Cory Communications

The Challenge to Business Agility at the Organizational Level

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Business agility strategies often work great in small teams, but challenges arise with broader adoption.

Enterprises are under extreme pressure to develop initiatives related to business agility. They know that the demand for faster analysis of data, quicker time to market for new products, and the implementation of improved productivity measures are each representative of a bigger contest to edge out the competition.

An agile business can adapt and be flexible as new technology arises, making the most of opportunities but maintaining the ability to move on when a particular strategy isn’t working well. Here are some of the hurdles facing organizations that embrace business agility:

Low-hanging fruit is usually the priority. Enterprises often land on an initiative or two related to agility that can help them better harness data for analysis and quick decision-making, or they may implement a platform that allows any user to update an application for improving a business process, rather than waiting for IT to write code for a change.

These can feel like a symbolic victory in a first step toward embracing an agile business strategy, but because the enterprise is grabbing for the most obvious changes to make, it can get significantly more difficult when the team moves on to a more challenging business agility task.

There are many hurdles to agility. Not enough buy-in or management support, too few staff familiar with agile platforms, and perceived time and cost are all difficulties that enterprises face with taking an agility strategy to the broader organization. There’s often a general resistance to change or a pre-existing framework that is rigid and makes it difficult for enterprises to embrace agility.

There’s also a need for a business agility tool that will scale with the business as initiatives that are developed in a smaller team setting are expanded across the organization.

In many situations, a particular team is isolated from their normal roles in the company and tasked with an agility project. Taking this model and replicating it across the organization won’t allow for pulling a team away from their regular positions. The enterprise should create a broader strategy and keep agility at a core foundational level as they make organization-wide decisions.

Enterprises wanting to differentiate themselves and pull ahead of the competition need to embrace business agility on a foundational level. If it’s treated with a project-by-project approach, agility will always have a disjointed feel to it.

Need help clearing those business agility hurdles? Contact us at Cory Communications to talk further about the role that agility can play in your business strategy.

What Enterprises Give up When They Don’t Embrace Cloud Solutions

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There are practical drawbacks to not implementing cloud technology.

There’s a saying in tech circles that “cloud is the new black.” Sure, for many enterprises, it’s the basic, go-to, dependable solution to any problem that comes up. For all the enterprises that treat cloud like the new black, there are still plenty out there that are hanging on to legacy, on-site systems, making investments in on-site data servers and purchasing hardware.

When enterprises decline to implement cloud solutions, there are complex, multi-layered trade-offs, such as improved communication tools or improved efficiency that allows more time for innovation. What is often sacrificed for maintaining legacy systems isn’t abstract. Here are a few of the practical ways that a reluctance to adopt cloud technology affects the enterprise:

All that space is going to waste: An on-site data center for an enterprise may take up valuable space that could be used to house offices, or could be sold to free up money for other investments. While some enterprises argue that they need their data center to remain on site in order to prevent latency, modern network configurations can solve latency issues with a cloud provider to eliminate the problem. There’s really no monetary benefit to keeping data storage on site.

Data protection isn’t covering all the bases: If you aren’t utilizing a cloud provider for data storage, you might not be doing enough to protect your data. For instance, if there’s a natural disaster, like a flood, many enterprises find that their backups were stored in a place just as vulnerable as their office. With a cloud provider, your data is off-site, likely in a data center located far from your systems.

Your IT team spends a lot of time on upgrades and implementations: When you access cloud solutions, your IT team no longer has to handle upgrades. In fact, upgrades may be so seamless that your staff doesn’t even know they’re happening. There’s no downtime, and no interruption to work. Your IT team is freed up to focus on vision projects and optimizing the infrastructure.

Your analysis is stuck in the past: One of the innovations that comes with cloud technology is the ability to collect massive data and apply analytics for predictive models. Legacy systems, by contrast, are always looking in the past. Cloud solutions provide you with the insight to make better business decisions.

Your competitors are getting the edge: One of the risks you take when you don’t invest in cloud is that your competitors are using that opportunity to gain an edge. They’re utilizing cloud technology to improve the customer experience and deliver the latest features to their customers — and to yours.

