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11 Reasons for Remote Desktop

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In a recent survey, we learned that half of small and midsize businesses still have remote workers connecting to local systems to access files or applications. While this approach was once the standard, it misses out on the robust, managed file services now available via Microsoft 365 (SharePoint and Teams) and Google Workspace (Shared Drives).

While moving core business applications to the cloud is more complex than moving files, doing so provides clear benefits for your IT management, as well as for on-site, hybrid, and fully remote workers.

The Challenges of Remotely Accessing On-Premises Files and Applications

Before cloud services became mainstream, remote access to on-premises systems was the only viable solution

Hosted data centers were expensive, and most users worked on-site. While these legacy solutions have been modernized over the years, relying on local, on-premises systems still poses significant challenges:

  • Increased Complexity: You have to manage additional hardware, software, and services.
  • Performance: VPN services and local network bandwidth limit throughput, causing lag and latency for off-site users.
  • Fragmented User Experiences: Remote and on-site users access to the network, systems, applications, and files differently. Hybrid users must navigate two user experiences.
  • Security Vulnerabilities: You are responsible for protecting and patching multiple layers of physical and virtual IT components.
  • User Experience Conflicts: Managing local storage versus shared access can become complicated and confusing for users trying to collaborate.
  • Resource Access Conflicts: Document version control, file synchronization, and shared access often break down when using older applications over a remote connection.

11 Reasons to Choose Cloud-Based Remote Desktop ServicesConnect with a Cloud Advisor

You can dramatically simplify your IT infrastructure by moving file servers and applications into cloud-based environments. Let’s look at the 11 key benefits, broken down by Productivity, Security, and Affordability.

Productivity

1Unified User Experience:
A single method of accessing systems, applications, and files provides a single user experience for on-premises, hybrid, and remote users

2Optimized Performance:
Cloud environments are hosted on high-speed infrastructure, meaning users can get fast, reliable access even on lower-cost home broadband

3Centralized Collaboration:
Keeping all user activity within a single environment simplifies internal communication and file sharing

4Streamlined Administration:
An integrated cloud ecosystem simplifies access requests, permissions management, and user administration.

Security

5Centralized Identity Management:Cloud-based remote desktop services provide a single security service that integrates with your domain and can integrate identity and access management services.

6Enterprise-Grade Infrastructure:
Both Microsoft and Google ensure that the underlying data centers and networks are secure. Your focus shifts solely to securely configuring your specific applications and user accounts.

7Unified Backups:
You can backup all of your productivity data, including emails, calendars, files, drives, and shared drives, with a single service.

Affordability

8Reduced Capital Expenses:
Removing on-premise systems and applications reduces capital expenditures and eliminates periodic, large upgrade expenses.

9Consolidated Software Costs:
You can eliminate the recurring licensing and maintenance costs of standalone VPNs, third-party remote access software, and specialized server backup tools.

10Maximized Existing ROI:
Moving file servers to cloud-native services leverages features already available within your existing Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace subscriptions at no additional cost.

11Scalable Cost Control:
Remote desktop environments can instantly scale up or down to match your current headcount, ensuring you only pay for the computing resources you actually use.

We understand that some applications may still need to run locally, especially those tightly integrated with operations like manufacturing, process controls, and distribution solutions. However, for the rest of your business architecture, a cloud-based remote desktop environment provides unmatched flexibility. Migrating your file servers to the cloud allows you to maximize the value of your existing IT subscriptions at no additional cost.

Help is Here

Completing a seamless migration of your files and applications to the cloud requires careful analysis and strategic planning. We are here to help you succeed.  Send us a message or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors today to get started.

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Avoid Unrealistic AI Expectations

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Connect with a Cloud Advisor

The initial AI hype is wearing off, and a growing backlash is setting in. Now, your plans and investments need to reflect what’s actually happening.

As recently reported in Inc., a Boston Consulting Group (BCG) study found significant gaps between AI expectations and reality.

Leadership expectations for AI do not match the messy reality of rolling the technology out to frontline workers and managers. And while the study focused on larger enterprises, these challenges apply directly to small and midsize organizations.

The AI Gap

Gaps between expectations and reality manifest in three key areas:

1Expected ROI

Many businesses are investing heavily in AI but aren’t seeing the promised returns yet. The BCG study shows only 20% of leaders feel their adoption rate is correct. The other 80% feel they’re moving too slowly or inconsistently.

The study attributes this to the AI hype cycle and a limited understanding of AI among non-technical business leaders. Fear of missing out (FOMO) is driving urgency rather than clear strategic goals.

2Trust

Business leaders trust AI more than frontline workers and managers. While leadership sees pure potential, the employees using the tools are highly skeptical. Many worry that working with AI tools is just training their eventual replacements.

3Training

Executives and upper management want quick AI adoption, but their staff commonly struggle with when and how to use these new tools. The study notes that AI leadership is often unclear, leading to conflicting expectations and priorities. Your team needs hands-on training to integrate AI into their workflows, along with an easy way to provide feedback.

