Category: Software

Windows 10 End of Life: What UK Businesses Must Do Before 14 October 2026

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Windows 10 stopped receiving free security updates on 14 October 2025. Businesses can pay Microsoft for Extended Security Updates (ESU), but the first year of cover ends on 13 October 2026, the price doubles for year two, and joining late means paying for every year you missed. For almost every business the cheaper and safer answer is to upgrade eligible PCs to Windows 11, which is still free, and replace the rest.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. ESU dates and pricing checked against Microsoft’s Extended Security Updates documentation and partner coverage dates on that date.

In this guide

What does Windows 10 end of life mean?

Windows 10 reached its end of support on 14 October 2025. Since then Microsoft has stopped releasing free security updates, bug fixes and technical support for it. The PCs still switch on and work, but every vulnerability discovered since that date stays open unless the device is enrolled in paid Extended Security Updates.

That matters because attackers look for exactly this. Unpatched operating systems are one of the easiest ways into a business network, and the list of known, unfixed Windows 10 flaws grows every month.

What changes on 14 October 2026?

Two deadlines land together in October 2026, and both affect businesses:

DateWhat happensWho it affects
13 October 2026Year one of Windows 10 Extended Security Updates endsBusinesses paying for ESU on Windows 10 PCs
14 October 2026Year two of ESU begins, at double the year-one priceAnyone who wants Windows 10 security updates to continue
13 October 2026Windows 11 version 24H2 stops receiving security updates on Home and ProBusinesses that upgraded to Windows 11 but have not updated since
ESU coverage dates from Microsoft’s partner documentation; Windows 11 dates from Microsoft’s release information.

The last row catches out businesses that think they are finished. Upgrading to Windows 11 is not a one-off: each annual version has its own support end date. Our Windows 11 for business guide lists every version and date.

How much do Windows 10 Extended Security Updates cost?

For businesses, Microsoft charges $61 per device for year one, and the price doubles every year for a maximum of three years. Microsoft publishes business ESU pricing in US dollars only; if you buy through a UK Microsoft partner you will be invoiced in pounds at the partner’s price.

ESU yearCover runsPrice per device (Microsoft list)Cumulative cost if you join this year
Year one15 October 2025 to 13 October 2026$61$61
Year two14 October 2026 to 12 October 2027$122$183 (years one and two)
Year three13 October 2027 to 10 October 2028$244$427 (all three years)
Sources: Microsoft Learn, Extended Security Updates for Windows 10, and Partner Center ESU coverage dates.

The column on the right is the part most businesses miss. Microsoft states that ESUs are cumulative: “If you decide to purchase the program in Year Two, you have to pay for Year One too.” So a PC that joins ESU in October 2026 costs three times the year-one price, just to stay patched until October 2027. Devices must also be running Windows 10 version 22H2 to receive ESU updates.

For comparison, the Windows 11 upgrade itself costs nothing on an eligible PC. On most machines, ESU only makes sense for a device that genuinely cannot be moved yet, such as one running software that has no Windows 11 version.

There is one exception worth knowing: Windows 10 virtual machines in Windows 365 and Azure Virtual Desktop get ESU at no extra cost, and Windows 10 PCs connecting to Windows 365 Cloud PCs are covered while the subscription is active.

What are your options?

Every Windows 10 PC in your business falls into one of three groups:

OptionWhen it fitsCostWatch out for
Upgrade to Windows 11The PC meets Microsoft’s requirementsFree licence; time to plan and testCheck business applications and printers first
Replace the PCThe PC fails the requirements or is near the end of its lifeNew hardwareBuy to a sensible spec so it lasts five years
Pay for ESUThe PC cannot move yet for a specific reasonDoubles each year and is cumulativeA bridge, not a plan; ends in October 2028

Microsoft confirms the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs. Your data, applications and settings normally carry across, although we always recommend testing business-critical software on a pilot machine first.

Can your PCs run Windows 11?

A PC needs to meet all of Microsoft’s Windows 11 requirements:

  • A compatible 64-bit processor on Microsoft’s supported list. For the current versions of Windows 11 that broadly means Intel 8th generation Core or AMD Ryzen 3000 series and newer.
  • At least 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage.
  • UEFI firmware with Secure Boot capability.
  • Trusted Platform Module (TPM) 2.0.
  • A DirectX 12 compatible graphics card with a WDDM 2.0 driver.

Many business PCs bought since around 2018 pass, and sometimes the only blocker is TPM or Secure Boot switched off in the firmware settings, which is a quick fix. Microsoft’s free PC Health Check app will tell you for a single machine. For a whole office, your IT provider can pull a report across every device at once.

Treat the minimums as a floor. For business use we recommend at least 16GB of RAM and a solid-state drive, so a PC that only just passes may still be worth replacing.

What are the risks of staying on Windows 10?

Staying on Windows 10 without ESU creates problems well beyond the PC itself:

  • Unpatched vulnerabilities. Every security flaw found since October 2025 stays open, and attackers actively scan for unsupported systems.
  • Cyber Essentials. The current requirements say unsupported software must be removed or isolated from the internet in a separate sub-set. A Windows 10 PC without ESU is unsupported software, so it will fail the assessment if it is in scope. See our Cyber Essentials requirements guide.
  • Cyber insurance. Insurers commonly ask whether your systems are supported and patched. An unsupported operating system can make a claim harder, so check your policy wording.
  • Software support. Microsoft 365 Apps still receive security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but Microsoft treats Windows 10 as unsupported for them and feature updates end with Version 2608. Other vendors are withdrawing support too.

How should a business plan the move?

With the ESU price about to double, the aim is to have as few Windows 10 PCs as possible left by 13 October 2026, and a firm date for the rest. A practical plan:

  1. Audit every device: its age, processor, TPM, RAM, disk and whether it is still on Windows 10.
  2. Sort into upgrade, replace or bridge. Only put a device on ESU if there is a specific reason it cannot move yet, and write that reason down.
  3. Test first: line-of-business software, printers, scanners and VPN on one or two pilot machines.
  4. Back up anything stored locally, and make sure OneDrive is syncing desktops and documents.
  5. Roll out in waves, out of hours where possible, so nobody loses a working day.
  6. Harden as you go: turn on BitLocker, check multi-factor authentication and bring devices under central management.
  7. Keep Windows 11 current, so PCs move to each new version before the old one loses support.

ATS Connection handles Windows 10 to 11 migrations for businesses across Sussex and the UK, from the device audit to the rollout, as part of our managed IT services or as a one-off IT consultancy project. If you are not sure where you stand, our free IT review covers your devices, network and Microsoft 365, and tells you plainly what to fix first. You can also call us on 01903 255 159.

Frequently asked questions

Is Windows 10 still supported?

No. Windows 10 reached end of support on 14 October 2025. It only receives security updates on devices enrolled in Microsoft’s paid Extended Security Updates programme.

When does Windows 10 ESU year one end?

Year one of Extended Security Updates covers 15 October 2025 to 13 October 2026. Year two runs from 14 October 2026 to 12 October 2027, and year three ends on 10 October 2028.

How much does Windows 10 ESU cost for a business?

Microsoft lists business ESU at $61 per device for year one, doubling each year to $122 and then $244. It is cumulative, so a device that joins in year two costs $183 in total. Microsoft publishes these prices in US dollars; UK partners invoice in pounds.

Can I still upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 for free?

Yes. Microsoft states that the upgrade from Windows 10 to Windows 11 is free on eligible PCs.

Will Windows 10 pass Cyber Essentials?

Not without Extended Security Updates. Cyber Essentials requires software in scope to be supported by its vendor, so an unsupported Windows 10 PC must be upgraded, covered by ESU, removed, or isolated from the internet in a separate sub-set.

What happens if I do nothing?

The PCs keep working, but they receive no security fixes, which makes them an easy target, can cause a Cyber Essentials failure and may complicate an insurance claim. The longer you wait, the more ESU costs if you need it.

Does Microsoft 365 still work on Windows 10?

Yes, for now. Microsoft 365 Apps receive security updates on Windows 10 until 10 October 2028, but Microsoft treats Windows 10 as unsupported for them and feature updates end with Version 2608.

Sources

Microsoft 365 Business Premium UK (2026): What’s Included, Price and Is It Worth It?

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Microsoft 365 Business Premium costs £16.90 per user per month in the UK on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. It is Business Standard plus Microsoft’s security layer: Conditional Access (Entra ID P1), device management (Intune), Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview data protection. For a business that holds client or financial data it is usually worth the extra £6.10 per user over Standard, but only once those security features are actually configured, because most are not switched on out of the box.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK Business Premium page and security add-on pricing on that date. Microsoft changes prices and features from time to time, so confirm before you buy.