To find out more about what you might be missing by not investing in cloud technology, contact us at Cory Communications. We can help you identify the practical ways that cloud solutions will lower your costs and improve efficiency in your organization.

Planning Disaster Recovery for Today’s Environment

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Improving disaster recovery efforts ensures data availability.

If you’re familiar with the 3-2-1 backup strategy, you probably know the answer to that question. It’s something that is part of Backend as a Service (BaaS) or Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) solutions. This strategy states that you always have 3 copies of the data that needs to be backed up, and 2 of the copies should be on independent devices in case 1 of the devices fails.

When you utilize cloud services, you’ll have a much easier time implementing the 3-2-1 strategy because you’re going to have your data on local storage and independently on a remote cloud storage system.

Relying on Connectivity

When the internet goes down, how do you access data that’s stored in the cloud? It’s for this reason that your data should also have a place in-house.

Even if your local network fails, it’s still possible to configure a network connection with your backup and target servers, which will allow your data to be restored. Local disks can also come into play – just make sure your disaster recovery protocol spells out exactly how you’re going to do it.

Another great aspect of having your data backed up locally is that you can get to it much faster, which means your downtime will be limited. For companies whose clients absolutely can’t have any downtime, this is a go-to disaster recovery solution.

It’s true that as trends go, having investments tied up in technological capital isn’t always everyone’s preference. The cloud offers so many perks that we’re becoming accustomed to leaving the updates and hardware upgrades up to the cloud vendor. However, the most robust disaster recovery strategies don’t shy away from local components in the strategy to protect and have access to data, and neither should your organization.

At Cory Communications, we don’t let our clients get bogged down in all the technology options they rely on for keeping business moving at the right pace. If you’ve got disaster recovery needs that aren’t being looked after, let us assist you. Contact us today and let’s talk about your options.

The Benefits of Unified Communications

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Unified communications allows enterprises to coordinate BYOD programs, giving employees their choice of device.

The reach of cloud technology is expanding as enterprises reap the benefits of initial investments and seek additional contexts where cloud solutions can be applied. One of the best choices for any enterprise wanting a quick return on investment and a big impact on both customer experience and internal process improvement is unified communications.

Unified communications puts all interactions within a single application. Whether it’s a video conference for a virtual team, an email interaction with a customer, or team members collaborating on a shared workspace, it’s all accessed through one solution. Unified communications includes:

  • Instant messaging
  • Present status of employees
  • Conferencing and teamwork applications
  • Mobile accessibility
  • Email, voice call, and text

The speed of business leaves no room for delays and puts a new level of pressure on businesses to remain connected to customers and to one another to remain competitive. The ability to have access to the right people, exchange data, and share information can make the difference in whether a company is able to keep pace with competitors.

Improve productivity: Unified communications speeds up real-time interactions between employees and customers and among teams. From anywhere in the field, team members are able to collaborate on a shared workspace, participate in video conferencing, and make decisions with up-to-date information.

Remove geography from consideration: With unified communications, you no longer need to include geography as a factor in hiring decisions. Video conferencing saves resources formerly invested in travel expenses, and teams are able to work together as if they are in the same room.

Add personalization to customer service: The first time a customer calls in with a billing error, you’ll resolve it. When it happens a second time, you’ll turn an exasperated customer into a satisfied one when you know exactly the problem they’re referring to, and solve it before they finish telling you what it is. The days of asking a customer to repeat order numbers or transferring them four times before they’re in the right department are over.

Allow employees to use the device they prefer: Unified communications gives enterprises an easy, shadow IT-free way to manage a bring your own device (BYOD) program. Managing a variety of devices and operating platforms is daunting unless you have a single management tool through unified communications.

Business communication needs to be high-quality, smooth and cost-effective to gain a competitive edge. Contact us at Cory Communications to learn about unified communications solutions and which option is the best match for your business needs.

Kick Off Digital Transformation With This Critical First Step

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Transitioning the call center to the cloud should be the priority of any digital transformation plan.

Every enterprise has different goals that push their digital transformation strategies. Improving efficiency by empowering the team, creating new business models, and advancing the customer experience are the three basic areas where enterprises focus their goals, but each is expressed in a variety of ways.

