What is Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP)?

Microsoft Device Ecosystem Platform (MDEP) is an Android-based platform designed for secure, centrally managed device ecosystems. Initially introduced for meeting room and collaboration devices, the platform is now expanding into additional enterprise display scenarios. Through compatibility with IAdea’s MDEP-based devices, NoviSign enables organizations to deploy digital signage endpoints that align more closely with modern IT operational and governance requirements.

NoviSign IAdea Integration

With NoviSign running on IAdea devices powered by MDEP, digital signage endpoints can be integrated into broader enterprise device strategies rather than managed as isolated AV systems. This approach supports more consistent security controls, access policies and lifecycle management practices across distributed display networks.

“Supporting IAdea devices running Microsoft MDEP allows us to better align digital signage deployments with enterprise IT security and management expectations,” says Gil Matzliah, CEO of NoviSign. “Together with IAdea’s MDEP-based hardware platform, we can offer customers a more scalable, secure, and future-ready foundation for operating signage networks.”

NoviSign IAdea Benefits

For system integrators and resellers, NoviSign’s compatibility with IAdea’s MDEP-based device portfolio introduces a platform-aligned deployment model for digital signage, designed to simplify operations, strengthen governance and support long-term scalability as enterprise display environments continue to evolve.

The cooperation was presented at the NoviSign Partners Summit and will be showcased at ISE at both NoviSign’s (Hall 4, Stand 4G600) and IAdea’s (Hall 1, Stand 1E700) booths.

Editor’s Note: Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on February 2, 2026. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post NoviSign Now Supports IAdea Devices Powered by Microsoft MDEP appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The ASCII Group, the vendor-neutral community for managed service providers (MSPs) in North America, has unveiled the speaker lineup for its highly anticipated ASCII Edge 2026 conference series. This multi-city event is designed to empower MSP business owners through peer-driven education, hands-on workshops and community engagement.

Scheduled to take place in eight cities across the United States and Canada, ASCII Edge 2026 aims to foster in-person learning and candid discussions among MSPs. The series reflects The ASCII Group’s decades-long commitment to supporting the MSP community with practical insights and real-world expertise.

The 2026 conference will feature keynote addresses from James Gadomski, a shipwreck treasure hunter and History Channel personality, and Carolyn April, vice president of research and market intelligence at GTIA. In addition to these high-profile speakers, the event will include sessions led by industry experts and experienced ASCII member MSPs. Notable speakers include Emily Tell of IdeaTilt, Wayne Hunter of Avtek Solutions, and Joe Rojas of Start Grow Manage, who will cover topics such as AI adoption, revenue strategies, and market differentiation.

The program also includes interactive workshops and peer discussions. One highlight is a Day 1 workshop presented by Kaseya, which will focus on helping MSPs leverage underutilized marketing development funds to drive measurable pipeline results. Additional workshops are expected to be announced in the coming months.

“ASCII Edge has always been about bringing the right people into the room,” said Jerry Koutavas, CEO of The ASCII Group. “When MSPs come together to share openly and learn from one another, they gain clarity and confidence in the decisions they’re making. That’s what ASCII Edge is designed to deliver.”

For more information about ASCII Edge 2026, including event details and registration, visit events.ascii.com.

The post ASCII Edge 2026 Unveils Speaker Lineup for MSP-Focused Conference Series appeared first on My TechDecisions.

For midsize companies, this shift reflects a more strategic, value-conscious approach to the cloud. They often lack the expansive budgets or large IT teams of enterprise organizations, so their cloud decisions are being made with tighter cost controls, simplified management and stronger ROI in mind. Cloud choices are more intentional – and often more innovative – as these businesses try to balance agility and security with operational efficiency.

This mindset is fueling a growing interest in hybrid and multi-cloud environments, in fact, 47% of the respondents are now operating in multi-cloud environments, while 35% are currently using hybrid cloud setups – with another 25% planning to adopt a hybrid cloud model soon – clear signs that midsize companies are diversifying their cloud strategies and getting smarter about how and where they deploy workloads, public cloud included.

