Fuel pricing touches every stage of the IT supply chain once equipment leaves manufacturing facilities. Ocean freight, air cargo, over-the-road trucking, rail transport, and last-mile delivery all depend on diesel and jet fuel pricing. When fuel costs spike quickly, shipping carriers respond through fuel surcharge increases, conflict-related fees, and lane-specific premiums. Those charges don’t absorb quietly. They flow through distributors and manufacturers directly onto customer invoices.

The impact shows up quickly during procurement cycles. Quotes are changing faster than they used to, freight now represents a larger and often underestimated portion of total landed cost, and expedited delivery has shifted from a convenience to a genuine budget risk.

AI and Datacenter Demand Continue to Constrain IT Hardware Availability

Demand pressure tied to artificial intelligence and datacenter expansion continues to strain memory, storage, and server availability. This isn’t new. It developed over several quarters, and the industry has largely adjusted to operating within it. IT buyers are already navigating constrained allocations, shorter quote validity windows, and vendors prioritizing large-scale infrastructure customers.

Memory and storage illustrate the trend well. AI workloads require higher-density memory and higher-throughput storage, which concentrates demand in specific product categories. Manufacturers continue directing capacity toward higher-margin enterprise and hyperscale consumption, and lead times for certain configurations have stretched well beyond what was historically normal.

These factors remain relevant for planning and availability. What the recent fuel price shock adds is a different kind of urgency. Unlike component allocation, which moves slowly, logistics costs can change week to week and affect every category of hardware, including products where manufacturing supply is perfectly stable. When combined, slow‑moving component constraints and rapidly shifting logistics costs can materially increase the total cost of ownership.

Why Fuel Costs Are Driving Near-Term IT Hardware Pricing Decisions

Transportation providers respond through structured surcharge mechanisms. Ground carriers adjust weekly fuel tables. Air carriers add per-pound surcharges on affected lanes. Ocean freight providers reroute vessels away from higher-risk regions, which increases transit distance, fuel consumption, and transit time all at once.

Longer routes mean more days in transit. Higher fuel prices raise cost per mile. Limited capacity creates competition for preferred shipping windows. Hardware shipments planned under assumptions from even a few weeks ago may no longer fit the original budget model.

IT Hardware Availability Risks Extend Beyond Pricing Alone

Price is only part of the picture. Component availability continues to limit shipment completion for certain hardware categories, with memory-dense server builds, storage platforms, and networking equipment that relies on specialized silicon carrying the highest exposure.

Manufacturers often receive partial component deliveries, delaying final assembly. Finished systems may sit in staging for days or weeks while remaining parts arrive. When logistics disruption is layered on top of these build delays, delivery schedules shift further than most project plans anticipate.

Allocation programs remain common across multiple vendors. Purchase orders without early commitment risk being pushed into later production windows. Reactive enterprise hardware procurement increases exposure to both price volatility and delivery delays at the same time.

How Virtuas Is Working Through This With Our Clients

When market conditions get complicated, our job is to make sure our clients don’t have to figure it out alone. The measures we’ve put in place are built around predictability, budget discipline, and delivery reliability. Not last-minute scrambling.

Early Demand Alignment

We work with our clients to translate technology roadmaps into procurement timelines before urgency forces the conversation. Getting ahead of demand on high-risk items, like memory-heavy servers and enterprise storage platforms, is the single most effective thing we can do to protect both budget and schedule.

Vendors respond better to customers who show up with clear volume expectations and defined delivery windows. That kind of forecast-driven engagement improves allocation outcomes and reduces the production delays that catch reactive buyers off guard.

Configuration and Design Strategy

We help our clients think through configurations that balance performance requirements with what’s actually available and obtainable. Approved alternates, multi-vendor designs, and standardized builds reduce dependency on any single component and keep projects from stalling when a specific part is constrained.

Functional requirements don’t have to be compromised to build resiliency into the supply chain. Fewer build holds translate directly into more predictable delivery schedules, and that matters to our clients’ infrastructure procurement decisions, operations, and their budgets.

