Set the style

Set the style

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  Vision Set thestyle Locations are variable. Work hours are flexible. Technologies are multiple. The corporate need for greater agility, profitability and productivity is fuelling a radical reinvention of when, where and how we work. Organisations maximise staff mobility, Connecting individuals and information across such a dynamic and diverse workplace is a massive challenge – with a raft of flexibility and productivity by using work- competing solutions. Ultrabooks, tablets, smartphones, portals, styles to define the provisioning of new social networks, wikis: the workplace is awash with new technologies and tools that promise to increase flexibility and technologies in a contemporary workplace efficiency. Pierre Hall, Director of Workplace and Software at Computacenter, commented: “The frontiers of today’s workplace are constantly changing. And it’s increasingly employees rather than the IT department that are leading the march into new territory.” According to a CIO Connect survey, two-thirds of CIOs believe that IT users are now one of the most powerful drivers of change in enterprises.1 With so many individual agents of change, businesses must ensure that the desire for a faster, smarter workplace doesn’t spiral out of control.
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  Vision Make IT work Maximising mobility, minimising risk To ensure the adoption of new workplace technologies improves Regardless of the added Olympics factor, greater mobility has rather than impedes productivity or agility, organisations need to already been recognised as the key to achieving a smarter and establish a flexible but standardised framework for ascertaining faster workplace, with more than 70 per cent of IT decision- and meeting employee needs. Enter the concept of work-styling. makers citing increased efficiency and workforce effectiveness as key business benefits.4 “Understanding how employees work is key to provisioning the right IT hardware and software as well as support services to Despite its ability to deliver a positive business outcome, mobility meet their needs – particularly as the choice of device becomes can also be a major challenge – with 41 per cent of IT decision- much broader, and users begin to dictate their own preferences,” makers placing it at the top of the risk ratings, higher than public comments Pierre. cloud computing.4 Although work-styles are often highly personal, it is possible to Duncan Gooding, Networking, Security and Visual Collaboration create a portfolio of common profiles within most organisations Director at Computacenter, commented: “As more applications – for example a field worker versus a home worker or an and data become mobile-enabled, the security risks will increase office worker. As well as matching software and hardware to - particularly around information loss. As a result, organisations users’ needs, work-styles also help organisations identify the need to be sure only relevant users are given mobile devices and appropriate level of IT support for different groups, such as ‘VIPs’. access.” The concept of work-styles has already filtered into Microsoft’s With a work-style framework already in place, businesses will licensing model, with Office 365 being packaged and sold not only be able to simplify the mobilisation of the workforce but according to the needs of the kiosk or information worker. also ensure the right security controls are applied based on what information and systems are being accessed. To characterise different work-styles, organisations will need to consider a range of factors, including: With 59 per cent of organisations now routinely making line • Job function of business applications accessible from mobile devices,4 IT • Information and application access requirements departments need to be ready to adapt existing security policies, • Internal and external interactions processes and tools for the contemporary workplace. • Value of transactions • Risk exposure “Rather than focusing on the end point, IT departments should • Work locations. consider how information is viewed, transmitted and stored. This will enable them to establish an integrated data security strategy “Given the rise in flexible and remote working practices, location that can be applied to not only current but also future workplace will prove a particularly influential factor for many organisations platforms,” comments Duncan. when defining work-styles,” says Pierre. Keeping consumerisation under control Almost 90 per cent of businesses say they want employees to be able to work from home when needed.2 This need is likely An organisation’s work-style strategy will also be influenced by the to peak during the summer of 2012 when millions of visitors growing use of personal devices on the corporate network – the descend on London for the Olympics. so-called ‘consumerisation of IT’. With 170 miles of road closures and commute times around the A survey by Vanson Bourne claims there will be a 249 per cent capital predicted to double or possibly treble,3 the ability to work increase in the use of personal devices in the UK workplace remotely will be beneficial