Drivers of Change: Cost, Security and Complexity

Several powerful forces are shaping this shift, including cost efficiency, close examination of current SaaS, DaaS and VDI engagements, and heightened awareness of cyberattacks and vulnerabilities. For mid-market companies, in particular, budget management and risk mitigation are priorities. That’s why many are combining public cloud with on-premises infrastructure to extend its benefits while controlling costs and exposure.

Larger enterprises have similar drivers but have the advantage of more resources to devote to cyber defense and the increasing complexity of application workloads. These organizations are investing further in public cloud scalability while augmenting it with hybrid options for data control, compliance, or latency-sensitive workloads.

DaaS and VDI: Under Review, Not Rejected

Remote work has exponentially driven up the use of the cloud, and use of VDI and workload delivery systems like DaaS. However, IT leaders are now taking a hard look at how they deliver virtual desktops, not whether they belong in the cloud. According to survey data, IT flags “too many resources,” “lack of centralized control,” and “too expensive” as the top DaaS/VDI issues. Not far behind are concerns with performance and reliability.

These findings signal the need for better DaaS/VDI implementations and more flexible vendor agreements.  Companies, particularly those in the budget-conscious mid-market, are looking for shorter-term agreements, scalable pricing, and improved service levels to make DaaS and VDI work within their broader cloud strategy.

Securing the Hybrid Remote Environment

Security remains top of mind, with 35% of respondents from midsize companies reporting their company had experienced a security breach in the last year. Fear of malware and ransomware attacks and cloud vulnerabilities are the top two concerns. Midsize companies are willing to invest more in security: 90% are planning to significantly or moderately increase the budget this year. But this investment isn’t a signal that hybrid environments are inherently insecure, it’s a recognition that endpoint and browser-based threats are the new battlegrounds, especially as remote workers desire fast, no-fuss access to whatever data they need, on any device.

SaaS has been the go-to-choice for application delivery to remote workers. Since so many workers use SaaS applications, it is fertile ground for a security breach. IT professionals, as a result, are starting to look at browser isolation solutions to basically separate and lock down a worker’s browser session in the cloud. It prevents a cybercriminal from accessing the data, thereby containing any threat. If the web content a worker is viewing might be destructive, an isolation tool will also stop any possible threat to the larger network. Currently 40% of respondents at midsize companies have web browser isolation, still relying predominantly on traditional tools with firewalls, VPNs and anti-virus software, the top deployed threat defense solutions. Cloud-based isolation solutions themselves reinforce the continued relevance of the public cloud as a defense layer, not just a workload host.

Besides web browser isolation, which is definitely gaining traction, companies recognize the need for improved monitoring of device and application use that can signal a threat before it becomes a breach event. Mindful of budget and staff limitations, companies can look for remote application delivery solutions that support multiple cloud providers and can also integrate with monitoring and remediation tools.

Looking Ahead: Public Cloud at the Core of Hybrid Success

What the survey data ultimately show is that the public cloud is actually maturing. Companies, notably the mid-market, are embracing hybrid and multi-cloud setups. Public cloud remains at the heart of scalable IT strategy.

What’s changing is how it is combined with on-premises infrastructure, edge computing, and private cloud services to meet the unique needs of different workloads, users and security profiles.

With ease of platform integration, flexibility in workload placement, and improved security tooling, hybrid cloud strategies are enabling companies to get the best of both worlds, while keeping the public cloud as a vital, growing piece of their puzzle.

Kamal Srinivasan is SVP of product and program management at Parallels, a part of the Alludo portfolio. With more than two decades of experience in the field, Srinivasan is known for building robust enterprise technology platforms. He previously served as the head of product at Blink Health, contributed to Microsoft’s Azure team and led incubator efforts to build drones and develop machine learning on satellite imagery for its infrastructure security business and was a cloud product lead at Oracle. He holds a Ph.D. in computer engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

The post IT Leaders at Midsize Companies Are Rethinking Their Cloud Mix appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Traditionally, media production and the entertainment industry have heavily relied on expensive on-site hardware and infrastructure, especially for data storage. However, as data volumes grow exponentially, cloud technology is evolving to provide scalable, secure and accessible storage solutions across multi-cloud and hybrid cloud environments. While physical infrastructure remains relevant for certain high-performance tasks, the shift toward cloud-based digital ecosystems enables media companies to enhance efficiency, scalability, and collaboration on a global scale.

