Are Esports and Online Gaming the Next Killer Apps?

Application Storage, Data Storage

Article | July 12, 2023

As your organization scales, inevitably, so too will its infrastructure needs. From physical spaces to personnel, devices to applications, physical security to cybersecurity – all these resources will continue to grow to meet the changing needs of your business operations. To manage your changing infrastructure throughout its entire lifecycle, your organization needs to implement a robust infrastructure lifecycle management program that’s designed to meet your particular business needs. In particular, IT asset lifecycle management (ITALM) is becoming increasingly important for organizations across industries. As threats to organizations’ cybersecurity become more sophisticated and successful cyberattacks become more common, your business needs (now, more than ever) to implement an infrastructure lifecycle management strategy that emphasizes the security of your IT infrastructure. In this article, we’ll explain why infrastructure management is important. Then we’ll outline steps your organization can take to design and implement a program and provide you with some of the most important infrastructure lifecycle management best practices for your business. What Is the Purpose of Infrastructure Lifecycle Management? No matter the size or industry of your organization, infrastructure lifecycle management is a critical process. The purpose of an infrastructure lifecycle management program is to protect your business and its infrastructure assets against risk. Today, protecting your organization and its customer data from malicious actors means taking a more active approach to cybersecurity. Simply put, recovering from a cyber attack is more difficult and expensive than protecting yourself from one. If 2020 and 2021 have taught us anything about cybersecurity, it’s that cybercrime is on the rise and it’s not slowing down anytime soon. As risks to cybersecurity continue to grow in number and in harm, infrastructure lifecycle management and IT asset management are becoming almost unavoidable. In addition to protecting your organization from potential cyberattacks, infrastructure lifecycle management makes for a more efficient enterprise, delivers a better end user experience for consumers, and identifies where your organization needs to expand its infrastructure. Some of the other benefits that come along with comprehensive infrastructure lifecycle management program include: More accurate planning; Centralized and cost-effective procurement; Streamlined provisioning of technology to users; More efficient maintenance; Secure and timely disposal. A robust infrastructure lifecycle management program helps your organization to keep track of all the assets running on (or attached to) your corporate networks. That allows you to catalog, identify and track these assets wherever they are, physically and digitally. While this might seem simple enough, infrastructure lifecycle management and particularly ITALM has become more complex as the diversity of IT assets has increased. Today organizations and their IT teams are responsible for managing hardware, software, cloud infrastructure, SaaS, and connected device or IoT assets. As the number of IT assets under management has soared for most organizations in the past decade, a comprehensive and holistic approach to infrastructure lifecycle management has never been more important. Generally speaking, there are four major stages of asset lifecycle management. Your organization’s infrastructure lifecycle management program should include specific policies and processes for each of the following steps: Planning. This is arguably the most important step for businesses and should be conducted prior to purchasing any assets. During this stage, you’ll need to identify what asset types are required and in what number; compile and verify the requirements for each asset; and evaluate those assets to make sure they meet your service needs. Acquisition and procurement. Use this stage to identify areas for purchase consolidation with the most cost-effective vendors, negotiate warranties and bulk purchases of SaaS and cloud infrastructure assets. This is where lack of insights into actual asset usage can potentially result in overpaying for assets that aren’t really necessary. For this reason, timely and accurate asset data is crucial for effective acquisition and procurement. Maintenance, upgrades and repair. All assets eventually require maintenance, upgrades and repairs. A holistic approach to infrastructure lifecycle management means tracking these needs and consolidating them into a single platform across all asset types. Disposal. An outdated or broken asset needs to be disposed of properly, especially if it contains sensitive information. For hardware, assets that are older than a few years are often obsolete, and assets that fall out of warranty are typically no longer worth maintaining. Disposal of cloud infrastructure assets is also critical because data stored in the cloud can stay there forever. Now that we’ve outlined the purpose and basic stages of infrastructure lifecycle management, it’s time to look at the steps your organization can take to implement it.

