Over the last several years, technology within the business has gone from an avoidable luxury to a mandatory need. Many employees expect to be able to work securely from anywhere, on any device, with tools that enhance their work experience and effectiveness. Organizations addressing these challenges are turning to digital workplace technologies like the cloud that help streamline costs, create a seamless delivery of apps and data, whilst still working across multiple locations and maintaining the security of their endpoint devices.
So what’s continuing to drive change in 2022 and what technologies can help get you there? Through our work with organizations across different industries, here are the top 4 digital workplace trends we’re seeing this year that you should know more about.
Flexible Work Becoming Increasingly Common
Since the recent pandemic hybrid and remote work have become commonplace in many organisations. Despite the pandemic now drawing to an end and some employees move back into the office, many will remain in remote work and more will likely move to a hybrid work environment.
According to a study by Gartner, the number of remote workers will have doubled to over two-thirds of digital workers by 2023. Gartner also found that with the doubled number of remote workers, businesses will be forced to move forward with their digital transformation plan by at least five years.
It's imperative this new workforce have the tools needed to make them as productive and collaborative as possible. Employees expect to be able to seamlessly work on the go, with apps and devices that help them do their jobs effectively.
Cost Saving has Become Cost Efficiency
According to Gartner, through 2024, remote workers will use at least four different device types for remote working
The pandemic has shown us that if businesses fail to invest in the right technologies and the tools needed the consequences can be costly. "The pandemic has moved the discussion away from cost reduction to cost optimization", said Mike Kelly, CIO at Red Hat. "CIOs and CTOs don't want to be accused of not spending enough, they just want to make sure that what they are spending is being used as effectively as possible".
As highlighted in our recent blog businesses are looking to reduce costs without sacrificing efficiency. Business leaders have major opportunities to reduce unnecessary IT spending whilst still technologically expanding.
When we partner with a business we go further than most, we take the time to understand your business, its goals, strengths and weaknesses and then build a long-term plan accordingly whilst offering our advice and expertise along the way. We provide our partners with hardware, licenses and support at justifiable prices with flexible terms.
Migrating to Cloud-Based Solutions
Migrating to the cloud involves moving critical services from on-premises and hardware to the internet or 'cloud'. These services allow you to remotely manage your IT infrastructure without the security risk, inconvenience, and cost of maintaining on-premise hardware. Almost all services can now be moved to the cloud from 'Hosted Desktops' and 'Data Backups' to 'CCTV' and 'Hosted Applications'.
Many people aren't aware they already use cloud services within their business. If you use Office 365, Sharepoint, or Google Drive you have already more than likely interacted with the cloud.
With the cloud, IT environments can be scaled to meet any level of demand and the headaches that come with storing and managing your own data are eliminated. Some of the reasons for moving to the cloud are listed below:
- Flexibility – You can access, view and modify your documents and data from any location and on virtually any device, providing you have an internet connection.
- Scalability –You can scale your cloud environment on-demand without any interruption to business flow, or any expensive, unplanned changes.
- Cost Effective – You only pay for what you use.
- Security – A Cloud Service Provider (CSP) will constantly update their infrastructure, patch their servers and monitor against cyber threats.
Taking Cyber-Hygiene Seriously Cybersecurity measures that were employed even just a year or two ago are no longer adequate in today’s workplace where remote and hybrid set-ups are common and security threats are more sophisticated than ever. Organizations need to rethink their approach to security in an effort to protect key assets and sensitive customer data across a variety of touchpoints.
Advancements in cyber-security and constant software updates are helping tackle malicious cyber-attacks on businesses using the power of technology. Whilst this is undeniably beneficial, malicious cyber-attacks only make up 5% of all successful data breaches, the other 95% is caused by every business’s weakest security link, their employees. Human risk is the biggest threat businesses face, and with the average cost of a data breach at 3.6 million according to a study by IBM, it is more important than ever to address this and if you do not your business could be at risk.
With so many human error-related threats out there from phishing, and password cracking, to poor cyber hygiene and on-site exposure, keeping your business safe from human risk-related threats can seem a near impossible task. Implementing solutions such as Bitwarden for managing and generating passwords, and Usecure for mitigating human risk through statistics, calculations, and tests, will help tackle the root cause of data breaches through your employees.
Embrace Up-Coming Solutions
In the IT world, change is inevitable and organizations that embrace digital workplace and cloud solutions will see cost savings, improved security, and an improved employee experience. However, an effective digital workplace isn't just about having the right technology available to drive productivity. Digital workplaces must be tailored to the needs of each individual organisation. and our experience and expertise can help.
Ready to learn more about how you can leverage modern technology solutions? Get in contact on 0330 002 0045 or email enquiries@entrustit.co.uk, to put in contact with one of our experienced and friendly consultants.