In recent years, the cloud has provided a cost-effective solution for businesses to quickly achieve agility and scalability. Innovation flourishes as companies leverage pay-per-use cloud models, unlocking a vast range of services available for the co-creation of value across the global supply chain.

With the integration of advanced, cutting-edge solutions like artificial intelligence (AI), virtual reality (VR), and machine learning (ML), businesses are able to quickly analyze data, link scattered information and obtain real-time feedback on performance and source allocations – while lowering implementation costs. By harnessing multi-cloud deployments, companies can access aggregated and customised data to make informed decisions, process data faster and enhance system responsiveness. This contributes to a collaborative workplace and faster content delivery on a global scale.

The Transformative Effects of On-Demand Services

While adoption occurs at various stages along a maturity continuum, ranging from initial technical upgrades to full-scale operational disruption, cloud computing is poised to significantly improve global content delivery. Nowadays, businesses seeking to scale content creation opportunities can opt for a hybrid cloud strategy, leveraging a mix of on-premises data centers, public cloud services and private cloud environments.

By transitioning from capital-intensive on-premises infrastructure to a pay-per-use cloud model, media production and entertainment companies can reduce costs while scaling content production. Media creators can also access cloud-based virtual workstations that provide the computing power needed for resource-intensive tasks such as rendering, post-production, and compositing.

Hybrid cloud models enable businesses to attract and collaborate with skilled contributors globally, as teams can work simultaneously on the same assets without delays. Tasks and actions can be carried out simultaneously on the same assets, enabling creators to share their ideas and talents without delays. As AI, machine learning, and VR continue to evolve, cloud-driven media production will become even more efficient, offering new levels of automation, scalability, and real-time collaboration. Additionally, cloud storage services provide built-in redundancy, automated backups, and disaster recovery solutions, ensuring that valuable media assets remain secure and accessible at all times.

Global Content Sharing

In the entertainment industry, cloud-based streaming services leverage scalable infrastructure to enable seamless video-on-demand (VOD), powering platforms like Disney+, Netflix, and Amazon Prime Video. Many media companies also use VOD for ad-supported content models, multi-channel distribution, and to meet shifting consumer preferences. The combination of cloud storage, content delivery networks (CDNs), and adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) ensures content is accessible anytime with minimal buffering and latency, regardless of location.

Cloud infrastructure allows platforms to dynamically scale based on fluctuating demand. For instance, the release of a highly anticipated show can trigger sudden traffic spikes, and cloud-based auto-scaling mechanisms allocate additional resources in real-time to maintain seamless access. This flexibility allows platforms to serve millions of viewers without service disruptions while avoiding the high upfront costs of traditional infrastructure.

Increased Security

Advanced and secure cloud-based databases come with robust security; offering strong access control, encryption-in-transit, threat prevention, isolated virtual machine instances and Internet Protocol Security (IPsec) VPN connections.

While encryption-in-transit ensures secure data flow between users and cloud services, encryption-at-rest protects stored data from unauthorized access. Additionally, isolated virtual machine instances help mitigate security risks by preventing unauthorized interactions between workloads, ensuring that creators’ workspaces remain protected.

The cloud also enables businesses to access open-source code for media creation tools, giving IT teams visibility into potential vulnerabilities and allowing them to implement timely security patches. This reduces reliance on proprietary third-party security solutions while strengthening internal security measures.

Finally, IPsec VPN connections ensure private, encrypted communications between cloud resources and on-premise systems, providing an added layer of protection against cyber threats. Together, these security measures create a resilient cloud environment that prioritises data integrity, privacy and compliance.

Looking at the Future

The evolution of advanced technologies is likely to propel cloud-driven media production and entertainment to new heights. As cloud adoption continues to evolve, the future of media production and entertainment will be defined by even greater efficiency, flexibility and innovation. Emerging technologies like AI-driven content creation, real-time virtual production, and cloud-powered immersive experiences in AR and VR are set to push creative boundaries.