Logistics Planning and Freight Cost Control for IT Hardware

Fuel volatility has elevated logistics planning from an operational detail to a line-item worth serious attention. We approach it that way. Shipment consolidation, preferred carrier selection based on route stability, and earlier shipping windows all reduce exposure. Planned logistics consistently outperform reactive expediting during a fuel price spike, and right now the gap between those two approaches is wider than usual.

Quote Governance and Execution Discipline

Rapid price movement compresses how long quotes stay valid. We work to shorten the cycle between quote and purchase order so that our clients can lock in pricing before conditions shift again. Pre-aligned approval paths and standardized documentation are part of how we make that happen without creating friction on our clients’ end.

Supplier Advocacy and Allocation Management

Allocation environments reward buyers who show up consistently and clearly. Our established relationships with distributors and manufacturers give us the standing to advocate for our clients’ needs in ways that first‑time or infrequent buyers cannot. Acting as a strategic IT procurement partner, we provide clear forecasts, stable ordering patterns, and well‑defined delivery requirements that strengthen supplier confidence and improve access to constrained inventory.

Budget Strategy Support

Many of our clients are working within annual budgets that were set before current market conditions existed. That’s a real constraint, and we don’t treat it as their problem to solve alone. We help with landed cost re-baselining, phased procurement plans, and scope prioritization so that critical objectives stay reachable even when the original numbers need revisiting.

Guidance for IT and Procurement Leaders

Several practices offer real, immediate benefit for IT and procurement leaders operating under current market conditions.

1. Establish a 90 to 180 day hardware readiness view that runs separately from implementation schedules.
2. Evaluate landed cost during approvals, not just unit price.
3. Maintain configuration standards with approved alternates already identified.
4. Apply scenario-based budgeting rather than single-point assumptions.

These aren’t abstract best practices. In this environment, they’re the difference between a project that delivers on time and one that stalls waiting for parts or approvals.

What to Expect Over the Next Several Months

Fuel-driven logistics costs are likely to remain volatile. Shipping routes and carrier pricing structures will continue adjusting to geopolitical risk, and memory and storage allocation pressure tied to AI demand isn’t going away. Suppliers will continue tightening quote windows and introducing price increases.

Procurement success in this environment depends more on preparation, not negotiation. The organizations that fare best will be the ones that planned early and built flexibility into their approach.

Our Commitment to Our Clients

This is the kind of environment where having the right partner matters. We stay close to our clients during periods like this, not just to process orders but to help them think through decisions with full visibility into what’s driving costs and timelines.

For organizations working within fixed annual budgets, early engagement is where the most value gets created. Strategic sequencing, design flexibility, and realistic cost modeling protect outcomes when the market isn’t cooperating. That’s what we’re here for, and it’s what we’ll keep doing as long as conditions require it.

Navigating the Intersection of AI and Cybersecurity: Risks and Opportunities

The advent of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a paradigm shift in various sectors, including cybersecurity. While AI can significantly enhance threat detection and response, it also introduces new vulnerabilities and attack vectors. The potential risks and challenges of AI attacks stem from their sophistication and speed, which can outpace traditional security measures. AI-powered attacks can exploit data, manipulate algorithms, and even autonomously conduct operations that blend in with regular activity, making them particularly difficult to detect and mitigate.

Examples of AI attacks include:

• Prompt Injection
• Evasion Attacks
• Training Data Poisoning
• Weaponized Models
• Data Privacy Attacks
• Model Denial of Service
• Model Theft

Strengthening AI Security: Best Practices for Businesses

Businesses must be vigilant and proactive in protecting themselves against these threats. Implementing defensive AI is crucial; it can analyze patterns and anomalies in data to identify potential threats in real-time. Additionally, businesses should ensure that their AI systems are transparent and have robust oversight mechanisms to prevent exploitation. Regular security audits and system assessments can help identify and address vulnerabilities. Employee training is also essential, as human error can often be the weakest link in security.