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure

Article | October 3, 2023

The expertise of leading HCI firms shape the future of IT operations. This Hyperconverged Infrastructure companies list, will provide Hyperconverged solutions for growth and better services. In IT infrastructure, organizations constantly seek ways to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance user experience. HCI is a game-changing solution combining storage, computing, and networking into a single, integrated system. To leverage the full potential of HCI and ensure enhanced user experience, leading HCI system integrators and consultants have become invaluable partners for businesses across various sectors. In this listicle, delve into the role of leading HCI system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience, the key contributions, and the significance of the services of the top hyperconverged infrastructure companies. 1. Precision Computer Services Precision Computer Services (PCS) is a trusted provider of practical and proven technology solutions for businesses. With over 30 years of experience, PCS helps clients overcome complex IT challenges and achieve their strategic goals. It offers expertise in data center upgrades when businesses struggle to manage workloads, need automation and orchestration for virtual infrastructure, aims to reduce physical data center footprint or require guidance on RPO and RTO strategies. PCS differentiates itself by automating processes, ensuring information accessibility and security, specializing in hybrid cloud models, and allowing client teams to focus on business growth while PCS handles complex IT work. It offers converged and hyperconverged infrastructure, reliable servers, data storage and protection, public and private cloud services, data classification, and backup and disaster recovery solutions. 2. IPDS IPDS empowers businesses to modernize their IT infrastructure, facilitate efficient cloud operations, and capitalize on the capabilities of the modern workforce, by combining cutting-edge technologies with highly skilled engineering talent. The company's website serves to showcase its expertise and offerings. It specializes in Hyper-Converged Infrastructure and Converged Infrastructure solutions. These innovative technologies have become the standard in the IT landscape, enabling organizations to benefit from the advancements in the software-defined data center realm. With seamless connectivity to cloud providers, HCI allows businesses to establish hybrid cloud environments. By leveraging industry-leading technologies and harnessing the potential of a modern workforce, IPDS enables clients to stay at the forefront of innovation and achieve their strategic objectives. 3. Climb Channel Solutions Climb Channel Solutions, a subsidiary of Climb Global Solutions, Inc, is a leading global specialty technology distributor specializing in emerging and business-critical technologies. One of the critical solutions offered by Climb is Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, which combines computing resources, storage, and networking to minimize compatibility issues and reduce the total cost of ownership for businesses. Its HCI solution vendors provide software-defined storage, networking, virtualization, and disaster recovery solutions, enabling organizations to optimize their infrastructure and achieve high availability. With a global presence and a customer base that spans thousands of partners worldwide, Climb Channel Solutions has established itself as a trusted distribution partner. 4. Nexenta by DDN DDN provides optimized high-performance computing (HPC) storage solutions for research and innovation. By offering scalable and efficient HPC storage solutions, DDN empowers businesses to streamline their data pipelines and achieve enhanced performance at scale. DDN's extensive experience in supporting advanced computing environments enables them to accelerate application performance, reduce operational costs, accommodate data growth, and deliver services through centralized data management. Their solutions, such as EXAScaler, provide efficient building blocks that match storage performance and scalability requirements while reducing administration overhead and complexity. With features like data placement optimization, encryption, and secure multi-tenancy, DDN ensures rock-solid security and efficient storage management. With real-time partnership and Lustre open-source support, DDN enables organizations to access subject matter expertise and effectively manage their entire HPC data lifecycle. 5. StorMagic SvSAN is a highly efficient and cost-effective hyperconverged infrastructure (HCI) solution designed specifically for manufacturing. To ensure maximum uptime and eliminate single points of failure, SvSAN enables manufacturers of all sizes to run applications smoothly and maintain productivity. By deploying just two x86 servers at each location, manufacturers can leverage SvSAN's virtual SAN capabilities to minimize planned and unplanned downtime. This solution provides 100% uptime, making it an ideal choice for factories and offices where operational continuity is critical. Converging compute and storage into a lightweight commodity server footprint eliminates physical SANs, resulting in significant cost savings. StorMagic, as a company, is committed to solving edge data challenges. Their storage and HCI security products, including SvSAN and SvKMS (encryption key manager), cater to organizations with diverse site requirements. 