The app has been in the works for a while, and in 2021 Microsoft officially showcased Loop. The app is designed to simplify collaborative projects and to increase productivity, and it is able to sync various aspects of projects and it allows users to move parts of projects to other Microsoft apps such as PowerPoint, Teams, Word and Excel.

Loop has been called a “transformative co-creation experience” by Microsoft, which is a fancy way of saying that Loop is going to be used to bring teams closer together through shared content, tasks and tools.

With Loop, app users who are collaborating on projects will no longer suffer with the frustration of having to jump between pages, worksheets and whatever else they are building their project on. Instead they will have the perfect tool to organise their work and to instantly share what they are doing with other team members. Users will even be able to drag and drop items from their desktop into the Loop workspace and from there to arrange it in such a way that it is easier to work with.

What you need to know about Loop

The entire app is built around its workspace, which is the digital area in which the project folders are accessible.

The process of using Loop starts with adding a title to the workspace and from there adding a couple of keywords. Loop will then use the keywords to create a list of recommended files, documents and other helpful things which you can then add to the workspace to make it more personalised and suitable for the project you are working on.

The app will give you a better organised project and it will provide structure to the project so that it is easier to understand. With such an organised structure, new team members can quickly get to work.

Loop comes with pre-made templates and a highly intuitive design. On the workspace you will be able to create checklists as well as numbered lists, add tables and you can also add images.  

Working with Loop

Unlike other collaborative project programmes, with Loop the commands can be accessed using a few keys.

When you enter “/” you will be given a dropdown menu which will give you access to all of the lists that are available, as well as headings, tables and Loop components. The programme is also being designed to work with Copilot, which you will also be able to access by pressing “/”.

By clicking “@” you will be able to access a list of suggested people and files. You will also be able to leave comments and react to the work done by others, with Loop giving you a list of instant replies as well as fun emojis.

Loop is not just ideal for structuring and building projects. It can also be an interactive brainstorming platform.

And it is not just those who have access to the project that you can share project information with. Loop will allow you to “decompose information”, which means you will be able to take parts of the project and share it to those working outside of the workspace. Doing this is as easy as copying and pasting the information into a Microsoft 365 app of your choosing, after it has been turned into a component.

You can also share pages as a live page or as a link. When doing this, the person you are sharing it with will be able to leave a response on the page. The response will then be added to the page and the update will be available in the workspace.

Loop promises to be the next big productivity app, and if you are already an avid Microsoft 365 user, Loop will be a natural fit in your productivity tool line up.

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At 24/7 IT Services we aim to help our clients in the London area to get the most out of their IT set up and programmes. Our popular services include Managed IT Support, IT Consultancy Services, and Business Continuity.  

The post The Preview for Microsoft’s Loop App is here appeared first on 247 IT Services.

After many months of work, you can imagine that the sheer amount of documents you are going to have stored away. Some you will need, most you won’t, but should you accidently delete a file while sorting through your data, knowing how to restore the document is going to save you a lot of grey hairs.

One of the biggest bonuses of using a Cloud account for your work backup is that whatever you are working on will be easily accessed and easy to continue working on, no matter where you are.

And so it doesn’t matter what device you are using to access your Cloud storage, the restoration process is fairly straight forward.

The Cloud is designed to keep your data and files safe, so even if you do accidently delete something, it is not going to be gone forever, at least not yet. The Cloud is designed to hold deleted documents in a waste basket of sorts for 30 days. Naturally, this makes restoring the document incredibly easy, if you know where to find it.

Locating Deleted Files

Ideally, you should restore the items as soon as you’ve made the mistake of deleting them, or as soon as you have noticed that they have gone missing. Once the 30 day mark has passed, the file is permanently gone and there will be nothing you can do to bring it back unless, of course, you have a backup of it somewhere else.

On the topic of backups, you should never rely on the Cloud alone as your primary backup. It is good data practice to have alternative backups, including a copy kept on an external hard drive kept somewhere very safe and secure.

To locate the recently deleted Cloud data, you first need to know which version of the Cloud you are using. You could be using the iCloud, Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox.

iCloud

You will need to log into your iCloud account and then choose the recently deleted option, which should be on the bottom right corner. You then need to go to the Account Settings and from there you can select Restore Files.

Google Drive

Google’s Cloud is very popular especially because it syncs fast and effectively across multiple devices, no matter the device manufacturer. It is also incredibly easy to restore accidently deleted documents. Simply scroll down the left hand panel and select trash. There you will be able to see all the trashed documents and be able to right click and select restore.

OneDrive

Depending on the type of OneDrive account you have, your deleted files could be held for up to 93 days. The standard account has the 30 day limit while the work account option gives you the extra time.

To restore a deleted file, you will need to go to the recycle bin, which you will find on the left hand side. There is the option of emptying the bin or restoring all the items, and you can also individually select the file you need and restore it.

Dropbox

As far as free Cloud storage goes, Dropbox is quite a useful thing to have. If you take on the business plan or the professional plan, your deleted files can be stored for 180 days before they are permanently removed.

