Blogs

Pegasus Business Update Seminars – Register for an event

In 2018 there are multiple new legislative changes coming that will affect your business. As a Pegasus Opera 3 or Opera II customer, you will need to be aware of how GDPR, Making Tax Digital and Gender Pay Gap & Late Payment Reporting will be enforced, and it is imperative that your business is compliant. Profile and Pegasus are hosting three live seminars to update you on everything Opera 3 and Opera II, detailing the implications of the new legislation for remaining Opera II customers and ensuring that you are fully aware of what Pegasus are planning for Opera 3 to make sure you aren’t caught out.

If you are an Opera 3 or Opera II customer these seminars will contain critical information and will also provide a great opportunity to meet the Pegasus and Profile teams and have your questions answered.

These seminars will also cover:

• Opera 3 SQL Server Edition Overview & Product Demo
• Pegasus Business Cloud
• Pegasus Web Xchange, Payroll Self Service and the Mobile Sales App

Seminars will be held at the following locations and on the following dates:

[FULLY BOOKED] Tuesday 28th November – Hemel Hempstead (9:30am registration)
Wednesday 6th December – Solihull (9:30am registration
Thursday 7th December – Maidstone (9:30am registration)

All Seminars are expected to finish at 1pm, with a tea / coffee break. Free parking will also be offered.

Please fill out the form below* to register to attend an event. More information regarding venues will be sent out prior to the events. If you have any questions please contact your Account Manager or call us in the office on 01442 236311.

*Please note that clicking submit will send the information and the page will refresh without confirmation.

@Profile Autumn 2017 – Don’t get leaved behind

Welcome to the Autumn edition of our @Profile newsletter. Sadly the Summer’s end is upon us, Autumn is fast approaching, and like Summer sun, longer days and green leaves on trees, nothing lasts forever – not even software is evergreen! In this edition of @Profile we’ll be announcing the end of life for one piece of Pegasus software, giving a long awaited update on another, getting you up to date on GDPR, reiterating the importance of a good firewall for your business security, and finally letting you all know about how you can spread the cost of your new software and hardware with Profile’s finance options.

Pegasus Opera II – The End is Nigh

Pegasus released their latest flagship product Opera 3 in 2010, and since then they have continued to support Opera II with updates and compatiblity patches for those who were still using the software. As of 2017, the number of people still using Opera II is in the vast minority as Opera II is now in maintenance mode, so Pegasus have announced the official end of support for Opera II Payroll and they will not be releasing Payroll upgrades moving forwards.

You may be wondering ‘What does this mean for the future?’ Well, if you’re still using Opera II Payroll then it’s time to speak to your Account Manager now to ensure you aren’t caught out at the end of the payroll year. Opera II’s days are numbered – it won’t be long before Pegasus announce an official end of life date and Pegasus will not support the software anymore, and you don’t want to be caught out using outdated, unsupported software to run crucial components of your business.

If you are running Opera II – even without payroll – we still recommend you speak to your account manager about what Opera 3 can do for your business, and to discuss a migration plan to ensure you don’t get left behind.

Pegasus Opera 3 SQL Server Edition – Latest News

We are aware there are some of our Opera 3 customers that are waiting for news about Opera 3 SQL SE, and today we have some news to share! Profile have been heavily involved in the partner evaluation program for Opera 3 SQL SE and are assessing it in terms of deployment, implementation, data migration and load and performance testing. Once the evaluation has been completed we will hopefully have more news to share soon regarding the commercial release.

GDPR – What, Who, When and Why?

General Data Protection Regulation will be enforceable from 25th May 2018, but what does it mean for you?

What? – GDPR is a new regulation that involves personal data that a company holds about an individual, and the handling of that data within an organisation. If your business is found to be non-compliant, you could be fined up to €20,000,000 or 4% of your annual turnover, whichever is greater. Data can include anything from a name and address, to a phone number or set of bank details, and your handling of that data is key.

