strategy

42 posts

The Customer Edge Drives the Need for NaaS

Network as a Service (NaaS) enables a flexible and responsive strategy to enable the edge, in all its forms. When organizations view their assets and resources, they all involve what communications services providers consider the edge. But from a client perspective, the edge IS the company. Located at the edge are the organization’s sites, assets, people, applications, productivity needs, and security challenges. Inter-networking these enables the business’s commercial activities and determines the success of the […]

White clouds in a bright blue sky, illustrating a cloud-first strategy for business IT

A Cloud-First Strategy Gains Momentum

New survey data reveal that some of the initial concerns about cloud and on-premises data and app integration, and unifying the user experience, continue to be significant challenges. Yet IT governance and the maturing of managing technology have led to a surprising agreement between the data center jockeys and their business customers. A Harvard Business Review Analytic Services poll in the fall of 2015, about cloud implementation experiences, yielded 341 respondents from around the world […]

Laptop, tablet and smartphone side by side on a desk, illustrating IT trends shaping 2014 decisions

5 Trends That Will Shape IT Decisions In 2014

What’s the next big IT trend? Businesses want to know how they can leverage these trends, as well as how they can address any challenges. These trends, including the explosion of data, cloud computing and the multitude of personal devices on the corporate network, are fast changing the way organizations traditionally manage their business. The challenges and opportunities are more apparent than ever before, and look set to drive IT and business decisions in the […]

Man moving a chess piece on a chessboard, illustrating cloud computing strategies

Cloud Computing Strategies

The use of cloud computing is growing, and by 2016 this growth will increase to become the bulk of new IT spend, according to Gartner. 2016 will be a defining year for cloud as private cloud begins to give way to hybrid cloud, and nearly half of large enterprises will have hybrid cloud deployments by the end of 2017. “Overall, there are very real trends toward cloud platforms, and also toward massively scalable processing. Virtualization, […]

Business traveler with luggage watching a sunset at an airport window, illustrating cloud beyond IT

Cloud Computing Not Just About IT

The word ‘cloud’ has been literally hanging over executives’ heads for the past two years — in the form of massive banners hanging from the ceilings of almost every hub airport they travel through. To date, the focus of cloud has been on the delivery of IT-related capabilities from IT-related providers, largely for things that the IT department is responsible for managing. Cloud computing is expected to grow to 20% or more of the total […]

IP desk phone on an office desk, illustrating business VoIP services

Telecoms Buyers Dial Up VoIP Services

Forecasts from the global analyst firm Ovum reveal that OTT VoIP will cost the global telecoms industry $479bn in lost cumulative revenues by 2020, which represents 6.9% of cumulative total voice revenues. However, new research Future of Voice provides some reassurance to operators that are fearful of the demise of traditional telephony. It suggests that although revenues continue to fall, voice traffic is simply shifting rather than collapsing. Carefully targeted price increases are expected to […]

Hurricane seen from space, illustrating how cloud investments paid off after Hurricane Sandy

Cloud Investments Pay Off After Hurricane Sandy

Many design and construction companies affected by Hurricane Sandy harnessed the powers of technology to serve their clients and remain operational in the aftermath of the storm. Investments that paid off the best were virtualization tools and cloud-based private networks, say some firms. To communicate, most firms rerouted e-mail, sent out mass e-cards or used social media to alert clients and employees with key updates. Others went to much greater lengths and the difference showed. […]

The United States Capitol building at golden hour, illustrating the public sector falling behind on cloud adoption

Public Sector Behind the Cloud Curve

Cloud computing has become mainstream in 2012 for providing IT facilities, but the public sector is slower to move into the cloud than private companies. Cisco commissioned independent research amongst IT decision makers, in enterprises with more than 1,000 employees across a broad range of vertical sectors including government. The results clearly show that cloud has moved from hype to reality, with cloud now seen as a mainstream element of IT strategy. Cloud computing, which […]

Office desk with smartphone and financial charts, illustrating CFOs getting involved with IT through the cloud

Cloud Gives CFOs Chance To Get Involved With IT

Google research says financial bosses will take more active role in buying IT services Cloud computing will give chief financial officers (CFOs) the chance to become more influential on the technology side of a business, according to a new study. According to the research by Vanson Bourne on behalf of Google, half of the senior financial decision makers quizzed believe that as the adoption of cloud computing within enterprise continues to grow, CFOs will become […]

Man in suit sits at desk with head in hands, illustrating CIOs worried by cloud computing

CIOs Worried By The Cloud

CIOs are worried: cloud computing is being used as a way for businesses to dodge the IT department and get services delivered more quickly. But as well as giving the CIO sleepless nights, this attempt to side-step the IT department is causing additional cost and complexity along the way. I recently wrote about how cloud computing deployments are kicking off without the CIO’s knowledge, and only coming to light when sys admins put their expenses […]