EP 282 Putting MSPs First – GTIA’s New Era
In this episode of MSP Unplugged, we sit down with Dan Wensley, CEO of GTIA, to unpack the powerful transformation of the Global Technology Industry Association. Dan shares how GTIA is shifting from certification-focused roots to becoming a purpose-built, community-first nonprofit dedicated to helping MSPs, vendors, and IT professionals thrive. We dive into GTIA’s new mission, explore its four foundational pillars—People, Resources, Community, and Advancement—and get a first look at how this reinvention is setting a bold new course for the channel. If you’re an MSP looking for community, support, and a seat at the table, you won’t want to miss this conversation. Full Video Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/NP5GH2UEO7A ————————————————— Connect with us! ————————————————— MSP Unplugged https://mspunplugged.com/ Paco Lebron from ProdigyTeks Email: paco@mspunplugged.com Rick Smith from Renactus Technology Email: rick@mspnplugged.com Corey L Kirkendoll from 5K Technical Services https://linkedin.com/in/coreykirkendoll/ Dan Wensley from GTIA https://www.linkedin.com/in/danwensleyceogtia/
Protecting against VoIP service theft
VoIP systems offer businesses an affordable and efficient way to stay connected. Alarmingly, the risk of VoIP theft is growing as attackers hijack services and threaten business operations. Understanding this threat and how to protect your network is crucial for avoiding costly disruptions. VoIP theft of service: What it is and how it works VoIP theft of service refers to unauthorized access to and usage of a business’s Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) service. It occurs when cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities within a business’s communication systems to make calls, send messages, and perform other actions without the business owner’s knowledge or consent. They use various ways to gain unauthorized access, from session hijacking and toll fraud to identity spoofing and call pumping. The consequences of VoIP theft of service Your business may face the following consequences as a result of falling victim to this type of attack: Financial strain With VoIP theft of service, cybercriminals can run up enormous bills by making international calls, committing toll fraud, or using your network to conduct illicit activities. These inflated charges can lead to crippling costs that affect your business’s financial stability and disrupt its operations. Legal liabilities and compliance issues Unauthorized use of communication services is illegal, and you may find your business legally liable for the actions taken by cybercriminals who use your VoIP infrastructure. Legal fees and potential fines add further strain to the already dire situation, along with the risk of compliance violations in case of a data breach. Damage to reputation and trust If a cybercriminal uses your VoIP system to make calls to clients, it can cause irreparable damage to your reputation. That’s mainly because your customers, partners, and investors may lose faith in your ability to protect their data and communications. What’s more, such incidents can quickly spread across media outlets, further tarnishing your brand. Operational disruptions and downtime Cybercriminals often consume bandwidth and resources, which can degrade the quality of legitimate calls or cause complete system failure. Some of the consequences include missed opportunities, delayed responses, and general operational inefficiencies. Exposed data and privacy breaches Cybercriminals can intercept and eavesdrop on sensitive communications, gaining access to private data. This can lead to severe privacy breaches, especially if confidential information such as customer details or business strategies is compromised. How to safeguard your business from VoIP theft of service The good news is that VoIP theft of service is preventable with the right security measures and the following best practices: Use strong and unique passwords – Strengthen your security by creating complex, unique passwords that are hard to guess. Consider using passphrases for added protection. Keep your VoIP devices and apps up to date with the latest security patches – Software updates frequently contain fixes for vulnerabilities that cybercriminals could exploit. You can reduce the risk of cybercriminals hacking into your system by maintaining up-to-date firmware. Monitor call logs and system activity – Unusual activity such as spikes in call volume, calls made outside normal hours, or connections to unfamiliar numbers should raise red flags. If you notice anything suspicious, report it immediately to your VoIP provider for investigation and resolution. Implement encryption to protect data – Encryption is a key tool in preventing unauthorized access to your VoIP communications. It converts data, including voice calls into an unreadable format so only authorized parties can decode it, minimizing the risk of eavesdropping and data breaches. Educate your employees on security protocols – Train your team on the importance of VoIP security, such as recognizing phishing emails, using strong passwords, and adhering to best practices for data protection. Regular training will equip them to identify potential threats and prevent security breaches. For further assistance in safeguarding your VoIP infrastructure, reach out to our security experts for tailored solutions.
