Best Digital Signature Software : Free Electronic Signature Apps  Business 2 Community
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Coffee Briefings are timely deliveries of the latest ITWC headlines, interviews, and podcasts. Today’s Coffee Briefing is delivered by IT World Canada’s editorial team!
Missed last week’s Coffee Briefing? We’ve got you covered.
HCL Technologies unveils next-generation engineering and R&D centre in Vancouver
HCL Technologies, a global technology company, announced the opening of its new, next-generation engineering and research and development (R&D) services centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. 
The new facility will house a Customer Experience Center and focus on the development of futuristic digital technologies and next-generation products and solutions for HCL Technologies’ customers. Some of these solutions include full-stack engineering solutions, customer experience, and R&D services across different industries.
The company has also recently welcomed its first cohort of the HCL Technologies Apprenticeship Program in Vancouver. The program, part of the company’s Rise at HCL Tech early career and training program, gives high school graduates who do not have a formal college degree the ability to pursue a career in the industry, with focus areas in software development and testing, digital and cloud services, infrastructure delivery, and engineering.
“With this new facility, HCL Technologies can leverage its industry-leading digital engineering technology services and R&D capabilities to develop next-generation products and platforms for global customers. This facility will foster better collaboration across the Vancouver technology and education ecosystem,” said Vijay Anand Guntur, president of engineering and R&D services at HCL Technologies.
HCL Technologies employs more than 2,000 people in Canada, and has plans to grow even more, with an additional 1,000 hires in the next three years.
Blueprint Software Systems embraces remote work company wide 
Blueprint Software Systems, a provider of cloud-based business process improvement software solutions, has announced that it will be fully embracing remote work across the company.
With a remote-centric workforce, Blueprint will adjust its physical office capacity in June, and relocate to a new location in midtown Toronto designed to house in-person collaboration and remote communication.
Employees will not be required to spend any physical time in the office and there will be no geographical restrictions on company hiring.
“Blueprint has helped organizations around the world run more efficiently and operate their process automation projects at a lower cost – all through a cloud-first, location agnostic approach. We decided to adopt these insights and apply them to our business,” said Dan Shimmerman, president and chief executive officer of Blueprint. “Covid made remote work a requirement for Blueprint over the last two years, during which time collaboration and productivity increased, so we’ve optimized our business accordingly to accelerate that trend.”
Blueprint currently has employees in 19 cities across North America, and is planning to grow throughout the year.
Toronto healthtech researchers using AI to accelerate rare disease diagnosis with new funding 
Toronto’s Pentavere has secured C$200,000 in health tech funding from biopharmaceutical firm Takeda Canada to help identify new digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI) solutions that support enhanced patient care in rare disease conditions. 
Pentavere Research Group Inc. is a clinical discovery company that has developed an AI engine called DARWEN, which accelerates discovery from vast amounts of clinical text. DARWEN unlocks value, insights, and evidence from clinical information which is impossible to analyze by human intelligence alone.
Additionally, Takeda Canada also announced that Pentavere has been awarded the first Takeda Canada Innovation Challenge, launched in January 2022 to accelerate partnerships in identifying new digital technologies and AI solutions that support enhanced patient care in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) or rare disease conditions. 
“We are thrilled to have the opportunity to collaborate with Pentavere to leverage their AI technology within the field of rare diseases,” said Rute Fernandes, general manager, Takeda Canada. “Building strong partnerships across our healthcare ecosystem and leveraging data and technology is imperative to holistically address key patient needs, from diagnostics right through to personalized medicine. We would like to congratulate Pentavere on its successful submission and to thank all entrants for participating in the Takeda Canada Innovation Challenge.”
This partnership will give Pentavere the opportunity to collaborate and benefit from Takeda’s extensive international network.
Klarna launches new loyalty card feature
Klarna, a global retail bank, payments, and shopping service, has announced the launch of its new loyalty card feature in the Klarna App.
This feature allows app users to store and access their physical loyalty cards digitally. Users can collect all points and benefits at any merchant without the need to carry physical cards while shopping in-store. 
The feature supports more than 8,000 loyalty reward programs worldwide, spanning everything from technology and groceries to clothing and beauty, helping consumers collect points.
The company says this feature comes at the right moment; a Klarna survey revealed that 39 per cent of Canadians have avoided signing up for a loyalty program in the past because they were unwilling to carry another physical card. 
“At Klarna, we want to give consumers the world’s best shopping experience, no matter whether that’s online or on the high street…Klarna is now delving deeper into physical retail, helping consumers save time and money everywhere they shop. By equipping users with a digital space to conveniently collect their loyalty cards, we are raising the physical shopping experience to a new level of convenience and flexibility,” said David Fock, chief product officer at Klarna.
Canada to be a test market for Notes, Twitter’s new writing feature
Twitter has chosen Canada as one of the test markets for its new feature, Notes. This feature comes via a new team at at the company called Twitter Write. 
Twitter Write is focused on building tools and community so readers and writers can get the most out of the social media platform. It will focus on enhancing the Twitter experience for writers, and will appeal to journalists, authors, bloggers, content creators, newsletter publishers, and comedians. 
The new Notes feature will give writers the chance to go beyond 280 characters for the first time, using a rich-text editor to capture articles and other kinds of content.
