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Cloud cost management is a challenge for many businesses, with 91% of organisations admitting they’re wasting money in the cloud. In this episode of Experts in Polo Shirts, Ryan Tracey and Matt Dyson tackle the most common reasons cloud bills spiral out of control and discuss strategies for effective optimisation.

What are the top three reasons for wasted cloud spend? Lack of skills, overprovisioned resources, and idle assets are costing businesses thousands. Join us as we discuss the actionable steps you can take to reduce your Azure price tag, from addressing hidden costs in storage and backups to using reserved instances, scaling plans, and better governance.

Whether you're struggling to manage your cloud bills or want to ensure your environment is optimised for efficiency, this episode is packed with practical advice to help you control costs and boost your ROI.

#CloudCostManagement #AzureCostManagement #CloudCostOptimisation

Chapters
00:00 Introduction
00:58 3 top reasons for wasting money on cloud 
02:21 Addressing the skills gap
03:19 Over provisioning: the on-premises mentality
10:10 Idle and underused resources
11:29 Monitoring systems: what we do
16:17 Who is responsible for Cloud Cost Management?
19:14 Business forecasts and IT budgets
20:20 Retention on backups
22:24 Why reducing redundancy might be a bad idea
24:54 Converting to PaaS
25:58 Committing Technical Resource
27:09 Saving plans and reserved instances
29:57 The Importance of Preplanning
32:29 Company buy-in
35:27 Developer resources and subscriptions

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

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Azure DevOps, CI/CD pipelines, and Infrastructure as Code (IaC) are revolutionising modern development. These tools transform outdated workflows into efficient, automated pipelines, helping developers focus on innovation.

This episode explores how practices like automated testing, platform-as-a-service options, and security automation boost productivity, security, and flexibility in Azure. Whether you’re a seasoned developer or managing a dev team, learn how Azure’s tools can help you work faster and smarter.

#AzureDevOps #CloudDevelopment #ModernDevelopment

0:00 Introduction – What Does Legacy Development Look Like?
1:19 What is Azure DevOps? Automating Code and Infrastructure Deployment
2:12 Benefits of Pipeline Automation and Gated Deployments
3:02 Security in DevOps: OWASP 10
4:10 Enhancing Security in the Pipeline
4:42 Increasing Deployment Velocity with Azure Tools
5:22 The ROI of Prioritising Development Thruput
6:26 Platform as a Service: App Services vs. IIS
7:38 Certificate and Server Management with App Services
8:36 Application Insights and Debugging in Azure
9:38 SQL as a Service and Performance Optimisation
11:01 Infrastructure as Code (IaC) for Resilience
14:00 Integrating AI Tools Like GitHub Copilot
15:56 Leveraging Replit and AI for Prototyping
17:58 Conclusion – Enabling Innovation and the Future of DevOps 

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

Description:
People are abandoning public cloud in their droves, or at least that's what Michael Dell might like you to think when he recently posted a stat which stated, "83% of enterprises plan to move workloads back to private cloud from public cloud."
In this episode, our techies are debating the Logic of Repatriating Workloads. What is it, and what do the stats point to is the public cloud a sinking ship, or are we moving to a more nuanced cloud era, where companies have become more aware of the pros and cons of both on-premises and public cloud and have begun their truly hybrid cloud approach to their systems. 
Find out the opinions of the experts in polo shirts: Chris Piggot, CEO, Ryan Tracey, Head of Technical Operations; and Matt Dyson, Consultant at Synextra. 

Click the link below for the Barclays CIO Survey.
https://8198920.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/8198920/Barclays_Cio_Survey_2024-1.pdf

#cloudrepatriation #publiccloud #privatecloud 

Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:47 What is cloud repatriation
1:15 The cloud repatriation statistic
2:50 Will SMEs repatriate?
4:36 The cost of cloud migration without optimisation
6:05 On-premises vs cloud
7:23 AI, what does it mean for the privacy of workloads in the cloud
9:47 Budgeting for future technical advances
10:52 Repatriation, the loss of functionality and a waste of time?
11:38 The infrastructure technical skill set in the future
15:38 Latency, cloud vs on-premises
18:47 Vendor lock-in
22:46 Cost management, doing public cloud correctly
29:37 A modern application stack
31:05 Reliability and the IT roadmap 
34:28 Summary
35:30 Out

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

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As we say a sad goodbye to VMware, we discuss the realistic hypervisor alternatives for businesses and their pros and cons. Hyper-V, XenServer, and VMware, wait what I thought it was alternatives to Broadcoms latest cash cow!? For better or worse, sticking with the top performer might be your best choice. Unless you want to Migrate to one of the big players in Cloud, Azure and AWS, Microsoft's offering is the more obvious option with infrastructure professionals likely being more familiar with the user interface.
All that and more in this episode of Experts in Polo Shirts with Synextra Consultant Matt Dyson, and Host Michael Clegg.