In this guide

What is Microsoft 365 Business Premium?

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the top Microsoft 365 plan for businesses with up to 300 users. It includes everything in Business Standard, the desktop Office apps, business email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive per user, and adds the identity, device and threat protection tools that the cheaper plans leave out.

Microsoft describes the extra as four things: policy-based identity and access management, device security and management, advanced threat protection against phishing and malware, and discovery and protection of sensitive data. In product terms that is Entra ID P1, Intune Plan 1, Defender for Business, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 and Purview Information Protection with data loss prevention.

The 300-user limit applies across all the Business plans combined. Above that, organisations move to the enterprise plans such as Microsoft 365 E3 and E5.

How much does Business Premium cost in the UK?

Business Premium is £16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT. These are Microsoft’s current UK list prices:

VersionAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)
Business Premium£16.90£20.28
Business Premium (no Teams)£14.40£17.28
Business Premium with Copilot£24.60Not shown
Business Premium with Copilot (no Teams)£22.10Not shown
UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK Business Premium, compare and Copilot pricing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

Three things are worth knowing about the price:

  • It was not part of the July 2026 rise. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium, so the step up from Standard is now £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices. Existing customers see new prices at their next renewal.
  • Monthly subscriptions cost 20% more. An annual subscription is cheaper but generally cannot be reduced until renewal.
  • Microsoft’s compare page now shows the Copilot versions. The plain £16.90 plan is listed on the Business Premium page itself, which is why some people think Premium now costs £24.60.

For the full price list across Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business, see our guide to Microsoft 365 business prices in the UK.

What does Business Premium include?

Business Premium includes everything in Business Standard plus five security products. This table shows what each part does and whether Standard has it:

FeatureWhat it doesIn Business Standard?
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, TeamsDesktop, web and mobile apps, chat and meetingsYes
Exchange email100GB mailboxYes (100GB)
Email archiveAuto-expanding archive up to 1.5TB50GB archive
OneDrive and SharePoint1TB of storage per user plus shared team sitesYes
Entra ID P1Conditional Access: rules for who can sign in, from where and on what deviceNo
Intune Plan 1Enrol, configure, update and wipe laptops and phonesNo
Defender for BusinessAntivirus plus endpoint detection and response on company devicesNo
Defender for Office 365 Plan 1Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing for email and TeamsPartly: Microsoft is adding basic time-of-click link checks to Standard, rolling out from summer 2026
Purview Information Protection and DLPSensitivity labels, encryption and rules that stop sensitive data leavingNo
Windows AutopilotNew laptops set themselves up for your business at first sign-inNo
Azure Virtual Desktop rightsLicence to use Microsoft’s hosted Windows desktops (you still pay for the Azure capacity)No
From Microsoft’s UK Business Premium and compare pages, the Exchange Online limits service description and Microsoft Learn licensing pages, checked 30 September 2026.

What do the Business Premium security features actually do?

Each security feature in Business Premium closes a specific gap that Business Standard leaves open. This is what they mean in day-to-day terms.

Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)

Conditional Access lets you set rules for every sign-in. Typical rules are: always require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from countries you do not work in, block older email apps that cannot do multi-factor authentication, and only allow access to company data from devices you manage. Without it, the free security defaults give you basic multi-factor authentication but none of the control over where and from what device people sign in.

Device management (Intune)

Intune manages the laptops and phones that access your data. It can require encryption and a screen lock, push Windows and Office updates on a schedule, install the apps staff need, and remotely wipe a lost or stolen laptop. Combined with Conditional Access, it means a personal device that does not meet your rules simply cannot open company email or files. Our guide to Microsoft Intune covers it in more detail.

Defender for Business

Defender for Business is endpoint protection for up to 300 users. As well as antivirus, it includes endpoint detection and response, which watches for suspicious behaviour such as ransomware encrypting files, and automated investigation and remediation that can quarantine malicious files and stop harmful processes, plus the option to isolate a compromised device from the network. It also reports on missing updates and weak settings across your devices.

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1

Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 checks links at the moment someone clicks them (Safe Links), opens attachments in a sandbox before delivery (Safe Attachments) and adds impersonation protection, which helps catch emails pretending to come from your managing director or a regular supplier. That matters because payment diversion fraud usually starts with a convincing email.

Purview Information Protection and data loss prevention

Purview lets you label documents and emails as, for example, Confidential, and encrypt them so only the right people can open them, even if they are forwarded outside the business. Data loss prevention rules can warn or block when someone tries to send data such as bank details or National Insurance numbers to an outside address.

Does Business Premium help with Cyber Essentials?

Business Premium does not give you Cyber Essentials on its own, but it contains a tool for each of the five technical controls, which makes it much easier to meet them and show the assessor evidence. The Cyber Essentials requirements, version 3.3, which apply to assessments started from 27 April 2026, state that cloud services such as Microsoft 365 cannot be excluded from scope, that sign-in to cloud services must always use multi-factor authentication, and that high-risk and critical updates must be applied within 14 days.

This mapping is our own view from preparing clients for assessment, not an official Microsoft or NCSC mapping:

Cyber Essentials controlBusiness Premium tool that helpsWhat it does not cover
FirewallsIntune can enforce the Windows firewall on every deviceYour office router or firewall
Secure configurationIntune security baselines and compliance policiesServers and other devices Intune does not manage
Security update managementIntune update rings for Windows and Microsoft 365 Apps; Defender for Business reports missing updatesThird-party apps usually need extra tooling or a clear process
User access controlConditional Access for multi-factor authentication; Entra ID for separate admin accountsAccounts on other cloud services you use
Malware protectionDefender for Business on every enrolled deviceDevices that are not enrolled
Our own analysis of the Cyber Essentials requirements for IT infrastructure v3.3 against Business Premium features. The requirements themselves are set by the NCSC.

See our Cyber Essentials requirements checklist for the full list, and our guide to what Cyber Essentials costs.

Business Standard or Premium: who needs Business Premium?

Business Premium is the right plan if any of these apply to your business:

  • You hold client, patient or financial data that would cause real harm if it leaked.
  • Staff work from home or on the move, on laptops that leave the office.
  • People use their own phones for work email.
  • You have Cyber Essentials, or a client, insurer or tender is asking for it.
  • You are regulated, for example by the SRA or FCA, and need to show how data is protected.

Business Standard can be enough for a very small business with no sensitive data, office-based staff on company-owned PCs, and another security product already covering its devices and email. In our experience that describes fewer businesses than people expect.

You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and occasional users, such as part-time or site staff who mainly need email and Teams, on Business Basic. Each user who is protected by Conditional Access or managed by Intune needs a licence that includes it, so mixing works best when the people touching sensitive data are all on Premium.

What are the Business Premium add-ons?

Microsoft now sells two security add-ons that only work with Business Premium: the Defender Suite and the Purview Suite. Microsoft introduced them in September 2025, and the Defender Suite replaced the earlier Microsoft 365 E5 Security add-on for Business Premium. UK Microsoft partners can sell both.

Add-onUK price (annual, per user, per month)What it adds
Defender Suite for Business Premium£7.70Entra ID P2 (risk-based sign-in protection), Defender for Endpoint Plan 2, Defender for Office 365 Plan 2, Defender for Identity, Defender for Cloud Apps
Purview Suite for Business Premium£7.70eDiscovery (Premium), Audit (Premium), Insider Risk Management, Communication Compliance, Compliance Manager
Defender and Purview Suites for Business Premium£11.50Both of the above
UK prices excluding VAT from Microsoft’s UK security add-on pricing page, checked 30 September 2026. Each add-on requires Business Premium.

Most small businesses do not need either add-on. The Defender Suite makes sense where account takeover would be very costly, for example a firm that moves client money. The Purview Suite suits firms that need to search, hold and audit email and files for legal or regulatory reasons. Microsoft’s Security Copilot is not part of Business Premium or these add-ons; Microsoft is including it with Microsoft 365 E5.

Is Business Premium with Copilot worth it?

Business Premium with Copilot costs £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription and bundles Microsoft 365 Copilot, the version that works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email. Buying Premium at £16.90 and the Copilot Business add-on at £16.10 separately would come to £33.00 at list price, or £30.70 during Microsoft’s promotional offer on the add-on (first year only, for existing Business customers, until 31 December 2026), by our arithmetic.

So the bundle is the cheaper route for people who will use Copilot every day. For everyone else, plain Premium plus Copilot Chat, which is included at no extra cost, is usually enough. Before switching Copilot on, tidy up file permissions: Copilot can find anything a user already has access to, so overshared folders become visible very quickly.

