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Last updated: 23/01/2023

Please find below our recommendations for hardware and software.  Devices not meeting these standards may not be supported but we will work with you to help you meet them.  Any devices not meeting these standards may not be repairable under our contracted hours and may require the purchase of additional time.

Recommended Hardware

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Servers

  • Less than 5 years old
  • Running a supported Operating System with current licensing (including Client Access Licences – CALs)
  • Covered by manufacturer or third-party warranty

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Desktops / Laptops

  • Recommended Manufacturers: HP, Dell, Lenovo (Think models)
  • Minimum Specification:
    • Intel Core i5 processor
    • 256GB SSD
    • 8GB RAM
    • Windows 10 Pro or higher
    • Less than four years old

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Switches

Switches should:

  • Have a minimum of 1Gbps connectivity
  • Have a minimum of 512MB of core memory
  • Support a minimum of 16000 MAC addresses
  • Switches should be Energy Efficient Ethernet compliant to a minimum of 802.3az standard or equivalent.

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Wi-Fi

  • Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
  • Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) – if buying new or replacing an existing system

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Network Cabling

  • Cat5e
  • Cat6e – if buying new or replacing an existing system

Recommended Software

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Microsoft

  • Windows 10 Pro (21H2 & 22H2)
  • Windows 11 Pro
  • Server 2012R2*, 2016, 2019 & 2022
  • Office 2016/2019/2021/O365

* Supported until 10th Oct 2023

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MacOS / iOS

  • macOS 11 (Big Sur)
  • macOS 12 (Monterey)
  • macOS 13 (Ventura)
  • iOS 14 / iPadOS 14
  • iOS 15 / iPadOS 15
  • iOS 16 / iPadOS 16

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Web Browsers

  • Google Chrome
  • Mozilla Firefox
  • Safari
  • Microsoft Edge

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Video Conferencing

  • Zoom
  • Teams
  • Skype for Business
  •  

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Anti Malware

  • BitDefender
  • Malwarebytes
  • F-Secure
  • Microsoft Defender
  • Sophos
  • SentinelOne
  • Huntress
  • Avanan

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Backup Software

  • Windows Server Backup
  • Axcient X360 Recover
  • Veeam
  • Redstor

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Adobe

  • Acrobat Reader
  • Acrobat Pro
  • Adobe Creative Cloud (Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator etc)

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File Sync

  • DropBox
  • OneDrive
  • Google Drive

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Media Players

  • VLC
  • Windows Media Player

End of Life Approaching Soon

The following software will soon be end of life:

  • Microsoft Windows 10 release 21H2 – June 13, 2023
  • Microsoft Windows 10 release 22H2 – May 14, 2024
  • Microsoft Windows 11 release 21H2 – October 10, 2023 (October 8, 2024 – Enterprise and Education version)
  • Microsoft Windows 11 release 22H2 – October 14, 2024 (October 14, 2025 – Enterprise and Education version)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 – October 10, 2023
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2012 R2 – October 10, 2023
  • Microsoft Office 2013 – April 11, 2023
  • Microsoft Office 2019 for Mac – October 10, 2023
  • macOS Big Sur – Expected Nov 2023

Disallowed Software

  • P2P or file-sharing software (Limewire, Bittorrent, etc…)
  • System tune-up and driver update utilities (Slimware, Iolo, Ashampoo, etc)
  • Third-party anti-virus or security products (AVG, Avast, etc…)
  • Remote access software (Unless Co-Managed) (TeamViewer, GoToMyPC, LogMeIn, etc)