software as a Service (SaaS) offering for over a decade. The widespread adoption of Veeam’s Backup for Microsoft 365 solution, which is being used to protect over 15 million users today, is testament to this ongoing shift.

Safeguarding services including Microsoft Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, OneDrive for Business and Microsoft Teams, the critical data service offers peace of mind against everything from accidental file deletion and insider threats, to legal and compliance requirements, hybrid email deployments, and more. It also boasts the lowest recovery point objectives (RPO) — in other words, the maximum amount of data that can be lost after a disaster occurs — the broadest set of recovery options, and the flexibility to back up Microsoft 365 data to any location.

By integrating the existing solution with the newly-launched Microsoft 365 Backup, via their backup APIs — essentially protocols that allow different software applications to communicate with each other — Veeam is set to offer Microsoft customers new innovations and experiences that will enhance data protection, bolster ransomware recovery, and keep business operations running seamlessly.

“Microsoft has revolutionised the ways organisations communicate. And with every update, its proposition gets even more exciting,” said Tim Mercer, CEO of Vapour. “But let’s not forget that a comprehensive backup isn’t one of the tool’s in-built capabilities. Disasters can strike at any time and paralyse firms, irrespective of their size or the sector they operate in, which is why a third-party backup is an essential part of any business continuity plan.

“Serving over 400,000 companies across the globe with their data backup and recovery solutions, with 4.7/5 star distinction via Gartner Peer Insights, Veeam is the natural choice to bridge this gap for Microsoft. And, as a Microsoft Cloud Solution Provider (Microsoft CSP) — not to mention a Veeam partner — we’re the safe pair of hands customers need, to help manage their stack and make supplier relationships as headache-free as possible.”

With the integration already underway, general availability of Veeam’s updated offering is expected within 90 days of the Microsoft 365 Backup service being available.

Want to learn more about protecting your cloud and SaaS environments with our  wraparound Microsoft solution? Get in touch today.

As the vanguard of cloud technology solutions, Vapour’s industry-leading toolkit continues to spin tales of seamless integration, security, and scalability in the connectivity world — with the renewals of organisations from finance to design echoing the resounding success of our support. Here are some of the hottest services that made waves throughout our client base in Q2…

Both steadfast partners since 2014, telecommunications service provider Zest4 and leading construction firm Seddons increased their reliance on Vapour’s connectivity solutions this quarter. Tapping into Veeam’s private backup, the resilience of Zest4’s co-location facility further underpins its disaster recovery strategy and business continuity. Meanwhile Seddon’s renewal of WAN bolsters the firm’s TeamsLink-powered unified communications network, enabling streamlined communication for the growing, and increasingly flexible, workforce.

A creative force since 2016, design and printing specialist H. Charlesworth and Co Limited is empowered by Vapour’s primary and backup connectivity circuits — enhancing the reliability, performance, and resiliency of their network infrastructure. With the added reliability and flexibility of voice telephony, the organisation can foster seamless communication, enhance productivity, and deliver exceptional customer experiences too.

In the realm of call centres, UMI’s TeamsLink renewal bolsters the health of its communication ecosystem, enabling seamless collaboration, improving agent productivity, and enhancing customer experiences through features like MIFID II compliant call recording, advanced skills-based call routing, customised Power BI reporting and so much more.

Andrew Wright and Co Limited, an accountancy firm which is now three years into its partnership with Vapour, wholeheartedly entrusted our team with the auto-renewal of its phone channels and telephony service.

In the fast-paced space of retail, where every interaction shapes the customer's perception, a major UK fashion brand recognises the paramount importance of delivering a seamless customer experience. To achieve this, they have harnessed the power of Vapour's secure and scalable co-location infrastructure, providing a robust foundation to house their mission-critical applications, safeguard customer data, optimise their supply chain management, and elevate their online shopping experience to new heights of sophistication.

Keen to learn more about any of the technologies described here? Get in touch with one of our experts today.

Ofcom released a statement earlier this month, announcing that halfway into its exploration of UK cloud services, it plans to refer the market to the CMA (Competition and Markets Authority) for investigation.

The news, while major, is actually unsurprising when you think about the make-up of the industry, believes Vapour’s CEO Tim Mercer.