Moreover, businesses should adopt multi-factor authentication (MFA) to regulate access to AI-based tools and systems. Filtration and moderation techniques can prevent the dissemination of malicious content generated by AI-powered tools. It is also advisable to stay updated on the latest threats and to leverage “temperature flags” that can indicate suspicious activity. Building out in-depth defense measures, securing AI-based applications, and following AI application security best practices are all steps that can be taken to fortify a company’s defenses against AI attacks.

The Ultimate Defense

Virtuas employs a multi-layered approach to safeguard its clients’ networks against AI-driven cyber threats. At the forefront, Palo Alto firewalls serve as the initial line of defense. Renowned for their robustness and advanced threat detection capabilities, these firewalls effectively filter incoming and outgoing traffic, preventing unauthorized access and malicious activities.

In addition, Virtuas leverages Microsoft Defender for Business and Defender for Endpoint. These Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions provide real-time monitoring, threat intelligence, and incident response. By analyzing endpoint behavior, they swiftly identify and mitigate any suspicious activities, ensuring comprehensive protection for client devices.

Recognizing that email remains a prime vector for cyberattacks, Virtuas recommends Proofpoint as an essential layer of defense. This email security solution employs advanced threat detection algorithms, sandboxing, and URL rewriting to prevent phishing attempts, malware distribution, and other email-based threats. By combining these defenses, Virtuas fortifies its clients’ digital infrastructure, safeguarding critical data and maintaining business continuity.

Palo Alto firewalls, Microsoft Defender, and Proofpoint can leverage AI to be more effective in fighting against cyber-attacks.

To prevent human error, Virtuas has a proven track record of providing phishing awareness training to numerous clients. Our proactive and transparent approach involves close communication with client users. Whenever we identify practices that deviate from industry best practices, we promptly offer advice to ensure robust cybersecurity. Are you worried about AI attacks affecting your business? Contact Us.

Securing the AI Frontier

While AI presents significant opportunities for advancement, it also necessitates an innovative approach to cybersecurity. Businesses must balance the benefits of AI with the risks it poses and develop comprehensive strategies to protect against AI-powered cyber threats. Utilizing Palo Alto’s firewalls, Microsoft’s Defender, and Proofpoint, are just a few ways businesses can protect themselves from these cyber-attacks. By leveraging AI for defense, ensuring transparency and oversight, conducting regular audits, training employees, and implementing robust security measures, businesses can mitigate the risks associated with AI attacks.

That’s why Microsoft has Microsoft Defender for Servers. This subscription helps organizations identify, prioritize, and remediate vulnerabilities on servers using the same unified console and agent used for endpoint protection.

But not all plans are created equal. To get the most out of Defender for Servers, it is vital to select the right plan. In this blog post, we will explain the differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2, and why we advocate for selecting Plan 2 whenever possible.

What is Microsoft Defender for Servers?

Microsoft Defender for Servers is a subscription that helps discover and assess the security posture of servers, both in the cloud and on-premises. It scans servers for vulnerabilities, such as missing patches, misconfigurations, or insecure software versions, and assigns them a severity score based on the CVSS framework.

Companies can then use the Vulnerability Management dashboard in Microsoft Defender for Endpoint to view the vulnerability assessment results, filter and sort them by various criteria, such as server group, operating system, or exposure level, and drill down into the details of each vulnerability.

The dashboard can also prioritize the vulnerabilities based on their impact and exploitability and show the recommended actions to remediate them. IT can then apply the patches manually or use the integration with Microsoft Endpoint Manager or other third-party tools to automate the patch deployment process.

By using Defender for Servers, organizations can gain visibility into the security state of servers, reduce the attack surface, and improve compliance posture.

What are the differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2?

Defender for Servers is available in two plans: Plan 1 and Plan 2. Both plans offer the same core functionality of scanning and assessing servers for vulnerabilities, but Plan 2 offers some additional features that make it more powerful and flexible.

