If someone on your team has ever signed up for a free web app to convert a PDF or used a personal file-sharing account to send a large file, you have experienced Shadow IT.

Key Takeaways

✓ Unapproved cloud tools create hidden security and data exposure risks

✓ Staff members adopt workarounds to solve immediate operational roadblocks

✓ Centralizing account access restores complete IT visibility

✓ Practical cloud governance keeps data safe without slowing daily work

Shadow IT includes the use of software, web services, or digital tools for work without explicit approval. Without visibility, hidden security gaps develop quickly. Sensitive files sit on external platforms without basic safety controls, and primary account protections like Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) get bypassed.

Shadow IT use happens in all types of organizations, from small businesses and local governments to K-12 school districts and non-profits. Employees rarely adopt these unapproved cloud services out of bad intent. They’re usually just trying to solve a problem or keep work moving. Unfortunately, their intentions don’t matter when it comes to security risks.

Closing these cloud security gaps does not mean you need to lock down every device or take measures that would inhibit innovation. Instead, you can take a more proactive approach that keeps your data safe and your team working smoothly.

3 Core Sources of Shadow IT

Managing Shadow IT begins with an understanding where risks live. For small and midsize organizations, cloud security risks usually cluster in three core areas.

1. Visibility Gaps

You can’t protect software you don’t know about. When staff members adopt web tools without IT oversight, those applications sit outside your standard monitoring setup. If a security incident happens on an unmanaged platform, your team might stay unaware until sensitive files get compromised.

2. Access Control Exposures

When employees create web accounts with personal email addresses or basic passwords, standard safeguards like MFA are often skipped. After an employee leaves your organization, standard offboarding processes miss those hidden accounts entirely.

3. Data Overexposure

Unmanaged cloud platforms often lack strong access controls, which means employees might upload sensitive data, such as customer records, student files, or financial reports, into consumer apps. These services often grant broad public sharing permissions by default or store information without encryption.

Why Employees Turn to Shadow IT

Employees commonly turn to unmanaged tools for a few reasons:

• Need for speed: Tight project deadlines push people to find instant tools rather than navigating a traditional request process

• Feature gaps: Approved software might miss specific features that staff members need for specialized daily tasks

• Lack of awareness: Team members often do not realize that simple or free web tools carry real data security risks

Educating your team about cyber risks and giving them a simple software request process removes the friction that leads to workarounds.

Close the Gaps: A Practical 4-Step Strategy

Addressing unmanaged software requires a balanced approach that protects your data while keeping daily work moving. Rather than setting up strict rules that slow everyone down, you can use a four-step plan to manage these risks effectively.

Step 1: Discover and Audit Your Cloud Tools

Start by checking your current environment. Modern identity management tools let you track single sign-on activity, evaluate network traffic, and spot unapproved apps. Finding out why employees chose specific software helps you decide if those features should be added to your approved platforms.

Step 2: Centralize Access with Single Sign-On

Require standard corporate logins across all business tools. Using your Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 credentials ensures MFA guards every entry point. Automated onboarding and offboarding workflows can then handle account access whenever roles change.

Step 3: Set up Data Protection Policies

Review file-sharing settings across your existing cloud drives and collaboration tools. Ensure least-privilege access rules are active so users only access files necessary for their immediate work. Establish a straightforward software request process so employees can easily submit new tools for security and budget review before adoption.

Step 4: Educate Your Team and Offer Approved Alternatives

Technology controls are most effective when supported by a strong security culture. Provide regular, practical training that explains how unapproved apps put company data at risk. When employees understand the risks and have straightforward access to powerful, approved tools, the incentive to use unmanaged workarounds diminishes significantly.

A Quick Checklist for Cloud Governance

✓ Audit user permissions across all shared drives and repositories

✓ Require enterprise single sign-on and MFA for third-party tools

✓ Automate account offboarding to prevent leftover access from inactive users

✓ Create a simple software request process for staff members

✓ Run routine security reviews to track changing software usage over time

Secure Your Cloud Environment With Cumulus Global

Cloud technology should make work easier, not create hidden security risks. At Cumulus Global, we help small and midsize businesses, local governments, and K-12 schools build secure, productive, and affordable cloud environments.

Through our Managed Cloud Services and Security CPR® framework, we co-manage your IT services, streamline access controls, and give you clear visibility over your software tools so you can eliminate security gaps without slowing down your team.

