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At Concept, we don't just provide amazing IT Support and IT Services to businesses in the North East of England, we also like to share some of our knowledge and experience whilst providing guidance & insight.  Here you will find the latest information, advice and news from Concept.  If there are any topics you would like us to cover, please get in touch.  

05 May 2023
Making sure girls’ footie team looks the part
At Concept, we’re passionate about supporting local people and businesses. Not only do we provide top-class managed IT services to small and medium-sized firms, but we also love to help local good causes. That’s why we’re delighted to be sponsoring Tanfield Lea Community Primary School girls football team – not least because it’s managing director Kevin’s form
30 September 2022
The North East Business Awards announces its results…
The results are in! We were absolutely delighted to have won the the Services Award category at this year’s North East Business Awards’ Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside heat and although we didn’t win at the grand final, it’s fantastic to be recognised for the amazing IT support we provide for our clients. The North East Business Awards celebrate the achievements of i
08 August 2022
We’ve made it to the grand final of the North East Business Awards
It’s always great to receive recognition for the awesome IT support we provide our clients, and we are proud to say we have made it to the grand final of the North East Business Award 2022. In June, we received the Services Award at the Durham, Sunderland and South Tyneside regional heat - it was an incredible night, and although we had sore heads the next day, we thoroughly enjoyed celebra
25 February 2022
Staying safe from cyber criminals
Cyber attacks have increased over the past 18 months, thanks in large part to the pandemic and the rise in people working from home.   And while many companies may assume they’re covered by their insurance, that is not necessarily the case. Concept IT managing director Kevin Embleton discusses how managed IT services can make sure you’re not left short should the worst happ
23 February 2022
Extinguishing GreCon’s IT problems
Newcastle-based GreCon Limited is part of the Fagus-GreCon group and the market leader in industrial fire prevention and measuring technology solutions. GreCon is a relatively new client of Concept’s and selected us as the firm’s trusted IT partner after hearing about our services from other businesses. Challenge The company’s relationship with a previous managed IT service pr
16 February 2022
What are managed IT services and why do you need them?
In simple terms, IT management services are for companies who are looking to outsource certain IT functions to a third-party managed service provider (MSP), such as Concept IT. The MSP can then remotely handle the customer's IT infrastructure and/or end-user systems, leaving the client with more time to spend on what’s important – their organisation. There are many benefits of using
17 November 2021
Concept has the right ingredients for Epicurium
Epicurium is a food wholesaler offering a range of carefully chosen healthy snacks, supplying independent businesses across the UK. We have worked with the team since 2014. Challenge Faced with a blown server, the team at Epicurium needed IT support fast, which we were only too happy to provide. A few months later, when they decided to enlist external IT support, we were their first port of cal
12 November 2021
How to protect your business from scammers this International Fraud Awareness Week
This year, International Fraud Awareness Week is November 14th to 20th. The week aims to minimise the impact of fraud by promoting awareness and education. You may think you would be able to spot fraud if it were to happen to you, but you might be surprised at the length scammers go to. Fraud in the UK is currently at its worst. In the first half of 2021, The Guardian reported a total of £
20 October 2021
Waste not want not
Waste is a problem. Whether it’s baby wipes clogging up sewers, food waste accounting for up to 10 per cent of greenhouse gas emissions or fast fashion creating mountains of unwanted clothes, what we leave behind is a problem for all of us – and that goes for IT too. Electronic waste – or e-waste – is a growing issue; 44.7 million tonnes of it was produced worldwide in 20
18 October 2021
We’ve made the finals of the SME National Business Awards
It’s always a privilege to receive recognition among great British business and we’ll never get tired of the feeling we get when we make a shortlist. So we are thrilled to announce Concept has been named as a finalist in not one but two SME National Business Awards’ categories - Business of the Year (less than 50 employees) and Service Excellence. The prestigious awards, which
13 September 2021
Hospice harnesses the power of VR to raise funds
Times were tough for charities over the course of the pandemic, as their usual methods of fundraising were curtailed due to lockdowns and social distancing regulations. However, we’re delighted that one of our clients, Alice House Hospice, has come up with an ingenious way to raise essential funds – their own virtual reality centre! The hospice has launched the suite, called NEVRlabs
03 September 2021
Concept receives prestigious NextGen 101 list status