Starting last week, Twitter began partnering with a small group of writers from Canada, the U.S., the U.K., and Ghana to test drive the feature.
Women in IT Channel award nominations open
Channel Daily News is now accepting nominations for Rising Star and Mentor of the Year awards, to be presented at the Women in the IT Channel recognition luncheon at the Art Gallery of Ontario on August 25, 2022. The deadline for submissions is July 8.
SAS Hackathon 2022 winners decode real-world problems using data
This week, SAS announced the winners of its 2022 SAS Hackathon. From 70 qualifying teams from around the world and 50 business case submissions, SAS highlighted 13 teams for innovation using cloud-native SAS Viya artificial intelligence, Microsoft Azure, and other technologies.
When Two Hats are Better than One
Some leaders pay lip service to the notion of lifelong learning, opting instead to settle for what they already know. Bobby Singh was taught to learn something new every day and continues to follow this sage advice.
Canadian internet providers must block bad botnets, says regulator
Canada’s telecom regulator will create a mechanism that internet service providers will have to use to block malware-carrying botnets.
This week in Ransomware – Friday June 24th, 2022
A recent report from Telus noted that “Cyberattacks are on the rise in Canada, with 98 per cent of Canadian organizations reporting a cyberattack in the last 12 months.
Channel Bytes June 24, 2022 – Cloudflare announces Zero Trust partner program; Ermetic automates JIT cloud access; new channel program from DoControl; and more
Staying informed is a constant challenge. There’s so much to do, and so little time. But we have you covered. Grab a coffee and take five while you nibble on these tidbits.
RBC announces partnerships to provide clients with increased security and control over their financial data
RBC has announced partnership agreements with both Plaid and Envestnet | Yodlee as it looks to provide clients with better access, and control, and to allow them to securely share their financial data with applications outside of the bank.
Is Queen’s Park set to change health records rules? One expert thinks so
It was not a proclamation or even confirmation, but more of a hint that big changes might be afoot in Ontario when it comes to citizens being able to access their health records electronically.
Calgary’s mayor discusses what city is doing to build up tech sector
Jyoti Gondek, Calgary’s 37^th mayor and the first woman elected to the position, says past mistakes made in attempting to build up the city’s technology sector will not happen again under her administration’s watch.
Tech in Calgary is thriving, says panel at Collision 2022
The Calgary Economic Development panel discussion held at Collision 2022 discussed the issue of attracting and retaining talent in its growing tech sector amid a time of turbulence and uncertainty.

Google searches for the ways to move to Canada surges, some models of the Apple MacBook Pro M2 have slower storage speeds than the previous generation, and some people will not pay for a streaming service if they can’t share passwords.

This episode reports on how a vulnerability in a VoIP system, nearly led to a ransomware attack, why files in open source registries should be handled with care, and a hacker is selling access to compromised Atlassian Confluence servers.

If you live in Quebec, or prefer to consume the latest technology news in French, our sister publication Direction Informatique has you covered. Follow them on Twitter as well.
Our experienced team of journalists and bloggers bring you engaging in-depth interviews, videos and content targeted to IT professionals and line-of-business executives.
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Dev’s code manages to topple Microsoft’s mighty SharePoint  The Register
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Cybersecurity researchers have issued a warning after spotting what appears to be a new Microsoft Office zero-day vulnerability that may have been exploited in the wild.
On May 27, a researcher who uses the online moniker “nao_sec” reported on Twitter that they had found an interesting malicious document on the VirusTotal malware scanning service. The malicious Word file, uploaded from Belarus, is designed to execute arbitrary PowerShell code when opened.
The malware was later analyzed by several others, including researcher Kevin Beaumont, who published a blog post detailing his findings on Sunday.
“The document uses the Word remote template feature to retrieve a HTML file from a remote webserver, which in turn uses the ms-msdt MSProtocol URI scheme to load some code and execute some PowerShell,” Beaumont explained, adding, “That should not be possible.”
The researcher noted that the code is executed even if macros are disabled — malicious Word documents are typically used for code execution via macros. Microsoft Defender currently does not appear to be capable of preventing execution.
“Protected View does kick in, although if you change the document to RTF form, it runs without even opening the document (via the preview tab in Explorer) let alone Protected View,” Beaumont said.
The researcher decided to name the zero day vulnerability “Follina” because the malicious file references 0438, which is the area code of Follina, a village in Italy.
Roughly one-third of the vendors on VirusTotal detect the malicious document at the time of writing.
Beaumont and others — including Didier Stevens and NCC Group’s Rich Warren — have confirmed that the Follina zero-day exploit can be used to remotely execute arbitrary code on systems running various versions of Windows and Office. It has been tested against Office Pro Plus, Office 2013, Office 2016, and Office 2021.

Beaumont noted that the exploit does not appear to work against the latest Insider and Current versions of Office, which indicates that Microsoft may be working on patching the flaw, or some modifications need to be made to the exploit.
SecurityWeek has reached out to Microsoft for comment and will update this article if the company responds.
A domain used by the attacker for command and control (C&C) purposes, xmlformats[.]com, was hosted by Namecheap. The hosting company quickly “nuked” the domain after being notified.