How We Help

• Cloud, Security, and AI Assessments: We evaluate your cloud infrastructure to uncover hidden SaaS apps, permission gaps, and exposed data.

• SaaSOps & Identity Governance: We centralize access management, automate onboarding/offboarding, and ensure consistent policy enforcement.

• Security CPR® Managed Security: We set up layered protection, active monitoring, and quick response capabilities aligned with your operational needs.

If you are ready to close your security gaps and simplify your IT management, connect with our team of Cloud Advisors today to discuss practical, right-sized security solutions for your organization.

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About the Author

Officially or not, your team is likely using artificial intelligence (AI) in their day-to-day work. The big question is whether those tools will help or hurt your business.

To be truly effective, AI services need to be productive, secure, and affordable. With the AI hype machine pushing tools as quick fixes while businesses grapple with costs, security often gets overlooked.

Building a secure AI foundation protects sensitive information and intellectual property (both yours and your clients’) while preventing the hidden risks of unapproved software. To help you evaluate your current setup, we broke down these 9.5 essential questions into three practical categories.

See: What Is in Use

1) Which AI tools and agents are in use across the business, including those adopted without approval?

Unsanctioned tools hide data movement beyond your control. Adding extra tools can also duplicate capabilities you already have, leading to redundant services and higher costs.

2) Are employees accessing these tools through corporate accounts or personal credentials?

Personal logins mean you have no record of activity or ability to revoke access if someone leaves. You also lose the ability to manage information sharing and everyday workflows.

3) What company information has already been entered into AI tools, and by whom?

Pasting client records, IP, or financial data into public models can trigger immediate compliance violations under HIPAA, PCI, or state privacy laws. You may also violate industry regulations, contractual commitments, and non-disclosure agreements.

Secure: Where the Exposure Lies

4) What systems and records can each tool access, and is that access limited to what the role requires?

Managing individual and team access to information is no longer optional. With AI agents learning from your data, obscurity does not protect sensitive information from being discovered. Tools without proper permissions invite unnecessary exposure, breaches, and data leaks.

5) Have any integrations or connections been added since each tool was approved?

Checking access at implementation will not protect your organization long-term. As AI tools get used, permissions often expand automatically to enable new agents, workflows, and autonomous tasks. Managing AI security requires monitoring these permission changes over time.

6) Do employees know which categories of information should almost never be shared with an AI tool?

Not all information needs heavy locks, but sensitive data should almost never enter public AI systems. Most information falls somewhere in between. Setting clear permissions and data categories protects your organization before data ever leaves your system.

Steer: Who is Accountable

7) Which AI-generated work may be acted upon without human review?

Whether drafting documents or executing autonomous tasks, strict guardrails for human review will prevent costly and embarrassing errors.

8) What is the process when an employee requests a tool that is not yet approved?

A clear request path encourages safe innovation instead of hidden workarounds.

9) Could you demonstrate to a regulator, client, or insurer which AI tools have processed their data?

Having a clear audit trail is critical for maintaining client trust and meeting compliance standards.

Bonus Question

9.5) If a tool or its vendor were compromised, how quickly can you revoke access?

Almost no security setup is completely perfect, which is why having an immediate kill-switch is so important when an AI tool suffers a breach or malfunction.

We Can Help

With security and readiness assessments, and tools and services to monitor and manage security, our team can help you understand your current AI security posture, plan your environment, and deploy productive, secure, and affordable solutions.

Please contact us or schedule time to meet with a Cloud Advisor to discuss your needs, priorities, and next steps.

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About the Author

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is undeniably reshaping how daily work gets done. When used properly, AI tools can help your team draft proposals, analyze spreadsheets, and summarize complex research in seconds.

In fact, nearly 90% of small businesses, local governments, and schools are actively experimenting with modern AI tools. However, many teams are adopting these helpful tools much faster than they are setting up basic rules and security safeguards.

Understanding the Risks

When employees use random online AI tools without guidance, sensitive information can easily leave your organization. Recent research from IT security firm SentinelOne shows that 70% of organizations have experienced internal data leaks through employee prompts. Further, more than 20% of surveyed organizations reported security breaches stemming from authorized or unauthorized AI use.

To protect your organization, your technology must be more than just convenient. These services need to be productive, secure, and affordable.

In previous posts, we discussed how focusing on specific use cases and leveraging built-in features in tools you already own will keep costs down while boosting productivity. Protecting that work requires a simple strategy built on three pillars.