6. Fabulix Fabulix, a Hyperconverged Infrastructure Platform, offers a comprehensive solution for autonomous infrastructure, empowering organizations to break free from the complexities of legacy IT and monolithic data centers. It is an easily deployable and infinitely scalable hyperconverged infrastructure platform that combines compute, storage, network, and virtualization resources into a single, streamlined system. By integrating software and hardware, Fabulix creates or extends private cloud and hybrid environments within local data centers, providing organizations with the benefits of autonomous infrastructure and facilitating the transition from legacy operations to cloud outcomes. Its networking capabilities automate workload deployments without requiring configuration changes on physical networks. Fabulix is designed to be an affordable alternative for infrastructure requirements. It provides integrated protection for data and applications through features like shielded VMs, network micro-segmentation, and native encryption. 7. VZURE Solutions VZURE Solutions empowers organizations to efficiently integrate and manage their converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. By leveraging their services, businesses can experience a range of benefits, including lower operating costs by consolidating storage and network management infrastructure teams, reduced labor costs through automated data center management, increased utilization, streamlined cabling, and fewer network connections to drive costs down, and enhanced agility through virtualized storage networking and centralized management. As a Cisco Preferred Solution Partner, VZURE offers a comprehensive suite of consultation, training, and support services for various aspects of cloud computing, networking, storage, and more. They provide the necessary expertise and resources to help businesses build, support, and manage efficient converged or hyperconverged infrastructures. Final thoughts The significance of leading Hyperconverged Infrastructure system integrators and consultants in enhancing user experience cannot be overstated in today's technology-driven world. With their expertise in designing and implementing optimized HCI solutions, these companies enable businesses to leverage the power of integrated storage, computing, and networking, resulting in streamlined operations, improved performance, and enhanced user satisfaction. Their deep understanding of HCI technologies and ability to align solutions with specific business requirements helps organizations achieve seamless and efficient IT infrastructure, ultimately leading to enhanced user experiences. As the demand for scalable and flexible infrastructure solutions continues to grow, the expertise of HCI platforms, leading HCI system integrators and consultants will play a crucial role in shaping the future of IT operations and ensuring that user experience remains at the forefront of technological advancements.

Hyper-Converged Infrastructure, Windows Systems and Network

Article | July 11, 2023

Without IaaS services, businesses face high upfront costs and slower time-to-market, hindering its growth. Embracing IaaS services with compliance to regulatory measures fosters digital transformation. Contents 1. Introduction 2. Regulatory Requirements 2.1 Adhering to Regulations Before Migration 2.2. Confirming to Standards During Migration 2.3. Complying with Requirements After Migration 3. Role of IaaS in Digital Transformation 3.1. Overview of Digital Transformation in Business 3.2. Benefits of IaaS for Digital Transformation Initiation 4. Key IaaS Services for Digital Transformation 4.1. Compute Services 4.2. Storage Services 4.3. Networking Services 4.4. Security Services 5. Use Cases of IaaS in Digital Transformation 5.1. Cloud Migration 5.2. DevOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) 5.3. Big Data Analytics 5.4. Internet of Things 6. Leading Providers of IaaS 6.1. Deft 6.2. Virtuozzo 6.3. DigitalOcean 6.4. Vultr 6.5. Linode 7. Conclusion 1. Introduction The article highlights infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) services, which are crucial in driving digital transformation for businesses. By delivering scalable computing resources, reducing IT infrastructure costs, and enabling a greater focus on core competencies, IaaS is helping businesses innovate faster and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving digital landscape. Further, the article elaborates on the three significant regulations to be considered for regulatory requirements. As businesses continue to embrace digital transformation, IaaS has emerged as a key enabler for organizations looking to achieve their goals. IaaS allows businesses to quickly and easily scale their computing resources up or down while reducing their IT infrastructure costs. This, in turn, enables businesses to focus on their core competencies, innovate faster, and stay competitive in today's fast-paced digital landscape. In this article, we will explore the ways in which IaaS is driving digital transformation, as well as the various services offered by IaaS providers that are helping businesses achieve their objectives and the use cases that follow. 2. Regulatory Requirements During cloud adoption and migration to IaaS, organizations must comply with regulatory requirements before, during, and after migration to the cloud. 