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Have Microsoft Licenses? Here’s Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft New Commerce Experience (NCE)

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If you haven’t heard, changes are coming to Microsoft’s New Commerce Experience (NCE) on March 1st, 2022.

To keep up with the demand for cloud-based solutions and services, Microsoft introduced the “seat-based” model with the New Commerce Experience. NCE is the new way for invoicing subscription-based cloud solutions to accelerate digital growth and for customers to have better-aligned pricing and tools to support their digital transformation journey.

These changes can be confusing for your business to navigate—especially the pricing changes around certain Office 365 and Microsoft 365 licenses. That’s why VPLS has created this quick FAQ to answer your most-asked questions about the upcoming changes.

Have other questions or want to discuss your specific license environment with our Microsoft licensing specialists? Simply contact the VPLS team.

No. If you are interested in switching your subscription to New Commerce Experience (NCE), let us know and we will handle the subscription migration for you.

You can lock in price protection before the price increase in March 2022 by purchasing an annual commitment on New Commerce Experience or renewing at the current legacy pricing.

Microsoft 365, Dynamics 365, Windows 365, and Power Platform.

While there are no price changes related to the expansion of New Commerce Experience, Microsoft has announced price increases to the following SKUs starting on March 1st, 2022:

Enterprise SKUs

Office 365 E1 is increasing to $10 per user per month (PUPM) from $8 PUPM

Office 365 E3 is increasing to $23 PUPM from $20 PUPM

Office 365 E5 is increasing to $38 PUPM from $35 PUPM

Microsoft 365 E3 is increasing to $36 PUPM from $32 PUPM

SMB SKUs

Microsoft 365 Business Basic is increasing to $6 PUPM from $5 PUPM

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is increasing to $22 PUPM from $20 PUP

There are two available term options for New Commerce Experience:

Monthly Subscriptions

With the NCE you will have the ability to purchase your Microsoft 365 licenses on a monthly basis without an annual commitment. Microsoft is now offering this to provide flexibility to customers that need to make monthly changes to their Microsoft 365 or Office 365 licenses plans and seat count. Licenses may be added or decreased at the end of each month’s term. This subscription does come at a 20% price premium increase.

Annual Subscriptions

With an annual subscription, you are committing to a 12-month term in which you can increase your licenses at any time but can only decrease licenses at the end of the term. This option comes with a 20% discount for the entire 12-month term with monthly and annual billing options.

Multi-year Subscriptions

Multi-year subscriptions will be available at a future date.

 

Yes, all monthly commitments incur a 20% price premium.

Yes, you can pay monthly for an annual contract.

You will have 72 hours from the time of purchase to decrease seat counts for a subscription term. Customers can increase their seat count at any point during their commitment for an existing subscription.

You can determine if you want a subscription(s) to auto-renew. A Subscription(s) that is set to auto-renew, will automatically renew at the end of the subscription(s) term. The 72-hour cancellation period will restart at the renewal term. If a customer does not set subscription(s) to auto-renew at the end of the term, they will need to renew the subscription(s) during the renewal period to avoid the subscription(s) from entering a “disabled” status.

Newly added seats will match the original renewal date of the subscription.

Yes, you can have both a monthly term and an annual term subscription for the  same seat-based offer at the same time.

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5 Things You Need to Know about Windows 7 End-of-Life

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Just like everything else in this world, all good matters must come to an end. The once ahead-of-its-time Windows 7 is no exception to the rule. The official end-of-life for Windows 7 is on January 14, 2020. The date is fast approaching, leaving users wondering what action they need to take afterwards. Fortunately, the experts at VPLS can provide the answers to guide you in the right direction to ease your concerns and address all the questions you may have about the aftermath. So without further ado, let’s dive straight into the 5 Things You Need to Know about Windows 7 End-of-Life presented by VPLS:

1. What exactly happens after January 14th, 2020? What does “End-of-Life” even mean?
After January 14th, better known as the official date of “End-of-Life”, Windows 7 users will not receive the automatic updates from Microsoft sites unless they are willing to pay for the extended support. The term “End-of-Life” applies to the idea that there will no longer be any technical support available to assist users with any Windows 7 related matters. A great example of this is Windows XP. You are still able to install it, but the state in which you install it will be the best that it can be; it literally does not get any better–not in a good way.

2. Will Windows 7 still work after End-of-Life?
Users will still be able to install Windows 7, however, they are going to be vulnerable to security threats as there will not be any more updates to upgrade your system against new and advanced cyber threats. It goes without saying that security is the most important aspect of a system!