Who? – GDPR applies to any organisation who collects data from EU residents or any company who processes data for an organisation in the EU. If you’re based in the EU and you have employees, this will affect you, no matter what your company size.

When? – GDPR is enforceable from 25th May 2018. If you deal with any EU residents data there is no avoiding it.

Why? – GDPR aims to protect the data of EU citizens and ensure companies are handling the data in the correct way to avoid breaches and leaks.

The right to be forgotten – with GDPR in place, a person has the right to request their personal data be removed from a database, and the controller of that data is then obliged to erase it. As a controller, you will have the right to erase data that is no longer necessary or relevant, as long as it is compliant with GDPR.

Pegasus have not yet released their plans for GDPR however, as soon as we know we will be updating all of our customers. You should already be thinking about your network security and what your business can do to protect your data to ensure that you are not caught out. Up to date antivirus (Profile recommends ESET or Symantec antivirus solutions) and two-factor password authentication from ESET can drastically decrease the chances of a data breach, and tighten security across your entire business. If you want any advice or assistance in making sure your business is ready for GDPR, please contact your Account Manager.

Still hot for firewalls

Our last edition of @Profile covered the importance of good security and protection from malware and ransomware and we think it’s so important we’re going to touch on it again! Unlike us humans, your business’s IT system doesn’t come with its own immune system and, unless properly protected, you are leaving your business open to viruses, malware, ransomware and hacks. The best place to start with protecting your business is a physical firewall, by the time software firewalls that already exist on your server/PC detect a threat, it’s already on your system, whereas hardware firewalls turn threats away at the door. Profile recommends WatchGuard Firebox T series, one of the highest performing UTM (unified threat management) solutions on the market. Speak to your Account Manager if you are at all concerned about your business security.

Read our top 5 tips for ransomware protection here, and be sure to check out our last edition of @Profile for more important information regarding business security.

Split the cost

Did you know that Profile offers finance options on all of our products and services? Our trusted partners at Halo Corporate Finance offer great rates and personal service. Financing is one of the most efficient and rational options for funding computer equipment and software. It’s a method that gives the User a flexible and cost-effective means of keeping pace with technology, while enhancing our product offering.

Financing provides budgetary control, predictability and enhanced cash flow at a time when developments in IT are continually shortening equipment life cycles and speeding up obsolescence. Flexibility of financing is becoming a company’s number one concern, and Profile is able to offer flexible and tax efficient solutions to encompass all aspects of our proposal. A package which includes the total system, software, support and services.

Speak to your Account Manager to discuss your finance options with any order, or to find out more about the benefits of buying through finance.

– The Profile Team

@Profile Autumn 2017 – Don’t get ‘leaved’ behind

Welcome to the Autumn edition of our @Profile newsletter. Sadly the Summer’s end is upon us, Autumn is fast approaching, and like Summer sun, longer days and green leaves on trees, nothing lasts forever – not even software is evergreen! In this edition of @Profile we’ll be discussing the future of some Microsoft Dynamics NAV versions, getting you up to date on GDPR, reiterating the importance of a good firewall for your business security, and finally letting you all know about how you can spread the cost of your new software and hardware with Profile’s finance options.

Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 and 2013 R2 – Moving On

If you currently run Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2, or 2013 R2 then this first section of @Profile is very important to you and we highly recommend reading it carefully. As you know, Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2017 launched last year and Microsoft ended mainstream support for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2009 R2 in January of 2015, well now Microsoft has also recently announced that mainstream support for Microsoft Dynamics NAV 2013 R2 is ending in Jan 2018 too. This means that there will be no more updates for compatability or functionality for this, or any other product not currently supported by Microsoft. What this also means, is that any new legislation that the government enforces will not be supported, and anyone still using these outdated softwares will be caught out and could face huge fines if they aren’t compliant.

If you are using either of the above versions of NAV it is extremely important that you get in touch with your Account Manager and discuss your options for upgrading to NAV 2017, with GDPR coming into play in May 2018, you don’t want to be left behind, as you will not be able to be GDPR compliant with software that doesn’t support it.