Here are some of the key differences between Plan 1 and Plan 2:

• Plan 1 only supports Windows Server operating systems, while Plan 2 supports both Windows Server and Linux operating systems. This means that if an organization has a mixed server environment, Plan 2 can scan and assess all servers with a single solution.
• Plan 1 only supports scanning servers that are connected to the internet or a VPN, while Plan 2 supports scanning servers that are isolated or behind firewalls. This means servers that are not directly accessible from the internet, such as domain controllers or database servers, can use Plan 2 to scan without compromising security.
• Plan 1 only supports scanning servers that are managed by Microsoft Endpoint Manager or Azure Arc, while Plan 2 supports scanning servers that are managed by any tool or platform. This means that if an organization has servers that are managed by other solutions, such as AWS Systems Manager or VMware vCenter, Plan 2 can be used to scan them without changing existing management processes.
• Plan 1 only provides vulnerability assessment results in the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint console, while Plan 2 provides vulnerability assessment results in both the Microsoft Defender for Endpoint console and the Azure Security Center console. This means that if an organization uses Azure Security Center to monitor and protect cloud resources, IT teams can use Plan 2 to view and manage server vulnerabilities alongside other cloud security alerts and recommendations.

Why should organizations upgrade to Plan 2?

Plan 2 offers some significant advantages over Plan 1 when it comes to Vulnerability Management for Servers. By upgrading to Plan 2, you can:

1. Scan and assess all servers, regardless of their operating system, network connectivity, or management tool
2. Get a comprehensive and consistent view of server vulnerabilities across both Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Azure Security Center
3. Leverage the advanced features of Azure Security Center, such as Secure Score, regulatory compliance standards, threat protection alerts, and remediation tasks

For organizations who want to get the most out of Vulnerability Management for Servers, we recommend upgrading to Plan 2 as soon as possible.

How can we help?

We specialize in helping customers secure and optimize their server environments. We have extensive experience deploying and managing Microsoft Defender for Endpoint and Azure Security Center, and we can help you upgrade to Plan 2 and take full advantage of Microsoft’s Vulnerability Management solutions.

If you are interested in learning more about how we can help you, please contact us today. We will be happy to provide you with a free consultation and a quote for our services.

1. Define the scope and objectives of the MSP transition.

What are the reasons for changing MSPs? What are the expected outcomes and benefits? What are the risks and challenges? How will the provider transition be measured and evaluated? 

2. Communicate the transition plan to all stakeholders.

This includes internal staff, customers, vendors, and the current and new MSPs. Explain the rationale, timeline, roles and responsibilities, and expectations for the IT provider transition. Solicit feedback and address any concerns or questions.

3. Review the current contract and service level agreement (SLA) with the existing MSP.

Identify any termination clauses, penalties, or obligations that may apply. Negotiate a mutually agreeable exit strategy that minimizes disruption and ensures continuity of service.

4. Review the proposed contract and SLA with the new MSP.

Ensure the contract aligns with the company’s needs, goals, and budget. Clarify any terms, conditions, or deliverables that are unclear or ambiguous. Negotiate any changes or modifications that are necessary or desirable.

5. Conduct a thorough inventory of the company’s IT assets, systems, and processes.

This includes hardware, software, licenses, data, backups, security policies, compliance requirements, documentation, and best practices. Share this information with both MSPs to facilitate the transfer and integration.

6. Establish a clear governance structure and escalation process for the MSP transition.

Assign a project manager or a transition team to oversee and coordinate the transition activities. Define the roles and responsibilities of each party involved in the MSP transition. Establish a communication protocol and a reporting mechanism for tracking progress and resolving issues.

7. Develop a detailed transition plan and schedule.

Outline the steps, tasks, milestones, dependencies, and resources required for the IT provider transition. Define the roles and responsibilities of each party involved in the provider transition. Assign deadlines and priorities for each task. Monitor and update the plan as needed. 

8. Perform a gap analysis between the current and new MSPs.

Identify any differences or discrepancies in service levels, capabilities, standards, or methodologies that may affect the provider transition or the ongoing relationship. Develop a mitigation plan to address any gaps or risks.

9. Test the compatibility and interoperability of the company’s IT systems and processes with the new MSP’s infrastructure and tools.

