Articles by 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

GoDaddy SmartLine review

By Gabe Carey, Barclay Ballard Published 6 August 21

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 Series review

By Barclay Ballard Published 4 August 21

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

Snom D1, 3, 7 series review

By Barclay Ballard Published 3 August 21

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

Poly V, C Series review

By Barclay Ballard Published 2 August 21

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 20 July 21

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

Vonage Business Cloud homepage October 2022

Vonage Business Cloud review

By Gabe Carey, Brian Turner, Barclay Ballard Published 21 June 21

Vonage is a VoIP provider that gets CRM integrations right, but only if you shell out for one of the premium packages.

Line2 review

By Barclay Ballard Published 24 May 21

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

The new 'best Windows 10 antivirus' might surprise you

By Barclay Ballard last updated 23 March 21

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 23 March 21

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

Windows 10 antivirus needs urgent patching after this flaw was found

By Barclay Ballard last updated 23 March 21

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

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

By Barclay Ballard last updated 17 March 21

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

Clubhouse ups security protection following hack worries

By Barclay Ballard Published 22 February 21

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

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

By Barclay Ballard Published 22 February 21

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

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

By Barclay Ballard Published 19 February 21

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

Microsoft wraps up SolarWinds investigation, says some code was stolen

By Barclay Ballard Published 19 February 21

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

WhatsApp is going ahead with its controversial privacy update

By Barclay Ballard, Jitendra Soni Published 19 February 21

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

Presentations on Google Workspace just got a major upgrade

By Barclay Ballard Published 19 February 21

Prezi now integrates with Google Workspace, delivering an enhanced presentation experience for Google Drive, Meet, and Classroom users.