Steps You Should Take

Given the gaps and their potential to slow or halt AI efforts, we recommend you take the following five steps for your AI projects and efforts.

1)Create an AI
Appropriate Use Policy

A robust AI Appropriate Use Policy creates a foundation for why, when, and how your team uses AI. It also sets solid expectations for data security, privacy, and governance.

2)Define and Share your
AI Goals and Strategy

Communication builds trust. When you share your AI goals and strategies, your team will understand how AI supports their daily work. This sets healthy boundaries and removes the fear of the unknown.

3)Clearly Establish AI
Leadership and Governance

Consistent direction, priorities, and expectations reduce friction while creating predictable results. Top-down leadership provides a uniform approach that demonstrates your commitment to responsible AI usage.

4)Identify and Focus on
Specific Use Cases

AI for the sake of AI will fail. Look closely at your daily workflows, especially repetitive or data-intensive tasks, and define clear use cases. Pinpoint your desired outcomes so that you can easily review and refine the rollout.

5)Setup and Follow a
Change Management Process 

Don’t just let AI happen. Instead, make it happen. Treat your transition to AI like any other mission-critical project. Regular updates, feedback loops, and clear timelines will help you stay ahead of issues. Your team will be able to spot and fix problems before they stall your progress. 

Help is Here

We are here to help you succeed.  If you want to learn more, check out our AI Landing Zone, send us a message, or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

7 Reasons to Upgrade Your Google Workspace Business Starter Plan

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Google Workspace Business Starter is a robust, affordable productivity suite that handles the essentials of secure email, calendar, and document sharing services. But as your business grows, those entry-level features can start to feel like a constraint.

If you are outgrowing the limits of Business Starter, here are seven reasons to consider upgrading to a Business Standard or Business Plus subscription.

1 Massive Storage Increases:

Business Starter caps you at 30GB per user. This fills up fast when you consider high-resolution images, video files, and years of email history. Upgrading to Business Standard or Plus bumps your capacity to 2TB or 5TB per user, respectively. Furthermore, this storage is pooled across your entire organization, which gives your heavy users the flexibility they need.

2 Shared Drives:

Shared drives provide a centralized way to manage your folders and permissions. Ownership resides with the system instead of individuals, so access remains consistent even as your team changes. You also benefit from more precise access controls and a streamlined process for sharing files externally.

3 Appointment Scheduling:

This feature allows you to eliminate the cost of third-party tools like Calendly. By upgrading, you can create professional booking pages directly within Google Calendar. Simply set your availability and share a link to let clients book time with you, which removes the friction of back and forth scheduling emails.

4 Professional Meeting Tools:

Don’t rely on third-party AI extensions to capture your meetings. With a Business Starter or Business Plus Subscription, you unlock the ability to record Google Meet sessions and use built-in AI note-taking. These features are secure and fully integrated, ensuring your team never misses a follow-up item or a key decision.

5 Gemini AI Assistance:

Gemini AI is now built directly into Gmail, Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, and Meet. Whether you need a first draft of a proposal, a summary of a long email thread, or a custom image for a slide deck, Gemini acts as a force multiplier for your daily tasks. It helps your team move from a blank page to a finished product faster.

6 The Gemini App and Custom Gems:

Beyond the side panel in your documents, an upgrade provides secure access to the full Gemini LLM at gemini.google.com. You can create Gems, which are custom AI personas tailored to your specific brand voice or workflows. They allow you to schedule automated actions to keep your business moving efficiently.

7 NotebookLM:

This tool is a significant advantage for data-driven teams. NotebookLM allows you to create private and secure learning models using only your specific data. It functions like a research assistant that has read your internal documents and can synthesize information or answer complex questions instantly.

Connect with a Cloud AdvisorWhat About the Cost?

While upgrading comes with marginal increases in your per user licensing fees, the vast majority of small and midsize organizations can offset the increase.

With the expanded capabilities of Google Workspace Business Standard and Business Plus subscriptions, you can eliminate fees for:

  • Calendaring and appointment scheduling tools
  • Online meeting services
  • Standalone Gen AI subscriptions
  • External AI note-taking services
  • Additional cloud storage providers

Help is Here

We are here to ensure you have the right tools for your specific goals. If you want to learn more, check out the blog posts and eBooks in our AI Landing Zone, send us a message, or book a meeting with our Cloud Advisors.

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Google Workspace vs. Microsoft 365: Which Productivity Suite Fits Your Future?

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Every few years, we see a shift in how businesses view their productivity suite. Small and midsize businesses that have been running on Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace for years take a pause and reconsider if it is still the right fit.

Many re-evaluate, some take action and switch, and a surprising number are caught somewhere in the middle.

Are businesses rethinking their Google and Microsoft services?

The short answer: Yes.

