Ostratto - Blog | Ostratto #professionalOstratto - Blog | Ostratto #professionalhttps://www.ostratto.com/blogs/tag/professionalTue, 22 Sep 2026 04:15:47 +0200http://zoho.com/sites/<![CDATA[AI in 2026: Five Practical Predictions for Small Businesses]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/ai-predictions-2026-small-businessAI agents, embedded automation and smarter workflows are moving quickly from demos into everyday business software. Here is what the biggest AI predictions for 2026 actually mean for SMEs.]]>

AI predictions have a habit of going one of two ways. Either they promise that everything is about to change overnight, or they are so vague that almost anything can count as being right.

The reality in 2026 is a little more useful.

A recent Wise article highlighted five major themes for the year: AI agents, businesses creating more tailored AI systems, measurable returns from specific types of work, AI becoming embedded into existing software, and the continued importance of human oversight. Six months into the year, there is already plenty of evidence to test those ideas against. 

For small businesses, the important question is not whether every prediction comes true. It is where AI can genuinely save time, improve a process or remove repetitive work without creating a bigger problem somewhere else.

Here is our view.

1. AI agents will start doing jobs, not just answering questions

Most people first experienced generative AI as a chatbot: ask a question, get an answer.

Agents go a step further. Instead of simply telling you what to do, an agent can potentially complete a sequence of steps across different systems. That could mean reading a support request, checking the customer record, looking up an order, applying a company policy and preparing or carrying out an approved action.

That is no longer just a future concept. Google and OpenAI now offer enterprise systems specifically designed around agents that connect to company tools, follow permissions and operate across multi-step workflows. Gartner forecasts that up to 40% of enterprise applications will contain task-specific agents by the end of 2026, compared with less than 5% when it made the forecast in 2025. 

But there is an important reality check. Stanford’s 2026 AI Index found that actual agent deployment was still in the single digits across nearly all business functions during 2025. 

So yes, agents are coming. No, you probably do not need an army of digital employees next Tuesday.

For SMEs, the best starting point is one well-defined process with a clear outcome and clear limits.

Illustration of an employee using AI assistants to manage email, CRM updates, scheduling, documents and tasks.
AI agents can take on routine tasks across email, CRM, scheduling and documents, helping teams focus on higher-value work.

2. The most useful AI will disappear into the software you already use

The biggest AI change may be the one you notice least.

Deloitte predicts that daily use of generative AI inside search engines will be three times more common than use of standalone GenAI tools in 2026 and beyond. More broadly, it expects much of AI’s growth to come through features added to software people already use. 

That makes sense for a business.

Opening another AI website, copying information into it and then copying the result back into your CRM is not much of an automation. The bigger opportunity is AI working directly inside your email, CRM, finance system, help desk or document workflow.

For an SME, that could look like an incoming enquiry being classified automatically, a CRM record being updated, a draft response being prepared and the right colleague being asked for approval.

The AI itself becomes less interesting. The workflow becomes more important.

    Illustration of AI embedded across everyday business tools including email, CRM, spreadsheets, support and documents.
    Rather than living in separate tools, AI will become embedded across everyday workflows, quietly assisting with tasks, insights and communication.

    3. AI value will be found in boring, measurable work

    This might be the least exciting prediction, but probably the most useful.

    Stanford’s review of productivity research found some of the largest gains in structured, measurable tasks, including customer support, software development and marketing output. OpenAI’s own enterprise research similarly reports substantial numbers of users seeing faster marketing execution and IT issue resolution. 

    That points SMEs towards a simple rule: look for work that happens frequently, consumes measurable time and has an output you can check.

    Good candidates might include first drafts of routine content, customer-service triage, meeting or document summaries, data classification, recurring reports, information retrieval, invoice processing or preparing information before a human makes a decision.

    That does not mean every process should use AI. If a conventional workflow or automation rule can do the job more reliably and cheaply, use that instead.

    AI should solve a problem, not become the problem.

    Illustration of a central AI platform connected to CRM, finance, support, analytics, documents and scheduling systems.
    The most valuable AI will connect directly with the systems businesses already use, bringing together data from CRM, finance, support and operations.

    4. You may need your own AI workflow, but not your own AI model

    Wise suggests businesses should consider building their own AI tools rather than relying entirely on generic products. The underlying point is sound, but for an SME we would interpret it differently. 

    Building your own AI does not have to mean training a giant model.

    In many cases, the more practical approach is to use an established model while building your own business logic around it: your data sources, CRM records, approval rules, permissions, integrations and processes.

    Current enterprise AI platforms are moving in exactly this direction. Google, for example, now supports multiple first-party and third-party models inside one agent platform, alongside orchestration, identity, security and evaluation tools. 

    That is useful because the “best” model will keep changing. Stanford reports that leading models are increasingly close on headline performance, shifting more of the practical decision towards reliability, cost and performance for a particular domain. 

    For most SMEs, your competitive advantage is unlikely to be the underlying language model. It is much more likely to be how well AI understands and fits your business process.

    Illustration showing AI turning business data into measurable outcomes including time savings, lower costs and higher productivity.
    Businesses will increasingly judge AI by the results it delivers, from time saved and lower costs to better productivity and decision-making.

    5. Human oversight becomes more important as AI gets more capable

    The more an AI system can do, the more important its boundaries become.

    An AI writing a first draft presents a very different level of risk from an AI that can modify a customer account, trigger a payment, send an external message or access confidential business data.

    The UK government’s voluntary AI cyber security code calls for defined business requirements, security risk assessment, staff training, audit trails, controlled permissions, testing and human responsibility. EU requirements also impose human-oversight duties in specified high-risk uses. 

    This is why “human in the loop” needs to mean more than somebody glancing at an answer.

    A sensible AI workflow should make it clear what the AI can access, what it is allowed to do automatically, what requires approval, what gets logged and when a person must take over.

    That becomes particularly important around money, personal information, contractual commitments, security and regulated decisions.

    Illustration showing an AI recommendation being reviewed and approved by a person before the final action is completed.
    As AI becomes more autonomous, human review, approval and oversight will remain essential for important decisions and actions.

    What should small businesses do now?

    Start with the process, not the AI product.

    Find a repetitive task that genuinely costs the business time. Decide what a successful outcome would look like and how you will measure it. Work out what information the AI needs, what systems it needs access to and where a human approval step belongs.

    Then run a controlled pilot.

    If the result saves meaningful time without introducing unacceptable errors, security problems or additional administration, expand it. If it does not, stop.

    That may sound less exciting than announcing an “AI transformation programme”, but it is much more likely to produce something useful. The available evidence increasingly suggests that organisational readiness, integration and workflow design matter at least as much as having access to a capable model.

    Final thoughts

    Wise is right about the overall direction: AI is moving deeper into everyday business processes, agents are becoming more capable, and people will increasingly supervise AI rather than simply ask it questions. 

    But for small businesses, 2026 does not need to be about chasing every new AI launch.

    The opportunity is simpler: identify work that should take less time, connect the right technology to the right process, and keep sensible controls around it.

    After all, the smartest use of AI is the one that genuinely makes your work, less work.

    Contact

    Get in touch with the team to discuss how we support your business with practical, people-first technology and long-term solutions.

    Contact us

    About

    Learn who we are, what we stand for, and how Ostratto helps businesses make their work, less work through practical technology solutions.

    Learn More

    Our Approach

    Discover how we partner with you - focusing on strategy, simplicity and long-term value to deliver technology that truly supports your business.

