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The global pandemic has forever changed the business landscape. It’s been a precarious time for many industries, but as the world begins to move forward, it’s time for businesses to think about their future too.
Technology is at the heart of many businesses, and even more so since the pandemic. As part of your strategy to future-proof your business, you will need to ensure your business’ technology keeps your business strong and resilient.
Here are some key considerations for your business’ technology following the COVID-19 pandemic.
Technology that’s relevant for the times
While some businesses were quick to adopt digital transformation before the pandemic, COVID-19 has seen digital transformation increase rapidly. This has not only been vital to ensure businesses can continue to operate during the pandemic, with home-working and cloud technology necessary to maintain operations but it’s also become important for businesses catering to customers who are moving more and more towards online services.
Your business will need to consider how technology will fuel its future, bringing in new equipment, software, and processes to ensure it can adapt to new ways of working, while also future-proofing the business.
Enterprises across different vertical industries are expected to participate in the growing API (Application Programming Interface) economy, including API providers focused on driving innovation via partners, employees, and third-party developer ecosystems. Ecosystems such as Apigee will help your team move forward with your API initiatives.
Improved security
Security has been an increasing concern for businesses, even before the pandemic. But the pandemic has provided further opportunities for cybercriminals to expose business vulnerabilities. With phishing, ransomware, and other cybercrimes on the rise, it’s important that businesses up their online security efforts to protect their data.
Working with expert IT support, your business will need to ensure safeguards are in place to mitigate the increased security risks from working remotely. It’s also vital that you provide your employees with the right training to help them identify and respond to risks.
A business continuity plan that strengthens your business
The events of COVID-19 would have been difficult for many businesses to predict. But moving forward, you’re going to need a strong business continuity plan to help protect your business as it navigates the new normal, and into the future too.
Your business continuity plan needs to consider responses to different elements, including interruptions in the supply chain, disruptions to services and more. Regular reviews of your plans and risk assessments can help your business manage operations at different levels in response to different events.
Improved communications to keep employees engaged
While technology can keep your business running, it’s also an important tool for communicating while your teams are dispersed. Supporting your employees in the workplace will require them to have the right equipment to do their jobs, but you’ll also need systems in place to maintain communications and retain engagement. Cloud technology has made it easier for teams to work collaboratively, and could be used to help employees work even more productively than before.
The effects of the global pandemic will continue to be seen, with changing approaches to work meaning businesses will be constantly learning and adapting their technology to meet their ongoing needs. Consider your business’s ongoing technology strategy to help it thrive in a post-COVID world.