Amalan

Amalan Amalan provides Fractional IT Leadership to SMB and Midmarket European businesses.

28/08/2026

AI projects do not create value just because the technology looks exciting. Many experiments never reach production because the timing, reliability, compliance, or business case is not ready.

Dave’s point is that the person responsible for AI needs to do more than collect ideas. They should document opportunities, understand which use cases are mature enough to move forward, park the ones that are too early, and get the right projects over the line when the time is right.

The goal is simple: turn useful AI opportunities into measurable business value.

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

AI Evangelist:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -evangelist

Two First Steps for AI:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -first-steps

27/08/2026

If your IT provider is slow, reactive, and only turns up when something breaks, that can become a bigger problem as your business grows.

Before changing providers, get clear on what you actually need technology to deliver. The goal is not simply faster support. IT should reduce risk, improve reliability, support growth, and help the business get more value from technology. If the current provider cannot deliver that, staying with the status quo can leave you exposed to ransomware, wasted spending, and competitors moving faster.

Outsourced IT Director:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/outsourced-it-director

IT Buyer’s Guide:
https://go.goodchoiceit.co.uk/it-buyers-guide-ebook

Contact Dave:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/contact-us/

27/08/2026

AI spending needs more than enthusiasm. It needs a budget, clear ownership, and a way to measure whether the investment is actually delivering business value.

Dave recommends setting an AI budget, putting someone in charge, and reviewing the results over the next 6 to 12 months. If a tool is expensive but does not improve productivity, reduce costs, or support growth, it may be creating negative value rather than helping the business.

IT also needs to be involved early enough to challenge poor decisions before money is committed and projects become difficult to stop.

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

AI Evangelist:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -evangelist

Two First Steps for AI:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -first-steps

26/08/2026

AI is changing how software security needs to be managed.

If your business develops custom software or relies on specialist vendors, vulnerability testing can no longer be something that happens occasionally. Attackers are gaining access to faster tools, so vendors and development teams need to find and fix weaknesses much more quickly.

That also means more frequent changes, more patches, and a greater chance that updates will break something. Businesses should expect more disruption and make sure suppliers are testing their products properly.

Virtual CISO:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/virtual-ciso

Cybersecurity Services:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/cyber-security-services/

Outsourced IT Director:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/outsourced-it-director

26/08/2026

AI tools can be useful, but businesses need to control what data and system access they are given.

Do not give an AI tool access to systems it does not need, and avoid uploading confidential business or customer information without understanding how that data is handled. Depending on the platform, account type, and settings, prompts or files may also be used to improve models unless you change the relevant privacy controls.

The safest approach is to set clear rules, limit permissions, and make sure staff know what they can and cannot share with AI.

AI Policy:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -policies

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

Two First Steps for AI:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -first-steps

25/08/2026

AI can be extremely useful when you need to compare contracts, tenders, or other related documents.

Dave recommends using it to check differences, identify missing points, and make sure important requirements have been covered. What he does not recommend is letting AI write the whole response for you. A better approach is to create the first draft yourself, then use AI to tighten it, compare documents, and highlight anything you may have missed.

Used this way, AI supports your judgement instead of replacing it and can save a lot of time when reviewing complex business documents.

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

AI Policy:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -policies

Two First Steps for AI:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -first-steps

24/08/2026

Technology keeps changing, but the process of adopting it successfully is often the same.

New tools need to be tested, reviewed, and introduced at the right time. An AI project may work in the lab but still be unsuitable for production because of reliability, compliance, security, or hallucination risks. That does not mean the idea is bad. It may simply need to be parked until the technology is ready.

Having someone who understands both the technology and the change process can help your business avoid rushing into the wrong tools while still preparing for what comes next.

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

AI Evangelist:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -evangelist

Outsourced IT Director:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/outsourced-it-director

24/08/2026

Changing IT providers can feel like the obvious answer when technology is stressful or you are not getting the value you expected.

Before you switch, work out what you actually want technology to do for the business. If the goals are unclear, moving to a new provider may simply repeat the same problems a few years later. The issue may not be the provider itself, but the lack of clear ownership, expectations, and a plan for how IT should support growth.

Get clear on the outcomes first, then decide whether the current provider can deliver them or whether a change really is needed.

Outsourced IT Director:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/outsourced-it-director

IT Buyer’s Guide:
https://go.goodchoiceit.co.uk/it-buyers-guide-ebook

Contact Dave:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/contact-us/

20/08/2026

Cybersecurity fails when leadership treats it as an IT-only responsibility.

A lack of management involvement in ISMS meetings, policy development, awareness, and security decisions is a warning sign. Smaller businesses can also fall into the trap of thinking they are too insignificant to be targeted, but that mindset can leave serious risks unmanaged.

Cyber should have board-level visibility, proper budget, and clear accountability. Auditors should be asking whether leadership understands the ISMS or whether it is simply being treated as a compliance formality.

Virtual CISO:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/virtual-ciso

Cybersecurity Services:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/cyber-security-services/

Outsourced IT Director:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/outsourced-it-director

19/08/2026

Claude, ChatGPT, Copilot and Manus all have different strengths, so the right choice depends on what your business actually needs.

Dave sees Claude as especially useful for coding, scripting and process work, while ChatGPT remains a strong all-rounder. If your business already uses Microsoft, Copilot may be worth considering because it fits into the systems your team already works with. Manus is another tool Dave recommends exploring for web development.

The key is not to chase whichever AI is getting the most attention. Compare the tools, understand where they fit, and choose based on the work your team needs to do.

AI Advisory:
https://advisory.amalan.co.uk/ai-advisory

Artificial Intelligence Service:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/

AI Policy:
https://www.goodchoiceit.co.uk/artificial-intelligence-service/ -policies

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