    Learn More
    ]]>    Fri, 14 Aug 2026 08:44:32 +0000    <![CDATA[A Day in the Life of an Operations Director]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/an-operations-directorThe difference that joined-up systems make. Not dramatic transformation, but quieter days, clearer decisions, and an organisation that carries its own weight.]]>


    Holding a Growing Business Together (Before)

    At 7:42am, Sam opens the laptop as the office begins to stir. The systems wake up quietly. Dashboards load. Inboxes refresh. Notifications arrive in quick succession. Sam takes a sip of coffee while scanning the overnight updates, already aware that the day will move faster than the information does. There are processes in place. There are systems for nearly everything. Yet the picture they create together is incomplete.

    The first decision arrives before the morning meeting. A client escalation has been flagged overnight. Sam opens the CRM, then the service desk, then a shared document linked in an email. Each tells part of the story. Timelines do not quite align. Notes are missing context. The business needs an answer now, not later, so Sam makes the call based on experience and judgement. It is not guesswork. It is simply the best decision possible with what is visible.

    By mid-morning, questions begin flowing in from different teams. Has that approval gone through. Are we still on track for delivery. Who owns the next step. Sam opens tabs almost instinctively. CRM. Project management. Email. A spreadsheet maintained carefully by one team because it fills gaps nothing else quite covers. The answers are there, scattered across systems that were never designed to work together. Sam replies with confidence, even when that confidence is supported by cross-checking rather than clarity.

    Meetings follow. Good ones. Productive ones. Yet they circle the same issues. Visibility. Ownership. Handovers. Everyone is working hard. No one doubts that. The problem is not effort. It is friction. Small delays compound into uncertainty. Decisions slow as people wait for confirmation that should already exist.

    Lunch happens between conversations. Sam approves invoices while responding to messages. Tasks are forwarded with notes asking for updates. People do their best to interpret what is needed. The organisation runs on professionalism and goodwill, supported by systems that require constant interpretation.

    In the early afternoon, a customer raises a concern. Nothing dramatic. Just confusion. They were told one thing last week and are seeing another today. Sam listens, reassures, and promises to investigate. When the call ends, Sam already knows what will be found. No single error. No clear fault. Just multiple systems, each accurate in isolation, failing to present a single truth.

    As the day moves on, planned work gives way to operational maintenance. Reports are assembled manually. Numbers are reconciled. Access needs adjusting for a role change that happened days ago. Sam stays focused, but the mental load builds quietly. This is not strategic work. This is compensating work.

    At 6:30pm, the laptop finally closes. Sam reflects briefly before heading home. The business is performing. Clients are served. Targets are met. But it feels heavier than it should. Too much knowledge lives in people’s heads. Too many decisions depend on memory rather than visibility. The organisation functions, but only because experienced people are constantly holding it together.


    Where Systems Carry Their Weight (After)

    At 7:42am, Sam opens the laptop as the office comes to life. Dashboards load cleanly. Notifications are fewer, more meaningful. The day’s priorities are already visible. Context sits alongside meetings, tasks, and alerts. Sam takes a sip of coffee without rushing. There is time.

    The first issue of the day appears clearly rather than urgently. A client escalation is flagged, already linked to the relevant project, support history, and recent communications. Sam reviews the information in one place. The timeline makes sense. The next step is suggested, based on similar cases and current capacity. Sam approves it and moves on. The decision is still human, but it is no longer made in partial darkness.

    By mid-morning, questions arrive from teams, just as before. The difference is speed. Sam checks a single view. Status is clear. Ownership is visible. Updates are shared automatically. Answers take seconds. There is no need to cross-check or interpret. Everyone is working from the same version of events.

    Meetings feel different too. Less time is spent aligning understanding. More time is spent improving outcomes. Data is trusted. Discussions move forward rather than looping back. Sam notices it without consciously trying to. The organisation feels calmer, not slower.

    Lunch still happens between tasks, but the interruptions are fewer. Invoices are queued automatically. Role changes trigger access updates without reminders. Tasks appear where they should, already prioritised. Sam no longer needs to ask people to pick things up. The system has already done the coordination.

    When a customer calls in the afternoon, the conversation is straightforward. Sam sees the full context instantly. What was agreed. What has been delivered. What comes next. The response is confident because it is informed. When the call ends, there is no follow-up scramble. The system already reflects the outcome.

    Later in the day, Sam works on what the role was meant to focus on. Improving processes. Anticipating future demand. Making changes that reduce friction rather than reacting to it. Admin still exists, but it arrives in order and leaves quietly. It no longer competes with strategic thinking.

    At 5:45pm, the laptop closes. Earlier than it used to. Sam does not think about what might have been missed. The systems are visible. The information is shared. The business does not rely on individuals to compensate for gaps anymore. People still matter deeply, but they are supported rather than stretched.

    It is the same organisation. The same teams. The same ambition. The difference is not effort or talent. It is that the systems now carry their share of the load.

    Contact

    Get in touch with the team to discuss how we support your business with practical, people-first technology and long-term solutions.

    Contact us

    About

    Learn who we are, what we stand for, and how Ostratto helps businesses make their work, less work through practical technology solutions.

    Learn More

    Our Approach

    Discover how we partner with you - focusing on strategy, simplicity and long-term value to deliver technology that truly supports your business.

    Learn More
    ]]>    Mon, 02 Feb 2026 16:40:00 +0000    <![CDATA[Business Technology Trends That Matter in 2026]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/business-technology-trends-2026Technology investment is no longer the differentiator it once was. In 2026, the gap between businesses that own the right tools and those that use them effectively is widening fast.]]>

    In 2026, the organisations pulling ahead aren’t necessarily the ones buying the most technology - they’re the ones turning it into measurable outcomes: faster delivery, better customer experience, tighter security, and clearer decision-making.

    That outcome gap is very real. PwC’s 2026 Global CEO Survey reports that only 12% of CEOs say AI has delivered both cost savings and revenue gains, while 56% say AI has delivered no significant cost or revenue benefit so far.

    Below are the tech trends that matter most this year - with practical guidance throughout.

    1. AI moves from “tooling” to operational decision support

    Most businesses start with AI in a helpful-but-small way: content drafting, meeting summaries, basic assistance. Useful, but limited. 

    The organisations gaining advantage in 2026 are using AI for decision support inside workflows - where it influences prioritisation, next steps, and risk.

    This trend is largely driven by a hard truth: many organisations invested in AI but haven’t seen returns yet. As noted above, PwC found 56% of CEOs report no significant cost or revenue benefit, and only 12% report both cost savings and revenue gains. PwC also reports CEO confidence about revenue growth is low: only three in ten (30%) CEOs are confident about revenue growth in 2026.

    What this means in practice
    AI creates the biggest impact where decisions are frequent and time-sensitive, for example:

    • Sales: next-best action, pipeline prioritisation, forecasting confidence
    • Support: ticket triage, suggested responses, escalation risk
    • Finance: anomaly detection, cashflow forecasting, spend pattern alerts
    • Ops: scheduling recommendations, capacity planning

    The mistake many SMEs make is treating AI as a side tool. The win comes when AI is embedded into the systems teams already use (CRM, helpdesk, projects, finance) so that insight becomes action.