2.1 Adhering to Regulations Before Migration Organizations must identify the relevant regulations that apply to their industry and geographic location. This includes: 2.1.1. Data Protection Laws These laws define how personal and sensitive data should be handled and protected. Organizations must comply with these laws when collecting, storing, processing, and sharing private and sensitive data. Examples include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) in the United States. 2.1.2. Industry-Specific Regulations These regulations apply to specific industries like healthcare, finance, and government. In addition, these regulations may define particular security and data protection requirements that organizations must comply with. Examples are the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) in the healthcare industry and the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) in the finance industry. 2.1.3. International Laws These laws apply to organizations operating in multiple countries or transferring data across international borders. These laws may vary based on the countries involved and define specific data protection and privacy requirements. Examples include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in the European Union and the Cross-Border Privacy Rules (CBPR) in the Asia-Pacific region. 2.2. Confirming Standards During Migration Organizations must ensure that they meet regulatory requirements while transferring data and applications to the cloud. This involves: 2.2.1. Access Management This refers to controlling who can access data and applications in the cloud. Organizations must ensure only authorizedpersonnel can access sensitive data and specific applications during migration. This can be achieved by implementing access controls such as multi-factor authentication and role-based access control. 2.2.2. Data Encryption This refers to converting data into code to prevent unauthorized access. During migration, organizations must ensure that sensitive data is encrypted both in transit and at rest. This can be achieved by using encryption technologies, such as Transport Layer Security (TLS) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES). 2.2.3. Data Residency This refers to the legal requirements around where data can be stored and processed. Organizations must comply with these requirements during migration to avoid potential legal and regulatory consequences. This may involve ensuring data is stored and processed within specific geographic locations or complies with industry-specific regulations. 2.3. Complying with Requirements After Migration Organizations must continue to meet regulatory requirements through ongoing monitoring and reporting. This includes: 2.3.1. Regular Review and Updation of Security Measures This refers to the ongoing process of reviewing and improving the security measures that are in place to protect data and assets from potential threats. This includes identifying vulnerabilities, updating software and hardware, implementing new security policies and procedures, and training employees on best practices. 2.3.2. Data Protection This refers to the measures taken to safeguard sensitive and confidential data from unauthorized access, use, or disclosure. Proper data protection includes using encryption, access controls, firewalls, and other security technologies to prevent unauthorized access to the data center and implementing processes and procedures for securely handling and disposing of data. 2.3.3. Audit and Reporting This refers to businesses' legal and regulatory requirements to regularly audit and report on their security practices and data protection measures. This includes complying with industry-specific standards and regulations, such as the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), and conducting internal and external audits to ensure compliance with these standards and regulations. 3. Role of IaaS in Digital Transformation The role of IaaS in businesses is to configure, deploy, and manage cloud infrastructure environments or applications through cross-technology administration (virtual networks, operating systems, databases), scripting, monitoring automation execution, and managing incidents with a focus on service restoration. 3.1. Overview of Digital Transformation in Business IaaS provides a flexible, scalable, and customizable infrastructure that can easily be managed and optimized, allowing organizations to focus on their core business objectives and maximize their productivity and efficiency. IaaS provides businesses access to virtualized computing resources, such as virtual machines, storage, and networking, which can be provisioned and managed through a web-based interface or API. This allows businesses to quickly deploy and scale their infrastructure without worrying about the underlying hardware and infrastructure. IaaS enables businesses to focus more on their core competencies. By outsourcing IT infrastructure management to IaaS providers, businesses can focus more on their core business functions and leave control of their IT systems to the experts. In addition, by leveraging the cloud, businesses can reduce their capital investment in buying, deploying, and managing physical servers and storage devices. A report found that companies that have embraced digital transformation are 23 times more likely to acquire new customers, 6 times more likely to retain existing customers, and 19 times more likely to be profitable. (Source: McKinsey & Company) According to a study, the top benefits of digital