The world is in between huge technological transition. Every day there is more use of technology-intensive tools in place of traditional ones. Old tricks used to be tedious, costly, mostly false, and often harmful.  As a result, business intelligence is not what it use to mean a decade ago.

Today, increased automation is making companies to go on the look-out for up-to-date business intelligence software to keep up with the new global technology order. We know that data is the main part that is driving this change. Take for example our growing need for datification to improve our minor as well as major affairs.

Companies around the world are using datification to turn our daily lives into a huge mass of data. This is why datification is the heart of data science. This unique field of science works closely with business intelligence (BI) and many other fields e.g., scientific computing, exploratory statistics, etc., to be able to infer active meaning via data handling.

What is business intelligence and BI Software?

To put it simply, BI is a technology-based process that puts raw data into a readable form. Business and data specialists figure out this raw data and turn it into easy visual facts to aid the decision-making process. Because people tend to make better decisions when they have better information.

BI uses many software with technical and nontechnical sides to turn data into useful facts. These facts greatly assist business organizations in making the right decisions as well as solve serious problems.

The usual BI process takes many complex tools, software applications, and special methods. BI helps businesses in setting up an extensive data collection mechanism through many different sources. The sources usually hold a huge amount of data. The data is then explored, modeled, and analyzed by using highly advanced tools to identify irregularities, patterns, concerns, and trends.

The purpose of extracting information through this process is to develop infographics, dashboards, analytical outcome reports, etc. All of this information communicates results with corporate executives or anyone with the power to make strategic business decisions.

Best Business Operating System

We could go about making a case of one OS against the other and confuse you to no limit. Or we could straight away get down to the best possible option and tell you why it is, in fact, the best for you. We choose to go with the latter. Because frankly, the whole point of this article is to make seemingly difficult choices easy for you.

The saturated spectrum of OS gives us the same names whenever we need a system in tune with our interests.

It usually renders people to believe that compatible or not, only these few names e.g., Windows, macOS, Unix, Android, etc., are their possible options. However, if you dig a little to look behind the obvious you will find the most well-matched solution seemingly hiding in the shadows.

Although the best OS option – Linux – for businesses that we intend to talk about today is not actually hiding in the crowd, it is still not much talked about especially given the unending list of values it is adding to businesses worldwide.

If you, like many others, have missed the appearance of Linux operating systems as a worthwhile alternative to nearly all the existing OS, now is the time to rectify that. it is being estimated that Linux is set to replace the OS arena as you know it today due to its dizzying range of futuristic features that are sweeping the technology bigwigs off their feet. take Huawei reliance on Linux Deepin for its MateBook laptop for example.

Why go with Linux for your business?

2020 is not just the year of further technical advancement if anything, 2020 seems to be more business-centric than anything else regardless of the subject area or nature. The technological progress of businesses can only be ensured if the in-house IT infrastructures are up to date. For cloud computing though, Linux is proving to be an unparalleled fit and rather an inexpensive fit for businesses.

You will also find that the integration of Linux systems is quite simple depending on the specific Linux distribution –  distro – you select in coordination with your computing requirement. The best still is the fact that you don’t have to discard your standing infrastructure to appropriate the flexibility that open-source software and cost-effective functionality of Linux provides. It is literally a free replacement for other OSs, which businesses find more than a little hard to comprehend.

Linux does not require purchase prizes even for the applications unless you are a kind of business that needs expert help from paid tech support. Even that can be worked away, given the variety of Linux system administrator training programs available today which effectively ticks an overhead off the list of businesses’ overall cost.

Best Linux for Businesses in 2020

So how do you figure out which distro is the best fit for your business? Because Linux OS comes in a vast variety with several futuristic business-grade features. Well, we have put together a list of top of the range distribution based on a criterion that includes:

• Stability
• Practicality
• Support

Let’s have a look at some of the best Linux in 2020 with critical uptime, unwavering support, and practical capabilities.