    Actionable Takeaways

    1. Start with one high-friction decision (e.g., “Which tickets should we handle first?” or “Which deals are most likely to close this month?”), then measure time saved and accuracy.
    2. Create a simple ‘human-in-the-loop’ rule: AI suggests, humans approve (especially for customer-facing or financial outputs).
    3. Treat data readiness as part of the AI project: if the CRM is inconsistent, AI outputs will be inconsistent too.
    4. Use leading indicators (response time, backlog size, conversion rate) rather than vague success measures like “adoption”.
    Two women share desk space as they spend time working away on their laptops

    2. Automation becomes a margin-protection strategy, not just efficiency

    In 2026, automation is less about being “faster” and more about being more consistent. SMEs are under pressure to deliver high service levels while controlling cost. Automation gives leverage when it removes:

    • Manual handovers
    • Duplicate data entry
    • Chasing updates
    • Inconsistent processes between staff members

    This trend connects directly to the AI ROI story: businesses can’t get outcomes from AI if the underlying workflow is messy. Automation is often the bridge that turns “we know what to do” into “it actually happens every time”.

    What this means in practice
    The most valuable automations aren’t flashy - they’re the ones that eliminate repeatable admin work and reduce errors:

    • Sales won → create onboarding tasks + schedule implementation steps
    • Support ticket created → categorise + assign + set SLA + notify customer
    • Invoice overdue → trigger reminder sequence + internal alert
    • Offboarding → revoke access + archive data + confirm handover steps

      Actionable Takeaways

      1. Map one end-to-end journey (lead → sale → delivery → invoice → support). Most inefficiency sits in the gaps.
      2. Automate the handoffs first (handoffs create delays and errors).
      3. Automate “status movement” (changes in stage should trigger tasks, reminders, and checks).
      4. Monitor outcomes, not just time saved: fewer escalations, faster cash collection, fewer missed steps.

      3. Cybersecurity becomes business continuity, not an IT topic

      Security incidents are now normal business risk. The UK Government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025 reports that 43% of UK businesses experienced a cyber breach or attack in the past 12 months.

      What this means in practice

      Among those that were breached/attacked, phishing was the most prevalent type by far - experienced by 85% of affected businesses (and also described as among the most disruptive).

      But preparedness lags. A UK Government visual summary drawing on the same survey notes that only around 1 in 5 businesses (19%) provided staff cyber security training in the prior 12 months.

      What this means in practice
      The biggest risks for SMEs are often not advanced hacking - they’re:

      • Compromised email accounts
      • Weak identity controls
      • Staff clicking convincing phishing emails
      • Slow response when something goes wrong

      This is why security is becoming a competitive advantage: customers increasingly choose vendors they trust to protect data and maintain continuity.

      Actionable Takeaways

      1. Make identity the perimeter: enforce MFA everywhere, remove shared accounts, review admin access.
      2. Reduce your “blast radius”: least privilege access (people should only access what they genuinely need).
      3. Practise incident response: define what happens in the first hour of an incident (who does what, how you contain, how you communicate).
      4. Run short training regularly: 10 minutes monthly beats an annual checkbox session (and tackles the phishing reality in the survey).
      people-working-at-desks

      4. Integration beats tool sprawl - complexity is the hidden productivity cost

      Businesses are using more apps than ever - and that complexity is expensive. Okta’s 2025 Businesses at Work report states that the global average number of apps per customer has topped 100 for the first time, driven by 9% year-on-year growth.

      More tools usually means more silos. Salesforce reports 81% of IT leaders say data silos are hindering digital transformation.

      What this means in practice
      Tool sprawl creates invisible drag:

      • People can’t find the latest information
      • Teams duplicate work across systems
      • Onboarding takes longer
      • Reporting becomes unreliable

      Integration is not about having fewer tools - it’s about having clear systems of record and reliable flow of data between them.

      Actionable Takeaways

      1. Define your systems of record (one place that is “truth” for customers, billing, tickets, projects).
      2. Eliminate manual copying: if staff copy/paste between tools, that’s a high-value integration target.
      3. Build dashboards off live data (not exported spreadsheets).
      4. Retire low-adoption apps: every extra system increases support burden and security exposure.

      5. Data quality becomes the limiter for growth and AI

      As organisations push more automation and AI into operations, data quality becomes non-negotiable. Gartner states that poor data quality costs organisations at least $12.9 million a year on average.

      What this means in practice
      Even if you’re not a giant enterprise, the pattern holds: poor data causes:

      • Wrong decisions (bad forecasting, misprioritisation)
      • Wasted time (cleanup, reconciliation, “which number is right?”)
      • Lost sales (duplicate or incomplete CRM records)
      • Weak AI outputs (because AI relies on the same underlying data)

      If people don’t trust your dashboards, they’ll rebuild spreadsheets. Once that happens, you lose a shared reality - and scale gets harder.

      Actionable Takeaways

      1. Assign data ownership (CRM owner, finance owner, support owner - named people).
      2. Standardise key fields that drive decisions (lifecycle stages, industry, renewal date, lead source).
      3. Use controlled inputs: dropdowns and validation rules beat free text.
      4. Schedule monthly hygiene (dedupe + incomplete records + incorrect statuses).

      A simple 60-day plan most SMEs can actually execute

      AI works best when it’s built on strong foundations, not dropped onto messy processes.

      Weeks 1 – 2

      Choose one measurable outcome (e.g., “reduce support backlog by 30%”) and audit the workflow + data feeding it.

      Weeks 3 – 4

      Implement automation at handoffs + tidy the key data fields.

      Weeks 5 – 8

      Add AI for decision support (triage, recommendations, summaries) with human review, then measure impact against your baseline.

      Weeks 9 – 12

      Expand to the next workflow only if the first one delivered measurable improvement.


      The defining difference between businesses that thrive in 2026 and those that struggle won’t be how much technology they buy - it will be how deliberately they use it.

      The data is clear:

      • AI only delivers value when it’s embedded into real workflows, not run as an experiment.
      • Automation protects margins when it removes friction between teams, not just speeds up tasks.
      • Cybersecurity is now a core business risk, driven largely by identity and human factors.
      • Too many disconnected tools quietly destroy productivity - integration matters more than ever.
      • Poor data quality undermines every investment that sits on top of it, from reporting to AI.

      For most organisations, progress doesn’t come from wholesale transformation. It comes from small, well-chosen improvements that compound over time: fixing one workflow, tightening one dataset, or solving one recurring decision properly.

      The most successful businesses in 2026 will be the ones that stop asking “What technology should we adopt next?” and start asking “What’s slowing us down - and how do we fix it for good?”

      That shift in mindset is where technology stops being a cost centre and starts becoming a strategic advantage.

      Contact

      Get in touch with the team to discuss how we support your business with practical, people-first technology and long-term solutions.

      Contact us

      About

      Learn who we are, what we stand for, and how Ostratto helps businesses make their work, less work through practical technology solutions.

      Learn More

      Our Approach

      Discover how we partner with you - focusing on strategy, simplicity and long-term value to deliver technology that truly supports your business.

      Learn More
      ]]>      Wed, 28 Jan 2026 08:00:00 +0000      <![CDATA[Case Study: Using Google Workspace to Support a Global B2B Marketing Business]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-supporting-global-b2b-marketingBy partnering with Ostratto to transition from a Microsoft-based environment to Google Workspace, Modern achieved a seamless transformation that empowered their team.]]>
      Modern, an award-winning global media agency, sought to revolutionise its technical infrastructure to support its rapid growth and hybrid workforce. With a presence in multiple countries and a reputation as one of the fastest-growing agencies nationally, Modern faced challenges with outdated systems and limited scalability. By partnering with Ostratto to transition from a Microsoft-based environment to Google Workspace, Modern achieved a seamless transformation that empowered their team with flexible, secure, and reliable tools, enabling them to continue delivering exceptional results for their clients worldwide.

      The Task

      As Modern experienced rapid growth in the B2B marketing space, the need for a robust technical solution became critical.


