The latest blog posts from Chris

Today marks the 2nd anniversary of The Virtual IT Director, and I’ve been reflecting on how far we’ve come. What started as just me with

In my 24 years in IT, I’ve had the privilege of working with some incredibly talented developers and committed infrastructure professionals. Yet, there’s a persistent

In the world of IT, resilience and reliability are paramount. While large businesses like Netflix have popularised the concept of Chaos Monkey testing to ensure

In 2024, its all “cloud, cloud, cloud.” and the cloud is best known for its scalability, reliability, flexibility, and cutting-edge security. Yet, despite its overwhelming

As the weather has been hot in the last few days, many of us (including me) are struggling to keep cool. But while we can

Success of your IT systems is often complicated by challenges such as time constraints, the undervaluing of IT, office politics, and budget limitations which often

Transcript…. Hello, my name is Chris Lord from the Virtual IT Director. This is my pitch and it will take up 6 minutes of your

Some news! Both The Virtual IT Director and the Wakefield Technology 4 All Hub have relocated! We’ve moved from Wakefield city centre to Horbury Even

In the digital age, SMEs are increasingly vulnerable to cyber threats. Enhancing your cyber defences doesn’t always mean paying for expensive new technologies. Sometimes, it’s

In the ever-evolving world of IT, businesses find themselves caught in a never-ending cycle of change and upgrade. New products are launched, existing ones demand

What is Role Based Access Control (RBAC)? – It is a method used to control access to computer systems based on the roles of individual

Are you facing this problem in your business? 🎯 Objective – Implement MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) to all the Microsoft 365 users in your business but

Today is The Virtual IT Director’s 1st birthday. And what a year it has been! Starting with a new customer base and an untested business

A few months ago, Claire Sutherley, the Managing Director of We Are Wakefield, introduced us to Lisa Milburn, the Development and Partnership Director at the

Imagine this: your business has smoothly transitioned to the cloud, leveraging the power of Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. The convenience is undeniable, and the

In the ever-evolving world of business, virtual meetings have become the norm. I’d like to share my top tips to ensure your Teams meetings are

This is a little bit outside the scope of The Virtual IT Director, but if I see a problem and a need for something over

The complexities of IT can be likened to a ticking time bomb. Minor adjustments or additions, though seemingly harmless at first, can evolve into a

The rapid technological evolution of the last few decades has improved our lives in countless ways. But it also means more energy consumption, waste and

We’re very excited to share that we’ve been shortlisted in the Wakefield Business Awards 2023 delivered by We Are Wakefield Ltd. We’ve been named finalists

Launching a new business is exciting and challenging. One big consideration is your IT systems. How do you construct a high-end IT infrastructure without breaking

The significance of social media platforms, particularly Facebook, for business cannot be understated. From marketing and branding to customer service and client interaction, a company’s

To put it simply, Microsoft SQL Server is like a powerful and organised digital filing cabinet, specifically designed to handle huge amounts of data. The

Often, the finance director of a business acquires the role of IT director. The role of a finance director is challenging enough without the added

Microsoft SQL Server, simply put, is a database server. It holds and fetches data for various applications such as Sage, SAP Business One, and Intact

Planning for business growth involves various considerations – financial readiness, operational capacity, and staff readiness, to name a few. However, a crucial component often overlooked

The technology available in the marketplace today can dramatically reduce your IT overheads, fortify your business against the latest cyberthreats, and enable efficiencies in your

In today’s fast-paced digital landscape, businesses heavily rely on their IT systems to stay competitive and efficient. However, the ever-evolving nature of technology often leaves

I was inspired to write this blog because it’s a topic that’s often neglected and an area of IT where there’s no winners if it’s

There’s a good probability that in the life of your business you will move from one location to another. I have helped with a lot

It’s generally a rule that if you’re going to make an investment in your IT or if you’re looking to change providers, you should get

Nobody wants their laptop stolen and nobody wants to leave their laptop on a train, but, it does happen and it happens regularly. The cost

When I ask businesses, charities and prospects whether they protect their data using a backup solution, in almost all cases they say yes, but, I

The Covid pandemic changed how we work and it permanently changed our view of what the workplace is. After Boris’s big announcement back on 23rd

– Password length is more important than complexity– MFA can prevent 99.9% of attacks on your accounts– No need to change your password periodically

How do you make your staff happier? How do you get a better return on your IT investments? How do you spark creativity? In my

In these times of global economic uncertainty and rising energy costs, every business is having to closely examine their overheads, and IT overheads are no

The automatic and bullish installation of Microsoft updates on Windows 11 on a regular basis can be inconvenient, annoying and a source of frustration for

More and more businesses, particularly in the manufacturing sector, rely upon their IT systems 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In the event

Are you thinking of getting a new telephone system for your business? The first thing you need to know is that whatever telephone system you

On the 10th October this year (2023), Microsoft will no longer provide security updates, bug fixes, or technical support for Windows Server 2012 and Windows

The whole cyber security thing can be daunting and overwhelming and it can seem expensive, but it is a real problem that should be continuously

Your internet connection is important to your business and I think it’s a safe bet to assume that it would actually cause less impact on

What’s the most uninteresting job you could ever do with your server, either on-premise or in the cloud? I’ll tell you, it’s housekeeping! As technology

Over the years, I have worked with a lot of computer engineers from companies both small and large. Almost all of them are talented, seasoned,

The Virtual IT Director can help you and your organisation with many areas of IT that often fall outside the scope of your IT break

At 9am, Tuesday 3rd January 2023, a picture of me with a glass of champagne in my hand was strewn across all social media platforms