CentOS

CentOS is one of the most popular Linux server distributions. Linux has developed CentOS on the foundation of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL) by the funding support of Red Hat in 2014. Assembled with pleasant Gnome – the default desktop for Red Hat & Fedora – familiarity along with widely supported Red Hat package manager (RPM) open-source, CentOS makes for a highly compatible enterprise-class Linux distro for workstations and servers.

Slackware

Slackware is the oldest Softlanding based Linux distro which is active to date. Patrick Volkerding created it in 1993. Slackware provided bases for many distributions like SUSE Linux distro. It provides end-users maximum control than any other Linux OS but this feature has both sides to consider. For instance, while it gives you huge command control, this lightweight distribution lacks the graphical configuration and software dependency resolution mechanism. If you are looking for a customized distro, Slackware is the one to suit your requirements,

ClearOS

This Linux distro specifically optimizes small and medium enterprises. It serves as a network gateway as well as a network server that you can administer completely from a web-based interface. ClearOS is an effective alternative to commercially supported software solutions with professional tech support availability. Like CentOS, this distribution also has a relatively simple configuration and maintenance due to innate RHEL foundation packages. But the similarities cease here because unlike CentOS, ClearOS is strictly a server platform. Its absolute web reliance proffers the use of varying consoles unnecessary after the distro installation.

Ubuntu

The ever increasing popularity of Ubuntu – Linux desktop distribution – make people think that it is most compatible with personal usage. Which is hardly true given its well-recognized community support system. Ubuntu provides its end-users absolute stability and flexibility along with the free version called Ubuntu Servers for the backend requirement.

Ubuntu is designed based on another Linux distro named Debian. It means Ubuntu can use Debian packages using advanced package tools (Apt) management system to add or remove software. If you choose to select Ubuntu as your Linux OS, you will have the finest support from its massive userbase. The latest releases are marketed as long term support (LTS) backed distros with 5 years maintenance option for professional tech support.

IPFire

IPFire distro is often regarded as a Linux watchdog due to its extraordinary security solutions. This is especially relevant to small businesses that are more susceptible to cyber threats to the security of their networks. Install this distribution and leave it to manage the IP addresses, firewall protection, and employee monitoring for safety or behavioral check. Although it is not difficult to maintain, IPFire will surely require expert-level knowledge to get it installed and running.

There are several reasons for its complex configuration. For example; distinct nature from any other Linux versions, Tor node, proxy protocols, etc. There are several Linux administrator training programs available that should solve these support issues in the installation process of IPFire.

OpenSUSE

OpenSUSE or more accurately SUSE Linux Professional is another Linux distribution community program. It is powered by SUSE Linux GmbH to be used as the basis for commercial SUSE Enterprise. Contrary to CentOS and ClearOS, OpenSUSE is designed with a strong desktop environment that has its window manager called K development environment (KDE). KDE comes with a graphical interface that makes it a heavyweight distro to be highly compatible with timeworn hardware systems. For instance,  Raspberry Pi single-board computers. It is a stable and secure OS due to the latest release of rolling models that has consistent update availability.

Best Business Intelligence Software for 2020

Often the term business intelligence refers to a vast range of brilliant BI software. Software that quickly accesses and analyzes data sets to provide easily understandable and actionable information in the form of:

1. Analytical reports
2. Insightful summaries
3. Dashboards and ad hoc queries
4. Graphs, charts, and maps

Yet, the hunt for just perfect business intelligence software can be a somewhat daunting and costly process. Especially if we consider the fact this software often delivers more than what’s required by small or medium-sized organizations. The good news is that there are many free BI tools maintained by highly skilled developers motivated to break BI monopoly.

Seven of the most optimal free BI software for you to start taking advantage of data analytics — and these cost less.

ChartMogul BI Software

ChartMogul is one of the most popular BI software that manages an extensive user community rather smoothly. It is known to provide the best services to businesses that are working to build a subscription package. It is possible due to its churn rate measurement and customer value features.