Fun fact: A couple of years ago, you were able to upgrade Windows 7 to Windows 10 free of charge, but since then, this offer is no longer available. In order to upgrade now, you must purchase it. On the flip side, an offer that is currently ongoing is if you are using Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1 Pro and you purchase Office 365 business, Microsoft will provide you with a free license to be upgraded with Windows 10. VPLS offers Office 365 Business and serves as a great way to modernize your system.

3. Should I still use Windows 7?
Just because you can use Windows 7 after expiration, does not mean that you should. It is not advisable to keep on using the software due to the very fact of its vulnerability to cyberattacks, particularly to one called Zero-day, a computer-software vulnerability that is unknown to, or unaddressed by the software maker or antivirus vendors. Although your business might not be aware of the software vulnerability, it might already be known by attackers who are secretly exploiting it.

Pro-tip: It’s good to understand that your defense is in layers – your Operating System (OS) layer is one of your layers of your defensive strategy – it’s just as important as your firewall layer and your network layer. It is unacceptable if your OS layer is not functioning properly.

4. What would be the next steps for anyone to get past their Windows 7?
Go straight to Windows 10. Windows 10 was developed with the consumer’s best interest in mind, being that it is simple to use without needing their technical support. Heed our caution about Windows 8: steer clear from Windows 8! Windows 8 is the antithesis of Windows 10 and was created to be extremely complicated so that users may be super dependent on Microsoft technical support.

5. How does one go about obtaining Windows 10? How can VPLS help?
VPLS provides Windows 10. Additionally, VPLS can help you run a test on your workstation to assess and overcome any incompatibility you may have. A good rule of thumb is that if your workstation is around 7-10 years old, it’s time to replace it. You don’t want to be running computers older than 7 – 10 years old because you are risking them dying on you at any minute, causing data loss.

If you are still on the fence regarding this matter, here are more reasons why you should let go of Windows 7:

Software is going to advance with or without you– people want to use different platforms. Windows 7 would not be able to support the new software because companies will not develop for Windows 7
Hardware will advance without you – you will be left behind – affecting your printers/scanners/cameras/phone.

Ransomware attacks a business every 14 seconds costing companies more than 8 billion dollars yearly!
Vulnerabilities can and will lead you to a plethora of problems that can be costly and long-term.
If you are still planning on keeping and using Windows 7 post “End-of-Life” even after reading these reasons, it’s time to ask yourself these key questions to re-evaluate your thought process: How important is your data? Is your data not important enough where you want to keep it vulnerable?

Finally, if you need one more push to get rid of your Windows 7 after January 2020, consider this: Without defense, criminals can constantly hit your organization with bad emails and phishing links. All it takes is one person in your company on Windows 7 to click on a wrong email or link and it can shut down your entire business…Do yourself a favor; don’t risk it.

To learn more about our Office 365 Services, contact VPLS today!

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A Technology Partnership You Can Count On: Krypt and Office 365

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Krypt and Office 365

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For just about 20 years now, Krypt has been providing customers all around the globe with superior hosting, built upon the latest technology and rock-solid network infrastructure. More than five million websites are currently being hosted by Krypt servers and infrastructure, with the highest level of customer satisfaction in the industry. The global Krypt network provides customers with the utmost in connectivity, with optimal routing and peering available to all clients. Now lovers of Microsoft Office 365 can enjoy that kind of connectivity and superior hosting as Microsoft and Krypt have partnered to offer that kind of service to all the customers of the world’s most popular suite of Office products.

Advantages of Using Microsoft Office 365

People who require a great deal of storage capability will benefit tremendously by using Office 365, because a full terabyte of storage will be available to you under the OneDrive cloud storage capability, and you’ll have the added advantage of having your files backed up regularly. You’ll also enjoy connectivity to all the other Office products you’ve come to love over the years, even via your mobile device if you should choose that access method. All the power of Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Publisher, and other applications will be at your fingertips, ready to tackle whatever your next big project is that might require Office applications.

If you own a desktop as well as a tablet, you’ll appreciate the fact that you can install Office on as many as five different devices, under the terms of your agreement. You’ll never have to worry about scaling up if your business experiences a sudden surge in popularity, because cloud storage can easily accommodate that business expansion, with no intervention on your part. If more and different devices come into the picture, they can also be managed without any additional effort on your part, since it’s all part of your subscription agreement.

Krypt Security for Office 365

These days, everyone who logs on to the Internet needs to be concerned about security, because hackers simply do not rest – malware, ransomware, and viruses abound on the worldwide web, and that will probably never change. What does change though, is the focus of hackers’ attempts to penetrate networks and businesses for their own malicious intent and profitability. Krypt provides state-of-the-art security for all its servers and network infrastructure, so as to discourage even the most determined attempts from cyber criminals.

