The Digital Workplace In The New Normal

The sudden worldwide impact of COVID-19 has forced many businesses to make the move to a digital workplace environment that they never saw coming. Organizations across the globe are scrambling to get set up online so they can continue doing business, but the security and safety of such platforms is one of the utmost concerns.

Hi – I’m Jason Albuquerque, CIO/CSO of NWN Carousel. For this podcast episode, I’ve invited two of the leading experts in this arena to join me for a discussion about what can and should be done to not only get businesses transitioned to a digital workplace environment but also do it securely. These two men—Matt O’Brien and Paul Oliver— have a combined 44 years working with Cisco, focusing on the crossroads of technology and security. As you listen, you’ll get the facts about how any company can move to the cloud securely, in part or whole, and how systems like Cisco’s Webex technology can make it happen in a user-friendly way. Join us for this helpful and insightful conversation!

You will want to hear this episode if you are interested in…

• What the digital workplace is going to look like moving forward
• The collaboration tools available in the new digital workforce environment
• How security and privacy are possible with remote meetings and communication
• Use cases that prove that the technology is reliable and effective
• Powerful innovations being spawned by the COVID crisis
• How privacy and security are made priorities for digital tools
• How Cisco uses encryption to enhance and assure security
• Third-party integrations as they relate to secure and effective workflows
• The business value and ROI of finding effective digital collaboration tools
• Why security and privacy are “table stakes” for working with large companies

An effective digital workplace depends on user-friendly technology

We’ve all used apps or pieces of software that were reported to do amazing things, but we never got the chance to find out because they were so unwieldy to use. Good user experience is vital for remote teams, especially when migrating large groups to cloud-based platforms all at once. If the software is not simple and easy to use, all its bells and whistles won’t matter.

Matt and Paul explain how the Cisco team of engineers has worked tirelessly to ensure that their most popular collaborative tool, Webex has been designed with simplicity in mind. They’ve approached the software with an “all device” mentality, doing everything possible to ensure that what an Android user experiences when using their software is identical to what an Apple user is offered, for example. One-click applications, security integrations, and more are vital components of what make for a digital workplace experience that works. Learn more about the attention to detail the Cisco team has devoted to the development of their web and in-house tools.

Out of crisis, many digital innovations are springing up

Cisco had many new products and developments on track before the COVID crisis became a pressing issue. One of those is a hybrid cloud/on-premises application that fosters ease of use for Fortune 500 customers who have already invested a great deal of money into existing technologies. Those companies are not in a position to move all of their resources into the cloud. Therefore, Cisco has created integrations that allow those customers to move some aspects of their tech stack into the cloud while keeping others in-house, providing collaboration with their existing equipment and technologies.

Another innovation coming down the line is in the realm of “cognitive collaboration.” One example is a “Digital Meeting Assistant”—a bot that could retrieve needed documents, take notes of meetings, assign action items that flow out of meetings, and more. Add to that, modifications being made to existing video and sensor technologies to include humidity, noise, foot traffic, and climate sensor data retrieval that will enable WPR (Work Place Recovery) teams to assess the current use of facilities and make changes that allow for more efficient use of resources.

Security and privacy are fundamental human rights. Your digital workplace needs to preserve them

One of the more sensational headlines we’ve seen around the need for greater security in online platforms is the occurrence of “COVID bombs,” digital break-ins to video web meetings. It’s an example that demonstrates why digital workplace platforms need to be “Secure-by-design.” The Webex portal is one such tool. Matt says that in 19 years working with the platform he’s never seen nor heard of a security problem of this type. That means that the mix of collaboration and security Cisco is providing, is working.

Any digital collaboration tool that comes to market must include security measures that are unquestionably effective, whether those platforms are on-premise, cloud, SaaS, or managed offerings. This broad approach enables Cisco to protect the end-user, the customer, and the data. Single sign-on, unique passwords for every meeting, encryption, and more provide the peace of mind needed to offer world-class products that protect privacy and data.

Listen to hear how one of the world’s largest security companies is ensuring that the move to digital workplace collaboration is happening securely and safely.