transformation for businesses include increased efficiency (43%), better customer satisfaction (41%), and increased profitability (36%). (Source: Accenture) 3.2. Benefits of IaaS for Digital Transformation Initiation Apart from the benefits like improved agility, robust security, quick scalability, better flexibility, and cost savings, IaaS has the following benefits: Predictable Costs: IaaS providers typically offer transparent pricing models, which enable businesses to predict their IT costs more accurately and avoid unexpected expenses. Enhanced Compliance: IaaS providers often have compliance certifications, such as SOC 2, HIPAA, and PCI DSS, which can help businesses meet their regulatory compliance requirements more efficiently. Geographic Flexibility: IaaS enables businesses to deploy their IT infrastructure across different geographic regions, allowing the customer experience to soar in other markets with low latency and high availability. Disaster Recovery: IaaS providers typically have built-in disaster recovery capabilities, allowing businesses to quickly recover from data loss or infrastructure failures without significant downtime or data loss. Increased Innovation: By outsourcing their infrastructure management to IaaS providers, businesses can focus on innovation and new product development rather than infrastructure maintenance and management. 4. Key IaaS Services for Digital Transformation 4.1. Compute Services Compute services provide the processing power and resources needed to run applications in the cloud. This includes virtual machines, containers, and serverless computing. Compute services are essential for digital transformation, allowing organizations to scale their applications and infrastructure to meet changing demands. According to a report, the global cloud computing market size is expected to grow from USD 371.4 billion in 2020 to USD 832.1 billion by 2025, at a CAGR of 17.5% during the forecast period (2020-25). The growth of the market is driven by factors such as the increasing adoption of multi-cloud strategies and the growing demand for scalable and cost-effective computing. (Source: MarketsandMarkets) 4.2. Storage Services Storage services provide the capacity and durability needed to store and manage data in the cloud. This includes object storage, block storage, and file storage. Solutions such as cloud storage services are essential for digital transformation, as they allow organizations to store and manage large amounts of data and make it easily accessible to users. According to a report, the global data sphere is expected to grow from 33 zettabytes (ZB) in 2018 to 175 ZB by 2025, at a CAGR of 61%. The growth of the data sphere is driven by factors such as the increasing use of digital technologies and the growing amount of data generated by connected devices. (Source: IDC) 4.3. Networking Services Networking services provide the connectivity and performance needed to access and use cloud resources. This includes virtual networks, load balancers, and content delivery networks. Networking services are essential for digital transformation, allowing organizations to connect their applications and infrastructure across different regions and providers. According to a research report, the global multi-cloud networking market will grow from USD 2.7 billion in 2022 to USD 7.6 billion by 2027 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.5% during the forecast period (2022-27). (Source: MarketsandMarkets) 4.4. Security Services Cloud security services provide the protection and compliance needed to secure cloud resources and data. This includes identity and access management (IAM), encryption, and threat detection and response. Security services are essential for digital transformation, as they allow organizations to secure their applications and data from cyber threats and comply with regulatory requirements. The Global Cloud Access Security Broker Market size is expected to reach $18 billion by 2028, rising at a market growth of 17.8% CAGR during the forecast period (2022-28). (Source: ReportLinker ) 5. Use Cases of IaaS in Digital Transformation 5.1. Cloud Migration Cloud Migration: One of the primary use cases for IaaS is cloud migration, where organizations move their existing applications and infrastructure to the cloud platform. This can help organizations reduce their IT costs, improve scalability, and increase flexibility. IaaS providers offer tools and cloud services to make the migration process easier and more efficient. For example, Accenture helped global manufacturing companies migrate its IT infrastructure to the Microsoft Azure IaaS platform. One of the migrations involved moving more than 1,200 virtual machines and 150 TB of data to the cloud. As a result, the company was able to reduce its IT infrastructure costs by 40% and improve scalability and flexibility. (Source: Accenture) 5.2. DevOps and Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) IaaS provides the infrastructure needed to support DevOps and CI/CD processes, allowing organizations to deliver software faster and more reliably. IaaS providers offer tools and services to automate deployment, testing, and monitoring, as well as to manage infrastructure as code. For example, GE Digital used the Amazon Web Services (AWS) IaaS platform to implement DevOps and CI/CD processes for its Predix Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT) platform. As a result, GE Digital reduced its mean acknowledgment time from one