“The UK’s two lead cloud players - Microsoft and AWS (Amazon Web Services) - hold up to 70% of market share, which definitely feels like a monopoly. There are other hyperscalers competing for customers’ business of course, including Google, but their presence is comparatively dwarfed by the other two giants.

“So we have to ask ourselves, do they have too much control? I would argue they do, but it’s hard to see how anything will change if the Government uses both.”

The dominance of Microsoft and AWS does make it harder for emerging cloud providers to gain traction, adds Tim.

“These providers have traditionally offered seemingly ultra-affordable options for customers - undoubtedly one of the reasons they’re the ‘go to’ cloud of choice for the public sector particularly. But big doesn’t necessarily mean best,” he said.

Ofcom’s article expressed apparent concern surrounding interoperability restrictions and significant price increases at the point of renewal, for example, no doubt just some of the factors that will be further examined by the CMA, if it goes ahead.

We’re told a final decision on the proposed investigation will be made by 5 October 2023.

“I hope it’s not merely an industry rumbling,” concluded Tim. “If there are ways to improve how the market works for all, then surely an investigation makes sense.“In the meantime though, I think the theme of this conversation reminds us of the importance of cloud agnostic conversations. After all, multi-cloud providers exist, who are able to advise organisations on the cloud infrastructure that is truly right for them - it might be Microsoft or AWS, it might be Google, or it might be something else entirely. That’s when things get really exciting.”

For those who don’t know, ChatGPT is a state-of-the-art natural language processing tool, driven by AI technology, that has been making waves across a whole host of sectors recently. Now being leveraged as the brainpower behind Microsoft 365’s latest update, Copilot, the platform is set to have a greater number of applications, and more intuitive functionality, than ever.

So, what does this mean for the UK’s most ambitious organisations? Here, Vapour CEO Tim Mercer offers up some insight…

Give yourself five minutes on ChatGPT and you’ll instantly see how powerful the tool is. Integrate it into the world’s leading productivity cloud, and that impact will grow tenfold.

The architecture has been trained on an endless corpus of text data, making it an ideal solution for natural language processing and word-based tasks. Augmenting organisations’ existing Microsoft systems or able to be implemented as an entirely new solution, it’s a truly game-changing development for firms looking to stay ahead of the curve in terms of productivity and innovation.

Of course, being in its infancy, there are a handful of iterations to come before the service works seamlessly. But, more than simply embedding ChatGPT into Microsoft 365, here are three ways the enterprise-ready Copilot AI system is set to supercharge productivity…

Augmenting the customer experience

With features such as chatbots, virtual assistants, and automated support, leveraging the power of ChatGPT to enhance communication capabilities will take the customer experience to a whole new level — improving engagement by providing timely and accurate responses to enquiries.

Crucially, this won’t replace humans. Instead, it will free up teams for more complex, revenue-generating tasks — leaving manual, laborious work in the hands of capable technology, and maximising business efficiency across the board.

Straightforward integration

For businesses already using Microsoft 365, the integration of ChatGPT will be a straightforward process. Microsoft has announced that the technology will be merged into the platform's existing tools — including Teams, Word, and Outlook — meaning features will be available for use almost immediately.

For companies looking to implement the pairing as an entirely new solution, the process is equally simple. Microsoft's suite of tools is designed to be intuitive and user-friendly, making it easy to get started with the platform. Plus, as a cloud-based solution, it’s ideal for geographically dispersed teams too — with applications able to be accessed from any location, at any time.

Unlocking seamless collaboration

This update is significant from an internal productivity perspective too. It means that you can finally say goodbye to clunky interfaces and hello to seamless collaboration. Imagine being able to ask Microsoft 365 a question in the same way you would ask a colleague, and getting an instant response that is accurate and helpful. 

And that's not all. ChatGPT is also capable of generating text — not just interpreting it — which means that Microsoft 365 can now help you write emails, reports, and even presentations, as well as summarise key points of an email thread or Teams meeting. No more staring at a blank page or struggling to remember details. Just tell Microsoft 365 what you want to achieve, and the AI will do the heavy lifting.

At Vapour, we believe that technology should be harnessed to empower businesses and individuals to achieve their full potential. If you are interested in learning more about how Vapour can help you provide a competitive edge with Microsoft 365, get in touch to discuss your custom solution, today.

The media headlines may suggest tech spending caution, but it’s been Vapour’s busiest new year start since the company’s story began in 2013.

