Corporate Network Enhancements for Today’s―and Tomorrow’s―Work Conditions

With team members working from home, CIOs and IT managers have been forced to make previously unimaginable changes to ensure business and process continuity. This “new normal” requires robust, scalable networks, flexible cloud-based applications and solutions, and new protocols to keep sensitive information secure. Though remote employees will eventually return to the office, forward-thinking companies will take lessons they’re forced to learn now, and apply them toward building their future workplace—and they’ll do it with these best practices.

Scale on demand: A company's technology solutions are only as good as the network they’re delivered over. Network capacity should scale up or down based on type and amount of traffic, while managers and employees need to be able to add applications and licenses on an as-needed basis. Tech leaders are currently examining their network architecture—usage, load, distribution of applications, number of VPN connections, etc.—and making changes to accommodate today’s distributed workforce.

Extend the security perimeter: Transitioning from a workplace-based security environment to one where employees sit beyond the firewall—and frequently on their own devices—requires adaptation. That means adopting a zero trust security posture while proactively monitoring threats on mobile devices, verifying security systems on cloud-based apps and providing security education, as well as an up-to-date acceptable use policy for employees.

Examine performance: Having insight into how the network is performing, via clear metrics around quality of service, percentage of bandwidth utilization and application performance, is essential for IT managers. A communications technology partner that understands the deepest workings of your network can help maintain optimal performance and reduce the operational burden on your IT teams to manage the network—so they can focus on ensuring the productivity of your organization.

The new normal: Now more than ever, the competitive advantages of remote work are emerging. CIOs should think about having five factors to help their employees be effective: a scalable network; cloud-ready applications; zero trust security with strong, secure mobile connectivity; end-to-end monitoring; and a resilient end-user support model. Build these best practices now, and you'll be set up to thrive in a post-Covid-19 workplace.