What should you set up first in Business Premium?

Buying Business Premium does not make you more secure until the features are configured. These are the first things we set up for clients moving to Premium:

  1. Multi-factor authentication for everyone through Conditional Access, with a separate, protected emergency admin account so you cannot lock yourself out.
  2. Block legacy authentication, which lets older email apps sign in without multi-factor authentication.
  3. Separate admin accounts, so nobody reads email while signed in with global administrator rights.
  4. Enrol every company device in Intune, with compliance rules for encryption, supported Windows versions and Defender being switched on.
  5. Onboard devices to Defender for Business and check they report in.
  6. Turn on Microsoft’s preset security policies for Safe Links, Safe Attachments and anti-phishing.
  7. Require a compliant device for access to company email and files once enrolment is complete.
  8. Add sensitivity labels and data loss prevention for the data that matters most, starting small.

We license, set up and manage Microsoft 365 for businesses across Sussex and beyond. Licences are billed at cost, and the configuration and ongoing management sit within our fixed monthly IT support price. See our Microsoft 365 services, or take the free IT security review to check who holds the keys to your systems today.

Frequently asked questions

How much is Microsoft 365 Business Premium per user in the UK?

£16.90 per user per month on an annual subscription, excluding VAT, or £20.28 on a monthly subscription. The version without Teams is £14.40, and Business Premium with Copilot is £24.60, both on an annual subscription.

What does Business Premium have that Business Standard does not?

Business Premium adds Entra ID P1 for Conditional Access, Intune device management, Defender for Business endpoint protection, Defender for Office 365 Plan 1 email protection, Purview sensitivity labels and data loss prevention, and an email archive of up to 1.5TB.

Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It costs £6.10 more per user per month than Business Standard at UK list prices and is the only Microsoft 365 Business plan that includes Intune, Conditional Access and endpoint detection and response. The value depends on the features being configured.

Does Microsoft 365 Business Premium include antivirus?

Yes. Business Premium includes Defender for Business, which provides antivirus plus endpoint detection and response for up to 300 users on Windows, Mac, iOS and Android devices.

Does Business Premium give you Cyber Essentials?

No. Cyber Essentials is a separate certification with its own assessment. Business Premium includes tools that help meet all five technical controls, including multi-factor authentication for cloud services, but they must be configured and the assessment passed separately.

Did Business Premium go up in price in 2026?

No. Microsoft’s 1 July 2026 price increase applied to Business Basic and Business Standard but not to Business Premium.

How many users can have Business Premium?

Up to 300 users in total across the Microsoft 365 Business plans. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

Sources

Microsoft 365 Business Prices UK (2026): Every Plan Compared

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Microsoft 365 for business costs £5.40 per user per month for Business Basic, £10.80 for Business Standard and £16.90 for Business Premium, on an annual subscription and excluding VAT. Apps for business is £9.80. Paying on a monthly subscription instead costs 20% more. For most businesses that hold client data, Business Premium is the plan worth paying for, because it is the only one that includes device management and proper threat protection.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Prices checked against Microsoft’s UK compare plans page and plan pages on that date. Microsoft changes prices from time to time, so always confirm before you buy.

In this guide

Microsoft 365 business prices at a glance

These are Microsoft’s published UK list prices for the four Microsoft 365 business plans. All four are capped at 300 users.

PlanAnnual subscription (per user, per month)Monthly subscription (per user, per month)No-Teams version (annual)
Microsoft 365 Business Basic£5.40£6.48£4.20
Microsoft 365 Business Standard£10.80£12.96£8.30
Microsoft 365 Business Premium£16.90£20.28£14.40
Microsoft 365 Apps for business£9.80£11.76Not applicable (no Teams)
UK list prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026.

Microsoft also now sells Standard and Premium with Copilot built in: Business Standard with Copilot at £18.10 and Business Premium with Copilot at £24.60 per user per month on an annual subscription. Microsoft’s UK compare page currently shows the Copilot versions of Standard and Premium, so the plain versions are easiest to find on each plan’s own page.

If you have more than 300 users, you move to the enterprise plans. Microsoft lists Microsoft 365 E3 at £33.50 and E5 at £51.60 per user per month (annual, excluding VAT).

What changed on 1 July 2026?

Microsoft raised the price of Business Basic and Business Standard on 1 July 2026, while Business Premium stayed the same. The change was announced in December 2025 and applied worldwide. These are the UK prices now, with the size of each increase:

PlanUK price now (annual, per user per month)Change on 1 July 2026
Business Basic£5.40Up about 17%
Business Standard£10.80Up 12%
Business Premium£16.90No change
Microsoft 365 E3£33.50Up about 8%
Microsoft 365 E5£51.60Up about 5%
UK prices excluding VAT, from Microsoft’s UK plan pages, checked 29 September 2026. Microsoft set the increase globally; the percentages are calculated from its published list prices before and after 1 July 2026.

Three details matter if you already pay for Microsoft 365:

  • Existing customers keep their current price until renewal. The new price applies when your annual term renews, so check your renewal date.
  • Basic and Standard gained features. Microsoft added extra mailbox capacity and time-of-click protection against malicious links to both plans alongside the increase.
  • The gap to Premium has narrowed. With Premium unchanged, the step up from Standard now costs £6.10 per user per month at UK list prices.

Is it cheaper to pay monthly or annually?

Annual is cheaper. Microsoft offers three ways to pay, and the difference is worth knowing before you commit:

How you buyCommitmentPrice effectBusiness Premium example
Annual subscription, paid yearly12 monthsLowest price£16.90 per user per month
Annual subscription, paid monthly12 months5% more (since 1 April 2025)About £17.75 (our calculation)
Monthly subscriptionMonth to month20% more£20.28 per user per month
The 20% monthly-subscription price is published by Microsoft. Microsoft announced the 5% uplift for annual subscriptions billed monthly in November 2024; the Premium example is our own arithmetic.

The trade-off is flexibility. On an annual subscription you can add licences at any time but generally cannot reduce them until renewal. A monthly subscription lets you drop licences when someone leaves. For a stable team, annual wins. For seasonal staff or a business about to shrink, a mix of the two is often the sensible answer.

What does each Microsoft 365 business plan include?

Every plan includes business email (except Apps for business), 1TB of OneDrive storage per user and Copilot Chat. The real differences are desktop apps and security.

FeatureBasicStandardPremiumApps for business
Word, Excel, PowerPoint, OutlookWeb and mobile onlyDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobileDesktop, web and mobile
Business email (Exchange)100GB mailbox100GB mailbox100GB mailbox, archive up to 1.5TBNot included
OneDrive storage1TB1TB1TB1TB
TeamsWith or withoutWith or withoutWith or withoutNot included
Device management (Intune)NoNoYesNo
Conditional Access (Entra ID P1)NoNoYesNo
Defender for Business (endpoint protection)NoNoYesNo
Data loss prevention and sensitivity labels (Purview)NoNoYesNo
Maximum users300300300300
From Microsoft’s UK compare page and the Exchange Online service description, checked 29 September 2026.

If you want to understand what the security features in Premium actually do, we have separate guides to Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra ID.

Basic, Standard or Premium: which should you choose?

Choose on how you work and what data you hold, not on price alone. This is how we advise our own clients:

Business Basic: email, Teams and files, in the browser

Basic suits people who work mostly in email and Teams and rarely need the full desktop versions of Word or Excel, such as site staff, part-timers or volunteers. It is also a sensible way to give a shared mailbox user a proper account without paying for desktop apps.

Business Standard: the full Office apps

Standard adds the desktop apps. It suits office-based teams who live in Excel and Outlook. The catch is that it has no device management and only the free tier of Entra ID, so you cannot enforce security on the laptops and phones that access your data.

Business Premium: Standard plus the security

Premium is Standard plus Intune, Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview. In practice that means you can require multi-factor authentication, block sign-ins from unmanaged devices, wipe a lost laptop, and stop client files being shared outside the business. If you handle client, patient or financial data, or you are working towards Cyber Essentials, Premium is the plan we recommend. Since April 2026, Cyber Essentials automatically fails any business that has not turned on multi-factor authentication for its cloud services where it is available, and Premium makes that far easier to enforce and prove.

Apps for business: desktop apps without email

Apps for business is only the Office apps and OneDrive. It fits businesses that run email elsewhere. For most small businesses, Standard costs only a little more and includes email and Teams.

You can mix plans. Many businesses put office staff on Premium and frontline or occasional users on Basic. You pay for what each person needs, provided everyone who touches sensitive data is on a plan that can be secured properly.

Do you need Teams or Copilot?