The Three Pillars of AI Security

1) See: Bring AI Usage Into Sharp Focus

Most organizations recognize the dangers of Shadow IT (the practice of employees adopting personal or unapproved apps without IT oversight). Shadow AI is the fast-emerging extension of that risk. When team members use personal AI accounts for work tasks, they open your business up to unseen exposure. To manage that risk, you need full visibility into what tools are in play and how your data moves through them.

A strong visibility strategy focuses on a few key practices:

• Identifying which AI tools your team employs for daily tasks

• Ensuring that everyone logs in using secure business credentials instead of personal accounts

• Teaching your team what sensitive business and customer information should never be shared with AI systems

If you do not know what information your team has already shared with AI models, you likely have a hidden risk that needs attention.

2) Secure: Lock Down Access and Safeguard Data

Before you connect AI models to your company files, your underlying permissions must be tight. AI tools can quickly read and organize whatever data they can access, which means a user might accidentally see restricted files through an AI search prompt.

Securing your data requires a proactive approach to access control:

• Review user access permissions across all shared folders and cloud drives

• Understand exactly what information your AI systems can reach

• Monitor third-party integrations as software updates occur over time

3) Steer: Navigate Governance and Chart Your Course

Secure AI lives within clear guardrails. Beyond locking down permissions, you need straightforward policies that guide your team as they use AI.

Setting proper controls involves:

• Creating a simple process for employees to request new software tools

• Establishing clear boundaries between automated tasks and work that requires human review

• Logging system activity so you have clear records if something goes wrong

These guidelines give your team the confidence to use new tools safely while keeping your organization protected.

We Can Help

Through security and readiness assessments, as well as monitoring and management tools, our team can help you understand your current AI security posture, plan your environment, and deploy productive, secure, and affordable solutions.

Contact us or schedule time to connect with a Cloud Advisor to discuss your needs, priorities, and next steps.

Connect with a Cloud Advisor

About the Author

Artificial intelligence offers incredible potential for productivity. AI also creates new security challenges. An employee may put confidential financial data into a public AI tool, a private AI model, like Gemini AI, might read files that were overshared within your organization, or you may accidentally externally share sensitive information embedded in an internal model.

Gemini AI relies on your existing Google Workspace permissions. If a document is shared too broadly, the AI engine will make that information visible to unauthorized users.

Fortunately, you can secure your sensitive files and establish clear guardrails with a few strategic updates.

1. Audit Your File Sharing Settings

Unintended file sharing happens quietly in nearly all organizations. Over time, link sharing and external permissions create hidden security risks.

Pay close attention to these common sharing pitfalls that can inadvertently surface confidential data to AI tools:

• Exposure via Links: “Anyone with the link” settings can expose internal documents to external search engines and public AI crawlers.

• Sharing to your Domain: Giving permission to your entire domain gives everybody, and every attached service, access to the information.

• Lingering Access: External sharing permissions granted to contractors often remain active long after their work is complete.

• Group Over-Sharing: Public Google Groups may inadvertently grant broad access to internal shared drives.

Use an automated tool to scan file, folder, and shared drive permissions against defined policies and compliance guidelines. Put systems in place to monitor and mitigate risks in real-time.

2. Streamline User Onboarding and Offboarding

Manual IT administration is prone to human error and inefficiency. When employees join or leave, updating access controls requires careful detail. Establishing automated lifecycle policies helps maintain strict access boundaries at every stage of employment.

1. Automate Onboarding: Add new hires to the correct Google Groups, shared folders, and chat spaces using policy-based automation.

2. Secure Transfers: Transfer file ownership directly to managers or secure shared drives as part of your offboarding workflow.

3. Cleanup Calendars: Remove former staff from internal meetings without disrupting active client appointments.

4. Manage Contacts: Ensure mobile address books remain accurate by clearing out former employees and transferring key business contacts.

Automate these steps to ensure your access controls are up-to-date and Gemini AI only displays sensitive files to authorized team members.

3. Manage Inactive Accounts and Licenses

Inactive accounts waste budget and create unnecessary entry points for bad actors. Staff members who left months ago should not remain in your user directory.

