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Back in business – restoring order after an IT breach

No matter how expert you are at company management and how secure and well organised your business model is, things can still go wrong. What’s more important however is ensuring that when the worst has happened, you can bounce back. What business resilience do you have in place and how easy is it to implement? […]

So much choice: choosing Microsoft, Apple or Google for your business

Making the right choice between Microsoft, Apple and Google can seem an overwhelming challenge. All three are tech giants, all of which perform well and have their own particular strengths and stand-out features. Microsoft has the largest market share out of all of them, which means it tends to be more likely to be compatible […]

Protecting your business from cybercrime: focus on phishing

We help businesses large and small with cybersecurity. You don’t have to be dealing with sensitive data or money to be at risk from attack by criminals hoping to exploit loopholes in your security, or momentary lapses of judgement by staff. Emails and phone messages, or even in-person phone calls, can trigger a security breach. […]

Written in the stars: the benefits of satellite internet

With our reliance on mobile communications and the internet, good network connectivity is part of our daily lives. It’s not just work that relies on being able to send messages, documents and data quickly and reliably, but also our personal lives too. From banking to shopping, we use online facilities all the time. One of […]

Left to your own devices? Getting your laptop specification right

With the range of laptops available – at vastly different price points – it’s easy to get confused when choosing new machines for your business. There are lots of things to take into consideration, from performance and speed, through to ensuring the right software is in place. At Highstream, we are always happy to help […]

Why businesses should team up with Microsoft Teams

Here at Highstream Solutions, we are proud to partner with key industry technology suppliers such as Microsoft. Combined with the weight of our highly experienced team, utilising and supplying their products to our clients ensures they have easy access to cost-effective and secure IT services, whenever they need it. One tool which is often an […]

Meet the Team: Michael Hutton, IT support technician at Highstream Solutions

Michael Hutton is Highstream’s newest member of the team. He joined the business in November 2022 as an IT support technician. Let’s find out a bit more about his role in the business and what makes him ‘click’. When and how did you decide to pursue a career in IT support? I grew up around […]

Protecting your business from cybercrime: focus on ransomware

What is ransomware? Malware is a form of malicious software that is designed to disrupt, damage, or gain unauthorised access to a computer system. Ransomware is a particular kind of malware that prevents you from accessing your device or the data you have stored on it. A ransomware attack is a stealth crime carried out by […]

Teaming up for a user-friendly IT solution

Nichols PLC is an international soft drinks business and home of the iconic Vimto brand. With its three key business streams – its cordial, international brand and ‘out of home’ brand – it has its head office in Newton le Willows and numerous offices, warehouses and factories spread across the UK and internationally. With a […]

Fast-forward! Top tips to keep your computer running quicker and efficiently

Our busy lives mean we need technology to run smoothly and there is nothing more annoying than a computer system in constant buffering mode or waiting too long for items to load. There could be many reasons as to why your computer is running slow, but here are a few useful tips to try. Restart […]

Meet the Team – Simon Jones – Technical Manager at Highstream Solutions

When and how did you decide to pursue a career in IT support? When my university career didn’t pan out as I had hoped, I decided to get a job. While I was looking, I came across an opportunity to learn computer skills as part of an apprenticeship scheme being offered by Wrexham ITEC. It […]

How do you remain secure and compliant while working outside the office?