As a team we pride ourselves on providing ethical and quality IT services and it’s a fantastic feeling when we receive recognition of this from our industry. We’re thrilled to announce Concept has been named as one of the world’s elite managed service providers on the prestigious Channel Futures 2021 NextGen 101 rankings. The list honours industry-leading managed services and te
17 August 2021
Building a relationship with a construction company
Consett-based construction and design firm SGS has been working on a variety of big housing projects across the North East over the past few months. SGS is one of our more recent clients, who heard about our IT services after being recommended by its financial advisor, who also happens to be one of our loyal customers. Challenge With a booming housing market over lockdown and the construction i
28 July 2021
Concept is doing IT for the kids
Streetwise is an independent young people’s charity offering free confidential information, advice and counselling to young people aged 13 to 25. The national award-winning charity has been in operation since 1991 and is based in Newcastle City Centre. Concept IT has recently started working with the charity, which supports 5,000 young people each year, providing it with a range of managed
27 July 2021
Another roar-some year with the Teesside Lions
Supporting local organisations has never been more important and as a team we love to give something back to the community – which is why we have decided to sponsor a Teesside basketball team for the third year running. We are the proud sponsors of the Teesside Lions’ warm-up tops for the 2021/22 season and have enjoyed seeing how the team have supported eager basketball fans of all a
13 July 2021
Supply chain cyber attack
I am sure you will have read or seen in the news that a new, recent cyber-attack has taken place, affecting thousands of organisations. The software which was attacked helps managed IT service providers, like Concept IT support and manage systems for their clients. The first thing I must say is that our team doesn’t use Kaseya! There are only a handful of software providers who produce mana
28 June 2021
Supporting hospice with 24/7 care
As the only adult hospice in the Hartlepool and East Durham area, Alice House Hospice offers support and care for people affected by a life-limiting illness or the death of a loved one. The Hospice was one of our first clients, joining us from our inception in April 2005, having previously worked with managing director Kevin Embleton. Challenge As a health service provider, where inpatient care
09 June 2021
An ethical way to provide IT equipment
Reduce, reuse, recycle – that’s the mantra we’ve all got used to by now, as industries across the board look to reduce the amount of waste they produce, reuse what they already have, and recycle what they no longer need. Electronic waste – or e-waste – is a growing issue, so much so that an inquiry was launched into the problem. 44.7 million tonnes of e-waste was pro
04 June 2021
Keeping Elmtronics on the road
Elmtronics is an award-winning supplier and installer of electric vehicle charging points, working with a variety of customers across the UK including the NHS, local authorities and car dealerships.   The business specialises in electric vehicle charging equipment for home, workplace, fleet and destination settings.  Challenge With the team’s national customer base growing
19 May 2021
Keeping companies communicating during Covid
Since the coronavirus crisis hit, more and more people have been working from home and communicating virtually, meaning demand for IT services has never been higher. We’ve been only too pleased to support small and medium-sized businesses adapt to the new normal, setting up cloud services for clients who didn’t previously have them and dealing with issues caused by increased demand on
03 December 2020
Keeping in touch with Concept
Human contact is vital, even in a pandemic, and we’re so pleased to have been able to help residents at a local hospice keep in touch with their loved ones – virtually, of course. The team here at Concept have provided fully managed IT services to Alice House Hospice, in Hartlepool, for 15 years, and we really wanted to help them during the recent Covid-19 lockdown, when care home vis
30 November 2020
Protect every machine in your business network
We provide a specialised outsourced IT Support Service to companies across the North East, from Newcastle, Sunderland and Durham to Middlesbrough, Stockton and Darlington. We offer a wholly managed IT service for small to medium sized businesses, which deliver everything your company needs to ensure it’s proceeding efficiently and securely. Over the past 14 years we have been involved in m
28 October 2020
Creating a secure IT system for animal care firm
Natural Stockcare is an animal supplement manufacturer, based in Blaydon. It is trusted by generations of farmers to provide livestock supplements that are safe, effective and easy to use. Challenge Director Patricia Smith wanted to work with a local IT company which could offer a dedicated team to look after all her firm’s IT needs. With the website being the main element of the business,
12 October 2020
Helping hospice continue its vital work
Willow Burn Hospice, near Lanchester, County Durham, offers end-of-life care for those with terminal illness, and support for those close to them. Challenge Concept IT has worked with the hospice since 2018 to deal with all their IT needs. During the coronavirus pandemic, the challenge was to ensure continuity in the charity’s work, allowing the team to keep offering their vital support.