day to less than one hour and its mean remediation time from three days to 80 minutes. It moved from zero to a 100 percent real-time visibility. (Source: Amazon) 5.3. Big Data Analytics IaaS provides the processing power and storage needed to support big data analytics, allowing organizations to extract insights from large amounts of data. IaaS providers offer tools and services to manage and process data, as well as to enable real-time analytics and machine learning. For example, Netflix uses the AWS IaaS platform to support its big data analytics needs. Netflix processes over one billion events daily using AWS services such as Amazon Kinesis, Amazon S3, and Amazon EMR. As a result, Netflix is able to rapidly scale, operate securely, and meet capacity needs worldwide thanks to AWS's provision of computation, storage, and infrastructure. (Source: Amazon) 5.4. The Internet of Things IaaS provides the infrastructure needed to support IoT devices and applications, allowing organizations to collect and analyze data from connected devices. IaaS providers offer tools and cloud services to manage and secure IoT devices, as well as enable real-time data processing and analysis. For example, Siemens uses the Microsoft Azure IaaS platform to support its IoT initiatives. Siemens uses Azure services such as Azure IoT Hub, Azure Stream Analytics, and Azure Cosmos DB to collect and process data from over one million IoT devices. This allows Siemens to optimize its industrial processes and improve efficiency and productivity. (Source: Siemens) 6. Leading Providers of IaaS 6.1.Deft Deft is a trusted provider of managed IT services for SMBs and the Fortune 500. Deft's cloud services offer flexible, scalable, and cost-effective solutions for organizations looking to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud. Customers can choose from a range of cloud options, including public, private, and hybrid clouds, all hosted in Deft's secure data centers worldwide. Deft's cloud experts can also help customers design and implement custom solutions that meet their business requirements. 6.2. Virtuozzo Virtuozzo is a leading provider of hyperconverged cloud software and services for cloud service providers (CSPs). Virtuozzo makes cloud computing easy, accessible, and affordable for all. The company's offerings include infrastructure-as-a-service (IaaS) with its production-ready OpenStack cloud platform, a key component of its IaaS offerings. The platform is designed to reduce costs and improve margins for CSPs by providing them with a highly efficient and scalable cloud infrastructure. 6.3. DigitalOcean DigitalOcean is a cloud computing provider offering a range of solutions to simplify infrastructure management for developers and businesses. One of the key benefits of working with DigitalOcean is its simplicity. The company's solutions are designed to be easy to use and accessible to developers of all skill levels, with an intuitive user interface and straightforward pricing plans. This allows businesses to focus on building innovative applications rather than spending time managing their infrastructure. 6.4. Vultr Vultr is a leading provider of cloud computing solutions designed to simplify infrastructure deployment for developers and businesses. The company's infrastructure is built on the latest technology, with state-of-the-art data centers and advanced networking capabilities. Vultr's cloud platform is designed to provide frictionless provisioning of public cloud, storage, and single-tenant bare metal services. This allows businesses to quickly and easily deploy infrastructure wherever needed, with fast network speeds and low latency. 6.5. Linode Linode is a leading cloud computing solution provider that makes it easy, accessible, and affordable for individuals and businesses of all sizes to innovate and grow. Linode's cloud infrastructure is open-source, making it highly flexible and adaptable. They are designed to be simple and easy to use. The company offers various services, including virtual private servers (VPS), object storage, load balancing, managed Kubernetes, and more. In addition, these solutions are fully scalable and can be customized to meet each customer's specific needs. 7. Conclusion IaaS services are expected to continue to play a critical role in driving the digital transformation of businesses. IaaS services are expected to see significant growth in the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning. With the rise of big data and the increasing importance of data-driven decision-making, IaaS providers are expected to be critical in supporting these initiatives, providing the scalable computing power required to support advanced analytics and machine learning workloads. IaaS services are also expected to support the increasing demand for edge computing. With the proliferation of IoT devices and the rise of real-time applications, IaaS providers are expected to provide the necessary infrastructure and tools to support these initiatives, enabling organizations to process data and perform analysis. As a result, many organizations have turned to IaaS to support their digital transformation efforts, leveraging cloud computing services to implement new technologies and services that enable them to serve customers better, improve operational efficiency, and drive revenue growth. The future of IaaS services looks promising and will continue to be a critical enabler of digital transformation for businesses of all sizes and industries.

