BLOG

Updates from Cisco Live

4 days, 700 sessions and 18,000 delegates, Cisco Live 2020 marked the start of a new decade with some intriguing insight into the future of networks and the Internet.

Boiling this down into the clear themes and learnings is a considerable challenge given the breadth and depth of the subjects being addressed, however here are the ‘Top Five’ takeaways from us here at Timico.

 

The worlds of operational technology (OT) and information technology (IT) are more intertwined, this demands a new approach.

As long predicted IT and OT are essentially becoming two sides of the same coin, but at the same time the intelligence within the network is increasing and as a result for many organisations a unified approach is required, especially in the area of security.

In parallel with this compute, storage and apps are moving inexorably to cloud (or multicloud), creating massive challenges around capacity, connectivity, security, orchestration and governance.

Modern networks and the smart applications which they support, can be incredibly complex and largely virtualised. To deliver a compelling and secure experience involves co-ordinating an increasing number of moving and evolving parts.

 

To thrive in this environment, ‘BizDevOps’ need to coordinate and act as a single team with a single purpose and vision.

Tools to deliver, manage and secure this are maturing rapidly, augmented increasingly by AI and machine learning. Opex costs as a proportion of total IT spend is already rocketing.

Consolidation, automation and rationalisation across IT tooling is necessary; process and tool sprawl create security risks, killing agility.

Point solutions for specific security, monitoring and operational needs are increasingly unfit for purpose. As IoT matures, the network gets smarter and the number of devices and connections explodes, a holistic policy-driven approach becomes essential. Where multiple toolsets remain necessary then effective orchestration is a must.

 

For leading digitally enabled businesses, the app or customer portal is now quite literally becoming the brand; the focus now needs to be upon optimising the app experience for the user from a defined set of resources. Software releases are becoming a flow rather than an event and the underlying network and security infrastructure will need to adapt as this becomes the norm.

Your suppliers need to be attuned to this and deliver services backed by a level of control and visibility which spans the business. By utilising smart tooling and recommendation engines it is possible to both pre-empt customer facing issues and greatly reduce time-to-fix for incidents.

Addressing these issues is key to turning your IT operations into a true business enabler. Timico can provide specialist support and guidance around gearing your cloud, connectivity, security and voice infrastructure to enable you to delight your customer – reach out to us today to start your digital transformation!

Andrew Fawcett is Senior Product Manager for Connectivity and Security at Timico.

Timico

We deliver Connectivity, UC&C, Cloud & Hosting, Security and IT Managed Service Solutions to our customers, through Service Operations based in Newark, Winnersh, Telford and London.

Feb 14, 2020

More great content you might be interested in

Business Continuity Planning & Disaster Recovery, what’s the difference?

We’re often asked, what is the difference between disaster recovery and business continuity? Business continuity planning (BCP) is about building a strategy to ensure continuity of operations with minimal downtime during and after disaster strikes or you experience extended service disruption. Disaster recovery (DR) is about making sure you have back-up connectivity and the ability…
Read More

The 3 best applications that will digitally transform your working world right now

Apps are used worldwide, whether that’s to play games, monitor your bank account, pay for groceries, order a curry or simply to text a friend – we use them all the time! With the average smartphone owner using a minimum of 30 apps per month¹, apps have become accountable for 90% of the time we…
Read More

CX in the Financial Services Industry

Customer Experience (CX) is becoming a major differentiator when it comes to consumer buying patterns across all industries. Traditionally, financial services have been slow to adopt digital CX and have been product led in their strategies, but with the rise of the challenger bank, putting more pressure on the high street and Artificial Intelligence (AI)…
Read More

Book a free consultation for your business today

Find out where there is space for change in your business, and how you are performing against your competitors.

Book a free consultation