The document discusses the challenges and changes faced by the mobile workforce, including the impact of reduced regulations and funding models in a transforming business landscape. It highlights technology challenges such as investment gaps, security concerns, and the need for effective disaster recovery solutions. Additionally, it emphasizes the importance of reliable and secure cloud connectivity for enhancing operational efficiency and supporting mobile employees.

1. The Mobile
Workforce – A
real IT challenge
Name: Simon Acott,
Business & Partner Development Director

2. The Changing Business Landscape
 Working within a changing business environment:
 Reduced regulation and changes in social housing
 Changes in historic funding models for new homes
 Changes in Welfare Reform Act, biggest change in the welfare system
for 60 years
 Growing commercial business streams of the business

3. Technology Challenges
 Lack of investment
 Skills and capabilities
 Customer services to 24x7 basis (Payments / Maintenance)
 Inability to flex
 No link between the cost of I.T and the size of the business
 Mobility
 Ineffective disaster recovery solutions
 Ability to harness changes in the wider technology landscape
 Security and compliance

4. Hybrid Solutions
Backup
Disaster
Solution Security
Recovery
Exponential-e
Network
Hosted Telephony
IaaS / AWS FMC
Dual site
SaaS - Solutions
e.g Diligent Board Books

5. Market Experience
 Comparing models in the market is a challenge
 Service levels are maturing, but need to be negotiated
 Security (Encryption) is a key focus
 Security accreditations vary across providers
 Licensing needs - Mobility / SPLA licensing options
 Clouds have limitations and need to be understood
 Not all services can go Cloud, most companies need a level of Colo, control
and governance
 Network integration key
 Centralised apps
 Secure core and access
 Access from anywhere
•

6. Securing the
Future:
reliability,
security &
mobility

7. Overview
The noise in the market is all about placing data in the cloud:
security, compliance, scalability and risk.
However, a good strategy is underpinned with the network
providing the access on a fixed or mobile basis.
• How secure is the route to the cloud?
• Is the infrastructure fit for purpose?
• Are bandwidth & infrastructure scalable?
• What about security?

8. Why use Internet?
• Security
• Performance
• Control
• Quality of Service
• Cost
For cloud computing to truly become mainstream it’s time to
rethink how organisations connect to cloud services. If cloud
remains synonymous with the internet, then it will also remain
synonymous with insecure and Unreliable connectivity.

9. Challenges
• Are field workers wasting time and money coming to and
from the office when they could go straight to a job?
• Are people unable to do work from home or in transit
because they can’t connect?
• Could tenant services be delivered quicker and at less cost
online?
• Would greater connectivity make tenants lives better?
• Do we have huge repositories of useful data we are not taking
advantage of?
• Would we lose vital data if a whole office went down or if
computers were stolen?

10. Business drivers for cloud adoption
Cost Speed
No Capital Expenditures Rapid Provisioning
Utility Billing Model Built in High Availability
Direct Allocation of Costs Automated Workflow
Efficient Computing Accelerate Time-to-Market
Drivers of Cloud
Adoption
Features Agility
New IT Capabilities Self or Fully Managed
Compliance & Security Roles-Based Controls
Cloning, Bursting, etc. Accessible Anywhere
Complete Data Centre Control Portability of Workloads
A Time Warner Cable Company
10

11. Appliance Access
• Fixed device and location
• Fixed device, variable location
• BYOD, client driven
• Centralised
• Localised

12. Access anywhere
• Employees are increasingly mobile
• They expect to work from home or on the road
• Money is saved if they can collaborate
• Tablets
• Bring your own Device (BYOD)
– Security
– VDI

13. Operational transformation
• Charity
• 9 main locations
• Centralised call centre
– Support
– Fundraising
• CRM
– Localised
– No integration
• Telephony
• Distributed systems
• Home working

14. Concerns
• Security
• Centralisation
• Control
• Management
• Quality
• Service levels
• Scale
• Future proofing

15. Resolution
• Virtualisation
• Integration
• Access
• Strategy

16. Questions