We surveyed prospective and existing clients, finding that nearly 40% of respondents are currently “double-dipping” and using services from both Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

  • The Hybrid Habit: The most common mix is using MS Office desktop applications while relying on Google Workspace for email, calendaring, and file sharing. A limited number of respondents use MS Outlook for email while relying on Google Docs, Drive, and Shared Drive for documents and sharing.
  • The Shadow IT Risk: A significant number of users in Microsoft-centric environments still use personal Google accounts to create and share Docs, Slides, and Sheets, creating a massive security gap.

Given these patterns, business leaders understand that rethinking their Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 can unify their information, improve security, and lower costs.

Currently, nearly one-third of our cloud migrations are between these two platforms, with traffic flowing in both directions.

Why Are Businesses Rethinking their Productivity Suite?

Most organizations now have enough history with cloud services to identify the gaps in their current workflow. However, with the rapid integration of Artificial Intelligence, your platform choice has become a pivotal long-term investment. Assessing how Google Workspace or Microsoft 365 fits your future priorities is a necessary step in maintaining a competitive edge.

What are the major differences between Google Workspace and Microsoft 365?

Microsoft and Google bring different philosophies to their application suites. 

Should you choose Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or a mix?

There is no one-size-fits-all answer. Choosing between a “cloud-first” or “hybrid-first” model is only the starting point. Other major factors, including technical integration and your plans for AI, will also come into play.

We will explore those critical topics in our upcoming posts. Stay tuned.Connect with a Cloud Advisor

Help is Here

Our Productivity Suite Assessment can help you understand which suite is best for your business and how to fully utilize its capabilities. Use code PST2604 before May 31, 2026, and we will waive the fee.

You can also reach out to our Cloud Advisors. Book a no-obligation intro call and to discuss your needs, priorities, strategy, and plans. Send us an email or book a brief introductory call. We are here to help.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Gemini, Copilot, or ChatGPT? What You Want to Know

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Earlier this month, we surveyed our clients about the AI services they use regularly. The results show that a majority of respondents prioritize the AI services included within their existing productivity suites.

Of more than 50 respondents:

  • 57% use Gemini for Google Workspace (including the Gemini App, Gems, and NotebookLM)
  • 55% use Microsoft Copilot
  • 51% use stand-alone AI services, such as ChatGPT, Claude, and/or Grok
  • 12% use Gemini Enterprise

While stand-alone service adoption is slightly lower, many companies officially use more than one solution:

  • 33% use Gemini AI and at least one stand-alone service.
  • 33% use Microsoft Copilot and at least one stand-alone service.

As you evaluate your AI needs, consider these strategic factors:

Secure Your Baseline

Maintain control and security over your data before you begin your AI journey. You need to ensure that individuals using AI cannot access information beyond their specific responsibilities. Additionally, you also want to confirm that your data is not used to train or populate learning models beyond your internal systems.

This data governance is critical for maintaining compliance with regulatory, industry, and contractual requirements for data protection.

Understanding how each AI tool or service integrates with your identity, access, and security services helps you select solutions that will protect your business.

Start Simple

Before diving into multiple new solutions, explore and take advantage of the AI services embedded in your current IT systems and applications.

Microsoft Copilot and Gemini for Google Workspace each offer a robust suite of services. You may not need to make additional investments in other tools. Additionally, both platforms integrate directly with your email, documents, spreadsheets, and meetings, as well as other applications within your suite.

Leveraging these services lets you avoid the cost and complexity of third party integrations. For example, both Gemini and Copilot provide excellent transcription and note-taking services for Google Meet and Microsoft Teams meetings, respectively.

Dive DeepConnect with a Cloud Advisor

Before adding third party AI services and tools, make sure to explore and pilot the capabilities already at your fingertips.

For instance, Gemini AI for Google Workspace includes:

  • The Gemini App (gemini.google.com): Provides prompt response using public information and secure access to your content in Google Workspace. It also supports advanced image creation and manipulation, Deep Research tools, and short video creation.
  • Gems: Customized Gen AI chat agents with defined personas and objectives
  • Scheduled Actions: Automation for repetitive AI actions
  • NotebookLM: creates private, secure learning models using your data and select public information.

Define Use Cases

As part of your exploration, identify use cases where AI integration provides tangible benefits.

For each use case, define the opportunity, workflows, process changes, and desired outcomes.

These use cases provide you with a framework to test AI services and solutions, and they will help you identify the individuals and teams that will be impacted by AI adoption. These people will require training and should participate in your AI pilot projects.

Be Selective

If you cannot address use cases with your integrated and embedded AI services, focus your search on AI tools and services appropriate for your use cases.

Before selecting a tool, vet its ability to integrate with your existing applications, systems, and security. Keep in mind that every additional application introduces administrative overhead and security constraints.

Balance the added effort and costs against the potential outcomes to ensure that the tool delivers true value to your business.

Help is Here

Visit our AI Landing Zone for a range of resources to help you plan, manage, and secure your AI services.