Microsoft sells every business plan with or without Teams. The no-Teams versions save £1.20 to £2.50 per user per month, which only makes sense if you already pay for another meetings and chat platform. Existing customers can keep renewing their plans with Teams.

Copilot Chat is included in all business plans. The full Microsoft 365 Copilot, which works inside Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams using your own files and email, costs extra: Microsoft 365 Copilot Business is £16.10 per user per month on an annual subscription, with an introductory price of £13.80 for the first year on annual subscriptions bought by 31 December 2026. Alternatively, buy Standard or Premium with Copilot built in.

Our advice is to license Copilot for the people who will use it daily rather than the whole company, and to tidy up file permissions first. Copilot can surface anything a user has access to, so overshared folders become a real problem the day it is switched on.

What costs does the Microsoft price list not show?

The licence is rarely the whole cost of running Microsoft 365 properly. Budget for these as well:

  • VAT. Every Microsoft UK price is quoted excluding VAT.
  • Backup. Microsoft keeps your data available and offers retention settings, but retention is not the same as an independent backup you control. Most businesses add a third-party Microsoft 365 backup.
  • Setup and security configuration. Premium’s security features do nothing until they are configured. MFA, Conditional Access policies, device enrolment and data loss prevention all need setting up and maintaining.
  • Migration. Moving from another email system or old file server is a project in its own right.
  • Buying route. Prices through Microsoft partners can differ from Microsoft’s list prices, and partner-billed licences may come with different terms.

When we manage Microsoft 365 for a client, the licences are billed at cost and the management sits in our fixed monthly IT support price. You can see exactly how that works on our Microsoft 365 services page, or use the IT support cost calculator for a figure for your own team.

Charities pay much less: Business Basic is free for up to 300 users and Premium is heavily discounted. See our guide to Microsoft 365 for charities.

Frequently asked questions

How much does Microsoft 365 cost per user in the UK?

At UK list prices, excluding VAT, on an annual subscription: Business Basic £5.40, Business Standard £10.80, Business Premium £16.90 and Apps for business £9.80 per user per month. A monthly subscription costs 20% more.

Did Microsoft 365 prices go up in 2026?

Yes. From 1 July 2026 Microsoft raised Business Basic and Business Standard, along with the E3 and E5 enterprise plans. Business Premium did not change. Existing customers move to the new price at their next renewal.

What is the difference between Microsoft 365 Business Standard and Business Premium?

Both include the desktop Office apps, email, Teams and 1TB of OneDrive. Premium adds Intune device management, Entra ID P1 Conditional Access, Defender for Business and Purview data protection, plus an archive of up to 1.5TB. Premium is the plan to choose if you need to secure devices and client data.

What is the difference between Business Basic and Business Standard?

Business Basic gives web and mobile versions of Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook. Business Standard adds the full desktop apps. Email, Teams and OneDrive storage are the same on both.

Are Microsoft 365 prices shown with or without VAT?

Microsoft’s UK business prices are shown excluding VAT, so add 20% if your business is not VAT registered.

How many users can have Microsoft 365 Business?

Microsoft 365 Business Basic, Standard, Premium and Apps for business are each limited to 300 users. Larger organisations use the enterprise plans such as E3 and E5.

Is Microsoft 365 Business Premium worth it for a small business?

For most small businesses that hold client or financial data, yes. It is the only business plan that lets you manage and secure devices, enforce multi-factor authentication through Conditional Access and protect against malware and data leaks, and at current UK list prices it costs £6.10 more per user per month than Standard.

Sources

Turn off focused inbox in Outlook

Posted on by Jake Boase

Using Outlook at work? Rolling a setting like this out across a whole team, rather than one mailbox at a time, is part of Microsoft 365 management.

Are you tired of your Outlook app automatically sorting your emails into a “focused” inbox and an “other” inbox? While some people find this feature helpful, others prefer to have full control over their inbox organisation. If you fall into the latter category, you’ll be pleased to know that turning off the focused inbox in Outlook is a simple process.

In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to disable the focused inbox feature in Outlook across various platforms, including Windows, web, Mac, and mobile. So let’s get started and regain control of your email workflow!

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Windows
  3. How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Web
  4. How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Mac
  5. How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Mobile
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQ

Introduction

Outlook, a part of Microsoft Office suite, automatically categories your incoming emails into two sections – a “focused” inbox for important emails and an “other” inbox for less important ones. While this feature can be beneficial for some users, it may not align with everyone’s preferences or workflow.

Fortunately, Outlook provides an option to disable the focused inbox, allowing you to view all your emails in a single unified inbox. In the following sections, we will guide you step-by-step on how to turn off the focused inbox feature in Outlook across different platforms.

How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Windows

If you are using Outlook on a Windows computer, follow these steps to disable the focused inbox:

  1. Launch the Outlook application on your Windows computer.
  2. Click on the View tab located at the top of the Outlook window.
  3. In the View tab, locate and click on the Show Focused Inbox button.
  4. By clicking on the Show Focused Inbox button, the “Focused” and “Other” tabs will disappear from the top of your mailbox.

It’s that simple! You have successfully turned off the focused inbox feature in Outlook for Windows.

How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Web

If you prefer to use Outlook on the web, here’s how you can disable the focused inbox:

  1. Access your Outlook account through a web browser.
  2. Click on the Settings button, usually represented by a gear icon, located at the top right corner of the Outlook window.
  3. In the settings menu, click on Display settings.
  4. Locate the Focused Inbox section and select the Don’t sort messages option under the When email is received subtitle.
  5. Click on OK to save the changes.

Congratulations! You have now turned off the focused inbox feature in Outlook for the web.

How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Mac

Mac users can follow these instructions to disable the focused inbox feature in Outlook:

  1. Open the Outlook application on your Mac.
  2. Navigate to the Organise tab located at the top of the Outlook window.
  3. Under the Organize tab, select the Focused Inbox option.
  4. Once you click on the Focused Inbox option, the “Focused” and “Other” mailbox tabs will disappear, leaving you with a single unified inbox.

Well done! You have successfully disabled the focused inbox feature in Outlook for Mac.

How to Turn Off Focused Inbox in Outlook for Mobile

If you primarily use Outlook on your mobile device, here’s how you can turn off the focused inbox:

  1. Launch the Outlook app on your mobile device.
  2. Tap the menu button, usually represented by three horizontal lines, located at the top of the screen.
  3. Select the Settings button from the menu.
  4. Locate the Focused Inbox option in the settings menu and slide the toggle switch to the Off position.

Great job! You have now turned off the focused inbox feature in Outlook for mobile.

Conclusion

In summary, the focused inbox feature in Outlook can be a useful tool for organising your emails, but it may not suit everyone’s preferences or workflow. If you find that the focused inbox is causing more hassle than convenience, you can easily turn it off.

Whether you are using Outlook on Windows, web, Mac, or mobile, we have provided step-by-step instructions to help you disable the focused inbox feature across various platforms. By following these instructions, you can regain control of your email organisation and view all your emails in a single unified inbox.

FAQ

Q: Will turning off the focused inbox affect how my emails are sorted? A: Yes, disabling the focused inbox feature will remove the “Focused” and “Other” tabs, and all your emails will be displayed in a single unified inbox without any automatic sorting.

Q: Can I enable the focused inbox again if I change my mind? A: Absolutely! If you decide to give the focused inbox another try, you can easily re-enable it by following the same steps outlined in this guide, but selecting the appropriate option to turn it on.

Q: Will turning off the focused inbox affect any other features or settings in Outlook? A: No, disabling the focused inbox only affects how your emails are organised and displayed. All other features and settings in Outlook will remain unchanged.

Q: Are there any alternatives to the focused inbox feature in Outlook? A: Yes, if you prefer a different way of organising your emails, Outlook offers various features and tools such as rules, filters, and categories that can help you customise your email management according to your preferences.

Get in touch

Sharepoint: Empowering Collaboration and Streamlining Workflows

Posted on by Jake Boase

In today’s fast-paced and interconnected business environment, efficient collaboration and streamlined workflows are essential for success. To meet these demands, businesses are turning to Sharepoint, a powerful collaboration platform offered by Microsoft.

SharePoint enables teams to work together seamlessly, share information, and automate business processes, ultimately boosting productivity and driving business growth.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the fundamentals of Sharepoint, its benefits, and its various applications.

We will also delve into the latest features and updates in Sharepoint 2019, highlighting its enhanced capabilities and improved user experience.

So, whether you are new to SharePoint or looking to optimise your existing implementation, this guide will provide you with valuable insights and practical tips to leverage the full potential of Sharepoint in your business.

What is SharePoint?