The cloud conversation SMBs can’t ignore: Bringing UCaaS and CCaaS together
Is your business overwhelmed by too many communication platforms? Discover how small and mid-sized companies can simplify internal collaboration and customer support by uniting Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center-as-a-Service (CCaaS) systems, unlocking better insights, improved agility, and stronger customer relationships. The business world is shifting quickly, and cloud-based tools are at the center of it all. For small and mid-sized businesses (SMBs), staying agile, efficient, and connected is now a requirement and no longer a mere luxury. With rising pressure to deliver seamless employee and customer experiences, many SMBs are meticulously reassessing how they manage communication and customer service. The case for converging UCaaS and CCaaS Imagine having your voice calls, video meetings, messaging apps, customer support tools, and analytics all integrated into one platform. That’s the promise of UCaaS and CCaaS convergence. When done right, it creates fewer headaches for IT teams, reduces the need for employees to jump between tools, and provides more clarity for business leaders. Traditionally, these systems have been siloed: one system for internal communication and another for customer interaction. But this separation can lead to misaligned data, missed customer insights, and rising operational costs. For SMBs with tighter margins, these inefficiencies can be especially painful. By uniting these platforms, businesses gain a more complete view of customer interactions, enable more flexible working environments, and reduce the number of tools needed to get work done. Overall, this helps improve service quality while also supporting employees’ efforts to communicate and collaborate more effectively. Where to begin: Steps for SMBs to get it right Here’s how to effectively combine UCaaS and CCaaS solutions to create a seamless user and customer experience. Audit your current setup Before making any changes, take a moment to evaluate your current setup. Conduct an audit to identify overlaps, gaps, and pain points: Are employees switching apps too often? Are customers repeating themselves across different channels? These are telltale signs it’s time to consolidate. Focus on seamless integration, not just bundling True convergence is not just about buying from a single vendor. It means deep integration: shared data, unified user interfaces, and a consistent experience across devices and locations. For example, sales reps should be able to start conversations on their laptop and continue on their mobile device without interruption. Choose the right partner Look for vendors that offer: Flexible compatibility across devices and platforms Built-in mobility features that feel natural for smartphone users Local knowledge and strong mobile infrastructure Customization and scalability Solid onboarding and support for your team A vendor who truly understands your business needs can help you configure systems and future-proof your communication strategy. Looking ahead: The future of SMB communication For SMBs, the opportunity lies in adopting communications solutions that anticipate future challenges while answering the call of current ones. Unified platforms offer simplicity, smarter insights, and the kind of flexibility that growing businesses need to gain a competitive edge. It’s time to move away from juggling tools and start creating a more connected, cost-efficient, and customer-focused environment. Explore integrated UCaaS-CCaaS solutions that fit your needs and start transforming the way you connect. Reach out to our experts today.
