Insights
Tech trends, tips, and thought leadership - straight from the IT frontlines
The top 8 cloud and connectivity trends to know today
Written By
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
Published at
26 November 2024
- Secure networks
Sailing smoothly with a cyber security assessment
Ready to embark on cyber security adventure? We'll be you navigator today.
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Secure networks
SASE, SD-WAN, SD-Branch, ZTNA... What does it all mean?
This blog has been written by Rhys Lancaster, Consultancy and Service Delivery Director (Connectivity), at Nasstar.
- Microsoft
An introduction to Azure AI Foundry
This blog has been written by Florin Preda, Director of Technical Services at Nasstar.
- Secure networks
Is network security having its smartphone moment?
Remember flip phones? Sure, they were reliable: great battery life, tough as bricks, and if you dropped them, they'd just bounce back smiling. But would you trade your smartphone for one now? Didn’t think so.
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Secure networks
Empower your tech team: Partner with Nasstar for network protection
Today, businesses are increasingly facing the dual challenge of maintaining a secure network while driving innovation.
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Nasstar
Empowering women in tech: Insights from industry leaders
International Women’s Day on the 8th of March gave us the opportunity to pause and reflect on the progress made by so many women in our industry.
- Data & AI
What is effective AI Governance, and why does it matter?
This blog has been expertly reviewed by Jason Vigus, Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation and Governance at Nasstar.
Jason Vigus
Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation & Governance
- Secure networks
Why you should care about OT security (and how it can save your bacon)
Ready to dive into the wild and wacky world of Operational Technology (OT) security?
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Secure networks
The state of operational technology and cyber security in 2025: Key insights & takeaways
As we immerse ourselves in 2025, the landscape of operational technology (OT) and cyber security is evolving at a breakneck pace.
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Secure networks
Unlocking success with OT security
As the digital landscape continues to evolve rapidly, operational technology (OT) security has become a critical component for organisations looking to protect their assets and enhance productivity.
Rebecca Hopwood-Keay
Marketing Manager (Secure Networks)
- Data & AI
Breaking down the disconnect between data, AI, and business value
This blog has been written by Florin Preda, Director of Technical Services at Nasstar.
- Cyber security
Cyber security in 2025: Navigating the evolving landscape of threats and challenges
This blog has been written by Justin Barker, Employee Experience Practice Lead at Nasstar.
- Data & AI
Embracing the new era of autonomous innovation with agentic AI
Imagine a workforce that never rests - tackling not just repetitive tasks, but collaborating and making decisions, performing actions, and delivering real-time insights, all while removing distractions so your teams are empowered to focus on strategic, high-value work.
Jason Vigus
Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation & Governance
- Secure networks
SASE vs SSE vs Zero Trust and their role in modern network security
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Secure networks
From steering wheels to SD-WAN: Adaptive tech for better experiences
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Secure networks
Building the secure digital factory: A blueprint for transformation
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Secure networks
Securing the digital factory: Building a fortress for Industry 4.0
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Microsoft
7 ways to boost productivity with Microsoft 365
The start of a new year offers a chance for change, and many of us are planning for success in the months ahead. For many organisations, boosting productivity and effectively tracking it across in-house and remote teams is a top priority.
- Secure networks
Harnessing Industrial IoT: Transforming operational technology for a competitive edge
The global Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) market has surged in the last five years, with projections to reach $1.8 trillion by 2028.
- Microsoft
Microsoft Ignite 2024: A round up
The vibrant city of Chicago played host to Microsoft Ignite 2024 this November, bringing together industry leaders, tech enthusiasts, and Microsoft Partners from around the world.
- Cloud
The top 8 cloud and connectivity trends to know today
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Digital transformation
The acceleration of digital transformation and how it’s affecting every industry
This blog has been expertly reviewed by Sean Morris, Chief Technology Officer at Nasstar.
- Microsoft
Introduction to Microsoft Fabric: A game changer in data analytics
This article was written by Florin Preda, Director of Technical Services Platforms (Azure) at Nasstar.
Nasstar at Connected Britain: Reflections on a changing landscape
In a rapidly evolving telecommunications landscape, connectivity is more crucial than ever for businesses across the UK. As of 2023, 97% of homes and businesses in Britain have access to superfast broadband, yet the demand for even faster, more reliable connectivity continues to surge. The advent of 5G, alongside the roll-out of full-fibre networks, is reshaping the way we connect, communicate, and collaborate.
- Cloud
Cloud and Connectivity: Driving operational efficiencies and cost savings
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Data & AI
What are big data solutions and why are they important?
