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In today’s competitive landscape, most businesses are in the midst of some form of digital transformation initiative. With growing data volumes and more applications distributed across data centers and cloud environments than ever before, industry-leading technologies such as software-defined wide area networking (SD-WAN) have emerged as the next generation of networking solutions. However, it seems, amongst UK businesses there is a cloud of confusion and a lack of understanding around the implementation of the technology. In an industry characterized by rapid change, SD-WAN technologies play a pivotal role in wider digital transformation programmes, empowering thousands of businesses and providing them with the agility they need to stay ahead of the competition. Yet, it manifests, that many businesses are overwhelmed by this new technology and are not fully reaping the rewards that SD-WAN has to offer. According to a new study conducted by Cogeco Peer 1, UK businesses are suffering from…

Has technology ever reminded you a little of a soap opera? It’s on every day, it’s constantly evolving, and it can come packed with a lot of drama along the way. This last part is especially true when unexpected challenges emerge — or if you don’t have a clear understanding of the benefits and challenges that come with the right technology solutions for your business. Cloud has had its fair share of time in the technology spotlight for good reason. It isn’t just another business model — it takes a leading role in driving strategic digital transformation initiatives and unlocking a lot of potential for business growth. Research firm Gartner predicts the global public cloud services market will grow 17.3% in 2019 to total $206.2 billion, with demand for integrated IaaS and PaaS offerings driving “the next wave of cloud infrastructure adoption.” Looking at cloud as part of your business…

Long gone are the days when IT was hidden away in a backroom, unknown to the rest of the organization — except, of course, when something went wrong. In today’s modern organization, IT not only keeps the lights on, but is also leading the way in which we do business and drive new revenue streams. However, the IT department is still often the unsung hero, quietly working in the background to make sure it’s ‘business as usual.’ If your role and responsibilities still seem to sit in the shadows, how can you level up in your career and get noticed by leadership? In other words, how do you become the ‘rock star’ of your IT department and, in turn, your organization? Here are six actionable tips to get noticed by your management team: 1. Don’t just perform — Study your theory If your organization offers training (or has the budget…

From companies scaling up with enhanced technology to digital-native eCommerce and app-based service providers (think Uber and Airbnb), there’s no room for downtime, speed delays or security mishaps. Fail, and you’ll face the consequences of sub-par customer experience and dwindling attention spans. In today’s current landscape, customer expectations and technological advances are dictating the pace of IT changes in organizations. In fact, a thought-provoking study from Microsoft revealed that the average consumer attention span has dropped to eight seconds — one second less than the attention span of a goldfish! In this ‘swipe to the next’ era, it’s critical to grab attention as quickly as possible, so if your site or app doesn’t load fast enough, customers will likely move on. And if your systems go down, so will your business. In a 2018 report, Gartner reported that customer trust could be irreparably damaged if your 24/7 online operations are…

With a new year upon us, it’s pretty common for people to set personal and professional goals to be successful in the coming months. It’s no different for businesses – many of whom find themselves evaluating their digital transformation plans and setting strategies to remain competitive and profitable in 2019. As part of that process, it’s worth taking some time to reflect on the challenges faced in 2018 and what, if any, progress was made against them. Cogeco Peer 1 recently asked 150 IT decision-makers across several industries about their key challenges in 2018 – specifically digging into the real value of service and the extent to which technology can liberate or restrict a business. As important as it is to analyze if your technology and infrastructure are optimally supporting your business, it is equally vital to assess the value of service that you’re receiving as you head into the…

If a primary objection of your cloud strategy is cost savings, moving a few workloads to the cloud in a piecemeal fashion likely won’t give you the returns you’re hoping for. And if you don’t do your due diligence to understand how user seats and data transfers will impact your monthly bill, you can end up with sticker shock. Looking at cloud as a ‘journey’ toward achieving specific business goals can help you better measure the return on your investment — both quantifiable and qualitative. Understanding the ROI equation While the CapEx versus OpEx debate is part of the ROI equation, there are other factors to consider, such as revenue opportunities related to increased agility and time-to-market. It’s why cloud should be part of a well-planned digital transformation strategy, not just a way to shave a few dollars off your OpEx budget. Determining cloud ROI has become more complex, in…