Improving the customer experience is emerging as the single most important factor in digital transformation. It is the key differentiator for enterprises hoping to outpace competitors. Younger generations, in particular, are less likely to be loyal to a brand over the long haul if they can see that another company offers a better experience.

This is the reason that an enterprise’s first priority for digital transformation should be moving the call center to the cloud. It’s no longer good enough to have a polite, friendly customer service representative answering the phone. These representatives must have access to enough information for the customer to believe that the customer service rep knows a little bit about them.

It used to be normal to call into a company about a problem with an order you received and be requested to repeat your order number several times as you are forwarded to one department after another in search of the right solution. Today’s customers know there’s the potential for companies to be smarter about handling their information, and they are aligning their loyalty with those companies.

This is why it makes sense to make moving the call center to the cloud the first goal of any digital transformation process. Doing so comes with a variety of key benefits:

  • Team members access the history of customer conversations through a single application, whether those conversations took place over email, text, or on a voice call. Customers will no longer need to repeat the entire history of their interactions with the company, and the customer service rep will seem to “know” the customer.
  • Customer service can not only resolve customer issues, but also take a proactive, predictive approach to serving customers. For instance, if a customer encounters an unauthorized line item on their invoice, a simple online chat would clear it up. The next time that invoice error occurs, the customer service rep will see the history and the customer will not have to explain the entire situation to get the necessary adjustment made.
  • Moving the call center to the cloud helps the company remain on the cutting edge of technology, as cloud providers make frequent updates to improve quality and features.

Need assistance in defining the priorities for your digital transformation plans? Contact us at Cory Communications, where we have access to the latest cloud call center technology to fit your needs.

Protecting Consumers and Enterprises in The Internet of Things Market

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The Internet of Things is spreading, but open standards will make it truly valuable to consumers and enterprises.

The reach of the Internet of Things (IoT) is growing. From healthcare to commodity monitoring, sensors on devices make it easier for companies to collect and analyze information about patients, inventory and a variety of business practices. Consumers are also embracing the convenience provided by IoT devices. Home security, utilities, and money management are all aided by devices that collect information for better decision-making.

There’s a major change that needs to happen in order for the IoT to be more valuable to both the consumer and the enterprise: the separation of the devices from the vendors that supply them.

Device management includes the authenticating, provisioning, maintaining, configuring, and monitoring of the software and firmware that comes with the device. The effectiveness of that management results in the level of utility the devices provide. In most cases, vendors of IoT devices offer comprehensive management of the systems with the solution.

What should concern consumers and enterprises alike is what happens when the vendor goes out of business, or when it’s determined that it’s time to purchase a new device. What’s needed is an open standards environment for the IoT. Today, these solutions are sold vertically integrated with the vendor providing the devices, network connectivity, the IoT gateway, and cloud access. While this setup is ideal for the vendor and can be marketed as a headache-free approach to IoT, it is not ideal for the enterprise or the consumer.

Another approach that is sometimes used is the device vendor ecosystem. While the device may not be tied to a specific vendor, it is tied to the maker of that device and their network of vendors. An enterprise or consumer may have the freedom to use that device within the network of vendors, but it would be impossible for them to match the device of one brand with the software application of another brand.

What’s required is a truly open-standards approach, where the device’s identity and firmware are designed with a standardized process and are completely independent of the software application layer. When an IoT device is purchased, the enterprise or consumer will have the ability to manage its software according to a standardized workflow. This would create an environment where the choice of device, vendor, and software are all within the control of the consumer or enterprise.

To learn more about the changing landscape of IoT technology, contact us at Cory Communications.

Planning a Successful Cloud Migration

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Moving software solutions to the cloud requires careful planning and focus for successful cloud migration.

Enterprise IT teams generally have cloud migration at the center of their strategies for digital transformation, but with specific objectives stretching to a year or more, disillusionment can settle in. What promised to be a move that would revolutionize business processes, provide a competitive edge, and slash costs often turns out to be a bit more complex and time-consuming than anticipated.