GDPR – What, Who, When and Why?

General Data Protection Regulation will be enforceable from 25th May 2018, but what does it mean for you?

What? – GDPR is a new regulation that involves personal data that a company holds about an individual, and the handling of that data within an organisation. If your business is found to be non-compliant, you could be fined up to €20,000,000 or 4% of your annual turnover, whichever is greater. Data can include anything from a name and address, to a phone number or set of bank details, and your handling of that data is key.

Who? – GDPR applies to any organisation who collects data from EU residents or any company who processes data for an organisation in the EU. If you’re based in the EU and you have employees, this will affect you, no matter what your company size.

When? – GDPR is enforceable from 25th May 2018. If you deal with any EU residents data there is no avoiding it.

Why? – GDPR aims to protect the data of EU citizens and ensure companies are handling the data in the correct way to avoid breaches and leaks.

The right to be forgotten – with GDPR in place, a person has the right to request their personal data be removed from a database, and the controller of that data is then obliged to erase it. As a controller, you will have the right to erase data that is no longer necessary or relevant, as long as it is compliant with GDPR.

Microsoft have not yet released their plans for GDPR however as soon as we know we will be updating all of our customers. You should already be thinking about your network security and what your business can do to protect your data to ensure that you are not caught out. Up to date antivirus (Profile recommends ESET or Symantec antivirus solutions) and two-factor password authentication from ESET can drastically decrease the chances of a data breach, and tighten security across your entire business. If you want any advice or assistance in making sure your business is ready for GDPR, please contact your Account Manager.

Still hot for firewalls

Our last edition of @Profile covered the importance of good security and protection from malware and ransomware and we think it’s so important we’re going to touch on it again! Unlike us humans, your business’s IT system doesn’t come with its own immune system and, unless properly protected, you are leaving your business open to viruses, malware, ransomware and hacks. The best place to start with protecting your business is a physical firewall, by the time software firewalls that already exist on your server/PC detect a threat, it’s already on your system, whereas hardware firewalls turn threats away at the door. Profile recommends WatchGuard Firebox T series, one of the highest performing UTM (unified threat management) solutions on the market. Speak to your Account Manager if you are at all concerned about your business security.

Read our top 5 tips for ransomware protection here, and be sure to check out our last edition of @Profile for more important information regarding business security.

Split the cost

Did you know that Profile offers finance options on all of our products and services? Our trusted partners at Halo Corporate Finance offer great rates and personal service. Financing is one of the most efficient and rational options for funding computer equipment and software. It’s a method that gives the User a flexible and cost-effective means of keeping pace with technology, while enhancing our product offering.

Financing provides budgetary control, predictability and enhanced cash flow at a time when developments in IT are continually shortening equipment life cycles and speeding up obsolescence. Flexibility of financing is becoming a company’s number one concern, and Profile is able to offer flexible and tax efficient solutions to encompass all aspects of our proposal. A package which includes the total system, software, support and services.

Speak to your Account Manager to discuss your finance options with any order, or to find out more about the benefits of buying through finance.

– The Profile Team

KCPOS Integrated EPOS solutions

In today’s fluid market, to succeed in retail you need to be able to react quickly to market demands. An integrated till system that links directly to your stock control and accounts package means that you have access to real-time information at the touch of a button. The same principal can be applied to any retail organisation – from one till on one site to multi-till and multi-site and company wide. This enables you to access on-demand business and company information with up to the minute stock control and cash level from all of your outlets.

Profile Technology Services can provide every aspect of a retail system from terminals, receipt printers, customer displays, barcode scanners, chip&pin and cash drawers – not to mention all the other computing hardware that make up our solutions. We offer a variety of hardware to suit your needs, but if you don’t know which selection to choose, our experienced staff can help design and plan a system with you.

[widgetkit id=189]

Industries

KCPOS solutions are perfect for business in a wide range of industries, each with different requirements for a POS and stock solution.