Identify any technical issues or challenges that may arise during or after the transition. Resolve any bugs or glitches before proceeding with the MSP transition. 

10. Back up all data and systems before initiating the MSP transition.

Ensure a contingency plan exists in case of data loss, corruption, or breach during or after the MSP transition. Verify that all backups are complete, accurate, and secure.

11. Implement the MSP transition according to the plan and schedule.

Follow the agreed-upon procedures and protocols for transferring data, systems, processes, and relationships from the current to the new MSP. Document every step and action taken during the IT provider transition. 

12. Validate the quality and functionality of the services provided by the new MSP.

Perform quality assurance checks and tests to ensure that everything works as expected and meets the company’s standards and expectations. Report any errors or defects to the new MSP for correction. 

13. Train staff on how to use and manage the services provided by the new MSP.

Provide adequate support and guidance to help staff adapt to the new environment and processes. Address any questions or concerns that staff may have about the new MSP.

14. Evaluate the performance and satisfaction of both MSPs during and after the transition.

Collect feedback from staff, customers, vendors, and other stakeholders on their experience with both MSPs. Compare the results with the predefined criteria and metrics for measuring success.

15. Terminate the contract and relationship with the existing MSP once the MSP transition is complete and verified.

Ensure that all outstanding issues are resolved and all obligations are fulfilled before ending the partnership.

Contact Virtuas to learn how to achieve a smooth and successful MSP transition with high value and low risk.

1. Enhanced Cost Efficiency:

An IT equipment lifecycle enables businesses to optimize their technology investments and minimize unnecessary expenses. Organizations can achieve cost efficiencies in multiple ways by carefully planning the acquisition, utilization, and disposal of IT assets.

Establishing an IT equipment lifecycle allows businesses to forecast and allocate their budget more accurately. By clearly understanding the lifespan and replacement cycles of IT assets, organizations can plan for future expenditures, avoiding unexpected financial burdens.

Regularly evaluating and updating IT equipment enables organizations to proactively identify and address maintenance issues. By minimizing system downtime and the need for costly emergency repairs, businesses can reduce overall maintenance costs and keep their operations running smoothly.

2. Increased Operational Efficiency:

Efficient IT equipment management plays a vital role in streamlining business operations. By implementing a structured lifecycle approach, organizations can ensure that their technology resources are consistently optimized to support their core functions.

Outdated or underperforming IT equipment can hinder employee productivity and impede business operations. By regularly refreshing and upgrading hardware and software components, businesses can provide their staff with reliable tools, increasing efficiency and output.

As businesses grow and evolve, their IT infrastructure needs to scale accordingly. An IT equipment lifecycle facilitates strategic planning for expansion, enabling organizations to align their technology investments with their changing needs. By proactively managing IT assets, businesses can quickly adapt to growth opportunities and avoid scalability bottlenecks.

3. Strengthened Data Security:

Data breaches and cyber threats are ever-present risks in today’s digital age. Establishing an IT equipment lifecycle can significantly enhance data security measures and safeguard sensitive information.

Keeping IT equipment up to date with the latest firmware, software updates, and security patches is essential for maintaining robust defenses against evolving cyber threats. An IT equipment lifecycle ensures that devices are regularly updated, reducing vulnerabilities and enhancing data security.

When IT assets reach the end of their lifecycle, proper disposal is crucial to prevent data breaches. An IT equipment lifecycle incorporates secure data wiping or destruction protocols, ensuring that sensitive information is permanently erased from retired devices.

4. Compliance and Regulatory Adherence:

Businesses operate within a complex web of industry-specific regulations and compliance standards. By establishing an IT equipment lifecycle, organizations can maintain compliance with relevant laws and regulations more effectively.

An IT equipment lifecycle involves detailed asset tracking and documentation. This enables businesses to demonstrate regulatory compliance by providing accurate records of equipment acquisition, usage, and disposal. Such documentation is essential during audits and compliance assessments.