15 September 2020
Ensuring continuity in times of crisis
If there is one thing 2020 taught us, it’s to be prepared. As coronavirus spread around the globe, businesses of all shapes and sizes found themselves in a race against time as countries locked down, adapting to new working practices, often without the necessary infrastructure in place. While planning a global pandemic was not necessarily on anyone’s radar, a thorough business contin
15 September 2020
Roaring into the new season with sponsorship deal
As a company, we’re always looking to give something back to the community we work in, and so we’re pleased to announce we are lending our support to a local basketball team for the second year in a row. We are, once again, the proud sponsors of the Teesside Lions’ game warm-up tops – and we can’t wait to see what this season holds, as the team goes from strength to
14 September 2020
Introducing the Concept conference kit
As many North East businesses start to put plans in place for reopening offices and introducing staff to their new working environment, it’s important to consider what your team will need in order to continue to work efficiently, while also following social distancing guidelines. Meeting rooms will soon be busy again however the way we use them will change. Although you may not be inviting
08 September 2020
Keeping it in the cloud – supporting home-working at Commerical Expert
Commercial Expert is an independent commercial whole-market loan broker, providing business funding and ancillary financial services solutions. Challenge Having worked with our managing director Kevin previously, Commercial Expert’s Mike Coates approached Concept IT when he wasn’t happy with the service he was getting from his current IT supplier. Mike, Commercial Expert’s man
24 June 2020
Saving precious time – an efficient IT solution for Co-wheels Car Club
Co-wheels Car Club is a social enterprise, which provides low emission, hybrid and electric vehicles on a pay-as-you-go basis for organisations and communities and is the UK’s only independently-owned national car sharing club. Challenge Following a recommendation from a former colleague, Co-wheels’ Head of Operations Tracy Jameson approached the Concept IT team for help with the bu
11 June 2020
Which video conference platform should I use?
With the majority of the UK still working from home during the Coronavirus pandemic, more and more of us are now using a host of video conferencing apps, but which platform should you be using? These tools have been available to us for quite some time but, as employers need to protect personal employee and client data, there are several things you should consider before you encourage your team to
15 May 2020
Keeping pets in virtually paw-fect health through COVID-19 lockdown
Thanks to the innovative Concept IT team, we have helped a North East veterinary practice to launch a new online service, which enables patients to be seen by veterinary surgeons while adhering to social distancing. Blythman & Partners, which has nine practices throughout the north of the region, was able to quickly alter its working systems to offer an advanced and safe option for customers.
29 April 2020
Helping our clients fuel the front line during Coronavirus crisis
We are thrilled to announce that Concept IT is supporting Epicurium’s Coronavirus donation campaign. The North East specialist healthy snack distributor is powering frontline workers through the Coronavirus crisis with hundreds of nutritious donations. Epicurium, which is based in Consett, has delivered wellness food parcels to Northumbria Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, Cramlington, and
16 April 2020
COVID-19 scams – what you need to know
With the ongoing Coronavirus crisis weighing on all business owners’ minds, many scammers are taking advantage of the delicate and confusing situation.  Whether it’s a text, tweet or email, scammers are searching for an opportunity to mislead you and, as an ethical IT company, we are here to support you and offer our expert advice. What to look out for: Many forms of communic
20 March 2020
Coronavirus and the cloud
With schools closed, social distancing in force and a total lockdown on the cards, many businesses are looking at making home working available to their employees. If that sounds familiar, then this is the article for you – give us a call on 01207 234637 to find out how we can help. As you will no doubt be aware, coronavirus has spread across the UK at an alarming rate – at the time o
19 March 2020
Making the shortlists
Awards are always great, whether that’s winning or simply being nominated, as they’re very much a mark that you’re doing something right. With this in mind, we’re delighted that Concept IT has been on somewhat of a roll lately, having been shortlisted in no fewer than three awards already this year – and it’s particularly special in this, our 15th anniversary y
16 March 2020
Happy birthday to us!