In addition, IT can be unrealistic in their expectations of what cloud migration will do for them. There’s still a need for IT, because network management, administration of application updates, and at least some aspects of security will still be necessary responsibilities. Some team members may be redirected from technology tasks to managing service level agreements with cloud providers.

Unexpected complexity: Undoubtedly, IT team members are also spending more time managing cloud migration than they originally anticipated. There are many considerations that should be included when making a move to the cloud that may help determine what level of involvement will be necessary. These include, but are not limited to:

  • Determining bandwidth needs and whether the current network infrastructure will support the traffic to and from the cloud
  • Identifying whether the application is “chatty” and will introduce latency issues
  • Billing concerns, including determining the exact amount of service, storage, etc., that your enterprise needs
  • Any additional management tools that will need to be purchased post-migration
  • Vendor lock-in risks
  • The management of service level agreements

Each of these areas is time-consuming and can shift the focus away from digital transformation and disruptive technology to the maintenance and analysis that can slow down a migration plan.

Choosing a migration approach: When it’s time to move business processes to the cloud, you have three broad options:

Lift and shift: This is the least complex approach, and involves taking the application and moving it “as is” from the enterprise data center to an off-site location, but with IT still handling management tools, operations, and processes.

Lift and Shift with Small Configuration Changes: This approach increases complexity by adding some cloud-native operations and configuration management to the shift to the cloud. It requires IT to learn new skills such as auto-scaling and getting familiar with Database as a Service.

Refactoring: In this approach, changes are made to the internal code for a switch into the cloud, but without any changes to the external, end-user experience. This approach delivers the lowest level of cloud support to the enterprise.

Of all the complexities that can be introduced in cloud migration, testing is the antidote to most of them. Running a clone cloud system alongside the legacy application helps tease out many of the problems that could derail an otherwise-successful transition to the cloud.

If you’re in the midst of complexity with your digital transformation, contact us at Cory Communications. We can offer guidance for your cloud migration and the various decision points along the way.

Why the IoT Is Driving Digital Transformation

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The IoT is pushing many enterprises to adopt cloud technology within an overall digital transformation strategy.

The Internet of Things (IoT) is creating a lot of buzz in the realm of home electronics, but consumers may be unaware of the impact of the IoT on the enterprise and the resulting digital transformation. Companies are experiencing the disruptive effects of connected devices that introduce new efficiencies and better data analysis.

The IoT refers to any device that contains a sensor and can transmit data. Fleets of IoT devices are changing the ways that enterprises gather information, monitor and adjust equipment, and predict how their business processes will fare on any given day. As data is collected, enterprises are faced with a strategic decision: what will they do with the data?

This is the question that is driving digital transformation, and it really comes down to these reasons:

Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) systems aren’t equipped for IoT: Legacy ERP systems generally have no way to accommodate the amount of data flowing in from connected devices. As a result, the data essentially goes to waste; the disruptive benefits that come from the data can help enterprises analyze and predict the information to create better business processes.

IoT creates new business models: The availability of low-cost sensor-equipped devices means that enterprises can consider new business models, such as a “power by the hour” or products that are sold as a service. Current ERP systems often can’t support these types of business models.

The cost of adding on new features an existing ERP can handle is often out of reach for the organization. It’s not as simple as tacking on a storage bin for masses of data; the system must be able to categorize, analyze, and utilize the data in a meaningful way for business process improvement.

Enterprises wanting to get started on harnessing the power of IoT can utilize a few steps:

Consider your underlying technology support. If you haven’t proceeded with a digital transformation strategy, then a good place to start is considering a cloud solution that can handle IoT.

Purchase an off-the-shelf solution. You may be tempted to invest in custom-designed solutions, but a commercial, off-the-shelf cloud solution will minimize risk.

Think incremental results. Identify areas where IoT creates the most benefit, and where you can clearly measure how the results impact your company’s costs, profits and business processes.

Cory Communications can help your company move forward in your digital transformation with the right cloud solution for the IoT. Contact us for more information about choosing a cloud provider to support your IoT plans.

Implementing the Right Security Measures for Your BYOD Program

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A BYOD program offers convenience, cost savings and other benefits, but requires a solid security strategy.