Both Warren and Beaumont have proposed some potential mitigations until patches or workarounds are made available.
Related: Patch Tuesday: Microsoft Warns of New Zero-Day Being Exploited
Related: Microsoft Patches 128 Windows Flaws, New Zero-Day Reported by NSA
2022 CISO Forum: September 13-14 – A Virtual Event
2022 Singapore/APAC ICS Cyber Security Conference]
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A Gantt chart gives you a bird’s-eye view of your entire project lineup, which for many folks makes project planning much easier. To get the most out of this approach to project management, you need to invest in the best Gantt chart software available, and this article has six great options.
For over 100 years, Gantt charts have been helping people manage their projects. Early edition Gantt charts were created on paper, but today’s iterations exist in the digital world, serving as a core part of the best project management tools. For those of you hunting for the best Gantt chart software, keep reading — you’ll surely find it here.
Compared to kanban boards and basic to-do lists, Gantt charts provide a more complex overview of where your project is heading, and how on track you are with your goals. Because of that, Gantt chart tools tend to cost more money, and you’ll seldom see them in the best free project management software.
With that in mind, we’re constantly searching for the perfect quality-to-cost ratio. While we can’t be sure of your budget, one thing we can say for certain is that all the Gantt chart software options below offer quality. Some more than others, but all of them are valid options for those looking for the top Gantt chart tools.
If you’re looking for Gantt chart software, the best option right now is TeamGantt. It offers in-depth views and its functionality is top second to none.
Yes. Those with a Microsoft Project account can access a Gantt chart to manage projects.
Naturally, our core focus in the selection is how good each provider’s Gantt chart is. We’ll zero in on the design, see how easy it is to add data and test whether it runs smoothly even during intense usage. We’ll also focus on all the bits and bobs like value for the money and what other features are on offer.
TeamGantt takes the top spot because of its beautiful Gantt chart that functions extremely well and offers clear symbols, so you can easily digest the information of your project. It’s also one of the few providers to offer a Gantt chart for free.
GanttProject is here for the open source supporters and those without a budget. monday.com, Wrike and Airtable are featured because they’re fantastic project management tools with very good Gantt charts included.
We’re going to break down each of the six options below. We’ll mainly highlight their strengths, but also point out the areas in which they can improve. Let’s dive in.
More details about TeamGantt:
Pros:
Cons:
TeamGantt isn’t trying to be anything other than the best Gantt chart software on the market. It knows what its strengths are, and it plays to them extremely well. That’s why we rate it the number one choice for anyone looking to invest in a Gantt chart tool.
Gantt charts tend to be slightly more complex views of projects, yet TeamGantt has developed a user interface that’s simple to grasp and will appeal to project managers of all levels of experience. With its simplistic user interface, users can clearly identify tasks and milestones, as well as manage dependencies by linking tasks together.
For those new to online Gantt chart software, TeamGantt offers some of the best educational tools in all the project management software space. It provides clear and concise tutorials, and there’s a deep knowledgebase too. On top of that, if you feel you need to speak to a member of the support team, you can do so easily and receive fast and informative responses.
We’ll note that while predominantly a Gantt chart tool, TeamGantt does have other project management features. Users can access a kanban board, a list view access to tools for time-tracking portfolio management, though some features are limited to paid plans.
Most project management software services reserve Gantt chart views for their paid plans. Not only is TeamGantt the best option on the market, but users can also access the Gantt chart software for free. Granted, the Gantt chart view is only accessible to project managers on the free account; however, if you’re a small team, this is a great way to save money.
Although TeamGantt offers several tools, none of them rival the quality of its Gantt chart. If you’re looking for a good all-rounder, TeamGantt may not provide you with the versatility you’re looking for (see monday.com for that). However, if you’re only interested in beautiful Gantt charts that are easy to use, TeamGantt is likely for you.
If you’re unsure how to create Gantt charts, TeamGantt also provides Gantt chart templates to help you get started. To learn more about the software, read our full TeamGantt review.
More details about GanttProject:
Pros:
Cons:
For those who prefer to support not-for-profit companies, GanttProject is an excellent option. It’s arguably the best free project management software with Gantt chart views, as it doesn’t limit functionality and user access. However, before you’re lured in by the flashing lights of “free,” let’s take a look at what it offers and how it performs.
Of course, there’s the Gantt chart, which allows you to see which tasks you need to do, identify any potential obstacles and set dependencies. There’s also a “resource” tab that allows project managers to add new users to tasks and define each user’s role within the project and its tasks.
For those working on complex projects, GanttProject offers what is known as critical path analysis. It’s used to identify the quickest possible route in order to complete your task. This is an excellent feature for those working with tight deadlines.
For free open-source Gantt chart software, GanttProject comes with pretty impressive reporting features. You can export your reports in PDF and HTML, with the latter allowing you to embed your reports on external pages.
If you have previously been using Microsoft Project and want to save money by migrating to GanttProject, there’s good news. You don’t need to worry about losing all your current projects that are active on Microsoft Project, as GanttProject makes it possible to seamlessly import them into the software.
One drawback to choosing GanttProject is that you don’t have access to a web-based version of the platform, nor does it offer mobile apps. Instead, you have to go old school and download the software locally. This isn’t the end of the world, but if you prefer to keep space free on your computer’s hard drive, it’s likely going to be somewhat of a nuisance.