AI is great, but it creates a security blind spot
You’re focused on leveraging the latest technology for growth and innovation, but there’s a hidden risk that comes with it. The software, automated systems, and AI tools that power your business each have their own non-human identity (NHI). Managing these digital identities was a significant challenge even before the AI boom, but now, with intelligent agents capable of independent action, NHIs represent a critical threat that demands immediate attention. Your company’s biggest, most overlooked security risk Think about every piece of software, cloud application, and automated script your company uses. Each one needs credentials and permissions to access data and perform its tasks. That’s a massive, often invisible, digital workforce. The problem here is that these NHIs are often created for a specific purpose and then forgotten, leaving a digital door wide open for attackers. This oversight leads to several common security gaps: Ghost accounts: These are accounts and app credentials that are never disabled, even after a project ends or an employee leaves. Orphaned accounts like these are prime targets, as they are unmonitored and can provide persistent access to your network. Weak credentials: Attackers use automated tools to constantly scan for easy-to-crack credentials, making them a significant vulnerability. Lack of visibility: Most businesses have no clear picture of how many NHIs exist in their environment or what they have access to. If you don’t know an identity exists, you can’t secure it, monitor it, or recognize when it’s been compromised. How AI supercharges the threat If unsecured NHIs are like a key left under the doormat, then AI is like a team of burglars who can check every doormat in the city in a matter of seconds. AI-powered tools allow attackers to find and exploit these forgotten credentials with alarming speed and efficiency, turning a minor vulnerability into a major breach in minutes. But the risk goes even deeper. The introduction of autonomous AI agents creates a new layer of complexity. AI agents are designed to act independently to achieve certain goals, which means they require broad access to your company’s systems and data. This can lead to: Unpredictable actions: An AI agent given a simple task could find an unexpected and potentially destructive way to accomplish it. In a recent security test, an AI given access to company emails discovered it was going to be replaced. It then tried to blackmail the engineer in charge to save its “job.” Imagine the potential for data leaks or operational disruption if such an agent had access to your critical systems. Shadow AI: Employees are increasingly using new AI tools without company approval or IT oversight. Each of these tools creates a new, unmanaged identity with access to your data, creating security gaps that your team can’t see. Secure your business for the AI era The rapid evolution of AI-driven threats can feel daunting, but you can take proactive steps to protect your business. The strategy starts with a few foundational principles: Gain full visibility: You can’t protect what you can’t see. The first step is to discover and inventory every NHI across your entire digital environment. Utilizing specialized tools can help automate this process and provide a complete picture of your NHI landscape. Enforce the principle of least privilege: Ensure every application, script, and system has only the absolute minimum level of access required to perform its function. If a tool doesn’t need access to sensitive customer data, it shouldn’t have it. Manage the full life cycle: Implement a clear, automated process for creating, managing, and, most importantly, securely decommissioning NHIs when they are no longer needed. Online threats may be sophisticated and constantly evolving, but a strong security plan can still keep them at bay. Our team of cybersecurity experts can help you gain a clear understanding of your current risk posture and develop a robust strategy to secure your business against the latest threats. Contact us today!
Keys to comfort and performance: Choosing the right keyboard
A good keyboard balances comfort, efficiency, and personal preference. We’ll walk through each factor to consider, from mechanical switches to compact layouts, so you can make a confident, informed choice for work or play. Key switch type Key switches determine how a keyboard feels and responds. Mechanical switches use individual springs and housings for each key, offering a distinct tactile feel and long lifespan. They’re available in different variants: linear for smooth keystrokes, tactile for a noticeable bump, and clicky for audible feedback. Membrane keyboards, on the other hand, use pressure pads and are typically quieter and more affordable, though they may lack the crisp feel of mechanical options. Hybrid switches and scissor mechanisms add further variety, offering blends of durability, noise control, and compact design. Connectivity and compatibility A keyboard can connect via wired USB, Bluetooth, or a 2.4 GHz wireless dongle. Wired connections deliver consistent input without worrying about battery life, while wireless options provide flexibility and a cleaner desk setup. Check each device’s compatibility with your computer’s operating system, as well as any special features such as customizable RGB lighting or programmable keys. Some keyboards also offer multidevice connectivity, allowing you to easily switch between devices with the press of a button. Layout Layout affects the number of keys and overall footprint. Full-size keyboards, also known as 100% keyboards, feature a number pad, function keys, and a dedicated navigation section. For a more space-saving option, tenkeyless (TKL) keyboards ditch the number pad but retain the function keys and navigation area. Smaller layouts such as 75%, 65%, and 60% condense keys further, appealing to minimalists or those with limited desk space. Each size changes key placement, so consider what shortcuts or features you rely on daily. For instance, data entry professionals may prefer a full-size keyboard for the convenience of a dedicated number pad, while those who only use word processing may opt for a smaller layout to reduce hand movement. Ergonomics Typing for long periods can take a toll on your wrists, but ergonomic designs can make a huge difference. Features such as split keyboards, angled setups, and adjustable tilts promote a more natural hand position, keeping you comfortable and strain-free. Keyboards with low-profile keys can reduce finger travel distance, while wrist rests provide additional comfort. Testing different shapes and heights can reveal what works best for your posture and typing habits. Additional features Modern keyboards often include extras that improve workflow. Volume wheels and media controls allow quick adjustments without leaving your active window. Programmable keys let you customize layouts and shortcuts for specific applications, boosting efficiency. Budget Keyboards span a wide price range. Entry-level models can handle everyday typing at a low cost, while high-end mechanical boards with premium materials, hot-swappable switches, and customizable lighting come at a higher price. It’s worth balancing initial cost against long-term durability and comfort, as a quality keyboard can serve you for years. Demo If possible, test a keyboard before buying. Typing a few sentences, adjusting the tilt, and trying different switch types can give you a clear idea of what feels comfortable. Many electronics stores offer display units, and online retailers often provide return policies to accommodate personal testing. Have questions about finding the right hardware for your setup? Contact us today to get expert guidance tailored to your needs.