With the education sector demonstrating particular interest in our cloud security infrastructure, and our project with Seddon Construction prompting heightened demand from that industry — especially for our TeamsLink product and SD-WAN solutions for satellite sites — it’s been a diverse few weeks in pre-sales.

But our renewals team has been very active too, with a number of clients continuing to choose Vapour as their cloud tech partner for the coming years.

From simple workplace connectivity to more complex digital transformation support, we’ve seen long-term contract extensions from customers in retail, legal, finance, agriculture, manufacturing, and healthcare, to name just a few.

Long-standing partner ITG Technologies — a customer since 2015 — has chosen Vapour as its ongoing cloud storage provider, for example. Textile firm MITHA Enterprises has renewed a 300MB lease line for 36 months, Holmes Mann Packaging has re-selected Vapour for its two hosted servers and 2TB Veeam backup, and we’re renewing the telephone network for C&D Plumbers Merchants — a Leeds-based organisation that has been with Vapour since 2017. 

These are just some of the highlights, and that’s before we announce our new customer orders, soon to be revealed over the coming months.

Commenting on the busy start to 2023, Vapour’s CEO Tim Mercer said: “I’m not about to sit here and say it’s been easy. The technology sector is turbulent at the moment, with ripples being felt one week to the next — especially at a vendor level. 

“However, while I’ve naturally kept a close eye on what’s going on beyond Vapour’s four walls, we’ve otherwise tried to avoid distractions and remain focused on what we’re here to do — providing customers with the ‘hidden’ technology to drive greater productivity, security and growth. 
“Being chosen as the preferred cloud partner for multiple organisations — often years after we first met — is testament to our commitment to always being there. When we hear customers don’t want to go anywhere else, that’s success.”

Kickstarting our 2023 fundraising calendar with a bang, Vapour is set to host a tech ‘networking event with a difference’ on Thursday 2 February.

Taking to Mad Frans in Leeds – which celebrates the best of Yorkshire produce, with a selection of signature craft beers and ales from local breweries – the Vapour team will welcome guests from across the district, for an evening of quizzing, connecting, and donating, all in aid of nominated charity, Military vs Cancer. 

Attendance is free, with doors to the venue opening at 5pm. However, we’ll also be running our very own, multi-format quiz to ramp up entertainment on the evening – ticketed at £10 entry per team of up to four players. All proceeds will, of course, be directed towards supporting cancer patients, their families, and formally-appointed carers across the British Isles. 

Did we also mention that there’ll be a whopping £100 cash prize for the winners? Thanks to a handsome addition from Vapour CEO Tim Mercer, those in pole position will be going home with heavier pockets on the night too.

So, if you like bespoke cocktails, premium spirits and craft beers, top-quality quizzes, connecting with like-minded tech professionals, and raising money for worthy causes, this will be right up your street.

Whether you swing by for an hour, or see the whole event through, we’d love to have as many faces as possible there. 

Think you have what it takes to be the Vapour quiz champion? 

Let us know you’re coming!

Vapour has been awarded a place on the G-Cloud 13 agreement, as part of the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) framework.

The milestone means that, for the next 12 months, Vapour will feature on the Government’s digital marketplace for public sector organisations searching for cloud computing services. The goal of the framework is to compliantly connect such firms with suitable suppliers, without them needing to run a full tender or competitive procurement process.

Vapour will specifically be available to supply cloud hosting powered by its private cloud infrastructure, with public cloud and hybrid options also available. Regardless of the best-fit solution for any given customer, the goal is to deliver resilience and security, in-built as standard, with an efficient network deployment. Vapour’s private MPLS networks are owned, run and managed by the firm’s own engineers for optimum SLA-focused resilience. Delivering eight classes of service from five ISO27001-accredited UK data centres, it supports the full breadth of multichannel, business critical applications for clients in sectors ranging from healthcare to education, and automotive to construction.

Having completed an extensive, legally binding supplier declaration, Vapour can also supply cloud support services for more complex customer requirements, from the initial conceptualisation and set-up phase of a project through to the ongoing delivery and maintenance of the cloud solution. This is particularly helpful for organisations new to cloud adoption or embarking on a new digital transformation journey, as well as businesses looking for continued support for added peace of mind.