Our Cloud Advisors can also provide the guidance and assistance you need to plan and execute your AI strategy. Send us an email or book a brief introductory call. We are here to help.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Cyber Attack Recovery Starts Before the Breach

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No prevention is perfect. No protection is perfect. You are already a target for cyberattacks, and eventually, one will likely succeed. When that happens, you need to know what comes next.

Event or Incident? Know the Difference

Understanding the distinction between a cybersecurity event and an incident is critical because they carry different operational and legal implications.

A Cybersecurity Event is an observable change in the status of a network, system, application, or data. You should investigate these events to determine if they qualify as an incident. Not all events become incidents.

A Cybersecurity Incident is a confirmed event, or series of events, that jeopardizes the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of data or systems. It causes harm or disruption and requires an immediate, formal response. Incidents trigger legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations, such as reporting, that must be managed.

Connect with a Cloud AdvisorYour Next Steps

With this distinction in mind, follow these steps to manage the situation effectively.

1 Do NOT Panic

Stay calm.

Quick, smart action serves you better than panic.

2 Disconnect and Isolate

Notify your IT team and service providers immediately.

Enlist their assistance to secure every impacted or potentially impacted system:

  • Log out users on all devices.
  • Change passwords or disable accounts.
  • Disconnect systems from your network and the internet.
  • Document all actions and changes with a timestamp.

3 Document the Event

Take a few moments to document everything you know.

Create a clear timeline of the situation:

  • What did you notice and when?
  • What happened and when?
  • What actions did you take (e.g., links clicked, reports made to IT)?

4 Do NOT Start Fixing Things

Your cyber insurance carrier, legal counsel, or law enforcement may need to preserve your systems for forensics.

Restoring systems or recovering data prematurely could destroy evidence and impede criminal investigations. Furthermore, altering systems might provide a reason for your insurance carrier to deny or limit your claim.

5 Make These Calls

Connect with resources that can help you navigate your next steps.

Your Cyber Insurance Agent and/or Carrier

Advise your insurer that you are responding to a cybersecurity event that may be an incident. They will want to know the nature of the event and any actions you have taken. If they determine the event is an incident, they will initiate a response.

Your insurer may: (1) Require you to report the event to law enforcement (FBI or CISA.GOV); (2) Require you to hold systems for forensic analysis; (3) Hire a specialized firm to manage recovery efforts; and/or (4) Direct you to complete other specific actions.

Your insurer may also ask for validation that you follow your security policies and procedures. Depending on your coverage, they may also provide assistance with: (1) Required legal and/or regulatory reporting; (2) Client communications; (3) Client response services (e.g., credit monitoring); and (4) Other response-related services.

Your Legal Counsel

Work with counsel knowledgeable in cybersecurity response.

They will help you with: (1) Compliance with state and federal laws and industry regulations; (2) Stakeholder and customer notifications; (3) Contractual obligations; and (4) Interactions with law enforcement.

Law Enforcement

We recommend opening a report with law enforcement in coordination with your cyber insurance carrier and legal counsel.

  • If your local law enforcement agency lacks a dedicated cybercrime unit, they can still open a report and refer you to the cybercrime unit of your local FBI field office. You can also report directly to the FBI or CISA.GOV.
  • Please be aware that law enforcement may collect computers or other devices as evidence. While this can be disruptive to daily operations, the long-term benefits far outweigh the temporary inconvenience.
  • Reporting the crime provides you with an official record that often assists insurance claims, and law enforcement may also be able to assist with recovery. For example, federal agencies maintain a database of decryption keys for ransomware attacks which could help you recover data without paying a ransom.

The Event

Human action triggered all three of these recent events. While it is easy to claim that the individuals involved should have known better, the reality is that even knowledgeable people succumb to these tricks when they are tired or distracted.

How many times have you replied to or acted on an email that you skimmed or quickly read without focusing on the content? We are all busy, and an email often feels like just another task to check off.

When you combine a false sense of security with a momentary lack of attention, it is very easy to click the wrong link, enter credentials into a fake site, or share private information.

Technology is vital for protection, but your people must also understand the risks. They should be able to identify suspect interactions and know exactly what to do when faced with a suspicious email, text, call, or web page.

After The Event

In every recent event we have handled, the business and IT leaders were unsure how to proceed. Given the urgency and stress of the moment, none of them referred to an existing Information Security Plan because they did not have an incident response checklist or strategy in place.

We tend to focus on recovery, such as getting systems back online and restoring data. While this is an urgent and tangible response, it is only one part of the equation.

Your cyber insurance carrier may need to verify your security measures, conduct a forensics analysis, or direct your recovery efforts. You likely have legal, industry, or contractual reporting requirements, and you may even need law enforcement to investigate.

Response and recovery from a cyberattack requires having the technology in place to get your systems, apps, and data back in operation as well as having resources in place to get you through the legal, regulatory, contractual, marketing, and customer relationship challenges you will face.