      Expanding their team both nationally and internationally placed immense pressure on their existing support infrastructure, which could no longer meet demand. With the team outgrowing available office space, implementing a hybrid working model was essential. 


      The outdated systems were unable to support this shift, highlighting the need for a flexible and scalable solution like Google Workspace to streamline operations and enhance productivity.

      Flexible

      With all team members becoming hybrid, a flexible infrastructure was desperately needed. Systems needed to be accessible for all workers, regardless of their location. By implementing Google Workspace, Modern ensured seamless access to tools and resources, enabling hybrid teams to work productively. Desks in the offices needed to be readily accessible with minimal disruption.

      Efficient

      The requirements capturing process not only focused on what was wrong - it focused on what could be vastly improved. With increased productivity being a key objective, a thorough understanding of working practices and processes means that new systems could be designed to work for the users.


      Secure

      As the geographical spread of workers increased, so did the surface of potential cyber threats. Business systems needed to be secure, auditable and constantly monitored, with potential vulnerabilities identified before they became a threat.


      Reliable

      With the existing infrastructure and support function "bulging at the seams", user confidence was low which in turn impacted productivity. Implemented systems needed to be reliable and any required support needed to be high-quality in order to restore confidence and promote positive working behaviours. By adopting Google Workspace, Modern gained a dependable solution that not only enhanced reliability but also improved user satisfaction and overall efficiency.


      Products Featured

      Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

      Google Workspace

      Google Workspace acting as the 'glue', was vital to ensuring communication across the business was efficient.

      View Product

      Sophos: Intercept X

      Advanced Endpoint Protection was implemented to ensure all endpoints are protected and centrally managed.

      View Product

      SaaS Protection

      A backup and disaster recovery system was an essential function in order to meet customers strict compliance requirements.

      View Product

      Ostratto Support

      Dedicated helpdesk support ensures users confidence in knowing they are technically supported at all times.

      View Service

      Professional Services

      Designing, implementing and maintaining the solution to meet requirements was all completed in-house by Ostratto.

      View Service

      Implementation

      The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

      Flexible

      By adopting a cloud-based and web-first productivity solution, Google Workspace, users were introduced to fast loading times, instant access and enhanced usability. Although comprehensive training was provided on the new tools, use was intuitive and within a short space of time, users were comfortable sharing files, setting up video calls and creating online calendar events.


      Gone was the requirement to connect to an unreliable VPN. Team members - in the office and working remotely - were able to do their best work without hindrance.


      With all devices enrolled in Google Workspace device management, not only were devices securely audited and managed centrally, but users could also sign into their Windows devices using their Google account, greatly enhancing accessibility and streamlining workflows.

      Reliable

      Thorough requirements capturing meant that Modern's needs were fully understood. This enabled us to implement a hybrid setup that worked just as well for those working remotely as it did in the office environment.


      All desktop workstations in the business were swapped for portable laptop devices, with one-cable high-speed connectivity docks issued to all users as well as installed on every desk in the main office. This meant that team members visiting the office would be able to plug one cable in and seamlessly be provided with all peripherals on the desk including power, displays and input devices. This made the transition between remote environments and the office environment simple and reliable, which in turn encouraged users to work more collaboratively in the office.


      Team members were provided with access to Ostratto's support service, which opened up communication with an approachable and knowledgeable team with scalable capacity to support, consult and implement.

      Secure

      All devices (Windows and MacOS) were enrolled into Sophos Intercept X's advanced protection. This provided enhanced monitoring which feeds back to Sophos Central for oversight and alert management. 


      Aging office network equipment was replaced with Sophos' network equipment - introducing intelligent synchronisation between network equipment and endpoint protection software which automatically protects users from threats across multiple layers.


      By leveraging Google Workspace as the identity directory, all users were able to use their Google Workspace login to log into their devices and applications which improves the user experience whilst at the same time providing simpler and auditable user management.


      SaaS Protection was implemented to complete backups of all company data three times a day to an alternative location - meeting the compliance requirement of more regulated customers whilst providing peace-of-mind and automated recovery capabilities.

      Efficient

      Whilst the initial brief of our journey with Modern was to help them migrate 42 users to Google Workspace as their core productivity platform, it quickly became obvious that there were inefficiencies and productivity-holes in the day-to-day operations which could be improved.


      New processes were implemented, followed by interactive workshop sessions which enabled team members to have direct input on the design of systems such as how files should be shared, how departments should be connected and how other services should be integrated for improved usability.


      By designing the systems around the users and their workflows rather than forcing new systems onto users, users were naturally empowered to fully adopt the new offering and benefit from effortless productivity.

      "We have had a few technical consultants over the years and there are two types. 

      1) Those that try to support you but often do the minimum to fix issues without really thinking about your business. 

      2) Those that are really customer focused and will keep fixing technical issues until they are tested and fixed and make recommendations that with solve problems in your business.

      Ostratto are a gold standard 5 star company, they are brilliant and so customer focused, they always work with us to solve problems making sure we are getting what we need."

      Stuart Ray

      Chief Commercial Officer at Modern

      Result

      After a successful migration of 42 users (and over 10 years of data) from Microsoft 365 to Google Workspace, our attention was entirely retargeted toward ensuring Modern had the correct tools and adequate support to facilitate their continued growth.


      The implementation of a simpler, more lightweight infrastructure meant that Modern saw a significant drop in support requirements. In the last three months prior to this writing, Modern are averaging a 64% drop in user-raised issues compared to the demand before Ostratto came on-board. Based on completed surveys, 94% of users reported that they are confident in their equipment and technology and 100% of users reported that they feel that they can get the support should they need it. This has resulted in a workforce able to focus on outputting their best work, instead of struggling through technical issues.


      Our technology strategy approach has meant that Modern has been equipped to win several significant tenders with major customers - with all technical security compliance requirements passed with flying colours.


      We have now worked with Modern for many years - with many continued improvements planned.

      64%​ Support Ticket Reduction
      ​​

      Efficiency Improved​
      ​

      Contract Extended Indefinitely​
      ​

      At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.


      We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

      Chat with us today
      ]]>      Mon, 26 Aug 2024 13:57:27 +0000      <![CDATA[Case Study: Supporting High Quality Care with Website Design, Google Workspace, Zoho People and Vonage]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-supporting-high-quality-careOur approach in helping a specialised care provider modernise and excel using Website Design, Google Workspace, Zoho People, and Vonage.]]>
      BBcare10 is a care provider based in Gloucestershire, UK, specialising in bespoke support for young people and adults with complex care needs. With increasing demand for their sought-after care services, BBcare10 faced challenges due to aging technical systems and tools. These limitations hindered growth and restricted service capacity.

      The initial engagement with BBcare10 focused on creating a modern, optimised website design to align with their planned marketing efforts. During the consultation, we uncovered other technical pain points, including unreliable email systems, the use of mobile numbers for business enquiries, manual paper-based shift rotas, and difficulties onboarding new staff.


      At the time of the inquiry, BBcare10 had a team of 4. Today, they’ve grown to a team of 24 and are actively recruiting. Here’s how we supported their growth with professional services tailored to their needs.

      The Task

      With the demand growing for BBcare10's high-quality care service, existing systems were causing instability and limiting growth.


      To meet the demands of required service, BBcare10's systems needed an overhaul. Systems implemented needed to be simple to maintain, reliable and scalable to meet the onboarding expectation.


      Simple

      Systems must be intuitive to use, minimising training requirements.