Put automated management rules in place to ensure that former accounts are properly monitored and decommissioned:

1. Suspension Rules: Establish automated account suspension policies to keep your user directory secure and up-to-date.

2. Inactivity Alerts: Utilize alerts to track and address accounts with no login activity over a 30-day period.

3. License Management: Minimize software expenses and satisfy legal data retention requirements by transitioning offboarded employees to archive licenses.

4. Data Preservation: Safely eliminate paid licenses by transferring essential data into alternate cloud storage options.

Manage user lifecycles to reduce your monthly costs while protecting your company data.

Take the Next Step for Workspace Security

Securing your workspace does not require a complete operational overhaul. Targeted, automated changes create a foundation for strong data governance and reduce operational overhead and risks.

As demonstrated in our recent 3T@3 Series session, automated solutions like Patronum give you the capability to actively monitor and manage permissions and access, streamline your onboarding and offboarding processes, and secure your Google Workspace environment.

Contact us or schedule time to connect with a Cloud Advisor at Cumulus Global to arrange your workspace security review and to explore your options.

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About the Author

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) can run almost any application in the cloud, but success comes down to proper planning. In this episode, we cover how to design your environment, protect your data, and manage costs as your business grows.

Catch up on Steps 1 and 2:

Small and midsize businesses (SMBs) use the cloud differently than large enterprises. We don’t have the time or resources to build custom apps from scratch.

In this video, we explore the two most effective strategies for modernizing your SMB’s software stack.

Missed the first step? Watch it here:

As a small or midsize business, you already use the cloud for daily work. You likely run Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 for your email and calendars, and there’s a good chance you are storing and sharing files.

In short, your team is already familiar with cloud tools. However, do you still keep a physical file server in the office? This hybrid setup often creates technical hurdles for your remote and hybrid workers.

Here are three steps you can take to smoothly finish your cloud journey.

1) Upgrade to Cloud File Services

Move your files completely to the cloud. Doing so removes physical hardware headaches.

When you shift your data into shared environments like SharePoint or Google Shared Drives, your team still sees their files in a familiar layout. On the desktop, the cloud files look like a traditional network drive.

When you move to cloud services, you can expect to:

1. Eliminate the cost of maintaining old office hardware

2. Empower your team to work securely from any location

3. Enable productivity with advanced file locking and approval workflows

Central control gives you the power to manage access, permissions, groups, and folders.

2) Migrate Your Business Applications

Do you rely on local software for accounting, inventory tracking, or other line-of-business functions? If a web-based version exists that has the features you need, switching is a great choice. If not, a virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) solves your problem.

With VDI services, your software runs inside a secure cloud environment. Your local computer simply displays the screen and receives your keystrokes.

VDI services:

• Provide your team with a consistent user experience, whether in the office or working remotely

• Improve security, as your software runs inside a hardened perimeter

• Lower costs and give you the ability to scale resources up or down as needed

• Replace large capital expenditures with predictable operating costs

While some systems, such as manufacturing automation, diagnostic lab equipment, and medical tools, need to run locally, the vast majority of business applications thrive in VDI environments.

3) Secure and Manage Your Cloud Environment

Many leaders think that cloud providers handle every aspect of data safety. In reality, cloud providers operate on a shared responsibility model. They keep the core system running and protected, but you are solely responsible for securing your data. You control access. You control permissions.

Your data protection plan should include a few regular practices:

• Creating independent backups of all cloud files to prevent data loss

• Monitoring sharing permissions to ensure that sensitive data stays private

• Setting up data loss prevention rules to block unauthorized sharing

We recommend using Managed Cloud Services to handle these ongoing security tasks. This proactive approach aligns with our Security CPR® framework to help keep you safe.

You would not leave a physical office server unmanaged. Your cloud environment requires the same consistent care and oversight.

Your Next Steps

Finishing your cloud journey does not need to happen all at once. We will help you analyze your current systems and your needs. We will design a practical path forward to ensure a productive, secure, and affordable cloud solution.

When you are ready to simplify, secure, and save, contact us or schedule a time to chat with a Cloud Advisor to discuss your options.

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About the Author

Many organizations have already started this shift naturally with users adopting OneDrive or Google Drive. However, to truly unlock enterprise-level collaboration and security, you need to complete the migration to centralized, organization-managed storage. Whether you are in the Microsoft 365 ecosystem (SharePoint & Teams) or using Google Workspace (Shared Drives), we'll show you what the final destination looks like.

Stay tuned for Step 2!

Before you launch AI agents into production, you must ask yourself: Are your data access controls, security, and governance up to the task?

