ATSI Blog

Global real estate service firm Cushman & Wakefield updated their “Office of the Future” white paper, highlighting three new realities shaping hybrid workplace strategies.

“Since our publication of “Workplace Ecosystems of the Future” in early 2021, much of the world finds itself in a different place relative to the global pandemic,” says the authors of “Office of the Future Revisited”. “Variants continue to impact communities—certainly no one has declared victory. Still, in many locations, life looks and feels closer to life before 2020.”

Wide area networks or WANs may not be in the everyday vocabulary of non-IT folks, but it is hard to imagine life in today’s digital-first world without the benefit of evolving WAN technology.

“WANs have become an essential part of human communication and business relations,” according to CompTia.

Many companies have been integrating their operations with cloud services and cloud platforms, dramatically gaining advantages over cost and infrastructure that otherwise would have cost millions of dollars using traditional IT architecture. However, while the cloud has definitely become a standard resource applied for scalability, cost control, easier access to enterprise-style tools and easier communication, the use of the cloud can actually obscure business growth more if not planned correctly.

Business communications systems have come a long way from the days when your grandfather picked up his office extension and a live operator on the other end efficiently asked, “number, please.”

One thing, however, has not changed on the digital dizzying ride from “Ma Bell” to the Metaverse, and that is that your business communications system still needs a human touch.

If you are old enough the term “cloud computing” may conjure up images of somebody shouting “get your head out of the clouds” after catching a co-worker daydreaming at their desk.

The reality of 2022, however, is that a lot of our work is actually being done “in the cloud” and if your business doesn’t have its "head in the clouds", it might be drifting away from the competition.

The pace of digital transformation sparked by the COVID-19 pandemic shows no signs of slowing and if anything is accelerating as businesses struggle to remain relevant in trying times.

“Now more than ever, businesses around the world recognize the value of IT to their company’s strategy and operations. The pace of digital transformation continues to accelerate, making it even more challenging and complex for IT to operate and modernize at the same time,” writes Dell Digital CIO and Chief Digital Officer Jen Felch for Forbes.

Before the advent of the global coronavirus pandemic that’s causing COVID-19, it was customary for many organizations to allow some employees to work from home while others labored at the corporate office. 

For example, individuals might work from home temporarily because they are new parents or are taking care of an elderly relative at home. Or, they work in a distant location and never set foot in your headquarters.

Security through obscurity isn’t a good plan when it comes to protecting your business from cyber criminals. In fact, it’s a mistake to think your business is too small or obscure to attract the attention of criminal hackers. 

These hackers are looking for chinks in the armor of organizations of all types and sizes. Typically such criminals aim to hold data hostage in a ransomware attack. Or, they try to trick an employee into downloading malware that exposes sensitive information online.

Mother nature has always been an unpredictable force. In recent decades, however, the inclement weather -- from wildfires and flooding to hurricanes and tornados -- has played a significant role in the loss of productivity, data and other elements that are vital when it comes to keeping a business competitive. 

Whether you are just setting up a new company office space or you have a greater demand for upgrading your communication system, start with VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) business phone systems. A basic telephone system in-house connects various departments, offices and teams. This is designed for handling the influx of calls to your customer service teams and in-network.