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Cloud Tech Trends 2023 & Beyond – A look at the Latest Trends and Developments in Cloud Technology
Cloud Computing, Cloud Migration, Digital Transformation, Hosted Virtual Desktops, IT Hosting, Managed Cloud Services, Technology, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Work From Home

Business leaders are making cloud migration a top priority. They realize there are many benefits to having at least part of the IT infrastructure on the cloud. Those who have already adopted cloud technology are busy working to bring the investments in technology to maturity so they can reap maximum benefits.

As we move into the middle of 2023, the advancements in cloud technology continue to transform the way we live, work, and interact with each other. Companies constantly innovate and improve their offerings with the growing demand for more efficient and secure cloud solutions.

Businesses are rethinking their computing approach and expanding beyond the traditional models of everything from security to how they route and access data. Even during this economic and market uncertainty period, business leaders realize they can’t afford to neglect technology to fortify their positions against disruptions or unforeseen events. They’re under immense pressure to drive business growth while, at the same time, doing more with less. Doing more with less is one of the great promises of digital transformation. Cloud technologies can enable companies to do more with less by providing access to powerful computing resources and services on demand. The excellent news for companies is that they can tap into a growing portfolio of capabilities without investing in and maintaining expensive hardware and infrastructure.

 

The global cloud computing market predictions call for a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 16.3% through 2026.

In a recent Gartner presentation [Watch Video], distinguished VP Analyst David Groombridge mentions how Cloud computing is nothing new. Still, increasingly businesses want to move the cloud conversation away from technology and focus more on business value by seeking cloud platforms specific to their industry vertical. An industry cloud platform provides services spanning software, medium, and infrastructure-as-a-service. Industry cloud platforms deliver composable modules of the industry-specific capability to deliver against defined vertical use cases.

Business technologists can rapidly use composable components to create differentiated value offerings in their verticals. These things increase innovation and agility and reduce time to market. Our earlier blog about digital transformation looked at how reconfiguring LEGO components to solve problems is like using digital technologies to build new solutions and systems. The design of LEGOs is modular. The individual pieces can be added, removed, and rearranged to create new structures. Similarly, digital technologies are modular. You integrate or replace various software components and services as needed.

 

An Industrial Metaverse

The Industrial Metaverse project, a collaboration between Siemens and NVIDIA, is a prime example of using digital tech to create something new. The Industrial Metaverse creates a virtual replica of the physical world, using advanced technologies such as AI, 5G, and high-performance computing. This virtual replica allows manufacturers to simulate and optimize entire factories and supply chains, from product design to production and logistics. Similar to building with LEGOs, the Industrial Metaverse project uses digital building blocks to create a virtual world. Innovators explore and optimize this virtual world to pave the way for more efficient and sustainable manufacturing processes. Clients can collaborate on significant engineering projects involving IoT, Digital Twins, and real-time analytics. 

 

 

Technology Can’t Do it Alone.

Delivering technology alone will not be enough. We must plan for the impact of that technology on our brand, our customers, and society as a whole. And that requires sustainable technology. Some organizations define sustainability as that which is good for the environment. Others consider sustainability is about taking care of the people inside the organization and outside. Still, others believe safeguarding the core of the business is the critical definition behind sustainability.

The resounding message at the Gartner IT Symposium was that sustainable technology offers a two-for-one win delivering both societal and financial benefits. Sustainable technology is ultimately about reducing material and energy use in IT services. To enable enterprise sustainability outcomes through technology such as emission management software and traceability, delivering digital solutions allowing clients to reach their sustainability objectives.

In a recent article in the Harvard Business Review by Aamer Baig, Jan Shelly Brown, William Forrest, Vinayak HV, Klemens Hjartar, and Lareina Yee, McKinsey’s technology practice leaders have offered some new year’s tech resolutions for executives in 2023. The leaders suggest that combinatorial trends will become essential to consider. Instead of betting on individual trends, they advise thinking about how different technologies can create new possibilities when used together. They call these technologies combinatorial trends. The article gives examples of these trends, such as electric cars and blood type-based treatments powered by applied AI, machine learning, cloud and edge computing, and immersive reality technologies. When used together, the impact of these technologies is not just additive but multiplicative.

The leaders expect some combinatorial approaches to start scaling in 2023, such as applying the process that led to mRNA vaccines to other diseases. The article also suggests that companies must prepare for tipping-point technologies such as 5G, AI, and cloud, which are hitting mass adoption. Boards need to prioritize the budget for upgrading IT foundations that enable speed, security, resiliency, and reusability, which require investments in automation, data foundations, cleaning up tech debt, and continually renewing the IT architecture. The article also highlights that tech leaders must master the art of doing more with less and free up engineers from admin, bureaucratic, and manual work to focus on development.

 

Older Technologies That Are Still New

Two technologies are trending in 2023 that have been around for a while. They have only recently started to gain traction and become widely adopted due to technological advancements, changing business needs, and the increasing demand for faster, more efficient, and cost-effective computing solutions.

 

Edge Computing

Edge computing dates back to the 1990s when the first content delivery network would make some content, like images and video clips, closer to the end users via geographically closer data collecting nodes. Technological advancements such as 5G networks, artificial intelligence, and the Internet of Things (IoT) have made edge computing more practical and accessible. Edge computing is gaining momentum in 2023. The technology involves processing data closer to where it is generated instead of transmitting it to a central data center or cloud for processing. By bringing computation and storage closer to the point of data generation, edge computing offers several benefits, including reduced latency, improved data security, and real-time decision-making capabilities.

Businesses can leverage edge computing in a variety of applications. In the manufacturing industry, for example, edge computing can collect data from sensors on the factory floor and analyze it in real-time, optimizing production processes and improving product quality. Similarly, in the retail sector, edge computing can power smart shelves that monitor inventory levels and track customer behavior, providing valuable insights that can help retailers improve sales and customer satisfaction. In the healthcare industry, edge computing can collect and analyze data from medical devices and wearables, allowing healthcare providers to monitor patient health in real time and provide more personalized care. Using edge computing can help organizations become more efficient, reduce costs, and provide better customer service.

The trend toward edge computing will revolutionize how businesses operate in the cloud. By leveraging the power of edge computing, organizations can benefit from improved performance, enhanced security, and real-time decision-making capabilities. As more businesses adopt edge computing in 2023 and beyond, it will become increasingly important for companies to keep up with the latest trends and innovations in cloud technology.

 

Serverless architecture 

A cloud computing model that allows developers to build and run applications without server management is called a Serverless Architecture. Although this technology has been around for years, this type of architecture is gaining popularity because of its numerous benefits for businesses, including reduced costs, increased scalability, improved agility, and faster time to market. Kubeless and Fission are open-source computer programs allowing you to run small code without worrying about the underlying infrastructure. They work with a tool called Kubernetes which makes it easy to manage large groups of computers.

