What if the hybrid workplace remains?

Most companies have seen more change in the IT function in recent months than in the past few decades. The world in which we work and live together has changed permanently; the office has become a place to meet and work can also be done from home. It looks like the hybrid workplace will remain and that got us thinking …

Rethinking ‘the office’

If less work is done in the office, cost savings can be realized with regard to the physical office space. But what is still needed in the field of IT on this smaller amount of square meters? The conclusion may be that too much is currently being paid for a traditional IT infrastructure that is not suitable for new ways of collaboration.

Extra focus on cybersecurity

The number of Cloud applications is growing explosively and with it the number of endpoints of international networks. As a result, security is no longer a function that only takes place within the walls of your own IT infrastructure. Keeping company information safe is challenging as more and more devices are connected to the internet (IoT). Connected devices create more options for cyber criminals to access company information or personal data. Especially if these devices are not updated with the latest software patches. That is why many boardrooms pay extra attention to an integrated security approach. This means, among other things, to ensure optimal security of data during the journey over the internet and not just security at the final destination.

More attention to employee well-being

Satisfied employees are more productive. Those who agree with this idea will probably also agree that it even affects profitability. If the hybrid workplace remains, then focusing on user satisfaction is even more important. For example, do colleagues have lightning-fast access to all applications in the home workplace and are modern ways of collaboration available, to make an employer attractive to a younger generation? Colleagues who work from home, in the office or anywhere in the world will, during their work, increasingly depend on lightning-fast, secure and reliable connections.

Adoption of Network as a Service (NaaS)

COVID-19 accelerated the adoption of Network as a Service. 38% of IT leaders plan to invest in Cloud-based networks and 35% in AI-based networks as they look for flexible, automated infrastructures for hybrid work environments. This can be read in this article from Business Wire. If the hybrid workplace stays, more and more organizations will find that ‘doing everything yourself’ is probably not the best option.