Commenting on the achievement, Vapour’s head of transformation and operations Carol McGrotty, who led the framework application, said: “With a number of public sector organisations in our customer base already, this felt like the logical next step for our business. A place on the G-Cloud 13 agreement almost acts as independent validation that our technologies – and the team underpinning our company – have the ability to provide the cloud support needed in the current climate.

“It was a fantastic way to end 2022.”

5,006 suppliers have been awarded a place on the G-Cloud 13 agreement, which runs until late 2023.

Vapour’s CEO Tim Mercer was invited to attend the much-talked-about Comms Vision event delivered by Comms Dealer at the beautiful Gleneagles venue in Scotland last month.

Here are his top 10 takeaways from the two-day discussions:

1. Cyber security was the number one topic of the entire event, I would say. Our lives are becoming increasingly connected and with that comes risk, particularly in the home. IT security should therefore be considered a process, not a product. There isn’t a quick fix, particularly where human error is involved. It was interesting to note that while customer service is something I would hope everyone cares about, it gained only a couple of fleeting mentions – particularly on day one. Let’s not lose sight of why we’re all here!

2. When it comes to people management, there are a number of issues keeping tech firms awake at night, including diversity, hybrid working, mental health and the cost of living crisis. The biggest concern from the last 12 months, however, has been recruitment. Businesses therefore need to think carefully about how they attract and retain top talent moving into 2023 and beyond, and how the attitudes and behaviour of colleagues throughout entire organisations can influence whether a company is a great place to work, or not. Culture is undoubtedly key – something panellists repeatedly agreed on. Corporate values can’t just exist to tick a box.

3. While many people love the flexibility of remote working, it should not be forgotten that for others, it can cause increased anxiety, especially when it comes to holding meetings on platforms such as Microsoft Teams. It’s important to keep talking to colleagues about how they feel. Also, while hybrid working policies may feel to contradict flexibility – the very reason hybrid working is so popular in lots of cases – they can give definition that better sets out the expectations of everyone involved.

4. While conversation surrounding net zero is mounting – something nobody would dispute – a third of people in the room admitted that they do care about the topic, there are more pressing priorities on their strategic agenda at the moment.

5. The channel is optimistic about the year ahead, on the whole, with 85% predicting some degree of growth.

6. The date for BT’s switch off of their 35-year-old network – 2025 – is looming. Porting and provisioning is difficult and time consuming, so the channel must ensure it’s ready. The consensus seemed to be that the Government has to work harder in terms of communicating the change too.

7. Mobile is taking priority over fixed line connectivity, and while 5G progress has come a long way, with BT aiming for 50% of all coverage by 2028, infrastructure on the whole still requires some work.

8. There was a fantastic talk about the role of anthropology at the heart of a successful business strategy, with some incredibly interesting insight into why one athletics club in Kingston, Jamaica, produces most of the world’s best sprinters. The conversation centred on the notion that, usually, people – in all walks of life including their careers – reach an acceptable standard then stop trying as hard. Elite performers, on the other hand, have a deliberate practice that makes them continue to succeed when others typically stop – they want it the most. Thank you Rasmus Ankersen, for your brilliant presentation.

9. We shouldn’t confuse great talent with the right talent needed for a particular role. The story of American football was eye-opening here. Athletes attend camps every year where they are tested on everything from their speed and how high they can jump, through to their IQ. However, the tests don’t delve into the true detail of the person, and arguably, in the middle of a game, when milliseconds matter, IQ and speed become less important. The ability to see and feel the game, and react quickly, is critical, and these star players are quite different.

10. Thank you also to RPD Development – another brilliant session, this time on the topic of innovation. I found this talk particularly interesting because of the speaker’s backstory – a teenager influencing millions of dollars of R&D design in the robotics industry before he’d even sat his GCSEs (because customers weren’t aware he was still in school!) His session shed a superb light on the role of culture, mindset and internal PR in driving true innovation within organisations.

It’s no secret that the global tech sector is advancing at an astonishingly rapid pace – not least in relation to the now integral role of digital transformation in spearheading growth and success. But no matter the size or scope or your organisation – or how sophisticated your innovation strategy is – the only way to drive significant change is to leverage the power of people.

So, to champion some of the industry’ finest talent, and gain some insight into the minds of individuals from across the tech space, we’re inviting friends and partners of the business to take part in our quickfire Q&A.