      Maintained

      Solutions had to work seamlessly across a mobile, dispersed workforce without requiring heavy maintenance.

      Reliable

      With 24/7 care services, system downtime was not an option.

      Scalable

      Solutions needed to grow alongside BBcare10's expanding team and operations.

      Secure by Design

      It was also vital that systems were secure by design. With sensitive client records being involved - all data needed to be strictly access-controlled and on a 'zero-trust' basis. All solutions were implemented with this at the forefront of importance.

      Products and Services Featured

      Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

      Website Design

      A professionally designed business website was developed to serve as a hub for staff and customer information.

      View Product

      Google Workspace

      Google Workspace became the backbone of BBcare10’s operations, facilitating seamless communication and collaboration across the organization.

      View Product

      Zoho People

      Zoho People streamlined HR operations, simplifying the onboarding process and managing employee information efficiently.

      View Product

      Vonage

      Vonage transformed business communications by introducing a local landline number, which diverted to mobile devices for accessibility and reliability.

      View Product

      Professional Services

      Our team provided end-to-end professional services, including design, implementation, and ongoing maintenance, tailored to BBcare10’s unique needs.

      View Service

      Implementation

      The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

      Simple

      Google Workspace unified communication and productivity tools, restoring confidence in email reliability with Gmail’s 99.99% uptime. A single Google account allowed quick and intuitive access to all BBcare10 systems. 


      Following initial workshop training, team members required minimal ongoing support thanks to Google Workspace’s user-friendly design.


      Maintained

      Chromebooks were deployed to mobile team members, enabling them to complete shift notes securely using digital forms on the company website. 


      Centralized management via Google Workspace ensured updates and security without manual intervention. With cloud-hosted systems like the website and Zoho People, improvements were implemented seamlessly with no downtime.

      Reliable

      Cloud-based solutions ensured consistent performance and communication reliability. Gone were the days of missed emails or team communication breakdowns. 


      BBcare10 now operates with dependable tools, vital for their 24/7 service schedule.

      Scalable

      With systems designed around Google Workspace, onboarding a new team member now takes minutes. Zoho People further streamlined the process, automating document requests and saving valuable time. Scalability is now embedded into BBcare10’s operations.

      Secure

      Data security is paramount for BBcare10. Sensitive patient information is stored in Google Drive, with strict access controls and audit tracking. Chromebooks ensure no local data remains after a user logs out, adhering to zero-trust principles and guaranteeing compliance.

      Result

      With 24 team members and growing, BBcare10 now serves over 30 regular clients and delivers more than 320 shifts monthly. Their investment in cutting-edge systems has significantly improved efficiency, expanded service capacity, and streamlined onboarding processes. These enhancements have directly contributed to their ability to meet increasing demand while maintaining exceptional care standards.


      The implementation of the correct systems and tools has resulted in BBcare10 vastly improving efficiency, communication, service capacity and onboarding times, ultimately enabling business growth.


      Although initially only contacted for website design services, BBcare10 and Ostratto now work together on an ongoing basis to constantly improve systems and processes across the business.

      Efficiency Improved​
      ​​

      Staff Onboarding Streamlined
      ​​

      Service Capacity Increased
      ​​

      Why Choose Ostratto?


      At Ostratto, we specialise in solving complex business challenges with innovative solutions like Website Design, Google Workspace, Zoho People, and Vonage. Our customer-focused approach ensures we deliver scalable, secure, and reliable systems tailored to your needs.


      Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work. Contact us today to learn more about our professional services and discover how we can help your business grow.

      Chat with us today
      ]]>      Thu, 08 Aug 2024 12:00:00 +0000      <![CDATA[Case Study: Smarter Auditing with Google Workspace, iAuditor, and Vonage]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/case-study-smarter-auditingMistral's role in a national supermarket's service overhaul strategy required a smart auditing solution.]]>
      Mistral Technical Services Ltd is a multi-discipline consultancy and management company based in Gloucestershire, UK. They provide tailored solutions to clients across sectors including manufacturing, retail, and care.

      For a national supermarket chain, a poorly serviced retail estate can lead to operational downtime, health and safety issues, fines, and—most critically—damage to the national brand. After decades of mergers, acquisitions, and rapid estate growth, one of Mistral's retail clients needed a comprehensive store audit covering over 400 locations.


      This ambitious audit aimed to provide actionable data to identify problem areas, improve servicing efforts, and align all stores with operational standards. Mistral played a pivotal role in delivering this essential information over a two-year period, ensuring the data was live, actionable, and prioritised by urgency.

      The Task

      To enhance servicing standards, the supermarket chain needed detailed insights into current processes, identifying problem areas requiring frequent, costly interventions.


      Mistral was tasked with implementing a comprehensive auditing solution, involving site visits to over 400 stores to assess technical components such as air conditioning, lighting, and refrigeration. The gathered data needed to be accessible in real time, presented in an actionable format, and accurate enough to drive meaningful decisions.


      Live

      Data needed to be live and dynamic, allowing critical issues like safety hazards to be addressed immediately.

      Accessible

      Data had to be easily available to stakeholders nationwide in a user-friendly, informative format.

      Actionable

      Insights from the audits needed to prioritise pressing issues and provide a clear roadmap for improvements.

      Accurate

      The auditing process had to deliver precise, relevant data while being straightforward for field auditors to execute.

      Products Featured

      Leveraging our wide range of products and services, we implemented the correct tools to achieve the objective.

      Managed Devices

      iOS devices were issued to auditors across the country, ensuring secure and manageable mobile access to the auditing system.

      View Service

      Google Workspace

      Google Workspace acted as the backbone of communication and data access, providing secure and seamless integration with auditing tools.

      View Product

      iAuditor

      The cloud-based iAuditor app enabled auditors to conduct inspections efficiently, capturing data in real time.

      View Product

      Vonage

      Vonage allowed auditors to contact stores using a landline number, maintaining professionalism and protecting personal contact details.

      View Product

      Ostratto Support

      Auditors had access to technical support at all times, ensuring confidence and uninterrupted operations in the field.

      View Service

      Professional Services

      From design to implementation and ongoing maintenance, all solutions were delivered by Ostratto's in-house team.

      View Service

      Implementation

      The entire approach was then designed around these requirements, plus a few extras that would enhance the solution.

      Live

      By adopting a cloud-based auditing solution, iAuditor, auditors utilised pre-defined templates within an intuitive mobile app to conduct audits. The system enabled the capture of notes, photos, and multiple-choice responses, with live data instantly uploaded to the cloud. Automations flagged critical risks immediately, allowing swift action.

      Actionable

      With over 2,100 audits completed to date and more than 17,400 issues flagged, Mistral used customised dashboards to distil raw data into meaningful insights. Each audit automatically generated a detailed report for the relevant teams, saving significant time and ensuring informed decision-making.

      Secure

      Given the sensitive nature of data collected, security was paramount. Using Google Workspace, all data access was authenticated at every endpoint. Auditors’ issued devices were secured with strong passwords, geographic tracking, and remote management, ensuring a safe yet seamless user experience.

      Accessible

      Stakeholders received their own secure logins and managed mobile devices, enabling them to view live data and reports at any time. 


      Automated graphs highlighted key issues, such as recurring faults with specific refrigeration suppliers in certain regions, facilitating targeted solutions.

       I.e. Stores in the South West using a common refridgeration supplier were experiencing more fault call-outs than stores using a different supplier.


      Accurate

      Mistral developed bespoke audit templates with straightforward response options, such as “yes/no + photo.” This approach ensured auditors could complete inspections efficiently while producing reliable, weighted data for actionable reporting.