Help is Here

Responding to an attack requires a plan before the attack occurs. Our Security CPR® model provides the framework your business needs:

  • Communicate and Educate: Ensuring your team stays knowledgeable, aware, and prepared through appropriate policies and procedures.
  • Prevent and Protect: The right mix of security solutions to prevent cyberattacks and protect against active and successful attacks.
  • Recover and Respond: The services needed for business continuity, resilience, and a quick return to operations, along with the resources to assist with the insurance, regulatory, legal, and communication aspects of a cyber incident response.
About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Cybersecurity Fatigue: Is Your Business at Risk?

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Security fatigue is real. You’ve felt it, and so have we. Cyber criminals know this, and they are waiting to capitalize on it. When we let security fatigue guide our decisions and allow our guard to drop, we become much more likely to fall victim to a cyberattack.

Over the past few weeks, we have assisted multiple companies that fell victim to such attacks. These events reflect a recent surge in cyberattacks, serving as a harsh reminder that we must remain vigilant.

Common Elements

Each of these recent cases shared three common elements:

  1. An employee clicked on a malicious link and shared account information.
  2. The company opted not to deploy recommended security measures.
  3. Neither the business or IT leaders had a plan for how to respond to an emergency.

These elements demonstrate critical failures at every phase of a cybersecurity event.

Prior to The Event

Even as small businesses, we are more vulnerable to cyberattacks than we may expect. A basic suite of cybersecurity services is no longer optional, it is essential for defending and protecting against attacks.

In each of the cases we recently handled, simple and effective baseline tools were not in place. Decisions made to avoid the incremental cost of added protections left these businesses exposed.

Consequently, each company is now paying a much larger price, ranging from several days of downtime and lost productivity to potential fines and litigation.Connect with a Cloud Advisor

The Event

Human action triggered all three of these recent events. While it is easy to claim that the individuals involved should have known better, the reality is that even knowledgeable people succumb to these tricks when they are tired or distracted.

How many times have you replied to or acted on an email that you skimmed or quickly read without focusing on the content? We are all busy, and an email often feels like just another task to check off.

When you combine a false sense of security with a momentary lack of attention, it is very easy to click the wrong link, enter credentials into a fake site, or share private information.

Technology is vital for protection, but your people must also understand the risks. They should be able to identify suspect interactions and know exactly what to do when faced with a suspicious email, text, call, or web page.

After The Event

In every recent event we have handled, the business and IT leaders were unsure how to proceed. Given the urgency and stress of the moment, none of them referred to an existing Information Security Plan because they did not have an incident response checklist or strategy in place.

We tend to focus on recovery, such as getting systems back online and restoring data. While this is an urgent and tangible response, it is only one part of the equation.

Your cyber insurance carrier may need to verify your security measures, conduct a forensics analysis, or direct your recovery efforts. You likely have legal, industry, or contractual reporting requirements, and you may even need law enforcement to investigate.

Response and recovery from a cyberattack requires having the technology in place to get your systems, apps, and data back in operation as well as having resources in place to get you through the legal, regulatory, contractual, marketing, and customer relationship challenges you will face.

How We Help: Security CPRⓇ

Your security profile should match your business. The nature of your company, its size, your industry and markets, and your locations should all dictate your security requirements. Your leadership team should guide your security strategy and spending.

Our Security CPRⓇ model and services provide the framework for creating the right security profile for your business:

  • Communicate and Educate: Ensure you and your team are knowledgeable, aware, and prepared, and that you have appropriate policies and procedures in place.
  • Prevent and Protect: Implement the right mix of security solutions to stop cyberattacks and defend against active threats.
  • Recover and Respond: Build the necessary services for business continuity, resilience, and a quick return to operations, including resources to assist with the insurance, regulatory, legal, and communication aspects of a response to an incident.
About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Cumulus Global Receives CRN’s 2026 MSP 500 Honors

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2026 CRN MSP 500Innovative Services Drive Productive, Secure, and Affordable IT Solutions

Westborough, MA, February 18, 2026 – Cumulus Global (www.cumulusglobal.com) proudly announces that its recognition by CRN®, a brand of The Channel Company, to the 2026 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list in the Pioneer 250. This is the 7th year CRN has recognized the company for its innovative cloud and IT services and solutions for small and midsize businesses, local governments, and K-12 school systems.

“We are proud to again receive this recognition of our unique value proposition,” noted Cumulus Global CEO Allen Falcon. “Our team focuses on ensuring our clients’ IT infrastructure, cloud, and artificial intelligence (AI) services are productive, secure, and affordable.” 

Connect with a Cloud AdvisorCumulus Global is being recognized for its innovative Managed Cloud Services and its Security CPR® managed security services. With four tiered offerings, Cumulus Global’s Managed Cloud Services scale to the specific needs of small and midsize organizations. The service packages include security, co-management, remote administration, and support. The company’s Security CPR® services provide policies, procedures, technologies, and a culture of awareness. These services help prevent and protect against attacks and help clients effectively respond and recover, if needed.