This means you can rest easy, knowing that all your important business documents are safeguarded and will not be compromised by cyber attack. Because you’ll have the capability of backing up all your files to a secondary data center, you can be sure that business-critical documents will never be lost or corrupted. And all the while that you’re working with your important business documents, you can count on blazing-fast access, because of Krypt’s unique flash caching technology and redundant SAN storage arrays.

Why Choose Krypt as Your Office 365 Provider?

It makes perfect sense to marry the benefits of the world’s most popular Office Suite of productivity software to the best hosting site on the Internet. The combined benefits of superb office productivity and powerful Internet infrastructure provides users with literally the best of both worlds, so you can also experience the benefits of speed and security when using your favorite Office products. If it isn’t a match made in Heaven – it’s pretty darn close!

Contact Krypt today to learn more about their Office 365 services!

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Windows 10 Tips and Tricks

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Windows10 Microsoft Tips tricksChances are, you or someone you know owns a Windows 10 device. Windows 10 is a popular operating system with numerous user-friendly features. But to some, the amount of features and shortcuts available on Windows 10 can appear daunting…Fortunately, VPLS is very familiar with Windows and can break it down for you. So here is our list of Windows 10 tips and tricks you can start implementing into your everyday computer tasks right away!

Windows Timeline (Windows Key + Tab)

Windows Timeline gives you a visual timeline of your recent apps. People tend to forget which app they need while multitasking throughout the day. Rather than clicking through every app from your taskbar, use this shortcut to visually find the app you are looking for. You will no longer have to manually click through all of your apps using the Windows Timeline feature.

Dynamic Lock

You can now lock your computer by walking away from it using Dynamic Lock. To use this feature, connect your phone’s Bluetooth to your Windows 10 device. Then turn on the Dynamic Lock feature found in Settings. Once your phone is out of your Window’s 10 Bluetooth range, your computer will lock automatically. You don’t have to worry about forgetting to lock your device anymore! If you don’t want to use the Dynamic Lock feature, there are other alternatives. Use the shortcut Windows Key + L to quickly lock your laptop when you need to step out for a minute.

windows 10 game bar

Game Bar

Windows Key + G

Windows Game Bar gives you access to different features such as screenshotting, the ability to record the last 30 seconds, or the ability to record instantly. You can easily record your gameplay using Game Bar.

This shortcut is not exclusive to just “gamers”. Use this feature while web browsing to record and screenshot the interesting pages you find on the internet. Whether it’s a Pinterest board or a small YouTube clip, you can still use the Game Bar to record these items and save it for later use.

Night Light

window desktop shareSet up Night Light if you plan to use your computer at night time. The light your eyes see from your ordinary computer screen is similar to the colors your eyes see during the daytime. Because of this, your body is tricked into thinking that it is still daytime, making it harder for you to sleep. Night Light will emit warmer colors on your screen which is less harsh on your eyes. This feature lets you use your computer at night without disrupting your sleep pattern.

Near Share

Near Share allows people with Windows 10 devices to exchange files and images via Bluetooth. To use Near Share, select a file from file explorer you want to share using the “share tab”. Once shared, the receiving party should get a notification to save the file on their own computer. This eliminates the need for USB Drives, making sharing files and images faster and much more convenient. In addition, you can share links with other Windows 10 devices via Microsoft Edge. Visit the link you want to share and then click the share icon. The receiving party will then get a notification to accept your link share.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Here are a few keyboard shortcuts that feature the windows key. These shortcuts may come in handy when using your Windows 10 device.

Windows Key: Open/Start menu
Windows Key + A: Open Action Center
Windows Key + Alt + D:Display/Hide Calendar and Time
Windows Key + I: Open Settings
Windows Key + M: Minimize all Windows
Windows Key + T: Cycle Through Taskbar Apps
Windows Key + L: Lock your Computer
Windows Key+ E: Open File Explorer

Touchpad Shortcuts

Touchpad shortcuts
There are touchpad shortcuts that a traditional mouse cannot accomplish. Take advantage of these touchpad shortcuts to save you time and energy!

Place two fingers and pinch/stretch to Zoom In or Out
Place three fingers and swipe upwards to access Windows Timeline
Place three fingers and swipe down to see Desktop
Place three fingers and swipe right or left to switch between Windows
Tap three fingers to open Cortana.

VPLS hopes that you find these Windows 10 tips and tricks easy-to-use and helpful! These shortcuts will make your Windows 10 experience more enjoyable, thus making your daily lives more efficient!
If you want to keep up with the latest security trends and other IT related products and services, please visit the VPLS blog and stay current with the latest news!

Don’t forget, VPLS is a Fortinet Gold Managed Security Service Provider, to provide maximum security for all your web and database server needs.

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