Between social media, cloud technologies and Internet of Things (IoT) devices, traditional data infrastructure is no longer enough.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Data & AI
How to prevent a data breach: A comprehensive guide
Today, every company — no matter the industry, sector or working practices — needs to know how to prevent a data breach.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Digital transformation
What is digital transformation?
This blog has been expertly reviewed by Sean Morris, Chief Technology Officer at Nasstar.
- Microsoft
What's new in Microsoft Power Platform?
This blog has been written by Chris Burns, AI & Automation Technical Architect (Productivity) at Nasstar.
- Microsoft
What is Microsoft Power Platform?
This blog has been written by Chris Burns, AI & Automation Technical Architect (Productivity) at Nasstar.
- Contact centre
Skype for Business: The legacy continues
In the ever-evolving landscape of unified comms, Microsoft's Skype for Business Server has been an example of adaptability and resilience.
- Data & AI
How AI is used in the public sector
Artificial intelligence (AI) is now mainstream, with tools like ChatGPT impacting almost every area. The private sector has seen a significant shift, rolling out new AI systems that improve employee efficiency, create new products and increase profits.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Data & AI
What is a data lake?
As AI adoption and customer IoT data become more available, data volumes continue to grow. But where do businesses store all this data efficiently until it’s ready for use?
- Data & AI
What is big data and how does it work?
‘Big data’ is a phrase that we’ve become used to hearing in everyday life, and its sizeable handle is certainly justified.
- Cloud
7 common cloud migration challenges and how to overcome them
Cloud migration means moving infrastructure, apps, data, and business processes from your on-premise resources to the cloud. You can also migrate from one cloud environment to another.
Adam Dunn
AWS Alliance Business Development Manager
- Cloud
What is scalability in cloud computing?
The golden rule of computing is that demand never remains the same. Different workloads require varying resources, while peaks and troughs in user requirements make under and overprovisioning a concern.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Secure networks
What is Wireless LAN?
From 8.3 billion connected devices in 2016 to 22 billion in 2021. WLAN adoption has surged in recent times.
- Data & AI
How can businesses prepare for the future of AI?
This blog has been expertly reviewed by Jason Vigus, Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation, and Governance at Nasstar.
Jason Vigus
Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation & Governance
- Data & AI
What is data governance?
Modern businesses gather data at scale. From structured customer data to raw text, an organisation might see gigabytes or petabytes of new information being stored daily.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Data & AI
Ethical Considerations in AI: Exploring the Boundaries of Artificial Intelligence
In the ever-expanding universe of artificial intelligence (AI), many of us are eager to start using this technology and experiencing its benefits in our daily work.
Jason Vigus
Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation & Governance
- Data & AI
Navigating AI & change management: How to embrace digital transformation
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is set to revolutionise the workplace and how we do business. In many organisations, it’s already being used to improve processes, enhance productivity, and create a working environment miles ahead of the competition.
- Data & AI
What is a data warehouse?
Every industry is creating, storing, and analysing more data than ever. But how we use that information makes all the difference.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Data & AI
What is synthetic data and how does it work?
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are changing the world. Every day, companies are using their data to learn more about customers, improve workflows, and create new products.
Andrea Rosales
Lead Data Scientist (Colibri Digital)
- Cloud
What are the security risks of cloud computing?
According to recent estimates, up to 85% of companies now use two or more cloud services.
- Cloud
The top 10 cloud security best practices every business should know
Cloud security — and cyber security in general — is a balancing act. You need to ensure robust defences are in place to protect key systems, data, and people.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Cloud
What is edge computing?
Edge computing has become an emerging concept over the past few years, and at the most basic level, it means moving computing power, networks and where data is managed away from centralised resources so that it’s closer to where it’s needed.
Jason Vigus
Head of Portfolio Strategy, Commercialisation & Governance
- AWS
Seven top tips to get AWS Cloud Practitioner Certified
As the world becomes increasingly digitised and businesses prepare to adopt a variety of AI, Big Data, public cloud, and cyber security tools, employees need to adopt a lifelong learning mentality to keep up.
Adam Dunn
AWS Alliance Business Development Manager
- Data & AI
GenAI is here. Is your connectivity up to the task?
It’s estimated that GenAI could enable automation of up to 70% of business activities between now and 2030.
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Secure networks
Why technology isn't the weakest link in your cyber security strategy
Threat actors are exploiting the human condition. Fear, empathy, and trust have become targets for the modern cyber-criminal, with phishing and other social engineering methods becoming standard.
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Secure networks
Unified Communications: Is your connectivity actually disconnected?
According to UC Today, 93% of organisations have increased Unified Communication (UC) use since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- Cloud
Moving to the cloud? You may need a bigger truck...
