Before COVID-19 radically changed how business is conducted and how workers work, the importance of “global connectivity” was often on par with other business processes and assets in the corporate suite.
No longer.
In the post-pandemic marketplace and workplace, connectivity has become a high-priority 24/7 asset, one that is ideally positioned at the intersection of seamless productivity, employee satisfaction, continued success, and uncompromised data security.
Among the many questions that CIOs and c-suite executives must address if they hope to overcome and resolve connectivity-related barriers and challenges to optimize global reach are:
- Is the enterprise capable of and committed to managing global connectivity for all of its users and customers, regardless of the distance involved or the regional/local availability (or lack thereof) of connectivity infrastructure?
- Which available connectivity options are ideally suited to support and maintain scalable, low-latency, high-security connectivity for each connected audience?
- How much will it cost to operate, maintain and update robust connectivity with the goal of reaching as many end users as seamlessly as possible?
- Should connectivity be handled in-house, or would the enterprise benefit by partnering with experienced vendors specializing in the technologies and skills necessary to maintain, monitor, update and fine-tune an always-on business/work internet?
Many factors feed into the growing demand for global connectivity
First, an increasing number of employees need both in-office and at-home access to internet connections because of their hybrid work situations. Their 24/7 connections must be available locally and across geographies, regions, and nations - whether workers are located in corporate offices in the same city or in remote locations on oil rigs or mining outposts.
Second, everyone who relies on connectivity - whether clients, employees, customers, partners, or suppliers - expects optimum speed, connectivity, and security.
Moreover, “connectivity” is defined and supported by varied capabilities and technology-service acronyms, all of which play different roles in storing, transmitting, and funneling data quickly and securely across a complicated physical and geo-political infrastructure: SaaS (software as a service), secure access service edge (SASE), edge computing, MPLS (multiprotocol label switching), cloud computing, VPN (virtual private network), LAN (local area network), WAN (wide area network), and software-defined WAN (SD-WAN.) How are enterprises going to figure out which approach or combination of technologies makes the most sense for the enterprise?
A third barrier, as important as the others, involves connectivity that must be negotiated, configured, implemented, monitored, and maintained at a reasonable cost.
C-suite technology experts and executives are encouraged to identify, address and resolve key questions around the importance —and complicated nature of - global connectivity.
Overcoming Barrier #1: Define what you need
If the internet were a highway system, it would resemble a gridlocked version of interconnected routes – some lanes moving faster than others, with drivers switching in and out of lanes, drivers in HOV lanes moving slightly faster, and others traveling in dedicated express lanes where drivers pay a toll to access clear routes.
CIOs and C-suite executives must examine the entirety of their need for global connectivity through a comprehensive assessment. This should include a number of users and locations, baseline expectations and acceptable standards for such factors as latency (how sluggish or fast the internet performs), and goals for speed and security.
The bottom line: does your enterprise prefer the high-speed road version of global connectivity, or will it settle for a sometimes-congested, occasionally overcrowded highway?
Overcoming Barrier #2: Determine the cost basis of global connectivity
Quite simply, what kinds of investments will be needed to achieve optimal global connectivity? Executive teams must explore all available options, including recurring costs and additional outlays associated with operation and maintenance.
Does the enterprise team have the expertise and knowledge to maintain connectivity in an ever-changing environment? Can it perform 24/7 maintenance and troubleshooting and continuous evaluation of emerging or outdated networks and providers? Can it serve users at the nearest and most distant ends of the connectivity spectrum equally? How easily can networks/providers be identified, configured, and reconfigured?
The key question then becomes: Is connectivity a business must-have that should be provided in-house … or outsourced? If the latter option is deemed wisest, apply the same due diligence to research, trial, evaluation, and selection of a connectivity partner or vendor.
Overcoming Barrier #3: Strategically deploy and maintain connectivity
Whether an internal team or external vendor takes the reins of connectivity, both the IT team and C-suite must remain involved in connectivity’s design, implementation, oversight, and maintenance. Connectivity is a big part of a changing business climate, geopolitical unrest, and global pandemics.
Strategies and vendor choices should emphasize minimal outages/slowdowns based on the enterprise’s needs, 24/7 dependability and security, and maximum coverage and cost savings.
Bottom line: Global connectivity is a fluid entity and critical corporate asset. Executives across the enterprise must remain malleable and dedicated to optimum connectivity performance and continuous change if they hope to deliver the speed, dependability, reach, and work-related tools that today’s employees, clients, partners, and customers expect.