[widgetkit id=190]

To find out how KC solutions can help your business, call 08000 195101 or email sales@Profile.co.uk to talk to an Account Manager.

KC eCommerce Smart Link

Download Brochure

There may be many ways for a customer to interact with your business now, whether it’s via a website or mobile apps, you still want all the data to be available directly in your Pegasus Opera 3 software and KC eCommerce Link is a simple solution that makes that link.

Linking your eCommerce shopping cart to your accounts software has never been easier with KC eCommerce Link, which integrates the popular Opencart eCommerce solution with Opera 3 and also allows for data from your accounts system to be exported to intermediary tables for integration with virtually any online eCommerce or CMS system.

Watch an overview here

By linking to Pegasus Opera 3 with your online shopping cart you will be able to seamlessly link together your online sales and financial records, so all of your data can be synchronised between the two.

Features:

• Always supported – KC Ecommerce Link is compatible with any third party website
• Live, real time data – Information is instantly shared and updated between your website / app / platform and Pegasus Opera 3
• Efficient stock control – all stock data is accessible and controllable through one channel
• Check your history – View and report on your online sales history
• eCommerce solution – integrates OpenCart eCommerce solution with Pegasus Opera 3
• Fully supported by Pegasus Opera 3 – no need for lengthy development times

Visit our KC homepage to discover the whole suite of KC solutions. If you want to find out more about how KC eCommerce link can benefit your online eCommerce platform and Pegasus Opera 3 please contact us at sales@Profile.co.uk or call us on 0800019510.

@Profile Summer 2017 – Safe & Secure Summer Holidays

Welcome to the Summer 2017 edition of our @Profile newsletter. As the summer months roll around a lot of our customers will be finding the time to escape the rat race and go on holiday, but sometimes leaving your work worries at home isn’t as easy as hopping on a plane; with all the recent high-profile IT incidents in the press recently, the integrity of your business might be playing on your mind.

In this newsletter we’ll be telling you our best tips for protecting against malware & ransomware, giving you our best solutions for firewalls and disaster recovery for peace-of-mind-holidays, and meeting one of our Profile engineers with some information about the importance of regular backups.

Keep your business safe from malware & ransomware

In May of this year hundreds of organisations, most notably the NHS, came under attack from ransomware called Wannacry and more recently businesses have been affected by another ransomware called Petya. Ransomware is a type of infection that holds your files at ransom until you pay up, but what can your business do to prevent it? Profile has 5 proven tips that you can follow right now to stay one step ahead of the hackers and keep your business and important files secure:

1. Regularly install patches and updates for Windows and other software
2. Routinely change your passwords
3. Backup your system daily
4. Don’t open emails or attachments you don’t recognise or are unsure about
5. Ensure you have the latest protection solutions

Click here to read these tips in depth with more useful hints

The best defence is a good defence

Unlike us humans, your business’s IT system doesn’t come with its own immune system and, unless properly protected, you are leaving your business open to viruses, malware, ransomware and hacks. The best place to start with protecting your business is a physical firewall, by the time software firewalls that exist on your server/PC detect a threat, it’s already on your system, hardware firewalls turn threats away at the door. Profile recommends WatchGuard Firebox T series, one of the highest performing UTM (unified threat management) solutions on the market.

No matter how good your defences are nobody can account for user error or accidents. Email attachments, files from the internet and even harmless looking downloads could have computer viruses and malware hidden away inside them and once they’ve been let through the door they can quickly spread. Having the latest and best email monitoring & antivirus software and ensuring it is up to date is imperative to keeping yourself and your business safe. Profile recommends ESET or Symantec antivirus software, and Symantec Cloud or MX Relay email monitoring, we can suggest the right protection for your business.

If you are at all worried about your current protection or have recently felt the effects of lacklustre solutions, speak to your Account Manager or call us on 01442 236311 to book a free of charge hardware audit. Our team of Profile engineers are fully equipped to identify and suggest the best ways to fix weak points in your defences.

