This is the time of the year to be thankful. And, one of the hit songs of the 70s that encouraged us all to be thankful was by Love and called “Be Thankful for What You Got.” Interestingly, the songwriter, William DeVaughn originally titled the tune, “A Cadillac Don’t Come Easy.” We think we might not be including it in this newsletter had he kept that name. Many of you might not recall the song by either name, but many will recall the repeated line, ”Diamond in the back, sunroof top, diggin’ the scene, with a gangsta lean”—a period piece and “smart” lyrics to be sure. In the spirit of being thankful, we started a list of tech concepts that we know smart organizations are leveraging to ensure that they are more productive and secure. Here is our Gratitude List !
Mobility
Nothing has changed how business gets done as much as the concept of mobility. Cell phones, tablet PCs, wireless technology, secure VPN access, mobile device management software, cloud computing, location tracking and easy Internet access has made meaningless the concept of needing to sit behind a desk, or even behind a computer, to conduct business. A simple thing such as the ability to work from home—to have a mobile desk—enhances productivity since staff does not have to call out sick when they are wary of infecting others.
Sharing
The advent of the “personal” computer in a business environment created a sea change in productivity in the late 1980s. In the more recent past, the concepts of sharing data, sharing information access, collaboration in real time (inside and outside an organization) have produced double the effect of the introduction of the PC. They say knowledge is power and the ability to share business knowledge through real-time sharing has made organizations that leverage this concept even more powerful.
Digital
This might seem an ante in the world of technology, but at its root almost all technology advancements used by smart organizations can be traced to the concept of moving from analog (where data is stored in its original form) to digital (where data is stored in intervals and turned into numbers—a series of zeros and ones). Digital technology is the fuel feeding the fire of automation, communication, storage, and security and ultimately, productivity and financial gains in the smart organization of today.
The Cloud
We referenced the cloud above as it relates to mobility, but it deserves special attention on our list. The cloud is simply software and services that run on the Internet, instead of locally on your computer or server/network. The cloud has allowed smart organizations to centralize data and applications in a single, accessible and scalable location while also facilitating disaster recovery plans with high availability backups. Some are concerned about security with the cloud, but the truth is that most cloud platforms have advanced security, threat detection and alert tools built right into them.
As we look at this list, we are reminded that in many ways, technology is our friend. It has helped organizations of all sizes to move ahead and to achieve their goals.
We are grateful for all of it. And, we are grateful for our many clients who have become friends along the way. Perhaps we should join Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia in singing the 1978 hit by Andrew Gold, “Thank You for Being a Friend!”
IT Radix would love to be your IT services provider. See what our clients are saying about us here.
First published in our November 2018 IT Radix Resource newsletter
