Clare Hopping
Clare is an experienced marketer and entrepreneur. In 2016, she founded Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base, where she remains its director. Clients include the likes of the University of Surrey, the History Market, Confident Tiger, and Rethink Partners.
Between 2014 and 2016, she also spent time at Thunderfoot, Harver, and Swan Creative in creative and marketing roles. She is also a member of the Chartered Institute of Marketing (CIM).
Prior to her marketing career, Clare was a journalist specializing in mobile devices. She worked as a staff writer and later the features editor at What Mobile, before becoming the founding editor of Know Your Mobile. She later moved on into freelance writing for a number of years.
It was during her time as a freelance journalist that she regularly wrote for ITPro, covering a range of topics as a news reporter, as well as drawing on her knowledge of mobile technology when writing features.
She also penned a number of tutorials for ITPro helping users navigate knotty issues around Windows 10 and various email applications, as well as in-depth explainers of topics like the semantic web and how to get started with data mining.
Latest articles by Clare Hopping
![null](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Cma9c99GSLEjpMucjqn9dE-320-80.jpg)
What are microservices?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth A guide to microservices architecture
![Windows 10 operating system logo displayed on a laptop screen](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/SUQJTTpDLfi6zHMY44b3ki-320-80.jpg)
How to move Windows 10 from HDD to SSD
By Clare Hopping last updated
Tutorials Moving Windows 10 from an HDD to an SSD is one of the best ways to revive a sluggish system. Here are six simple steps to follow
![A keyboard key displaying a police figure representing the data protection watchdog](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qVrwiEsiu3ri55CYxEfkPK-320-80.jpg)
What is a data protection officer?
By Clare Hopping, ITPro last updated
In-depth Find out what the data protection officer role involves and who you need to hire
![The logo for micro:bit projects on a black background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bYxb49tP3YiJnwCsRdPinL-320-80.jpg)
15 top BBC micro:bit projects
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth Learn everything from beginner projects to challenges for confident coders
![A close up of a smartphone showing a white screen with the Outlook.com logo displayed](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/VGZ7hXZBFwCHTdFZ2RBxkJ-320-80.jpg)
How to restore Outlook emails
By Clare Hopping last updated
Tutorials Knowing how to restore Outlook emails can save a lot of time and hassle for users
![Somebody responding to an email alert on a futuristic-looking tablet](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/U2v2dkDHNUAvRx3NFKiL9e-320-80.jpg)
Gmail vs Outlook: Which one is better for business?
By Clare Hopping last updated
Vs Gmail vs Outlook - a long-running question over which is the best for business and productivity. We compared the two biggest email services to find out
![The semantic web illustrated by an abstract photo of colourful data points on a black background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HZDmwqQmDSD5kEHwmPMMPg-320-80.jpg)
What is the semantic web?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth The semantic web is another idea from the inventor of the web, but what does it mean for the rest of us?
![Web browser with text](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/zwDpAmT5Piq7HJEqxtBqW4-320-80.jpg)
What is an ASPX file?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth If you’ve ever wondered what an ASPX file is, then you’re not alone - here we look at what this web file does, and how it can be viewed
![Gmail logo displayed on a smartphone and in the background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fyRU62bnqkrng5c6XmQr7f-320-80.jpg)
How to recover deleted emails in Gmail
By Clare Hopping last updated
Tutorials Learning how to recover deleted emails in Gmail is straightforward and can save a lot of time and hassle
![The Raspberry PI logo, a stylised cartoon raspberry](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/7bmWnQv3z32Ks7tX9waWrT-320-80.png)
Raspberry Pi: Top projects to try yourself
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth Here's a collection of the best Raspberry Pi projects around, so you can find your perfect plan to try with the Raspberry Pi and Raspberry Pi Zero
![IT Pro best business tablets](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hxJsGyvxJSZLkpWQSepTE4-320-80.jpg)
Best business tablets
By Clare Hopping last updated
Best We take a look at some of the best business tablets around, from Microsoft's Surface Go to the iPad Pro
![A close-up shot of Ethernet cables plugged into a router](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/k9fj7k6X3CFL5BVySLpRyD-320-80.jpg)
What is Ethernet? The standards, explained
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth We take a deep-dive into what Ethernet is and unpack the backbone of modern networking
![An abstract image showing white lines and connected dots on a blue background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vBSE8DEbjGK9bVVHUVmzUj-320-80.jpg)
What is the supply chain?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth We explain what the IT supply chain is and the various roles that contribute to its success
![Graphic of data mining being shown on a virtual circuit board beside a businessman](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hm4rAe7RssC98EKnbTi8fX-320-80.jpg)
What is data and big data mining? An easy guide
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth You have a lot of data, but how do you find the right data to make a business decision?
![Google apps logos falling out of a phone with the Google logo on it, against a white background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/oYKrZTfpPmViPfJAFAdRvJ-320-80.jpg)
Best Google Apps for work
By Clare Hopping, Rene Millman last updated
Best A popular alternative to Microsoft Office, but what are the best apps?
![Picture of a thumb hovering over a smartphone screen showing the user is about to delete the Facebook app](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/JpSvnW7MeTuoVA5DYbm7tb-320-80.jpg)
How to delete a Facebook business page
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth Follow these steps on how to delete a Facebook business page if it's a duplicate, out of date, or inaccessible
![Somebody using a printer in an office](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/MA2HYgXBCPiDkwLJkX2uJP-320-80.jpg)
Laser printers vs Inkjet
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth You should always use a laser printer over an inkjet for business, right? Not necessarily
![A person working at a laptop at a desk with papers strewn across it](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Epu3TvCmDK6DVYdDWf6HBZ-320-80.jpg)
What is a business intelligence analyst?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth Find out how to become a business intelligence analyst, what the job involves, and the salary you can expect
![A screenshot of a command prompt window, with the command prompt properties tab also open and displaying various settings](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PVKx8uLVLNo9aT9AP6965E-320-80.jpg)
Command Prompt Windows 10: What is it and how does it work?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth We take a look at one of the most basic - and most powerful - features in Windows 10
![women uses virtual interface](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/HaAzz7vZRuHNSxBRps6mTD-320-80.jpg)
What is virtualization?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth A guide to what virtual machines are and how they work
![A question mark inside a lightbulb](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/URogHqsCqqpy3EqH423cLJ-320-80.jpg)
What is a PNG file?
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth We explain what a portable networks graphic is, plus how to edit and convert this type of file
![Clouds sunbeam](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/fEswudv7pNGvPgkvXfJK63-320-80.jpg)
Manhattan Associates takes onboard IBM Cloud offerings
By Clare Hopping published
News IBM is now the e-commerce specialist's preferred IaaS provider
![A secure network depicted by connected padlocks](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/3uKjonvC4cYnH3jhkDDRTD-320-80.jpg)
IoT privacy and security concerns
By Clare Hopping last updated
In-depth We take a look at what's needed to really secure internet-connected devices
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