By Johannes Groenewald, General Manager
If the past few years have shown us anything, it’s that the ability of any organisation to adapt is a true competitive advantage. Adaptability means that a business that can evolve with the times, and do it successfully, is open to new ideas, and doesn't get stuck in the "that's how we’ve always done it" dead end.
“Technological change is not additive, it is ecological. A new technology does not merely add something, it changes everything.” - Neil Postman
Adaptive businesses are quick to foresee changes and pivot rapidly in unforeseen circumstances, or in the event that things don't go according to plan. In short, they are able to stay current and future-orientated.
This isn’t always easy in today’s digital world, which brings many benefits, but also increased complexity. For example, although digital transformation has been a real game changer, it has also introduced challenges where data is concerned. Businesses are under pressure to manage their data at a time when data is growing exponentially and coming in multiple formats from an almost infinite range of sources. Generating data isn’t the problem. The challenge lies in analysing and using that data to gain actionable insights to make the data work for the business.
This is one area where technology can be a true enabler. For example, organisations are employing data analytics to work with large data sets, which helps, for example, to drill down into customer data that reports which products are purchased frequently in a particular area. By doing this, they can use data analytics to more accurately predict customer behaviour, design better solutions, and make more-informed business decisions.
However, once the business is at a level of data maturity and employees have become comfortable with, and adapted to big data, there is the expectation of that data being constantly available. This means that there are concerns should a server go down, and suddenly that data becomes unavailable when needed. Similarly, interruption in connectivity between the data source and the data centre is a problem that can affect access to, and impact on the accuracy of data.
Again, technology can save the day, by having the right network architecture and hybrid infrastructure. These tools continue to be transformative in enhancing agility and efficiency, making it possible for organisations to navigate change and disruption. For example, while it might be great to have all your infrastructure in the cloud, if there's extensive power interruptions and internet connections break down, business operations will be affected in a pure cloud architecture.
Having a hybrid infrastructure where you can have your data stored on-premise and in the cloud is the solution. There are justified scenarios for cloud IT infrastructure, as these environments are great for backups, for big data processing and storage and for depositing raw data to mention but a few. It is however crucial to have that capability on-premise too, allowing business operations to continue in the event of an interruption in connectivity, or should data become corrupt or inaccessible.
Another consideration in adaptable business operations is ensuring remote data accessibility, because access to data and applications is imperative for any business using remote or hybrid work environments. Access to on-premise stored data and applications can be overly complex and difficult and can incur lag times that are unacceptable for the pace of operation that is the reality for organisations today. In contrast, hybrid infrastructures allow any employee within a company that has the appropriate authorisation to access cloud-hosted data and applications instantly, irrespective of where they are located.
In this way, hybrid infrastructures offer a significant advantage to entities that have operations in several geographic locations by cutting the costs associated with on-premise data centres and offering benefits in terms of service and application accessibility. In fact, it can be said that hybrid infrastructure is the lifeblood of connectivity across devices, applications, and clouds, and supports today’s digital businesses, helping them to evolve and adapt.
There is always a tradeoff and associated risks when it comes to advanced, modern IT infrastructure. Cybersecurity is becoming a real concern for any business that wants to be adaptable as a business and a workforce. Offering staff flexibility in Work-from-Anywhere and from their own device, introduces challenges to still protect business operations and information, including data? As enterprises transition to remote or hybrid workplaces, security teams face an assortment of new challenges. Many workers are now connecting to unsecured Wi-Fi networks during their working hours or are working from personal devices that are not under the company’s control.
Unsurprisingly, this has seen the attack surface grow exponentially and is highlighting how it's time for businesses to focus on distributed workforce security. To do this requires a comprehensive security strategy that considers the threat vectors of public and home networks, yet does not limit employees to certain devices, and is still scalable for staff members across the globe.
Again, being adaptable is key here, and to protect your business, having the best cybersecurity partner such as Tarsus Distribution is key, as we will be able to help formulate the right strategy and implement the best technologies and services to protect endpoints from malicious tools, data breaches, and other security events. Having our expertise on board will enable your business to cover all its bases, including device security, local area network security, and cloud security for employees who access work applications and servers remotely.
Partnering with the right company enables you to build an adaptable business, by helping to secure your business operations, data, and continuity while offering your employees the flexibility they need.