In this episode of Cloud Burst, Allen Falcon, CEO of Cumulus Global, shares insights from our recent survey of current and prospective clients. The data reveals that nearly 40% of small and midsize businesses are "double dipping" by using services from both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Whether your business mixes Microsoft desktop apps with Google email or uses Google accounts inside a Microsoft 365 environment, this episode explains why now may be the time to reassess your cloud strategy.

If you receive our newsletter or follow our blog, you’ve likely seen our recent posts and resources regarding proper AI usage. Our use of AI needs to be more than compliant with laws, regulations, and contractual obligations. We must be responsible and accountable for ensuring that our use of AI is both ethical and respectful to the individuals and organizations with whom we interact.

Our Commitment Includes Transparency and Security

At Cumulus Global, our commitment to ethical and appropriate use of AI includes transparency in why, when, and how we use AI services.

Any data we process through these AI tools is protected under our strict internal security protocols, ensuring your information remains secure, confidential, and never sold to outside parties.

Where We Use AI for Data Enrichment

As with most businesses, accurate information about clients, vendors, and partners is essential for managing services and communications. Data enrichment is a vital part of this process.

By definition, data enrichment is the process of updating information by filling in missing data or collecting new, relevant details.

We are currently piloting AI-powered tools to help us enrich the data we store about individuals and organizations. Doing so will give us better context for managing client relationships and for focusing our marketing and sales communications to those most likely to be interested.

Cumulus Global runs much of our operations using HubSpot, including our marketing, sales, and service functions. HubSpot features several tools (some of which use AI) to verify and update data elements in contact and company records.

HubSpot Breeze AI

Breeze AI is a service within HubSpot that offers data enrichment services by using the HubSpot Commercial Dataset to fill in missing fields.

Similar to commercial products like ZoomInfo, Cleanlist, Apollo, the HubSpot Commercial Dataset gathers publicly available information directly from individuals, as well as from third parties where a legal basis exists to process the information. However, unlike these other services, we cannot use HubSpot to identify new potential customers. We can only use the service to fill in missing information within our existing customer or company contact records.

Much of what the service provides involves common missing information, such as countries for addresses, country prefixes for phone numbers, and job titles. The AI component analyzes this information alongside the data we already have to provide further context, such as job function and authority. For example, a record may be updated to reflect a contact’s role as a senior manager in an operations department. The AI service also cross-references opt-outs and other verifications to help ensure we do not send you unwanted messages.

LinkedIn Integration

When a person or an organization is added to our database, HubSpot will, if possible, match the information to the person’s public LinkedIn profile or a company’s public page. HubSpot scans these public profiles and pages to fill in basic information, such as job titles, website domains, and employee counts.

You Are in Control

You are always able to manage how much of your information is shared.

LinkedIn

LinkedIn has several settings that allow you to extensively limit what the platform shares. You can review and manage these settings through your LinkedIn account.

HubSpot Commercial Dataset

HubSpot, like ZoomInfo and other data aggregators, provides the ability on its website to delete your data from the HubSpot Commercial Dataset. Doing so serves as an opt-out of the “sale” of data under relevant laws. Cumulus Global is immediately notified, and any data used to enrich our records is removed.

Cumulus Global

We do not share information other than as needed to provide our services to you and your company. You can manage which types of communications you receive from us by using the “Manage Preferences” link at the bottom of all of our automated emails.

We Are Here to Help

If at any time, you have questions or concerns, please send us an email or use the chat box or contact form on our website.

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About the Author

Change is the only constant in the cloud world, and Google is entering the final stages of a major transition. Google will phase out Chrome Apps in favor of modern Web Apps.

If your organization does not use Chrome Apps in your environment, you can safely disregard this update. However, if you rely on them for kiosks, digital signage, or user sessions, it is time for you to review the discontinuation timelines.

Although Google first announced the end of support for Chrome Apps back in 2016, and later extended support for Enterprise and Education customers through January 2025, the final deadlines are now locked in.

This timeline applies to all Chrome Apps, including Legacy (v1) packaged apps, Hosted apps, and self-hosted Chrome Apps.

The Final Discontinuation Timeline

With most developers and users already migrated away from Chrome Apps, the final schedule is rolling out across the following milestones:

• July 2026 (Scheduled for ChromeOS M150):

  • This is the last ChromeOS release that supports Chrome Apps in Kiosk Mode.