Prior to 2020, less than 5% of the UK workforce worked from home. Now, with the pandemic behind us, hybrid working is here to stay, with latest figures suggesting that over 25% of the workforce are choosing to travel to work some of the time, and work from home or elsewhere the rest of the […]

AI: An intelligent look at the future

There has been a great deal of discussion about how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will change the face of the business world. The technology is out of the box and businesses need to embrace it, or risk losing their competitive edge. But it’s not an all-or-nothing approach, you have to get the balance right – a […]

Staying safe from cybercrime – Passwords: a guide for non-technical users

In the first in our new series on ‘staying safe from cybercrime’, we will be looking at the importance of having secure passwords and how best to achieve them. Password protection is a vital defence in the fight against cybercrime. It’s the first line of protection for many aspects of our lives and is only […]

Meet the Team – Alan Roscoe – IT Support Technician at Highstream

Over the next few months we will introduce you to the Highstream team. Next up is Alan Roscoe, IT support technician at Highstream. When and how did you decide to pursue a career in IT support? I spent eight years in the army stationed in Germany, where I was a tank crewman. I originally signed […]

Head in the clouds? Why cloud technology is good for business

What is cloud technology? People tend to talk about ‘the cloud’ as if it is a physical object, but of course it isn’t really. The term is used to describe cloud computing technology, which is the global network of remote systems that provide data storage, files and software to users through their web-connected devices. What […]

Meet the team: Paul Williams, managing director at Highstream

Highstream Solutions positions itself as a valued technology partner for small and medium scale businesses. The company works across many sectors, including professional services, manufacturing, logistics and hospitality. With so much IT now able to be done remotely, it’s always good to find out more about the team you are working with. So, over the […]

Health check your business’ IT

In today’s digital age, a business is nothing without its IT. However, as we have become more reliant on technology, the repercussions if this is threatened, such as through cybercrime, can quickly bring a business to its knees. Even if you think your digital security is up to scratch, there’s no harm in giving your IT […]

Ancient and modern: seamlessly integrating modern IT infrastructure into historical buildings

Having poor IT infrastructure undoubtedly puts your business at risk in many ways, from having a negative impact on productivity through to increasing your risk of cyber-attacks. When you move into new business premises, you should never assume that the existing infrastructure is up to scratch just because it is a smart, seemingly state-of-the-art contemporary […]

Helping to Bridge the Digital Divide: Byrne Avenue – A Case Study of Community Empowerment

In an era where digital literacy and access to online resources are crucial for socio-economic participation, bridging the digital divide has become a goal for many communities. This case study highlights a project undertaken by Highstream to support Byrne Avenue Trust, a not-for-profit dedicated to rescuing, restoring and re-opening Byrne Avenue Baths, a beautiful Grade […]

Wired in the Wilderness: Openreach – Connecting Rural or Unique Properties

In an increasingly connected world, securing a reliable internet connection is crucial. However placing connectivity orders which are likely to involve Openreach connection services can sometimes be daunting, especially when dealing with properties in rural areas or those that deviate from the norm. Here we provide pointers on how best to ensure the order process and delivery go smoothly.

The e-Waste Problem: It hurts us all, how can we help?

Technology, and it’s continuous eye-watering rate of evolution, contributes significant impact through generation of electronic waste (e-waste). Should we in the UK as both consumers and businesses be re-using more of our old kit? Should our Government be encouraging more repair and re-use of technology in order to reduce e-waste?

Device Management: What is Intune?

Microsoft Intune is a cloud-based service that helps organizations manage and secure their devices, including computers and mobile devices. It also covers the applications installed on them. It provides a comprehensive set of tools for device management, security, and tracking. Intune is a Microsoft tool that works not only with Windows devices, but Apple (iPhones, iPads, Macs) and Android devices also.

Prevent interruptions: Teams Phone integrates with Outlook calendar

Microsoft Teams Phone, integrated with Outlook calendar, offers a powerful combination that enhances user experience, prevents interruptions and improves focus on priority tasks.

Professionally Invisible IT Support: Your Hidden Guardians

In today’s fast-paced, technology-driven world, businesses rely heavily on their IT infrastructure to operate efficiently and stay competitive. read how we help.

Mobile Data – Managing the Risks

Managing corporate data on mobile and employee-owned devices becomes more and more important. MDM gives businesses a suite of tools with which to control how data is accessed, and from where.