      Manageable

      Building on top of the secure user management offered by Google Workspace, all auditors are also issued a managed mobile device.


      The managed devices are geographically tracked, apps and features are managed and restricted centrally, and security measures such as strong passwords are enforced. The devices are consistently monitored for non-compliance with automatic alerts being sent to Ostratto Support for investigation.


      By managing the devices centrally, all stakeholders can be confident using them in the field so that more time and resource can be spent on achieving the overarching objective(s).


      Result

      At the time of writing, 2,694 audits have been completed with 20,171 items flagged for review across 421 stores. A confirmed value of over £500,000 has already been recognised as a cost saving due to proactive identification of failing refrigeration systems resulting in minimal stock loss. The information provided by this cutting-edge auditing solution has resulted in massive service overhauls within the end client's operations, improving efficiency and reducing costs significantly by taking a proactive approach to service issues.


      Although initially only contracted for two years, the auditing service is now into it's fourth year of operation due to it's incredible success. The service is now deemed a vital part of the end client's service plan with no intention of ceasing Mistral's input or the solution implemented by Ostratto.

      End-Client Cost Reduction
      ​​

      Efficiency Improved​
      ​

      Contract Extended Indefinitely​
      ​

      At Ostratto, we're fundamentally customer-success focused. This means instead of designing solutions based on our expectations, we focus on customer requirements and needs to ensure their success. In turn, we find success in shared success as our customers' trusted technical consultancy partner whom they can rely upon.


      Ostratto specialises in delivering innovative, scalable solutions like Google Workspace, iAuditor, and Vonage. By combining cutting-edge technology with a customer-first approach, we help businesses streamline operations, improve efficiency, and achieve measurable results. Contact us today to learn how we can help your business thrive.


      We solve complex business problems with cutting-edge technology, whilst keeping everything simple for our customers. Be sure to check out other examples of how we have helped businesses make their work, less work.

      Chat with us today
      ]]>      Sat, 16 Jul 2022 09:49:41 +0000      <![CDATA[Supercharging your Business with VOIP]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/supercharging-your-business-with-voipVOIP and it's business communication super powers.]]>


      Instead of using traditional phone lines, a VoIP phone system uses the Internet Protocol to make and receive calls. With the growth of broadband, VoIP has emerged as the clear choice for phone service for both individuals and companies.

      VoIP stands for voice-over-internet protocol. It is a technology that enables internet-connected devices to make and receive phone calls over the internet. Many organisations choose VoIP, especially when dealing with a high number of conversations and data storage.

      How does it work?

      Now you know we like to keep it simple here at Ostratto, so, if you aren't too interested in how the sausage is made you can skip to the next section.

      Voice over IP is a technology that turns your voice into a digital signal, compresses it, and delivers it over the internet. To function, VoIP often requires an internet connection. Aside from that, the VoIP functionality is contingent on the quality and speed of the internet connection. This implies that VoIP phones perform best when such internet connection is fast and consistent. When both the caller and the recipient are using VoIP equipment, the call signals go fully digitally, with no signal translation.

      How VoIP operates is dependent on the devices and extensions used to make these sorts of calls. It is critical to understand how they are employed and how they enhance voice quality and communication performance.

      Credit: Unsplash

      ​​Pros and Cons of Voice over IP

      Pros
      • Remote work friendly. Employees can work from any location thanks to VoIP. They can connect in from any computer, use any IP phone, and telecommute instead of creating a new satellite offices and adopting costs such as paying rent and utilities. 
      • Cost. Calls using VoIP are often packaged in bundles providing unlimited (and sometimes internationally) minutes. With no physical PBX equipment costs and often no physical handset costs, the entry cost is minimal. Perfect for small businesses.
      • Quality. VoIP uses wideband codecs, which have a larger audio bit depths and so provide better voice quality. Narrowband codecs are used in traditional phone line networks, which generally result in lower-quality calls.
      • Feature-rich. VoIP, with its sophisticated capabilities like auto attendant and call transferring, allows even a one-person team to present the appearance of a larger organisation.
      • Availability. One distinguished aspect of a cloud-based VoIP service is the advanced availability offered by the cloud. Not only can you generally expect the likes of 99.999% uptime, redundancy features such as emergency forwarding to mobile phone numbers are often baked-in. This means users missing calls becomes a problem of the past.

      Cons
      • Internet-dependant. The quality and dependability of your sound will be determined by your internet connection and network settings. You must rely on an internet service for VoIP communication, whereas traditional PBX systems use the PBX network. Should the internet connection go down in an office or satellite location, calls cannot be received by users. Data service is required on the go too.
      • Recurring cost. For as long as a cloud-based VoIP system is required, a monthly or annual cost will always need to be paid, and this is usually user-based licencing. As the business grows, so do the costs of the phone system whereas traditional systems can expand at a lower cost. That being said, many VoIP vendors have overcome this by offering volume pricing. And over the long run all businesses will see a cost saving.
      • Latency and jitter can be an issue. Jitter and latency are other call quality issues you may experience with your cloud-based phone calls. It’s just a natural function of wireless networks. Between your internal network, ISP, and VoIP service provider there are many servers in between which data needs to travel through. Jitter can result in choppy audio or calls that are delayed or dropped. The variance in ping responses that measures jitter. Latency can result in callers experiencing a brief delay or echo in a conversation. In most cases, it’s not noticeable, but in severe circumstances, it can be problematic.

      Features that can be expected

      And onto how cloud-based VoIP can really do bits for your business. Here's a list of common features you will see advertised within phone system feature-sets.

      1. Auto-attendant/receptionist. An automated attendant is a top feature for companies. Using call routing rules, this functionality answers all incoming calls and forwards them to the appropriate extension.
      2. Call Queuing. A call queuing tool will assist you in queuing your customers’ phone calls. You can often also set up notifications to remind your callers your callers of their turn and the wait time.
      3. Call Recording/Monitoring. These two great features can empower your business by checking the consistency of your customer service on calls and limiting the deterioration of your company’s efficiency. They can also be used in a legal setting as evidence of claims.
      4. Voicemail/call forwarding. Because often smaller businesses can't be available all hours of a day, there will be times when a call can't be answered. Call forwarding is a common corporate telephony tool that ensures that your customers’ calls are never missed. Inbound calls can be diverted to another extension, phone number, or a voicemail function.
      5. Conferencing. Conference calls are ideal for remote teams because they allow them to collaborate even when they are physically apart. Some managers and owners may organise this sort of call on a frequent basis, whether it's keeping teams updated or checking in with customers.
      6. Data analytics. VoIP Data Analytics are a sophisticated data report framework, generally included with most VoIP phone systems. It is useful for businesses that deal with a variety of outgoing and incoming clients calls on a regular basis. Informations such as missed calls and overall wait times help improve customer service quality.
      7. Business Tool Integrations. In our opinion, one of the top VoIP benefits is the ability to connect data with external business tools such as ticketing systems or email, keeping conversation records consolidated and teams connected. These integrations are very useful for remote teams. Many modern business phone networks integrate with Customer Relationship Management (CRM) programmes such as Zoho CRM. This guarantees that all transcripts of interactions are connected, forming a wealth of information. Sales app integration is a one-of-a-kind solution that enables users to automate their sales funnel, get closer to prospects, and complete more transactions. Sweet!

      Is VoIP necessary?

      For years, businesses have been debating whether or not to move to cloud-based VoIP. Some businesses made the changeover in the early days of technology, while others waited until prices dropped and quality, dependability, and availability of knowledge were ironed out.