for employee and employer alike. by the end of 2013.2 Yet it’s unclear whether this usage will be authorised or not. According to Redshift Research, 48 per cent of Andy Goddard, Computacenter’s Practice Leader for Workplace IT managers said their organisation would never authorise the use and Collaboration, comments: “London 2012 presents of employees’ own devices, yet 57 per cent believed workers businesses with both a challenge and an opportunity, and could were using devices without permission.1 become a catalyst for a shift towards greater remote and flexible “As with many emerging technologies, most businesses will working not only during but after the games.” probably start by taking a hybrid approach to consumerisation, with the network being opened up for certain users and devices,” comments Duncan. “Work-styles will help ensure this process remains controlled while also providing greater employee flexibility.” The governance of IT consumerisation will be fundamental; personal devices not only increase security risks but also the support overhead. As Gartner warns: “The diversity of mobile solutions and their pace of evolution put a major strain on IT resources to assess, manage, deploy and support. Mobility does not easily fit into the standard refresh cycle and corporate hardware/software image.”5
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  Vision A flexible virtualinfrastructure “IT departments must find a balance between user choice and To simplify the management of mobile devices in the workplace – corporate control,” comments Pierre. “By establishing different enterprise or employee owned – many organisations are starting to work-styles, businesses will be able to provide flexibility where it is turn to desktop virtualisation. needed without adding unnecessary cost or complexity to their IT operations.” According to IDC, almost a third of European oranisations have either begun a desktop virtualisaton pilot or have already Computacenter helps customers identify and implement not only implemented a full solution.6 work-styles but also wider workplace IT strategies. As Pierre explains: “Our consultants will determine the IT platforms and “With its centralised model and personalised client images, virtual policies needed to establish a flexible workplace infrastructure that desktop infrastructures (VDI) help mitigate issues around local leverages current investments.” data access and protection,” comments Pierre. “It also enables IT departments to package up applications more easily to align with Computacenter can also simplify the ongoing management and specific work-styles.” deployment of multiple client images through its Configuration Centre, which has the capacity to build 6,000 items a day, and VDI is also a major factor in enabling flexible working, as it means its Service Control Centre, which has packaged more than 1,000 employees can access their data and ‘desktop’ from any device or different applications for customers. location. Severn Trent Water deployed VDI to support its adoption of flexible working practices as part of an IT transformation project Technology will be fundamental to unlocking new ways of working. with Computacenter. But new doesn’t always mean better. Adopting a work-style approach will help organisations prioritise and optimise the Myron Hrycyk, Chief Information Officer at Severn Trent Water, utilisation of new technologies so they can achieve a faster and comments: “By embracing new technologies we can improve the smarter workplace without increasing risk, cost or complexity. quality of customer services and enhance the delivery of services to our customers, while supporting the company’s goal of ‘being info the best’.” Further Balancing choice with control The water company also deployed Microsoft Windows 7 as part Download Computacenter’s brochure, Creating a Workplace for a Contemporary of its new workplace technology landscape. “Windows 7 has World: www.computacenter.com/excluded/downloads/workplace/ been specifically designed to support more flexible work-styles,” comments Pierre. “As well as providing secure remote access Download the IDC Analyst Connection to discover how the workplace service revolution presents challenges and opportunities: options, it offers improved wireless networking and file-sharing www.computacenter.com/excluded/downloads/IDCWhitepaper/ across multiple devices.” Windows 7 also provides a foundation for businesses to adopt References: 1. www.computerweekly.com/news/2240114743/Mobile-devices-set-to- and fully exploit the latest online collaboration tools – from become-company-policy video-conferencing and team portals to IP telephony and instant 2. www.computerweekly.com/news/2240146402/UK-leading-in-personal-device- messaging. use-in-workplace 3. Clearing Olympic Hurdles, JBA Consulting and Citrix, 2011 4. State of Mobility Survey 2012, Symantec These tools are essential for enabling greater flexibility and mobility 5. Market Trends: Mobility Solutions in Vertical Markets, Gartner, October 2011 in the workplace, but, like any new technology, need to be 6. The Workplace Services Revolution Presents Challenges — and Opportunities, provisioned based on business need. IDC, January 2012