We also can’t ignore the extremely dated design of the user interface. It’s going to take you back 20 years. Despite its poor design, though, the software functions well, and for those who only care about that and saving money, GanttProject is a solid choice. Learn more about the software via our GanttProject review.
More details about monday.com:
Pros:
Cons:
Although monday.com isn’t quite the top Gantt chart software, it’s certainly the best project management solution currently available. It’s packed to the brim with features that make project and task management far more manageable. Also, as far as quality Gantt charts are concerned, it’s not that far behind the best of them.
What’s commonly known as Gantt chart view, monday.com refers to as its “timeline” view. They’re essentially the same thing. Like TeamGantt, monday.com provides a very clean and easily digestible timeline of tasks within your project. Users can color code tasks, providing a more vibrant approach to sometimes mundane task management.
What we especially like about monday.com is its performance. It’s the best project management software for multiple projects so it runs smoothly, even when managing multiple projects or complex projects filled with a range of tasks. It’s also easy to navigate, as each feature is clearly labeled, meaning you’ll spend little time figuring out where everything is and how it works.
monday.com’s native features are excellent; however, the company realizes it can’t do everything. To counter that, monday.com opens the door to over 200 third-party software integrations. Not all of them pertain to project management, as many of the integrations can help with customer relationship management, marketing and software development.
monday.com is the perfect example of a service that considers Gantt charts a premium feature. You won’t find a Gantt chart on its free plan nor on its most budget-friendly paid plan, so to get one you’ll need to move up to the Standard plan. At a cost of $10 per month with a three user minimum, it’s more expensive than our top choice, while not being as good in terms of its Gantt chart.
Remember, though, you’re paying for the best all-rounder here, so if Gantt charts are just a subsection of how you manage projects, monday.com would be a fantastic choice if you want the best of everything. To learn more, read our monday.com review.
More details about Wrike:
Pros:
Cons:
Wrike is another option that’s not necessarily a piece of stand-alone Gantt chart software. Instead, it’s a well-rounded player that’s just as comfortable with kanban boards as it is scrum boards (check out the best scrum tools), making it one of the best project management software with Gantt charts.
Regarding the Gantt chart, its design makes it easy to track progress, get a clear picture of your project timeline and share tasks with other team members. Like with GanttProject, you can also import important projects from Microsoft Project which will enable you to shift seamlessly into Wrike’s software.
Weirdly, Wrike’s Gantt chart isn’t as diverse as its other project views. It’s not possible to zoom in on task dependencies, or hide them when you want a more streamlined view. Other features, such as Wrike’s native calendar, set the bar high in the world of project management tools, and Wrike only needs to make minor improvements to its Gantt chart functionality for that to do the same.
What sets Wrike apart from the competition is its excellent range of project templates. The templates include multiple options for project management (including Gantt charts) as well as templates for marketing purposes. For those managing multiple projects, Wrike’s templates will no doubt help get you going quickly and more efficiently.
Although it’s not anywhere near as bad as GanttProject for modern standards, Wrike has one of the worst designed user interfaces. However, that doesn’t impact functionality and for the most part the Gantt chart and other features performed well.
Another thing worth mentioning is that while Wrike has some of the best security around, its privacy policy falls short. The company openly states it will share your data with third-party companies, and it will snoop around your information to send targeted ads to your eyeballs. We’re certainly not fans of this.
If you don’t care about any of that and want a decent Gantt chart that also helps with basic task management and more complex approaches to project management such as Agile methodology, Wrike will make you proud. It also has a free version you can try out. Learn more by reading our full Wrike review.
More details about Airtable:
Pros:
Cons:
We were of two minds as to whether to include Airtable in this roundup of the leading Gantt chart software. Objectively speaking, as far as Gantt chart software goes, Airtable is up there with the best of them, and in our review we wrote that it rivaled TeamGantt. To some, it would seem like a no-brainer to include it.
We’ll start with the good. You can use the Gantt chart to set milestones, implement resource management and easily assign tasks to the available and appropriate team members. The project view looks delicious inside Airtable’s Gantt chart, and you can even view it in full-screen mode to gain a larger and wider perspective of your entire project.
The bad news is that the Gantt chart is only available on Airtable’s Pro and Enterprise plans. The Pro plan costs $20 per user per month, making it by far the most expensive option in this selection. Some may also argue that the other features in the Pro plan aren’t as extensive as the more affordable options above.
The thing is, Airtable has an exceptionally good web application. It’s no nonsense and really (and we mean really) enjoyable to use. Remove the price and it could easily be our number one Gantt chart software solution. With that in mind, it was impossible for us not to include it.
Airtable’s stock user interface will be enough for most people, as it’s beautiful and easy to navigate. However, for those who love full control, you can create a personalized interface that suits your needs and is accessible both for internal and external users. No coding skills are required either — you can build the interface yourself with simple drag-and-drop blocks.
Pricing concerns aside, Airtable does have plenty to offer. Its customer support is excellent and its tutorials make it easy to learn about all the sections of the software. Airtable offers decent reporting tools and other features such as a kanban board and native calendar are also available, although they’re very basic in regards to what they do.