Disaster recovery

Going on holiday is supposed to be a relaxing break from the stress and worries of work, so the last thing you want is the constant niggling feeling of ‘what if there’s an emergency at work?’ Having a disaster recovery solution ready to go at a moment’s notice alleviates any worries of lost files, downtime, and lost profit. Keeping a backup of your data and server offsite or in the cloud should anything happen means that in the event of any emergency your business continues to run without you needing to panic or end your holiday prematurely.

Disaster can strike at any time to any size company, whether the air con in your server room dies and melts your only server, or you’re an international airline and all your servers are affected by a ‘power surge’, having a regular backup is imperative. British Airways learned the hard way, their system was down and all flights cancelled for the entire day on 27th of May, and as they scrambled to get their backups to work tens of thousands of passengers at Gatwick and Heathrow airports were stranded. No business needs to suffer like that.

If you do not already have disaster recovery in place then we can suggest the best way to implement disaster recovery for your system as part of your free of charge hardware audit.

Meet the team – Perry Quigg

Perry Quigg is one of our knowledgeable Profile Engineers and has worked at Profile for 15 years now.

What is your favourite part of the job?

The complete overhaul of a network infrastructure, installation and configuration of all components from the ground up!

What would be your dream holiday?

Vegas, baby!

So this edition of @Profile is about going away on holiday and not having to worry about the safety of your business, is there anything you can recommend?

Regular backups. I can’t stress enough how important backups are, having a copy of your system accessible in case of emergencies is crucial in recovering lost data, combating malware & ransomware, and in the event of a fire, flood or other unforeseen disaster. You should be backing up your entire system daily and keeping a copy off site, whether that be with a physical tape that you take home with you or an online backup that is stored in the cloud.

Fun fact:

Perry enjoys playing virtual reality video games and owns a HTC Vive VR headset.

If you have any questions about backups, please speak to one of our engineers or your Account Manager.

Exchange Server 2007 and Windows Vista end of life

Microsoft recently announced Exchange Server 2007’s end of life back in April, which means Microsoft will no longer support the 10 year old software with updates or patches. This means that anyone who’s system still runs Exchange Server 2007 is using outdated and unsupported software.

Profile recommends upgrading to Office 365 to ensure your business is not at risk from the vulnerabilities that can come from using out of date software. Speak to your account manager about Office 365 and how it can benefit your business.

In another end of life announcement from Microsoft, Windows Vista is no longer being supported by Microsoft as of April 2017. Like Exchange Server 2007, without the latest security patches from Microsoft, you’re putting the safety of your system in jeopardy and following the steps laid out in this newsletter will be a fruitless endeavour. It’s time for an upgrade!

Windows 10 is Microsoft’s current flagship operating system It’s faster, better, has all the latest features and updates, futureproofs your business with the latest operating system, protects your business with the latest security updates. Speak to your Account Manager about how you can upgrade to Windows 10.

Kind Regards,

-The Profile Team

Zetadocs Approvals Webinar – Watch now!

Zetadocs Approvals offers simple approval of purchase invoices on screen for companies that use Microsoft Dynamics NAV. It is a cloud service built on the highly scalable Microsoft Cloud, managed for you by experts to offer a reliable service at anytime from anywhere. Accessed from all popular browsers, Zetadocs Approvals leads to faster sign?off of purchasing documents for better relationships with suppliers, helping ensure the smooth operation of your supply chain.

Watch the webinar that was originally presented on Thursday 29th June, where Claire Irving demonstrates how Zetadocs Approvals helps you to:

• Handle approval of purchase documents anywhere, anytime on any device
• Monitor, control and accelerate the approval process using the Zetadocs Approvals online portal
• Save time and money by reducing the cost of accounts payable processes

Click below to watch the recorded webinar now

Zetadocs approvals webinar

Zetadocs for NAV is Certified for Microsoft Dynamics NAV, which validates the quality of the solution. Zetadocs works with NAV, however you use NAV.

Over 5,000 companies are already using Zetadocs for NAV, watch this webinar to find out why.