Sharepoint is a collaboration system that empowers business teams to work together effectively. It utilises workflow applications, “list” databases, and other web parts and security features to facilitate seamless collaboration and information sharing across the organisation.

SharePoint also offers robust access control mechanisms, allowing businesses to control who can access specific information and automate workflow processes across different business units.

Microsoft offers Sharepoint in both on-premises and cloud-based versions. SharePoint Online, the cloud version, is part of the broader Office 365 suite, which integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft applications. This integration provides users with a comprehensive suite of tools to enhance collaboration, communication, and productivity.

Benefits of Using SharePoint

Implementing SharePoint in your organisation brings numerous benefits, empowering your teams and driving efficiency. Some key benefits of Sharepoint include:

Increased Productivity and Visibility

SharePoint provides a centralised platform where employees can access and collaborate on documents, projects, and tasks. With features like document co-authoring, version control, and real-time updates, SharePoint enables teams to work together more efficiently and effectively. It also offers visibility into project progress, facilitating better coordination and ensuring everyone is on the same page.

Secure Sharing and Content Management

SharePoint’s robust security features allow businesses to control access to sensitive information and protect their data. It enables secure sharing of documents and files within the business, ensuring that only authorised individuals can access and edit them.

Sharepoint also offers extensive content management capabilities, allowing businesses to organise, categorise, and tag documents for easy retrieval.

Workflow Automation

SharePoint enables businesses to automate repetitive and time-consuming tasks through its workflow capabilities. By defining custom workflows, businesses can automate document approvals, notifications, and other routine processes, saving time and reducing the risk of errors. This automation streamlines business operations and enables employees to focus on more strategic tasks.

Customisability and Scalability

SharePoint is highly customisable, allowing businesses to tailor the platform to their specific needs. It offers a wide range of templates, web parts, and integrations that can be customised to match the organisation’s branding and requirements. Sharepoint is also scalable, accommodating organisations of all sizes, from small businesses to large enterprises.

Sharepoint Use Cases

Sharepoint has been widely adopted across various industries and sectors, serving as a versatile platform for collaboration and content management. Some common use cases of SharePoint include:

Intranet and Document Management

SharePoint serves as an efficient intranet platform, enabling businesses to create a centralised hub for company-wide communication and information sharing. It allows employees to access important documents, policies, and announcements, facilitating seamless knowledge sharing and improving internal communication.

Project Management and Team Collaboration

SharePoint provides a collaborative environment for project teams, enabling them to share documents, track project progress, and communicate effectively. With features like task lists, shared calendars, and discussion boards, Sharepoint empowers teams to work together efficiently and ensures everyone is aligned towards project goals.

Records Management and Compliance

SharePoint offers robust records management capabilities, allowing organisations to maintain compliance with regulatory requirements. It provides features like document retention policies, version control, and audit trails, ensuring the integrity and security of important records.

Business Process Automation

SharePoint’s workflow capabilities enable organisations to automate business processes, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. By defining custom workflows, organizations can automate tasks like document approvals, contract management, and employee onboarding, streamlining operations and minimizing errors.

External Collaboration and Client Portals

SharePoint allows businesses to collaborate with external stakeholders, such as clients, partners, and suppliers. It provides secure external sharing capabilities, ensuring that sensitive information is only accessible to authorised individuals. Sharepoint’s client portals enable organisations to provide a personalised and secure platform for clients to access relevant documents and communicate with the organisation.

SharePoint Apps: Extending Functionality

SharePoint offers a wide range of apps that can be integrated with the platform to extend its functionality and cater to specific business needs. These apps can add features and options that are not available in the standard Sharepoint platform. Some popular Sharepoint apps include:

Document Management Apps

Document management apps enhance SharePoint’s document management capabilities by providing additional features like advanced search, metadata tagging, and document analytics. These apps facilitate better organization, retrieval, and analysis of documents, making it easier for employees to find the information they need.

Workflow Automation Apps

Workflow automation apps enable businesses to automate complex business processes and streamline operations. These apps provide intuitive interfaces for designing and deploying workflows, allowing non-technical users to automate tasks without relying on IT support. They can automate processes like document approvals, employee onboarding, and contract management, improving efficiency and reducing manual effort.

Communication and Collaboration Apps

Communication and collaboration apps enhance SharePoint’s collaboration capabilities, enabling teams to communicate and work together seamlessly. These apps provide features like instant messaging, video conferencing, and virtual whiteboards, facilitating real-time collaboration and fostering teamwork.

Custom Development Apps

Custom development apps enable organisations to build custom solutions on top of SharePoint. These apps provide development frameworks, APIs, and tools that allow developers to create tailored solutions that meet specific business requirements. Custom development apps empower businesses to extend Sharepoint’s functionality and integrate it with other systems and applications.

SharePoint 2019: Enhanced Features and Updates

SharePoint 2019 introduces several new features and updates that further enhance its collaboration capabilities and user experience. These updates cater to the evolving needs of modern workplaces, empowering employees to work more efficiently and effectively. Some key features of Sharepoint 2019 include:

Modern Team and Site Pages

SharePoint 2019 introduces modern team and site pages, allowing users to customise their pages with modern web parts. Users can embed videos, incorporate feeds from external sources, and add documents and images to create engaging and interactive pages. These modern pages provide a visually appealing and user-friendly interface for sharing information and collaborating with team members.

Improved Lists and Libraries

Lists and libraries in Sharepoint 2019 have a modern look and feel, providing a faster and more intuitive user experience. Users can easily manage columns, interact with lists and libraries on mobile devices, and gain informative insights from data. The improved lists and libraries also offer advanced features like conditional formatting, making it easier to highlight important information and drive data-driven decision-making.

Enhanced Communication Sites

SharePoint 2019 introduces communication sites, which serve as a platform for sharing news, stories, and announcements within the business. These sites provide a customisable and visually appealing interface for showcasing content and engaging employees. Communication sites can be easily created by users, empowering them to share information and collaborate with colleagues without relying on IT support.

Mobile and Desktop Experience

SharePoint 2019 enhances the mobile experience for users, allowing them to access and engage with the business’s group from anywhere, on any device. The improved Sharepoint mobile app provides a seamless and intuitive interface for accessing documents, sites, and lists on the go. SharePoint 2019 also offers improved sync clients for OneDrive for Business, enabling users to sync files and access them offline.

Expanded Customisation Options

SharePoint 2019 provides expanded customisation options, empowering organisations to tailor the platform to their specific needs. Integration with Power Apps and Power Automate (formerly known as Flow) allows organisations to create custom workflows and automate business processes with ease. Sharepoint 2019 also supports SharePoint Add-Ins, providing a flexible and scalable approach to extending Sharepoint’s functionality.

Hybrid Solutions and Integration

SharePoint 2019 enhances its hybrid capabilities, enabling seamless integration between Sharepoint Online and Sharepoint Server. The improved search function offers an intuitive layout and real-time search results, improving the user experience. Sharepoint 2019 also supports hybrid taxonomy, allowing organisations to maintain a centralised managed metadata term store across both cloud and on-premises deployments.

Compliance and Security Enhancements

SharePoint 2019 extends its compliance capabilities, enabling organisations to effectively manage sensitive content and ensure regulatory compliance. The new version provides automatic content detection, central reporting for incidents, and enhanced sensitive content types. Administrators can search for sensitive information in real-time and apply policy templates to control and monitor content, aligning with industry standards and regulations.

Conclusion

In conclusion, SharePoint is a powerful tool for businesses looking to enhance collaboration, streamline workflows, and improve data management. Its potential is truly transformative. However, realising the full benefits of SharePoint requires expert guidance and support, which is where ATS Connection’s IT Support services come in.

Our team of experienced professionals can help you leverage SharePoint to its maximum potential, ensuring a seamless integration into your business processes.

Whether you’re just starting with SharePoint or looking to optimise your existing setup, ATS Connection is here to provide tailored solutions, ensuring that your technology works for you, not the other way around. Contact us today to explore how we can elevate your business with SharePoint and comprehensive IT Support.

Get in touch

What Is Cyber Security? A Plain-English Guide for UK Businesses (2026)

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: Cyber security is how a business protects its accounts, devices, email, data and online services from being stolen, damaged or disrupted. The National Cyber Security Centre puts it simply: cyber security “helps individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks”. For most UK businesses it comes down to a handful of basics done consistently: multi-factor authentication, up-to-date devices, malware protection, tested backups and staff who can spot a phishing email. It matters because 43% of UK businesses reported a cyber security breach or attack in the last year, according to the government’s latest Cyber Security Breaches Survey.

