To put it not so lightly, 2020 sucked for a lot of businesses but it didn’t suck for all of them. Smart businesses used their imaginations to discover ways to use accelerating technology advances to grow, enhance efficiency, and support their employees in new, innovative ways.
One year of pandemic has taught us some important lessons, here are a few.
Businesses are Not Limited by Location, Just Imagination
As businesses found themselves with limited or no access to offices and other facilities in 2020, they discovered that their Cloud investments allowed them to adapt, compete, and thrive. They were enabled to instantly roll out new technology, manage staff, secure data, work remotely, and conduct business nearly unfettered. Virtual desktops sprung up across the networks adding agility and versatility to the workplace.
The question “Should I be in the cloud” is no longer a strategic question, it is an existential one.
With Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS, businesses gain the advantage of secure, cloud-based virtual desktops and apps. What does this mean to you? Your staff can work securely from any connected location – home, office, or blended. Your business is able to maintain secure, centralized control over devices, data, services and apps. Cloud services and management is now the new normal in the post-pandemic world.
With your network migrated to the cloud you are able to reconceptualize your business as needed, quickly adapt to changes in the business environment, add automated business services and performance management as needed.
You can easily deliver to your staff the tools they need to succeed.
A question for you: If you had access to all the cloud had to offer, how would you reimagine your business infrastructure for 2021?
The Pandemic Continues to Spur Technology and Accelerate Growth
If you woke up tomorrow and discovered Doc Brown’s DeLorean in your driveway, what’s the first thing you’d do? How about take advantage of future technology now? Well, the pandemic parked that time machine right in your yard – it’s time to grab the wheel and steer your business into an advanced new business architecture.
The pandemic forced us to develop new technology systems which in turn have enabled and accelerated business growth. These advances in technology have allowed businesses to be managed in new and innovative ways. Data, applications, integration, analysis, and collaboration toolkits that were just a dream in 2019 have arrived five years before their time.
Now that we are on a new playing field, your technologies may be pushed to the limit… and as the limits are reached, the goal posts are moved.
As we expand into an advanced new business architecture, we are learning that cost savings can be substantial. Less office space is required. Instead of jetting across the country racking up hotel and travel expenses we Zoom. When was the last time you met a new client face to face or bought dinner for business executives? Technology has allowed us to not just survive but to create a new business architecture in which to thrive.
Now is the time to take a long hard look at your business technology. The challenge will be to ensure the right IT architecture is in place to support your business during what will be an expanding post-pandemic world. Businesses developing cloud strategies and executing on them are in a position to springboard over the competition.
A question for you: Did you learn what it takes to survive in 2020 and are you ready to build on it in 2021?
The Cloud Demands Connectivity, Security and… What Else?
Bosses and Human Resource departments know that in 2021 some work-at-home (aka work from anywhere) staff will be returning to the office, some will remain at home, and some will move to blended environments. The key to managing this continuing evolution of the American workplace is to ensure that data is available and secure in the cloud and your staff is protected.
While cloud enables remote work, it’s important to have a strategic vision of how IT will enable the workforce of tomorrow…now.
Working remotely over the last year opened potential new technological, ethical and legal vulnerabilities. As we peer into each other’s living rooms, a secure remote environment must be provided to protect staff families as well as businesses assets.
To be sure, a new work to family life ratio has been created, and it benefits to both businesses and employees are more than evident. HR departments are seeing less sick time and a more engaged staff, and less turnover. Employees are feeling valued and that their personal life is important to the company. A stable personal life and higher productivity go hand in hand.
One added plus: now we know what everyone else’s living room looks like.
A question for you: How are you prepared to protect your network communications and staff confidentiality in 2021?
All in All, The Outlook is Bright for 2021…. with a Vaccine
OK, three easy predictions to make:
- There will be profound changes in your business environment
- These changes will accelerate deployment of business technologies
- You will use these new technologies to create a New Business Architecture to anticipate competition and customer demands
I have a question for you: How much time should C-level management spend on IT strategy, planning, and implementation?
I can answer that with another question: Wouldn’t you rather concentrate on customers and selling?
Focusing on using your business applications will grow your business faster and more profitably than spending time administering tech. Partnering with the right IT company frees you is critical to your business growth.
A strategic relationship with an IT service provider who can plan and manage your technology can lower your total cost of ownership, advance your technology, and enable you to springboard over the competition in 2021.
Would you like to know if you’re ready for 2021? Here is an IT challenge checklist:
Your 2021 IT Challenge Checklist
- Is your staff prepared to securely work from anywhere – home, office or blended?
- Are you ready for continuing Teams- and Zoom- driven staff and customer communications?
- Is your network up to the task? It is the key.
- Is your security prepared to defend your network? It is the key too.
- Do you have the cloud infrastructure and applications to enable new business?
- Will your business applications drive profitable business acceleration?
- Who do you call when issues arise?
For the first time in history your business can be anywhere and everywhere at the same time. But the devil is in the details, how do you make all this happen? Helping businesses figure all this out is our only job.
Contact Responza today to set up a
FREE IT Consultation
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