“Small and midsize organizations face unique challenges and use technology – from Apps to AI – differently than larger organizations,” noted Falcon. “Our model, services, and team all focus on helping clients affordably leverage IT – especially cloud and AI services – to thrive and grow.”

CRN’s MSP 500 list is an annual, comprehensive guide to the leading MSPs in North America. The MSP 500 recognizes companies whose services enhance business efficiency, simplify IT, and optimize return on technology investments. The Pioneer 250 category recognizes MSPs service small and midsize clients.

“The companies on our 2026 MSP 500 list are redefining what exceptional managed services look like—helping organizations of every size stay agile, maximize their IT investments and scale with confidence,” said Jennifer Follett, VP of U.S. Content and Executive Editor, CRN, The Channel Company. “These are the innovators who stay ahead of customer needs and deliver transformative services that free businesses to focus on what they do best and accelerate their success.”

The 2026 MSP 500 list is featured online at crn.com/msp500.

About The Channel Company 

The Channel Company (TCC) is the global leader in channel growth for the world’s top technology brands. We accelerate success across strategic channels for tech vendors, solution providers and end users with premier media brands, integrated marketing and event services, strategic consulting, and exclusive market and audience insights. TCC is a portfolio company of investment funds managed by EagleTree Capital, a New York City-based private equity firm. For more information, visit: thechannelco.com.

About Cumulus Global

Nationally recognized as a leader, Cumulus Global delivers productive, secure, and affordable managed cloud services to small and midsize businesses, governments, and K-12 schools. Translating business objectives into technology needs and priorities, we design, deploy, manage, and support services that help our clients thrive and grow.

Prevent AI Data Leaks with the Right Tools

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As leaders of small and midsize organizations, we need to operate efficiently and effectively within a range of security constraints. Laws, regulations, industry standards, and contractual obligations set expectations and, in most cases, impose requirements on how we manage and run our business and IT. Now, artificial intelligence (AI) adds a new layer of security challenges.

AI is most effective when it has access to a broad range of relevant information. However, that access must be carefully limited to authorized users, creating a delicate balancing act.

AI data leaks occur when AI tools and systems expose information to unauthorized users or share it inappropriately. These leaks can happen internally or externally, and may be accidental or intentional.

Preventing AI data leaks requires actively governing permissions and access, along with choosing AI tools that align with your security and privacy requirements.

Setup AI Data Governance

The days of “set and forget” permissions are over. At the macro level, AI data governance requires actively managing access controls and permissions settings.

Begin by reviewing and auditing your current access controls and permissions settings. It is common for users to rely on default sharing settings or to adjust permissions for convenience, often extending access inappropriately. While people may not actively search for and find private information, AI will.

Running an audit tool and resetting permissions can help close these gaps and provide a fresh starting point. Once permissions are properly configured, advanced security tools enable ongoing monitoring to identify new threats as they emerge. These tools can notify users and administrators of potential issues and modify permission changes to reduce risk.

Pick Secure AI Tools

With data access controls and permissions properly secured, the next step is ensuring that the AI tools and systems you use do not put your data at risk.

When selecting AI tools, look for the following attributes:Connect with a Cloud Advisor

1. Adheres to Security Standards

Include security as a critical criteria when selecting your AI tools and systems. Verify that the AI tools you pick adhere to industry and regulatory security standards.

2. Does NOT Train Models Without Permission

Never use an AI tool that trains their models without your permission. These tools effectively absorb anything you input and incorporate it into their models, potentially exposing your data to other users.

3. Does NOT Allow Human Data Review Outside Your Domain

Avoid AI tools and systems that allow humans outside of your organization to see or use data you have entered into the system. Even if these systems are not using your data to train their models, if others can see it, then it is not secure.

4. Does NOT Sell or Use Data for Other Purposes

Choose AI tools and systems that do not sell or use your data for purposes beyond providing the service. Outside of training, some AI tools mine data for sale to others for research, marketing, and other purposes.

The general rule of thumb is: If you pay, your data is private. If the tool is free, so is your data.

However, some paid AI tools still include terms and conditions that allow data collection and usage. Before moving forward with any AI tool or system, always check the fine print.

How We Help

Schedule an intro meeting with one of our Cloud Advisors. Our team can discuss how you can assess your risk, create effective policies, and select tools that deliver productive, secure, and affordable AI solutions. The meeting is free and without obligation.

About the Author

Bill Seybolt bio pictureBill is a Senior Cloud Advisor responsible for helping small and midsize organizations with productive, security, and secure managed cloud services. Bill works with executives, leaders, and team members to understand workflows, identify strategic goals and tactical requirements, and design solutions and implementation phases. Having helped hundreds of organizations successfully adopt cloud solutions, his expertise and working style ensure a comfortable experience and effective change management.

Which Workspace Business Subscription is Right for You?

