What IT governance means for SMBs in the digital era
Governance is neither empty corporate jargon nor the sole domain of big businesses. It’s essential for having control over your IT systems and software and is just as relevant to SMBs looking to maximise ROI in a digital world.
The line between our work lives and our home lives is blurring more than ever as we all negotiate the 24/7 demands of the global economy. At the same time, developing technology is empowering us to spend less face time in the office as a litany of mobile devices and cloud-based platforms allow us to take our work home with us.
That has led to many of us using the same devices at work and home, which begs the question: are you keeping your professional and personal information safe, secure and separate?
When you think of how the modern workplace is different to that of the past, what springs to mind?
Aside from cosmetic changes that would have blown minds in the 1980s – what's with the standing desks and open plans, and where's the ever-present cloud of cigarette smoke? – perhaps the main difference is the shift away from desktop computers.
For years, process control systems were secured with a combination of “security through obscurity” and wilful ignorance. Increased threats from malicious hackers, often sponsored by nation-states and criminal organisations, are demonstrating that neither of these approaches is sufficient.
If you are to have a hope of keeping your manufacturing processes safe, you have to lock them down.
Maintaining the security of your devices is becoming an increasingly important concern in the face of a virtual onslaught of malware, spyware, viruses and other malicious files. But protecting your brand-new device from the evils of the internet isn’t as difficult as you may think.
Digital devices are an integral part of the modern workplace, helping users become more flexible, efficient and productive - with the ability to work whenever and wherever they need to.
The downside is that organisations must stay abreast of technology as well as all the associated risks the digital era brings. With users increasingly accessing critical business information on the go – via their smartphones, tablets and laptops – security concerns should be front of mind. The most obvious risks include using unsecured networks, having a device stolen or misplaced, and more aggressive threats like viruses and malware.
The line between our work lives and our home lives is blurring more than ever as we all negotiate the 24/7 demands of the global economy. At the same time, developing technology is empowering us to spend less face time in the office as a litany of mobile devices and cloud-based platforms allow us to take our work home with us.
That has led to many of us using the same devices at work and home, which begs the question: are you keeping your professional and personal information safe, secure and separate?
IT budgets are set to swell in 2019 as organisations continue to embrace a suite of rapidly developing technologies. With the arrival of 5G set to send mobile network speeds soaring and long-hyped technologies such as artificial intelligence and blockchain approaching maturity, 2019 will be a transformative year for IT. Here are five key trends to watch this year:
The arrival of 5G in 2019 will send the wireless revolution into hyper-drive. Your landline could be set for extinction as 5G mobile devices benefit from broadband network speeds. 5G also has huge implications for Internet of Things (IoT) technology that will soon have access to much faster mobile network speeds than was possible with 4G. This will drive a range of new innovations and capabilities as the first next-generation 5G mobile devices are launched in the coming months.
While blockchain has been present in the world of cryptocurrency for the last few years, it has had limited mainstream use – until now. With big players like IBM investing in blockchain development, we’ll likely begin to see a more digestible version of blockchain emerge that a range of businesses will be able to use to create more secure systems for recording and verifying transactions. The financial services industry is already making early moves into blockchain, and predictions are that the logistics sector will follow.
AI has been making big promises for some years now, but 2019 could be the year that transitions from theoretical musings into actual business tools. AI is tipped to move beyond data science to take on a more developer-centric focus. That means 2019 could be the year that developers start building genuine AI technology into a range of new mainstream apps across business functions.
DevOps could become NoOps in 2019 as software automation and cloud-based SaaS (software as a service) continue to take the software development and maintenance burden off in-house IT teams. As such, IT will need to accelerate its philosophical and cultural shift from an operations-based department to an outcomes-based department with a heavier focus on value-adding innovation.
While frustrations have been common with early chatbots, that’s set to change in 2019. Advances in natural language processing (NLP) and sentiment analytics will drive the development of much smarter chatbots that will be capable of delivering more personalised customer experiences. Expect to see more sophisticated chatbots that possess a greater understanding of empathy and other human emotions.
When you think of how the modern workplace is different to that of the past, what springs to mind?
Aside from cosmetic changes that would have blown minds in the 1980s – what's with the standing desks and open plans, and where's the ever-present cloud of cigarette smoke? – perhaps the main difference is the shift away from desktop computers.
The world is in the midst of what many are calling the Fourth Industrial Revolution, and digital technology is upending every sector of the economy.
Nowhere is this more obvious than in manufacturing, where everything from planning, design and pre-order to supply chain, sales and post-sales are benefiting from an extreme digital makeover. Here are four technologies that are disrupting manufacturing.
If you run a small or medium-sized business, you want to be up to speed with the latest tech, trends and best practices that enable your organisation to stay productive and grow, right?
This month we cover a range of bases, including security, the rise of chat apps, real-time banking payments and consumption-based IT – a pay-as-you-go model that promises SMBs greater flexibility in the way they access infrastructure, software and services.
For years, process control systems were secured with a combination of “security through obscurity” and wilful ignorance. Increased threats from malicious hackers, often sponsored by nation-states and criminal organisations, are demonstrating that neither of these approaches is sufficient.
If you are to have a hope of keeping your manufacturing processes safe, you have to lock them down.
Still wondering if you should upgrade to Windows 10?
Microsoft's latest operating system is a solid product, with significant improvements under the hood that have made it the most secure and productive Windows ever. Business users have voted with their cash and adopted it faster than any previous version.
Modern manufacturing is all about innovating with digital prototyping and technologies like 3D printing – all of which require a high degree of raw computing power.
Workstations are ideal for providing this resource, where their large processing power can crunch complex formulas and graphics, while a screen provides a valuable visual interface for an engineer or operator.
When household brands suffer data breaches, you’re on notice that your business could be the next potential target for cybercriminals.
This has the potential to impact your brand, reputation and worse. There are also regulatory and legal obligations in most jurisdictions that require you to safeguard and secure consumer data. Fail to do this and you risk exposing yourself to legal liability and even litigation from your partners, clients and customers.
SMBs typically watch every precious cent they spend, and IT hardware
And while it may be tempting to go for a cheap and cheerful model, the last thing you want is an underpowered laptop that doesn't have all the features you need, or is obsolete in a year or less. The key is to choose a machine that is durable, secure, powerful, lightweight and has all the features you need. does not come cheap – especially when it involves laptops. This makes choosing the right laptop for your business an important box to tick.
We all know data is valuable, but too often we act as if it isn’t. Valuables are often secured – kept in safes, insured, treated with care. With valuable business and personal data moving around the internet all the time, criminals are always looking for new ways to steal, copy and subvert this precious new resource.
