With a New Year, comes new and exciting opportunities for you, and your organisation. The rapid rise of Crypto Currencies, Machine Learning, and Cloudification, is changing the landscape of the Channel Services Industry. Join Insentra experts Simon Altit (Director EMEA + Data Migration), Lee Forster (Cybersecurity and Data Management), Gary Cohen (Application Delivery + Mobility) and Thomas Ludbrook (Cloud and Collaboration), as they stare into the crystal ball and predict what is to come in 2018.
WHAT INNOVATION DO YOU THINK WE WILL SEE IN 2018?
Simon (Data Migration): Tenant to Tenant migration for Office 365 will enable simpler merges and acquisitions. Office 365 allows simpler migration by not only synchronising contacts and free/busy information but also, security, privacy, anti-spam and retention management settings so that workers can collaborate easily, even across multiple tenants. It is also possible to make these multiple tenants look like a singular domain which is particularly relevant in the event of a merger.
Lee (Cyber Security and Data Management): I think that significant innovation and evolution will come from a number of fronts including blockchain and cryptocurrencies. Both current and emerging security vendors and threat vectors, have evolved to automated machine learning or artificial intelligence attacks, forcing engineering teams to completely reskill and retool, it’s like the modernisation of an aging army, or being given tools or weapons from an alien race. The arsenal of weapons, tools, and approaches to cybercrime will significantly change, so too will those of the cybercriminals. In addition to this, as more and more organisations adopt new ways of doing business (blockchain) or companies that are born in the cloud, data and information silo’s will change and more importantly the pressures of legislation will bring innovative change to the way in which information is created, managed, stored, and shared.
Tom (Cloud and Collaboration): With the rise of the machines and mobilisation of the workforce, advances in; Intelligent Cloud, Artificial Intelligence and Modern Workplace are going to play a big part of 2018.
Gary (Application Delivery + Mobility): Adoption of Management and Analytics services to help enforce security, allow flexibility for where and how people choose to work and define which Cloud environments Applications, Desktops, and Data can reside in for best user experience and economics to meet an organisation’s needs.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES ORGANISATIONS ARE GOING TO FACE IN 2018?
Simon: Deciding which platform is right for your organisation to migrate to. Considering all the factors can be an extremely daunting task, so choosing the right platform is key, to a smooth and stress-free migration.
Lee: 2018 brings some challenging new legislations. Mandatory breach notification is going to make a lot of organisations nervous and as a direct result is going to bring the spotlight directly on to information governance and security. Organisations are going to face the challenge of truly understanding the information that is created and how it is used, shared, stored, and ultimately deleted. A culture shift will be required and in turn, create its own challenges. Business is built on trust, but for that trust to stand up it has to be foundational or from the ground up. Security is paramount, getting the security platform and posture right, nurtures trust. Understanding information will empower organisations to make informed decisions. Basing decisions on “trust” alone without any insight will leave organisations wide open.
Tom: Breaking through the technology “Buzzwords” is the first challenge for Cloud and Collaboration in 2018. As digital disruption continues to affect more and more industries, remaining relevant is something we all must be wary of. The perception that the Cloud is “insecure” is a reoccurring challenge for 2018. Choosing between the various cloud providers can be a daunting task, that for some organisations may inhibit innovation.
Gary: Prior to 2018 organisations believed their challenges in relation to Application, Desktop and Data delivery in the Cloud conversation boiled down to accepting compromises in Security or User Experience or Choice of Cloud. Whilst the environment has matured these are still tough considerations for a CIO/CISO to make for their organisation.
WHAT RECOMMENDATIONS WOULD YOU GIVE TO OVERCOME THESE CHALLENGES?
Simon: Perform an assessment of available solutions and how they marry up with the long-term business objectives of the organisation. Research and consultation, are the keys to understanding which solution is the right one for your organisation.
Lee: Firstly, discover, discover, discover. Use all tools available to reach out and understand every point of interaction with corporate information (on premises, cloud services, mobile devices, portable storage and the likes). Secondly undertake security cultural awareness education (what constitutes a breach, how does a breach happen, am I accountable for the information I create, handle, storage and share?), finally create and adopt a policy for the categorisation of information, allowing for e-discovery and compliance regulation readiness.
Tom: Firstly, the “Secure Cloud” providers have the access to millions of data points, machine learning, and AI. These providers can adapt and defend services in the cloud, giving them a great advantage over the competition. Partners need to invest the time to understand ‘why’ customers want to evolve their business. And if they don’t, ask why not? Moving to the cloud has many benefits, but make sure the right solution aligns with your business needs. By shifting the focus from the technology (or buzz words), to the business problem, partners can then more effectively marry up available solutions with the long-term business objectives of the organisation.
Gary: With Citrix, those challenges have been dissolved with an end to end solution. Insentra and our Partners can offer real solutions and give insight into Security, User Experience and Choice of Cloud. Citrix can offer multiple solutions bundled together, something that no other vendor can offer or deliver.
WHAT IS THE KEY FOCUS FOR INSENTRA FOR 2018 TO ADD VALUE TO PARTNERS AND CLIENTS?
Simon: Removing roadblocks to technology adoption, through education and collaboration with our partners. By doing this it ensures that the right technology, that aligns with organisational objectives is adopted.
Lee: The security team at Insentra have developed a Data Loss Prevention Adoption methodology that helps partners and customers begin or adapt their Security strategy whilst improving their DLP maturity. This process starts with a discovery session and then sets clear timelines and objectives in an agile manner to allow continuous risk reduction and improvement over time. Month by month we are able to show which risk areas in the adoption plan have been mitigated against and what the focus areas are for the next month. Avoiding or surviving an attack is one thing, it’s an organisations ability to learn and evolve that will set them apart from those that do not survive.
Tom: Ensure that our partners can deliver the innovative solutions that are RIGHT for their customers and not just pre-canned technology solutions. With Microsoft quoting approximately $10 of partner revenue for every $1 of Microsoft revenue, our goal is to help our partners find opportunities to tap into this return on investment.
Gary: Ensure that together with our partners we are delivering outcome-based solutions that are a fit for their clients.
WHAT ARE YOU EXCITED ABOUT FOR 2018?
Simon: Continuing to grow the business in the UK, is an exciting prospect for me in 2018.
Lee: Machine learning and artificial intelligence – As we face ever-increasing and evolving threats (Meltdown, Spectre, WannaCry etc.) it’s going to be exciting to see where the cybersecurity landscape is going to develop. Artificial Intelligence is going to explode, organisations need to adapt and adopt AI into their arsenal to turn the corner and get ahead of both legal and illegal adversaries. Australia is known for its adoption of bleeding edge or next-generation technology so the race between cybercrime, legislation, and the current and emerging security vendors is going to be an exciting arena to be in.
Blockchain and Crypto – as more and more organisations lean towards blockchain and cryptocurrencies we are looking at a whole new paradigm for Cybersecurity and the way in which information and financial information is shared, stored, and managed. Trust is going to be redefined on all fronts and it’s going to come down to Risk vs Reward.
Tom: Firstly, being on the Insentra Train. Sharing in the One Team, One Dream! Secondly, growing our C&C carriage by helping our partners win opportunities in new focus areas of our core Vendors.
Gary: Focus on being the SMEs for ensuring the best technology solutions can be adopted and deployed to provide the outcomes that help make a difference to our Partner’s customers.