QlikView

QlikView is an exceptional ETL data storage and multilayered analysis BI software. Presented by Qlik, this tool also offers an end-user dashboard that connects different data sources to develop data visualizations.

Cluvio

Cluvio is programming language compatible business intelligence software. It lets businesses to process data written in SQL, R, etc., against their databases to produce data visualization and dashboards. It also provides webinars and online training to help businesses get started.

ActivTrak Business Intelligence Software

ActivTrak – released by Birch Grove Software – is a behavior analytics software that can sustain the teams of 5 to 1,000. This BI tool is designed for business, IT, and HR executives, managers. It also assists team leaders to track the overall status and productivity. ActivTrak also comes with both the iOS and Android compatible apps.

Databox

Databox is known to be a powerhouse of the best business intelligence software. It has an impressive interface and simple functionality that allow businesses to keep tabs of key performance indicators (KPI). It presents dashboard reports and information that can be shared on multiple devices. Databox also comes with integrated systems like Adobe Analytics along with iOS and Android compatible mobile app.

Tableau

Tableau, true to its name, is an Excel-based BI software. It is perfect for those who enjoy data analysis within pivot tables. It has an advanced user interface that offers a drag-and-drop feature for data manipulation and visualizations.

Kyubit Business Intelligence Software

Kyubit BI – powered by Kyubit Solutions – is another programming language assimilated business intelligence software. It allows businesses to develop reports off their SQL, CSV, OLAP, etc., data. It is an ideal tool for those with a little bit of knowledge of data analytics or business intelligence mechanisms.

You can install these free BI software from the cloud, web portals, and SAAS and offer 24/7 live support availability.

Significance of Business Intelligence

Today, optimizing BI is no longer considered the province of only mega-corporations. Because affording data centers and computing powers that are required to analyze business data was not for average businesses. Courtesy to inexpensive data-analysis tools today and BI software even small and medium businesses are benefitting from the BI revolution.

An effective business intelligence program can improve business decision making at all levels which leads to improved organization’s tactical management processes. To improve every aspect of the company, businesses need to develop central association. It is only possible with establishing better access to the company’s data. Because after all data is the main factor that brings forth the maximum profitability.

BI and Data Science

Business Intelligence (BI) is a subdivision of data analytics that takes a predetermined set of processes, technologies, strategic architecture to transform the raw data into actionable business intelligence (information).

BI is designed to employs a reverse approach in which it analyzes past data to solve the current problems. Although, this approach provides tactical reports that contain factual statistics but they cannot predict future events. That is where the distinction between business intelligence and data science begins. You use data in an advancing approach to predict the future outcome in data science to make profitable business decisions.

Business Intelligence in data science works by combining business analytics, data mining, data visualization, input/output bounds tools, and data infrastructure, to augment businesses’ decision-making abilities. BI integrated into data-science methods is the faster way of reporting and communicating results through specialized business intelligence software tools.

Specialized business intelligence software tools include:

• SAP Business Intelligence
• Oracle BI
• Microsoft Power BI
• SAS Business Intelligence

At the end of the day, all the areas that we talked about above and more are businesses. You just cannot be a  good data scientist for an organization if you do not have great business intelligence skills. BI as a system connects all the skills that a business has.

So, if you want to work in the field of business intelligence you must get the following few skills:

1. Experience with data analysis tools and SQL Programming
2. Data warehousing concepts
3. Problem-solving techniques
4. Domain knowledge

Conclusion

Today is the right time to take full advantage of the BI software system for your business. Invest in BI training programs, best OS, business intelligence software for good results. Keeping up with technology is no longer a matter of choice for organizations. Today it is a matter of survival for businesses around the world regardless of the size of the company.

The post Best Business Intelligence Software and Business Operating System Options for 2020 appeared first on ReadWrite.

In 2020, phishing is among the most common forms of cyberattacks on businesses and individuals alike. 56% of IT decision-makers state that phishing attacks are the top security threat they are facing, with 32% of hacks involving phishing. Here is video phishing and how you protect yourself.