Can you believe we are 15 this year? Concept IT started off in 2005, set up by our managing director Kevin Embleton, and it’s fair to say it’s been quite the journey. From a team of three when we launched, we’ve grown to 12, all working together to provide ethical IT services to small and medium-sized businesses. As Kevin explains: “I saw there was a gap in the market. At
23 January 2020
So long Windows 7 - it's been great knowing you!This month, Windows 7 will turn ten years old; but with age comes retirement and from 14th January 2020, Microsoft will cease to provide further security patches and updates.  As with all great products, Windows has been a tale of good and bad where innovation and stability have delighted and tormented users at various times.  Most of our c
17 January 2020
We are delighted to announce we have been named as one of Europe’s premier managed IT service providers (MSP) in the inaugural Channel Futures European Partners 51 – EP51 rankings, which are commITted to honouring the best in ICT excellence from across Europe. The EP51 rankings follow the format of the respected MSP501 global rankings, where providers are analysed according to a uniqu
11 November 2019
In October our Managing Director, Kevin and Implementation Lead, Ian, packed their bags, left blustery Durham and jetted off across the pond to Miami for a renowned global conference. The Acronis Global Cyber Summit 2019 brought together the world’s largest communITy of cyber protection professionals during the two-and-a-half-day event, which is commITted to the improved protection of criti
25 September 2017
We often come across companies that aren't happy with their IT provider but are too nervous to switch. They have been advised that their system is complex, they use bespoke software and that they must continue to use the existing supplier because they're the only ones who know how everything works and how to fix it... Thankfully, we can prove them wrong! We recently got a call from a company with
09 October 2015
A current overview of the IT sector in the UK With a stable growth of start-ups accountable for technical innovation and high levels of investment, the UK's IT sector is well-placed to take on a new cohort of skilled IT support workers. What areas of IT can I work in? There are many kinds of work that fall under the IT bracket. Some of these include: Applications establishment and developmen
09 October 2015
Research submits data which reveals that most cloud users are unhappy with the level of IT support they get from their suppliers. According to a survey of 200 UK CIOs, 93% are now making use of off-site technologies, but 75% of them feel that making the move has required them to take a cut both in service and support. To strengthen this opinion, 33% of those surveyed said they feel moving to the
09 October 2015
Shortages of capable IT support experts is a hot problem all over Europe, many professionals have agreed, but some accept that the core problem lies in the skills doubt. This can only be rectified by founding trusted partnerships with third party providers. The study, which asked 900 IT administrators from around the UK, France, Germany, Spain, Portugal, found that anxieties about ability shorta
14 September 2015
The personal cloud is expanding rapidly and growing even quicker in importance as it intersects with IT initiatives, according to research firm Gartner Inc. By 2018, 50% of IT support organisations will support assets and services outside their IT service portfolio, says a report by the firm. Personal cloud is growing in status as it shapes how workers operate across their digital lives, the stu
17 August 2015
Our IT Services in Durham provides a specialised outsourced IT Support service to companies in Durham and the North East area. Our IT services engineers can rapidly connect to your desktop computers to carry out any IT support such as upkeeps, upgrades or installations via remote, allowing you and your staff to carry on your business with little interruption. Our refined servers and network monito
17 August 2015
Businesses around Gateshead looking to outsource their day to day IT procedures or support depend on us as their trusted partner, delivering cost efficiency, stability and service assistances. Our set of IT services solutions are conveyed by a team of expert staff, making sure our clients’ IT substructures perform to their fullest and support their commercial plan. Concept IT uses our Mana
17 August 2015
A new survey from a cloud storage and data protection hardware provider has found that while personnel at more than half of organisations use public file, sync and share services, almost three quarters said they were seeking an alternative. The account highlighted a growing interest and need for enterprise-grade, private cloud storage solutions. Dropbox business users have recently reached the 8
14 August 2015
Our ravenous demand for more and more cloud storage has provoked Facebook to stump up £321m for a 500,000sq ft. of wind-powered data centre in Texas. It is the fifth such provision to be built by the social media goliath, making use of energy efficient servers driven by a neighbouring 200 megawatt wind farm. The facility in Fort Worth is required to stock billions of photos and videos held
13 July 2015
After much deliberation over security, IT services departments around Newcastle and the North East started to stick their necks out give cloud computing a try. At the same time the huge amount of business groups weren’t waiting around, instead they were happily typing in their card numbers and doing the exact same thing but on a much larger scale. The result of this nearly viral cloud servi
13 July 2015
In the late 90s some of the bigger companies started to look at the IT systems they had in place, and began to deliberate if they were strictly essential to their operation. Did they really need a data storage centre? While a few courageous firms around the Sunderland and North-East areas, as well as the rest of the UK, started to contract out some of their gear, most decided that yes they did ind
13 July 2015