As the industry moves toward a fully cloud-native ecosystem, media and entertainment companies that leverage these advancements will likely stay ahead, offering new forms of entertainment and using scalable cloud solutions. The industry is facing a future full of new opportunities and redefined audience engagement.

Dominik Birgelen, CEO of oneclick Group AG

The post How the Cloud is Redefining Media Production and Entertainment appeared first on My TechDecisions.

While many physical security departments were previously hesitant to consider cloud-connected solutions, they now have a greater understanding of the benefits these solutions bring. Cloud solutions are helping campuses better utilize resources to achieve goals while minimizing operational complexity.

Cost is an important driver for many schools. While on-premises security solutions remain common, the investment in infrastructure can be significant. Servers, information technology (IT) and security staff, wiring, software installations, maintenance and updates all add up.

The post Your Guide to Choosing the Best Cloud Security System for Your School appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Preparing for Strategic Investments in Emerging Technologies

Emerging technologies will play a central role in the evolution of our industry in 2025. The future calls for investment in advanced connectivity, generative AI, next-generation software development, digital trust, cybersecurity and immersive-reality technologies. IT will play a critical role in supporting these initiatives by creating the infrastructure, security, and operational framework necessary to thrive as a technology-driven company.

This approach requires a shift in how we view technology adoption: rather than focusing on whether to adopt these new technologies, we must prioritize how best to prepare for and adapt to them. IT leaders should assess current systems, skill sets and vendor partnerships to ensure alignment with the company’s future direction and goals.

Strategic Partnerships and Scaling Through Existing Expertise

With emerging technologies like AI and cybersecurity solutions rapidly advancing, IT faces a familiar decision: build or buy. While companies will develop unique capabilities internally, partnering with specialized vendors is key to scaling the technology, particularly with AI and cybersecurity. Leveraging vendors with a strong AI focus allows organizations to capitalize on cutting-edge solutions without bearing the entire development burden internally. This approach provides IT with scalable solutions that can be rapidly deployed, enabling technology teams to focus on delivering value in core areas.

In 2025, IT will not only enable these vendor partnerships but also ensure they integrate seamlessly into your larger technology ecosystem to support the company’s vision. By building on a larger scale and working with established, AI-enabled vendors, IT can enhance infrastructure resilience, scalability and security. This strategy allows businesses to grow efficiently and stay agile in a competitive market.

Evaluating ROI and TCO

As businesses prepare to invest in new technology, IT leaders face the challenge of evaluating the return on investment (ROI) and total cost of ownership (TCO) for these cutting-edge solutions. Emerging technologies often carry high upfront costs but promise transformative benefits over time. For instance, while licensing costs for AI solutions like Microsoft Copilot may be high, the potential productivity gains and efficiency improvements make them worthwhile.

To maximize these benefits, IT teams need to invest in products and tools that will enable their hybrid workforces to collaborate and work more effectively. The IT department must work closely with divisional leaders to ensure AI investments yield tangible results. Create an AI community champion network to collaborate with IT departments and identify effective training and development opportunities that enable a lean workforce to fully adopt and leverage new technologies. This collaborative approach ensures a more comprehensive ROI and positions the company for continued innovation.

Strengthening Security

IT team’s approach to security will include a balanced focus on training and awareness, governance and auditing and technology investments. By distributing resources across these pillars, companies can maintain a proactive security posture and build a foundation of trust with their customers. Leveraging industry frameworks and benchmarks will help IT assess and demonstrate security performance, ensuring continuous improvement and alignment with best practices.

Sustainability and Futureproofing Technology Investments

As we plan for 2025, sustainability is an increasingly important factor in technology decision-making. IT’s role in supporting sustainability includes choosing high-quality, durable solutions that align with your company’s commitment to long-term value. By investing in future-proof technologies that can evolve over time, IT helps reduce the frequency of refresh cycles and minimizes waste, both environmentally and financially.