EP 280 Legacy in Action – The Kenyatta Computers Story
In this episode of MSP Unplugged, we sit down with Nahjee Maybin, CEO of Kenyatta Computer Services, a Denver-based MSP. Nahjee shares how he’s building on the legacy his father began—transforming Kenyatta Computers from a family vision into a thriving IT services company. It’s a powerful story of growth, purpose, and honoring the past while embracing the future of managed services. Full Video Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/CIJGEDqReaI ————————————————— Connect with us! ————————————————— MSP Unplugged https://mspunplugged.com/ Paco Lebron from ProdigyTeks Email: paco@mspunplugged.com Rick Smith from Renactus Technology Email: rick@mspnplugged.com Corey L Kirkendoll from 5K Technical Services https://linkedin.com/in/coreykirkendoll/ Nahjee Maybin from Kenyatta Computer Services https://www.linkedin.com/in/nahjee-maybin/
AI-powered VoIP to take customer communication to new heights
From the telephone to email, technology has continually shaped how businesses connect with customers, with each new innovation building upon the last. Nowadays, artificial intelligence (AI) is enhancing Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), leading to more efficient, impactful customer interactions. Let’s examine how AI-driven innovations work with VoIP to raise the bar for customer communication. AI-powered chatbots provide always-on assistance AI-powered chatbots have become a common feature in modern VoIP systems. With their ability to understand everyday language, chatbots offer immediate answers to routine questions and support customers in troubleshooting common issues. What’s more, AI is available 24/7, making businesses accessible at all hours. When businesses automate simple customer queries, they can assign human agents to more complex issues, without increasing customer wait times. Predictive analytics anticipates customer needs Integrating predictive analytics into VoIP systems is another way AI enhances business communications. By analyzing past interactions, AI can predict customer needs and preferences, enabling your team to deliver personalized experiences. For example, it can identify the optimal time for a follow-up call or anticipate common issues before they arise, allowing businesses to offer a seamless, proactive customer experience instead of simply reacting to problems. Call transcription records calls with greater clarity VoIP systems powered by AI benefit from advanced speech recognition and transcription technologies. These tools transcribe phone calls in real time, helping create an accurate record of customer interactions. Businesses can store these transcripts for future reference and analysis. Additionally, transcription AI can summarize call details, such as action items and key discussion points. Sentiment analysis understands what customers are feeling Customer communication involves more than words; it also depends on tone, emotion, and context. Fortunately, there are VoIP-compatible sentiment analysis tools that can evaluate the emotional tone of a customer’s speech. These tools detect emotions such as frustration, confusion, or satisfaction and notify the agent, who can then adjust their approach in real time. This can be invaluable in customer service, where managing frustration and stress can mean the difference between a positive and negative customer experience. Automatic call routing improves efficiency Call routing is a critical aspect of VoIP systems, but traditional methods often rely on manual intervention, which can cause delays. Fortunately, AI-enhanced VoIP systems streamline this process by automatically routing calls based on factors such as the customer’s location, query type, or previous interaction history. The biggest benefit of automatic call routing is drastically reducing wait times, which in turn enhances efficiency and boosts customer satisfaction. Data-driven insights continuously improve processes AI-powered VoIP allows businesses to capture and analyze the extensive data generated during customer exchanges. In much less time and with greater accuracy than human researchers, AI extracts insights on trends, measures customer satisfaction, and identifies areas that need improvement. For example, AI might analyze call lengths and customer feedback to highlight common issues that contribute to longer resolution times. With the rapid advancement of AI, businesses that integrate its innovations will be more capable of meeting rising customer expectations. In the long run, these innovations can help build stronger, more sustainable relationships that will help position businesses for success. For more insights into VoIP systems and how to implement them to meet your business goals, reach out to our experts.
