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Break-fix IT management was largely considered a waste of resources, as it would mean your organization was waiting until your technology was already failing before seeking assistance. This would mean experiencing downtime while waiting for someone to resolve the issue, which further adds to the cost of the incident.

Preventative managed IT provided by a managed service provider, or MSP, is the better alternative, as it means you are effectively preventing IT issues from becoming problems in the first place. What this does is that it mitigates the possibility of downtime, along with all of its expenses. The problem is that this kind of IT isn’t possible unless you have a team dedicated to making sure that your technology is operating as intended.

Outsourcing this responsibility to a managed service provider is a great way make up for a deficit in your IT management. Some of the services offered by a managed service provider include, but are not limited to:

• Server hosting
• Cloud hosting and management
• Data backup and disaster recovery
• Email hosting
• Network maintenance, monitoring, and management
• Security monitoring and deployment
• And more!

Simply put, a managed service provider manages anything technology-related you want them to. Whether it’s something as complicated as deploying a new software or hardware solution or a task as simple as setting up an email account, you can bet that any managed service provider will be able to provide stellar assistance with any of your business’ technology issues. In many ways, a managed service provider is a company that provides even further solutions, as you’re leveraging the expertise of trained, professional IT technicians who understand fully the amount of trust you are placing in them to manage your technology behind the scenes.

Digital Seattle can be the managed service provider that is right for your business. To learn more about the services we offer, reach out to us at (206) 709-9556.

First, it’s important to understand Microsoft’s situation. Retaining a customer costs much less than actively seeking new ones, meaning that they aren’t going to want to lose their existing customers.

Microsoft has implemented a three-step process that is designed to help their customers have as much time as possible to decide whether or not they are serious about letting their subscription go. Here are the three steps.

Step 1: Expired

Following the expiration of your subscription, you have thirty days where Office 365 is still available for use. Any installed applications can still be launched, and you can still access additional solutions as well. Microsoft won’t remove any of your data from its servers. Admins can still add services or applications during this time, as well as back up any data. A global administrator can renew the subscription at any time during these thirty days.

Step 2: Disabled

After the first month has passed, your subscription status changes to Disabled, which remains in place up until the 120th day. This means that only administrators will have access to the admin portal and to back up any data that Microsoft has stored on their servers. Regarding the rest of your users, they might not have access to as many services and solutions. With access to their Office 365 accounts blocked, your users will find themselves between a rock and a hard place, unable to get their work done, access their email, or access OneDrive for Business. Locally installed applications will only offer limited functionality, and you won’t be able to edit or save your files. The global administrator still has access to the option to resume the licensing subscription at this point.

Step 3: Deprovisioned

After 121 days, administrators lose access to any data that remains on the servers. No backups can be taken, and any applications or services rendered will be inaccessible. At this point, Microsoft will start to remove your data from its servers, which you can have sped up through a process called deprovisioning. If your business wants to continue utilizing Office 365, new subscriptions need to be started.

Let Us Help Manage Your Office 365 Subscriptions

To keep lapses in your subscription from preventing your productivity, Digital Seattle can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (206) 709-9556.

There are actually a couple of methods you can use to do so. First, we’ll review how to use your mobile device’s built-in File Manager.

Using the File Manager

Chances are, your device came preinstalled with file management software. To find it, open the app drawer. You will then want to open a specific application. Based on the device you have, it may be called Downloads, My Files, or File Manager. Accessing this application, you should see at least one folder for your internal storage. If you’ve expanded your storage with an SD card, you will see that as well. While your Downloads are probably going to be in your internal storage, your settings might be sending them to your expanded storage. Once you’ve located your Download folder, access it. There, you will see a complete list of your downloaded materials. While they will initially be sorted in chronological order, you can change this to your preference.

Your other option is to utilize the Google Chrome application.

Finding Downloads in Google Chrome

Accessing the Chrome browser application on your device, tap the three-dot button at the top-right corner. From the menu that appears, select Downloads.

There, you will find your list of downloaded files, which you can filter through using the hamburger menu button and selecting your desired file type. If you need to find a particular file, Chrome allows you to search for it using the magnifying glass button.

When data is so important to us today, it helps to know where to find the data you’ve accessed. Are there any other smartphone tips that we should share? Leave your suggestions in the comments!