Message from General Computer Development 

March is IT Asset Management Awareness Month!

It is Asset Management Awareness Month which urges businesses and organizations to learn how improved asset and property management practices can contribute to the overall mission and revenue goals of their organization!

Asset management is vital to any organization looking to grow its portfolio. No matter the kind of organization, the benefits of asset management are valuable such as:

- Improved budgeting and planning

- Increase efficiency

- Decrease loss

- Manage equipment and improve maintenance

How can you observe Asset Management Awareness? You can participate by committing to incorporating security in protecting your most sensitive assets in ways such as:

1. Enable multi-factor authentication

2. Using strong passwords and a password manager

3. Update software regularly or when prompted 

4.  Recognize and report phishing

M365 Turning the Page to a new Chapter- Moving from Skype to Teams

In order to streamline free consumer communications offerings to easily adapt to customer needs, Microsoft 365 will be retiring Skype in May 2025 to focus on Microsoft Teams (free), today's most popular communications and collaboration hub. 

With Teams, users have access to many of the same core features they use in Skype, such as one-on-one calls and group calls, messaging, and file sharing. Additionally, Teams offers enhanced features like hosting meetings, managing calendars, and building and joining communities for free.

What’s next for Skype users

During this transition period, users have a choice:

1. Move to Microsoft Teams for free. Over the coming days, M365 will roll out the ability for Skype users to sign into Teams on any supported device using their Skype credentials. By logging in to Teams with a Skype account, chats and contacts will automatically appear in the app so you can quickly pick up where you left off.

2. Export your Skype data. If you prefer not to migrate to Teams, you can instead export your data including chats, contacts, and call history.

Skype will remain available until May 5, 2025, giving users time to explore Teams and decide on the option that works best for them.

How to get started with Teams for free

Moving to Teams is simple and doesn’t prevent you from also continuing to use Skype during the transition period.  

Here’s how to get started:   

 
2. Log in with your Skype credentials. 

3. Start using Teams with all your Skype chats and contacts ready to go.  

Change can be challenging and want you to know that we’re here to support you every step of the way, as a dedicated 365 Partner. 

Contact us if you have any questions about this transition or any other M365 tool!

🎉 Exciting News! Introducing Our New Referral Program! 🎉

We’re thrilled to announce our Referral Program—a special way for you to earn rewards just by sharing your love for GCD!

Here’s how it works:

1. Refer a Friend: Tell your friends, family, or partners about GCD.

2. They connect and sign up for our services: Once they sign-up, you both win!

3. Earn Rewards: For every successful referral, you’ll receive a free assessment, discounts, and credits—your friend will get the same when they sign up as well!

It’s that simple!

Thank you for being such an important part of our community. We can’t wait to reward you for spreading the word!

A Final Note...