Phishing is no longer limited to emails from Nigerian princes offering the recipients massive returns on investments.

Many phishing messages and websites have become sophisticated to the point that users are no longer able to recognize them without specific training. Google now blacklists an average of 50,000 websites for phishing every week.

On the upside, the ways that you can protect yourself from phishing attacks have evolved as well in recent years. They range from using up-to-date firewall software to using secure platforms such as cloud-based business phone services.

A new threat is looming on the horizon: video phishing.

Driven by technological advances, artificial intelligence, and machine learning, this new trend has the potential of causing catastrophic security breaches.

Keep reading to find out what video phishing is, what it looks like, and how you can protect yourself.

How does Video Phishing work?

Surprise! Elon Musk is interrupting your Zoom call.

Sounds fake? It is.

But it looks disturbingly real.

See the end of the document for embed.

The video above shows an application of Avatarify, a tool developed by a researcher to transform users into celebrities in real-time during Zoom or Skype calls. Its inventor, Ali Aliev, says that the program’s purpose was to have some fun during COVID-19 lockdown — by surprising friends during video conferences as Albert Einstein, Eminem, or the Mona Lisa.

The technology behind donning someone else’s animated face like a mask is called deepfaking.

Deepfakes are relatively new applications of machine learning tools. These tools generate realistic faces by analyzing thousands of videos and images of a target’s face and extracting patterns for common expressions and movements. Then, these patterns can be projected onto anyone, effectively morphing them into someone else.

You use the image of  Elon Musk. Or President Obama. In fact, a deep fake video of the former President calling his successor ‘a total and complete dips**t’ went viral back in 2018.

The implications of this technology for cybersecurity are wide-reaching and potentially disastrous.

Because instead of trolling your friends, or insulting President Trump via someone famous deepfakes — you won’t know if it’s friends being comical — or the dangerous, video phishing.

What are the Dangers of Video Phishing?

According to CNN, the majority of deepfake videos on the internet as of the end of 2019, were pornography. In total, 15,000 of such videos were counted. That might not sound like much, considering the vastness of the internet.

The reason for these rather limited numbers has been that generating convincing deepfakes takes a fair amount of computational power. Avatarify, for example, takes a high-level gaming PC to run properly.

But lower-quality applications have already been developed, such as a face-swapping app that got banned again fairly quickly.

It is only a question of time before deepfake technology becomes widely available. And widely used for cybercrime.

Some of these scams have already been recorded and you can find them on YouTube.

In one case, hackers used similar technology to deepfake the voices of CEOs and sent voicemail messages to executives. They succeeded in effecting a transfer of a mind-boggling $243,000.

In another case, three men were arrested in Israel for swindling a businessman out of $8 million by impersonating the French foreign minister.

Experts are already warning against other possible applications of deepfake videos for frauds to generate funds. One scenario, for example, is extortion. Hackers could threaten the release of a video containing content that can be damaging to a person’s or business’ reputation. Such content could range from straight-out pornography to the CEO of a company endorsing racist views.

As experiences have shown, that could be disastrous. For businesses, even the regular kind of ‘fake news’ can have catastrophic impacts on industry relationships, and even their stock market values.

“Those kinds of things can put a company out of business through reputation damage,” Chris Kennedy of the AI cyber-security platform AttackIQ said in a recent interview with Forbes. “We’re hitting the tipping point in which technology is taking advantage of the biggest human weakness, we’re over-trusting.”

How to Defend Yourself against Deepfake Video Phishing

Today, having a high cybersecurity standard is more important than ever. With online life proliferating during the COVID-19 crisis, scams and phishing attacks have flourished as well.

The good news in the case of phishing videos is that the technology, as of 2020, is still relatively new, and the case numbers relatively low. That means that individuals and businesses have time to prepare, and disseminate information to ward against such attacks.

