eweekchat

The Home as Enterprise Branch
JOIN US: This is a chat-based conversation about COVID-mandated changes in the workplace, including security, networking, collaboration tools--and working far too much using Zoom and Webex.
   5 years ago
#eweekchatNext-Gen Health Care ITJOIN US: This is a chat-based conversation about advancements in next-generation health-care IT, including new collaboration tools, AI and telemedicine.
   5 years ago
#eweekchatNext-Gen NetworkingJOIN US: This is a chat-based conversation about new advances in networking at all levels and what upcoming products and services admins should expect to see in the next 12 to 24 months.
Chris Preimesberger
Q2: To what extent is the importance of intuitive, user-friendly software and hardware in daily practice when working from home or at a remote location? Are the tools we now have considered user-friendly enough?
David Gewirtz
A2: Sigh. That depends. Power users will always create the environment they need. And some folks will always have a hard time "getting it" and need some form of semi-divine (or at least IT) intervention.

(edited)

David Gewirtz
A2: Zoom also offered a generous free version, so folks can adopt it and get up and running with it fast and without making a big buy decision.
Chris Preimesberger
I think that's why the man at Cisco Systems left to start up Zoom--had to do a lot of with UX!
Gorka Sadowski
A2 -- user expectation will never be the same after the iPhone and Android apps. Users are less and less willing to have big learning curves, convenience is more key... problem is, security has not always been following...
David Gewirtz
A2: Chris, also keep in mind that the cloud (in the form of SaaS apps) has made WFH far more doable. That's kind of UX, because many people just continued to do at home what they did at work. Gmail is Gmail.
Daniel Graves
A2: Modern intuitive consumer experiences set the bar, fairly or not. People acting as employees or customers or partners for any business want the same level of ease of use they experience when ordering an Uber, Venmoing money to a friend, or checking an insurance claim status.
Gorka Sadowski
A2 -- what is kinda new though, is how permeable the frontier is. Meaning, while before it was tolerated that "corporate" tools were a pain to use compared to personal tools, that is not the case anymore
Daniel Graves
A2: And why do enterprises care? Because superior digital experiences that are easy to use translate directly to customer acquisition and customer retention.
David Gewirtz
A2: I'll give you a historical perspective. Back in the dark ages before the cloud, i had a top-performing sales person. She got married and moved across the country.…
David Gewirtz
A2: ...Today, that wouldn't change anything, but then we lost her as a salesperson because our CRM was LAN based and locked on-premise.
Gorka Sadowski
A2 -- this expectation is creating lots of pressure on security. "Security" was not used to having to be user friendly, but now has to get on with the program :)
Vineet Jain
@DavidGewirtz That sounds so ancient :)
David Gewirtz
@CloudNotEnough It was. I have gray hair. :)
Daniel Graves
A2: "user friendly enough" is a rising tide, and successful companies will invest in UX heavily, always raising the bar and using it as a competitive differentiator.
Chris Preimesberger
Q2: coming up ...
Chris Preimesberger
Vineet: "Data Sprawl" is a key term I haven't heard in connection with this too often, although it's obvious. Can you add some color to this thought?
Vineet Jain
My reference is to data across multiple apps, multiple ckouds
Chris Preimesberger
Tossup for everyone:
Q1: Where do you see the most progress in development of current WFH software, hardware and services?
Gorka Sadowski
A1 - That's a great question. I think the current WFH situation is really a forcing point for everyone to understand 1) how to measure work productivity, and 2) how to secure people as an attack channel.
Vineet Jain
A1. Remote work is driving more data sprawl than ever before – we heard from our customers - 67% of IT executives are concerned about unstructured data sprawl, and more than half say remote work is the main culprit.
David Gewirtz
(moving this into the thread) A1: You know, I'd actually say it's something else: acceptance of working from home. WFH has always been a bit of a fringe activity, but now with COVID, acceptance has gone through the roof.
Daniel Graves
A1: I think the most progress has come from a new workplace philosophy. WFH used to be for a subset of work - some workers, some projects, some tasks. Now, companies need to enable all employees, partners, and customers to do everything online.
David Gewirtz
But Gorka is right, the security issue is also a big concern.
Gorka Sadowski
A1 - There has always been -some- WFH, bu the sheer scale of that today, and how organizations have to embrace it is really the difference. Along with the Cloud, it is really the final nail in the coffin of the "security perimeter" as an architectural approach to security.
Vineet Jain
A1. To have more control, data goverance policies getting enforced without getting "in the way" is key. Further, getting the content management architecture right is key. examples files sitting on unsecured devices, data loss, and mismanaged permissions.
David Gewirtz
A1: As for the big tech winner, that has to be video conferencing, and Zoom in particular.