  • Devices on the Long-Term Support (LTS) channel will receive support for Chrome Apps in Kiosk Mode until April 2027.

  • The Chrome Sign Builder app will no longer be supported at the end of the M150 LTS cycle in April 2027.

• February 2027 (Scheduled for ChromeOS M160):

  • ChromeOS will disable admin-installed Chrome Apps in Managed Guest Sessions (MGS) and user sessions by default.

  • Admins will be required to manually set a policy to re-enable them.

• February 2028 (Scheduled for ChromeOS M184):

  • This is the last ChromeOS release to support Chrome Apps, marking the official end of life for the platform.

  • Devices on the LTS channel can continue using them until October 2028. Google will grant no exceptions.

What You Need to Do: A 3-Step Action Plan

To ensure a smooth transition and avoid workflow disruptions, Google advises taking the following steps:

1. Audit Your Fleet

Identify exactly which apps are configured in your ecosystem:

• Log into the Google Admin console

• Navigate to Devices > Chrome > Apps & Extensions

• Click + Search or add a filter, select Type, and choose Chrome

Note: This filtered list will display both Chrome Apps and Chrome extensions. Only Chrome Apps are being discontinued; your extensions will remain unaffected. Look for built-in warnings within the Admin console to help identify force-installed Chrome Apps that require immediate attention.

2. Engage with Developers

Contact your third-party app developers immediately to discuss their Chrome App migration options. Google has advised developers to communicate their transition plans directly to their customers.

3. Plan Your Migration

Begin transitioning any in-house or critical workflows away from Chrome Apps and toward alternative solutions, such as Progressive Web Apps (PWAs).

Help is Here

Transitioning legacy tools requires careful planning, but you do not have to manage it alone. Contact us or meet with a Cloud Advisor to ensure a seamless, compliant transition.

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About the Author

In a recent survey, we learned that half of small and midsize businesses still have remote workers connecting to local systems to access files or applications. While this approach was once the standard, it misses out on the robust, managed file services now available via Microsoft 365 (SharePoint and Teams) and Google Workspace (Shared Drives).

While moving core business applications to the cloud is more complex than moving files, doing so provides clear benefits for your IT management, as well as for on-site, hybrid, and fully remote workers.

The Challenges of Remotely Accessing On-Premises Files and Applications

Before cloud services became mainstream, remote access to on-premises systems was the only viable solution

Hosted data centers were expensive, and most users worked on-site. While these legacy solutions have been modernized over the years, relying on local, on-premises systems still poses significant challenges:

• Increased Complexity: You have to manage additional hardware, software, and services.

• Performance: VPN services and local network bandwidth limit throughput, causing lag and latency for off-site users.

• Fragmented User Experiences: Remote and on-site users access to the network, systems, applications, and files differently. Hybrid users must navigate two user experiences.

• Security Vulnerabilities: You are responsible for protecting and patching multiple layers of physical and virtual IT components.

• User Experience Conflicts: Managing local storage versus shared access can become complicated and confusing for users trying to collaborate.

• Resource Access Conflicts: Document version control, file synchronization, and shared access often break down when using older applications over a remote connection.

11 Reasons to Choose Cloud-Based Remote Desktop Services

You can dramatically simplify your IT infrastructure by moving file servers and applications into cloud-based environments. Let’s look at the 11 key benefits, broken down by Productivity, Security, and Affordability.

Productivity

1. Unified User Experience:
   A single method of accessing systems, applications, and files provides a single user experience for on-premises, hybrid, and remote users

2. Optimized Performance:
   Cloud environments are hosted on high-speed infrastructure, meaning users can get fast, reliable access even on lower-cost home broadband

3. Centralized Collaboration:
   Keeping all user activity within a single environment simplifies internal communication and file sharing

4. Streamlined Administration:
   An integrated cloud ecosystem simplifies access requests, permissions management, and user administration.

Security

5. Centralized Identity Management:Cloud-based remote desktop services provide a single security service that integrates with your domain and can integrate identity and access management services.

6. Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure:
   Both Microsoft and Google ensure that the underlying data centers and networks are secure. Your focus shifts solely to securely configuring your specific applications and user accounts.

7. Unified Backups:
   You can backup all of your productivity data, including emails, calendars, files, drives, and shared drives, with a single service.