      Now, as these aspects have been ironed out, BT have announced they will be switching off the PTSN network in 2025. This means that not only is cloud-based VoIP the logical choice for businesses, it will soon be the only choice.

      Price of VoIP

      In general, with cloud-based VoIP, you can expect costs between £10 and £20 per 'seat' per month. A seat is essentially a user of the system.

      Often suppliers offer monthly or annual payment options and generally expect a commitment of at least a year, with discounts provided on longer term contracts.

      In Summary

      Voice over IP is a fantastic and obvious method to run your business telephone communications. The significance of VoIP in telecommuting cannot be overstated. The current state of affairs necessitates a more advanced and adaptable work culture which means many business owners are concerned about their employees’ ability to work efficiently from home. 

      To make the best selection, you should first comprehend the benefits of VoIP, then examine the features and functionalities you require, and last compare all of your options until you find one that meets the bill. This is where we come in.

      We offer a range of telephony options from different vendors, meaning we can suggest the most suitable option for businesses from an unbiased position.

      Chat with us today
      ]]>      Mon, 20 Jun 2022 12:03:00 +0000      <![CDATA[5 Reasons Everyone Should Have the RingCentral G Suite Add-on]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/050720-5-reasons-everyone-should-have-the-ringcentral-g-suite-add-onHere are five ways the RingCentral G Suite Add-on will make everyone on your team’s life easier.]]>

      When it comes to tech companies that have had a large impact on how we work smart, it’s hard to dispute that Google has been a strong contender. In the 22 years since the company was founded, Google has changed how people (and businesses) use the Internet in countless ways.


      A suite of powerful tools that includes Gmail (email), shared calendars, documents, and other functions, Google’s offerings for business, collectively called G Suite, have had a massive upward trajectory. In the 4.5 years since November 2015 (back when G Suite was still called Google Apps for Work), paid user base has tripled to 6 million paid accounts. There’s a good chance you and other businesses your company does business with are among them.


      But as with any tool you’re using to support collaboration and productivity, you may wonder if there are ways you can use it better in order to make communications more efficient.


      Installing RingCentral’s G Suite Add-on is one way to accelerate the collaborative benefits you’re already gaining from using G Suite. Here are five ways the RingCentral G Suite Add-on will make your life easier.


      The ultimate power couple.
      1. Message or call colleagues directly from Gmail
      Email has long been a primary communication tool within workplaces for many good reasons. To name a few, email creates a lasting record of what has been said, and can be sent from any connected device at any time. But email is not without limitation. In fact, email can be a source of hassle among businesses.


      Emails are easily ignored. One survey found 60.8% of workers to be guilty of not responding to emails occasionally, often or always—and they’re rife with the potential for miscommunication due to lack of tone and context.

      That’s why it's good practice to switch to a different medium of talking if you're not making progress after a bit of back and forth.

      The RingCentral G Suite Add-on allows you to message or call colleagues directly from Gmail, making it easy to hop on a call or video chat without added coordination for those times when email conversation just isn’t cutting it.


      2. Schedule meetings directly in Calendar
      Scheduling meetings can be an absolute farce over email. First, you have to find an agreeable time, then create a calendar entry, and then figure out how to correctly export your meeting call-in details from your conferencing app to your invite. Get that last part wrong and you’ll also waste a ton of time when the meeting begins and everyone has trouble accessing it.

      Installing the RingCentral G Suite Add-on eliminates this complexity altogether by allowing you to create a meeting, and fully populate your invite with details such as meeting ID and password, directly from Google Calendar with just a click. Sweet!


      3. See your colleagues’ current status
      In an office scenario, it’s easy to swing by someone’s desk for an impromptu chat when the need arises. When everyone’s working from home, it’s harder to gauge availability. 

      When your collaboration efforts require a deeper conversation—for example, an audio call or face-to-face video chat—you can lose powerful momentum simply trying to coordinate a time for that remote conversation to happen.

      Though it may not be possible to use a closed door or other visual cues to determine the right time for on-the-fly chats in remote work scenarios, the RingCentral G Suite Add-on provides the next best thing: it allows you to instantly see when all of your RingCentral contacts are available, away, offline or in 'do not disturb' mode.


      4. Start an email from a RingCentral contact card
      The seamlessness of RingCentral and G Suite flows in two directions—and connecting the two also helps you to extend the usefulness of RingCentral. For example, sometimes email makes the most sense for communicating, such when you need to follow up with materials after a meeting. RingCentral’s G Suite Add-on simplifies this too by allowing you to send an email directly from a user’s RingCentral contact card.


      5. View call history 
      While the number of options for communicating online is undoubtedly a boon for collaboration, it’s a nightmare for staying organised. Communicating across email, video, phone and SMS makes it difficult to remember what conversation occurred when, which can have impact on accountability (and efficiency!) RingCentral’s G Suite Add-on automatically creates a log of all your calls, making it easy to determine when that important conversation occurred.
      Work Efficiently with RingCentral + G Suite
      Collaboration tools are essential in the workplace—especially as more people work from home. But they also add complexity, as employees are forced to turn to multiple apps to meet their communication needs. RingCentral helps G Suite users get more out of their existing tools, and do so more efficiently, by connecting key functionalities so that users don’t have to change apps to communicate. 


      With the RingCentral app, the G Suite add-on creates a single record of information, combining team messaging, video conferencing, and cloud phone into a single platform for all workplace collaboration. As with all RingCentral apps and integrations, the G Suite add-on is free for all users.

      You just need RingCentral and Google's G Suite to get started - both of which we can help you get started with today.
      Try Today
      Read the eBook
      Datasheet

      Written in collaboration with RingCentral©.

      ]]>      Wed, 05 Aug 2020 11:19:39 +0000      <![CDATA[COVID-19: Our Favourite Remote-working Tools ]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/110420-covid-favourite-remote-working-toolsA quick run through of our favourite tools that will help you conduct your business from pretty much anywhere.]]>

      Whether your business had already implemented remote-working ideologies or it's all very new to your business, it's definitely been a general-culture shock to the working world. Businesses that never thought they could work from home are now embracing wonderful and sometimes whacky ways to get their work done remotely, sometimes whilst even compromising security (yes Zoom we are talking about you).


      Our partners are generally well equipped already. More than 80% of what Ostratto helps our partners' businesses with, resides on cloud technology. That's smart business solutions that are accessible from anywhere at anytime.


      For the businesses that we don't yet have a relationship with, firstly; welcome(!) and secondly; this article is for you. It's a quick run through of our favourite tools that will help you conduct your business from pretty much anywhere.


      We'll firstly break it down a bit into some sub-categories of the products we offer today. Select to jump to the sections:

      ​​


      Communication       Collaboration       Productivity



      Looks uncomfortable. Credit: unsplash

      ​​Communication​

      Communication during these tricky times is absolutely vital. It's the difference between a happy and productive worker and a very unhappy unmotivated one. Here's some of our favourite communication tools.


      Google Meet

      Video meetings for your business. Meet takes the headaches out of joining a video call at work. Just set up a meeting and share a link. No worrying about whether teammates, clients, or customers have the right accounts or plug-ins. With a fast, lightweight interface and smart participant management, 100 + person video calls are a breeze.


      Meet is perfect for keeping connected with your team and your customers from one product, and it comes included in the G Suite package as standard.

      Google Chat

      A messaging platform built for teams. Hangouts Chat makes it easy for teams to stay in contact with instant messaging. From direct messages to group conversations, Chat helps teams collaborate easily and efficiently. With dedicated, virtual rooms to house projects over time — plus threaded conversations — Chat makes it simple to track progress and follow up tasks. Chat currently supports 28 languages and each room can support up to 8,000 members.