Google App Engine, introduced in 2008, was the first tool that could let you write code without worrying about the computers it ran on. With App Engine, you could write code that runs when someone visits a website, and you could store data that your code uses. There were limits on how long the code could run and how long it could take to get data from the storage system. One of the key business benefits of serverless architecture is cost reduction. With serverless computing, businesses only pay for the exact amount of computing resources they use instead of maintaining and paying for a fixed server infrastructure, eliminating costly hardware investments, maintenance, and upgrades, resulting in significant cost savings over time.

Serverless architecture also offers increased scalability, as the infrastructure automatically scales up or down based on the workload, ensuring optimal performance at all times. Auto-scaling is significant for businesses that experience fluctuations in traffic and demand, as it eliminates the need to over-provision resources and allows the application to handle sudden spikes in traffic without downtime or performance issues. Another advantage of serverless architecture is improved agility. Developers can quickly deploy and update applications, no longer having to manage the underlying infrastructure. Being freed from existing infrastructure reduces the time and effort required to launch new features or make changes, allowing businesses to respond faster to changing market conditions and customer needs.

Finally, the serverless architecture enables faster time to market. Developers can focus on building and improving the application instead of worrying about the underlying infrastructure. Not having to worry about having the infrastructure to support development reduces the time and resources required to bring a product to market, allowing businesses to innovate and iterate quickly in response to customer feedback.

 

Companies Should Focus on Building Strong Cloud Foundations

The technology side of digital transformation is fundamentally changing how businesses approach cybersecurity, and moving to the cloud is an essential building block in this process. Companies need to focus on building strong cloud foundations to fully leverage the benefits of the cloud, such as scaling applications and automatically adding capacity to meet surges in demand. This foundation involves developing application patterns suitable for multiple use cases and implementing robust cloud economics capabilities, or FinOps.

FinOps capabilities enable companies to monitor and track cloud spending, determine the unit economics for different cloud usage scenarios, and optimize cloud offerings and pricing arrangements to meet the business’ consumption needs. However, many companies tend not to focus on cloud costs until they reach the $100 million mark (McKinsey Research), which is a waste and a missed opportunity to generate value.

The potential power you’ll gain through moving to the cloud will drive business innovation in the years ahead. By embracing the cloud as an initial core component of their digital transformation strategy, companies can achieve significant cost savings and operational efficiencies while enhancing their cybersecurity posture. But more importantly, having a solid cloud foundation is vital to unlocking access to new and emerging tech.

 

 

IN CONCLUSION

The technology trends emerging his year are awe-inspiring. The implications of how impactful they’ll be on shaping our work and our life are compelling. The biggest challenge to business leaders is what to make of these technological advancements and how they will create new possibilities when combined with the right strategy.

Every business is different. There are different needs and different goals. Maybe your main objective is to save costs. Perhaps it is to widen the profit margin or be ready to pivot the business model immediately. Insofar as technology priorities go, the usual suspects for IT leaders are optimization, increased scalability, and support for any pioneering efforts. And it all has to be achieved through responsible investments in technology. Be ready to invest in technology with an eye toward the company’s future development, not just addressing immediate challenges.

The Cloud, AI, and 5G are major C-change technological shifts because they are becoming prevalent. A McKinsey study shows that companies will have 60 percent of their environment in the cloud by 2025. Another survey reports that half the companies have adopted AI in at least one business area. CIOs and CTOs must prioritize spending to upgrade IT foundations for speed, security, and resiliency. Budgets may become tighter over the last few years. Organizations can no longer afford to have IT priorities shaped by individual business units. Tech spending will benefit from a more holistic approach involving top leadership.

 

 

 

 

 

Avoiding Common Pitfalls in Your Microsoft 365 Migration: Insights from IronOrbit Experts
Cloud Computing, Cloud Migration, Digital Transformation, Hosted Virtual Desktops, Managed Cloud Services, Technology

Migrating your organization’s Microsoft 365 environment can be a daunting task. Proper preparation and understanding make the process smoother. Whether moving from an on-premises environment to the cloud or from one cloud provider to another, consider your current situation, where you want to go, and how you want to get there.

Here are some key things to remember when migrating your Microsoft 365:

Plan Your Migration Strategy

Before you start the migration process, you must have a clear strategy. Your plan will include the following:

  • a timeline
  • a list of tasks and milestones
  • a schedule for testing
  • validating the migration

Your strategy should also consider potential risks like downtime, data loss, or compatibility issues. Working with a trusted provider with experience in Microsoft 365 migrations is essential to minimize these risks.

 

Understand Your Current Environment

Before starting the migration process, you must clearly understand your current environment. Understanding means the Microsoft 365 applications you’re using and any third-party integrations or customizations.

You should also identify any data that may need to be migrated, such as emails, documents, and contacts. This determination will help you determine the best migration approach and identify potential challenges.

 

Choose the Right Migration Approach

There are several approaches to migrating your Microsoft 365 environment, each with benefits and drawbacks. The most common strategies include the following:

  • Cutover migration: This involves migrating all your data and users at once. This approach works best for smaller organizations with basic IT environments.
    Staged migration involves migrating your data and users in stages. Ideal for larger organizations with more complex IT environments.
  • Hybrid migration: This involves running your on-premises and cloud environments in parallel. It is a good choice for organizations that want to maintain control over their IT environment.

Base your migration approach on your organization’s specific needs and goals.

Validate Your Migration

Before you go live with your migrated Microsoft 365 environment, check that everything works as expected. This evaluation includes testing your applications, integrations, and customizations, as well as ensuring that your data has been successfully migrated. You should also have the plan to address any issues that may arise during the validation process.

 

In Conclusion

Choosing the right provider for your Microsoft 365 migration will weigh heavily on the smoothness of the experience and the quality of the result. Finding the right provider is crucial. This decision will impact the smoothness of the experience and the quality of the result. We at IronOrbit offer experienced and comprehensive support for Microsoft 365 migration, ensuring you receive the guidance you need throughout the process and beyond.

When selecting a provider for your migration, there are factors to consider, such as pricing, service level agreements, and customer support. At IronOrbit, we understand the importance of these factors and strive to offer competitive pricing, top-notch service level agreements, and unparalleled customer support.

Don’t let the complexity of Microsoft 365 migration overwhelm you. With proper planning and support, you can ensure a seamless transition to the cloud. Choose the right migration approach, understand your current environment, validate your migration, and most importantly, choose the right provider – IronOrbit.

Contact us today to get started on your migration journey!

 

Exploring Different Types of Cloud Computing Environments & Their Benefits
Cloud Computing, Cloud Migration, Digital Transformation, Hosted Virtual Desktops, Managed Cloud Services, Technology, Uncategorized, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

You read about how cloud computing revolutionizes businesses’ operations everywhere you look. As overused as the expression might be, it happens to be true. Moving to the cloud does revolutionize how you do things. It also opens your business to more and more possibilities as your cloud strategy matures.

A January 6, 2023 Harvard Business Review (HBR) article, points out that: “Last year, many CEOs changed their outlook on cloud computing, essentially going from I’ll do it because that’ what my CIO recommends’ to ‘I want to be all in.’ Companies should focus on building out strong cloud foundations that allow them to take advantage of the most important benefits that cloud provides.” 