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Pick the right Google Workspace Business SubscriptionFor small businesses, generally those with fewer than 300 employees, Google offers three subscription options. The right choice for your business depends on your needs, priorities, and budget. While we offer a comprehensive feature comparison, the highlights below are designed to help guide your decision.

Business Starter

Cost: 
  • $7 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: N/A
Key Features:
  • Custom domain with 30 GB of storage for email and documents
  • Basic security controls
  • Email filtering, virus blocking, and phishing/malware protections
  • Groups for email lists, content sharing, calendar invites
  • Drive for Desktop
  • Shared Drive membership
  • Basic Chat and Meet features
  • Gemini AI for Gmail
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Starter:

Business Starter delivers a low-cost entry for small businesses looking for reliable email services with occasional needs for editing, document sharing, and other collaboration tools.

Business Standard

Cost: 
  • $14 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: Available
Key Features:
  • 2 TB storage per user, aggregated across subscription
  • Enhanced security controls
  • Attachment scanning / sandboxing
  • Document eSigning, approvals, custom templates
  • Advanced Shared Drive sharing and storage
  • Meet Features: Noise cancellation, breakout rooms, recording, polls, Q&A, and more
  • Gemini AI for Drive, Docs, Sheets, Slides, Chat, and Meet
  • Full NotebookLM Access
  • Secure Data Regions
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Standard:

Business Standard is an affordable, secure platform for business productivity that is the best entry point for most small businesses. Businesses love the useful, integrated AI features and capabilities, as well as the admin-managed storage (shared drive) with secure external sharing.

Business Plus

Cost: 
  • $22 / user / month with an Annual or Multi-Year Subscription
  • New subscription incentives: Available
  • Upgrade Incentives: Available
Key Features:
  • 5 TB storage per user, aggregated across subscription
  • Advanced security controls
  • Archive / eDiscovery Services for Gmail, Drive, Shared Drives, and Chat
  • Organizational branding, including default templates and themes
  • Chat file sharing management and document controls
  • Meet recording, transcripts, and notes
  • Security advisor data protection
  • Advanced endpoint and device management and controls
Top Reasons SMBs Choose Plus:

Business Plus is a secure, affordable, productive platform with features that help meet regulatory and industry compliance requirements. Businesses that chose this subscription need or want the advanced security with compliant archiving and e-discovery, expanded storage capacity, and advanced controls for Chat, Meet, and Devices.

How We Help

Our Cloud Advisors are here to help you plan, execute, and succeed. We can help you evaluate and select the right Google Workspace Business (or Enterprise) subscription for your business. Book some time and start your journey.

About the Author

Allen Falcon is the co-founder and CEO of Cumulus Global.  Allen co-founded Cumulus Global in 2006 to offer small businesses enterprise-grade email security and compliance using emerging cloud solutions. He has led the company’s growth into a managed cloud service provider with over 1,000 customers throughout North America.

Webcasts

IT Budget Workshop

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(05/19/26) – Without a budget, how we evaluate IT spending and investments changes. Beyond managing finances, your IT Budget helps you make better IT decisions that align with your business goals, needs, and priorities. Use our IT Budget Workbook Template to quickly create an effective IT budget

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Pick, Mix, or Match: Google Workspace and Microsoft 365

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(04/12/26) – Your needs, and how your business runs, changes over time. Your Productivity Suite should meet your needs and priorities for productivity, security, and affordability. Now may be the time to assess whether to use Microsoft 365, Google Workspace, or a mix of both.

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What to Do When It Happens

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(03/17/26) – How you initially respond to a cybersecurity incident will affect your ability to recover, your cyber insurance coverage, your customer relationships, your legal and financial liability, and possibly your survival.

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6 Decisions for Productive, Secure, Affordable AI

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(02/17/26) – Allowing AI to happen through individual experimentation and unstructured projects creates security risks, leads to unpredictable costs, and increases your chance of failure. If you want AI to be an effective tool for your business, you need to actively lead and manage your AI efforts.

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3 Metrics to Guide Your IT Decisions

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(1/27/25) – In an uncertain economy, making the best IT decisions becomes more critical to your business. Your IT investment and spending needs to support your business objectives and deliver real results. The process, however, need not be complicated. Use Productivity, Security, and Affordability as three key metrics to guide your IT decisions.

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IT Strategy & Planning: Where You Want IT to Be in 2026

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(12/16/25) – With significant changes to our productivity tools, the Artificial Intelligence explosion, and increasing expectations for security and compliance, how are your IT strategy and planning adapting for the coming year? Let productivity, security, and affordability drive your IT strategy and plans for 2026.

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How To: Better AI Results

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(11/18/25) – If what you put into AI is not clear, what you get out will lack clarity. If your use case – your “why” for using AI – is not clear, you will not get the outcomes you want. AI is most effective when you define meaningful use cases and use well-designed prompts.

