Digital Workspace

Key Priorities for Tech Leaders During A Time of Crisis

How CIOs are ensuring employees have flawless and safe remote-work experiences.

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Ryan has been a magazine and newspaper editor for 21 years, with the last 15 covering a variety of bases for CDW’s family of tech magazines. As Editor in Chief, he works on developing editorial strategy and is always on the lookout for new writing talent and sharing great stories with the IT world. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, biking and obsessively following Iowa Hawkeye sports and Cubs baseball.

If anything has become clear over the past few months, it’s this: Trying to predict the future is folly. Every organization is subject to unforeseen forces that threaten to derail its hard work and best intentions.

And while that fact may seem dark, I maintain it’s a call to action. We’ve argued for years that businesses must get their technology environments ready for the unknown, and now we’re seeing the value of that preparation. Today, IT leaders at the most resilient organizations are focusing on four key priorities to ensure their businesses stay as strong as possible during this period of uncertainty, so that when things begin to turn positive — and they will — they’ll be ready to capitalize.

First, they’re ensuring their colleagues have access to appropriate solutions for remote work, including videoconferencing technology and collaboration suites like Microsoft 365 and Google’s G Suite. Businesses such as Robin and the Michigan Farm Bureau are benefiting from these solutions right now.

Next, they’re working to build network capacity so that employees’ work-from-home experiences are as seamless as possible. Through updated policies and new solutions, technology leaders are striving to ensure that everyone can access network resources when they need to.

Businesses Renew Their Focus on Security

Third, they’re revising their security strategies to accommodate for the new work-from-home reality. Although workplaces will eventually reopen, most employers say that more of their staff will continue working remotely for the long term, and that has security implications. For example, employees may need to be made aware of policies regarding accessing company resources from public Wi-Fi networks and noncorporate devices.

Finally, IT leaders are communicating with each other through formal and informal networking groups. As busy as they are, leaders including Equifax CISO Jamil Farshchi are taking the time to share best practices and compare notes.

Better days are ahead. In the meantime, the most well-prepared businesses will be best positioned to thrive.

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