That’s why Gartner predicts public cloud spending to reach $600 billion this year. 

But is a public cloud environment the best way to go for your company?

What is cloud computing? It’s important to remember that not all cloud computing is created equal. In this article, we will explore the different types of cloud computing environments and their benefits to help businesses determine which one best suits their needs, but first, let’s review.

 

What is Cloud Computing?

Cloud computing delivers computing services, including servers, storage, databases, software, and other resources over the internet. Instead of owning and maintaining physical hardware and software, users can access these resources remotely through a network of servers.

One of the most significant advantages of the cloud is that it allows small businesses to leverage the latest computing technology at a much lower cost. Cloud computing enables users to access services on-demand, scale up or down as needed, and pay only for what they use without costly hardware and maintenance. Cloud computing has become an increasingly popular technology among businesses of all sizes thanks to its flexibility, scalability, and cost-effectiveness. However, not all cloud computing is created equal. There are different types of cloud environments. Exploring the different types of cloud computing and their benefits will help you determine which one is best suited to your business needs.

On-Demand Computing

The cloud is a collection of web-connected servers and software that can be accessed and used over the internet. This means that you don’t need to host or manage your own hardware and software. Furthermore, you can access these systems from anywhere with internet access. Cloud computing is all around us, from checking our Gmail inbox to watching our favorite shows on Netflix. The emails, video files, and other information we access are located on a server somewhere in the world. Still, we can access them quickly, easily, and inexpensively thanks to modern cloud computing technology.

 

Public, Private, and Hybrid Cloud

The type of cloud you should deploy for your business depends on several factors, such as the purpose of your cloud environment, regulations governing data storage and transmission, and other considerations. There are three primary deployment models for the cloud: public, private, and hybrid. All three models provide users with any time, anywhere access to files and applications that drive their businesses, but they do so in different ways.

Public Cloud

The public cloud is a service offered by third-party providers that use shared infrastructure to provide services such as storage, applications, and computing power. Public clouds are the most cost-effective and flexible option for businesses that require scalable solutions, as they are charged on a pay-per-use basis. Additionally, public clouds offer ease of use, as there is no need for maintenance or upkeep of the infrastructure, and updates are automatically applied.

Private Cloud

A private cloud is an infrastructure owned and operated by a single company or organization. Private clouds provide more control and security over data, as they are not shared with other users. Private clouds are often used by businesses that require a higher level of protection, such as financial institutions or government agencies.

Hybrid Cloud

Hybrid clouds allow businesses to store sensitive data in a private cloud while taking advantage of the cost-effectiveness and scalability of public clouds for less-sensitive data. A hybrid cloud combines elements of both public and private clouds, allowing businesses to take advantage of both benefits. This model is ideal for companies that require scalability and flexibility but also need to maintain high security and control over their data.

 

Which type of Cloud is Best for Your Company?

Now that we’ve explored different cloud infrastructures and their unique features, it’s crucial to determine which type of cloud is the best fit for your business. Each business has special needs and considerations, such as budget, security, compliance requirements, and resource constraints.

Take time to evaluate your business needs and choose the type of cloud infrastructure that best aligns with your mid and long-term goals and objectives. Whether you’re a small business or a large enterprise, selecting the correct type of cloud can save you many headaches and sleepless nights. The right cloud helps you streamline your operations, boost efficiency, and stay competitive in an ever-changing business landscape.

 

Small to Mid-Sized Businesses (SME)

A public cloud is typically the most suitable cloud computing environment for small to mid-sized businesses. Huge third-party cloud service providers operate public clouds and offer services to multiple organizations or individuals over the internet. It resembles an apartment building owner renting out rooms to individual tenants.

Public clouds are cost-effective, as they operate on a pay-as-you-go basis, with no upfront costs or long-term commitments. They are also scalable, meaning businesses can quickly expand their computing resources as their needs grow.

Public clouds also offer a range of services, including infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS), allowing businesses to choose. For example, with these three different types of service, a PaaS solution provides a platform for developers to build, test, and deploy applications without having to worry about underlying infrastructure.

Whereas IaaS provides users with virtualized computing resources such as virtual desktop, storage, and networking, allowing them to build and manage their software applications and systems.

SaaS delivers ready-to-use software apps over the internet. Users don’t have to install and maintain their apps. They just log on and begin working.

Limitations of Public Cloud Computing for Small to Mid-Sized Businesses

Public cloud providers usually have a wide range of security measures to protect against cyber-attacks, which is critical for businesses that must keep their data and systems secure.

Overall, a public cloud can be attractive for small to mid-sized businesses. At least at first glance. But once you look under the hood, there may be a few things to give you pause. For one thing, there is little room for you to control your environment. There is little wiggle room for customizing any aspect of the infrastructure to meet specific needs.

For another, if you expect a speedy resolution to problems, you’ll probably be disappointed. Support and troubleshooting problems can become disruptive if they take a long time to resolve. When submitting trouble tickets to public cloud providers, the response time and support quality vary widely, making it difficult to predict how quickly they can help you resolve issues.

A third and final consideration has to do with compliance. SMEs must often comply with strict regulatory standards, particularly if they work with government contracts. Meeting HIPAA or NIST requirements can be challenging in a public cloud environment.

 

Large & Enterprise Level Companies 

The most suitable cloud computing environment for large and enterprise-level companies is typically a private or hybrid cloud. Single organizations operate private clouds. These cloud service providers host on-premises or in a data center owned and operated by a third-party provider. In the case of IronOrbit, we own and control our data centers.

Private clouds offer greater control over computing resources, allowing organizations to customize their environment to meet their needs. Private cloud providers also can provide better cybersecurity and privacy layers, keeping data within the organization’s system. Hybrid clouds combine public and private cloud environments, allowing organizations to take advantage of the best of both worlds. For example, a private cloud can keep more sensitive data. The public cloud can be the place to store less sensitive data. Hybrid clouds provide the flexibility to scale up or down as needed and offer cost savings by utilizing public cloud resources for non-sensitive data.

Large and enterprise-level companies typically have complex computing needs that require significant resources and high levels of customization. Private and hybrid clouds offer the flexibility, control, and security to meet these needs. However, it is essential to note that private and hybrid clouds require significant infrastructure, expertise, and maintenance investments. Organizations must also have robust security measures to protect against cyber attacks.

Overall, private and hybrid clouds are the most suitable cloud computing environments for large and enterprise-level companies requiring high-level customization, control, and security. 

No matter what type of cloud infrastructure a business chooses, moving to the cloud presents an opportunity to reimagine how they do business and the value they bring to their customers. Cloud technology enables firms to be more agile, flexible, and responsive to changing market demands. By leveraging the scalability and flexibility of the cloud, businesses can streamline their operations, improve their customer service, and gain a competitive advantage.

With the cloud, businesses can access new technologies and tools that were once out of reach, such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and big data analytics. This can help businesses better understand their customers, identify trends, and make data-driven decisions. Ultimately, the cloud helps business leaders change their perspective. Some may even have a paradigm shift that dramatically impacts long-term vision and direction.