Supercharge your note-taking with Copilot in OneNote
OneNote just got smarter. Discover how Microsoft Copilot’s integration can transform your note-taking process, making it faster, more efficient, and more organized. From summarizing meetings to turning notes into visuals, here are nine practical ways to make the most of Copilot’s capabilities. Summarize and simplify notes Copilot can condense your notes into digestible summaries. Whether it’s a single page or an entire notebook, Copilot quickly identifies the key points so you can quickly distill valuable insights. With everything neatly sorted, managing your notes across multiple pages or sections becomes much easier. To turn meeting notes into a concise summary, simply highlight your notes, and ask Copilot to summarize the main points, agenda items, and discussions. Easily keep notes organized It can be challenging to manage notes across multiple pages or sections. Copilot makes organizing effortless by automatically sorting your pages by creation date, topic, or other criteria. Just let it know your preferences, and it will suggest a neat, organized structure for you to approve. Create custom templates for meeting notes If you hold regular meetings, Copilot can quickly generate a template with predefined sections such as agenda, action items, and meeting notes so your meetings are consistently well-structured and documented. This means you can focus on the meeting itself, not on creating the same templates every time. Turn notes into study materials Preparing for a test, meeting, or presentation? Copilot can scan your notes and pull out key concepts. It can even create flashcards or quizzes to help you retain the most important information, giving you an easy way to study directly from your OneNote pages. Generate visuals from notes Copilot can convert your notes into visuals that simplify complex information. For example, it can create graphs to track sales performance, generate mind maps to organize ideas, and produce visual comparisons to spot trends and forecast outcomes. Search and cite external sources Copilot isn’t limited to your notebook; it can also pull in external information from the web. Whether you’re searching for the latest statistics, definitions, or industry news, Copilot can instantly find credible sources and cite them for you in popular formats such as APA or MLA. This is particularly useful for writing research papers or white papers, blogs, business proposals, and other professional documentation that require hard evidence. Convert notes to Excel, Word, or PowerPoint OneNote’s content is versatile, and Copilot helps you unlock its full potential. If you want to convert your notes into a more formal document such as a Word report, an Excel spreadsheet, or a PowerPoint presentation, Copilot can do the heavy lifting. Just give it a prompt, and it will format everything according to your preferences. Brainstorm ideas with Copilot Copilot is perfect for sparking your creativity when you’re planning an online event, crafting a marketing campaign, or tackling other complex projects. It can provide suggestions, help you think through challenges, and even create mind maps to bring clarity and structure to your ideas. Translate notes into multiple languages With Copilot, you can easily translate your OneNote pages into various languages, making it easy to collaborate with international teams or communicate with clients across the globe. Simply highlight the text and command Copilot to translate it into the language you need. For more tips and insights on how to maximize Copilot’s potential, reach out to our IT experts and discover how we can help you optimize your Microsoft experience.