If money is of no concern, going with Airtable simply for its Gantt chart features isn’t a bad decision. It’s just hard for us to place it higher up this article because it’s not accessible for those on a tight budget. To learn more about Airtable and to see if it’s worth the money, check out our Airtable review.
More details about ClickUp:
Pros:
Cons:
ClickUp is a very likable project management tool. That’s mainly because of its basic (but functional) design, which will appeal to a wider, commercial audience. In short, it’s fun to use, something that shouldn’t be overlooked when doing mundane tasks like workload management and time tracking, as examples.
As far as the Gantt chart goes, it’s pretty good. It lets you see a bird’s-eye view of all your work stations, lists and tasks and also gives you a clear view of your project schedule, helping you to identify if everything is on track.
As far as interactive Gantt charts go, ClickUp uses its intuitive software to help you identify potential bottlenecks, allowing you to see the project’s critical path and clean things up if needed.
If you’re curious about what else is on offer, ClickUp comes with white boards, allowing you to be visually creative when planning a complex project. There’s also some collaboration tools which lets authorized users comment, edit and share documents created in the native document app.
Foremost ClickUp is another great option for those looking for a free Gantt chart. The only downside is it’s limited to 100 entries. The good news is that for $5 per user per month, you unlock ClickUp Unlimited, which allows you to use the Gantt chart as much as you wish, without limitations. You also get access to unlimited storage, dashboards and integrations.
In closing, while ClickUp is a good option for new and novice users, experienced users may find the software’s performance a little too sluggish for their standards. It’s not overly slow, but for more intense tasks it does begin to slow down. To gain a deeper understanding of the product, check out our ClickUp review.
We hope you enjoyed that little journey into the world of Gantt charts and by now you should have a clear idea of which service is for you. Again, TeamGantt is the best Gantt chart creator and not only will you enjoy using it, you will also see the benefits it gives you in overall project workflow.
A reminder, if you want an all inclusive solution for help with workload management, team collaboration, resource management and, of course, project management, monday.com will be the hero you’re looking for. As for the rest, they’re all viable options and will mainly suit you based on your design tastes and feature preferences.
What’s your favorite Gantt chart? Is there a software provider you would like us to review in the future? What’s your favorite project management tool? Let us know in the comments. Thanks for reading.

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Imagine walking into a bank and being told you can see your balance, but not your withdrawal history. Or that the money you deposit may not be valid when you decide to withdraw it. Sounds farfetched? Not in the world of Information Management. The answer is to use the right tool for the job – an Electronic Document & Records Management System, which manages documents and records with precision and control, just like banks manage money.
Documents are created and received by everyone. They vary in importance, and some have more value than others. Given that so much reliance is placed on documents and records, why is it that document repositories only tell you what you hold and not what you’ve deleted? And, with so many different content types, combined with multiple formats and technologies spanning so many years, how can you guarantee you can access the records when you need to in years to come?
An EDRMS is purpose-built to manage records to the highest standards. It can manage electronic and paper records, archives, libraries, image collections and back-scanned projects. It allows the application of strict rules and in-built controls to ensure that what is placed in the system is properly managed throughout its lifecycle.
Yes. Every organisation has the need to manage some records, but not everything has to be managed as a record. There are internal projects, works in progress – transient and ephemeral documents – which can be stored in file shares and collaboration platforms; and then there are long-term records like HR, finance, contracts, health & safety and board meetings which demand an EDRMS.
Traditional deployments involve large upfront investment in software and hardware. Project implementation teams followed by ongoing support and maintenance by a central team can be costly. Deployments can be time-consuming when the system is configured separately for each team.
Due to these cost barriers, only large organisations have been able to afford to roll out an EDRMS. This approach has met varying degrees of success. From a user perspective, some have welcomed the structure, compliance and functionality. Others have resisted due to system complexity, fear of change and disruption to processes, as well as not seeing the benefits the system brings to the organisation.

Collaboration platforms such as O365, Google Workspace and Dropbox are useful tools. They allow a great deal of flexibility for users to access, create and collaborate on content. However, if they are configured to act like an EDRMS, they lose much of the functionality that make them such great platforms to work with. Rights need to be removed from users and complex processes need to be created and documented. And what is more, all these actions need to be managed by a central team.
As we know, all organisations create records but, depending on the industry, the need to place records in an EDRMS as opposed to a collaboration platform can differ greatly.
Collaboration platforms are used for most of the day-to-day work of many organisations, where there is a need to share access and collaborate.
Long-term records should be stored in systems designed for records: where full audit trails on every action are recorded and kept for the life of the record; where complex access controls are carefully thought through and effectively managed; where retention schedules are formally agreed and implemented, which can prove that a record has not been amended or deleted and, when something has been deleted, by who and when.
Gilby IM is a fully managed service and opens out the benefits of an EDRMS to all organisations, from large to small. It allows the management of specific record sets without the need for expensive organisation-wide projects or support teams.
Unlike traditional EDRMS deployments, GilbyIM is offered as Software-as-a- Service (SaaS) and can be deployed within a few days. Organisations have the option to adopt a templated solu- tion or have the platform configured to their specification.