In a March 10, 2021 article for the Harvard Business Review, Bhaskar Ghosh and Karthik Narain present two clear examples of how moving to the cloud began a paradigm shift in business strategy.

They wrote that Japan’s largest pharmaceutical company, Takeda uses “edge” technology to help hemophiliacs monitor their enzymes at home. Edge
computing complements cloud computing by enabling data processing and analysis closer to the data source, dramatically reducing latency. This level of real-time mission-critical application would not be possible without cloud technology.

The article also introduces us to ENGIE, a French energy company that uses cloud technology to transform itself into a renewable and low-carbon energy provider across 70 countries. By creating a single, unified view of each customer using a PaaS tool, ENGIE can make customer insights accessible across all 24 business units. Here’s a case where a cloud computing platform enables ENGIE to quickly deliver tailor-made solutions for customers, such as its partnership with the University of Iowa to help the school become coal-free by 2025.

 

“Cloud is too important to a business’s fundamental competitiveness to be treated as an IT program. It’s about creating a platform for the efficiency, innovation, and growth that will determine the future success of your business.”
Bhaskar Ghosh and Karthik Narain,
What CEOs Need to Know About the Cloud in 2021

 

 

Conclusion

Understanding the different types of cloud and their benefits can help you determine which cloud deployment model is best suited for your business. Whether you choose public, private, or hybrid cloud, cloud computing can help your business reduce IT headaches, boost productivity, and enhance security, all while leveraging the latest computing technology at a lower cost because you’re not having to re-outfit your IT infrastructure.

But the bottom line is cloud computing, not matter which type of environment you start with, will make all the difference in the sustainability of your company. Companies should develop cloud-first strategies and look towards building cloud economic capabilities, called FinOps. The longer companies delay, the more opportunity they waste to generate value. As the HBR article mentions, “FinOps capabilities can monitor and track spend, determine the unit economics for various cloud usage scenarios, and translate the business’ consumption needs into optimal cloud offerings and pricing arrangements.”

Moving to the cloud is a gateway opportunity for businesses to continually build on technology and nurture the possibilities of creating new digital value propositions for their customers. Beyond the surface-level benefits of increases in scalability and agility, cloud computing provides free-flowing access to new technologies, tools, and resources that help companies innovate and differentiate themselves in their respective markets, which is essential for staying ahead and driving growth. In this way, cloud migration is a foundational step to digital transformation.

 

 

 

 

 

Navigating the Technology Landscape: A Primer for Success in Digital Transformation
Cloud Computing, Digital Transformation, IT Hosting, Managed Cloud Services, Technology, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure

Digital Transformation
Uses digital technology to fundamentally change how a business operates and delivers new value propositions to its customers. Digital transformation involves the integration of digital technologies into all areas of a business. The changes can be so significant that they are no less than a revolutionary to the business model.

A recent Gartner study indicates 89% of Board Directors say digital is part of all business growth strategies. 35% of them have already achieved, or are on track to achieve, digital transformation goals.

The long journey to becoming a digital company is a tricky business. Success depends on many factors, including reasonable objectives that are clear and measurable. There needs to be organization-wide involvement. Sufficient investment in building capabilities needs to be allocated to sustain the change and use the right technology. That technology fits where the company is now and aligns with intermediate and long-term goals.

What to Look for in the “Right” Technologies 
One of the critical factors in successful digital transformation is the use of the right technology. Your team has to use the new technology; therefore, it must be easy to use so employees can start using it quickly and see the benefits. Choosing the right technology to support a digital transformation strategy can make all the difference between your workforce adopting it or not.

Organization-wide engagement and discussion are vital in understanding the business’s specific needs and what challenges will be solved by the new technology. Ask yourself, what are the specific goals that need to be achieved? Once these questions have been answered, only then will it be possible to start looking at the available technologies and identify the best fit to meet the specific needs of your operation. Therefore, it’s essential to involve everyone in the discussion. C-level executives must talk with the IT department, and IT should be familiar with the challenges and goals of other aspects of the business.

Scalability is another essential quality to consider. As your business grows and evolves, your technology must grow and evolve with it. Choose technologies that are easily scalable and adaptable to the changing needs of your business. Finally, when choosing the “right” technology, be sure it’s secure and reliable. Businesses rely on its technology to operate. Security and reliability must be part of the design.

The Cloud as a Building Block to Transformation 
As businesses evolve in the digital age, many realize the importance of moving to the cloud as a foundational building block to digital transformation. Cloud technology is becoming increasingly essential for companies that want to stay competitive and adapt to the changing business landscape.

One of the key benefits of moving to the cloud is its flexibility. By utilizing cloud-based solutions, companies can quickly and easily scale their operations to meet changing business needs. Scalability is particularly valuable in today’s fast-paced business environment, where companies must respond to unexpected changes and opportunities.

Another significant benefit of cloud technology is the ability to access data anywhere on demand. Remote access allows for more efficient collaboration and decision-making, which is crucial for any business looking to stay ahead in the digital age. With cloud-based solutions, companies can share information with stakeholders without worrying about information infiltration.

As data breaches continue to be a significant concern, companies must ensure that they have the proper security measures to protect sensitive information. By moving to the cloud, companies can take advantage of the latest security technologies and best practices to keep their data safe and secure. In addition, the cloud enables companies to implement advanced and secure system infrastructures.

Cloud Computing is Foundational  
Moving to the cloud is a foundational transition for businesses to undertake. 2023 marks a time when companies have already migrated to some type of cloud (public, private, or hybrid) or are about to start the process.

Cloud computing forms two core components of a company’s transformational journey. 

The Operational Backbone 
First, cloud computing configures processes to support stable operations and helps prepare the infrastructure for further digitalization. Doing what you’ve always done, only better.

The Digital Platform 
Second, cloud computing configures processes and enables additional technologies to configure new digital value propositions. Doing things you’ve never been able to do before.

Cloud implementation is the enabler we need to reach digital goals and facilitate digital transformation. And it is easy to see why. Moving to the cloud creates the flexibility company needs to respond to the unexpected. Moving to the cloud is the first step. Businesses with a strategy will ultimately reach digital maturity and be able to reap the rewards that the digital transformation journey promises. Building a plan will help you navigate from where you start today to where you want the business to be at various points in the future.

2023: The Year of Cloud-Driven Technology

As we move deeper into 2023, it’s clear that moving to the cloud is a crucial transition for businesses. Cloud implementation is vital for reaching digital goals and facilitating digital transformation. It creates the flexibility needed to respond to unexpected changes and is the first step toward digital maturity.

Companies are increasing their competitiveness by embracing digital technologies such as cloud computing, AI, IoT, virtual and augmented reality, blockchain, and 5G. The Fourth Industrial Revolution, or Industry 4.0, has disrupted nearly every sector and aspect of our lives, forcing industries to change how they do business.

Retail 
Physical stores are shifting towards online shopping carts.

Healthcare 
Telehealth offers more efficient access to the best medical care available.

