Aldridge Blog
Quick reads to improve your IT strategy
Most Recent Posts
AI Security: Don’t Let AI Delete Your Company Data
One of the more practical questions organizations are working through right now is not whether to use AI, but how to connect it to the systems and data it needs to be useful. The answer matters more than most people realize. Credentials and permissions are not a...
Microsoft Copilot Just Changed How You Work in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
If you have Microsoft 365 Copilot and you opened Word, Excel, or PowerPoint recently, you may have noticed something different. The Copilot experience you were used to, the one that answered questions and offered suggestions you could choose to accept or ignore, has...
Cyber Threat Landscape in 2026: Ransomware Isn’t Going Anywhere
Ransomware hasn’t gone away, but it has changed in a meaningful way. Many organizations have invested in stronger security over the past few years, implementing immutable backups, improving endpoint detection, and tightening infrastructure controls. These efforts...
5 IT Issues That Cost Nonprofit Organizations the Most
Whether you're funded by grants, donations, or endowments, your non-profit organization can't afford to waste money, especially on behind-the-scenes issues like IT. But unfortunately, that's exactly where many non-profits lose more than they realize. 5 IT Issues That...
How Strategic IT Services Help Nonprofits Fulfill Their Mission
For nonprofits, every dollar and decision counts. Unlike traditional businesses, success isn’t measured by profit margins, it’s measured by impact. Whether you’re feeding families, providing education, or preserving art, nonprofit organizations rely on efficient,...
Aldridge Appoints Jon Balter as Director of Client Success to Drive Growth Through Exceptional Service
Houston, TX – August 14, 2025 – Aldridge, a leading provider of managed IT and cybersecurity services, is pleased to announce the appointment of Jon Balter as Director of Client Success. Jon officially joined the team on July 7, bringing more than two decades of...
What is Windows 10 Extended Security Updates (ESU)
After nearly 10 years, Windows 10 will officially reach its end of support on October 14, 2025. This means Microsoft will no longer provide free security updates, feature updates, or technical support for the operating system. Your Windows 10 devices will still work,...
Evolving Cyber Threats We Are Seeing in 2025
The world of cybercrime is always changing, and in 2025, threat actors are more strategic and dangerous than ever. While their goal remains the same (make money), the methods have become more aggressive, layered, and damaging. Wire Fraud: The Silent, Costly Threat ...
How Microsoft Teams Clocks Over Half a Million Meeting Minutes Every Minute
Microsoft Teams has become one of the most widely used collaboration platforms in the world, powering meetings, chats, and document sharing for organizations of all sizes. But just how much time do we collectively spend in Teams meetings? Spoiler: Every day, Teams...
Avoid Surprise IT Infrastructure Costs with Network-as-a-Service (NaaS)
Most businesses know their network hardware won’t last forever. But what catches many off guard is just how expensive and disruptive a network refresh can be. The costs pile up quickly—new equipment, installation, configuration, and lost time. And by the time...
It Security
Why Executives Are the New Target in Cyber Attacks
Cybersecurity is no longer just about protecting systems, it’s about protecting people. Attackers are increasingly targeting executives directly, using their identity, influence, and access as entry points into organizations. These attacks often don’t look like...
Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) vs. Traditional Network Ownership
Why IT Leaders Are Rethinking Network Ownership For decades, IT leaders have defaulted to the same model for network infrastructure: purchase the hardware, deploy it, and maintain it until the next refresh cycle forces another round of upgrades. It’s familiar, but...
5 New AI-Powered Features Coming to Microsoft Teams in 2026
Microsoft continues to invest heavily in Microsoft Teams, pushing it far beyond chat and video calls and into the center of how work actually gets done. New AI-driven enhancements rolling out through 2026 are designed to make meetings more productive, collaboration...
Microsoft 365
Building Excel Dashboards for Leaders
Dashboards in Excel provide a powerful solution for financial leaders, CFOs, and analysts to visualize and interpret data efficiently. What is a Dashboard in Excel? An Excel dashboard is a visual representation of key metrics and data insights presented in one...
The Latest Wave of Microsoft Copilot
Microsoft continues to push the boundaries of AI-powered productivity with its latest updates to Microsoft 365 Copilot. With over 150 new features and 700+ product updates this year, Microsoft has been focused on addressing the challenges many of us face in our daily...
5 Advanced Excel Functions You Should Know
Excel is helpful for payroll analysis by leveraging powerful functions like SUM, SUBTOTAL, SUMIF, COUNTIF, and XLOOKUP. These formulas can help you analyze employee payroll data efficiently, even if you're starting from scratch or managing a simple spreadsheet. ...
It Consulting
Microsoft Lowers Copilot Pricing for Small and Midsize Businesses
Microsoft recently restructured its Copilot licensing to better fit how businesses are actually organized. The most meaningful change for small and midsize organizations is a new lower-cost plan and a promotional rate that runs through June 30, 2026. If you have been...
Microsoft Copilot Just Changed How You Work in Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
If you have Microsoft 365 Copilot and you opened Word, Excel, or PowerPoint recently, you may have noticed something different. The Copilot experience you were used to, the one that answered questions and offered suggestions you could choose to accept or ignore, has...
Don’t Miss Our Most Popular Articles
Why Executives Are the New Target in Cyber Attacks
Cybersecurity is no longer just about protecting systems, it’s about protecting people. Attackers are increasingly targeting executives directly, using their identity, influence, and access as entry points into organizations. These attacks often don’t look like...
Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) vs. Traditional Network Ownership
Why IT Leaders Are Rethinking Network Ownership For decades, IT leaders have defaulted to the same model for network infrastructure: purchase the hardware, deploy it, and maintain it until the next refresh cycle forces another round of upgrades. It’s familiar, but...
5 New AI-Powered Features Coming to Microsoft Teams in 2026
Microsoft continues to invest heavily in Microsoft Teams, pushing it far beyond chat and video calls and into the center of how work actually gets done. New AI-driven enhancements rolling out through 2026 are designed to make meetings more productive, collaboration...