The impact of technology on employee efficiency

We all work to make ourselves efficient.  It’s the way to create more time, more capacity, more profit, isn’t it?  Then we work on our team’s efficiency.  We want them to achieve more, in less time. It’s easy to understand why.  The monthly financial cost of an employee to a business can be staggering.  Consider […]

Introducing hybrid working to your business

It seems like everyone is talking about ‘hybrid working’ and how the majority of us will never return to the office five days a week, but what does this mean exactly?  To put it simply it means a flexible working agreement where an employee works from a variety of different locations – including an agreed […]

Is your business Cyber Essentials certified?

  The Cyber Essentials certification is a government backed scheme launched in 2014 to encourage businesses of all sizes to focus on general cyber security awareness and protection measures.   There are two levels to the certification: Cyber Essentials accreditation involves businesses self-assessing their security posture and completing a questionnaire, which is then independently verified. This […]

How secure is your password?

World Password Day is celebrated on the first Thursday of May each year and aims to encourage people to improve their password habits. With so many people still working from home and everyone spending more time online than they have ever done before it is worth giving cyber security some consideration. A survey completed by […]

Four tips to stay safe online

In recognition of Safer Internet Day 2021, we wanted to highlight some of our top tips for how people and businesses can optimise and strengthen their online security. The past twelve months have demonstrated the importance of having a robust and secure IT system in place as more and more people are working (and learning!) from home. […]

Should you be thinking about cyber insurance?

Last year 46% of UK businesses identified cyber security breaches or attacks, with an average cost of £8,460 as a result of data loss or assets after the breach. Of that 46% – just 32% had cyber insurance cover.  (Data according to the UK Government Official Statistics.) Putting the numbers aside, let’s take a moment to consider […]

Budgeting for IT within your Business

Businesses can fall into the trap of paying mere lip service to the IT budgeting process. Here we run through the basic considerations – hardware, software, cloud and support – and how to plan effectively.

How technology is helping manufacturers come out of COVID stronger

By Paul Williams, Director Here at Highstream Solutions, we have a history of working with manufacturing businesses. An industry that’s going through rapid change as the fourth industrial revolution gains momentum, and one we’re excited to work within so we can really flex our technological muscles. This year has been a difficult one for most […]

Highstream celebrates its record month of invoice revenue

By Paul Williams, Director Despite the difficulties of the past few months, I’m proud to say that we have reached a milestone here at Highstream, with August being a record month for invoice revenue. It’s difficult to talk about business success during what is a very turbulent time for many at the moment, but this […]

What’s new in Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams has become a bit of lifeline for businesses who have adapted to remote working. With numerous video conferencing services available, Teams has really had to up its game in terms of service delivery. Our Director, Paul Williams, has picked out his top three latest updates, and lifts the lid on some of the […]

Remote recruitment: Five tips to virtually onboard new starters

COVID-19 and the ongoing effect it is having on remote and home working has meant that we’re approaching things in new ways.  Despite many people worrying about long-term job security, there are still many companies that are recruiting or onboarding new starters, and they are having to think outside the box when it comes to […]

Returning to on-site work: 4 online tools to help keep your workforce safe

By Paul Williams, Director Following the announcement last week that on-site work may now resume, we are seeing many of the country’s workforce in the manufacturing, construction and engineering industries returning to work. But with social distancing measures still fully in place, the onus lies on each individual business to ensure that they adhere to […]

The future of remote working: will we miss it and is it here to stay?

