With the threat landscape evolving rapidly, it is more important than ever for IT Managers to have confidence in their network security. As the first line of defense, your firewalls need real-time centralized management to properly enforce your security...
There have been few developments to match social media for bringing disruptive change to enterprise IT. Importantly, this is not just about marketing. Departments, divisions and entire sectors – from government to finance, healthcare to...
Imagine 4,500 students walking into your multi-campus university to enroll. Now, imagine all of them doing this online. It would be a much more manageable scenario – unless your infrastructure isn’t robust enough to take it on....
Are enterprises that are adopting Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) networks aware of the additional security measures they might require? This profile, by Forrester Consulting, examines the answer to that question...
As IT agility becomes more important, enterprises must work closely with business partners to deliver services faster than ever. But what options do you have for cloud services that can help you determine where you sit in transforming your operational model?...
The Internet broke down the brick-and-mortar boundaries of physical office spaces. Now, when you combine the wide reach of the global Internet with the security of an MPLS-based IP VPN and mobile access options, your office has officially evolved...
Hackers are nothing if not resourceful. First they wormed and Trojan-horsed their way into our PCs. And now security experts are telling us that they have set their sights on mobile devices. The proliferation of smartphones has now given rise to...
As you pursue security solutions for your mobile workforce needs, you will no doubt realize that there is no one-size-fits-all solution set in mobile security. Rather, it is a mix of meeting multiple, differing requirements amid many diverse...
To support international business operations, corporate IT needs a fast and reliable network connecting widely distributed sites. This profile examines why North American-based multinational corporations tend to turn to Multiprotocol Label Switching (MPLS) IP VPNs...
Today’s “office” is nothing like it once was. Instead of a fixed workspace with a phone and email as your only communications tools, you can now fully collaborate with customers, suppliers and colleagues from wherever you happen to be working using MPLS-based IP VPN networking....
Combining disparate hardware, software and network components into a secure, comprehensive, dynamic IT environment that keeps pace with your business changes has become an all-consuming job. AT&T Network Sourcing was created to help...
What are the advantages of deploying unified communications (UC) using a cloud service and considerations when seeking a service provider? This Q&A with Melanie Posey, an IDC research director...
The rise in global e-commerce has created a dynamic system that links supply and demand across continents. But more connection points and more points of entry introduce greater vulnerability to corporate networks. Most IT departments do not have...
Industry regulations require Ochsner to protect patient information. As healthcare professionals increasingly use personal communication devices in patient care, compliance with data security requirements required increased vigilance and new strategies. Ochsner needed an easy-to-manage way to secure health-system-related emails on these devices. ...
What does a textbook case for deploying a Virtual Private Network with Voice over IP look like? Take a rapidly growing global business with a mishmash of legacy network systems, add the need for business-critical collaborative communications, and you’ve got a snapshot of what Promethean, a global provider of advanced teaching and learning tools, was faced with not too long ago....
Today, everything’s going mobile at a dizzying pace – with cell phones, tablets, PDAs, laptops, Wi-Fi networks and virtual private networks (VPNs). Business on the move is business as usual. Here’s the latest forecast from IDC, which predicts that the world's mobile worker population will pass the one billion mark this year, to form more than a third of the world's workforce by 2013....
A growing number of information workers are regularly working outside of the office. Your business can’t afford to rely solely on “plain old” phone calls and emails — to stay ahead of its fast-moving competitors, your firm needs a better, more immediate way...
Like most companies in the construction industry, Hayward Lumber has been sharply affected by the economic downturn, especially the fall-off in new building activity. Hayward made the strategic decision to trim operations and expenses...
Business continuity planning is essential for all types of scenarios, ranging from flu pandemics to system failures caused by software upgrades. For the seventh straight year, AT&T has updated this comprehensive guide, designed to give you the information you need...
Changing customer needs and increasing volatility in business travel requirements made it increasingly important that CWT boost its operational flexibility. The company’s operating model, based on call centers staffed with full-time travel counselors, created a challenge...
Lawn Ranger needed to find a better way to track and manage its mobile work crews performing hundreds of tasks, particularly during winter months when workloads can be unpredictable....
We’re taught very early on in our business and professional lives that one of the best ways to cut costs is to go directly to the primary source. But what if there was a situation where it made sense to use a middle man? Such is the case when it comes to purchasing and using cloud services. According to the November 2012 commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of AT&T,...
The mobile game is changing. Users are no longer willing to settle for simple, passive applications. The new expectation is for apps to act as “systems of engagement” that provide users with access to the information and functionality necessary to solve problems and address immediate needs. The role that these systems of engagement perform is...
Today, when people discuss cloud, it’s mainly centered around the compute and storage aspects of cloud architecture. "The network" is typically mentioned and will play a key part as cloud evolves into the next phase of development. Which means, as businesses expand their cloud infrastructure, enterprise networking will play a larger role. You’ll...
Every day corporate networks are faced with increasingly complex threats to IT security. But there’s an entirely new approach that can help you minimize risks. It’s called “Orbital Security”—and it just might save your company’s data. Orbital Security allows you to create an IT security strategy based on the relationships your company has...
