OnSite I.T. Blog

Microsoft is officially pulling the plug on Publisher on October 13, 2026. This “End of Life” event officially marks the end of support for the long-running desktop publisher.

If your team relies on Microsoft Publisher to create flyers, brochures, or newsletters, this retirement will impact your business. Understanding what this change means—and taking a few proactive steps today—will keep your network secure and prevent your design files from becoming inaccessible.

When an operational bottleneck pops up in a business process, the default reaction for most decision-makers is to research new software tools and buy another subscription. You do NOT need to spend a single extra dollar to solve your latest workflow headache. Sometimes getting the most out of your technology investment just means using the capabilities you already have in a better, more effective way.

Most offices already pay a monthly license fee for either Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace. Those licenses usually get purchased so the team can have professional email, access to spreadsheets, and a place to write documents. What many decision-makers miss is that these platforms are massive ecosystems designed to run entire workflows.

Making money is the name of the game for every business. Because of that, determining exactly how much to spend on technology every month is a critical decision. Every dollar going out the door needs to justify its existence, yet tech budgets are often a source of confusion for business owners.

Let's pull back the curtain on what a healthy, realistic technology spend looks like for a small-to-medium business.

Tim Cook has been at the helm of Apple for 15 years, and as he’s set to retire as CEO in September we thought we’d take a look at some of the differences between the Apple, Inc. he’s leaving behind and the one he took over in 2011.

Digital accessibility makes technology usable for everyone, helping employees stay productive and giving employers access to more talent. Microsoft Word includes a built-in Accessibility Assistant to help you easily create inclusive documents.

Think of it like spellcheck, cranked up to 11, intended to ensure as many people as possible are able to access the information you’re trying to share.

SaaS—Software as a Service—is a hugely effective tool for businesses of all sizes. That said, like any tool, it can quickly become a weapon against your success… slowly cutting into your business until you suddenly realize your budget has been bleeding out.

Let’s talk about what makes SaaS either a great tool or your biggest internal threat, depending on how you manage it.

You want your business to operate efficiently; that’s hardly a controversial statement. When you waste time, money, and resources, your business’ growth can crawl to a halt and give your competitors an advantage over you. Technology helps you bridge this gap and can give you the power to compete at higher levels than you’ve ever thought possible. Let’s go over some of the solutions modern businesses use to drive results.

Having trouble diagnosing issues with your computer? It could be the operating system, or it could be a piece of software you installed on it, OR it could be a driver or another peripheral connected to it. How do you know what the issue is, and how do you address it? That’s where Safe Mode comes in; you can boot your operating system in its most basic form, allowing your managed service provider to more easily determine the problem.

Cloud computing has altered how businesses operate forever and it’s because it brings unprecedented levels of flexibility and efficiency. One of its most compelling features is its scalability, the ability to easily handle a growing amount of work by adding or removing resources as needed.

Are you making the most of your business’ data? While it’s important to keep tabs on the actual numbers, it also helps to have a visual representation of what that data means so that others can easily understand it. Today, we want to look at five creative ways you can use interactive dashboards and data visualizations to show off your business to both external stakeholders and your staff.

You might want to get as much life as possible out of your technology, but this is often counterproductive. While it might cost serious capital to invest in new computers and servers, even when your current equipment works “just fine,” there will come a day when “just fine” doesn’t cut it anymore. Your outdated hardware comes with all kinds of hidden costs that will slowly leech capital from your business and leave it worse off compared to if you just bought new tech.

When did you last open a spreadsheet and just sigh upon seeing the expanse of data points, with a sigh that comes from the deepest depths of your soul? It’s a fair reaction to have… especially when you know how much value there is to be found within these data sets.

Let’s walk through how you can extract this data by using Microsoft Excel’s Quick Analysis features… and don’t worry if you tend to use Google Sheets. The processes are essentially the same for everything we’re covering.

SMBs tend to pride themselves on how well they’re able to treat their customers. Larger enterprises sometimes lack the personalized attention that customers of small businesses get, despite having the tools to make it happen. Small businesses can also achieve this goal, and it’s all thanks to customer relationship management solutions. The right tool can improve sales, marketing efforts, and even customer satisfaction.

How much time and money do you spend wrestling with your business’ software? Between updates, license renewals, and that one employee who keeps accidentally deleting their email app, it’s enough to make you want to scream. Unfortunately, software is kind of non-negotiable. You need it. So, should you go old school and buy it outright, or should you consider moving to the cloud and employing Software-as-a-Service?

Having tools that help enhance your ability to support your customers is rarer than you may expect. One of the best tools a lot of businesses employ is Customer Relationship Management (CRM). The CRM system can transform how a business operates, but to make the most of it, you’ll need to employ some strategies. 

All businesses need financial management and accounting, whether it’s with a full-fledged team of accountants or a single employee. Small or large, you can bet all businesses can benefit from software that streamlines this process. Today, we’re focusing on Intuit Quickbooks and its many shortcuts which make it an accessible solution for all businesses.

Software is a big part of how businesses operate today. It helps with everything from managing schedules and paying employees to creating products and selling them. Simply put, businesses need software to run smoothly.

In this blog and our conversations with clients, we frequently discuss the importance of protecting accounts with complex and unique passwords and multi-factor authentication. These actions are crucial, but there is a tool out there that can really improve any business’ account security: the password manager. 

Today, we’ll discuss the password manager and why it is such a great tool for keeping passwords complex and secure. 

Cybersecurity tops the list for any business’ needs, particularly when one considers just how many threats are out there today. This makes it essential that today’s businesses (yours included) put an assortment of cybersecurity tools and protections in place.

We’ve assembled a list of the ones we recommend.

Effective management is crucial for success. One way to achieve this is by using management software. With so many options available, however, how do you choose the right one? This article explores the different types of management software to help you make an informed decision.