Over 90% of businesses are using the cloud in one way or another. But staggeringly, over 70% of cloud migrations fail.
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
The surprise reason your cloud adoption strategy isn't working
The power of cloud adoption cannot be overstated. For many organisations, there are countless tangible benefits to be had when the cloud is successfully implemented.
Darren Hogan
Director of Portfolio
- AWS
AWS re:Invent 2023 - Everything you need to know
Back in fabulous Las Vegas, this year’s installment saw the best and brightest minds from across the industry gathering to share the latest insights and innovations in cloud computing.
Adam Dunn
AWS Alliance Business Development Manager
- Data & AI
AI overload: Is it simply enough to implement the tools? Insights from a Microsoft specialist
Generative AI. Copilot. Large Language Models. Cognitive Services. Our everyday lives are being flooded with a new form of intelligent tech.
Leveraging Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for faster cloud deployments
From banking to ecommerce platforms, many of our customers develop and deploy applications for their end users. Each of these apps sits on top of infrastructure provisioned either by their own IT teams or our dedicated architects and engineers.
- Microsoft
What is Microsoft Azure?
The modern business landscape is reliant on powerful technologies that help organisations perform at their best. Cloud computing is one of the best examples of this, enabling businesses to quickly scale, adapt and make cost-savings whilst future-proofing their infrastructure.
This is your (M365) Copilot speaking
The age of AI transformation Since the start of the 21st century, AI and machine learning have played a role in how businesses operate.
What is IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service)?
If you’re planning a move to the cloud, or you’ve already started your cloud migration journey, you’ve likely heard of Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
- Microsoft
What is Microsoft Teams?
With 1 in 4 office workers now participating in hybrid or fully remote working, it is vital that organisations provide the best tools to streamline communication and collaboration, wherever they are.
- Cloud
What is cloud adoption?
The concept of ‘cloud computing’ stretches back to the 1960s, but the term wasn’t officially coined until 1996.
What is SaaS (Software as a Service)?
Over the past few decades, Software as a Service (SaaS) has transformed the way businesses operate.
What is a cloud landing zone?
When moving to the cloud, it’s essential to have the right building blocks in place.
What is an omnichannel customer experience?
In today’s always-on world, customers can interact with your business in many ways, across various channels, and at any time.
- Cloud
Five Steps to Cloud Sustainability
The rise in cloud computing has influenced the significance that optimisation and sustainability play in IT strategies.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Cloud
What is cloud monitoring?
The management of enterprise IT has always been complex. Now, with so many applications and an abundance of data per organisation, it’s become an increasing challenge to identify, track, and solve issues efficiently.
- Cloud
What is PaaS (Platform as a Service)?
Cloud computing has transformed how IT teams procure infrastructure and build applications. One of the best examples of this can be found in Platform as a Service (PaaS).
- AWS
The AWS sustainability story you haven't heard
As more organisations leave their legacy systems behind, aligning public cloud capabilities with sustainability efforts has become a key focus.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Secure networks
What is SASE?
The global cost of cyber crime was estimated at $8.4 trillion in 2022 and is set to surpass $11 trillion in 2023, according to a study by Gartner.
- AWS
Embracing business transformation: Highlights from the AWS Summit London 2023
Last week, the AWS Summit London, one of the largest gatherings of cloud professionals in the world, brought over 25,000 people together to celebrate the endless possibilities of cloud computing.
- Cloud
Keeping pace with cloud security best practice
As businesses adopt a more digital-centric approach to their operations, security has become an ever-increasing critical factor for long-term success.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- AWS
Securing your cloud environment with AWS
As the cloud computing landscape evolves, security remains a top priority, and concern, for many organisations. For 86% of organisations in 2022, cloud security was cited as their number one challenge.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
Microsoft Copilot: Bringing AI into the everyday?
AI is THE hot topic of the moment. It’s gone beyond the realms of the tech world, and into the consciousness of the general public, with ChatGPT generating headlines since its launch at the end of November 2022.
- Cloud
Cloud technology and the public sector: How to overcome the challenges being faced
Navigating cloud technology can be a minefield, especially in the public sector where procurement, budgets and legacy systems can offer up a multitude of challenges.
Steve Sell
Chief Operating Officer, Colibri Digital
- Cloud
What is cloud optimisation?
More than 90% of organisations use the cloud*, but only 3 out of 10 know exactly where their cloud costs are going.
- Microsoft
Microsoft Teams telephony features
Microsoft Teams telephony solutions - The features you need to know
- Digital transformation
The six barriers to public sector digital transformation
From booking GP appointments to bin collection reminders, public services are slowly becoming increasingly digital-first - but there’s still a long way to go.
