Blog & News

Disordered by all the options in Office 365? Yammer, Teams, SharePoint… Cloud platforms are evolving fast and so has the variety of features and tools available to users within them. As much as they may make many of our lives stress-free, they can also bring a lot of...

How is your broadband speed? In the digital age, internet connectivity is as vital to our livelihoods as electricity. Despite being in the country’s capital, you might still be suffering from a lack of full fibre broadband, which is holding back the effectiveness of...

Are you still using ISDN? As opposed to PSTN, (Analogue Lines), that are classically used at home for your phone & broadband line, ISDN, (Integrated Services Digital Network), combines multiple pairs of copper cables, authorising businesses to operate with...

Your details might be all over the Dark Web… what is it? The internet consists of three mains tiers – the ‘Public Web’, comprising of around 4% of the internet, is what we all use day to day, and includes the likes of social media platforms, shopping and such other...

A common question that we find we are asked regularly is "What is the different between a Mac and a PC - and which one is more suitable for a business?". We have highlighted below some of the main differences to be taken into consideration. Design Apple is known for...

Cost The average annual salary of an in-house IT Manager can be anywhere between £30,000 to £40,000 per annum. Added to this are costs for recruitment, additional company benefits and on-going training to keep their skills up to date. It can also be really...

In todays day and age, businesses spend their time communicating with other businesses and we know how common it is for a virus to travel from one to another. Here are the most common IT Issues we see in businesses who don't have suitable IT Support in place:...

Phishing is rife, and they’re only getting smarter Hackers are desperately trying via a number of routes to get access to your private & sensitive data. Email is one of the simplest means of access for cyber criminals, with it often being the weakest entry point...

It doesn't come as a surprise to the Omnicom team at just how many up and coming businesses don’t see the need to have IT support in place. A recent survey showed that 27% of SMEs had no IT support in place, however we think the number could be a little higher....

Windows 7 end-of-life In-line with the continued drive to move forward with technology, Microsoft have announced the end-of-life for a collection of older software platforms. Much like the cessation of support for Windows XP back in 2014, Microsoft will no longer...

With the increase of using and relying on data there is an ever increasing need to access it. Businesses like you don’t just need to use data for safe keeping anymore, data drives everyday key decisions, strategy and operations. Many businesses are witnessing...

Are you currently unhappy with your IT Support Provider but you wouldn't know where to start in terms of switching? Struggle no more- read our guide below! Review Your Contract Check the conditions of your contract with your current IT support provider to prevent...

Cyber attacks are becoming more common in growing businesses, but we can offer many solutions to aid prevention and keep your team safe online. Prevention While we encourage  you place suitable measures in place to prevent and minimise damage should disaster strike,...

Have you ever thought about whether or not you should keep IT in house or whether it would be more viable to outsource it? Read more here... 1. Reduction in Staff Wages An IT Manager has an average annual salary in the region of £30,000- £50,000 per annum. In addition...

As a Supporter of Safer Internet Day 2017, we’ve put together an A-Z of our top internet safety tips and uncover the meanings of some buzzwords you might not even know exist. For further details on how to keep yourself and others safe online, or to see how OmniCom...

Education establishments have recently been receiving phishing calls from fraudsters who claim to be from the Department of Education. They typically ask for personal details such as the email addresses and phone numbers of either the head teacher or business...

The handy WiFi at your local Starbucks may seem like a convenience, after all, you’re only checking in to Facebook and choosing the best filter for your Instagram-able coffee, but do you really know the risks of using public wireless networks and free hotspots? Free...

Schools' WiFi has come a long way since we completed our first installation about 15 years ago. Back then, the network was primarily used for teacher access, speeds were 11Mb at best and iPad's were just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Speeds have now climbed to the...

If you read our last Guide Dog update you’ll know that unfortunately, Zeb didn’t make it through his basic training and had to hang up his collar early. Despite this, he seems to be thoroughly enjoying retired life and is currently on holiday with experienced puppy...

Whether you're situated in an office or out and about, a slow PC can be a huge annoyance at the best of times. Chances are, you rely heavily on your PC on a daily basis and nothing slows down a business's performance and productivity than computers that aren't up to...

For the past year, we’ve been sponsoring one of Guide Dog UK’s lovely pups; Zeb and giving you regular updates on his training progress. Although he has been showing great promise, Zeb has recently been showing signs of nervousness when out with his trainer. His puppy...

OmniCom places a huge importance on e-Safety, and more recently e-Safeguarding in schools. Although the two are similar in some respects, e-Safeguarding covers more of the topics that we face in the 21st century (and in a greater detail). Often, e-Safety is defined as...

Over the past few version updates, Microsoft has slowly been polishing their flagship software suite, offering a wealth of methods to collaborate and share across different platforms. The many enhancements mean you might not always get the most out of the Office 2016...