Last updated: 30 September 2026. Figures checked against the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, NCSC guidance and ICO guidance on that date.

In this guide

What is cyber security?

The NCSC defines cyber security as something that “helps individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks”. It adds that its core function is to defend the digital services and devices we rely on from online threats, including the data and personal information stored on them or in the cloud.

In a business, that means three things:

  • Keeping information private. Only the right people can see client files, financial records and email.
  • Keeping information accurate. Nobody can quietly change bank details on an invoice or tamper with records.
  • Keeping systems available. Email, files and line-of-business systems keep working, and you can recover quickly if they do not.

Cyber security is not only a technology problem. Many successful attacks on small businesses start with a person being tricked, an account without multi-factor authentication or a device that has not been updated. Good cyber security is as much about habits and process as it is about software.

Why is cyber security important for businesses?

Cyber security is important because attacks on UK businesses are common, most of them involve phishing, and the fallout reaches money, clients and legal obligations. These are the headline figures from the government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, published in April 2026:

MeasureUK businessesUK charities
Reported a cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months43%28%
Experienced phishing attacks38%25%
Victims of at least one cyber crime in the last year19%14%
Have a formal incident response plan25%19%
Insured against cyber security risks in some way47%35%
Source: Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026, published 30 April 2026.

Size makes a difference. The same survey found that 42% of micro businesses, 46% of small businesses, 65% of medium businesses and 69% of large businesses reported a breach or attack. The survey only counts breaches that organisations spotted and chose to report, so smaller firms may be under-counting.

The threat at national level is rising too. The NCSC handled 204 nationally significant cyber attacks in the 12 months to August 2025, up from 89 the year before.

For an individual business, the damage usually shows up in four ways:

  • Lost time. Staff locked out of email or files, systems rebuilt, and client work delayed.
  • Lost money. Payment diversion fraud, where a criminal changes the bank details on a genuine-looking invoice, can take a large sum in one transfer.
  • Legal duties. If personal data is involved, a notifiable breach must be reported to the ICO without undue delay and within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, and inadequate security can lead to an ICO fine.
  • Client trust and contracts. More clients, insurers and tenders now ask how you protect data, often by asking for Cyber Essentials.

The survey also shows that most breaches are low cost in direct terms: the median perceived cost of the most disruptive breach was £0 for businesses. The risk sits in the minority of cases that are serious, which is exactly what the basics below are designed to prevent.

What are the main areas of cyber security?

Cyber security is usually split into a few areas, each protecting a different part of the business. For a small business, these are the ones that matter:

AreaWhat it protectsTypical measures for a small business
Identity and accessUser accounts and admin rightsMulti-factor authentication, strong unique passwords, separate admin accounts
Email securityThe inbox, where phishing arrivesFiltering of links and attachments, impersonation protection, staff awareness
Device (endpoint) securityLaptops, desktops and phonesMalware protection, encryption, automatic updates, device management
Network securityOffice internet, Wi-Fi and remote accessA configured firewall, secure Wi-Fi, changed default passwords
Cloud and data securityMicrosoft 365, files and client dataSharing controls, data loss prevention, access reviews
Backup and recoveryYour ability to get back up and runningSeparate, tested backups and a written recovery plan
People and processEveryone who uses your systemsPhishing awareness, clear payment-checking rules, an incident plan
A practical grouping for small and medium businesses. Larger organisations add areas such as application security and security monitoring.

What are the most common cyber threats to UK businesses?

Phishing is by far the most common attack on UK businesses. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey found phishing was the most prevalent type of breach or attack and was seen as the most disruptive by 69% of businesses and charities that had a breach. The threats worth knowing are:

  • Phishing. Fake emails or texts that trick someone into clicking a link, entering a password or opening an attachment. See our guide to how to spot a phishing email.
  • Business email compromise and payment diversion fraud. A criminal gets into, or imitates, a mailbox and redirects a payment. Our article on how conveyancing firms get caught shows how it works.
  • Account takeover. Stolen or guessed passwords used to sign in to Microsoft 365 or other cloud services. Multi-factor authentication is one of the most effective defences, because a stolen password alone is no longer enough.
  • Ransomware. Malicious software that encrypts files and demands payment to unlock them, often after the attackers have copied data out.
  • Malware. Software that steals data or gives attackers remote access, usually arriving by email or a compromised website.
  • Unpatched software. Known weaknesses in out-of-date systems, which attackers scan for automatically.
  • Mistakes. Files shared with the wrong person, lost laptops without encryption and emails sent to the wrong address.

What does good cyber security look like for a small business?

Good cyber security for a small business is a short list of basics, done on every device and every account, and checked regularly. The NCSC’s small organisations guide to cyber security groups them into five areas: securing your email, securing your important online accounts, protecting your devices, backing up your data and spotting cyber attacks.

In practice, that means:

  1. Turn on multi-factor authentication for Microsoft 365, banking, accounting software and anything else that holds business data.
  2. Keep devices and software updated, with automatic updates switched on and anything unsupported replaced.
  3. Run malware protection on every laptop and desktop, and make sure it is reporting in.
  4. Back up important data to a separate location, and test that you can restore it.
  5. Limit admin rights so everyday accounts cannot install software or change security settings.
  6. Configure the firewall and Wi-Fi, and change default passwords on routers and other equipment.
  7. Train staff to spot phishing and to check any change of bank details by phone, using a number you already hold.
  8. Write down what you would do in an attack: who to call, how to isolate a device and how to restore from backup.

Our cyber security best practices guide covers each of these in more detail. The NCSC also offers a free Cyber Action Toolkit for sole traders, micro businesses and small organisations.

What is Cyber Essentials?

Cyber Essentials is the UK government-backed certification that shows a business has the basics in place. The NCSC describes it as “the minimum standard of cyber security recommended by the Government for organisations of all sizes”. It checks five technical controls: firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection.

It is worth having. Only 5% of businesses hold it, according to the breaches survey, yet the NCSC reported in 2024 that data from the insurer that provides cover with the scheme shows certified organisations are 92% less likely to make a cyber insurance claim (see our guide to whether you need cyber insurance for what insurers ask about your IT). Central government and NHS contracts that involve personal data or certain IT services require it, and a growing number of other buyers ask suppliers for it.

See our Cyber Essentials requirements and checklist and our guide to what Cyber Essentials costs. For a real example, read how we helped Repaircraft achieve Cyber Essentials Plus.

What are the UK rules on cyber security?

There is no single cyber security law for small businesses, but several rules require you to protect data and report serious incidents:

  • UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018. Any business holding personal data must keep it secure. A notifiable personal data breach must be reported to the ICO without undue delay and within 72 hours of becoming aware of it. UK GDPR fines can reach £17.5 million or 4% of worldwide turnover, whichever is higher, for the most serious infringements, and £8.7 million or 2% for failures such as inadequate security or not reporting a breach. Our free GDPR health check is a quick way to see where your business stands.
  • Sector rules. Regulators set their own expectations, for example the SRA for law firms (see does the SRA require Cyber Essentials) and the Data Security and Protection Toolkit for care providers (see our DSPT guide for care homes).
  • The Cyber Security and Resilience Bill. This bill would update the UK’s rules for essential and digital services and would bring medium and large managed service providers into scope, with an initial incident notification to the regulator within 24 hours and a fuller report within 72 hours. It is still going through the House of Lords and is not yet law.

What should you do if your business is attacked?

If you think your business is under attack, act quickly and in this order:

  1. Contain it. Disconnect affected devices from the network rather than switching them off, and do not wipe them until your IT provider has checked them, as that can destroy evidence.
  2. Call your IT provider so they can lock compromised accounts, reset passwords and check how far the attacker got.
  3. Report it. Report Fraud (the national service that replaced Action Fraud in December 2025) asks businesses suffering a live cyber attack to call 0300 123 2040, 24 hours a day. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101.
  4. Tell the ICO within 72 hours if personal data may have been affected and the breach is notifiable.
  5. Warn clients and suppliers if your email was used to send fraudulent messages, and call your bank at once if money has been sent.
  6. Restore from backup and learn from it, fixing the weakness that let the attacker in.

Should you outsource cyber security?

Most small businesses do not have a security specialist on the payroll, so outsourcing is common. The breaches survey found that 44% of micro businesses now use an external cyber security provider, up from 39% the year before. Our article on reasons to outsource cyber security sets out the case.

At ATS Connection, cyber security is part of how we run managed IT services for clients, for a fixed monthly price. Our Complete IT and security package runs from £55 to £90 per user per month; see our IT support pricing or our cyber security services. If you want to know where you stand today, take our free IT security review.

