Ice Connect

It’s surprisingly common for businesses to rely on software that’s no longer supported.

Not because anyone chooses to take a risk.

More often, the software has been around for years. It works, people are familiar with it, and replacing it never quite reaches the top of the priority list.

But at some point, the company that created it stops maintaining it. From that moment on, security gaps aren’t fixed and new weaknesses aren’t patched.

The software may still appear to work exactly as it always has. But the protection behind it has disappeared.

Our latest guide explains what unsupported software means for a business, why the risk grows over time, and how to find out if any of your systems have reached that stage.

Download your free copy now.

If you’ve ever logged into SharePoint late at night to fix something quickly, you’ll understand this one 😅

Microsoft is adding dark mode to the SharePoint admin centre.

Now, before you think this is just a cosmetic tweak, hear me out 👂

For years, most of the Microsoft 365 admin portals have supported dark mode. Exchange. Teams. The main Microsoft 365 admin centre.

But SharePoint? Bright white screen.

Every time.

If you prefer dark mode (and a lot of people do), jumping into SharePoint always felt a bit… jarring.

That’s finally being fixed 🎉

Admins will now be able to switch between light and dark themes inside the SharePoint admin centre.

It’s optional. Nothing is being forced on anyone.

And importantly:

• This doesn’t change any settings
• It doesn’t affect end users
• It doesn’t require any preparation
• It’s purely about visual comfort and accessibility

Dark mode reduces the amount of bright light your screen emits. For people working long hours, or logging in during the evening to deal with an issue, it can reduce eye strain and make the experience more comfortable 🌙

It’s not going to revolutionise your business, but small quality-of-life improvements matter more than people think.

There’s also a consistency benefit here.

If you’ve already chosen dark mode across other Microsoft 365 portals, SharePoint will now align with that preference instead of standing out like a floodlight.

Switching it on is simple: Open the SharePoint admin centre from the Microsoft 365 admin portal and use the Dark Mode toggle in the top right.

That’s it.

I often say that good IT isn’t always about dramatic new features. Sometimes it’s about making everyday tools slightly more pleasant to use.

👀 If you regularly manage SharePoint, do you prefer dark mode across your tools or are you still sticking with the classic bright white screens?

There are a few Windows 11 features that are genuinely worth your attention right now 👍

Let me walk you through the ones that could make a difference in your business…

1️⃣ Smart App Control

This checks any app you try to install against Microsoft’s threat database.

If something looks suspicious, it blocks it. That can stop malware before it ever lands on your PC 🛑

Previously, there was a strange catch: If you turned it off (say, to install something you trusted), you couldn’t turn it back on again unless you reinstalled Windows completely. Which no one is doing casually.

That’s now fixed 🥳

You can switch it on and off properly. Which means it’s finally practical to use.

2️⃣ Pick up where you left off (Android → PC)

If you use an Android phone alongside your Windows PC, you can now resume more apps directly on your desktop.

Let’s say you were editing a document or working inside an app on your phone. When you sit down at your PC, Windows can offer to continue from that exact point.

It already worked with some apps like Word, Excel, Spotify and certain browsers. Now that resume ability is expanding, including files opened inside the Copilot app (as long as they’re stored online).

It’s one of those features you don’t realise you need, until you use it a few times and see how it saves small pockets of time every day ⏱️

3️⃣ Voice access and typing improvements

Voice Access lets you control your PC using spoken commands.

Now there’s a setup wizard that makes getting started much easier.

There’s also more control over voice typing. You can choose how quickly commands are executed after you speak.

That means near-instant action if you want it, or a slight pause if you tend to think out loud mid-sentence.

For accessibility, productivity, or even just reducing keyboard fatigue, this is powerful.

4️⃣ File Explorer gets a performance boost

File Explorer is the tool that lets you browse files and folders.

If you’ve ever clicked into a shared network folder and waited… and waited… you’ll appreciate this.

Performance has been improved specifically for accessing folders over a network. If your business stores files on a server or shared drive, that can make daily work smoother.

It’s not dramatic. But when something you use dozens of times a day gets quicker, you feel it.

5️⃣ Handy device info at a glance

Inside Settings, you now get simple “device info” cards showing your CPU, memory (RAM), storage and graphics.

If you’ve ever wondered, “Do we have enough memory on this machine?” it’s easier to check without digging through menus.

While none of this is headline-grabbing, taken together, it shows Windows becoming more practical, more connected to your other devices, and a bit more security-focused.

And that’s the direction most businesses need.

🤔 Which of these would make the biggest difference in your day-to-day work? Security, speed, or cross-device flexibility?