A Conversation with Stephen Johnson: Why are Egnyte and Microsoft Copilot Better Together?
Created by Stephen Johnson, LAN Support’s Better Together campaign brings Microsoft Copilot and Egnyte IFS together to help businesses adopt AI in a more practical, secure and controlled way.
Stephen Johnson founded LAN Support in 1996 and has spent over 30 years helping UK businesses adopt technology securely and effectively. Over that time, he has supported organisations through major shifts in IT, from business email and broadband to cloud computing, Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, and secure data management.
As AI becomes part of everyday business software, Stephen believes SMEs face a major opportunity. Used well, AI can help smaller businesses become more productive, more responsive and more competitive. Used badly, it can create new risks, expose weaknesses in information management, and leave businesses with tools that cost money but deliver very little value.
You’ve helped businesses through decades of technological change. How does AI compare to previous shifts you’ve seen?
AI is one of the most significant changes I’ve seen in business technology.
We’ve been through major shifts before. Email changed communication. Broadband changed access. Cloud computing changed where and how people worked. Microsoft 365 changed collaboration.
AI is different because it has the potential to affect almost every employee, every day. It can help people find information, summarise documents, draft content, prepare for meetings, analyse data and make better use of the knowledge already inside the business.
That is a major opportunity for SMEs, but it needs to be approached properly.
Businesses that are too hesitant risk falling behind. That may happen slowly at first, and then very quickly as better-prepared competitors start to work faster and make better use of their information.
But rushing in can be just as damaging.
If a business adopts AI without thinking about governance, data structure, permissions and staff guidance, it can amplify the problems that already exist. Poorly managed information becomes easier to surface. The wrong people may be able to find the wrong documents. Staff may start relying on outdated or duplicated files. Costs can rise without a clear return.
That is when AI stops being a productivity tool and starts creating extra firefighting.
One thing has always been true with technology: buying the tool is the easy part. Getting real value from it is where the work begins.
How would you describe the way UK SMEs have approached AI adoption so far?
I would describe it as interested, but uneven.
Most business owners I speak to understand that AI matters. They know it is not going away. They can see that larger organisations are investing heavily in it, and they do not want their own business to be left behind.
But many SMEs are still trying to work out what AI actually means for them in practical terms.
Some staff are already experimenting with public AI tools, often without much guidance from the business. Others are looking at Microsoft Copilot because they already use Microsoft 365. Some businesses have bought AI licences but are not seeing much value yet. Others are holding back because they are unsure about the risks.
I understand all of those positions.
The danger is that AI adoption can happen in a messy way. It can grow quietly in the background before the business has properly decided how it wants AI to be used.
How would you describe the way UK SMEs have approached AI adoption so far?
I would describe it as interested, but uneven.
Most business owners I speak to understand that AI matters. They know it is not going away. They can see that larger organisations are investing heavily in it, and they do not want their own business to be left behind.
But many SMEs are still trying to work out what AI actually means for them in practical terms.
Some staff are already experimenting with public AI tools, often without much guidance from the business. Others are looking at Microsoft Copilot because they already use Microsoft 365. Some businesses have bought AI licences but are not seeing much value yet. Others are holding back because they are unsure about the risks.
I understand all of those positions.
The danger is that AI adoption can happen in a messy way. It can grow quietly in the background before the business has properly decided how it wants AI to be used.
What patterns are you starting to see as businesses adopt AI?
The first pattern is Shadow AI.
Staff begin using AI tools on their own because they are useful. They might use them to summarise notes, write emails, research topics or analyse documents.
The intention is usually positive. People are trying to save time and do better work.
But the business may not know which tools are being used, what information is being uploaded, whether sensitive data is being shared, or whether the answers being produced are reliable.
The second pattern is treating AI as a licence purchase.
Too many businesses think adopting AI means buying licences and waiting for productivity to improve. It does not work like that.
AI is not just another software subscription. It is an adoption project. People need to know how to use it. Leaders need to understand where it fits. The business needs sensible rules, proper information governance and a clear idea of what success looks like.