OmniCom tries to periodically give you updates on trends and innovations in ICT and the area of Interactive Whiteboards seems to be one that we've never touched upon until now that is… A brief history I can well remember the trailblazing demos we used to...

As of June last year we've been supporting Guide Dogs UK and helping out by sponsoring one of their pups in training. We've been lucky enough to have been matched with Zeb - you can read about his training so far here. In our third pupdate, we've found Zeb to be...

I must start with a confession, in the past when I’ve looked at a school’s printing costs I’ve zeroed in on photocopiers supplied by salesmen wearing suede coats and trilbies. It has therefore come as a bit of a revelation to me to find that by far the biggest costs...

With 2015 drawing to a close and the New Year on the horizon, there’s only one thing on people’s minds – what’s my New Year’s resolution? Saving money is always a popular response and OmniCom understands the need for you to receive the best, most cost-effective...

With millions of children starting back to school over the past few weeks, new research from Internet Matters shows that an average of 65% of 8-11-year-olds owns a smartphone and nearly 1/4 of parents allow their children to take their phone to school. The North East...

Have you already met our sponsored guide dog, Zeb? Here's our second Pupdate: We’ve received our second information pack and can’t believe how much he’s grown since the last time we saw him. Since last time him, Zeb has been out for plenty walks with his walker, Jim...

Choosing your whiteboard’s perfect partner needn’t be a stressful or time consuming procedure. Our knowledge and expertise means we can recommend the best projector based on the room and your requirements; however OmniCom believe you too should be educated on the...

Malicious software, otherwise known as Malware, has been around since the early days of computing but only really came to light succeeding the rise of domestic internet use. It’s often delivered by email and can be fairly easy to spot – especially if you’re sure you...

Microsoft Licensing has long been a black art understood only by the initiated. As OmniCom is a Microsoft Authorised Educational Reseller, we have to undertake an annual exam demonstrating our proficiency in this ninja art.   The major innovation over recent...

If you’re a follower of our Facebook or Twitter, you may have seen an unfamiliar furry face on our feed. We’ve recently sponsored a gorgeous 6 week old Labrador pup, Zeb who’ll be part of a training programme to become a guide dog. We’ve sponsored Zeb in order to help...

We understand that changing ICT Support companies can be a daunting prospect, which is why we want to make the process as easy and simple as possible. Over the years, we've had many questions on how we handle the changeover, how we manage the workload and the things...

The 21st to 24th January of this year welcomed the return of BETT Show in London, the world’s largest Education Technology Show. This year, we attended and returned to Durham with bags full of information on products and services we believe will benefit you and your...

You may have read our previous blog post on iPads – the Next Step and since then, Apple tablets have become even more popular in education. With the rapid rate of deployment, fresh challenges appear. OmniCom have worked with iPads for a number of years now, and have...

Over a decade ago, Windows Server 2003 first hit the market and in that time frame, technology has changed drastically. In those 10 short years we’ve seen the introduction of iTunes; which today generates enough revenue to make it one of Apple’s crown jewels. The...

As a local business, OmniCom understand the importance of supporting other local establishments and so jumped at the chance of becoming a 995 Club Member, in partnership with Durham Cathedral. Being a member means we support the Open Treasure Appeal; a major...

Over the past few weeks, our OmniCom HQ has taken a revamp, changing four blank walls into a professional, motivational working environment. The purpose was to create a unique working environment that showcased OmniCom’s personality, what we’re about and what we...

Riverside Primary Academy in Gateshead have been celebrating after finding a sponsor for their school football team, in the shape of OmniCom. We jumped at the chance of being their sponsor and think that the new and improved kit looks much more professional. We love...

We understand searching for the best prices for your equipment can be a time consuming, lengthy process which is why we’ve created our brand new quotation page here. We understand the importance of schools needing a quotation quickly and as efficiently as possible,...

Out with the old and in with the new. Why should you upgrade XP? After supporting Windows XP for over 12 years, the time has finally come for Microsoft to withdraw support. On the 8th of April this year, Microsoft, along with its hardware and software partners called...

You’ve made the big step, you've bought the iPads you need at present and you've probably got somewhere secure to store and recharge them. If you’ve used OmniCom for the setup you’ll have a VPP (Volume Purchasing program) to purchase Apps from the App store and you’ll...

Learning to code and understanding the processes involved is now an important skill to have, especially for youngsters growing up in an environment where technology thrives. Not only should children understand how to use technology, but also how it works and how it...

Every few years we hear of a big shake-up to the education system, whether it be a change in examination routines, a re-jig of the curriculum, or maybe some ‘shocking’ new stats about the increasing use of technology in the classroom. Recently, it has been argued that...

For the past five years, the buzz phrase ‘cloud computing’ has slowly been gathering pace. In simple terms, cloud computing is the transfer of computer programs and applications from your device to the internet. All calculations, processes etc. are no longer carried...