Tag: microsoft 365

Windows 10 End of Life is Coming, and It’s Sooner Than You Think
While Windows 11 (code name Sun Valley) hasn’t officially been introduced to the public, it’s created enough of a stir that the topic of Windows 10 support ending has been pushed to the forefront of the tech news cycle. Windows 10 will officially end mainstream support on October 14, 2025.

Back in 2015 it was circled around that Microsoft 10 would be the “last Windows release”, indicating Windows would follow the route of Apple and just continuously update this version in perpetuity. We would have said that was unlikely back then and it seems we would have been right.

While the comment that initiated that rumor can be tied back to one Microsoft employee, Microsoft didn’t exactly dismiss the notion at the time. They have been moving forward since then into the “as a service” model, especially with their service Microsoft 365 replacing Office 365 as it was known.

Most of us can remember a time when you paid a one-time fee to use the Office suite of software, but Microsoft has fully moved to a subscription model only under Microsoft 365. “As a service” is basically the de facto model in tech at this point, with Adobe also being another example (remember when you could just buy Photoshop?).

Businesses like Google always operated under an “as a service” model. So, it makes us question if the roll out of Windows 11 will look the same as past releases.

Especially for businesses, instead of pricey one-time licensing fees will we be looking at a monthly charge potentially? And how would that work when Windows 11 eventually went end of life?

Microsoft has operated under two models for end of life so far, fixed and what they now call the modern lifecycle. Under the fixed lifecycle there weren’t really too many restrictions for support, as long as you kept your version up to date you would receive some level of support for 10 years.

Now, they operate on a regular update cycle. With a feature update usually arriving in October, a year end update in November and a mid-year update in June or July. While you can expect regular updates between those dates, major feature updates are now condensed.

Customers are encouraged to perform at least one of these updates a year to stay current. Failing to update with one of these major releases may make your version ineligible for next year’s releases.

More news about Windows 11 may be arriving next week in an event announced by Microsoft, you can attend the live stream here on June 24^th at 11 AM Eastern Time. We’re looking forward to summarizing the details of this event in next weeks blog.

Beyond Windows 10 for PCs, there will probably be a significant update to Windows Server as well. Server updates tend to happen more often, with Windows Server 2022 following just 3 years after Windows Server 2019 (it’s been in preview since March of this year).

If your business needs help navigating the ever-changing landscape of Windows or if you’re trying to figure out how to get outdated, unsupported versions back to mainstream support, we’re here for you. Valley Techlogic is a Microsoft Partner and we’re experts when it comes helping businesses manage their Microsoft products, whether it’s Windows or Microsoft 365. Connect with us today to learn more.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.
This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
June 17, 2021
Our Top 3 Ways to Get MORE from Your Business’s Technology
Most of us rely heavily on technology to accomplish our goals, whether it be at work or at home. Computers have made so many things in life more accessible, from learning to banking to downtime (though too much idle scrolling is the antithesis of productivity).

But have you ever stopped to think if you’re really getting the most from the technology you use? Often we get stuck in a rut and don’t really explore what else may be out there. Your favorite tried and true software or add on has never let you down, right?

There’s nothing wrong with using things you know and love, and most importantly trust. Any new addition to your stack should be vetted thoroughly. Especially software applications, if it looks sketchy or seems to be too good to be true then it probably is.

So, what are the 3 things we as a technology provider recommend when it comes to getting more productivity and convenience from the technology you use every day?
1. The first is built right into your Windows 10 operating system. With Windows 10 you can create multiple desktops with the Task View setting. Hitting the Windows Key + Tab will bring up the menu and from there you can go about creating an unlimited number of Windows Virtual Desktops (or at least as many as your RAM will support). You can organize your day through these virtual desktops, having one for work and one for your lunchbreak.
2. Make use of the virtual calendars available to you. Whether it be through Google or Outlook, or even a source such as Calendly which makes it easy to schedule with clients and even sends text message reminders. Virtual calendars can help you organize your week, month or even year. The popup reminders will make sure you don’t miss an important meeting or event.
3. We will always recommend utilizing automatic backups. OneDrive is built in to Windows and comes with 5 GBs of free storage. For just $2 a month you can bump that up to 50 GBs, we think it’s a small price to pay for the piece of mind it provides. If you’re working with a technology provider your backups should be one of their main priorities. Having a thoughtful and thorough backup program in place can mean the difference between getting back to work quicly and losing it all in a disaster recovery situation.
On top of these ways to get more productivity and usefulness out of your technology, your technology provider can also help you understand the benefit and scope of the tools they are providing for your business.

They will probably have their own stack of software they recommend and may even have tools they themselves use that they can recommend for you and your staff. It’s a good idea to have an understanding of the systems that power your business and keep it running smoothly.

It’s our belief that transparent processes and thorough reporting helps our clients make informed choices within their business. If you would like some recommendations on tools that may help increase the usefulness of your technology, we’d be happy to help.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.
This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
February 10, 2021
Our Top 5 Favorite Outlook Tricks & Tips as a Technology Provider
As a technology provider we’re well versed in supporting the Microsoft suite of products, and Outlook especially is a business staple. Whether you have made a one-time purchase with Office 2019 or are using the subscription model plan with Microsoft 365, both products include Teams, Outlook, OnePoint, SharePoint and Word. In today’s article we will be focusing especially on Outlook and providing you with tips that will make using it that much easier.

Our first tip could really help save the day if you miss-send an email, did you know you can actually recall an email? Just open the email you want to send and navigate to the Message tab on the ribbon, click on the Action button and then click on Recall Email, if the recipient hasn’t opened the email yet it will be recalled and you can try again.

The second one is all about efficiency. If you have a certain type of message you send routinely, you can save that message as a template for easy use. Go to File > Save As > Outlook Template to save the template. Then when you’re ready to use it again click on Items > Choose Form > User Templates and select the template you saved. You can also go to the Message tab on the ribbon and click on View Templates to view and create simple templates without formatting to use.

If you have a long email thread you have been replying to and are finding yourself hunting through your inbox for all the links in the chain to remember what has already been said, our third tip will really help you out. If you go to View > Show as Conversation on the Ribbon all of the messages in that thread will be displayed under the most current email.

Number four was even new to us until recently, if you hit Ctrl + Shift + N in Outlook it will pull up a sticky note function you can move around. That way if you need to take some notes as you’re parsing through your email that will be conveniently available to you, no pen and paper necessary.

Our fifth tip is all about timing. If you know there’s an email you need to send out by a certain time, why not avoid the stress and worry that you may forget and schedule it while it’s top of mind? If you go to Options > Delay Delivery > Do not deliver before you can schedule the email to be sent at the exact time and day you want it to be. This is a great option for reminder type emails that you send regularly as well.

Lastly as a bonus, here’s a list of our top 10 Outlook shortcuts that will simply make navigating Outlook easier:
1. Create a New Message: Ctrl + Shift M
2. Insert a File: Alt+N, A, F
3. Send a Message: Alt + S
4. Search for An Item: Ctrl + E or F3
5. Reply to a Message: Alt+H, R, P
6. Go to Your Calendar: Ctrl+2
7. Check for New Messages: Ctrl+M or F9
8. Go to the Home Tab: Alt+H
9. Go to the Send/Receive Tab: Alt+J, S
10. Forward a Message: Alt+ H, F, W
If your office could use some assistance navigating Microsoft 365 we’re here to help, at Valley Techlogic we consider ourselves experts when it comes to Microsoft and Windows based products and can make recommendations to your business. Visit our calendar page here to schedule a consultation to learn more.

Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.
This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.
January 28, 2021