| These days, businesses are more reliant than ever | | | | other back office systems. In the airline industry you |
| before on technology, to help improve communications | | | | don't just book your flight online but also choose your |
| and to maximise efficiency in the workplace. The | | | | seat, order your meal and even "check in". In less than |
| increased use of the internet, email and mobile | | | | 5 years, airline tickets have become redundant and |
| technology has revolutionised the way companies | | | | administrative processes have been radically |
| operate and made IT a critical factor in building and | | | | streamlined to maximise efficiency. |
| maintaining a successful company. Yet still even today | | | | This integration of the internet with other business |
| too many companies think of technology as a | | | | processes will only become a lot more important as |
| necessary evil rather than truly embracing all the | | | | web use increases. Clients will want to have full visibility |
| opportunities it can bring to make organisations more | | | | of every part of their interaction with your company. |
| efficient. | | | | Once again easy access to information and the |
| In the past companies may have been able to get | | | | sharing of knowledge will be the key. |
| away with paying lip service to IT but in the fast | | | | Of course with increased compliance legislation and |
| changing modern world this will no longer be possible. | | | | the need for Business Continuity Planning, technology |
| Now, with the convergence of voice and data and the | | | | can also provide a crucial back up in the event of an |
| much greater reliance of mobile communications, it is | | | | unforeseen disaster. With the proper storage of |
| crucial for all businesses to urgently develop a | | | | electronic data and the rerouting of voice and data |
| coordinated IT Strategy. | | | | over the internet, many companies can in effect be |
| Of course historically, companies tend to regard | | | | lifted from one location and taken to another with |
| telecoms and data networking as being from separate | | | | minimal disruption. In the recent flooding in 2007, |
| budgets, but because of converging networks and the | | | | Disaster Recovery became not just an intellectual |
| opportunities that VoIP can offer (Voice over Internet | | | | exercise but an unfortunate reality for hundreds of |
| Protocol), it is no longer possible to look at them in | | | | local businesses. |
| isolation. In fact given the increased importance of | | | | Technology therefore must be embraced by all of the |
| remote working and the need to make sure all staff | | | | decision makers in a company and their views |
| work as effectively as possible, these days | | | | properly coordinated to enjoy all the benefits it can |
| companies really have no choice. The simple truth is if | | | | offer. Don't think of IT simply as a cost but more as a |
| you don't embrace change now, your competitors will. | | | | real opportunity to drive efficiency into your business. |
| The changes in business working we have seen over | | | | Currently many organisations are still too reactive and |
| the last 10 years are very much only the beginning of | | | | fail to think strategically enough about how the world is |
| what will happen over the next decade. At every level, | | | | changing and how their business is changing with it. We |
| faster and more accessible communication will be key. | | | | are now ten years into the 21st century and the rate |
| It is anticipated that in only a few years time | | | | of change is only going to increase not slow down. |
| approximately 75% of all phone calls will be made over | | | | Maybe now you can see why getting a Strategic IT |
| an IP network. The converged network is here to stay | | | | Road Map for your business is not a "nice to have" but |
| and the only real choice is not if, but when you are | | | | in the modern day and age is simply a necessity. I |
| going to embrace it. With globalisation, the increased | | | | suggest you review your company's existing IT |
| use of home workers and the more flexible working | | | | Support and maybe consider Outsourcing your IT as a |
| environment; access to information needs to be | | | | cost saving exercise. There are many companies out |
| seamless and instant. | | | | there who offer a full Managed Service Provision who |
| Whilst the notion of the "paperless" office may not be | | | | could potentially improve your business efficiency |
| a reality in the true sense, the need for electronic | | | | enormously. These days your systems can be |
| document systems (EDM) that can allow staff to | | | | monitored 24x7, 365 days a year with a much more |
| access a wide range of documents wherever they | | | | proactive approach to IT management. |
| may be in the world will only increase in the future. In | | | | As a final example, think of the mobile phone you have |
| an ever more competitive world, customers will be | | | | today and compare it to the one you had 5 years ago. |
| drawn to businesses that make communication with | | | | The functionality of that device will have changed |
| them (including buying and selling) as easy as possible. | | | | enormously and emphasises again just how fast |
| Good technology used properly will reflect well on your | | | | technology is moving. And by the way if your current |
| business and can help motivate your staff by taking | | | | "phone" still doesn't allow you access to the internet |
| some of the drudgery out of their day to day tasks. | | | | and can't push your emails to you automatically, you |
| Increasingly websites that used to be used merely as | | | | are now already several years behind the game! |
| a "shop window" will now be more integrated with | | | | |