Another frustrating update?
The practical joke goes that it is time for a coffee break when your laptop starts performing its regular update. Yet another security patch, or who knows what gets altered during the process.
Luckily, throughout the years, what used to take anywhere from 3 hours to 45 minutes, has been reduced to the typical 15-minute interruption. Some might argue that it is the perfect timeout for a leg stretcher.
I had a flashback of the 2000’s, when on January 22nd of 2021, my auto-update prompted for the third update of the year. I admit, for personal use I still own old school software.
That being said, equating that to a yearly basis in a professional setting, you easily end up with a full workday per user of updating software!!! Let alone, the costs related to that.
The good news is that in the year 2021, it doesn’t have to be that way. With a decent strategy that leverages the cloud, companies can make huge leaps in efficiency. And that’s not the only advantage. I often see these projects simultaneously tackle many other challenges in terms of security, collaboration, process optimization and bottom line: save a decent Euro.
So, what does that ideal workspace look like?
The perfect workspace allows users to benefit from updated software every time they open up their preferred internet browser. In case they forgot to close it down the previous day, a simple page refresh brings the new version alive.
Not having locally installed software, suddenly also allows you to be productive anytime, across devices, from any location. Regardless of the OS, a task can be started on the laptop or a Chrome device, continued on a tablet and finished on a smartphone. The device doesn’t even have to be your own.
And yes, that can be accomplished securely. The standards that are applied are amongst the best, not to say THE best, in the industry. With their credentials, complemented by two-factor authentication or a token, users can securely log in to their environment.
The full context is also taken into account when logging in. The location, the time of the day, the device, the network, all will help determine the granular access to the applications. A user abroad on a public device, will have a different access to his/her applications than when he/she is logged in on the company network with a company owned device. This approach is so secure that even cumbersome VPN connections are a memory from the past.
Lastly, a modern workspace allows a user to benefit from a far better collaboration. Attachments are not emailed but shared while retaining ownership, chatting and videoconferencing are the new normal and jointly collaborating on documents is intuitive and user friendly.
Don’t waste time, let’s share a coffee!
For all of us, the pandemic in 2020 has been an eye-opener to start redefining the way we work. Most companies have been stuck fighting the sudden video conferencing need, missing out on the bigger opportunity. I really think that 2021 should be the year to push the introspection one step further, and really reconsider the definition of a workspace. Moving to such an efficient and flexible environment is the best guarantee for business continuity in this ever rapidly evolving world.
So, if you are still waiting for an update or a patch to be installed, I welcome you to a non-obligatory coffee chat with me or one of my g-companions.
Let’s discuss your future workspace!
Kind regards,
Boris Du Bois
boris@gcompany.be