Manufacturing 
Industry 4.0 promises a smart warehouse where connected equipment tracks inventory and sends alerts when it’s time for maintenance.

Publishing 
Digital editions are increasingly the preference over more traditional forms of publishing, such as books, magazines, and newspapers.

Connectivity and being constantly on and available are essential for industries to stay relevant.

An important thing to remember about digital technologies is that they are interconnected. More and more, the boundaries between them are blurring. Cloud-based solutions for hybrid and remote working and automation combine in ways that enable them to enhance each other.

Digital transformation is no longer an option for businesses that want to remain relevant. Thanks to the pandemic, the world is digital, and there is no going back.

Many project investments in digital transformation to reach $2.3 trillion by 2023, and industries as diverse as manufacturing, agriculture, health, energy, and mobility will be a part of this transformation.

Even the best in-house IT departments are too busy to stay on top of the new ways technologies can help businesses grow and work more efficiently. But there are fundamental steps every company must take to be on a level playing field with their competitors. One is having at least part of their environment on the cloud. Another is identifying essential business objectives that could only be achieved through leveraging digital technology. There is a crucial difference between those companies that follow trends to jump on the bandwagon and those that envision how technology can help them achieve far-reaching business objectives.

Have a Vision 
Sometimes creativity and innovation kick in when our backs are against the wall. Best Buy is an excellent example of using technology to turn a crisis into an opportunity. For years, Best Buy has been confronted with visitors checking out products in their physical store and ordering them at a discount through Amazon. It’s a practice called “showrooming,” It has been a thorn in the side of many retail companies, not just Best Buy. Target, Walmart, and Macy’s have all been struggling with “showrooming” to one degree or another.

By reconfiguring its supply chain and leveraging its retail footprint, Best Buy began offering order online and curbside pickup options to its customers. Best Buy started doing that over 12 years ago. When the pandemic hit, they quickly transformed each physical store into a hub for customer pickup.

Halfway through 2020, Best Buy made the most of the situation to experiment with different value propositions, including opening new stores for one-on-one in-store consultation. The company knows that its customers still crave a shopping experience. They like the convenience of going into a store, looking around, checking out products, and being able to ask questions about it. They’re trying different things based on this assumption, which seems to be working for them.

Best Buy just opened a couple of experimental concept stores. One is a small foot boutique in North Carolina. The store is a showroom where customers use their phones to scan what they want, and an employee brings the item out for purchase. The other “experiment” is a larger “virtual store” inside an existing warehouse. Customers get the same excellent Best Buy service through live video product demonstrations.

The aim of digital business design is to make companies agile enough to create a steady stream of innovative and evolving portfolios of digitally born offerings. One benefit of becoming a digital company is the ability to experiment with different value propositions. Leadership can respond rapidly to changing technologies and consumer behavior.

Conclusion 
The digitization of nearly every sector is leading us into uncharted territory. With new technologies come new opportunities and challenges for businesses across all industries. To stay competitive in this rapidly changing landscape, companies must embrace digital transformation or risk being left behind.

Undergoing digital transformation is not easy; it requires a fundamental change to the way businesses operate on every level. But for companies that can successfully make the transition, the rewards are numerous and significant. From improving customer experiences to generating new revenue streams, there are many reasons why businesses should embark on the journey toward digital transformation.

When done correctly, digital transformation can majorly impact businesses by driving growth, improving efficiency, and creating competitive advantages. However, it’s important to remember that successful digital transformation requires careful planning and execution. There is no one-size-fits-all solution.

Digital business design aims to make companies agile enough to create a steady stream of innovative and evolving portfolios of digitally born offerings. Embracing digital technologies and aligning them with business goals will be crucial for companies to stay competitive in the 21st century.

How Moving to the Cloud Provides a Gateway Opportunity to Growth
Cloud Computing, Cloud Migration, Digital Transformation, Managed Cloud Services, Technology, Uncategorized, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Work From Home

Cloud computing allows for easy collaboration and the sharing of data and resources among team members, clients, and vendors. That’s why overall growth in cloud spending continues to be strong. But collaboration and sharing merely scratch the surface of what cloud computing offers. The cloud democratizes computing technology. Cloud computing helps organizations reduce IT headaches, boosts productivity and strengthens security. Small and mid-sized businesses can give enterprise companies a run for their money.

Moving all or part of your IT infrastructure to the cloud enables companies to benefit from new technologies in various ways. Here are examples of some of them:

Scalability: with cloud computing, companies can quickly scale their computing resources up or down as needed. Increased scalability allows you to quickly and easily take advantage of new technologies without investing in expensive hardware.

Flexibility: use cloud services to run applications and store, or process large amounts of data. Test and experiment with technologies and see how they work in your environment.

Cost-Effectiveness: cloud computing can be more cost-effective than traditional on-premises solutions because you’re not making significant upfront investments in hardware. Pay for only the resources you need.

Speed: set up, configure and start using new workstations in minutes. Speed helps companies prototype new ideas, test new technologies, and get the latest products and services to market more quickly.

Access to Leading-Edge Technologies: many cloud providers offer access to cutting-edge technologies, such as AI, machine learning, and big data analytics, as part of their services. Companies can test out technologies without building and maintaining the infrastructure themselves.

Data Security and Compliance: Companies can leverage IronOrbit’s security and compliance features to keep data secure and comply with regulations.

Company-maintained data centers require personnel and hardware. They’re expensive to set up, operate, and maintain. IronOrbit helps you reduce your physical IT footprint and eliminates the tedious, intensive work of managing servers and data centers. Moving to the cloud eliminates costly IT infrastructure. Less infrastructure means your IT staff is not spending time patching servers, updating software, or doing tedious maintenance. Instead, they can work more strategically with stakeholders on high-value business objectives.

IronOrbit’s pay-as-you-go model provides tremendous agility to your business. You can now deploy technology solutions that were once too expensive or complicated to handle. With IronOrbit, you can scale your environment based on your need without paying extra for what you don’t need. Since IronOrbit builds and maintains its environment, we can offer you a cloud solution that makes the most sense for your situation. The IronOrbit cloud provides the kind of control you’d expect from having on-premises servers. Only your environment is safer, more robust, and more resilient in our cloud environment.

For example, let’s say you operate an accounting firm. When tax season rolls around, traffic to your website surges dramatically. Suddenly, you need equipment that can handle the traffic increases. That means you’re paying extra for the power you’ll need for a fraction of the time. The resources to support the site automatically kick in to accommodate the surge if you’re on the cloud. Companies that are quick in adopting cloud computing will have the upper hand in innovation and scaling their business. Those companies that don’t move at least some of their resources to the cloud may have difficulty keeping up and staying competitive.

In Conclusion
Moving to the cloud provides companies of all sizes with a gateway opportunity for growth. Scalability, flexibility, and the speed of cloud computing mobilize companies to create new growth engines and business models. Cloud computing can also enable companies to improve their data security, comply with regulations, and collaborate more effectively with partners and customers. Accessing cutting-edge technologies and services gives companies a competitive edge in the market.