Know the basic defense moves

As a most basic form of defense, extreme caution is advised if you receive an unsolicited video call, especially from someone famous or in a position of authority. Never trusting caller IDs, hanging up immediately, and not sharing any information on such calls is essential.

If you receive video messages that might be authentic, but you are uncertain about it, you can use software to determine if what you are facing is a deep fake. For example, companies such as Deeptrace offers software with the capacity to recognize AI-generated video content.

Apart from that, some low-tech solutions to protect against video phishing are having agreed-upon code words when communicating about sensitive information via video messaging, using a second communication channel to confirm information, or asking security questions that your interlocutor can only answer if they are the real deal.

Basically, pretend you’re in an old James Bond film. ‘In London, April’s a Spring month’ and all that.

Final Thoughts

Using AI to morph into someone else and extract sensitive information may still sound futuristic. But it is only a question of time until video phishing hits the mainstream.

As technology advances and artificial intelligence and machine learning applications to copy the face and voice of people become widely available, the number of deepfake scams is set to go through the roof.

The best you can do, is to be aware, keep informed, and brace yourself. Keep safe.

The post What’s Video Phishing and how do You Protect Yourself? appeared first on ReadWrite.

Location intelligence has gained much attention lately, especially as more businesses harness the power of this technology. Location intelligence builds on geographical information systems (GIS) tools, and its definition goes beyond the analysis of geospatial or geographic information. Here is how location intelligence will create even smarter cities.

Location Intelligence is the ability to visualize spatial data to identify and analyze relationships and trends.

The output of location intelligence is actionable insights that help both the public and private sectors to detect patterns and make strategic decisions.

Location intelligence comes from a multitude of sources, such as GPS systems, Internet of Things (IoT) data, and environmental and consumer sources. The technology is not one specific tool but rather the ability to use geospatial data to create business insights. As location intelligence grows in popularity, because its uses are multiplying, it has had an impact on an interesting global technological development: smart cities.

Location intelligence use cases.

Before diving into the implications of location intelligence on smart cities, it’s important to take a step back and look at where this technology has already made an impact.

The insurance industry.

The insurance industry has been leading the charge in the use of location intelligence. By knowing, with high accuracy, if a property is located in a flood, earthquake, or wildfire zone, insurance carriers can more draft accurate policies.

Furthermore, this technology allows carriers to take a more proactive, instead of reactive approach. Instead of simply paying out claims, these companies can help homeowners proactively protect their properties and mitigate risk by understanding the potential damage based on the area.

Financial institutions.

Financial institutions are also using location intelligence to improve fraud detection by better analyzing customer profiles. By matching customer locations and transactions, banks can better understand fraudulent behavior and avoid flagging normal activity.

Both finance companies and retail companies are also using location intelligence to send customers offers when they are near a specific store. Retail companies are taking this a step further by mapping customer behavior in-store to optimize store layout and inventory management.

As more and more industries harness the power of location intelligence, the public and the private sectors are also looking at this technology as a means to create better smart cities around the world.

Location intelligence growing smart cities.

The IESE Cities in Motion Index (CIMI) uses nine dimensions to measure the development of smart cities: human capital, social cohesion, economy, environment, governance, urban planning, international outreach, technology, and mobility and transportation.

The 2019 index (From the Business School at The University of Navarra) named London, New York, and Amsterdam as the smartest global cities based on these criteria, after reviewing 165 cities in 80 countries. Location intelligence plays a critical role in many of these nine dimensions, namely four key parts of any smart city.

Environment

Location intelligence can help with two parts related to the environment. First, natural disasters happen in large cities around the world, causing devastating consequences. From filing damage reports to opening lines of communication, location intelligence can help cities rebuild faster.

Second, location intelligence can help city developers better understand where to plan conservation projects and create green spaces around the city. The technology can also analyze air quality and measure the environmental impact a project will have during and after construction.