      RingCentral

      RingCentral is our preferred cloud phone solution. Get an all-inclusive business phone system with online meetings, messaging, and more. Integrated perfectly into your business systems, you can expect big business benefits without the high cost and complexity. Your teams will have all the accessibility they need to seamlessly communicate and collaborate from anywhere, becoming more productive, effective, and efficient as a result. You can host video meetings with up to 1000 participants too - which is pretty cool.


      We love it because it's super reliable and it provides a one-stop shop for all business communications.




      Zoho Campaigns

      Email marketing software that drives sales. Create, send, and track email campaigns that help you build a strong customer base. From beautiful email templates to an easy-to-use editor, and automation tools to real-time analytics, Zoho Campaigns has it covered.

      We use this to keep in touch with all of our partners with ease, updating them on the current situation and also providing regular tips on staying productive.

      Back to top


      ​​Collaboration

      Even the most communicative team still need ways of collaborating effectively. If your team is still saying 'are you done with that spreadsheet as I need to make edits', then this category is for you. It's 2020 and things have changed now, you old-timer you.



      Google Docs

      Create and edit documents directly in your browser – no dedicated software required. Several people can work at the same time, and every change is saved automatically. Work on a single document with team members or people outside your company. See edits as others type, communicate through built-in chat and ask questions by including comments.


      It really is powerful word editing, made simple and accessible with the power of the cloud. It comes with even the most basic version of G Suite.


      Google Sheets

      Collaborative, smart, secure spreadsheets for fast-moving organisations. Sheets was designed with the needs of agile organisations in mind. As Sheets is cloud-based, it enables you to collaborate with anyone, anytime, anywhere. It's built on top of Google’s infrastructure, which gives you the freedom to create, while helping to keep your information secure.

      Again, no software to install and super simple to use.



      Google Slides

      Slides is Google's offering of a presentation tool. It allows you to create and edit polished presentations in your browser – no software required. Several people can work at the same time so that everyone always has the latest version. It helps you to make your ideas shine with a variety of presentation themes, hundreds of fonts, embedded video, animations, and more. All included in G Suite.

      Back to top


      ​​Productivity

      Productivity is often the measure of a successful migration to remote-working strategies. With recent developments in the technical industry it's still very possible to maintain a very high level of productivity. We've covered a few excellent communication products and we've also covered a selection of smart collaboration software.


      G Suite

      G Suite - our bread and butter. It provides all the tools a business needs to do business, in an extremely affordable package. An integrated suite of secure, cloud-native collaboration and productivity apps powered by Google AI. Includes Gmail, Docs, Drive, Calendar, Meet and more, all in the same place accessible with the same login.


      We use G Suite for our business email, communications and productivity needs. The prices start at £4.60 per user/month and there's no contract, so it's really ideal for new businesses who don't want to commit to anything serious in the early days.


      What I think is pretty cool is that the likes of Netflix and Colgate are using exactly the same product as a start-up business of one user. It really is modern-day cloud computing, allowing the little guys play with the big guys with no capital required. Awesome!


      Zoho Projects

      When we do any commissioning work such as website design or a system setup, one of our most used products is Projects. It lets us track all ongoing tasks so that an overall project progress can be seen - and shared with clients if necessary. It can help you plan your work, track it efficiently, and collaborate with your team wherever they are.


      The main features we use are the tasks, the activities, issues (at times a great tool to nudge clients if we're waiting on them) and also the integration with Google Drive so that we can share files securely within the project space without needing to upload anything.


      A great tool for teams that still need to be working on projects from different places.



      Zoho Bookings

      We've noticed a large increase in online classes since the lockdown here in the UK. Classes for exercise and yoga type activities the most prevalent. Should you be needing to host this sort of event, you need a solid way of offering booking for your 'students' - Bookings has you covered. It syncs your calendars while letting students/customers self-schedule and pay for appointments. The user interface is completely customisable to fit your brand and there is an email function that sends emails to your customers automatically reminding them when an appointment is due.


      This one is for personal trainers, coaches teachers, trainers and just about anybody else that needs a way to manage classes easily.


      Back to top



      So there you have it. They are our favourite tools because they are cost-effective, smart and they are generally awesome. They all also meet our principles.


      If you need any help with working remotely during these very difficult times please just reach out. We will be happy to assist and if we can help your business in any way at no cost, we absolutely will.


      Stay safe.


      Help me work smarter
      ]]>      Sun, 12 Apr 2020 13:02:41 +0000      <![CDATA[Jargon Busting: SEO]]>https://www.ostratto.com/blogs/post/jargon-busting-seoBusting the Jargon around SEO.]]>
      SEO. It's complex stuff. Google as an example change their algorithms almost every day, tweaking the technology so that users of the service get to the pages they need without having to work hard for it. There is much to learn - we are still from masters of it.

      The following glossary should at least give you a running start. It covers the most common words, acronyms, and phrases you may come across. As ever, if you have any questions please reach out.

      301 Redirects
      Redirection is the process of forwarding one URL to a different URL. A redirect is a way to send both users and search engines to a different URL from the one they originally requested. The three most commonly used redirects are 301, 302, and Meta Refresh.

      Backlinks
      Backlinks (also known as 'inbound links', 'incoming links' or 'one way links') are links from one website to a page on another website. Google and other major search engines consider backlinks 'votes' for a specific page. Pages with a high number of backlinks tend to have high organic search engine rankings.

      404 Error Pages
      The website hosting server will typically generate a "404 Not Found" web page when a user attempts to follow a broken or dead link; hence the 404 error is one of the most recognizable errors encountered on the World Wide Web.

      Schema Markup
      Schema.org (often called Schema) is a semantic vocabulary of tags (or microdata) that you can add to you the HTML of your website to improve the way search engines read and represent your page in SERPs.

      Domain Authority
      Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how well a website will rank on search engine result pages (SERPs). A Domain Authority score ranges from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank.

      Page Authority
      Page Authority (PA) is a score developed by Moz that predicts how well a specific page will rank on search engine result pages (SERP). Page Authority scores range from one to 100, with higher scores corresponding to a greater ability to rank. 

      Anchor Text
      Anchor Text is the visible, clickable text in a hyperlink. In modern browsers, it is often blue and/or underlined, such as this link to the Ostratto homepage.

      Alt Text
      Alt text (alternative text), also known as "alt attributes", “alt descriptions", or technically incorrectly as "alt tags,” are used within an HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a page.

      Canonical Tags
      A canonical tag (aka "rel canonical") is a way of telling search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. Using the canonical tag prevents problems caused by identical or "duplicate" content appearing on multiple URLs. Practically speaking, the canonical tag tells search engines which version of a URL you want to appear in search results.

      Link Equity
      Link equity, once colloquially referred to as "link juice," is a search engine ranking factor based on the idea that certain links pass value and authority from one page to another. This value is dependent on a number of factors, such as the linking page's authority, topical relevance, HTTP status, and more.

      Alt Text
      Alt text (alternative text), also known as "alt attributes", “alt descriptions", or technically incorrectly as "alt tags,” are used within an HTML code to describe the appearance and function of an image on a page.

      Canonical Tags
      A canonical tag (aka "rel canonical") is a way of telling search engines that a specific URL represents the master copy of a page. Using the canonical tag prevents problems caused by identical or "duplicate" content appearing on multiple URLs. Practically speaking, the canonical tag tells search engines which version of a URL you want to appear in search results.

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