By Paul Williams, Director Who would have thought that it would take a global pandemic to change the universal opinion on remote working for the better? And how did we cope without Microsoft Teams before? Although I’ve worked in the technology industry for most of my working life, I’m still genuinely impressed by how the […]

Managing a business through a global pandemic: my experience so far

By Paul Williams, Director We first became aware of a possible need to adapt to the changing coronavirus global situation late in February 2020. We implemented our business continuity plan (“BCP”) and started to test the full team’s capability to work remotely in early March. As a result of testing at an early stage, we […]

IT advice for furloughed employees

We at Highstream are still adapting to this new way of life, as I’m sure you and your businesses are. I think I speak for all of us when I say, that we are very fortunate to have the technology at our fingertips that we have; it really is pivotal in making all of this […]

Cybercriminals can work remotely too; how to keep your cybersecurity at the top of its game

By Paul Williams, Managing Director With an increasing number of people working from home at the moment, we can expect an increase in the number of cyberattacks and scams. For many of us, the daily commute has transformed into a trip upstairs or to the dining room table, but it’s really important to ensure you’re […]

Microsoft Teams; introducing Walkie Talkie

Given the current situation, more and more people are working remotely, meaning that Microsoft Teams is becoming a great solution for many businesses around the country. Teams has a host of benefits that will help boost the productivity of your workforce and allow for improved remote working. At Highstream, many of our clients utilise the […]

How to Manage your Workforce’s Time and Attendance with Microsoft

At Highstream, we provide tech solutions into two of our core industry sectors – logistics & warehousing and manufacturing – and we’re very aware of the challenges around accurately capturing time and attendance of the operational workforce. A lot of the clients we work with use Microsoft for a lot of their operational programmes including […]

Our top 5 tips for SMEs this #SaferInternetDay 2020

In celebration of #SaferInternetDay, we wanted to share some of our top tips to help you stay safe online.  At Highstream, we pride ourselves on our commitment to providing IT solutions that are usually associated with large-scale enterprises to small and medium-sized businesses. According to a recent study by Microsoft, SMEs represent 95% of all […]

Highstream Solutions wins luxury hotel brief

Highstream Solutions, is pleased to announce that it has secured a major new contract with hotel specialists, The Robert Parker Collection (RPC Hotels Ltd).   The luxury hotel firm, which is headquartered in Oswestry, Shropshire, has a range of elegant boutique hotels based in a variety of locations across the UK, including Scotland, Northumbria and the […]

Windows 7 officially retires this week; but what does this mean for existing users?

By Paul Williams, Director  This week, Microsoft has ceased to support Windows 7, meaning that it will no longer provide security updates to keep Windows 7 hardware secure. But what does this mean? Microsoft has planned for the retirement of Windows 7 for some time and this means that they will no longer be identifying […]

Staff Spotlight: Meet Annette Williams, Accounts

We’d like to introduce you to another member of the Highstream team, Annette Williams, who looks after accounts. Whether it’s a great cup of tea or the accounts statement from the last quarter, Annette can get it for you at the drop of a hat. She’s been with us at Highstream since the early days, […]

Keeping your data safe from cyber-attacks with a Cyber Essentials certification

Years ago, a “cyber-attack’ would’ve sounded like something that only happens in a sci-fi film, but nowadays, being cyber security savvy is more important than ever. The lasting results that a cyber-attack could have on your business and data are endless, but there is a simple, cost-effective way of identifying potential risks and priority issues. […]

Staff Spotlight: Meet Managing Director Paul Williams

It’s time to meet another member of the Highstream team, and this time it’s our Managing Director Paul Williams. Paul has always been an IT pro, started Highstream back in 2017 to fill a gap in the market at the time. We sat down with Paul to ask him a couple of questions about his […]

Staff Spotlight: Meet Simon Jones, Technical Manager

The next member of the Highstream team we’d like to introduce you to is Simon, our Technical Manager. We’ve had a chat with Simon about life before Highstream and what his role involves. Tell us about your role at Highstream? My role as Technical Manager at Highstream is quite varied. I mainly focus on understanding […]

Are you protecting your business against cyber-attacks?