Frequently asked questions

What is cyber security in simple terms?

Cyber security is protecting your accounts, devices, email, data and online services from being stolen, damaged or disrupted. The NCSC describes it as helping individuals and organisations reduce the risk and impact of cyber attacks.

Why is cyber security important for a business?

Because attacks are common and costly when they succeed. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses reported a breach or attack in the last 12 months. A serious incident can stop work, lead to payment fraud, trigger a duty to report to the ICO within 72 hours and damage client trust.

What are the main types of cyber security?

For a small business the main areas are identity and access, email security, device security, network security, cloud and data security, backup and recovery, and people and process.

What is the most common cyber attack on UK businesses?

Phishing. The Cyber Security Breaches Survey found phishing was experienced by 38% of UK businesses in the last year and was the most prevalent and most disruptive type of attack.

No, Cyber Essentials is not a legal requirement for most businesses. The government recommends it as the minimum standard for organisations of all sizes. Central government and NHS contracts involving personal data or certain IT services require it, and a growing number of other buyers ask for it.

How do I report a cyber attack in the UK?

Businesses suffering a live cyber attack should call Report Fraud, which replaced Action Fraud, on 0300 123 2040 at any time of day. In Scotland, call Police Scotland on 101. If personal data is affected and the breach is notifiable, report it to the ICO within 72 hours.

How much does cyber security cost for a small business?

It depends on size and needs. Many of the basics come with the right Microsoft 365 plan and good IT management. At ATS Connection, our Complete IT and security package costs £55 to £90 per user per month, and Cyber Essentials certification fees start at £320 plus VAT for micro businesses.

Sources

The Benefits of White Label IT Support

Posted on by Jake Boase

White label IT support services can benefit your businesses’ growth, whether you’re selling your own products/ or want to add IT support services to your current white labelled products you offer. White label IT solutions allows you to scale at a pace that suits you and has no outlay financially until you are making money yourselves.

What is white label IT support?

White label IT support allows you to offer your end users IT services with the benefit of you not needing to hire any staff members as the services are carried out under your identity and performed as if they were in-house IT staff.

White label IT support services come in various forms:

  • White label IT help desk – With this option, your white label partner provides technical support to your end users. They answer questions, troubleshoot problems, and offer general help to your IT customers via phone, email or remote it services.
  • On-site IT support – With on-site services, IT engineers go to your client’s location to fix IT problems, maintain systems, or replace hardware.
  • Telecoms – This involves communication services like VoIP phone systems, broadband, and mobile data plans.

When should you consider white labelling IT?

You can increase the scope of your services without hiring more people by white labelling IT solutions.  White labelling is something to consider if you lack the resources to provide effective IT solutions, either because you’re a small business or because it is growing quickly. Here is why white labelling is worthing looking into in these circumstances:

  • The more complicated issues affecting your end customers might be better handled by a third party with a diversified team of experts.
  • You can provide service around-the-clock, which can be a significant selling factor for your company.
  • White labelling is cost-effective. Without having to hire a large workforce or worry about managing or training your IT staff, your business can make use of experienced IT professionals.

Is white labelling IT profitable?

This is the big one! Is White Labelling even going to have a chance of making your business profitable?

Yes!

With white label IT support you get to offer our services at a set fee and in return you choose what to charge your clients! On average, our white label IT partners make around 50% – 70% profit on each end user.

The key? Finding an IT partner you can trust

Finding the right white label IT partner is crucial to any partnership working. Both parties need to work in unison and ensure they are on the same page at all times.

When you partner with ATS Connection, you can select the type of partnership that is best for your business. 

You can exert as much control as you like on the procedure, branding, and client experience thanks to our flexibility. 

Find out more on our white labelling IT solutions here or contact us on 01903 255 159.

White label IT support

Cloud vs On-site Servers

Posted on by Matt Jones

More and more businesses are looking to move away from server infrastructure, replacing it with cloud computing. Why? Well theres lots of reasons and we’ll be covering only some within this article explaining the advantages and dissadvantages of each.

Money

Cloud server:

Having a cloud server costs a lot less, it doesn’t demand a special room with air conditioning. All it requires is an internet connection, whether they is standard broadband or 4G/5G.

All you’ll pay for is what you need and the storage grows as you grow. No more continuous running costs, only a monthly flat fee based on what your business needs.

Cloud servers are essentially a VPS stored in a compliant data centre. A typical situation is an IT provider (in this instance ourselves) will own some servers which we would segment up for individual clients. This way we know that the servers are protected 24/7 in a UK data centre which is constantly managed.

We take where we get our servers from very seriously and that is why we have partnered with a UK based company running servers from 100% renewable energy.

A typical cost for a cloud server can range between £50 – £200 pcm depending on your storage size.

On-site server:

Naturally one of the main reasons going against on-site servers is cost, businesses want to receive a good product for the cheapest price. Sinking money into an old on-site server is not the way to do that.

On-site servers have an extremely high running cost. 

They take up space, usually a separate locked room something that some small businesses might not have access to.

Servers also get hot, they require air conditioning and to be kept at a stable temperature. Running air-conditioning units costs a lot of money and they don’t stop running even when the office closes.

Servers consume a lot of power just by themselves without the addition of air-con. Something that can’t be turned off which constantly drains power while upping your bill.

Also if that server is in your building it becomes your problem if something goes wrong. Maintenance bills can be pricy especially if you haven’t been taking care of your server with regular checks and upgrades. If your server goes down your team might not be able to work until its fixed.

So how much do servers cost? On average you are looking at a minimum of £1000 for a basic server going upwards to £25,000 for a high end server.

Responsibility

Cloud server:

With cloud servers you are more than likely protected by the IT provider you are getting the cloud server from. There is also a lot less responsibility in general with cloud servers due to their set up.

On-site server:

With your on-site server ultimately everything is your responsibility unless you pay an IT provider. Uptime, maintenance, security and backups, each of these components holds a cost, if that cost isn’t met then it carries a risk, if the server goes down then how are your employees going to work? If your server gets hacked, how detrimental will that be to your company?

Often overlooked security is one of the most important subjects, if an invader gains access they can wreak all sorts of mayhem. If your company stores customer information then theres a good chance that you’re going to receive a massive fine from the government.

If your server is managed by someone else then ultimately everything above is their responsibility, and ultimately they are experts in their field when it comes to this. These people know what they are doing so your server is in safe hands.

Enterprise features

Cloud server:

The bulk of this is handled for you in the cloud, and for the typical small or medium business, the redundancy, resilience, and reliability are considerably higher than they would be with an on-premises solution.

Take email as an illustration. One or two servers might support an on-premises email service used by a typical small or medium-sized business. These will be backed up, and in more sophisticated circumstances, they might have copies elsewhere that might be brought online in the event of a breakdown.

On-site server:

Large businesses spend a significant portion of their IT spending removing single points of failure as a follow-up to shared responsibility. Redundancy is first introduced by adding more servers, firewalls, switches, and internet connectivity, but in many circumstances, this leads to one or more completely duplicate infrastructure sets.

Smaller firms are just as dependent on working IT as any large corporation, but they rarely have the resources or room to provide that type of resilience.

Conclusion

This is only a small sample of what cloud solutions might be able to do for your company. The main takeaway is that in order to realise the benefits, it’s crucial to look beyond the up-front or continuing charges and analyse your present solution’s total cost of ownership before comparing it to the new benefits and risk reductions. You’ll probably discover that taking the risk will benefit you more in the long run. If you would like a second opinion on that comparison, our IT consultancy service can review your current setup and cost both options.

Contact

Utilising RMM in Business

Posted on by Tobias Gillott

What is RMM?

Remote Monitoring and Management software is one of the most useful and important software programs that we use as an IT company.

It lets us support our clients wherever we are, and wherever they are, and it is the tool behind our remote IT support.

RMM allows us to support our clients faster and address problems with minimal user interruption. Support-wise, RMM allows us to remotely control the computer, we can see the screen and perform inputs such as typing. This means we don’t have to always go on-site to resolve an issue, reducing callout charges.

More than a remote

RMM does so much more than just letting us control a computer. We can completely review the workings of the computer such as how hard certain components are working, storage space, fan speed, heat generated, and more. With this information we’re alerted to problems before something can go critically wrong, we can take actions to stop an issue progressing.

Scripts and Automation

Scripts and automation give us more time to focus on the important things. We can set certain alerts and severity scaling to warrant appropriate scripts. Usually used on low to medium scale alerts an automatic response can be made, scripts can be sent and run through the RMM to fix small issues.

We run scheduled thorough audits on many of the devices we cover to scan for problems where we can then take action based on the output. Security audits are also performed via script deployment, which return detailed security reports.

