Practical IT decisions

Insights & Resources

Practical articles on IT strategy, risk, continuity, security, and day-to-day technology decisions for business leaders and teams.

Browse article series Use guided collections when one article is not enough. Start with a question Browse by business problem instead of date. See what is new Read recent articles and newly launched series. Browse evergreen guides Go straight to the core planning reads.

Article series

Follow a guided path when one article is not enough

A series groups related articles into a guided sequence. Readers can work through it in order, or jump straight to whichever article matches the situation they are facing.

New series AI governance

Using AI Without Losing Control

An SMB owner's guide to deliberate AI adoption. The series opens with a triage table, then points readers into thirteen risk articles and two closing playbooks.

15 articles 13 risks 2 closing playbooks

Start by situation Use the triage table to find the risk that matches the business. Read the risk Each article ends with a policy rule the business can adopt. Turn it into action Close with incident response and a staged adoption path.

Open series hub Start by situation

Best starting point if AI use is already happening informally, vendors are adding AI features, or leadership needs a written policy.

Reading paths

Start with the question you are actually asking

The hub works better as a map than as a flat archive. Start with the issue in front of you, then branch into the related articles once the path is clear.

Email path

Email, domains, and deliverability

Use this path when marketing emails, website forms, or vendor changes start affecting how your domain sends and lands.

File standards

File naming, paths, and Microsoft 365

Start here if files look fine in one place but break once they sync, move, or travel through SharePoint and OneDrive.

Operating model

Managed IT, cost, and operating model

These are the planning articles for business owners deciding how support should work, what they are really paying for, how staffing costs should be framed, and where reactive support stops matching the business's risk profile.

Security, privacy, and continuity risk

Read these when the concern is exposure: weak password custody, cyber risk, recovery weaknesses, or new tools entering the workplace too quickly.

Planning context

Planning context and what changed recently

Use this lane when you want the broader view of what shifted across the last year and what that means going forward.

2025 in Review: What Alberta Businesses Should Know Going Into 2026

On deck: 5 Signs Your IBM i System Needs Professional Management

Recent coverage

Latest articles and series

Recent writing has focused on AI governance, Microsoft 365 friction, email and DNS ownership, staffing-related technology cost, and the practical business risk that usually shows up after a tool has already been adopted.

New series

AI governance May 2026 15 articles

Using AI Without Losing Control

Start with a business-situation triage table, then move through the risks, policy rules, incident response, and adoption path.

Open series

Cybersecurity April 2026 5 min read

The Scams That Broke the Old Rules

Typos used to give scams away. In 2026, the tells are gone. Four modern attacks, and the patterns that still reveal them.

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IT strategy April 2026

Why Employee Technology Should Be Budgeted as Part of Employee Cost

Why the laptop, software, access, protection, and support a role needs should be budgeted as part of putting that employee in seat.

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IT strategy March 2026

Why File Names That Seem Fine Today Cause Problems Later

A file can work perfectly well on one desktop and still create problems when it is synced, migrated, or shared more broadly.

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Microsoft 365 March 2026

The Safest File Naming Format for Microsoft 365 Environments

A practical default pattern for OneDrive, Teams, SharePoint, and Windows sync when you want fewer path and naming surprises.

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IT strategy March 2026

Why Long Folder Paths Break Syncing, Sharing, and Migrations

Deep folder nesting creates structural problems long before users realize the path itself has become the issue.

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Security & continuity February 2026

AI Recording Devices at Work

These tools are turning up in more workplaces, and legality is only one part of whether they are safe for the business.

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Email deliverability February 2026

Why Your Marketing Emails Are Landing in Spam

Bulk email platforms are easy to sign up for. The real risk shows up when DNS, sending domains, and warm-up are handled too late or by the wrong team.

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Continuity risk January 2026

The Password Problem Hiding in Your Business

Browser password managers often look convenient right up until an employee leaves and nobody owns what was stored.

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DNS January 2026

Who Should Manage Your DNS?

When DNS access is handed out casually, the consequences tend to surface later and somewhere else in the business.

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Evergreen library

Core reads and evergreen guides

These are the longer-form planning pieces and foundational articles that continue to matter even after the immediate issue has passed.

December 2025

Industry trends 8 min read

2025 in Review: What Alberta Businesses Should Know Going Into 2026

A wide-angle look at the year’s cloud, AI, continuity, and operational lessons for Alberta businesses.

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December 2025

Managed services 10 min read

What Are Managed IT Services, and Is the Monthly Cost Worth It?

A direct look at what managed IT usually includes, what changes operationally, and when the recurring cost actually earns its keep.

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December 2025

Business continuity 10 min read

How to Create a Business Continuity Plan

A practical guide for smaller organizations that need something usable, not a plan that sits on a shelf unread.

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December 2025

IT strategy 7 min read

Why Reactive IT Falls Short on Modern Security and Cyber Insurance Requirements

Why patching, backup review, access control, and cyber-insurance readiness often break down when IT is only engaged after something fails.

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December 2025

Security & continuity 8 min read

Cybersecurity for SMBs: What Actually Protects a Small Business

An accessible view of how smaller businesses can improve protection without trying to operate like an enterprise security team.

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December 2025

IT strategy 12 min read

Understanding Your Technology Costs

A breakdown of what businesses are actually paying for across the IT stack and how to evaluate whether the spend makes sense.

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Insights & Resources

Follow a guided path when one article is not enough

Using AI Without Losing Control

Start with the question you are actually asking

Email, domains, and deliverability

File naming, paths, and Microsoft 365

Managed IT, cost, and operating model

Security, privacy, and continuity risk

Planning context and what changed recently

Latest articles and series

Using AI Without Losing Control

The Scams That Broke the Old Rules

Why Employee Technology Should Be Budgeted as Part of Employee Cost

Why File Names That Seem Fine Today Cause Problems Later

The Safest File Naming Format for Microsoft 365 Environments

Why Long Folder Paths Break Syncing, Sharing, and Migrations

AI Recording Devices at Work

Why Your Marketing Emails Are Landing in Spam

The Password Problem Hiding in Your Business

Who Should Manage Your DNS?

Core reads and evergreen guides

2025 in Review: What Alberta Businesses Should Know Going Into 2026

What Are Managed IT Services, and Is the Monthly Cost Worth It?

How to Create a Business Continuity Plan

Why Reactive IT Falls Short on Modern Security and Cyber Insurance Requirements

Cybersecurity for SMBs: What Actually Protects a Small Business

Understanding Your Technology Costs

Keep up without digging through the archive

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