When you need to restore something you’ve deleted, you need to go to the deleted files option which you can find on the left side or you can go to the folder where the file was originally stored and click on the show deleted files option. From there you can restore it.

At 24/7 IT Services, we can get your business setup with a reliable Cloud based solution. You can contact us directly for more information.  

The post How to Recover Files Deleted from any Cloud Service appeared first on 247 IT Services.

The ultimate goal of any business is to improve worker productivity (and job satisfaction), in order to improve profits. And the Cloud is the perfect tool to help you achieve that and so much more. With its many features, it is able to streamline so many ordinary work processes while giving the employee the tools they need in order to be more efficient at what they are doing.

But although the Cloud is such a prevalent part of our business lives, its pervasive use doesn’t mean that those who are using the Cloud on a daily basis shouldn’t be extra alert and ready to handle possible security threats.

One of the most common beliefs is that the Cloud comes with all of the security technology needed to keep both data and staff safe from the various online threats as well as the problems that could crop up and ruin a work day, but this is not necessarily the case, if the company itself doesn’t take the necessary steps to keep employees (and the business) safe, through following certain procedures and empowering the staff.

Staying Safe while using the Cloud

Keeping data safe, and protecting the integrity of the business’s network, starts and ends with making sure that employees are staying safe online. Part of making sure that employees are not in danger of stumbling into something while online or working on the Cloud, that could do them or your business harm, starts with making sure that you have followed these 5 helpful, easy tips.

1. Find out more about Cloud based apps

Staying ignorant about the online apps that are accessible from the Cloud is asking for trouble. There are plenty of apps that are great for using in the business environment, but each app comes with its own risks and it is up to you and your IT team to make sure that you know just how risky a specific app can actually be.

• Identify problem apps

Some apps are going to need to be monitored carefully, while with others you might need to discourage staff from using the app or you might even have to make the tough decision to block the app completely.

The issue with apps that are considered risky is that they can make your entire network vulnerable to hackers or the loss of data.

• Track apps

Because some apps carry a higher risk than others, it certainly helps to keep track of what apps staff are using the most and which they are trying to gain access to. Since there are plenty of different apps in use in the office, keeping track of the apps will help you gain a better understanding about what kind of data is shared and where it is being shared to.

This is an especially important part of keeping employees and the business safe, since the business IP address is likely to be accessed via the app, even if the employee is not aware.  

•  Use individual passwords

With the Cloud, it is possible to create passwords that are individual to the employee. This is so important to not only keep the employee and the data they are using or creating safe, but it can also be used to reinforce accountability.

• Keep the Cloud updated

A version of the system that is outdated is going to be a risk, because updates are generally introduced to fill in all sorts of gaps, including those gaps that might be present in the security setup of the system. While updates might be a bother, when they kick in during office hours, it pays to make sure that the Cloud software is always up to date.

The post 5 Ways to Help Employees Safely Use the Cloud appeared first on 247 IT Services.

Myth 1: If your data is backed up to the Cloud, it is the only backup you need

Given the value of data and the fact that companies pretty much run completely on the data that they create and are able to store, you can imagine that safely storing it is a pretty big deal. A lot of businesses think that if they backup their data to the Cloud at the end of each working day, their data is guaranteed to be stored safely forever. The reality, however, is that while the data might be up on the Cloud, this storage point alone is not enough.

Not only is storage on the cloud not necessarily a long term deal, but it is also prone to error. The absolute best way to secure data is to do at least two separate backups, with one being a copy of the data on an external hard drive.

Myth 2: The transition is quick and easy

Most businesses want that quick and easy route when it comes to creating backups or just generally accessing whatever it is that they are using on the Cloud. For this reason, when it comes to implementing a cloud based solution, they want the installation process to be completed as quickly as possible, and so they make the mistake of not reading into things or having a proper talk with an IT professional about what to expect and how things will work.

When transitioning to the cloud, it helps to create and follow a particular strategy, to ensure that the initial process goes smoothly.

Myth 3: Data can be accessed by the cloud providers

So long as so much of modern business is conducted via the web, there will be concerns about data security. And one of the biggest, and sometimes most damaging myths, is that whoever is providing you with the cloud based service will have access to your data.

Cloud providers are well known to work with some of the biggest companies on the planet and the industries using the cloud span from the medical world to the incredibly safety conscious world of finance.

For this reason, and many others, cloud providers are strict on security and allow their clients to have full control over how security will look for them. In a nutshell, the provider will not, in most cases, be given access to any data that they agree to store.

Myth 4: Small companies can’t move to the cloud

The cloud is there for every kind of business to benefit from and given the effectiveness of the service as well as the immense safety and security that comes from using the cloud, small businesses can actually dream bigger when they move to the cloud. Businesses using the cloud are also given the perfect tool to become more scalable, which is ultimately going to benefit the business.

Myth 5: Moving to the cloud instantly saves money

Initially, once you start using the cloud, you won’t notice where your budget is being saved. But over time, you are going to see your overall IT related costs start to drop and year after year, this will result in you saving quite a lot. Using the cloud also tends to prevent you from having to pay those expensive upfront fees for software updates, but only if you are on a subscription service, which is something you should discuss with your provider.

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