Many jurisdictions have strict regulations regarding the disposal of electronic waste (e-waste). An IT equipment lifecycle incorporates environmentally responsible e-waste management practices, ensuring compliance with local regulations and minimizing the organization’s environmental footprint.

5. Sustainable Business Practices:

In today’s environmentally conscious world, adopting sustainable practices is not only an ethical responsibility but also a competitive advantage. An IT equipment lifecycle supports sustainable business practices by reducing waste and promoting responsible resource management.

An IT equipment lifecycle encourages organizations to explore opportunities for equipment reuse or repurposing within the organization. By extending the lifespan of IT assets, businesses reduce electronic waste and promote a circular economy.

Outdated or inefficient IT equipment can consume excessive energy, contributing to unnecessary carbon emissions. By regularly upgrading to more energy-efficient devices and implementing power management strategies, organizations can reduce their environmental impact and operational costs.

Conclusion

Establishing an IT equipment lifecycle brings numerous benefits to businesses, ranging from enhanced cost efficiency and operational effectiveness to strengthening data security and regulatory compliance. By adopting a structured approach to managing IT assets, organizations can maximize their technology investments, improve productivity, and embrace sustainable business practices.

Contact Virtuas to get assistance with establishing an IT lifecycle that allows organizations to thrive and stay competitive.

To prevent these scenarios, organizations need to adopt an immutable architecture for their data backups. An immutable architecture is a way of designing and storing data backups that makes them fixed, unchangeable, and undeletable for a predefined period of time. This ensures that the backups are always consistent and authentic and can be restored quickly and safely in case of a disaster. An immutable architecture offers several benefits for data backup and recovery, such as:

Ransomware Protection

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts the data on a system and demands a ransom for its decryption. Ransomware can also target backups and prevent organizations from restoring their data. An immutable architecture prevents ransomware from infecting or altering the backups, as they are write-once-read-many (WORM) and cannot be overwritten or deleted. This allows organizations to recover their data from a clean and uncorrupted backup without paying the ransom.

Threat Prevention

Besides ransomware, there are other threats that can compromise the data backups, such as internal or external sabotage, accidental deletion, or corruption. An immutable architecture protects the backups from these threats by making them inaccessible and tamper-proof for a specified duration. This ensures that the backups are always intact and trustworthy and can be used for auditing or compliance purposes.

Regulatory compliance

Some industries and sectors have strict regulations and standards for data security and retention, such as healthcare, finance, or government. These regulations require organizations to keep accurate and unaltered copies of their historical data for a certain period of time. An immutable architecture helps organizations comply with these regulations by enforcing retention policies and locking the backups from any modification or deletion. This ensures that the backups are always valid and verifiable and can be presented as evidence if needed.

Read more about the requirements for immutable architecture below.

Requirements for Immutable Architecture

To implement an immutable architecture for data backups, organizations need to consider the following requirements:

Storage medium

The storage medium is the physical device or service that stores the data backups. The storage medium should support immutability features, such as WORM or encryption. Some examples of storage mediums that support immutability are optical disks, purpose-built backup appliances, enterprise disk arrays, or cloud services.

Backup software

The backup software is the application or tool that creates and manages the data backups. The backup software should support immutability features, such as retention policies, encryption, or verification. An example of backup software that supports immutability is Commvault.

Backup strategy

The backup strategy is the plan or policy that defines how often and how long to backup the data. The backup strategy should support immutability features, such as incremental backups, deduplication, or compression. The backup strategy should also balance the trade-offs between immutability and flexibility, such as storage costs, recovery time objectives (RTO), recovery point objectives (RPO), or legal obligations.

An immutable architecture is a key component of a robust and resilient data backup and recovery solution. It provides protection against ransomware and other threats, compliance with regulations and standards, and assurance of data integrity and availability. To implement an immutable architecture, organizations need to choose the right storage medium, backup software, and backup strategy that support immutability features and meet their business needs.

Contact Virtuas to learn more about the requirements and benefits of immutable architecture for data backups.

You can use many search operators on SharePoint or OneDrive to find your files but remembering them can be a chore. Our reference sheet includes KQL syntax and different operators to help you find the right document. Download and print it out for whenever you need a reminder of what operators you can use.

