Don't wait for another pandemic or unforeseen event to make upgrades to your network.
Enterprises, regardless of size, have been forced to make an immediate change in the way they provide and protect network services due to the pandemic. At a time where remote working is the norm, the situation necessitated relying on technologies and methods that promised reliable network operation, optimal staff performance, and of course, strong security. This may have led you to identify pain points that need fixing and make the necessary arrangements to fix them.
Now that things are looking up, you don’t have to wait for another pandemic or unforeseen event to make upgrades to your network and tech. To help protect your organization, here are a few key changes you should consider:
5G-Readiness
5G has yet to reach mainstream adoption, but once it’s already readily available to you, you’ll need to make sure that your networks and cloud services are ready so you can enjoy high-speed connections. Taking full advantage of 5G connectivity means making the most out of the cloud, giving your employees access to whatever tools and data they need, on-the-go, using their respective mobile devices.
5G is a technology that’s ready-made for the cloud, so virtualization should be at the heart of your preparation. It’s recommended to work with a service provider and deploy network function visualization (NFV) and cloud-based technology for the business as soon as possible. Doing so is crucial as different businesses have different needs when it comes to virtualization.
Network Improvements on Surveillance
The pandemic has underscored the importance of surveillance in an effort to track, monitor, communicate and predict the spread of the virus. Whether your organization is customer-facing or not, it’s still necessary to improve your surveillance tech to safeguard employees as well as to prevent the risk of theft. At the height of the lockdowns, there was also an uptick in burglaries, resulting in businesses losing thousands of dollars. This is the last thing you want to happen to your organization.
Enforce improvements in your surveillance not only by upgrading to better gear, but also carefully choosing the right security camera type with the ideal features. For high-quality cameras, engineers will use net ties to meet PCB requirements and resolve design challenges like routing tracks and inductor winding. This ensures that battery-powered devices—including these cameras—won’t run into any connectivity problems even though they run for hours. However, surveillance cameras need additional features like 360-degree view, night vision and thermal imaging, and waterproof housing. Make sure that you look for these features when you upgrade your tech for full protection.
More Accurate Network Planning
Another thing COVID-19 has forced many organizations to realize is the importance of preparing for a sudden, massive surge in network demands. Many seemed to have no idea of how to accelerate authentication and authorization approval processes for employees who had to have immediate secure and remote access to the organization’s network.
While it’s not a cause for alarm at this point, organizations should take the time to not only take stock of their current network operations and look for opportunities for improvement to accommodate the next unprecedented incident, but to also plan for more common occurrences that could impact their ability to run. This way, they’ll be better equipped to handle any disruptions that come their way.
Pervasive Intelligence
When it comes to succeeding in a rapidly changing environment, organizations must be more intelligent, connected, and agile. Aside from the key decision-makers calling all the shots, all team members should be involved in the formation and attainment of business objectives to make way for what is called pervasive intelligence. It’s a system that involves the use of internal network resources to help employees better access, assess, and implement data insights, increasing scale, and much more.
With pervasive intelligence, organizations use networks as a medium to facilitate human connections to allow for better business outcomes. It’s also a method in which teams can intelligently apply AI to assist with the shift of people’s roles to focus on other areas of the business that need empathy and understanding.
Story by Alice Dawn