Mobile applications have captured the imagination of, well, everyone. They engage your customers, empower your employees and in theory, should make your business run more efficiently. Unfortunately, development teams are often...
Is being the first firm on the block to adopt emerging technologies such as mobility, unified communications and collaboration platforms or cloud-based services really all it takes to secure a competitive edge? Or are there other factors that need to be in place for organizations to reap the full benefits of their technology investments?...
Calling all my contact center professional friends: Have you ever developed a strategy for adding new services or updating technology just to have the request for funding stop at the CFO approval? Because of the limits to capital IT budgets,...
In a recent post, I discussed how Bring Your Own Service (or Software) is becoming an issue in many enterprise environments as organizations embrace the concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD). As with any transformative technology, it is still too early in the adoption cycle to have established industry-recognized best practices surrounding the security of BYOS. However, there are five key tasks that should be addressed before supporting...
Do you own or lease your home or car? Would you let a stranger sleep in your bed or drive your car as a way to earn extra income? How do you feel about paying to use things that other people own or that many have used? Perhaps asked another way, are you comfortable with not owning property or assets once deemed as a metric of personal success or status? These questions are equally philosophical and utilitarian. Increasingly, customers...
As businesses pull away from utilizing traditional centralized IT services, they are looking to strategic partners to help deliver new value to their customers. Enter the integrated service provider (ISP). While there are numerous providers across all...
The potential that lies in technology is in the mind and at the fingertips of individual genius. And every one of us has the potential to be that genius. For any company, agency, or organization that is looking for ways to better the end user experience, a good first step is to listen to the collective individual, whether it is your user base, your own employees, or your constituents...
Happy National Small Business Week to all my fellow entrepreneurs! This week, from June 17 – 21, the entire country recognizes and honors the contributions of small businesses. Fifty years ago, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation declaring the first National Small Business Week, and since then, the sitting President has continued the tradition each year....
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) has crossed the chasm from a bleeding edge to an early adopter technology. According to IDC, more than half the companies they recently surveyed already let employees use their own smart devices within the...
Mobile context aptly describes the myriad ways you can present information to your users on a mobile device. Now that more and more smartphone users prefer to browse on their mobile device over the PC, it is essential that you provide (at least)...
The rapid rise of cloud computing alternatives to traditional on-premise data centers has sparked a new round of debates regarding industry technology and software standards. Industry standards have always been a source of intense arguments among vendors and concern among users. And, the advent of the cloud creates another layer of complexity and an area of...
Our lives have become increasingly intertwined with our mobile devices. As the possibilities expand, our communication and collaboration experiences are broader and richer, both personally and professionally. Applications are being developed that can support our personal and professional personas on one mobile device. Amidst the everyday stream of phone calls,...
No matter what industry you're in, you can leverage Rich Site Summary (RSS) feeds to gain a competitive advantage. Whether it's simply by seeking out all of the best news sources within your field (both the big ones and the obscure) or keeping tabs...
Over the years, I have found that there are three opposing forces when it comes to the procurement of new technology investment. IT, the line of business, and the sourcing/supply chain. All organizations have a vested interest in these forces...
It is only my second full week of working exclusively on my tablet, and I have been steadily and consistently surprised by what applications have been the greatest assistance to me. One of the biggest surprises has been the VPN client. By using the VPN and the resources attached to it, I have skirted many thorny issues that I experienced working on the tablet. These include printing, Microsoft document retrieval and manipulation, and access...
If you are a frequent traveler, you probably have a tried-and-true routine. You know just the right amount of clothes to pack to limit baggage, squeezing the most you can in your carry-on so that the overhead bin can still shut, you wear clothes that...
As small businesses grow, many owners are quickly recognizing the need to implement broadband technology to accommodate the expansion and set the stage for even more growth. That’s the learning from a poll our agency just conducted for...
Mobile security has become a hyper-sensitive topic in many business conversations today. A CIO magazine article headline in January proclaiming “Mobile Attacks Top the List of 2013 Security Threats” echoes this sentiment and a report by...
Over the last several months, I’ve noticed an increase in symbols in the subject line of my personal email coming from several innovative businesses. Have you received an email with a special symbol in it such as a heart, star or happy face...
A thought-provoking article by David Lithicum that recently appeared in InfoWorld asked "What will 'cloud computing' mean in 10 years?" He wrote "In a decade, cloud computing will encompass pervasive services, public and private...
The explosion of the Internet and mobile devices has created an enormous shift in how employees and businesses operate. Access to the Internet is available almost everywhere, broadband at your home, wifi in coffee shops and airports and wireless access virtually anywhere. Coupled with a huge growth in laptop, smart phones and tablets, employees are more mobile than ever. And mobile devices are so much more capable now; the days of...
If you want to know the future of technology and its impact on society, study how younger generations interact with one another today. With the sting of a face palm, you’ll experience a sheer rush of humility as you realize that everything you thought you knew...