The threat of cyber-attacks is, sadly, becoming a real and unavoidable cost of doing business in the world today. Our remote IT support service team is always on hand to help businesses that might be impacted by cyber-attacks. And, although we advise our clients on mitigating these risks when updating their infrastructure or systems, we’re […]

Structured cabling design a No Brainer for Highstream

We recently completed a project with PR and social media agency, No Brainer, as they moved into a brand-new office space over the summer. The No Brainer team moved into a completely empty space in Stockton Heath, Warrington and we set to work on implementing a new structured cabling design throughout the new office. We […]

Staff Spotlight: Meet Alan Roscoe, IT Support Technician

It’s time to meet the next member of the Highstream team. We sat down with Alan, who joined the team as a IT Support Technician. Alan, who was a Lance Corporal in the army for ten years before deciding on a career change, supports our clients on a range of projects. Tell us about your […]

5 mistakes businesses make when moving to a new office

When moving to a new office, the relocation of your IT systems and equipment must be a top priority. Without careful planning and consideration, your business could suffer from reduced productivity or even the loss of important data if things don’t go seamlessly. We’ve put together our top five mishaps we find companies going through […]

Highstream achieves triple digit growth in second year

It’s hard to believe that just two years ago we were setting up Highstream Solutions from scratch with no clients. However, what we did have in our corner was great people, industry experience and bags of ambition. We set up Highstream Solutions because we’d seen and experienced other IT providers – mainly big businesses – […]

5 ways to stay cyber-safe this Computer Security Day

At Highstream Solutions, we’re marking this year’s Computer Security Day and raising awareness of some simple steps to keep company computer systems safe from online fraudsters. Electronic devices, cloud-based services, remote working and smartphones are making our business lives easier than ever, but they are also adding a layer of complexity when it comes to […]

6 reasons to introduce remote working to your business

Remote working is on the rise, and here at Highstream, we’re constantly equipping our customers (and ourselves!) with the ability to work remotely – be that from a client’s office or a coffee shop if needed! As experts in IT, we’re regularly required to work away from the office whether that’s rebuilding or replacing client […]

Tips for avoiding an IT security incident

Why has the NHS been attacked? The attack isn’t targeted at the NHS – it’s indiscriminate and has affected hundreds of thousands of computers across more than 100 countries worldwide. What has been hacked? It’s not a hack, per-se. It’s a ‘Ransomware’ attack which has been launched. This software (or ‘malware’), once on a system, […]

Manufacturing a new IT infrastructure for LCA Group

Cutting edge manufacturing can be a complex world. But when you combine UK-first manufacturing technology with outdated IT systems, top-of-the-line security requirements and multi-site locations, then that complexity really can reach a whole new level! That’s the challenge we faced when we were commissioned by Alan Sheppard and the brilliant team at LCA Group just […]

Highstream completes major IT overhaul for ‘Most Innovative Business’ in North Wales

Highstream Solutions has transformed the IT and security infrastructure of one of the most innovative businesses in Wales. Highstream unified LCA Group’s IT infrastructure from two former sites – in Runcorn and Ewloe – into the company’s new state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in Hawarden, North Wales. As well as installing a bespoke local network infrastructure for the new […]

Highstream celebrates incredible first year in business

Highstream Solutions is celebrating a stellar first year in business after securing 29 clients and a coveted accreditation from US tech giant, Microsoft. Set up from scratch by IT specialist Paul Williams to be a disruptor brand to traditional IT companies supporting SMEs in the North West and North Wales, the business has gone from […]

Highstream supports LCA Group with premises move

Highstream Solutions have worked closely with LCA Group to understand their technology requirements and ensure the relocation of both their manufacturing and project operations offices to a fantastic new facility in Hawarden has been as seamless as possible.  We’ve designed and implemented a new technology platform as a foundation for their continuing manufacturing and site-based operations, […]

New Customer Manager Feature in Office 365

Office 365 Business Premium subscribers now have access to a new feature, Outlook Customer Manager which can help manage customer relationships more effectively. You don’t need to install or learn new software. You can get a complete view of your interactions with each customer, track tasks and leads and be presented with timely reminders all […]