#VMware #hypervisor #hyper-v #XenServer #publiccloud 

0:00 Intro

0:18 Realistic Alternatives to VMware

0:42 VMware

2:36 HyperV

4:19 Xenserver

6:19 Hypervisor Migration Considerations

12:02 Non Hypervisor Alternatives to VMware

12:18 Public Cloud Azure & AWS

14:16 Scalability Advantages

17:44 Security Advantages

19:24 Motivation to Migrate

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

Since Broadcom acquired VMware we have seen a radical reorganisation of the company; eliminating products, packaging together what little is left and ratcheting up the prices giving consumers little choice but to plan their exit from the ecosystem.
CEO Chris Piggott and HTO Ryan Tracey discuss what has happened, how it affected us and what we recommend to move forward.

0:00 Intro
0:14 What has happened to VMware?
3:02 Why did Broadcom move so fast?
4:19 What does this change mean for VMware customers?
6:08 What is Broadcom's track record?
7:15 How has this change impacted Synextra?
8:24 Are there any real benefits to clients now that Broadcom has taken over?
10:47 What's next?
12:22 Considering the future, is there anything to stop more price increases?
13:03 What does Synextra recommend?
14:48 What is the future for techies?

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

Aaron Naisbitt has joined Synextra, and he’s brought with him some fresh insights about the modern end user. Exploring the headwinds that IT teams have to fight in a modern-day workplace he suggests that the improving technology people have at home, making everything accessible at the touch of a button, has given employees higher expectations of tech in the workplace. Alongside this, workplace technology has become more complex, involving layers of security thus slowing systems down.
Chapters:
0:00 Teaser
0:23 The Modernisation of the End User
4:40 The Changing Landscape
5:13 The Effect on Recruitment and Retention

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Visit our website: https://www.synextra.co.uk

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Social media//

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd- 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNhzi_d1GyV1WKtvO4sbdA 
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

Join our special guest DCI Chris Maddocks, the head of Economic and Cyber teams in the North West and our very own Chris Piggott, Synextra CEO.
Our Cyber Security webinar is where we’ll be sharing the most common mistakes that we see in businesses and organisations when it comes to Cyber Security and Phishing. 
We will explore how these mishaps can be avoided and examine the real impacts and repercussions on real organisations that members of the police force such as DCI Chris Maddocks have experienced and investigated firsthand.

From easy-to-implement VPN systems to staff training we discuss the best practices for businesses and individuals to stay safe against cyber criminals and phishing attacks.

Useful links:
Northwest regional crime unit 
https://www.nwrocu.police.uk

Northwest Cyber resilience centre 
https://www.nwcrc.co.uk

Report Phishing 
https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/collection/phishing-scams/report-scam-email
[email protected]

Report to Action Fraud 24-hour City of London police 
https://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/advice/advice-and-information/fa2/fraud/action-fraud/

Have I been pwnd 
https://haveibeenpwned.com


#cybersecuritytraining #phishing #webinar #cybercrime #cyberattack #socialmedia 

00:00 Introduction
02:00 Protecting Businesses-2FA
03:01 Risks Of Ransomware
05:28 Social Media Compromises
07:30 The Cyber Security Skills Gap
13:19 Phishing Attack Vectors-Email
15:30 Crypto Currency And Crime
16:38 Exchange Web Proxy Exploits
18:03 Phishing Awareness
20:59 Turning The Tide On Ransomware 
26:36 What Can People Do To Protect Themselves
33:30 Password Advice
41:15 Advice For Small Businesses And Charities 
44:13 Distributed Denial-Of-Service DDoS
45:48 Police Cyber Investigation Process
47:42 Security Of Public Wifi
52:29 Other Attack Vectors
53:14 Disgruntled Employees
57:21 DDoS Analogy
58:28  Laws Around Cyber Crime
1:03:59 Conclusions

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Contact//
Tel: 0161 883 1383
Email: [email protected]
Visit the website: https://www.synextra.co.uk
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Social media//
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNhzi_d1GyV1WKtvO4sbdA
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

