Build a Flexible Foundation

Enabling Agility

The needs of your business evolve and shift constantly. As such, it’s important to build a foundation that’s both strong and flexible, and which will allow you to navigate changes to your plans and your network with ease. Whatever you need, our team is ready to assist — from being a sounding board to providing consultative guidance and support.

Click here to watch our webinar for tips on how to incorporate agility into various technology solutions across collaboration, security and services.

Network & Security Considerations of Hybrid or Remote Workspace Models

Many of the most useful security technologies that we use in the office can easily scale to accommodate remote workforces (or support a hybrid model). While an upgraded license might be required to include coverage for new devices, some basic security protocols, such as remote access technologies (VPN, virtual desktops and network extension), multi-factor authentication software or next generation endpoint software or endpoint management software (MDM, EMM) can go a long way in protecting your network when workstations are being used in or outside of the office and become portable.

Security Awareness Training

This is a basic but important step in enabling a flexible organisation. Helping users who typically report to a brick and mortar office understand the risks associated with working remotely and enforcing training around phishing and scams is important. We work with partner organisations who offer online training that can be quickly spun up and rolled out to organisations looking to educate staff.

We’ve also launched our own Secure Workforce Awareness Training (SWAT) Webinar Series to help you explore technology that is available today, its uses and applications, as well as implementation.

Our comprehensive Secure Workforce Awareness Training (SWAT) Series digs deeper into security technologies that enable secure operations, from on-premise or remote locations. Presented in conjunction with our partners Netskope, Cisco, Okta, Fortinet, and Palo Alto Networks, each webinar provides a clear and concise ‘how-to’ demonstration of key security solutions, a review of free offers and a Q&A where our teams address specific questions faced by live viewers. Watch now on-demand

Rapid Deployments via Cloud

Many organisations recently reacted to a sudden need to support dispersed workforces, which presented them with unique challenges ranging from accommodating remote access capacity and lack of necessary infrastructure to support it to scalability and security of cloud-based networks.

One of the most attractive aspects of cloud services is the ability to rapidly deploy services on-demand and then turn them off when no longer needed. Whether you already have a virtual desktop strategy for remote access or no strategy developed at all, the cloud can be the perfect platform to rapidly deploy remote users or provide “burst” capacity as needed.

Although this needs to be accomplished quickly, it also needs to be done in a secure and controlled fashion. Cloud security can’t be overlooked. Wherever your workforce is based and however information is traversing your network, increased dependency on the cloud requires that a plan exist for how to seamlessly improve visibility and access to these applications with zero disruption and tight security protocols in place.

We collaborate with our customers to accelerate the deployment of remote access capabilities via virtual desktops in the cloud while maintaining the required level of security, governance, monitoring, and control. Read more about our Accelerated Horizon VDI on Azure offering.

Collaboration Tools to Help Stay Connected

Effectively leveraging collaboration technologies is a crucial component to enabling effective telework scenarios. Multiple solutions are available to support this, including hardware and software communication endpoints that operate remotely, or rich-media meeting solutions that enable remote workers to remain connected to each other, regardless of physical location. Take the time to evaluate your environment to ensure that your deployments are prepared to enable remote workers and adequate to support increased scale.

Leasing and Financing

When unexpected costs present themselves, leasing and financing solutions can help. Worsening credit markets may mean that organisations have trouble accessing funds to support the technology they need to keep their businesses running. Payment programs can help offset unbudgeted costs associated with incurred expenses in support of expanded work from home programs or development of hybrid workplace models.

Service Offerings to Keep Business Moving Forward

Leveraging third-party support services can help you ensure operational continuity as you move your workforce to remote facilities (or home) and/or plan for a return to the office as business re-emerges. Managed and professional services are available for everything from service desk and security to network infrastructure. Augmenting your current operations with managed services, even on a temporary basis, can help you to mitigate disruptions. Utilising local on-site resources or remote engineering support can also extend the reach of your teams, from On-Demand “Smart Hands” to staffing, call centre and help desk assistance, and staging/imaging.

Resilience and Agility in Action

Across the country and around the world, our teams are helping our customers leverage technology to mitigate disruption and support their organisations during these unprecedented times.  Read more...