With Thanksgiving Day approaching fast, many of us are reflecting on everything we’re thankful to have in our lives. In addition to expressing gratitude for friends, family and loved ones, the Stratosphere Networks team is also grateful for a few key IT tools and solutions that have had a significant impact on the business world and help us guide our clients to new heights of productivity and efficiency.
From our point of view, here are five technologies to be thankful for this year:
1. The cloud.
This one is huge in terms of the way it’s revolutionized how so many organizations operate. The phenomenon of Everything as a Service (XaaS) means that you can get all kinds of IT solutions and products delivered in a cost-effective, easily scalable form via the cloud – from Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) to Platform as a Service (PaaS) to Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS).
Cloud solutions are generally easy to implement and flexible, offering access to on-the-go workers using mobile devices as well as remote employees, as long as they have a secure internet connection. At a time when digital transformation and delivering the best possible customer experience (CX) are becoming vital factors for businesses across all industries, cloud-based platforms that give team members the ability to complete their work and connect with customers and colleagues quickly from anywhere can play a significant role in an organization’s success.
2. Managed Detection and Response (MDR).
Cybersecurity has become an urgent matter for everyone as the data breach epidemic continues to cause damage to organizations of all types around the world. In October of this year alone, 107 data breaches exposed almost 2 million sensitive records and nearly 10 million non-sensitive records, according to the Identity Theft Resource Center.
Because cybercriminals release new variants of malware daily, traditional defenses like anti-virus software that rely on heuristics and known signatures to ID threats are no longer enough to protect your IT environment from invaders. MDR technology has emerged as a vital tool to proactively fend off constantly evolving malicious programs.
Network and endpoint MDR solutions continuously scan for suspicious behavior based on threat intel. They leverage cloud security, machine learning, threat intelligence and more to spot suspect activity. They’re also commonly backed by a team of high-level security analysts in a Security Operations Center (SOC) who can assist with incident response. MDR is a must for anyone who wants to properly safeguard their network and data against rapidly evolving threats.
3. Software-Defined WAN (SD-WAN).
As companies leverage an increasing number of cloud-based applications while also seeking greater operational efficiency, demand has grown for networking technology that goes beyond what traditional Wide Area Networks (WANs) have to offer. Businesses that want a higher-performing and secure multi-site solution have turned to SD-WAN.
SD-WAN applies Software-Defined Networking (SDN) for internal data centers to a WAN and establishes a virtual network overlay that serves as a common interface for various physical parts. This facilitates automation, centralized control of the network, and remote programming of edge appliances. Overall, software-defined networking comes with various advantages, including more flexibility and streamlined network administration, among many others.
4. Business Intelligence (BI).
There’s more data available to us these days than ever before, resulting from the Internet of Things (IoT) and other technological advancements. However, all of that information won’t get you anywhere if you don’t have access to tools that allow you to make sense of it. Business Intelligence solutions – which are tools and applications that collect and analyze data related to operations – can revolutionize how your organization functions.
BI solutions come with numerous advantages, including providing sales reps with valuable knowledge, facilitating faster, better-informed decisions, and offering insights into market trends, according to the Small Business Chronicle article “The Advantages of Business Intelligence.”
5. Fiber internet.
Speedy, reliable and secure internet is essential for any business in the digital age. For those seeking the most advanced connection available, fiber optic internet is currently the fastest kind of broadband you can implement, coming out ahead of traditional copper-based tech like DSL and cable. Additionally, it offers greater scalability and more bandwidth for new technologies like IoT devices.
Overall, each of these IT solutions can transform day-to-day operations and help your business stand out from the competition in the modern marketplace. If you’d like to learn more about any of the technologies mentioned in this blog, our team of trusted advisors and tech experts can answer any questions you might have and provide you with more information. Feel free to reach out to us at 877-599-3999 or sales@stratospherenetworks.com.
