What’s in a name? As Juliet pointed out to Romeo, a rose could have any other name, and still smell just as sweet. This is essentially what Microsoft has done with their recent name changes to several of their Office 365 product suites. Going forward, all the product names of Office 365 for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and Office ProPlus products will use the Microsoft 365 name, dropping the ‘Office’ brand.

As we begin the third quarter of 2020, cybercriminals are continuing to adapt and increase their COVID-19 related attacks. Small to medium-sized businesses (SMB) are being targeted through a variety of malicious tactics. According to FBI Deputy Assistant Director, Tonya Ugoretz, the number of cybercrime reports has quadrupled in the months since the pandemic began. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) was previously fielding 1,000 complaints a day. They are now receiving between 3,000-4,000, with the majority of complaints related to COVID-19 (Source: The Hill.)

Company Joins Small Rank of New England Firms to Hold Designation 

PORTLAND, Maine — June 3, 2020 — Systems Engineering, a leading IT strategy and managed services provider serving clients across New England, announced today it is enhancing its services with Microsoft Premier Support for Partners agreement advancing the company's position as an elite Microsoft partner.

PORTLAND, Maine — May 19, 2020 — Systems Engineering announced today that, for the second year in a row, it has received a Best Wellness Employer Gold certification. This 2020 award was presented by Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of corporate wellness programs that developed the program with experts from Harvard Medical School to advance the field of worksite wellness. The data and research driven program recognizes the significant achievements of employers that are dedicated to improving employee health and well-being in innovative and meaningful ways.

As we all can feel, there are many pressures on families and individuals these days. This is especially true for military members returning to civilian life. Service to their country is coming to an end, and a new set of challenges is set to begin. One former Air Force veteran, Dave Hickey of West Gardiner, ME, lived through those challenges. The personal pressures he experienced upon returning home inspired a noble decision. Dave determined he would help make that transition a bit easier for other returning veterans.  

The prevalence of video conferencing is changing the way we conduct business. As we adapt to this new meeting practice, cybercriminals are adapting as well. The recent surge in use of cloud-based video conferencing technologies creates opportunities for cybercriminals to reengineer their phishing tactics.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, most school districts have moved to remote learning, leaving many disadvantaged families without means to stay connected and informed. Access to personal computers and internet service are critical for students to continue remote education. To respond to this unprecedented need in the community, Systems Engineering is stepping up our longtime partnership with PCs for Maine (now known as give IT. get IT.) Together, we have embarked on an ambitious plan to provide low-cost or no-cost laptops and desktops to disadvantaged families across the state of Maine.