The Experts in Polo Shirts are discussing the issues around TikTok, the hugely popular short video app every person and their cat is rushing in to use and yet it is being banned on government and company phones; but why? We discuss the security and misinformation issues that surround the platform. 
It is the fastest-growing social media platform, but today we'll be asking "is time up for TikTok?"
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0:00 Introduction
0:28 Do we use TikTok?
1:58 TikTok Security Risks
3:34 Online disinformation and Silicon Valley bank
5:48 Censorships and suspensions 
7:30 Cyber Security and data collection
10:55 The “Troll Factory”
12:20 Steven Bartlett’s fake footballer Pitch deck
13:20 TikTok as a search engine
14:27 Does google control online information?
16:39 TikTok, ad products and info collection
19:30 TikTok short-form content and how it affects other social media apps
20:35 TikTok online shop and commissions

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Want to watch the video version of the podcast, follow the link below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GJkcn9XyF2Y

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Useful links:
https://www.dailywire.com/news/navarro-on-tiktok-all-the-data-goes-right-to-servers-in-china

https://www.cnbc.com/2020/01/02/google-abandoned-its-dont-be-evil-mantra-former-exec-says.html

https://512.soccer/the-day-arsenal-signed-rex-secco/

https://metro.co.uk/2015/09/07/the-truth-behind-rex-seccos-34million-transfer-move-to-arsenal-5380023/

https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/mar/16/the-tiktok-wars-why-the-us-and-china-are-feuding-over-the-app#:~:text=A%20law%20implemented%20by%20China,other%20social%20media%20companies%2C%20collects.

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Contact//

Tel: 0161 883 1383 
Email: [email protected]
Visit the website: https://www.synextra.co.uk

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Social media//

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd- 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNhzi_d1GyV1WKtvO4sbdA 
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

Ladies and gents, we are back again with another contentious episode! Or maybe not contentious enough...

Today we're playing a twisted game of Cluedo with IT, and it looks like Colonel Mustard has done the wicked deed with a Candlestick in the Billiard Room! In this instance Colonel Mustard is Microsofts Azure platform, the Candlestick is Public Cloud, and the unfortunate soul is our beloved SysAdmin IT Professional. Forget about the Billiard Room, it doesn’t fit into this metaphor really well so we're hoping you don't read this far!

Seriously tho, we're talking about the Death of the SysAdmin and the role that Azure and the public cloud plays in its demise!
*Spoilers we don't actually think the role of the Sysadmin is done, we do think it will begin to look pretty different in the near future, watch now to find out the opinions of or CEO Chris Piggott and Infrastructure Engineer Michael Wilde.

Four our UK audience and people unfamiliar with the term, SysAdmin is short for System administrator, the are our IT professionals who ensure an organisation's computer systems are functioning and meet the organisation's needs. In other words, SysAdmin support, troubleshoot, and maintain computer servers and networks.

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Contact//

Tel: 0161 883 1383 
Email: [email protected]
Visit the website: https://www.synextra.co.uk

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Social media//

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra 
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd- 
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNhzi_d1GyV1WKtvO4sbdA 
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra

Send us Fan Mail

It has been a long time since our last podcast, but we are back!💪

Today we're talking about where have we been,  the cost of living crisis and how crazy is at the moment for the public sector, our temporary (for 3 months already 😝) studio and its "fancy" chandelier, the new technology and the old fashioned but still a beast AS/400, customer projects and Cohesity the baffling backup solution (seemingly magical) that has our experts wondering how it work and much much more... That's enough with the spoilers!

Get some popcorn, a soft drink, sit back and enjoy!

#podcast #technology  #business

00:00 Intro
00:34 Office renovation recap
02:57 New PCs, laptops on lease and browser tabs
05:49 Inflation and the cost of living
07:26 Customer projects
09:36 Cohisity backup solution - how does it work?
14:30 Old technology - AS/400
15:58 What's coming up
16:32 Fin

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Contact//

• Tel: 0161 883 1383
• Email: [email protected]
• Synextra: https://www.synextra.co.uk

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Social media//

• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/syne...
• YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPNh... 

About Synextra

We're your new favourite cloud provider.

Based in the North-West of England, our team of experts help organisations like yours thrive in the new era of cloud tech.

Visit https://www.synextra.co.uk/ to find out more and book a chat with one of our cloud specialists. We'd love to show you just how good a cloud-powered work life can be.

Connect with us:
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/Synextra
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/synextra
• LinkedIn: https://uk.linkedin.com/company/synextra-ltd-
• YouTube: / @synextra
• Linktree: https://linktr.ee/synextra