The third pattern is that AI exposes existing weaknesses.
One of the biggest is data sprawl.
Most SMEs we see have some level of data sprawl. Information ends up duplicated across different places: shared folders, SharePoint sites, Teams channels, email attachments, personal drives, cloud storage, old archives and local machines.
At first, it looks like a minor inconvenience. People waste time searching for the right file. Then they start working from different versions of the same document. Then sensitive data appears in places it should not be. Eventually, the business has a problem, but the root cause is not always obvious.
People may think the issue is poor communication, slow processes or staff making mistakes. Often, the deeper issue is that the organisation has lost control of where its information lives.
AI makes that much more important.
If your information is a mess, AI will not fix it. It will simply help people find the mess faster.
If permissions are too broad, AI may surface information people should not be able to see. If files are duplicated or out of date, AI may help people work from the wrong version. If sensitive information is stored in the wrong place, AI can make that risk more visible.
That is why AI adoption is not only a productivity conversation. It is a security, governance and management conversation as well.
Some businesses are embracing AI quickly, while others are taking a much more cautious approach. What is your advice?
I would avoid both extremes.
Ignoring AI is not a sensible long-term strategy. The technology is already becoming part of the tools people use every day, and businesses that make good use of it will become faster and more efficient.
But rushing in without the right foundations is risky.
You can end up with staff using different tools, sensitive information being copied into public systems, licences sitting unused, management having little visibility, and the business taking on costs without a clear return.
A better approach is measured adoption.
Start by understanding your information. Where does it live? Who can access it? How many versions of the same document exist? Is sensitive data protected? Are people using public AI tools already? Which processes could genuinely be improved?
Once you know that, you can introduce AI in a way that supports the business rather than creating another layer of confusion.
What do you think separates organisations that are succeeding with AI from those that are struggling?
The organisations doing well tend to have three things in place.
First, they have a clear reason for using AI. They are not adopting it because it is fashionable. They are looking at specific use cases: saving time, reducing admin, improving document handling, helping people prepare for meetings, supporting client service or making business knowledge easier to access.
Second, they have control over their information. They know where important documents are stored, who can access them, and how sensitive information is protected.
Third, they bring their people with them. AI works best when staff understand what the tools are for, how to use them responsibly, and where the boundaries are.
The technology matters, but the structure around it matters just as much.
AI is going to reward businesses that have their information under control. It is also going to expose those that do not.
In your view, what role does information play in successful AI adoption?
Information is central.
AI is only useful if it can work with data that is accurate, accessible and appropriate.
If the right information is buried in old folders, duplicated across systems, locked away in individual inboxes or mixed with outdated material, AI will struggle to help.
This is where data sprawl becomes a serious business issue.
When information is scattered, duplicated and poorly governed, people start losing confidence in the data they are using. They ask: is this the latest version? Is this the approved version? Has someone already updated this somewhere else? Should this file even be here?
That creates friction every day.
In some cases, it can also create security risk. Sensitive information may be copied into the wrong location, shared externally, left in old folders or made available to people who no longer need access, and so on.
AI can magnify these risks.
That is why businesses should not think of AI as something separate from information management.
Good AI adoption starts with good information governance.
That means clear permissions, secure sharing, proper file structures, control over sensitive data, and a clear understanding of where company knowledge lives.
Without that foundation, AI can become a headache rather than a benefit.
Many businesses already have Microsoft 365. Why isn’t adding Copilot always enough?
Microsoft Copilot can be extremely powerful. For organisations already using Microsoft 365, it can help staff work more efficiently across Outlook, Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and the wider Microsoft environment.
But Copilot is only as useful as the information environment around it.
If your business information is well organised, properly secured and easy to access, Copilot has a much better foundation to work from.
If your files are scattered, duplicated, poorly labelled, stored in several places, or accessible to too many people, then simply adding Copilot may not deliver the results you expect. That’s just the reality of how AI works.
AI does not remove the need for good information management. It makes it more important.