Quick jobs are also very helpful in performing pre-written scripts, this can let us administer patches and updates without interruption. We can also install some apps, which makes deploying software over a large company much quicker.

Policies

Polices can be applied globally or to certain sites, depending on how managed a company wants their devices. Policies can also be configured with scripts and automation, some companies may always require a certain software in their devices. With policies, software can automatically be downloaded and kept up to date if it were removed or if a new device was added.

Policies are also great for making sure that software programs and operating systems are up-to-date, improving the security of devices and their performance.

Reports

When requested by the client or needed by us, reports globally or per site can be generated and give us an outline of;

  • Usage over a period of time.
  • Current status of installed software programs and versions.
  • Storage capacity.
  • Average lifespan of the device.

Want more control over your business IT system?

ATS Connection can offer your business fully and partially managed IT Support. All our retainer business clients are enrolled to our RMM software, so there’s no extra costs. We always stay proactive with our clients systems, and RMM makes that easier and more precise.

View our Business IT Support
Contact

What Is an IT Support Provider? What Business IT Support Covers and Costs

Posted on by Jake Boase

The short answer: An IT support provider is an external company that looks after a business’s technology: fixing problems when staff get stuck, and keeping computers, the network, Microsoft 365 and security in good order so problems happen less often. Most small and medium businesses now pay a fixed monthly fee per user for this, known as managed IT support, rather than paying by the hour when something breaks. In the UK that typically costs £30 to £90 per user per month.

Last updated: 29 September 2026. Written by the ATS Connection team from our own service and pricing, with government and NCSC sources linked below.

In this guide

What does an IT support provider do?

A good IT support provider acts as your IT department. The work splits into what happens when someone asks for help, and what happens in the background so they need to ask less often.

When your team needs help

  • Helpdesk support by phone, email or a ticket portal, for anything from a locked account to a printer that will not print.
  • Remote fixes, where an engineer connects to the user’s computer securely and resolves the issue while they watch.
  • On-site visits for hardware faults, network problems and installations that cannot be done remotely.
  • Starters and leavers: setting up accounts, laptops and access on day one, and removing access the day someone leaves.

In the background

  • Monitoring of computers, servers and the network, so failing disks, full storage and offline devices are spotted early.
  • Patching: installing security updates for Windows, applications and firewalls on a schedule.
  • Cyber security: endpoint protection, email filtering, multi-factor authentication and the controls needed for Cyber Essentials.
  • Microsoft 365 management: licences, mailboxes, Teams, SharePoint permissions and security policies.
  • Backup and recovery: making sure data is backed up and that restores actually work.
  • Planning: hardware replacement cycles, budgets and advice on what to fix first.
  • Supplier management: dealing with your broadband provider, software vendors and phone system on your behalf.

What types of business IT support are there?

There are four common ways to buy IT support, and many businesses combine two of them.

TypeHow it worksHow you payBest for
Break-fix (ad hoc)You call when something goes wrongBy the hour or per job, typically £75 to £150 an hourVery small businesses with simple IT
Managed IT supportThe provider runs your IT proactively under a service agreementFixed monthly fee, usually per userMost businesses of 5 to 250 staff
Co-managed IT supportThe provider works alongside your in-house IT person or teamMonthly fee for the agreed share of the workBusinesses with some in-house IT
Project and consultancyA defined piece of work, such as a migration or office moveFixed quote per projectOne-off changes
Hourly range as published on our IT support pricing page.

Providers that deliver managed IT support are usually called managed service providers, or MSPs. We explain how that model works in detail in what is a managed service provider?, and compare the outsourcing options in IT outsourcing models explained.

Support can also be remote, on-site or both. Most issues are now fixed in minutes through remote IT support, but you still want a provider that can get an engineer to your office when a switch fails or a new starter needs a desk setting up. That is why local IT support providers remain popular even as more IT moves to the cloud.

What is the difference between proactive and reactive IT support?

Reactive IT support fixes problems after they happen. Proactive IT support works to stop them happening, by monitoring systems, installing updates, replacing ageing hardware before it fails and closing security gaps before they are exploited.

Reactive (break-fix)Proactive (managed)
When work happensAfter a fault is reportedContinuously, plus when faults are reported
Security updatesWhen someone remembersOn a schedule, tracked and reported
Provider’s incentivePaid more when things breakPaid the same, so better off when things do not break
Cost patternUnpredictableFixed monthly
Knowledge of your setupRelearned each visitDocumented and built up over time

The incentive row is the one that matters. On an hourly model, a provider earns more when your IT is unreliable. On a fixed fee, the provider only makes money if your systems stay healthy, so its interests line up with yours.

How much does business IT support cost?

In the UK, managed IT support for a small or medium business usually costs between £30 and £90 per user per month, depending on how much security and compliance work is included. Ad hoc support runs at around £75 to £150 an hour.

We publish our own prices, which is still unusual. Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90. For a team of 15 that is roughly £500 to £700 a month on Core, or £850 to £1,350 a month on Complete. Microsoft licences and hardware are billed separately, at cost. The detail is on our IT support pricing page, and our guide to how much IT support costs explains the pricing models the market uses.

The figure to compare against is the alternative. A single in-house IT hire costs upwards of £2,500 a month before employment costs, and one person cannot cover holidays, sickness and every specialism.

Do you need an IT support provider?

If nobody in your business is responsible for IT, you already have a provider: it is whoever gets asked, usually the most technical person, doing it instead of their real job. These are the signs it is time for proper support:

  • The same problems keep coming back, and nobody knows why.
  • Nobody can say for certain that your backups work.
  • You are not sure who still has access to your Microsoft 365 or other systems.
  • A customer, insurer or tender has asked about Cyber Essentials or your security controls.
  • Staff lose hours each week to slow computers, Wi-Fi or login problems.
  • You are growing, and onboarding people is taking longer than it should.

The risk is not theoretical. The government’s Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2025/2026 found that 43% of UK businesses identified a cyber breach or attack in the previous 12 months, and only 25% had a formal incident response plan.

How do you choose an IT support provider?

The NCSC published guidance in November 2025 on choosing a managed service provider, aimed at small businesses. Combined with what we see when businesses switch to us, these are the questions worth asking:

  1. Are you Cyber Essentials certified? The NCSC recommends using providers with recognised certifications such as Cyber Essentials Plus. A provider with access to all your systems should meet at least the standard it asks of you.
  2. What response time do you guarantee, in writing? Ask for the response and resolution targets in the contract, not the brochure.
  3. What exactly is included, and what is billed extra? Look for per-ticket charges, fair use limits, and whether on-site visits and projects cost more.
  4. Who owns the admin accounts? Your business should own its Microsoft 365 tenant, domain and admin credentials, with the provider given access, not the other way round.
  5. How do you protect your own access to our systems? Expect multi-factor authentication, least-privilege access and logging.
  6. What happens if we leave? Check the notice period and what documentation and handover you get.
  7. Can I speak to a client like us? References from businesses of a similar size and sector tell you more than any website.

We have written a fuller checklist in how to choose an IT support company, and if you are unhappy with your current provider, see signs it is time to change.

ATS Connection has provided business IT support since 2015 from offices in Arundel and Chichester, and looks after more than 100 businesses across Sussex and the UK. Our average response time is under 15 minutes, support is unlimited during business hours with no per-ticket charges, and we are Cyber Essentials certified. See IT support across Sussex or our outsourced IT support for businesses further afield.

Frequently asked questions

What is an IT support provider?

An external company that looks after a business’s technology, fixing problems when staff need help and keeping computers, networks, Microsoft 365 and security maintained so problems happen less often.

What does business IT support include?

Typically helpdesk support, remote and on-site fixes, monitoring, security updates, endpoint protection, Microsoft 365 management, backups, starters and leavers, and IT planning. What is included varies by provider and contract, so check the service agreement.

What is the difference between an IT support provider and an MSP?

An MSP, or managed service provider, is an IT support provider that runs your IT proactively for a fixed monthly fee under a service agreement. Some IT support providers only offer break-fix support paid by the hour.

How much does IT support cost for a small business?

Managed IT support in the UK usually costs £30 to £90 per user per month. ATS Connection’s Core support is £30 to £48 per user per month, and Complete IT and security is £55 to £90.

What is proactive IT support?

IT support that prevents problems rather than just fixing them, through monitoring, scheduled security updates, hardware planning and closing security gaps before they are exploited.

Is remote IT support enough for a small business?

Most issues can be fixed remotely, but hardware faults, network problems and installations sometimes need an engineer on site. A provider that offers both is the safest choice.

Sources