Sustainability plays a key role in delivering value responsibly, ensuring that current needs are met while paving the way for future growth with environmental awareness. Futureproof solutions with flexible, scalable capabilities support goals for sustainability, adaptability and operational efficiency.

IT Teams Propel Innovation in 2025

In 2025, the role of IT teams will extend beyond operational support to actively driving and enabling transformative innovation. By forming strategic partnerships with the right vendors, investing in advanced technologies like AI, cybersecurity, and connectivity and fostering a culture of security, sustainability, and employee empowerment, organizations can position themselves for success in a rapidly evolving landscape.

Rafal Komosa is the associate vide president of IT enterprise architecture and security at Shure.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on December 4, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Budgeting Tips for IT Pros/CIOs in 2025 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Here are the top five strategies to streamline desktop support troubleshooting time when preparing to advance your DEX initiatives.

The Importance of True Real-Time Data

Before starting, consider that your team can’t fix what they can’t see. The issue may not just be within your company’s process but in the data itself. Most DEX vendors collect data in minutes, leading to missed events between intervals or when averaged over time. If you are receiving data in minutes, IT will miss vital information, resulting in a lag in response time. This can contribute to a surplus of tickets and confusion about the true source of the problem. Finding a data collection system that offers true real-time visibility is the key to truly enabling IT teams to identify and address issues before they impact productivity and security. Once your team has this actionable data, they can analyze the top five ways to reduce your desktop support troubleshooting time.

Step 1. Implementing Proactive Notifications

Proactive notifications, such as those alerting to potential issues like application downtime or connectivity issues, can be a game-changer. Empower your IT teams with these tools, so the issues get addressed before they escalate, therefore ensuring a seamless digital experience for employees and reducing the need for reactive troubleshooting.

Step 2: Prioritize the Problems with Problem Scoring

Prioritizing issues that impact DEX can be daunting but are extremely important. Ease the process by presenting a consolidated score of performance metrics. These metrics are calculated by highlighting the most significant impact areas, guiding IT teams to direct their attention effectively. Consider implementing a scoring dashboard across various domains, including VDI and DaaS, physical desktops, desktop applications, vulnerabilities, patch management, unified communications, and SaaS and web applications. Dashboards are invaluable tools that provide a comprehensive overview of system health and drill down to a specific problem.

Step 3: Incorporate GenAI

Collecting lots of troubleshooting data and representing it with a score is a powerful method for interpreting data differently. While data can be exported as a CVS, or custom reports can be created, sometimes, you need to get quick answers on the fly. Incorporating a secure, natural language, using a GenAI feature will enable your teams to receive information immediately, represented in unique and informative ways, significantly reducing response times and improving service quality.

Step 4: Add Script Actions

Scripts can be a powerful way to retrieve detailed troubleshooting data from a remote device. However, getting any script to run on a remote device can be problematic as most companies lock down their machines so that employees cannot edit or run scripts. It may also be difficult for IT to run a remote script on behalf of an employee without the full picture. One option to securely incorporate script actions is adding a DEX service to your IT budget. Look for a DEX solution that provides a versatile range of methods for running a script on a remote device and supports various script languages that can run on any platform. Ensure the solution can also provide and store the results in a secure database that your IT team can easily access and understand for future analysis that can inform proactive actions.

Step 5: Enable Remote Control

When problems arise, so much can be lost in translation. Often, IT needs to remotely troubleshoot a user’s desktop, but traditional remoting tools can disrupt employees’ workflow and impact productivity. This is often due to the employees’ base knowledge of the issue at hand. Consider implementing a remote control feature so your IT team can quickly find and troubleshoot the issue at hand, seeing what the user is experiencing without hampering productivity. To make remote troubleshooting more efficient and help users get back up and running as quickly as possible, consider a multifaceted approach to accessing a user’s computer remotely.