Affordability

8. Reduced Capital Expenses:
   Removing on-premise systems and applications reduces capital expenditures and eliminates periodic, large upgrade expenses.

9. Consolidated Software Costs:
   You can eliminate the recurring licensing and maintenance costs of standalone VPNs, third-party remote access software, and specialized server backup tools.

10. Maximized Existing ROI:
    Moving file servers to cloud-native services leverages features already available within your existing Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace subscriptions at no additional cost.

11. Scalable Cost Control:
    Remote desktop environments can instantly scale up or down to match your current headcount, ensuring you only pay for the computing resources you actually use.

We understand that some applications may still need to run locally, especially those tightly integrated with operations like manufacturing, process controls, and distribution solutions. However, for the rest of your business architecture, a cloud-based remote desktop environment provides unmatched flexibility. Migrating your file servers to the cloud allows you to maximize the value of your existing IT subscriptions at no additional cost.

Help is Here

Completing a seamless migration of your files and applications to the cloud requires careful analysis and strategic planning. We are here to help you succeed. Send us a message or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors today to get started.

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About the Author

Our new Cloud Burst episode outlines practical pathways to keep your business safe.

The initial AI hype is wearing off, and a growing backlash is setting in. Now, your plans and investments need to reflect what’s actually happening.

As recently reported in Inc., a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found significant gaps between AI expectations and reality.

Leadership expectations for AI do not match the messy reality of rolling the technology out to frontline workers and managers. And while the study focused on larger enterprises, these challenges apply directly to small and midsize organizations.

The AI Gap

Gaps between expectations and reality manifest in three key areas:

1. Expected ROI

Many businesses are investing heavily in AI but aren’t seeing the promised returns yet. The BCG study shows only 20% of leaders feel their adoption rate is correct. The other 80% feel they’re moving too slowly or inconsistently.

The study attributes this to the AI hype cycle and a limited understanding of AI among non-technical business leaders. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is driving urgency rather than clear strategic goals.

2. Trust

Business leaders trust AI more than frontline workers and managers. While leadership sees pure potential, the employees using the tools are highly skeptical. Many worry that working with AI tools is just training their eventual replacements.

3. Training

Executives and upper management want quick AI adoption, but their staff commonly struggle with when and how to use these new tools. The study notes that AI leadership is often unclear, leading to conflicting expectations and priorities. Your team needs hands-on training to integrate AI into their workflows, along with an easy way to provide feedback.

Steps You Should Take

Given the gaps and their potential to slow or halt AI efforts, we recommend you take the following five steps for your AI projects and efforts.

1. Create an AI Appropriate Use Policy

A robust AI Appropriate Use Policy creates a foundation for why, when, and how your team uses AI. It also sets solid expectations for data security, privacy, and governance.

2. Define and Share your AI Goals and Strategy

Communication builds trust. When you share your AI goals and strategies, your team will understand how AI supports their daily work. This sets healthy boundaries and removes the fear of the unknown.

3. Clearly Establish AI Leadership and Governance

Consistent direction, priorities, and expectations reduce friction while creating predictable results. Top-down leadership provides a uniform approach that demonstrates your commitment to responsible AI usage.

4. Identify and Focus on Specific Use Cases

AI for the sake of AI will fail. Look closely at your daily workflows, especially repetitive or data-intensive tasks, and define clear use cases. Pinpoint your desired outcomes so that you can easily review and refine the rollout.

5. Set Up and Follow a Change Management Process

Don’t just let AI happen. Instead, make it happen. Treat your transition to AI like any other mission-critical project. Regular updates, feedback loops, and clear timelines will help you stay ahead of issues. Your team will be able to spot and fix problems before they stall your progress.

Help is Here

We are here to help you succeed. If you want to learn more, check out our AI Landing Zone, send us a message, or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors.

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About the Author

Watch our quick Cloud Burst video to learn how to level up your operations.

Don’t wait for a crisis to secure your cloud. Watch our new Cloud Burst episode to learn how to protect your team.

Google Workspace Business Starter is a robust, affordable productivity suite that handles the essentials of secure email, calendar, and document sharing services. But as your business grows, those entry-level features can start to feel like a constraint.

If you are outgrowing the limits of Business Starter, here are seven reasons to consider upgrading to a Business Standard or Business Plus subscription.