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Don’t Do IT Alone

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(10/21/25) – Sole practitioners and solopreneurs make up about 80% of all small businesses. At the same time, fewer than 10% of IT service providers want sole practitioners, solopreneurs, and other very small businesses as clients. Picking the right suite of IT solutions, and finding the right IT service provider is essential for your productivity, security, and budget.

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Is Your AI OK?

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(09/15/25) – AI is here. Your business is using AI – officially or not. And with AI comes “AI Data Leaks.” AI has the power to do good and to do damage. Managing your AI services, and security, is the best way to ensure your AI is OK.

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Make IT Decisions with Confidence

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(08/19/25) – As small business owners and leaders, we struggle to make IT decisions. We may trust our advisors, our sources of information and guidance, but is that enough? In order to make IT decisions with confidence, we need to trust ourselves. If not, we struggle with analysis paralysis amid overwhelming information and options.

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library

Workspace Migration Eliminates Info Silos

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The Client

An executive search firm specializing for more than 25 years in filling executive and senior legal positions within businesses and law firms.

Business objectives include:

  • Foster long-term relationships with client firms and candidates
  • Maintain deep information sets covering client businesses, legal firms, candidates, positions, and past placements
  • Enable secure information sharing across the company
  • Foster team collaboration

The Challenge

Over the years, individual team members have built extensive data sets covering their own client businesses, legal firms, and candidates. To foster collaboration and growth, the silos needed to come down without risking the integrity of the carefully curated information.

The Solution

Design and implement a five step approach including:

  • Deploy Google Workspace Business Standard for access to Shared Drives and increased pool storage.
  • Create an access and permissions architecture to define Share management and membership.
  • For each share, defined access roles and assign creator, editor, contributor, and view-only permissions.
  • Manage a migration from personal Google Drives storage, local file servers, other cloud services, and local devices
  • Provide on-ongoing guidance and support to maintain the information store

The Results

A successful migration to Google Workspace Standard, including:

  • Shared Drives configured with well-defined managers, contributors, and viewers creates an organized system of managing, maintaining, and sharing information across the organization.
  • Simple policies to guide naming conventions and file/folder hierarchies encourage consistency and enhance searchability of the information
  • Advanced mapping ensured an organized and clear placement of files and correct permission settings.
  • Migration support included planning and reviews with each individual, ensuring no data loss and minimal operational inconvenience during the migration period.
  • On-going guidance and support reinforces norms and helps users take advantage of Google Workspace capabilities across all of the included apps.

Flexara 2026 State of the Cloud Report

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Whitepaper | Source: Flexera — The fifteenth annual Flexera 2026 State of the Cloud Report sheds light on the cloud computing trends, the pressures facing IT professionals and the strategic initiatives they’re utilizing to remain competitive in today’s dynamic and evolving landscape.

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Sample AI Usage Policy Contents

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Template | Source: Cumulus Global — A clear usage policy for Artificial Intelligence guides your teams and sets boundaries for appropriate use. This template provide a sample table of contents for an Artificial Intelligence Usage Policy.  Along with the outline, brief descriptions are provided for each section.

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IT Budget Workbook Template

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Template | Source: Cumulus Global — Without an IT Budget, every IT spending decision is out of budget. This IT Budget Template provides a Google Sheets workbook that supports the methods and best-practices we share.  You can make a copy or download the workbook as a MS Excel Workbook.  Feel free to customize and use this tool.

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Smart IT Budgeting Pays Off

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Most small businesses do not create an IT budget. Instead, we renew services when they come due and make new spending decisions as the needs or opportunities arise. Without an IT Budget, every spending decision is out of budget and an exception to our spending and fiscal expectations. This eBook shares a simple 5 step process for planning your IT spending.

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Make IT Decisions Like a Pro – 7 Best Practices

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — IT decision-making often feels overwhelming. With countless new products, services, and a seemingly endless stream of information, it’s easy to hesitate, overanalyze, and doubt your decisions. You want (and need) IT services to drive growth, improve efficiency, and position your organization for long-term success.

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Decision Tree: Windows 10 End of Life

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Windows 10 End of Life is October 14, 2025. Proactive planning and action are not just recommended, they are critical for your business continuity and security. This eBook provides a decision tree and walks you through your Windows 10 upgrade options.

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Cybersecurity Essentials for Smaller Businesses

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Cybercriminals target small businesses because we tend to have fewer resources and less robust cybersecurity practices. This eBook provides a strategy, model, & roadmap of affordable, effective cybersecurity essentials for sole practitioners, solopreneurs, & very small businesses.

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7 Questions to Ask Your IT Provider

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — For small and midsize businesses like yours, the information technology and services environment continues to change. Here are seven questions, across a range of topics, to ask your current IT provider to ensure they are actively helping you look forward.

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5 Things Your IT Provider Should be Telling You

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eBook | Source: Cumulus Global — Beyond Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, SMBs use cloud services differently than larger organizations. Understanding these differences, we identify strategies to guide your plans and decisions for getting the most value from your current systems and new, managed, cloud services.

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