Ever wondered how we can stay ahead of cyber threats without burning out?

On this edition of Explain IT, we're talking about the leveraging of advanced technology to automatically detect, investigate, and respond to cyber threats, reducing the need for constant human intervention that could lead to burnout. It's all about enhancing efficiency, speed, and accuracy in cybersecurity operations.

This week, Ashleigh Baker is guest host. She is the team leader in Softcat's Architecture Services. 

Think of Cyber Automation as having a tireless, digital watchdog that never sleeps. With the help of our experts; Patrick Bayle, SecOps Consultant Manager at Palo Alto, and Softcat's Senior Security Architect, Mark Williams, we're talking about training that watchdog!

Softcat's Explain IT podcast is the place where we discuss, debate and demystify tech in simple jargon free language.

For more information visit softcat.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Keeping your data structured and secure is key to keeping your business safe. But how do we ensure that at every level of our IT infrastructure, including your backups? With data being stored across an organisation, from edge to the data center to the cloud, cyber resiliency is important when safeguarding an organization's assets against cyber threats.

Today, we'll discuss the evolving nature of backup strategies in response to sophisticated cyber threats. Understand the methods to ensure the safety of backups, and look ahead to the future to consider how advancements in technology might shape the landscape of backup and cyber resiliency.

This episode is hosted by Helen Gidney, Head of Architecture at Softcat. And welcome back to softcat's Explain it podcast. We're here to talk tech in simple jargon, free language. This time Helen is joined by Michael Cade, Global Field CTO at Veeam Software, and Gary Hawkins, Hybrid Platform's Chief Technologist at softcat.

For more information visit softcat.com

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

You rely on wireless connectivity, we all do… and having a good wireless system can have a big impact on the success of your business. 

As companies strive for greater flexibility, efficiency, and connectivity, Wireless First is emerging as a game-changer. Post Covid, we’re seeing employees want more dynamic and collaborative work environments, and teams need to be able to move freely and adapt to those changing spaces quickly. We’ll discuss the benefits of wifi 7 and why building a private 5G wireless network can be a great way to increase bandwidth. 

This episode is hosted by Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture as we talk tech in simple jargon free language.  

Helen is joined by Simon Wilson, CTO For UK and Ireland at HPE and Tom Rowley, Networking and Connectivity Chief Technologist at Softcat. 

For more information visit softcat.com

This episode was produced by The Podcast Coach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024.

In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

We have a whole host of expert guests today, with the entirety of the Office of our CTO on the podcast, Adam Harding, Andrew Hermsen, Cairon Romeo, Gary Hawkins, Jack Lewis Keiron Newsham and Thomas Rowley.

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. 

Join us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

From artificial intelligence to 5G Networks to everything in between, we’ve seen some big shifts in the IT industry in 2024.

In today’s episode, we’ll be looking back over the tech landscape of 2024 and making big predictions about what we think we’re going to see in 2025. We’ll discuss how emerging technologies might transform industries and impact our daily lives, and you never know, some of these technologies might just address some of the world’s most pressing challenges.

We have a whole host of expert guests today, with the entirety of the Office of our CTO on the podcast, Adam Harding, Andrew Hermsen, Cairon Romeo, Gary Hawkins, Jack Lewis Keiron Newsham and Thomas Rowley.

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. Join

us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Workplace AI bots, like Microsoft Copilot, have exploded in use over the last 12 months. They are transforming how businesses operate by automating routine tasks, enhancing decision-making, and allowing employees to focus on more strategic activities.

Back in November 2023, Explain IT discussed how Copilot could potentially revolutionise the workplace. We’re back again to see how it has changed in the last 12 months with our guests Bradley Howe, Copilot Presales professional, and Dave Simmons Senior IT Transformation and Change Manager at Softcat.

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. Join

us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Cloud computing, first introduced in the 1960s as the "intergalactic computer network," is now essential to our digital existence.

There are so many cloud options available on the market today. Private clouds are essentially dedicated environments that offer greater control and security. They are typically used by businesses to store sensitive data and run critical applications. On the other hand, public clouds are shared environments managed by industry hyperscalers. These providers offer scalable resources but are accessed by multiple users simultaneously. However, which is best?

ln this episode we explore the intricacies of cloud computing with our guests, Mischa Penn, Cloud Sales specialist, and Hadley Grindrod, Enterprise Solutions Architect at Softcat 

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. Join

us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to

[email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ever thought about how much of your life is protected by passwords? And why do hackers want to steal credentials? How do they do it and more importantly, how can we stop them in their tracks?

From your emails to your retirement savings, passwords are quite literally the gatekeepers to your online life. And there are layers to password security, from your own password to the passwords that companies use to protect the collective data. Hackers are constantly using different tricks to try to crack those codes to access as much information as possible.

In this episode, we’ll get into the how’s and why's to help you stay strong against cyber threats with the help of our guests; David Higgins, Field CTO at CyberArk and Tom Wheeler, Specialist Sales Manager for Networking and Security at Softcat.

If you want to listen to more episodes from this season, new ones are released on the last Tuesday of every month. Alternatively,

you can stream or download all episodes from every season on your preferred platform. 

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. Join

us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to

[email protected]

This podcast is produced by The Podcast Coach.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Where do you want to work from today? The coffee shop? The beach? It’s all possible with a Virtual desktop infrastructure.

Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, or VDI, lets you access your companies’ systems from almost any device, essentially you can carry your office in your pocket. In this special episode, we’ll answer some important questions to help you get it right. How do you keep VDI working for everyone? How do you manage it effectively? How do you keep it secure?

Featuring our expert guests Jack Lewis, Softcat’s chief technologist for Workspace and Tom Archer, Director of Sales for EMEA at Nerdio, we’ll dive into the topic.

If you want to listen to more episodes from this season, new ones are released on the last Tuesday of every month. Alternatively, you can stream or download all episodes from every season on your preferred platform.

Your host for this episode of Softcat’s Explain IT podcast is Helen Gidney, Softcat’s head of Architecture. Join us as we talk tech in simple jargon free language. Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to [email protected]

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Customer service is tough for everyone, but how do we make it better for the employee and for the customer?

Business contact centres are starting to use AI at the very first step of their customer interactions. By automating elements of the customer service interaction and using AI insights, staff can resolve service incidents faster and keep customers happy.

Our team of experts, Andrew Hermsen, Softcat's Chief Technologist for Data, Automation and AI, and Lucky Sharma, Senior Partner Solutions Architect at AWS are here to answer the key questions to understand if AI contact centres are the future, and as always, to talk tech in simple jargon free language.

If you want to listen to more episodes from this season, new ones are released on the last Tuesday of every month. Alternatively, you can stream or download all episodes from every season on your preferred platform.

Have you got a burning question for the team? Please send an email to [email protected] and visit softcat.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.