1. Massive Storage Increases

Business Starter caps you at 30GB per user. This fills up fast when you consider high-resolution images, video files, and years of email history. Upgrading to Business Standard or Plus bumps your capacity to 2TB or 5TB per user, respectively. Furthermore, this storage is pooled across your entire organization, which gives your heavy users the flexibility they need.

2. Shared Drives

Shared drives provide a centralized way to manage your folders and permissions. Ownership resides with the system instead of individuals, so access remains consistent even as your team changes. You also benefit from more precise access controls and a streamlined process for sharing files externally.

3. Appointment Scheduling

This feature allows you to eliminate the cost of third-party tools like Calendly. By upgrading, you can create professional booking pages directly within Google Calendar. Simply set your availability and share a link to let clients book time with you, which removes the friction of back and forth scheduling emails.

4. Professional Meeting Tools

Don’t rely on third-party AI extensions to capture your meetings. With a Business Starter or Business Plus Subscription, you unlock the ability to record Google Meet sessions and use built-in AI note-taking. These features are secure and fully integrated, ensuring your team never misses a follow-up item or a key decision.

5. Gemini AI Assistance

Gemini AI is now built directly into Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, and Meet. Whether you need a first draft of a proposal, a summary of a long email thread, or a custom image for a slide deck, Gemini acts as a force multiplier for your daily tasks. It helps your team move from a blank page to a finished product faster.

6. The Gemini App and Custom Gems

Beyond the side panel in your documents, an upgrade provides secure access to the full Gemini LLM at gemini.google.com. You can create Gems, which are custom AI personas tailored to your specific brand voice or workflows. They allow you to schedule automated actions to keep your business moving efficiently.

7. NotebookLM

This tool is a significant advantage for data-driven teams. NotebookLM allows you to create private and secure learning models using only your specific data. It functions like a research assistant that has read your internal documents and can synthesize information or answer complex questions instantly.

What About the Cost?

While upgrading comes with marginal increases in your per user licensing fees, the vast majority of small and midsize organizations can offset the increase.

With the expanded capabilities of Google Workspace Business Standard and Business Plus subscriptions, you can eliminate fees for:

• Calendaring and appointment scheduling tools

• Online meeting services

• Standalone Gen AI subscriptions

• External AI note-taking services

• Additional cloud storage providers

Help is Here

We are here to ensure you have the right tools for your specific goals. If you want to learn more, check out the blog posts and eBooks in our AI Landing Zone, send us a message, or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors.

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About the Author

Every few years, we see a shift in how businesses view their productivity suite. Small and midsize businesses that have been running on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for years take a pause and reconsider if it is still the right fit.

Many re-evaluate, some take action and switch, and a surprising number are caught somewhere in the middle.

Are businesses rethinking their Google and Microsoft services?

The short answer: Yes.

We surveyed prospective and existing clients, finding that nearly 40% of respondents are currently “double-dipping” and using services from both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

• The Hybrid Habit: The most common mix is using MS Office desktop applications while relying on Google Workspace for email, calendaring, and file sharing. A limited number of respondents use MS Outlook for email while relying on Google Docs, Drive, and Shared Drive for documents and sharing.

• The Shadow IT Risk: A significant number of users in Microsoft-centric environments still use personal Google accounts to create and share Docs, Slides, and Sheets, creating a massive security gap.

Given these patterns, business leaders understand that rethinking their Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 can unify their information, improve security, and lower costs.

Currently, nearly one-third of our cloud migrations are between these two platforms, with traffic flowing in both directions.

Why Are Businesses Rethinking their Productivity Suite?

Most organizations now have enough history with cloud services to identify the gaps in their current workflow. However, with the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence, your platform choice has become a pivotal long-term investment. Assessing how Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 fits your future priorities is a necessary step in maintaining a competitive edge.

What are the major differences between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?

Microsoft and Google bring different philosophies to their application suites.

Should you choose Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or a mix?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Choosing between a “cloud-first” or “hybrid-first” model is only the starting point. Other major factors, including technical integration and your plans for AI, will also come into play.

We will explore those critical topics in our upcoming posts. Stay tuned.

Help is Here

Our Productivity Suite Assessment can help you understand which suite is best for your business and how to fully utilize its capabilities. Use code PST2604 before May 31, 2026, and we will waive the fee.

You can also reach out to our Cloud Advisors. Book a no-obligation intro call and to discuss your needs, priorities, strategy, and plans. Send us an email or book a brief introductory call. We are here to help.

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About the Author