Urban planning

Location intelligence is crucial to 3D planning, which has become a considerable part of urban development. From the experimentation phase through construction, this technology helps make sure city planning improves the lives of those in the city and can also help to track and measure operational costs.

Technology

Technology powers almost every aspect of a smart city. According to IESE, (Media iese.edu research, University of Navarra) technology, “is an aspect of society that improves the present quality of life, and its level of development or spread is an indicator of the quality of life achieved or the potential quality of life.

In addition, technological development is a dimension that allows cities to be sustainable over time and to maintain or extend the competitive advantages of their production system and the quality of employment.” Location intelligence clearly aids in this endeavor, as both individuals and cities can use this technology to improve smart city functionality.

Mobility and transport

Smart cities around the globe are revolutionizing transportation using location and mobile data to improve traffic and congestion and optimize travel. City planners are able to harness location data to figure out where traffic is the heaviest, when, and why. Using that information, they can then solve these transit problems with new construction or more modes of transport.

Challenges: Privacy and security.

Data collection happens constantly. From ride sharing apps to food delivery services, consumers are constantly giving out location-based data. While the benefit of this is more customized services, the challenge is consumers are more aware and concerned about how their data is used.

Not only has customer awareness increased, but restrictions such as GDPR have forced companies to be more transparent in personal data collection. Furthermore, as technology advances, so do hackers intent on infiltrating these systems. Security concerns are widespread across the industry, and breaches come with heightened consequences.

On the privacy side, more consumer awareness might end up helping improve location intelligence. Consumers taking control of their data means smart cities can rely more on first-party data, rather than third-party aggregators who may not provide the most accurate data.

On the security side, this challenge will likely always remain and will take a combination of individuals protecting their own data and companies providing more transparent data use initiatives to tackle this challenge.

Location intelligence, however, will continue to grow and aid in the creation of better, smarter cities. Especially as this technology advances, and more cities compete to implement smart initiatives, more will come to rely on location intelligence as the crucial component.

Image Credit: Scott Webb; Pexels

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With the advent of the COVID-19 global pandemic, many organizations have had to re-adjust the way they operate. Remote working is now a reality for large sections of the workforce. Remote collaboration through cloud-based platforms is an accepted part of most workdays. But the utility of cloud-based technology does not end there. Here is how COVID-19 is driving us into a cloud-based future.

A recent report indicates that in the next two years the cloud computing industry will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 12.5%. Already a strongly-emerging technology, cloud-based solutions are proving to be invaluable during a global health crisis where people can no longer work at a fixed site. The extent to which cloud-based technologies are driving us into the future are as follows:

Supporting Remote Work and the Freelance Economy

Continued productivity is vital as organizations shift to remote models of working. This is as important to corporate organizations as it is to schools and colleges. During COVID-19, many working and learning programs have continued with high levels of efficiency, thanks to highly-flexible, scalable, and efficient cloud-based solutions.

The seamlessness with which business has continued means that every responsible organization should have a cloud migration solution.

Demand for collaboration tools has seen unprecedented growth in platforms like Zoom and Slack. More entrenched office productivity tools such as Microsoft 365 also sees high demand. These tools are all cloud-based and their excellent conferencing, and productivity suites all enjoy the multiple benefits of the cloud.

When the pandemic eventually subsides, people will have to go back to work. But an increasing number of workers will not. The freelance economy has seen continued growth in recent years, with over 60 million Americans doing freelance work of some sort. Cloud computing is an invaluable tool that has allowed the freelance economy to take hold and thrive.

A boom in E-Commerce and the Fade of Brick and Mortar

As people have been stuck at home, the demand for e-commerce services has risen sharply. Retailers were already migrating away from brick and mortar into the online space before the global pandemic arrived.

Retail companies know that as e-commerce adoption rises, any cloud investment costs will be recouped through cloud cost reduction. This applies to cloud solutions also being responsible for overall reduced IT costs by obliterating the need for most traditional hardware such as servers.