- Microsoft
What is Microsoft Teams Phone?
With more organisations embracing hybrid work, powerful communications systems have become essential. The Microsoft Teams Phone system is an enterprise-grade cloud phone system that’s synonymous with flexibility.
- AWS
AWS re:Invent 2022 - Keynote with Adam Selipsky
This year, the largest and most comprehensive event in cloud computing re:Invent, returned to Las Vegas where the best and brightest from across the industry shared the latest insights and innovations.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- AWS
AWS re:Invent 2022 - Keynote with Peter DeSantis
For the past decade - as long as Nasstar has been a part of the AWS Partner Network (APN) - the AWS global cloud community has come together at re:Invent to meet, get inspired, and rethink what's possible.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Cloud
What are cloud services?
Cloud technology has been around for some time now, providing businesses with on-demand computing services that support business growth, while optimising performance and enhancing security.
- Cloud
What is cloud migration?
Cloud is synonymous with agility, scalability, and flexibility - but making the initial move can be daunting.This task becomes simple when you have a robust migration strategy in place.
- Data & AI
What are data platforms?
Every day, the world produces 5 exabytes of data*. In slightly more digestible terms that’s 2.5 billion gigabytes. By 2025, that figure is set to reach 463 exabytes per day.
- Digital transformation
5 healthcare digital transformation trends to watch in 2022
Digital transformation in healthcare has been accelerated by exponential margins in the last 18-24 months. With insufficient planning and enforced lead times, the healthcare sector has gone through change that would have usually taken years to achieve. Is everything perfect? Of course not. But haven’t we learned an awful lot?
- Cloud
What is cloud security?
Whether your journey to cloud is just beginning or you are already seeing the benefits, getting security right is critical. If not, there’s a risk of major consequences for your company, your customers, and your reputation.
- Cloud
What is cloud provisioning?
Put simply, cloud provisioning refers to how customers procure resources and services from cloud providers.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Cloud
What is public cloud?
Public cloud helps businesses across the world unlock the power of cloud computing.
- Managed IT
What are managed IT services?
Managed IT services offer organisations a simple way to outsource costly and complicated IT operations.
- Cloud
What is cloud computing?
Ten or twenty years ago, the concept of cloud computing was difficult to grasp. The notion of the invisible ‘cloud’ up in the sky storing our files and data seemed unnerving almost, and hard to comprehend.
- Cloud
What is multi-cloud?
Most modern businesses look for solutions and services that offer flexibility and are tailored to their needs. This is why multi-cloud is the preferred option of many organisations today.
What is a virtual desktop and how do they work?
Remote and hybrid work environments have meant that the idea of the traditional office has become increasingly outdated, and workforces have become progressively dispersed.
What is SD-WAN: How does it work and why do you need it?
Old enough to remember dial-up internet? Just hearing that familiar, agonising sound sends us back to a world before Wi-Fi, before cloud computing, and before we could stream a whole TV series from our television sets!
- Cloud
What is cloud transformation?
Cloud adoption is rising dramatically. That’s why the question has shifted from IF an organisation will adopt cloud to WHEN and HOW.
What is serverless computing?
As you launch new applications, roll out upgrades, or run successful marketing campaigns the demand on your servers changes. If you’re operating on a tight budget with limited resources, that can cause potential issues.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Cyber security
What does AWS’ latest GuardDuty update mean for you?
AWS GuardDuty Update Protecting infrastructure and workloads from threats requires a lot of time, expertise, and upfront costs.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
A business guide to serverless computing
If you’re a business person with your finger on the pulse of innovation, you will likely have heard the term ‘serverless’ banded around within the public cloud technology domain.
Jason Oliver
Senior Solution Architect & AWS Ambassador
- Contact centre
Top 20 Contact Centre as a Service (CCaaS) providers 2022
If you’re looking for a new contact centre provider, it’s likely you’re looking at contact centre as-a-service (CCaaS).
- Managed IT
Managed services vs professional services
More and more businesses are making the move towards digital technology to improve their business systems and increase growth.
What is technology strategy consultancy?
With so much new technology available in the professional market today, it’s difficult to know where to start. That’s where technology strategy consultancy comes in.
- Digital transformation
The benefits of a defined technology strategy
Strategy is at the heart of all businesses and their functions, whether it’s a financial strategy, growth strategy or marketing strategy. And technology is no different.
What Are I.T. professional services?
IT Professional Services can be defined as the delivery of technology-related services to a customer, allowing them to focus on their core business concerns.