The Basic Microsoft Search Function

Microsoft Search is a powerful function. When you want to find a certain file in OneDrive, you enter in a simple search term, such as “Annual Budget”. Microsoft will scan all your files and display a result list that contains every file with the term in it, whether it is in the title or in the content. Of course, that can produce pages of results, which is where KQL comes into play.

What is KQL?

KQL, which stands for Keyword Query Language, is the basis of how you use search operators and restrictions to easily find your files. While using improper syntax still yields results, extraneous files you meant to filter out will still show up.

A KQL query requires a search term and at least one operator to work. With proper KQL syntax, which is included in our KQL cheat sheet, you can combine different operators and restrictions to focus on the file you need.

Using Search Operators and Property Restrictions

If you find that basic search still returns too many files, add search operators and property restrictions to your search. Adding both to search terms throughout the Microsoft ecosystem allows you to pinpoint your needed file much faster.

How to Use Search Operators

There are many operators out there that you can use, and each of them have a different function. Operators come in forms of symbols, like the Wildcard asterisk, and in words, like the Proximity operator ONEAR. Each comes with their own set of rules, such as how the Wildcard can only be used for prefix matching and must come after the characters. For a brief overview of some operators, check out our video!

How to Use Property Restrictions

Property restrictions are another way to narrow down results if you know other characteristics of the file you are looking for. Using a property restriction requires a property name, and they are useful when you remember an aspect of your file, such as the author’s name. Combining multiple restrictions together will cut down your results significantly, as shown in our tutorial.

The Virtuas Microsoft Search KQL Cheat Sheet

With operators and restrictions, time spent perusing the search results decreases. However, there are many operators and restrictions and remembering them all can be difficult. You could search up the proper search syntax and the different operators if you need them but having a handy paper next to you when you need a quick reminder would be much easier.

Our guide includes the KQL search structure, basic and complex operators, and different restrictions you can implement daily. Each of these also have examples so you have an idea of how to use them.

Download the Virtuas KQL Cheat Sheet

Our reference sheet is great if you need a summary of the different operators and restrictions for your search. The guide includes basic KQL syntax as well as more advance operators like dynamic ranking. Download and print out the quick reference guide so the next time you are looking for a document, you will have all the useful search features at your fingertips. This reference sheet has all the functions you would need to find a file from any Microsoft 365 app. Download our cheat sheet and keep it handy!

For more resources to improve your search results, check out our playlist on Microsoft Search or visit our Insights page.

For more tutorials, check out our YouTube channel or our Microsoft 365 playlist.

Microsoft Edge Homepage Shortcuts

When logged into a Microsoft 365 account, Edge has a shortcut at the top left corner so you can access apps such as Outlook, OneDrive, or OneNote. You can save important websites on the homepage and have Office 365 apps at your fingertips.

Microsoft Edge’s Informational Layout

The Microsoft Edge homepage offers three types of page layouts that you can choose depending on what’s most helpful to your workflow. While the Focused layout removes all backgrounds and displays the Office 365 apps or websites chosen, and the Inspirational layout gives you a scenic picture of the day, Edge’s Informational layout is the one that all business professionals should be using.

Edge’s Informational layout condenses the picture of the day so that you can see your work files and projects as well as frequented sites. You can opt to see Office 365 content instead of the news by changing the Page Content settings to Office 365.  This shows you your recently edited or commonly opened documents and files, allowing you to immediately access them without having to search through apps. You can also pin important files and see shared documents.

The Microsoft Edge homepage also shows frequent sites and shortcuts that lead to OneDrive and SharePoint. All of these features on Edge’s Informational layout boosts productivity and efficiency, making it the preferred choice for business professionals.

Make Microsoft Edge Work For You

Edge’s new homepage puts your workstream at your fingertips, so switch to the Office 365 Informational layout to supercharge your work productivity and improve your professional life now! Edge’s customizable browser is only one of the reasons why Edge is a great browser for professionals.