While there are some trade-offs and challenges to consider, the benefits of cloud computing greatly outweigh the costs and risks, providing a solid foundation for growth and success. So, companies should consider moving to the cloud as a part of their long-term growth strategy. Stay competitive and adapt to the ever-changing technology landscape. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation. Start your journey today.

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How Digital Technology Helps Deal with Climate Change
5G, AEC, Business Strategy, Cloud Computing, Cloud Migration, Desktop as a Service, Digital Transformation, Disaster Recovery, Future-Proofing, IT Services, Managed Cloud Services, Managed Server Hosting, Managed Services, Manufacturing, Scaling Up, Services, Services>Business, Technology, Travel, Virtual Desktop Infrastructure, Web Hosting, Work From Home

Digitization and climate change are both hot topics. The two subjects are also getting used together in the same sentence more frequently. For example, did you know digitization is good for reducing carbon emissions? According to the World Economic Forum, Digital technologies have the potential to reduce global emissions by 15%.

Since the pandemic lockdown, people have been working from home. The workforce has been slow in returning to the corporate office setting. An IFS survey conducted last year reports that almost three-quarters of respondents plan to increase spending on digital transformation. The climate control benefits include a reduction of CO2 emissions due to less commuting and travel to in-person meetings. Technologies like Microsoft Teams have made multi-site team meetings easy and readily available.

Cloud migration is the price of admission to competing in the digital world. 

Moving your IT environment to the cloud reduces the need for additional hardware, but more importantly, to your bottom line and the environment, cloud migration modernizes your operations. While being on the cloud, and using robust cloud-enabled services like IronOrbit’s INFINITY Workspaces, won’t make your business carbon neutral, it is a significant first step on that journey.

DEMATERIALIZATION
How You Can Reduce the Environmental Impact on Doing Business

Hardware casings, cords, adaptors, and other electrical products are called E-waste. E-waste is a growing problem. Significant environmental damage happens because nature cannot absorb these products. E-Waste is a significant contributor to the haphazard disposal of old electronics: they’re inert. All E-Waste products contain hazardous materials of one kind or another. The toxic materials are predominantly lead and mercury.

By switching to IronOrbit’s cloud, you can reduce the amount of hardware because you no longer need to invest in so many on-site computer stations. There’s no need to pay for its maintenance or replace machinery when it becomes obsolete. Instead, you only pay for the exact services you need. Over time, this saves you money. Cloud computing can help your company become sustainable while making it more profitable and productive.

Reducing Needless Travel Reduces Carbon Emissions

INFINITY Workspaces is our brand of DaaS, robust technology that enables employees to work remotely with ease. There are different INFINITY packages to fit specific use cases. Even designers and engineers can access the most demanding modern applications on their mobile devices. INFINITY Workspaces empowers Geographically dispersed teams to do their best work. The technology inspires productivity while eliminating the need for lengthy commutes. It also eliminates the carbon emissions associated with daily commutes.

Adopting a work-from-home environment or even a hybrid workplace is an excellent way to reduce your business’s carbon footprint. You could also save some money in the process.

Shared Data Centers Reduce Greenhouse Gases (GHGs)

On-premises servers and data centers use substantial amounts of energy both for running and cooling. The manufacturing, packaging, and shipping of the hardware and peripheral products also add to GHG emissions. Companies can reduce emissions considerably by moving to a cloud computing environment. Once a company moves to the cloud, they use shared data centers. Like the ones operated by IronOrbit, shared data centers run far more efficiently than individual facilities or on-premises servers. There is no longer a need for personal equipment.

A recent forecast by the International Data Corporation (IDC) reports that cloud computing will prevent the emission of more than one billion metric tons of CO2 between 2021 and 2024. Moving away from legacy software and hardware and towards cloud adoption is a logical next step for companies. Insofar as business continuity and investment in the future, cloud migration is a necessity.

Cloud computing and all the digital benefits of having your IT infrastructure on the cloud are valuable for IT departments. IT departments can work more closely with business leaders to develop new sustainability goals. It is favorable for companies, and of course, it contributes to a healthier environment.

Contact us for a no-obligation proof of concept. We’re here to help.

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The Smart Play of Smart Managed Services

At a recent design and manufacturing conference, a question came up. “Is the industry ready to make use of new technologies?” The answer came back, a resounding no. Most companies have skipped the step of digitizing their existing processes, so they’re not ready for new digital inputs. Perhaps an excellent intermediary step would be to reimagine business as usual by partnering with a managed service provider (MSP).

Shifting to a managed services environment is a critical step for many businesses. If you’re feeling overwhelmed with wondering about your next best business decision, then you’re not alone.

Many companies haven’t figured out how to change themselves enough to grapple with legacy challenges, let alone how to solve new, more complex puzzles like digitizing operations. By having an MSP like IronOrbit, companies can take their time becoming more comfortable with the idea of digitizing. When companies are ready to digitize, they won’t need to do major surgery on their IT infrastructure or data architecture before they begin. Instead, they’ll have a reliable partner who can focus on providing the right technology at the right time.

The Growing Skills Gap

In January 2021, a McKinsey study found that  87% of companies worldwide are aware of a skills gap. Gaps in IT departments will become increasingly conspicuous as emerging technologies continue to get a foothold. In the digital age, companies need to move fast. Ongoing IT education is prohibitive for many organizations. Even if the financial resources are available, the process is too slow. There is a genuine need for businesses to move faster than before. Whatever they can do to enable their operations to be more transformative and innovative with their use of technology, the better off they’ll be for whatever happens next.

As soon as an IT, enterprise resource planning (ERP), or e-commerce business solution is down; an organization instantly loses profits. Efficiency and expertise are necessary for getting these solutions back up and running. Bracing for the storm of increasing demand and decreasing labor power, business leaders may feel stuck when making their next move. If this is the case, managed services could be a solution. Here are the factors to consider.

Bridge the Skills Gap

A recent Prudential survey reports that businesses that focus on continuously expanding employee skills have a tremendous advantage over those companies that don’t. When critical business technology goes down, companies can’t wait for internal IT teams to figure it out. Having a managed services partner like IronOrbit can efficiently solve the issue; moreover, a predictive analysis might prevent such disruptions in the first place.