Many enterprises appreciate the benefits that come from a bring your own device (BYOD) program. It saves the organization from purchasing, maintaining, or updating smartphones and tablets, and it provides employees with the ability to use a device they already prefer and are trained to use.

It’s no surprise that a BYOD program makes those charged with securing the network a bit uneasy, but there are steps that can be put in place that protect both the enterprise and the users of the BYOD program:

Set up a clear BYOD policy. Determine the users you’ll allow, and which devices you’ll permit on the program. Set clear rules and communicate them to all users of BYOD devices. Utilize network access control (NAC) to determine which parts of the network each user is authorized to use.

It’s also important to use training to educate users about the password policy as well as the risks of BYOD programs, such as the loss of a device or an overly long auto-lock setting. This can come in the form of a training program and can be completed with a combination of webinars, user-driven applications, or in-person training classes. Often, employees become proactive advocates of security measures when they understand the important role they play in keeping company data and other assets safe.

Create reasonable boundaries. Enterprises generally do not want to grant access to every device type and to every kind of operating system. Invest in Mobile Device Management (MDM) to allow you to execute a security wipe on a device, or on part of a device. Some MDM tools also allow for a partition between company systems and, for instance, a user’s family photos. Adequate boundaries protect both the user and the security of the enterprise.

Create self-service portals. When an employee becomes a part of your BYOD program, you’ll need an onboarding process. Consider utilizing a self-service portal for provisioning and empower the employee to complete onboarding tasks related to settings and password set-up.

You can also help employees understand policies and security risks by having them sign an end-user license agreement (EULA) at the end of their onboarding process.

When you’re considering a BYOD program, you need a technology partner that understands your business and can help you find the best security approach to protect your assets. Contact us at Cory Communications to learn more about the steps you can take to create a secure environment with BYOD.

SDN Controller Offers Full Control and Visibility For Best Network Management

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An SDN controller offers full control and visibility for network management.

Companies using a software-defined networking (SDN) often appreciate abstraction, which hides the multiple network layers for simplified service fulfillment. The SDN shields IT personnel from the complexity of the network so they can quickly and effectively manage it.

For most organizations, it’s necessary to see the complexity for optimal management of the SDN. A multi-layer SDN controller allows for the discovery of the various layers of network configuration and allows for opportunities surrounding optimization and efficiency.

Part of the reason for using an SDN controller involves new technologies creating better network connectivity and performance, including 5G coverage, the interconnectedness of data centers, and distributed cloud infrastructures. Another major trend is the reenergizing of IP/optical integration, occurring mainly in the management and control layers of the network. There are two main advances that are fueling a resurgence in IP/optical integration:

  • New developments in optical hardware, creating opportunities in instrumentation and automation.
  • The adoption of SDN, which provides a hierarchical, centralized control of network management.

There are several key challenges affecting IP/optical networks and the ability to discover, capture, and visualize the various components of topology and interconnectedness of the network. The organic growth that occurs over time, in which different departments advance at different rates, has created network complexity that is often poorly understood. Operators need a high level of visibility and control to be able to address the following challenges:

  • Traffic routing: Network operators need to be able to better prioritize internet traffic in order to push mission-critical data transmissions through on the best network connection. Overall, operators must be able to make the most of available bandwidth.
  • Network reliability: When operating IP/optical networks, it’s necessary to understand the full risk scenarios in each layer to streamline scenario planning and enhance network reliability.
  • Coordinating maintenance: Operators need to automate multi-layer maintenance to reduce the impact of scheduled maintenance on user traffic.

The Solution Is Multi-Layer SDN

SDN offers centralized control and a high level of visibility. With SDN, the use of SDN controllers provides the optimization of IP/optical network operation. The Link Layer Discovery Protocol (LLDP) is used by networks to display their neighbors, identities, and capabilities.

LLDP “snooping,” as it is referred to, is useful for detecting misconfigurations and for discovering the topography and connectivity of the network layers. These discovery activities can help inform the solutions to the challenges listed above.

Cory Communications can walk you through all the questions and steps to determine the right network solution for your company. Contact us to learn more about software-defined networking.

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200 Haddonfield Berlin Road,
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