As a fully managed service, GilbyIM gives organisations the freedom to deploy quickly an EDRMS just for the information assets that need manag- ing without the need for a full deploy- ment. This dramatically reduces costs. Whether it be electronic records covering HR, contracts or finance, paper files or back scanning a whole file range ready for an office move, GilbyIM solves this problem and solves it quickly.
The GilbyIM platform gives you access to a system that provides assurance from the start. The technology that underpins GilbyIM manages records for over 2,500 government organisa- tions worldwide. It conforms to ISO 15489 (the international standard for records management) and is approved by the National Archives.
The whole look and feel has been designed around the user. It is intuitive, uncluttered and requires zero training.
Our combination of a SaaS model and templated solutions means that organisations can reduce a records transformation project to days, minimise reliance on paper records and bring unstructured data under control once and for all. Not only that, it can be accessed from anywhere.
Simplicity has been designed into GilbyIM from the outset, which enables high levels of user adoption which remains high and guarantees you project success. And because you only pay for what you use, it can be scaled to meet any organisation’s needs. From small primary schools to large councils, GilbyIM provides an excellent solution and great value for money. The GilbyIM team sets up everything and provides expert advice throughout the project. Users are fully supported and software is regularly upgraded all as part of the SaaS subscription cost.
To find out more about GilbyIM, book a demo or enquire about how to manage your records, contact our friendly team at Contact@GilbyIM.com or visit us at www.GilbyIM.com.

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One of the highest costs for a company is its IT assets. Computers, routers, printers, mobile devices, you name it.
IT hardware is expensive and must be constantly maintained and/or upgraded to keep peak efficiency and avoid security risks.
Add in the cost of licenses for software, support contracts, and other incidentals, and you have an important piece of your company assets that need to be efficiently managed.
While some companies still use spreadsheets for IT asset management, these are hard to maintain and are limited to having a list of your assets.
Now, if you want to keep an up-to-date asset inventory, real-time control of ownership, identify devices that need to be patched, and have a clear understanding of your IT financials, you need an IT Asset Management system.
Selecting an IT tool can be quite a challenge, especially since there are a lot of options available.
Although the criteria might be a bit company-specific, the right IT asset management software should provide you with:
➡ Up-to-date inventory: Know exactly what assets you have, where they are, who is using them, and what condition they’re in.
➡ Remote support: Access and manage your assets at any time, from anywhere, so your database is always up to date.
➡ Patch management: Keep track of which devices need to be patched and when to ensure peak security for your company.
➡ IT financials: Understand the cost of your IT assets and make informed decisions about upgrades and maintenance.
So, if you were looking for the best IT asset management software out there, we’re going to lend a helping hand.
When it comes to inventory management tools, it’s easy for things to get unwieldy and hard to manage. Therefore, you want to find something that is user-friendly, intuitive, and thorough.
InvGate Insight is all that and more. Its easy-to-use interface provides you with a unified inventory of all IT assets connected to your network. You can access data and insights from any device, desktop or mobile.
You also have the ability to access data and insights related to individuals as well as groups of assets.
InvGate Insight is a state-of-the-art IT asset management tool that is easy and convenient to access thanks to its web and mobile interfaces that can be accessed from any device.
This combination of power and ease of use makes it an ideal tool not just for inventory management, but also for asset discovery, license management, and software deployment.
It is a very comprehensive ITAM tool, tremendously useful in a number of different scenarios.
InvGate Insight balances power and ease of use, making it an ideal tool not just for asset management, but also for asset discovery, license management, and software deployment.
Having the ability to effortlessly discover your entire IT infrastructure, resulting in a 360-degree view of both your cloud and physical assets, is priceless.
This simplifies inventory management and ensures that you’re running a tight ship since your entire IT ecosystem is mapped out (complete with configuration management data).
The fact that users can then build dynamic views of how these systems and applications related to each other in a visual CMDB data model is a bit like using an operating system in God Mode.
And where it really helps with inventory management is the ease with which you can store acquisition costs, vendor information, and more inventory details within each asset in your IT ecosystem.
This makes it a piece of cake to keep track of inventory information for reporting and budgetary purposes. Additionally, IT security compliance is an essential part of InvGate Insight.
The software has the ability to report on devices in your inventory running outdated software versions; you can set up instant alerts for devices that are flagged as running outdated or unmaintained software.
This helps protect your assets and data, helping your team take proactive measures to protect your organization from any security vulnerability.
You can also check assets with upcoming warranty expirations, helping you take the required steps to strengthen your IT security.
InvGate Insight is available as a 30-day free trial (with no credit card required).
Take a look at InvGate Insight’s best features:
InvGate improves IT support efficiency and customer experience with an integrated Service and Asset Management platform.
If you want to discover all IT assets connected to your network without installing any other software on your devices, Lansweeper can help you.
That’s because it grabs information on all assets, then lists all the installed software, user details, hardware specs, and much more.
Thus, with Lansweeper’s IT Asset Data Platform, you will get complete end-to-end visibility of your network, saving your IT staff a lot of time and effort.
Furthermore, you gain access to a single source of truth, an accurate and centralized repository of all your hardware, software, and users.
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The solution gathers all the data in a centralized System of Record. That means you will have 100% visibility into your distributed IT environment.
You will automatically know which assets you own, their location, who is using them, and lots of other insights.
