In the recent Computerworld article Defining the Digital Workspace of the Future, the author wrote about the emergence of the cloud office space and desktop environment, outlining the elements he believes every workplace will need. The following blog will discuss these essential components, many of which were accentuated this past year during the COVID-19 pandemic and ensuing need for rapid change and flexibility.
The recent Digital Workspace Consortium described the evolving digital work environment in 8 distinct segments.
- Virtual, cloud connected desktops that resemble laptops or tiny desktop PCs but are merely a front end device for a cloud-hosted desktop.
- Virtual applications to run on that cloud desktop, offering the required tools for remote and off-premises workers – as well as those still at the office.
- Secure endpoints that ensure integrity and protect not only the user but the entire organization from malicious cyberattacks, whether remote or onsite.
- Innovative collaboration tools to keep individual employees — whether working from home or in an office environment — connected and functioning as needed.
- Policy & management issues will guarantee an operating unit’s optimal function and consistent rules across the entire organization.
- Employee critical analytics – provided through monitoring and testing – which will ensure knowledge and skills stay up-to-date. These analytics will identify and address interpersonal problems across the organization.
- Print management, to improve security for all printed materials, as well as to ensure printers remain functional and online.
- Security, which is essentially a superset of secure endpoints, taking into account both electronic and physical security issues for onsite and remote environments.The author suggested a few more items to be added to the Consortium’s list, including site management, auto-provisioning of the workspace; consumption management; employee monitoring; and management efforts to bolster employee productivity and work/life balance. The article also identified virtual space management is needed to maintain the consistency, compliance and effectiveness of online collaboration spaces.
What Will This Digital Workplace Look Like?
With these components implemented in a digital workspace, the employee is likely to experience a consistent, remotely managed situation permitting each individual to do their job from any location necessary – while maintaining their work efforts as they move. The physical workspace would be dynamically provisioned; and when collaborating, the tools afforded to each employee would be consistent across the organization. All employees would have the support they need, regardless of where they are working.
COVID-19 forced organizations to make the move towards o truly digital workspace more quickly than originally expected, and there has been a significant acceptance of the remote workforce due to necessity. Although many organizations were moving towards an increasingly digital environment, the tools were not consistent across the organization, and different silos were given different treatment based upon skills, budget or rate of acceptance. We are now expecting the digital workspace to move forward not only rapidly, but cohesively and more democratically.
For more information on how your organization may take advantage of the digital workspace momentum, call Alliance IT. Our team of experts offers a deep bench of knowledge in cloud computing, managed services, communications technologies and network security. We also have the regulatory and compliance expertise you’ll need to keep it all above board. Interested in learning more? Contact us today for a consultation.
