Organizations of all sizes need the latest and greatest in IT infrastructure implemented to keep their hybrid workforce productive and happy offers EMMANUEL ASIKA.

There’s no doubt that hybrid work has become the new norm, an irreversible way of working. This necessitates every business leader to not only establish a secure and interconnected flexible workplace but also provide the right tools to enhance employee collaboration, communication, productivity, and, most importantly, well-being. Many business leaders are turning to IT solutions to ensure their businesses and staff have the capabilities to thrive amid numerous challenges.

The Rise of the IT

Insecurity remains the main inhibition to hybrid and remote work. In light of this, traditional methods employed by IT departments to manage and maintain networked PCs and other devices for ensuring functionality and safeguarding against cyber threats are proving to be less adaptable and proactive than needed for the demands of hybrid work. What used to be considered reliable procedures for office device maintenance and issue reporting in the “old ways” are now relatively slow and lacking in proactivity. Conventional solutions like VPN networks are being overused and have consequently become less reliable and less stable.

Believe it or not, many a time, rudimentary chores such as acquiring the precise equipment is slow and difficult, with PC installations and placement naturally a lengthy and physical procedure, in addition to the planning needed to secure and mount newly installed PCs to the various locations they are used from.

Arbitrary workstations and processes pose an equally alarming security risk, leading to increased vulnerabilities amid growing daily concerns. Malicious actors exploit an organization’s weakened defenses outside their security networks, while the installation of reinforcements and software updates becomes progressively more challenging. Many organizations’ IT departments are ill-prepared to manage a dispersed workforce operating from various locations. Contemporary work models demand current technologies.

Flexibility is Key

What employees want are tools that allow them to work from their preferred locations while upholding seamless connectivity with their coworkers. Similarly, employees wish to have a say in selecting the devices that align with their work style and, naturally, cater to their job’s requisites and duties.

Organizations must embrace this flexible work approach. In the post-COVID-19 era, companies are expected to encounter a growing array of external factors beyond their control. Hence, an adaptable approach to operational work models, supported by a cloud-based, modern IT infrastructure, becomes imperative.

This means that a change to a safer, automated, up-to-date cloud-based IT systems is not voluntary but mandatory. According to research conducted by Forrester Consulting in 2020, about 86 per cent of businesses now have up-to-date IT management strategy in place.

In Nigeria, most businesses are adopting cloud services to modernize their operations, improve efficiency, and enhance customer experiences at a global scale. A report by the International Data Corporation (IDC) reveals that the adoption of cloud computing in the country has been increasing steadily, with spending on cloud expected to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 35.9 per cent from 2019 to 2024.

Think of having all your staff working quicker with bespoke, cloud-ready PCs that came with each worker’s applications, settings, cloud registration and enrollment included, something similar to equipping a brand-new smart phone with the latest apps. Rather than being reactive in trying to fix an employee’s system that can make him redundant for several days, an up-to-date management solution enables the IT unit to preemptively resolve possible problems without even knowing that such exist.   

With IT safety procedures becoming tougher to carry through as workplaces multiply, a long-lasting safety procedure established on zero-trust philosophy and a more vibrant, cloud-based design that guarantee appropriate and dependable patch management are now more critical than ever before, if we are to prevent staff exasperation and possibly costly data and monetary losses.

Future-proof tools and strategy

With comprehensive data from the world’s major telemetry catalogue of more than 26 million devices, HP gathers practical insights on how best to assist workers, no matter where they are and the way they work. This helps businesses eliminate speculations and conjectures when applying and bolstering the shift from conventional IT methods to unified, staff-driven, cloud-first infrastructures. We are talking of bespoke safe, dependable, instinctive computing experiences for hybrid or remote work that can develop with the technology needs of the future.  

Cloud-backed digital tools like the HP Proactive Insights help businesses collect performance and usage telemetry data from both applications and devices, as well as gauge staff opinion, thus assisting executives keep a tab on workers’ feelings without having to go from one office to another. This helps in guaranteeing a more efficient work atmosphere, greater staff interaction, and improved output.

In 2021, HP launched its latest insight-driven services for the Nigerian market to help IT teams in the country rise to the challenges that organisations are facing. Some of the services include the HP Active Care for proactive device support and maintenance; HP Proactive Insights for intelligent fleet monitoring; and HP Proactive Endpoint Management for multi-OS, endpoint management.

The coming years will be a phase of redefining and reshaping the landscape of work and life.

Our diverse IT departments will remain at the core of our organizations, enabling the flexibility and capabilities that employees and organizations need to thrive in the evolving landscape of hybrid work. 

• Asika is Head, HP Nigeria