The business world was already at the brink of comprehensive digital transformation when the pandemic swept in and pushed everything into warp speed. For the bulk of two years, businesses scrambled to implement temporary solutions to facilitate remote access and communication between decentralized workforces.
Now, it’s time to make a more thoughtful, intentional shift to a workforce that will never again look the way it did before the pandemic.
Communication in the permanent digital landscape is about so much more than video conferences and QR codes. How can channel partners be part of the solution?
Integrated and automated
The scramble for temporary solutions that cropped up over the last two years left companies with many disparate, siloed solutions from a wide range of vendors. We’re entering an era of convergence where companies will be looking for vendors that can integrate multiple services for continuity and simpler management.
While integration is critical, automation is another leap forward. The emergence of hyperautomated platforms with varied, integrated capabilities and enterprise-wide reach mean businesses can achieve better results with more efficient resource allocation. This is particularly important given the global shortage of skilled workers, which has hit IT hard. IT teams are being asked to do more with fewer people, and automation is an essential part of the way forward.
For instance, vendors like Ivanti that deliver hyperautomation can even proactively self-heal devices, minimizing tickets for IT. Plus, they might offer risk-based patch prioritization and automated remediation to mitigate the need for IT to keep up with every vulnerability. Again, organizations are increasingly moving to vendors, like Ivanti, that can solve for multiple pain points enterprise-wide.
Secure access
The abrupt shift in where, how and when we work has created a significant challenge for companies hoping to balance employee access and productivity with enterprise security. What was once a question of perimeter-based BYOD vs. company-owned devices has exploded into a tangled web of remote access demands from around the globe.
Organizations are looking to facilitate seamless access that is still as secure as possible against threat actors. This challenge grows more important by the day in the face of threats that are rapidly increasing in both frequency and sophistication. The result is a demand for solutions with always-on monitoring, proactive risk intelligence and automated remediation that makes it easier for the right people to access data and business resources – and harder for the wrong people to do so.
Transparency, please
Does the lack of in-person communication within the digital business landscape warrant a lack of connection? Hardly. Instead, this new landscape demands that organizations and their partners get creative and intentional in their communication strategies. Open, transparent communication is critical – and it can’t be a one-and-done scenario.
Goals – and threats to those goals – are constantly evolving, so conversations need to evolve, too. Successful channel partners will be those who are proactive and persistent in their communication with customers, evaluating gaps and keeping tabs on current and upcoming needs. In this moment of strained budgets and limited resources juxtaposed with skyrocketing demands, Solution as a Service will continue to be highly prized. What problem set can you tackle on behalf of clients? You won’t know unless you’re in tune with what they’re facing.
Open communication, offloading problem sets, integrating and automating solutions, and facilitating secure access – these are just a few of the ways channel partners can support organizations and be invaluable in this new era.
About the author: Bert is a founder and Managing Partner of T4S Partners. As COO, Bert is responsible for emerging technologies and overseeing customer support and internal operations. Bert has a broad background across the Infrastructure, Application, and Data Technology domains. He comes to T4S with an extensive leadership background and more than 25 years of experience in the consulting and IT services industry. Prior to T4S Bert held leadership positions at CSC – Americas lead, Technology Consulting, National practice leader for “Applications and Data-Information Management” and EDS – Systems Engineer / Technical Analyst. During his career, Bert has served many notable Fortune 500 companies: BCBSA, Lockheed Martin, BP-Amoco, Newmont Mining, Verizon, JPMorgan Chase, Merrill Lynch, and many others. Bert holds a Bachelor of Science from Southern Methodist University, a Master’s of Science from the University of Texas at Dallas, and is a graduate of the eCornell University’s Executive Leadership Program.
Edited by
Erik Linask