The Key: Why Automation Completes the Process

Automation is vital to your DEX process. According to IDC, “by 2027, 90% of organizations will augment operational roles with automation technology, elevating employee engagement and unlocking a predicted 30% increase in worker efficiency.” Since many computer problems are recurring, implementing automation will empower IT teams by streamlining the discovery process and supporting rapid issue remediation. Incorporating automation to your proactive notifications (alerting) within script actions will also ease issue detection and within seconds, allow a corrected script to be executed. Together, these tips can not only empower your team but pull them out of the IT support ticket weeds. As a result, you can move beyond simply supporting your company initiatives, to also decreasing employee burnout and creating a more productive team.

Maintaining optimal performance and swiftly resolving technical issues is critical for the future of any business. Surveys tell us that organizations that have optimized their DEX see a 25% reduction in employee turnover and DEX tools have shown to lead to a 20% increase in employee engagement. While it is clear that DEX solutions will boost your business, it is not always “one size fits all” when finding the right solution. As long as you incorporate a solution that proactively manages endpoints, applications, and user experiences while providing real-time data collection, proactive notifications, and comprehensive scoring dashboards, you and your IT team will find a streamlined troubleshooting process to be an achievable reality.

Jeff Johnson is the product marketing manager at ControlUp.

The post Five Ways to Reduce Desktop Support Troubleshooting Time appeared first on My TechDecisions.

With Xyte’s Mobile RMM, users can remotely monitor connected devices on the go through an intuitive live map interface, allowing them to see the location of devices in relation to their own location, making it easier than ever to manage large-scale deployments. Teams can send remote commands, check real-time device states and view recent changes such as temperature adjustments, Wi-Fi status and other key parameters. In addition to monitoring, users can interact with devices in real time, issuing commands and observing how device statuses change after the commands are received.

“This is an incredibly powerful feature. It may seem simple, but the ability to monitor an entire network of connected technology – whether AV systems, sensors or industrial equipment – straight from your phone is a game-changer,” says Omer Brookstein, CEO and co-founder of Xyte. He continues, “Our mobile RMM not only simplifies remote monitoring but gives teams the flexibility to stay on top of their installations, whether they’re managing a handful of devices or thousands. With AV systems becoming more and more mission critical, the ability to monitor and manage them from a mobile device from anywhere and at any time is more imperative than ever before.”

According to Xyte, it was the first to introduce QR code device claiming on mobile devices, which allows both end-users or dealers and system integrators to quickly scan and claim devices as part of their managed environment. Building on these previous platform capabilities, Xyte’s Mobile RMM extends beyond mobile QR code device claiming, allowing users to identify, actively manage and troubleshoot devices remotely. While larger displays may still provide the best experience for monitoring high-volume installations, mobile RMM ensures quick, efficient action while on the move.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on Sept. 23 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Xyte Unveils Mobile RMM for IT Managers to Monitor and Manage Their Devices On The Go appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The event illustrated two things:

1. how deep the roots of digitization have become globally;
2. the fragility of the global technology ecosystem, exacerbated by an overreliance on a select number of cloud providers.

This is a wake-up call for us all. Although not a cyber attack, imagine if a nation state was able to find and exploit such vulnerabilities through a coordinated and sustained attack?

It’s given us a glimpse into what cyber armageddon could look like; how should we respond?

The Interconnectivity Trade-Off

Dubbed “the largest IT outage in history,” the global technology outage was caused when an update to one of CrowdStrike’s pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, malfunctioned, paralyzing computers running Windows and resulting in widespread tech failures around the world.

While not the cause, the severity of the impact was only made possible as a result of the increasingly interconnected systems and software that have become so entrenched in our digital infrastructure. The effects were also inflamed by the global reliance on a select number of cloud providers – with Windows devices the worst impacted, many initially thought it was solely a Microsoft issue.

This dependency has brought with it many benefits – global connectivity, efficiency and innovation. But it’s a simple fact that it leaves us all more vulnerable. If a major cloud provider goes down or is impacted, the world grinds to a halt.

For many of us in the business of IT and security, questions are starting to be asked about the trade-off: can we find a way to remain connected, but become more resilient and lessen the impact of events like these?

The initial discussion has been around reassessing cloud strategies, such as avoiding the automatic updating of patches. Some may also be thinking about a multi-cloud approach, where more than one cloud provider is used to ensure continuity if one goes down – “Microsoft is down? That’s ok, we can just switch to Google.” However, despite being a relatively simple undertaking, it would be an expensive luxury that’s out of reach for most.