The tool connects right to your existing technology stack, so you won’t need to perform any complicated implementation steps.
Let’s review some of its most important features:
⇒ Get Lansweeper
If you haven’t heard of Device42 yet, it’s an agentless full-stack Hybrid IT discovery and dependency mapping solution.
With this tool, you get access to information that mirrors the reality of what is in your environment, making you more efficient in the process.
This software discovers and connects to all the assets on your network, getting data from servers, hypervisors, cloud, network devices, applications, and more.
Of course, it can also extract information from external tools such as puppet, Chef, and receives data via Rest APIs.
Then, the built-in technology performs the cleansing, deduplication, and enriching of the data.
In the end, you will be able to access dynamically generated impact charts that will help you reduce risk and potential downtime.
The tool provides detailed configuration discovery for major applications such as Oracle, Microsoft SQL, MongoDB, PostgreSQL, MySQL, ColdFusion, IIS, Apache, and more.
Take a look at some of its key features below:
⇒ Get Device42
If you’re looking for an open platform with a more casual approach, Kaseya might do the job.
This solution delivers the technology SMBs and managed service providers (MSPs) need to improve their productivity.
For instance, from the security standpoint, you will be able to manage software patching, antivirus & antimalware and perform backups from a single dashboard.
Another advantage is that you can manage and monitor all the devices from the network remotely and troubleshoot them quickly, but also create service tickets.
Of course, with Kaseya it’s also possible to monitor and manage all the devices on your network, including servers, endpoints, and (SNMP) network devices.
The complete Kaseya package includes VSA, Vorex, and IT Glue. Although Kaseya VSA covers the management and monitoring, you will also need the Vorex helpdesk and IT Glue to integrate all of them.
It will take a little bit of tweaking from your IT staff to get all of them working seamlessly so if you need a simple product, look elsewhere.
Let’s see some of Kaseya’s most important features:
⇒ Get Kaseya
Atera is an efficient, simple remote monitoring & management software designed for MSPs & IT professionals.
It combines RMM & PSA, remote access, billing, reporting, and more in a single, complex platform.
From remote monitoring and management to ticketing and receiving customer feedback, Atera’s RMM software helps you get your work done quicker.
That is mostly thanks to the fast and easy remote access that includes file transfer and multi-screen support.
The solution is transparent, predictable, and technician-based, ensuring the management of unlimited servers and workstations.
From its dashboard, you can manage alerts, run scripts, create tickets, stop and start services, connect remotely to your endpoints, and more.
⇒ Get Atera
These are the best IT inventory management software solutions we recommend if you are in need of such a tool for your business.
Depending on what exactly you are looking for, surely you will find an option that is best tailored to your needs.
And while we’re talking about your infrastructure, you might also want to take a look at our best network performance management software and get up to speed with the latest tools.
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Knowledge
by Maricel Rivera | Updated Aug. 5, 2022 – First published on May 18, 2022
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Picture this: You’re in a bookstore, and you come across a cool-looking book. Great title. Looks like somebody cared enough to make the cover look good, too. There’s just one thing, though. You don’t know who the author is.
Should you take a chance on him? Will the book be worth your time and money? To find out, you start reading the description. “Nah,” you tell yourself a minute later, “I’ll pass,” suddenly visualizing the piles of crime novels sitting on your bedroom floor still waiting to be read.
Now imagine that instead of a contract employee deciding whether to buy a book, you’re an investor looking for a project to finance. You pick up the first file in a stack on your desk. Instead of the blurb on a hardback’s dust jacket, you go over the executive summary.
Will you want to know more about the project? Or toss the file where it will never be seen again?
The answer will largely depend on what the executive summary says.
An executive summary condenses a much longer document and conveys its findings, takeaways, and recommended action plans. It often appears as the introductory section of a research study, white paper, or business plan. In project management, it accompanies documents such as a project proposal, statement of work, or project charter.
Usually 1-4 pages long, depending on the size of the document it’s based on, it provides readers with an overview of the major points so they don’t have to read the entire material.
As is characteristic of summaries, the executive report summary is usually the last to be written and the first to be read. However, there is no rule saying it has to be written last. You can, of course, write it first and use it as a loose outline to be refined later when your project proposal or business plan is done.
Sometimes referred to as the management summary, it’s also the most frequently read section of a document and, in some cases, the only portion an executive or investor might read.
So if you’re looking to boost your business budget or secure funding for a project that’s tied to a major business development initiative, treat the executive summary report as your elevator pitch, the hook to lure your target audience into learning more about your project, business plan, or proposal.
What you include in an executive summary will vary depending on the content it covers. For example, a startup plan may contain a description of your product or service, financial projections, key business metrics such as revenue growth, and your funding request.
A project proposal executive summary may provide an overview of the project scope and constraints, a summary of the project resources, a high-level explanation of the change management plan, a description of the major deliverables, and so on.
So think about the type of information your target audience would be interested to know in the few minutes they’ll allot to your executive summary. Also, you may sometimes be required to follow certain formatting guidelines, so review any instructions relating to length and overall format.
The steps below will cover the key components to include when writing an executive summary for a proposal.
Open with a bang. Capture the client’s attention right out of the gate. You do that not by talking about yourself. Talk about them and the issue they’re trying to address.