Your Perfect IT Partner: Five Things

When considering a managed services partner to fit your business, there are five key characteristics to consider:

  1. Cost Savings – With IronOrbit’s managed services expertise and ability to efficiently solve IT challenges, you’ll notice significant cost savings by filling the skills gap and preventing extended downtime, lag issues, and recurring IT problems.
  2. An Increase in Productivity & Efficiency – Supporting your business and employees is IronOrbit’s reason for being. IronOrbit’s Managed Services free your internal IT, so they can focus on other priorities and increase your business’s efficiency.
  3. Quick Response Times – IronOrbit’s support staff is available when you need them so you can increase efficiency. IOCentral’s self-help automation tools make it fast and easy to open support tickets and check status around the clock, three hundred and twenty-five days a year. IronOrbit guarantees a consistent and reliable communication line to address urgent issues efficiently. Access to IronOrbit Resources and Specialized Expertise. IronOrbit service providers are certified professionals who have the expertise your business needs.
  4. An Extension of Your IT Department – With IronOrbit’s Managed Services, you’re not just getting a solid and secure IT infrastructure; you’re getting a partner who can liaise between your IT department and your ERP and e-commerce providers for the most effective solutions. Your team will have more time to spend on furthering business-critical activities than solving IT problems.
  5. Finding What Works for Your Business – IronOrbit has the expertise and innovative technology to best support you and your team regardless of the business needs. IronOrbit’s Smart Managed Services enables you and your teams to step away from any IT needs to focus on critical strategies for sustainable business growth. You’ll have more bandwidth to experiment and figure things out. Plus, you’ll have a technology partner ready to provide options for any challenge that may appear on the horizon. Companies face innumerable disruptive threats and risks. IronOrbit’s Smart Managed Services ensure smooth sailing for your IT environment now and in the future. We’ll be there whenever you’re ready to do more of anything, including digitize operations.

 

Please call us now at 888-753-5060 for a free no-obligation consultation.

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BIM – Building Better through Seamless Collaboration

Seamless collaboration is the future for many industries. But it is indispensable for the future of the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction industry (AEC) sector. A recent McKinsey report found that 80% percent of average cost overruns come from change orders. Imagine how well the industry would perform if that statistic weren’t there. Years before the pandemic erupted, the AEC industry rapidly moved toward remote and hybrid work models. Competitive firms wanted to make it easy for the right talent to join their project teams.

According to the World Economic Forum, 98% of people surveyed want to work from home for the remainder of their careers. A Gartner survey found 82% of businesses plan to retain a remote work environment. Enabling remote work is only one part, albeit a foundational one, of an increasingly complex question. As more work goes on outside a corporate office environment, businesses will use cloud technologies to make applications and files available from anywhere on any device. The question is how to stay current and competitive with the rapid changes in the industry.

The AEC industry continues to undergo tectonic shifts away from labor-intensive methods to automation through digital technologies. The growth of digitalization paves the way for more rapid adoption of technologies such as Building Information Modeling.

The Promise of Building Information Modeling (BIM)

BIM is a computer-based tool used by architects, engineers, and builders to design residential housing to high office buildings. The time-saving and improved efficiency modeling potential is enormous where entire life cycles of buildings are manageable. Building owners can benefit from real-time monitoring of energy expenditure peaks and valleys, physical maintenance requirements, etc. Why not connect the smart features of the building into the BIM equation.

The power of BIM is growing as more and more cloud-connected technologies take collaboration and connectivity to whole new levels. Think about the integration of BIM so that cities can monitor civic resources like water and power consumption. Waste and recycling initiatives could become more efficient. But for all of that transformational power and potential to save money and build better and more efficiently, BIM is what Mitchell Hughes, author of the Future of BIM is Seamless Collaboration, calls a downstream tool. Hughes writes that architects, engineers, and building designers don’t want many upstream changes coming in from contractors.

Project team leads must make information and communication accessible across a well-managed, secure environment for architects and engineers to use what BIM offers fully. You want an easy-to-understand way for all project stakeholders, from the design captain to the contractor and building manager, to tap into the information they need. One way to do this is through the adoption of Desktop-as-a-Service (Daas).

DaaS is an evolution of the old Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI)

The difference, and what a significant difference, is that DaaS is cloud-based. The fact that a company’s IT infrastructure is in a cloud environment accomplishes many things, not the least of which is relieving the company of the burdens of daily administration, upgrades, patching, and troubleshooting that goes along with an on-premises VDI deployment. Let’s face it, an IT refresh and managing many desktops and mobile devices can eat up much time; and, therefore, money.

The custom fit of IronOrbit’s INFINITY Workspaces allows internal IT professionals the mental bandwidth and time they need to strategize with business leadership to develop initiatives that can have a direct and meaningful long-term impact on the company’s success. Not only improving efficiencies but also setting the stage for new digital innovation. Better Communication and Collaboration mean fewer change orders. Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) would enable handling the necessary changes quickly and easily. The entire industry would become faster and more efficient.

The technology professionals at IronOrbit are passionate about helping companies unlock the full potential of being on the cloud. We’re also passionate about seeing the promise of BIM fulfilled. IronOrbit’s INFINTY Workspaces is not just DaaS, but a gateway into a multilayered cloud ecosystem offering unprecedented value and benefit.

Learn more about IronOrbit’s INFINITY Workspaces; download your copy of the INFINITY brochure.

Why CrowdStrike is Essential for Security
Cloud Computing, Cybersecurity, Security, Technology
Why CrowdStrike is Essential for Security

Cyberthreats to your business are at an all-time high. They are, as President Biden states, “the defining threats of our time.” Is your company prepared to withstand such attacks? According to a recent Gartner article, business leaders need to do more to strengthen their cybersecurity.

 

“There are only two types of companies: Those that have been hacked and those that will be hacked.”

Robert S. Mueller, former Director of the FBI – 2012

 

“There are only two types of companies: Those that have been hacked and those who don’t know they have been hacked.”

accredited to John Chambers, CEO Cisco – 2019

 

Days before Russian tanks began rolling into Ukraine; a significant connectivity outage hit Viasat Inc. (VSAT). The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company is a leading provider of high-speed satellite broadband and secure networking for military and commercial customers worldwide. Viasat modems control thousands of wind European wind turbines. Suddenly, they went offline. The outage hobbled the Ukrainian military as generals began preparing for the Russian invasion. Reuters later reported the blackout to be sabotage.

Although most well-organized ransomware gangs are in Eastern European countries, state-sponsored hacking groups are from China and North Korea. They use sophisticated tools to embed malware deep inside the most extensive networks. In many cases, malicious code can go undetected for months, infecting millions of computers.

On January 15, 2022, members of one of the main ransomware gangs, Our Evil Group, were arrested in Russia. The Putin regime has recruited them to become a state-controlled group of hackers. About a month later, we began to see a resurgence of attacks. And that’s only the attacks we read about in the headlines. For every ransomware attack you hear about, there are three others that go unreported.

 

Hackers used a software supply chain attack to insert malicious code into the company’s Orion system. A supply chain attack works by targeting a third party with access to an organization’s systems rather than hacking the networks directly.
The Software Supply Chain Attack

SolarWinds is a company that supplies its software to over 14,000 companies. Russian military intelligence inserted a form of malware that served as a sophisticated backdoor to these companies. It’s a certainty that some of these backdoors have been successfully embedded without US companies knowing about it. Corporations probably can’t determine conclusively whether-or-not a backdoor has been installed.

In the case of the SolarWinds Corporation, one of their customers, a cybersecurity company called Fire Eye, discovered the malware by chance. They had received the software and, months later, somebody noticed a questionable anomaly. SolarWinds is not a unique situation. There are sure to be other corporations that have been infiltrated.

