Microsoft 365

Clean Data, Clear Decisions: How to Optimize Data Quality

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Clean Data

Last week, I sat down with one of our data experts, Olena Shevchenko, to get her thoughts on clean data and why it’s important. As someone with a non-technical background, I wanted to understand the steps you can take to ensure you are working with clean data.   Clean Data: Step 1  Olena explained the first step she would take is exploring. She gave the example of having a very wide data table, where you may or may not know the source of the data. You want to explore what kind of naming standards there are for the columns and understand what the underlying data behind it is. You also want … Read more

Why Power Pages Are Better than Squarespace, Wix, and DIY for Businesses 

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In today’s digital era, choosing the right platform to build your business website is a critical decision. There are many options, ranging from do-it-yourself platforms like Squarespace and Wix, to bespoke builds crafted from the ground up. However, Power Pages have emerged as a compelling alternative that outshines these options, particularly when examining costs, security, and overall platform efficiency.  This blog will discuss the costs (both realized and hidden) and security concerns involved when building a DIY/custom website vs. when building with Power Pages.   Cost to Build from Scratch  Building a website from scratch can seem appealing for the tailored customization it offers. However, the costs associated with this approach … Read more

Internal Oversharing Concerns? Microsoft Has a Solution

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Internal Oversharing

Microsoft Copilot is still relatively new technology. Therefore, users are likely experiencing some uncertainty in using or adopting it. With this uncertainty comes the risk of oversharing – the unintentional or inappropriate sharing of sensitive or confidential information within an organization. Internal oversharing concerns are normal, and Microsoft has a deployment blueprint to address these concerns.   When Does Internal Oversharing Happen?  Oversharing happens when users share documents, emails, or other data with individuals who should not have access to it, either within or outside the organization.  This can lead to various risks, like data breaches, loss of intellectual property, and compliance issues. The Microsoft Copilot blueprint provides strategies and tools … Read more

Basic PowerFx Functions Every Developer Should Know

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Basic PowerFx Functions

PowerFx is a declarative, Excel-like programming language, created by Microsoft, primarily for the creation of Canvas Apps. Like Excel, it uses functions and expressions to accomplish tasks with little to no need to specify step by step procedural logic. It abstracts away the implementation details, so the focus is on the ‘what’ and not the ‘how.’  This blog will highlight some of the basic PowerFx functions every developer should be familiar with. Take the following table that lists the items and their cost in a ‘Shopping Cart’ for example.   ShoppingCart  ID  Item  $ Cost  1  Bread  2  2  Milk  5  3  Butter  7  In an imperative language, the developer would have … Read more

Microsoft Sample Solution Gallery: Unlock Innovation 

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Microsoft Sample Solution Gallery

“If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulder of giants”. – Sir Isaac Newton  Isaac Newton, one of the most influential scientists in history and known for formulating the laws of motion and universal gravitation which laid the groundwork for much of modern physics and mathematics.   Newton is saying that innovation is a process and is often built on the ideas and work that existed before and seldom by isolated inspiration as often depicted in popular television. This type of innovation is exactly what Microsoft is attempting to inspire with the creation of their Sample Solution Gallery.   For those not already familiar, the Microsoft Sample Solution … Read more

Policy Management System Leads to Better Tracking and Insights

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A major Canadian university was using an outdated policy management system that wasn’t flexible and couldn’t fit their growing business needs. They wanted to be able to keep track of correspondences within the system. They also wanted the ability to add fields (metadata for the documents that are stored for policies) and take away fields as became necessary. The old system was not user friendly and didn’t allow them to manage the policies as they would have liked. They needed a policy management system.  For example, when an email is sent out containing a document, they want to know who responded and how they responded.   The New Policy Management System … Read more

Custom Applications: Choosing the Right Company for Your Needs 

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Custom Applications

Custom Applications: Choosing the Right Company for Your Needs  Today, many organizations are turning towards custom applications to use in their daily operations. Some will use them to target and attract new customers and others will use them to improve their daily operations. If you are looking for a custom application, you are one of many organizations that are searching for the same thing. But due to the volume of application development experts, how do you choose the right one for your needs?  There are many factors to consider when selecting an organization to build your custom application. You should:  How Can I Evaluate an Organization’s Experience and Expertise?  The … Read more

Internet of Things: Are You Protected? 

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Internet of Things

Internet of Things: Are You Protected? Simply put, the Internet of Things (IoT) are smart objects and can range from home devices (like Alexa) to complex industrial machinery and transportation systems. It is a network of physical devices or objects that are embedded with sensors, software, and network connectivity that allows them to collect and share data.   How many people do you know who use some sort of smart device? My guess would be many. You yourself are likely to use some sort of smart device or technology. But have you stopped to think about the security risks associated with using these devices?  How Does the Internet of Things Work?  … Read more

Microsoft Secure Score Shows Effectiveness of Data Security

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Microsoft Secure Score

Microsoft Secure Score Shows Effectiveness of Data Security   A current hot topic of conversation in the technology world is safety and security – and for good reason. It often feels as though we are constantly being warned of new scams or online threats. Remaining diligent is essential, especially when it comes to your organization’s data. The Microsoft Secure Score is an effective way to measure the quality of your organization’s protection policies.  What is the Microsoft Secure Score? The Microsoft Secure Score is a tool available in the M365 security portal that helps you measure and improve your organization’s security tactics in Microsoft 365.   It gives you a numerical summary … Read more

Secret Manager to Protect Sensitive Data in App Development

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Secret Manager

Secret Manager to Protect Sensitive Data in App Development   How you deal with sensitive data is critical to your organization’s success. If you are not careful with sensitive company or client data, you risk losing trust between you and your employees or customer base. But how do you protect sensitive data when developing a new application where you may need access to said data? Secret Manager provides a solution for protecting sensitive data during application development.  What is Secret Manager?  Secret Manager is used to store sensitive data during the development of an ASP.NET Core application development project. It keeps the “secrets” out of the source code and stores them … Read more