Here’s an example executive summary format for your opening:
Firefly & Co. is a brand poised to reach great heights in the plus-sized women’s clothing industry. High-quality, reasonably priced basic wardrobe staples — you can’t go wrong with that! Especially with Firefly’s ethical and sustainable production practices.
Evidence of Firefly’s growing clout is its ever-increasing social media following. In just less than a year, it has gained over 1 million followers on Facebook and Instagram. While that is an accomplishment in and of itself, what Firefly fails to leverage are the benefits of an e-commerce store.
Tip: Be concise and direct. Build a solid case, and do so in a captivating way.
Clearly state the problem or goal your proposal aims to address. You want to assure the client or sponsor that you fully understand the situation.
Here’s an executive summary example defining the problem:
All purchases are currently done in physical stores. This limits sales potential and the possibility of gaining new customers. With the upcoming launch of Firefly’s summer bag collection, there’s no better time than now to step up its online presence.
Tip: Be very clear about the business need behind the project. The focus here is the client and their pain point, not you or your company — not yet, anyway.
Next, briefly explain the solution you’re proposing. Then, give them a mental picture of what their business would end up looking like once their problem is solved. You want to touch on the business benefits of the completed project, which will generally come in the form of:
Here’s an example of an executive summary describing the solution and expected outcome:
All this can be done with Shopify, a full-service e-commerce platform that provides retailers with an easy-to-use interface for creating professional-looking websites. It comes with all the features they need to manage product listings, inventory, sales, and customer information. It even offers customers different ways to pay — debit or credit cards, mobile wallets, and more!
These features can better translate Firefly & Co.’s social media success into profits. With a Shopify store, your customers won’t always have to travel to your store to get the Firefly essentials they need.
Tip: Keep things high level while still giving readers something to be excited about.
##promo-body-ecap##
This is where you briefly talk about your expertise and whether you’ve done any similar projects before — your qualifications, essentially. You want the client to know that you or your team can deliver on time and within budget. If you can, include relevant figures to highlight your ability to get things done.
Here’s an executive summary sample offering proof of your expertise:
We, at Wildling Creatives, have used Shopify in multiple projects, and most of our clients have seen growth in sales by up to 50% within six months of integrating their brick-and-mortar store with an e-commerce site.
We’re a team of handpicked professionals with a combined 30 years of experience in e-commerce marketing. We’re certified Shopify experts, and with our eyes for good design, web development skills, and expert knowledge in business and e-commerce, we’ve been helping brands like yours create and improve their online shopping presence for years.
Tip: Talk about your strengths, but never lie. Make sure the numbers you include are accurate. If you haven’t already, use project management software for easier tracking and retrieving of key project management metrics such as return on investment and profit margin.
Explain why they should work with you and what they can achieve by doing so. Your call to action can also include your contact information, in case the executive has a question.
Here’s an example:
E-commerce is the way forward. Done right, an unprecedented sales boom is just around the corner.
By partnering with Wildling Creatives, not only will Firefly & Co. significantly boost local sales and improve brand recognition, but it will also open its doors to international customers. We’ve done it for swimwear superstar Bonnie Smith Swim Co., and we’re confident we can also turn Firefly & Co. into the global success it’s meant to be.
If you’re ready to take the next step, this proposal outlines in more detail what you can expect and how we’ll do it. If you have any questions, I’d be happy to personally take your call at (55) 555-5555.
Tip: The goal of an executive summary is more to sell than describe, so this is where you try and close the deal.
To get a better sense of how different executive summaries look, here are templates you can download from Microsoft, Smartsheet, PandaDoc, and Examples.com.
Now that you’ve written your executive summary, you want to give it a run-through before you send it off to investors, clients, or potential partners. Be sure to check for the following:
An executive summary should be brief, usually just one or a few pages long. It cannot be comprehensive. If your reader has questions, they can read the details in the proposal or business plan. As a rule of thumb, the length of your executive summary should be between 5-10% of the full report or proposal.
Avoid jargon. Use language your target audience understands. Writing for medical experts will be vastly different from writing for people in finance.
Discuss the major points in the same order as they appear in the full document. Refrain from introducing information not found in the proposal. And, of course, edit and proofread. You don’t want any typos or errors in your executive summary.
Check if there are any formatting guidelines to follow. Otherwise, structure your executive summary in a way that’s easy to skim. Instead of long blocks of text, use bullet points to break down complex information, headings/subheadings to organize topics, and even images to enhance the reader’s understanding of the summary.
Also, it’s a good idea to get someone to critique your executive summary to see if there’s anything you’ve forgotten to include.
A project goes to the project planning stage because the client or a body of decision-makers believes it can solve a problem. But before that, the project manager or service provider writes a proposal, which generally takes time to write. Surely, you don’t want all your efforts to go to waste.
With a well-written executive summary, you get to highlight all the good points of your proposal and entice your target audience to take action.
Maricel Rivera is a software and small business expert writing for The Ascent at The Motley Fool.
We’re firm believers in the Golden Rule, which is why editorial opinions are ours alone and have not been previously reviewed, approved, or endorsed by included advertisers. The Ascent does not cover all offers on the market. Editorial content from The Ascent is separate from The Motley Fool editorial content and is created by a different analyst team.
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