Around 10 years ago almost every business resource was tied to an office in some way. The desktop workstation, desk phone and paperwork were the mainstays of an enterprise with rows of pods, cubicles and work zones defining the office layout. The printers in the print room – the insufferably hot server room, the copier by the water cooler – businesses catered for every aspect. But then things started to change; networks became more robust, more capable – and much faster – data storage services began to appear in the Cloud – VoIP and SIP made their debut across many platforms – and devices became smaller as the transition to a digital service world became more widespread. Not only that – but the needs of the workforce changed, too – BYOD (bring your own device), laptops, tablets, smartphones, remote working – working from home… a whole new world.
The majority of this seismic shift in business operations has been driven by the widespread availability – and the affordability – of cloud services. Storage and software services (SaaS) and whole platforms and solutions for HR, ERP or CRM (PaaS/IaaS) have replaced the need for those cumbersome – and expensive – on-site server rooms and server farms. With more memory and capacity than ever before, smart devices and smartphones have given a workforce the freedom to be anywhere – and do any of the things they used to be tied down at the office with.
Today, the availability – and diversity – of Cloud services have expanded exponentially. Catering for web-, mobile-, app- and device-based systems, the Cloud provides a new global backbone for a mobile business enterprise workforce. Gone are the server rooms and legacy mainframes, the standard office layouts, the need to physically “be” where you are needed – anywhere in the connected world. A workforce can be dynamically created and managed from any place, at any time, serving a business enterprise from a central hub, ensuring everyone is connected – and kept in the loop.
If this doesn’t sound like your organization… maybe it’s time to speak to us about mobilizing your workforce and making the Cloud work for you?!