Why did LAN Support decide to combine Microsoft Copilot with Egnyte as part of Better Together?
Because we believe Egnyte makes Copilot more useful, more secure and more practical for SME owners.
Copilot is a very powerful productivity tool. It helps people work smarter across Microsoft 365.
But businesses also need control over their wider information environment. They need to know where files are stored, who can access them, how sensitive information is protected, and how data is shared inside and outside the organisation.
That is where Egnyte changes the conversation.
Egnyte gives SMEs a much stronger foundation for secure file management, governance, compliance and controlled access to information. It helps businesses bring order to their data, reduce sprawl, protect sensitive material and make better use of the information they already have.
Better Together is a practical answer to a very important question: how do SMEs get the productivity benefits of AI without creating unnecessary risk around their data?
Copilot helps people work smarter. Egnyte helps make sure the information behind that work is secure, organised and properly governed.
That’s why they are better together.
Better Together isn’t just about software. What else does it involve?
The software is important, but the real value comes from how it is introduced.
Better Together is designed to give SMEs a practical route into AI adoption.
That means looking at the current environment, understanding where information lives, reviewing governance, identifying useful AI opportunities, supporting the rollout, and helping staff use the tools responsibly.
It also means addressing data sprawl before it becomes a bigger AI problem.
For some businesses, the first step may be improving document management. For others, it may be reviewing permissions, removing duplicate information, introducing Copilot, enabling Egnyte AI features, or helping staff understand how AI can support their daily work.
The aim is to make AI useful, secure and manageable.
We’re all tired of the hype. Business leaders need a sensible way to adopt AI that improves productivity without creating avoidable risk.
What does successful AI adoption look like for an SME?
Successful AI adoption should feel practical.
It should save people time. It should make information easier to find. It should reduce unnecessary admin. It should help staff produce better work more efficiently.
But it should also give the business confidence.
Management should know what tools are being used. Sensitive information should be protected. Staff should understand what is appropriate. Costs should be predictable. The business should have ownership of the process.
People should also trust the information they are working from.
That matters. If AI helps someone find a document quickly, but nobody knows whether it’s the latest version, the business hasn’t really solved the problem. It has just made the old problem faster.
If AI creates confusion, extra risk or rising costs without clear value, something has gone wrong.
If it helps people work better while strengthening control over information, that is where the real benefit appears.
If a business is only just beginning its AI journey, where would you encourage them to start?
Start with the basics.
Do not begin with the question, “Which AI tool should we buy?”
Begin with, “Is our business ready to use AI well?”
Look at your information. Where is it stored? Who can access it? Is sensitive data protected? Are old sharing links still active? Are staff already using AI tools informally? Do people know what they should and should not put into AI?
Look for data sprawl. How many places does the same information exist? Are people emailing documents back and forth? Are there old versions still being used? Are key files sitting in personal folders? Are teams using different storage locations for the same type of work?
Then look at the practical opportunities.
Where do staff lose time? Where is information hard to find? Which tasks are repetitive? Which teams would benefit most from better access to business knowledge?
Once you understand those things, you can introduce AI much more intelligently.
Looking ahead, what do you think AI will mean for UK SMEs over the next five years?
I think AI will become a normal part of business operations.
It will be built into the tools people already use. It will support communication, document creation, research, reporting, client service, project management and decision-making.
That creates a real opportunity for SMEs.
Used well, AI can help smaller businesses become more productive, more responsive and more competitive. It can help them do more with the resources they already have.
But the benefits will not happen automatically.
Larger organisations have the budgets and internal resources to experiment, make mistakes and recover. Many SMEs do not have that luxury. If they adopt AI badly, the consequences can be more painful: wasted spend, security gaps, confused staff, poor processes and increased pressure from better-prepared competitors.
Data sprawl, poor permissions and unclear governance already cause problems for SMEs today. AI will make those problems harder to ignore.
Better Together is our way of helping SMEs take advantage of AI without losing control of their information, their security or their costs.