Article | July 30, 2020

The year of the pandemic – that is how many of us will remember 2020 for generations to come. Challenging circumstances brought by the sudden and devastating spread of coronavirus (COVID-19) has made us witness the world making quick changes to remote working, businesses struggling to survive, the distress of social distancing rules, the emotional rollercoaster for people isolating, an overall crisis for health systems and the economy of countries, no matter where you were in the world. When reflecting on what it has meant so far, however, we must realise that it’s not all doom and gloom. As Albert Einstein once said, “in the midst of every crisis lied a great opportunity”. The crisis has prompted companies to reinvent and accelerate digital plans, to adopt new technologies and sales models in order to adapt and survive – and for Managed Service Providers (MSPs) to step up to support businesses and employees in every way possible. On the other hand, let’s also not forget what the changes have meant for the health of our ecosystems. With industries across varied sectors forced to work remotely and shut down operations, the changes have led to benefits for the environment – and we could argue that such break was something that our planet was desperately in need of. Even now, as we start to see our way out of this situation, it’s hard to believe how it all happened. For most countries, it was a similar case: we were hearing news about a new virus spreading in China; and before we knew more about it, the virus arrived in our own territories. It seemed unlikely, and yet, a few days later, the virus was quickly spreading, and lockdown restrictions came into effect for almost every nation in the globe. Millions of workers around the world had to leave the office and make a quick switch to remote working, without much notice at all. In the initial stages of lockdown, MSPs had to work around the clock to help customers that weren’t ready for flexible working, to enable people to work from home. As every other industry and business type, MSPs also encountered challenges. Not being able to help a client on-site can sometimes significantly affect the speed of project delivery. So, adjustments had to be made, wherever possible, to deliver services remotely, as quickly and seamlessly as possible. “We are all in this together” is a phrase that became widespread in the UK. IT professionals, like many other sectors, had to support each other, and they have been working together as a community, to assist clients, businesses, and the wider public, since working from home was suddenly imposed for the vast majority. In the technology space, there is a lot of knowledge to share and to work with, which has led to many tech leaders and companies offering free advice, webinars and other tools to help with the struggles that have risen in the midst of the pandemic. Shifting priorities based on customer needs In the initial stages of the pandemic, MSPs played a critical role providing small and medium sized businesses with the tools and the IT infrastructure to keep their business running. Enabling office-based workers to continue their work from home was only the first step, however. The sudden shift to remote working has required new tools and exposed new security vulnerabilities. All around the world, we saw an increasing number of cyber-attacks and threats taking place. Remote working means many people were using personal computers for work and business purposes, and so, products that are designed to keep personal computers protected became essential. MSPs have also focused on increasing security measures for protecting password and identities for customers. Passwords on their own are not secure enough and can be easily compromised, so it has been a case of quickly deploying password management and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA), also known as two-factor authentication (2FA). MFA immediately increases security and ensures that clients’ accounts are significantly less likely to be compromised. In a few simple steps, IT providers can deploy MFA to help protect an organisation against breaches due to lost or stolen credentials. Beyond helping employees to work from home securely, MSPs have assisted companies in implementing cloud-based applications, and managing access and restrictions to certain applications, especially for furloughed staff. Embracing opportunities in the post-pandemic landscape The spread of Covid-19 has made remote working the new norm, but how likely is this to become a permanent thing? Many employers and workers have started to believe that working from home will become more and more common for employees, even after the threat of the virus is gone. It’s difficult to know what the final picture will be, but it’s remains a fact that, as offices gradually re-open after lockdown, employers are increasingly looking at new ways of flexible working. Many organisations that have been forced to work from home have been functioning remotely with little to no issue, so it stands to reason that the future of work will become more flexible. Video-calls, online training sessions, webinars, online meetings, it all sounds too familiar now, doesn’t it? Remote working was already popular, though for a long time it wasn’t much more than a much-appreciated working benefit offered by employers, as part of the ‘job perks’ package. The pandemic only accelerated the need for remote working capabilities, and now telecommuting seems to be taking over as the new norm. The IT landscape has mutated, and quite possibly it has changed for good. Technology leaders will have to continue to listen to the evolving needs and demands of the users and the markets in which they operate. For MSPs, it means the crisis is bringing opportunities to provide value to clients seeking support for enhanced mobility and flexible working. Now that work-from-home setups are in place, there’s room for improving remote access solutions and security measures. Cloud migrations, which are expected to increase after the pandemic, present an opportunity for remote employees to improve collaboration and business resiliency. There will be a push towards more robust cloud-based solutions, and these migrations are likely to become one of the top opportunities for the months to come to drive revenue for MSPs, as well as VoIP solutions, business continuity and hardware sales. The pandemic seems to have accelerated the demand for cloud services and security solutions. MSPs will play an important role in finding the best solutions for every business type, to enable them to work more flexibly and effectively. IT providers will be increasingly tasked with the job of securing devices and protecting employees as they work remotely, especially for SMBs.