Up next, it’s Greg Gyves, Business Manager, MSSP - EMEA at Fortinet…

Tell us about your role at Fortinet and the part you play in the tech sector.

Fortinet is the world’s leading cyber security company, and we help a range of organisations – from the smallest micro businesses to the world’s largest enterprises and governments – to securely accelerate their digital journey.

All my time in the last 10 years at Fortinet has been dedicated to supporting the growth of our MSP and MSSP partner community, as well as helping them build new and incremental recurring revenue streams from managed security services.

What innovation was the turning point for your organisation, to get it to where you are now?

A significant turning point was the introduction of the Fortinet Security Fabric vision – which has existed for almost a decade now, and helps deliver broad, integrated, and automated protections across the entire digital attack surface.

This is a strategic approach most recently validated by Gartner, with the introduction of their cyber security mesh architecture (CSMA).

And where’s next for your business?

Fortinet has several strategic growth engines in different technology areas – driven in a large part by the increasing volume and variety of sophisticated cyberthreats, the shift to working from anywhere, and the convergence of network and security.

Our key priority areas are continuing our growth in network firewall and Secure SD-WAN, along with SASE and ZTNA, to accelerate the digital transformation of our customers. We’re also keen to further develop comprehensive products and solutions to secure operational technology (OT) environments, as we see a rising volume of attacks that are targeting these traditionally isolated environments.

The biggest misconception faced by the tech sector is…

That it’s an industry for men and that you have to be technical to succeed. While it is true that there are few women working in the field of cybersecurity, and even fewer if we only consider engineering positions, I don’t think it’s necessarily more difficult for them to enter this space. We should collectively make it more balanced by hiring a greater number of women, to bring diversity as well as help to address the global skills shortage.

What do you think will be the biggest tech trend over the next 12 months?

Although the trend will span longer than 12 months, there is a continued convergence of IT and OT, where there is a requirement to leverage previously unconnected operational networks by connecting them to the cloud, and in turn the IT network.

There is a significant addressable opportunity in OT security, and we believe we are well placed to take advantage of this fast-growing trend.

What top tip would you give to an individual trying to excel in their tech career?

Don’t stand still – it’s equivalent to falling behind. Constantly looking for ways to push beyond your comfort zone is crucial to keep up with the pace of the industry.

The next purchase on my personal tech wish list is…?

A Peloton exercise bike – I love the idea of that immersive experience from the comfort of your own home.

And what is your earliest memory of tech in your life?

Probably a Commodore VIC 20, that I think was originally given to my older brother. It was later superseded by the Commodore 64 and Amiga 500, before we became a Nintendo house instead.

What is one longstanding piece of tech you are shocked is still used today?

Well, I’m shocked my wife still forces me to keep the Blu Ray player (not that I can remember the last time we used it!), against my best efforts to stick it in the bin. If anyone reading this actually still uses a DVD or Blu Ray player, then I am shocked!

If you are without the internet for an hour, what would be the first activity you resort to, to pass the time?

I imagine it would be a game of football in the house or in the garden with my two boys, aged 10 and 5. They are both mad for the sport and any ‘unconnected’ activity usually involves a football.

Cyber Security Awareness Month may have dominated the headlines in October, but it remains an ongoing priority at Vapour HQ.

And the team is delighted to have secured Cyber Essentials certification – a government-backed scheme that evidences our deeply-engrained commitment to security, and our protection against cyber-attacks.

Independently assessed by the ISAME Consortium – a Cyber Essentials Partner – the accreditation hasn’t just encouraged the Vapour team to review and validate our cyber security protocol. It also now reassures our customers across public and private sectors – ranging from construction to education, and healthcare to professional services – that we take proactive steps to protect our cloud technology infrastructure from risk.

Commenting on the success, Vapour’s head of transformation and operations Carol McGrotty – who led the certification project – said: “A key part of being ‘cyber ready’ is never becoming complacent. It’s a mantra we share with our customers, so it’s important we live and breathe it too – not least because many attacks are a result of fairly unskilled hackers exploiting innocent human error.

“So, while we know we take cyber security extremely seriously throughout the Vapour team, the exercise to achieve certification provided a helpful ‘sense check’ that we’ve got all bases covered. It should also act as a further sign of confidence for our customers – large and small – that when you’re working with us, you’re in safe hands.”