Frequently Asked Questions

A Managed Service Provider looks after a specialist area of business like HR, Marketing, Accounts and so forth. Birak IT is a specialist in IT Services so we would be an MSP for your IT needs.

An MSP is referred to as a Managed Service Provider. We are an MSP looking at IT services. There are other MSPs that look after your HR, Marketing, Accounts and so forth. They are industry experts in a particular field so that you can go to them for your particular needs.

An IT Service Provider is an organisation that provides a range of IT systems that a business would need. Theses can range from antivirus, backup, computer and server software, computer and server hardware, email and file services to store your business data, telephone systems (also known as VOIP), website domains and website hosting.

IT Support or IT Support Provider is an organisation like Birak IT that provides a range of IT help that a business would need. Theses can range from help with antivirus, backup, computer and server software, computer and server hardware, email and file services to store your business data, telephone systems (also known as VOIP), website domains and website hosting.

Birak IT is an IT Service Provider (also known as an Managed Service Provider) and are based in Hedge End, Southampton, Hampshire. We support businesses in Hampshire with their IT support needs. If you have any questions, please call us on 01489 290 001.

Birak IT provides a number of IT Support videos on our YouTube channel. Please visit YouTube.com/BirakIT or call us on 01489 290 001 for more info.

An antivirus is software that runs on your computer and monitors your activities, software running on the computer and checks files you open to ensure they do not cause halm to your computer. The aim of the software is to stop dangerous files and applications for destroying your data, sharing your data without your knowledge and preventing advertisements running whilst you are working on your computer that are outside of your website browsing.

Backup refers to having one or more copies of your files, emails, contacts and so on. If you have a shopping list to have a backup, you would have a copy of that shopping list in a second place. When it comes to your computer or server files, a backup would be when you have a copy of this information in a second location. Ideally this second location should be in a second town, country or continent. This all depends on your personal or business requirements. For more info, look at online and offline backup.

Online backup refers to using an internet connected service that stores your files in a second location. The service provider may even have this data in 2 or more places. Offline backups refers to having your data in a second place that could be a portable hardrive, backup tapes or even on a second network device like a NAS or SAN storage device.

Backup for Office 365 is a solution that creates a copy of your files, emailed and various other information stored in Office 365. This can be with an online backup provider also referred to cloud storage. This ensures that you can restore your critical data of there was loss of information, damage to files when you need it most.

Cloud to Cloud backup is a type of Backup for Office 365 and G Suite where you have a copy of your files, emailed and various other information stored in Office 365. This can be with an online backup provider also referred to cloud storage. This ensures that you can restore your critical data of there was loss of information, damage to files when you need it most.

Business Continuity put simple is where you have the ability to keep working when there is some outage in the IT set up. For example if you had a drop of internet connection, then you would require a backup internet connection so staff can keep working. In this example you would have an internet connection from a second internet provider so that you are not fixed to one company. If your company requires business continuity, please speak to our team on 01489 290 001.

Networking in IT terms is when you connect up your computer, printer, server, wireless devices and so on to each other via a cable or wirelessly. This would allow you to access the internet, around the home or businesses.

A password manager is a software or hardware solution or both where you store your sensitive passwords onto one or more systems so you don't need to remember multiple passwords. Instead you would need to remember one or a few passwords to get into these systems so that you can find your logging in details to your online and offline accounts. We recommend you use a password manager to secure your accounts and this helps stop using 1 password in multiple places. For more information on passwords, check out our password management tips.

Patch Management is the process of looking after updates of software, antivirus and windows updates on your computers and servers. As an organisation grows, looking after the IT equipment takes up more and more time from the IT department. Knowing which updates to install and which ones to avoid can be a labour intensive task. For this reason, Birak IT can help manage this for you with their patch management solution.

Proactive IT is an IT service from Birak IT. This is where we are monitoring your IT hardware and software and finding and resolving problems before you would even be aware of them yourself. A simple diagnosis could be where the internet connection has dropped for some staff but not all. We would pick up that particular IT has lost connection. Another scenario is when a computer is reports faults that staff may not realise. This could be when the systems main hardrive is failing and where we can prepare for a change of the hardware in a planned change over so that it doesn't interrupt staff working day to day.

Websites comprise of 2 elements, domains and hosting. To make this simple think of a domain name as the license plate on your car. This is unique to you and if someone looked for this then they would find your car. Now if someone types your website domain name, it would take them to your website like when you visit Birak IT dot com.

Websites comprise of 2 elements, domains and hosting. To make this simple think of website hosting as putting fuel in your car. This helps keep your car running. Now if someone types your website domain name, they can see text and images on your website. Without the website hosting, you may see an empty page. Am example of a website is Birak IT dot com.

Business Landlines are often provided in two types, PBX and VOIP. PBX stands for Private Branch Exchange and is simply like a telephone socket in the wall as you will see in the home. VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Basically this means that you can have a landline telephone number using your internet connection. Birak IT can provide you a business landline and with a range of numbers regardless of the location you are after.

VOIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. Basically this means that you can have a landline telephone number using your internet connection. Traditional landlines are telephone sockets in a particular location in the home or business where telephones can be. With VOIP, you can have your telephone far away from the socket and even using an application from Birak IT you can make and answer calls from your mobile phone. This means that you just need internet access via wireless internet whether than be in Southampton England, Paris France or even in Sydney Australia without international calling fees.

Office 365 is a combination of products from Microsoft. The first known as Office 365 Home being software that you can install on one or more computers. This requires a monthly or yearly subscription and means you have the latest version of office installed and updated by Microsoft. The second is Office 365 Business where you can store your emails and files into Microsofts online services. This means that you do not need to purchase a server to run in the office all day long. Instead you only pay for the required staff that need access to this online service.

Office 365 is available for a 30 day trial. This will give you sufficient time to try the product and see if this is right your individual or business needs. There is more two main packages available Office 365 Home and Office 365 Business. Please double check which is required before you commit to a trial.

Office 365 works across multiple devices. For computers this will work on Microsoft Windows and Apple Mac. For mobiles and tablets this works on iphone, ipad, android and windows phone.

Files you want to share outside of your oganisation you can share a link to the file or folder. We suggest you set an expiry date to the file so it's not accessible for example after 30 days. If the file is to be accessed in your organisation, then we suggest having folders where certain staff can access and others that staff cannot. For example accounts, HR, marketing, IT and so on.

If you are using OneDrive app on your computer, then you can have files that are available when you have no internet access.

The other service businesses may use is G Suite (aka Google Suite). This is from Google and offers similar solutions to Microsoft. The main reason to use Google over Microsoft is your organisations requirements for business applications.

This is a feature that works with the OneDrive file syncing software on your Windows and Mac computer. This allows you to keep specific files you work with or folders you need when working without an internet connection. This saves you having all your online files kept locally. More info about how this works is available on The BIT Blog.