Unlocking the power of multicloud: Key benefits and challenges for your business
The shift to multicloud is becoming a common strategy for enterprises seeking more flexible, resilient, and high-performance solutions. Leveraging services from multiple cloud providers enables businesses to customize their IT infrastructure, making sure it aligns more effectively with their specific requirements. However, a multicloud strategy comes with its own set of challenges that organizations need to be aware of. Why adopt a multicloud strategy? Here are some reasons you should consider adopting a multicloud approach: Enhanced flexibility and specialized services Each cloud provider offers unique features, making it difficult for any single service to meet all the diverse needs of an organization. For example, Microsoft Azure excels at analytics and artificial intelligence, while AWS is more suitable for cloud storage and computing services. With multicloud, businesses can tap into the best features of each provider, ensuring they’re always using the most appropriate tool for the job. Geographic proximity and performance optimization Businesses with users around the world need their systems to work quickly (low latency) and efficiently (high performance) to provide a seamless user experience. By leveraging multiple cloud providers with data centers located near key markets, businesses can reduce latency and improve the speed of their applications. This is especially vital for enterprises managing real-time data processing (e.g., eCommerce and healthcare businesses). Reduced risk of long vendor lock-in terms Relying on a single cloud provider comes with significant risks. A major outage or unexpected cost increases could leave your business unable to quickly switch to another vendor, potentially disrupting operations and jeopardizing continuity. A multicloud arrangement may help you deploy redundancies before an outage arises. The challenges of managing a multicloud environment While the benefits of multicloud are compelling, the complexities of managing multiple cloud providers cannot be overlooked. Complexity and increased administrative overhead Cloud environments are designed to operate independently, and integrating them often requires specialized knowledge and tools. With multiple cloud providers, businesses face the challenge of managing different service agreements and APIs (application programming interfaces). Monitoring and securing a multicloud infrastructure also requires more effort compared to using a single provider. Organizations should prioritize investing in advanced management tools and ensure that teams are trained to handle such complexities. Cost visibility and management concerns Understanding the full cost of a multicloud setup can be tricky. Different providers have distinct pricing structures, which makes it difficult to compare and optimize costs across platforms. Keeping track of usage, handling data transfers between clouds, and making sure that all services are optimized for cost efficiency can be a headache for organizations. Security risks The more cloud services you use, the more opportunities there are to mount an attack on your system. In most cases, each vendor will have its own set of security tools; however, these tools often don’t integrate well with one another. Businesses need to enforce a consistent set of security policies across all their cloud environments to keep data protected. Tips for overcoming multicloud challenges To maximize the benefits of a multicloud environment while minimizing its risks, businesses should focus on: Unified management tools Using cloud management platforms that centralize monitoring and administration is crucial. These platforms allow businesses to streamline tasks such as security enforcement, cost tracking, and data governance across multiple providers. Develop a clear strategy Businesses must have a strategy in place that defines how workloads will be distributed, how costs will be managed, and how data will be protected. It’s essential to establish clear communication between teams and ensure that everyone is aligned on the goals of the multicloud deployment. Address shadow IT Many organizations may already be operating in a multicloud environment without realizing it due to shadow IT. Shadow IT occurs when employees or departments adopt and use technology solutions without the approval or oversight of the IT department. For instance, departments or teams may have set up cloud accounts without the knowledge of the IT department to quickly solve problems or improve productivity. Businesses should therefore develop clear policies about which services can be used while also providing teams with the flexibility to choose tools that enhance their productivity. Boost your business with a multicloud strategy A multicloud strategy offers powerful benefits in terms of flexibility, risk mitigation, and performance optimization. However, businesses must be prepared to handle the added complexities that come with a multicloud arrangement. By carefully selecting the right tools, crafting a clear strategy, and fostering collaboration across teams, organizations can unlock the full potential of a multicloud architecture while minimizing the associated challenges. Considering making the move to multicloud? Contact our cloud experts today to experience a seamless transition to multicloud architecture.
EP 279 Navigating Information with OpenText
In this episode of MSP Unplugged, we’re joined by Mike DePalma, VP of Business Development at OpenText. OpenText is a global leader in information management software, helping organizations—especially MSPs—securely capture, store, manage, and unlock actionable insights from enterprise data. Mike walks us through how OpenText is empowering MSPs to leverage cloud, AI, cybersecurity, and automation tools—enabling them to deliver stronger compliance, smarter workflows, and deeper customer trust in an evolving IT landscape. Full Video Podcast Link: https://youtu.be/ziHrxDwgkrs ————————————————— Connect with us! ————————————————— MSP Unplugged https://mspunplugged.com/ Paco Lebron from ProdigyTeks Email: paco@mspunplugged.com Rick Smith from Renactus Technology Email: rick@mspnplugged.com Corey L Kirkendoll from 5K Technical Services https://linkedin.com/in/coreykirkendoll/ Mike DePalma from OpenText https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeldepalma1/