One morning this past spring, people went to work, but without a commute. Many employees around the world woke up, opened their laptops, and started their workday. For some companies, transitioning into this way of working was relatively simple. They were already working on cloud-based systems, and employees had been issued laptops they took home. At others, their employees were scrambling to figure out remote logins, assuming they even had compatible hardware. All of them faced a new set of challenges around digital security and maintaining equipment remotely. Suddenly, digital transformation wasn’t something companies were planning for, it was something they were living in.
As the dust settled from the moment, companies who ensured their technical leaders were at the decision-making table found it made all the difference. The IT team has continued to be critical to success. Their voices were critically important in the room. They advised and guided CEOs on issues from security to procurement, all while playing an essential role in ushering in the new era of mainstream remote work.
Fortunately, we’re at a point in the evolution of technology where there are many tools to create and support a remote team. Cloud options are nearly endless, bandwidth is faster and more widespread than ever, and employees have been trained for years to be always on through a slate of apps, mobile-enhanced browsers, and more. For companies where IT has long been a trusted partner, many of these solutions were already implemented this past spring, keeping the transition to work from home relatively smooth. Of course, when change is accelerated to this degree, new questions and challenges inevitably arise.
How do you continue to keep sensitive data safe? Not just in documents, SSOs, and VPNs, but what happens when a vice president is speaking to their board about confidential information and their child is in the background attending virtual school? What happens to hardware that needs to be updated, or when laptops eventually break? Employees can no longer stop by IT’s desk and ask for help. So many problems that would have been a simple five key-stroke solution now take a half-hour call to walk an employee through resetting a password.
One of the strategies IT leaders use to provide support and guidance is to have a good backup. As the IT team proved its worth to the C-suite and boardroom during this chaotic moment, they were not without their own support systems. As novel challenges presented themselves, IT departments that had built relationships with strong partners like Dell Technologies were able to reach out and find appropriate solutions quickly and painlessly. Having a trusted partner to answer questions whenever you have them, who can also offer guidance on the latest developments in tech is a priceless asset.
The ability to offer guidance and address a broad spectrum of technology needs is one that comes from long term investment. Beyond its substantial financial investments in Research and Development, Dell Technologies has long listened to its customers to identify their needs and create solutions that tackle today’s real-world challenges. They’ve developed a strategy that enables clear communication across the entire range of technology stakeholders. Part of this includes facilitating conversations with industry leaders, helping to define what the future of IT will be. They’ll be joining forces with Ars Technica in January, along with a panel of experts, to explore the evolution of the data center. These types of communications and discussions play a crucial role in innovation, continually pushing the state of the art forward.
The global workforce has flattened, and remote work is here to stay. Digital transformation and sustainment mean not just having IT leadership in the room, but ensuring they’re actively speaking and a part of creating the vision of a company. Executives who try to insist that IT is a supporting role may find that their own knowledge of technology, given its ever-increasing complexity, is no longer sufficient. In the end, the greatest lesson of this era might just be a slightly modified old adage: surround yourself with people (and trusted partners) who are smarter than you, and then... listen. Click here to see how Dell Technologies, powered by Intel®, is meeting these challenges today.
*This story was produced by WIRED Brand Lab for Dell Technologies and Intel.*
