Barclay Ballard

Barclay Ballard

Barclay has been writing about technology for a decade, starting out as a freelancer with ITProPortal covering everything from London’s start-up scene to comparisons of the best cloud storage services.  After that, he spent some time as the managing editor of an online outlet focusing on cloud computing, furthering his interest in virtualization, Big Data, and the Internet of Things. 


The role also allowed him to gain knowledge of SEO and social media hashtags, as well as take part in a press trip or two. A visit to Prague for the Huawei Cloud Congress Europe 2016 was a particular highlight. He eventually returned to freelancing, writing news and feature pieces for TechRadar Pro. Cloud remains a primary interest but he’s also happy covering the hardware and software that powers productivity in workplaces around the world as they attempt to manage the transition to hybrid working.

Articles by: Barclay Ballard

Teams on a Surface Studio

Microsoft Teams is getting a simple upgrade that will offer major improvements

By Barclay Ballard last updated

A new Microsoft Teams update called “Top Hits” coming in March should speed up search process significantly.

Teams App

Microsoft Teams may be tracking more of your info than you think

By Barclay Ballard last updated

Concerns grow over how much data Microsoft Teams collects during video calls and whether it is being used for employee surveillance.

Microsoft Teams

Satya Nadella says 2021 will be the year of Microsoft Teams

By Barclay Ballard last updated

Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella outlines vision for turning Teams into a digital platform as significant as the internet browser.

Google Voice

Google Voice review

By Barclay Ballard published

Google Voice is a decent VoIP option, but probably only a serious consideration for hardcore Workspace users.

Freshcaller

Freshcaller review

By Barclay Ballard published

Boasting a number of impressive features, Freshcaller represents a great VoIP option, particularly for businesses with a call center service.

Yealink SIP-T46S

Yealink SIP T2, 3, 4, 5 series review

By Barclay Ballard published

Yealink's range of VoIP phones is varied enough to suit a multitude of offices, particularly at such affordable price points.

Phone.com

Phone.com review

By Barclay Ballard published

Phone.com delivers a good quality VoIP service, but prices can stack up if more advanced features are required.

Microsoft Teams Rooms

Microsoft 365 Business Voice review

By Barclay Ballard published

Updated It may not have as many features as we'd like, but Microsoft 365 Business Voice is still a cost-effective and integrated with Teams.

AT&T Business

AT&T Business review

By Barclay Ballard published

AT&T Business delivers a wide range of VoIP solutions, but it's not easy to find out pricing details.

Hero

GoDaddy SmartLine review

By Gabe Carey, Barclay Ballard published

Although it’s not a true VoIP provider, SmartLine graces your existing phone with a second number so you don’t have to buy a second device.

Mitel MiVoice

Mitel MiVoice Series review

By Barclay Ballard published

Mitel makes some impressive-looking phones that are, unfortunately, let down by disappointing customer support.

Snom VoIP phones

Snom D1, 3, 7 series review

By Barclay Ballard published

There are a great variety of VoIP handsets on offer from Snom, a company that has decades of experience in this space.

Poly VoIP phones

Poly V, C Series review

By Barclay Ballard published

Poly's VoIP phones make a great option for businesses - especially those that rely on Microsoft Teams for digital collaboration.

Upwork's Project Catalog makes it easier than ever to kickstart work

By Barclay Ballard last updated

New Project Catalog platform from Upwork looks to help businesses and independent professionals work together.

Net Nanny Review

Net Nanny parental control software review

By Mike Williams published

Net Nanny offers excellent content filtering but its geofencing and app management tools could use an upgrade.

Line2 VoIP

Line2 review

By Barclay Ballard published

Line2's VoIP offering is reliable and easy to use, which could be particularly appealing to smaller firms.

Windows 10 update

The new 'best Windows 10 antivirus' might surprise you

By Barclay Ballard last updated

According to one assessment, the best antivirus solution for Windows 10 is the one that comes pre-installed.

Windows 10 antivirus will soon get better at protecting the most at-risk users

By Barclay Ballard last updated

Priority Account Protection delivers customized safeguards for individuals most likely to be cyberattack targets.

Windows 10

Windows 10 antivirus needs urgent patching after this flaw was found

By Barclay Ballard last updated

Vulnerability CVE-2021-1647, a remote code execution bug, has been fixed with Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday release.

RIP Adobe Flash Player

Windows 10 update waves goodbye to Adobe Flash Player once and for all

By Barclay Ballard last updated

New Windows 10 update will automatically remove the version of Adobe Flash Player that was bundled with the operating system.

Clubhouse

Clubhouse ups security protection following hack worries

By Barclay Ballard published

Clubhouse sees further security woes after it revealed an attacker was stealing live audio data from its platform.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 update should mean you'll never disconnect unexpectedly again

By Barclay Ballard published

Microsoft has relaxed its policy regarding offline access to 365 apps, giving some users 180 days before they need to go back online.

Cybersecurity

Only a tiny percentage of security vulnerabilities are actually exploited in the wild

By Barclay Ballard published

Kenna Security report suggests the threat to enterprises posed by vulnerabilities may not be as great as it first appears.

Zero-day attack

Microsoft wraps up SolarWinds investigation, says some code was stolen

By Barclay Ballard published

Investigation into the SolarWinds hack is now closed, but Microsoft's battle against cybersecurity threats continues.

WhatsApp privacy update

WhatsApp is going ahead with its controversial privacy update

By Barclay Ballard, Jitendra Soni published

WhatsApp has decided to press ahead with controversial changes to its privacy policy despite the initial backlash.

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