Build Something from the Ground Up

Rather than trying to patch up ever more complex and interdependent legacy architecture, company boards should use this opportunity to explore shifting their legacy digital architecture to something built from the ground up and future proof.

That is, firms should be viewing this as an opportunity to run an entirely new, low-cost, digital infrastructure in parallel, which is independent of their primary cloud provider and legacy applications. The idea is that in the case of a major systems outage, organizations would have the ability to seamlessly switch over to this secondary infrastructure without manual intervention, allowing them to perform critical functions throughout the crisis. This infrastructure would be backed up with essential data, with advanced security protocols to protect against cyber threats. As a minimum, this provides an out-of-band communications channel for the board and senior management to tell staff and clients what to do and ensures they are not swamped by fraudulent scams after the Crowdstrike outage.

Imagine an airline affected by a major software outage. Having an independent backup system would allow them to continue day-to-day operations such as booking passengers, handling ticket changes and scheduling flights. Instead of relying on extensive manual interventions to recover the primary system, backup protocols would prevent disruption while the main systems are brought back online.

Any solution developed in this way needs to be quick-to-implement and must be able to initiate a contingency command and control process, handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. Our mission critical clients are beginning to build these fail-over systems that can handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. In some instances, these shadow systems operate entirely through a mobile messaging platform.

Continuity and Resilience are Possible

As businesses now begin to revisit how they can ensure a return to business as usual as quickly as possible when disaster strikes, they should not be clouded by all the technical terms and confusing offerings, and just focus on three simple and fundamental principles when assessing their current and future risks: completeness, accuracy and validity.

Shifting legacy digital architecture towards something that is built from the ground up ticks all these boxes.  Moreover, it addresses the inter-connectivity, inter-dependency and relatedness and reputational risks that we all face in the digital world today. This may just be the difference between surviving the next global meltdown or being left in its wake.

Andersen Cheng is the founder and chairman of Post-Quantum.

The post CrowdStrike Cyber Armageddon: How Do Firms Now Build Resilience? appeared first on My TechDecisions.

In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Many employees, and more than a few managers, regard this essential business support service as “annoying,” “slow” and “only heard of when something is going wrong.”

This is not because of any personal issues that employees might have with the IT team — it is simply that they only interact with this part of the business when they are having a problem. Quite often frustration rises when things aren’t fixed instantly — when the simple reality of the situation means they can’t be.

Don’t hate the IT team, hate the substandard tech they have at their disposal

When it comes to business IT and desk-side support services many issues reappear time-and-again causing employees to get frustrated with their IT and/or the people responsible for maintaining it. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most hated aspects of IT and desk-side support in the modern office environment.

#1 The Deskside Support is Helpless

You might be the king of your day-to-day job, but nothing makes you turn into a pauper quicker than when your IT system crashes or your device stops working (which always happens at the worst time!).

When this happens, you look to the IT desk-side support team as your knights in shining armor riding in to save the day. Yet when they arrive, you discover that they will have to take over your device and “have a play around” to figure out the problem.

This can take a long time, and time is a precious commodity. Sitting around watching IT support perform tests on your device frustrates workers and gives the impression that the IT team doesn’t know what they’re doing. The reality is many of these problems require these “exploratory” tests to be carried out to identify the problem before it can be fixed.

You wouldn’t be frustrated with a Doctor performing tests to identify why you’re feeling under the weather.

#2 IT Projects Never Seem to End

IT infrastructure is under constant monitoring, revision and improvement. Patches and updates are necessary in order to keep the business secure.

Add to this the unplanned IT issues — failure, lost, damaged items — and you should begin to understand why IT desk-side support can sometimes take time to resolve. Even worse is what most of us have experienced at some point — twiddling our thumbs and watching our device under the control of the remote IT support team when you need to be working on that report, proposal or other important document/ project. This wasted time leads to lost productivity in the workplace and reduced employee morale.