Escalation of Ransomware Attacks

Recently, the President sent warnings to the citizens and businesses across the country and urged everyone to take steps immediately. Key targets include private companies and any organizations that could apply pressure to the national economy and the government, including critical infrastructures.

When it comes to ransomware attacks, no sectors are off-limits. Hackers are going to go after everything that they can. Last year, we saw how no company, large or small, was immune to attack. For example, there were ransomware attacks on the following:

  • Small Family-Run Fishing Business 
  • Ferry company on Martha’s Vineyard
  • Casino Hacked through a Fish-Tank Thermometer
  • Large meatpacking company 
  • The Colonial Pipeline

 

Raleigh, NC United States- 05-12-2021: A red plastic bag covers an empty pump at a gas station in Raleigh, NC, after a devastating cyberattack on the Colonial Pipeline disrupts fuel supplies on the East Coast.

 

Nicole Perlroth assembles her decade of experience as the world’s leading journalist on cybersecurity and digital espionage in an in-depth history of cyberwarfare entitled THIS IS HOW THEY TELL ME THE WORLD ENDS. In it, she warns of the rising stakes for all of us.

The Colonial pipeline was devastated in May 2021 by cyber terrorists. Attackers distributed malware through email then demanded a ransom to restore services. The 5,500-mile pipeline transports 100 million barrels of gasoline and other fuel products per day to the eastern United States. According to a report from Reuters, gasoline futures spiked 3% and have remained above trend since that time.

Two months later, Jennifer Granholm, the Energy Secretary, said that bad actors gained the ability to shut down the U.S. power grid. Hackers embedding themselves in the nation’s electrical grid displayed tremendous sophistication that analysts hadn’t seen before. Whoever was behind the cyber-attacks on our country’s infrastructure was succeeding at an alarming rate. Who did the government call in to investigate? CrowdStrike. Why? Because CrowdStrike has been investigating high-profile cyberattacks since 2011. Investigators at CrowdStrike have even unspooled more recent attacks where the code dates back to 2010. So, CrowdStrike has been on the frontlines of cybersecurity since their beginnings.

What Can Be Done?

There are basic preventative steps that everyone must apply regularly. For example, don’t respond to SMS text messages from unknown origins. Don’t open links from emails of anonymous sources. Make that a personal policy and individuals will effectively eliminate most threats. Companies, on the other hand, are different. They need comprehensive and robust security protocols that are more sophisticated than the attacks.

Companies must realize that antiquated technologies like antivirus and firewalls are weak defenses against modern, sophisticated cyberattacks. Businesses must modernize their cybersecurity by using the new technologies mentioned by President Biden in his message to the nation. Businesses must use security measures like EDR and XDR to protect against modern ransomware groups.

EDR stands for Endpoint Detection and Response. It’s an integrated endpoint security measure that combines real-time continuous monitoring and collection of endpoint data with rules-based automated response and analysis capabilities. In the case of CrowdStrike’s EDR, the security technology combines a high degree of automation with machine learning to enable security teams to identify and respond to threats immediately. The next-generation endpoint protection leverages CrowdStrike’s state-of-the-art file and behavioral-based proprietary machine learning and Indicator-of-attack methodology. This is particularly effective at stopping new, polymorphic or obfuscated malware, which is often missed by legacy antivirus solutions.

An essential ingredient of “next-generation” is reducing overhead, friction, and cost in protecting your environment.

You don’t need a large staff to maintain the CrowdStrike environment. Everything is cloud-based, so there’s no equipment to maintain, manage or update. The Falcon sensor is unobtrusive, and updates are seamless, requiring no re-boots. The web-based management console provides an intuitive and informative view of your company’s complete environment.

XDR is Extended Detection and Response and is the evolution of having EDR as a pre-requisite technology. CrowdStrike’s Falcon XDR uses artificial intelligence to improve threat visibility by making sense of structured and unstructured data at lightning speeds. Falcon XDR rapidly and efficiently hunts and eliminates threats across multiple security domains. What separates Falcon XDR from all others is its ability to isolate and identify relevant telemetry from systems and applications across an organization’s entire IT security ecosystem. Falcon XDR delivers proactive, automated responses to threats across the security stack.

 

CrowdStrike® Falcon® Complete™ is a hands-off and worry-free managed detection and response (MDR) solution. The comprehensive security platform is unique. In addition to endpoint security, cloud workload, and identity protection, it provides the process and technology required to handle all aspects of onboarding and configuration to maintenance, monitoring, incident handling, and remediation.

CrowdStrike’s Falcon Complete protects an organization against someone clicking on a link they shouldn’t have. The technology sees the behavior, and as executable files begin unzipping, Falcon Complete begins monitoring for questionable activity. As soon as malicious activity, Falcon Complete isolates it.

Why CrowdStrike?

CrowdStrike has been leading the charge against cyberthreats since 2011 when it was founded. The security firm uses cloud-based software that collects threat data across all connected devices. Artificial intelligence analyzes the information and seamlessly updates all endpoints.

The fast-growing Austin, Texas-based company provides cybersecurity to 15 of the 20 largest banks and 77 Fortune 100 companies. Private sector clients are apprehensive about the escalation of cyberthreats against Americans amid Putin’s invasion of Ukraine. Severe ransomware attacks are likely to increase as sanctions on Russia become more effective.

CrowdStrike has a long history of working with the federal government state, and national oil and energy firms to investigate cyberattacks and shore up defenses. Much of their innovations in security came from listening and working with clients to help solve the most challenging cybersecurity problems. Years of forensic analysis, fine-tuning, and adjusting to meet threats as they emerge have made CrowdStrike the pioneer of cloud-delivered endpoint protection.

CrowdStrike Falcon has revolutionized endpoint security by being the first and only solution to unify next-generation antivirus, endpoint detection and response (EDR), and a 24/7 threat hunting service. Millions of sensors across 176 countries collect and analyze more than 30 billion endpoint events per day. All of them use some form of machine learning and automation. These powerful capabilities are possible through a unique combination of prevention technologies. They include indicators of Attack (IOA), exploit blocking, real-time visibility, and around-the-clock managed hunting to discover and track the stealthiest attackers before they do damage.

The country cannot defend against cyberattacks alone, nor can your organization. Companies need the vigilance of every employee and every contractor. Business leaders must “accelerate efforts to lock their digital doors.” Using CrowdStrike is an effective way to secure all entries to your company’s infrastructure.

IronOrbit knows the importance of having resilient cybersecurity. That is why we protect our virtual desktops, INFINITY Workspaces, with CrowdStrike’s highest level of AI-enabled security technology augmented by live monitoring by a team of CrowdStrike’s team of security experts. Imagine having multiple full-time expert incident responders conducting day-to-day monitoring of alerts.

CrowdStrike® Falcon® Complete™ is a 100 percent hands-off and worry-free managed detection and response (MDR) solution uniquely provides the people, process, and technology required to handle all aspects of endpoint, cloud workload, and identity security, from onboarding and configuration to maintenance.

 

Learn more about how to protect your company here. 

or Call us at (888) 753-5060.

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