The ways in which global supply chains have become embedded in e-commerce fulfillment points to an inevitable future internet of things. Service provider collaboration and integration happens at the level of the cloud between retailers and logistics service providers, resulting in a smooth and highly-efficient delivery system.

Through the robust scalability of the cloud and its forever switched-on nature, global supply chains can support the wants and whims of consumers everywhere. This has been shown during COVID-19, with online purchases spiking a staggering 146%, and supply chains barely breaking a sweat to deliver.

Growth of the Cloud in the Government Sector

Healthcare has come to prominence during the pandemic. It has benefited greatly from access to a scalable and secure cloud infrastructure. This has been necessary to manage patient information. With millions of people laid low by the virus, it has taken the need for efficient and accurate computing to a new level of importance.

The prominence of the cloud during the pandemic goes beyond patient records. Collaboration between various private and governmental agencies has risen to unprecedented levels. Virus development projects are being shared by many countries and institutions.

Additionally, virus contingency management information is being shared by nations across the world. All these efforts are underpinned by highly scalable and collaborative cloud-based tools.

It is for moments like these that governments were already moving towards a cloud-based future at great speed. Until recently, almost half of all government agencies in the US were actively using cloud services.

These agencies understand the power and versatility of private cloud networks, with benefits such as deep security and information sovereignty being crucial. Cloud adoption within government circles will only continue to rise.

Content Platforms Enjoying a Surge

Binge-consumption of TV and audio content has been a feature of the pandemic. Video-streaming services have reported a strong surge in new subscriptions since the enactment of lockdown orders in many countries.

Not to be outdone, music services and many podcasts and audiobook services have also reported large jumps in membership. The gaming industry has also reported large spikes in usage times. Support services such as mobile networks and internet service providers have benefited from these enforced behavior changes.

Cloud-Dependent Industries on the Rise

The SaaS segment was already a growth area, and its continued importance and growth potential has been revealed during COVID-19. Due to the many daily applications and tools driven by this service, the industry in its entirety is in the limelight.

Service desks, accounting packages, customer relationship management, human resource management, and enterprise resource planning all rely on the SaaS model. Infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and desktop as a service are all part of the cloud family and are all showing continued growth.

The new model of remote working depends on the streamlined continuation of business-critical services such as human resource management. Cloud service providers have been able to remotely manage and secure underlying infrastructure, allowing organizations to continue to function within their constraints. This versatility has been perfect during the pandemic and will continue to be perfect for the business of the future.

Robust and Sustainable Is the Way of the Future

If anything, the virus has taught us the danger of having all your data tied to office sites and fixed hardware installations. There has always been the danger of data loss through disasters on site. Data loss has been mitigated by on-site security, but cloud services offer a better way.

The better way of cloud services is because hardware inevitably deteriorates, can be stolen, corrupted, or become obsolete. When your data is simply inaccessible, as it has been during the pandemic, a better solution must be found.

There is also the matter of sustainability. Large organizations can collect vast amounts of hardware to house their information. It is the responsible thing to do to cut down your environmental footprint by putting everything in the cloud.

There are also downstream issues like energy efficiency and reduced building usage. Other sustainability wins come with the reduced need for workers to commute to the place where the information is held. These wins have come into sharp focus during the virus as many measures have revealed a cleaner planet, even if just temporarily.

Conclusion

The global pandemic has revealed that cloud services will continue to provide strategic flexibility and scalability for a number of organizations. The virus response would likely have been a lot less effective in a time before cloud services.

It is totally imaginable that habits like social distancing would have been impossible to achieve if people needed to be on-site to manage and control business-critical systems.

At this moment in time, cloud services may heavily favor sectors which are useful during a pandemic, but future prospects are robust across all sectors. There are also no geographical boundaries, with cloud services projected to increase in adoption across the world.

New cloud technologies like cloud direct connect, where private networks can join the cloud, will allow more and more types of organizations and networks to take part. Cloud computing is truly taking center stage in driving us into the future.

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