#3 Employee On-Boarding with No IT equipment on Day One

Anyone who has gone to work in an office as a new starter in the last decade will understand the frustration of the “new employee IT onboarding process.”

Even though you’ve had months of interviews and your agreed start date is not a mystery or unexpected, imagine the frustration when you walk through the door for your first day feeling confident, but nervous and your computer is not fully set up for use.

Instead, you end up sitting around watching your new colleagues get stuck into the work they want to be doing, while you’re waiting for your computer to be fully configured. Praise Be for that “team lunch” will help break up the monotony of the first day.

The configuration of IT assets should be completed before the first day. It should be waiting for them from day one.

#4 Hardware Refresh Cycles

Getting a new, improved, more up-to-date device should be a day of joy for workers as you say goodbye to your slow, unreliable equipment that looks like it has just arrived from the late noughties.

One client I worked for actually embraced the embarrassment of how old its IT equipment was by naming its most ancient range of hand-me-down laptops as “Heritage Laptops.” I did think that what would come next would be a UNESCO “World Heritage” badge stating the equipment was now considered “IT equipment of significant historic value.”

This process of switching from an old to a more modern device is not just simply handing over a laptop for a new one. The new device still has to be configured and cloned to your settings and then tested to make sure everything is running smoothly — which can lead to new problems.

For the business, these processes are a short-term pain for the long-term gain. However, for employees, it can be seen as a dull, unnecessary experience that some will actively avoid, preferring to stay on older, slower, less secure devices.

A new, user-friendly system is needed to make this process smoother and simpler for employees to be a part of, and it needs to be much more convenient than it currently is.

#5 Where is my order?

It used to be that work IT and desk-side support was far better than what we had at home. Some of us might even be old enough to remember a relative or parent proudly coming home with a wonder of technology which they had “borrowed from work.” Much to the amazement of the family.

Nowadays this has completely changed. Each of us carries a super-computer in our pocket and uses seamless “omnichannel” services provided by retailers. Whether this is from tech giants like Amazon or Apple to luxury brands like Burberry or even high street names like Argos. With each of them, whenever you place an order you are presented with a wealth of information about where your item can be collected, when it will arrive, and whether you want to delay arrival — right down to the name of your delivery driver.

Take this experience back to the workplace and you are met with the “black hole of IT.” Every time you order IT equipment it disappears into the ether. You might get a confirmation notice, but how often do you receive an update on how the order is progressing, or how you will eventually collect your item? Do you know the name of the person in your IT support team working on this order?

The answer to all these problems = Automation

One thing each of the above issues has in common is that at some point they rely on a human touchpoint in the process to get anything done.

Whether this is calling a member of the IT support desk, waiting for IT support to make an office visit, or waiting for engineers to finish configuring your machine before you get it back, much of the problem-solving within business IT is done in front of the employees.

This no longer needs to be the case! Automation paired with the use of consumer systems like Smart Lockers, can remove many of the pain points within IT projects. The impact is quickly realised as the IT team has time back to get on with important business-changing projects and employees have the ability to self-serve/ self-solve their own IT issues.

Hassle-Free, Headache-Free IT Support

IT infrastructure will always be a key component of any modern office or business environment, which inevitably means that IT support will always remain a part of employees’ lives.

Much has been made about AI and automation removing the need for human interaction within the workplace, but rather than replacing IT support staff outright, automation using Smart Lockers removes the mundane, time-consuming and repetitive tasks.

The wider workforce now benefits because their IT problems get fixed much quicker, in fact, research has shown that Smart Locker requests are up to 95% faster than traditional deskside support teams; the three-day average wait time is now down to mere minutes.

Moreover, it also removes the headaches of sitting around for hours at a time while an issue is resolved. It also plays heavily into the reputation of employers if they can automate a lot of repetitive processes, presenting a business in which ongoing, recurring IT issues are a thing of the past.

Glen McCarty serves as the Consulting Director at Velocity Smart Consulting, bringing to the table a career spanning two decades as a seasoned IT transformation specialist.

The post Five Common IT Issues Everyone Hates at Work appeared first on My TechDecisions.