(edited)

David Gewirtz
A1: It used to be that getting an exec to do a video interview required long discussion of how to hook up a webcam and get enough bandwidth. Now, webcam use and conferencing is a basic required skill. And that's just in the last 12 months.

(edited)

Daniel Graves
A1b: And so the enterprise approach has shifted from a technical approach to enabling remote *workers* (VPN etc.), to a digital approach to enable remote *work* for all parties. A lot more energy on workflow, automation, and overall efficiency.
Vineet Jain
A1. The attack surface has grown exponentially, so even basic things like hardening your routers, keeping anti-virus upto date, centralizing content in one "logically unified" silo are some of the means to meet the security challenges
David Gewirtz
A1: Inside the firewall threat has grown as well. WFH means working with roommates and family, and some of them may not be benign presences on the home network.
Gorka Sadowski
A1 -- Zoom because a verb during Covid, and that is despite all the incumbents and alternatives, Webex, Skype, FaceTime etc etc. Maybe because of the UX?
Chris Preimesberger
Good point, Gorka. When a product becomes a verb, you know you're probably on the right track ... ;-)
Gorka Sadowski
A1 -- it's funny how people and organizations started preferring a relatively unknown vendor (Zoom) with unknown security to more established vendors... just for the name of convenience, some cool backgrounds and filters, and a generally better use experience.
Chris Preimesberger
@db_graves Sidebar for you, Daniel: How can Delphix's DataOps approach be used in this office-to-home desk new world? Is this something the company is working on?
Chris Preimesberger
Enough prep! We've been talking about huge changes in the workplace for more than a year due to COVID. Let's talk to experts and get inside the issues:
Chris Preimesberger
If you want some useful background to read while you're here, go to: https://www.eweek.com/news/eweekchat-april-13-the-...
https://www.eweek.com/news/eweekchat-april-13-the-home-as-enterprise-branch/
#eWEEKchat April 13: The Home as Enterprise Branch | eWEEK
#eWEEKchat April 13: The Home as Enterprise Branch | eWEEK
Many of us left the office and worked from home during the last year--this isn’t going to change a whole lot anytime soon. However, we need to evaluate our tools and networking to continue getting business done efficiently and safely.
Chris Preimesberger
For those on Twitter feed only: To follow our discussion in real time, go here (http://www.crowdchat.net/eweekchat) ... You do have to authorize Twitter to join.
http://www.crowdchat.net/eweekchat
[LIVE CHAT] Predixions/Wild Guesses 2021
[LIVE CHAT] Predixions/Wild Guesses 2021
JOIN US: This is a chat-based conversation about what we predict in terms of IT trends, new products and services in 2021.
Chris Preimesberger
Remember, these chats are archived for a year (or more, sometimes!) and are great resources!
David Gewirtz
Glad to be here. I've got a full cup of coffee and I'm excited to see what folks have to say. I also have a puppy on my lap (working from home has its benefits)
Chris Preimesberger
heheh. Maybe the pup can offer some insights!
Chris Preimesberger
Please use this convention: To address Q1, please begin your answer with "A1." Q2 = A2, etc. In this manner, all the questions and answers can be kept in the same thread and found more easily later.