3 Trends That Are Changing the Role IT Plays for Your Business

Your IT is a central part of your organization’s operations, but its role has changed significantly as business processes have grown more streamlined. There are always shifts and changes in the way that businesses function which must be accounted for, especially in the modern office environment. How have these shifts affected your business’s IT management?

We’ll discuss three of the most important new trends that your organization likely has to deal with, especially if you want to ensure the continued security of your organization’s technology and data.

Increase in Mobility
The use of mobile devices is a major trend that is helping employees be more productive, but at the cost of network security. While solutions like the cloud are allowing employees to access data and applications on their mobile devices, this prompts them to bring the devices both into the office and on the road with them. This type of mobility could create a situation where your data is put at risk, even if it’s through no fault of the employee themselves.

To counter this notion, businesses have begun to implement Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies that reinforce proper security practices on mobile devices. This includes everything from mobile wiping of devices to whitelisting apps that are needed and blacklisting apps that are wasteful or dangerous. The idea is to educate your employees on proper security practices, and reinforcing these practices with technology solutions to shore up any notable weaknesses.

A Focus on Security
Security has always been important for businesses, but now it’s more so than just about anything else. The threat landscape has considerably changed over the past decade. While the most dangerous threat out there consisted of viruses or malware that could halt your operations or steal data, there are even greater threats out there that have increased the level of security required in order to preserve your business.

Advanced phishing attacks that impersonate higher-ups in your organization pose a greater threat than before. Furthermore, ransomware has become a major part of any would-be hacker’s toolkit, extorting funds from unfortunate victims to further their hacking campaigns. Only the best enterprise security tools and knowledge of these advanced threats can be enough to keep them at bay.

From Reactive to Proactive
In the past, businesses would focus on alleviating problems as they crop up. The belief was that they would save money by only administering maintenance when it was really necessary, rather than trying to spend money when it wasn’t. Unfortunately, this mindset leads to even more revenue spent on repairing systems due to one major factor: downtime. When an issue becomes a problem that keeps your employees from doing their jobs, it becomes quite costly.

Organizations that take advantage of break-fix technology maintenance are more likely to experience trouble in the long run compared to proactive managed services. By preventing issues from evolving into major problems, you are effectively saving money by keeping downtime to a minimum.

Preferred specializes in preventative solutions designed to help your organization save time and improve IT maintenance. To learn more, reach out to us at 708-781-7110.