Direction Forward

Happy World Backup Day!

Today, 31 March, is World Backup Day, an initiative intended to encourage both individuals and organisations to back up and protect their data.

It is an excellent opportunity to review your backup policies, check that recovery processes work as expected, and confirm that all critical systems are protected.

As we increasingly rely on very large, top tier cloud platforms and services – such as Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace – backup strategies need to evolve to match environments.

Find out more: https://directionforward.com/news/2026/its-world-backup-day

And please get in touch for assistance checking your backup strategy, and to add backup services to your systems.

If you use Wemo smart plugs, switches or light controls: Belkin has confirmed it will shut down the Wemo app and cloud services on 31 January 2026. After that date, all features that rely on cloud connectivity (via Google Home and Alexa, not just the Wemo app) will no longer work.

For anyone with built in switches or hard-wired installations, the impact could be significant, beyond replacing plug-in devices.

We’ve published a full breakdown of what’s changing, which devices are affected, and what this means for existing Wemo users.

👉 Read the full article here: https://directionforward.com/news/2026/end-of-support-for-wemo-smart-home-products-on-31-january-2026

directionforward.com

LinkedIn is changing its Terms from 3 November 2025 and it’s worth knowing about.

They’ll start using members’ data (like your profile and public posts) to train their AI systems. You can opt out, but it’s not automatic.

We’re not against AI, but we think LinkedIn’s opt-out system isn’t ideal for privacy, especially when personal or contact data is involved.

👉 Read our post for more details and how to check your settings: https://directionforward.com/news/2025/linkedin-updates-terms-of-service-to-use-members-data-for-ai

LinkedIn updates Terms Of Service to use members' data for AI – Direction Forward LinkedIn has announced that it will update its Terms Of Service on 3 November 2025. As part of this, it will begin using data from members in the UK and Europe to help train its content-generating AI models. LinkedIn will use information from members’ public profiles and posts to improve its AI-po...