Grainger clarified that the next emphasis when letting the police make use of their cloud storage against crime fighting, is to make the systems mobile so that officers can get access to the tools while out on patrol. The force is carrying out tests with mobile device management (MDM) tools and devices for the workforce to use around the Newcastle area. He mentioned that numerous devices have bee
13 July 2015
Police in Durham have begun to utilise more computing technology to progress crime-fighting struggles by making it faster and stress-free for officers to enter info and get the data they need. The shift has been brought on by the shrinking finances and the need to do more with less by giving officers admittance to the tools and systems that help them make better use of their schedules. One of the
05 June 2015
Concept IT uses our Managed IT services in Newcastle as the core service around which everything else is built. Understanding your Newcastle business is key to the success of any system and service which your business needs. From this base, our solutions can be tailored to your needs. So how could we possibly help you? On-Premise Solutions Cloud computing isn’t right for every business an
05 June 2015
Thank you for taking an interest in Concept IT Middlesbrough. Concept IT are a team of devoted, experienced IT professionals, who are always on hand to offer support and information when you need it most. We offer a wholly managed IT service for small to medium sized businesses in the Middlesbrough and North East areas which deliver everything your company needs to ensure it’s proceeding ef
05 June 2015
Concept IT Services provides quality, professional IT Support and Managed IT Services to small and medium sized business in Darlington and the surrounding areas. Darlington based IT Support from Concept IT gives you the reassurance that whatever happens you’re in safe hands. We manage all aspects of your computer system providing fast and reliable IT Support so you can concentrate on what m
05 June 2015
Thank you for taking an interest in Concept IT Gateshead. Concept IT are a team of devoted, experienced IT support professionals, who are always on hand to offer support and information when you need it most. Gateshead based IT Support from us will give you the reassurance that whatever happens you’re in safe hands. We seek to understand your business and your staff as part of your team. We
27 May 2015
Technology changes seem to be happening more and more frequently, and many small and medium business owners are hesitant about purchasing technology items. Their fear is that their IT equipment will become outdated within a few months. While keeping up with advancing technologies requires a considerable financial investment, the cost of failing to update your equipment and falling behind is far gr
27 May 2015
IT resourcing has grown significantly in the past few years, and it is now becoming a critical function in companies of all sizes. Some companies can afford to have a full-time in-house IT department, and rely on outsourcing only to handle specific functions or projects. Others prefer to have an external firm that handles all their IT functions, including day-to-day operations and large projects.
18 May 2015
Many entrepreneurs have considered outsourcing some aspects of their business. The merits of outsourcing are rather obvious, especially since experts across different industries tout outsourcing as the answer to reducing costs on various business functions, ranging from accounting and marketing to human resources and information technology. It seems possible to run your business with as few employ
18 May 2015
Every business that uses computers, the internet, software, and other applications on a regular basis not only needs reliable IT support in Darlington or wherever the company is located, but also relevant IT policies in place. Information technology support is necessary to allow other organisational operations to run smoothly. IT policies, on the other hand, provide employees with guidelines about
02 March 2015
Ten years ago, Concept IT was established to provide SME's in the North East of England with quality IT support. Back then, only a handful of organisations provided a quality service delivered by professionals - all of which set their sights on larger organisations. Our challenge was to deliver quality and professional services for SME's which not only matched that of the best providers, but was
30 December 2014
We often come across companies that aren't happy with their IT provider but are too nervous to switch. They have been advised that their system is complex, they use bespoke software and that they must continue to use the existing supplier because they're the only ones who know how everything works and how to fix it. Thankfully, we can prove them wrong! We recently got a call from a company with a
30 December 2014
We recently lost an opportunity to work with a distribution company in Gateshead.  The company had issues with their IT systems being slow, in-efficient and as they were told "out of date".  They took this opportunity to invite not only their incumbent supplier to review the systems but also us on the back of a recommendation. So why did we lose it? Because we looked at the entire system
30 December 2014
I've just received an invitation to write an article for the UK Government Department for Culture, Media and Sport.  They have asked for a technical contribution to why business in the North of England need to take advantage of the connection voucher scheme which provides SME's with a grant of up to £3,000 for business grade, next generation, super-fast broadband... So what do I have t
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Concept IT is ISO27001 UKAS Certified Concept IT is a HP Business Partner Concept IT is a Microsoft Certified Partner ensuring you always receive the best advise possible Concept IT is a Cisco Select Certified Partner and provides the best possible security and network solutions Concpet IT is ISO9001 UKAS Certified so you can be confident in receiving a fantastic service from us every time Concept IT is Cyber Essentials Certified