Digital Workspace

Managing a mobile computing environment was already complex enough at the beginning of this year. Then the coronavirus pandemic hit, driving many employees (and their mobile devices) out of the office and into their homes, limiting the visibility and control of IT teams.

Most enterprises were already getting on board with unified endpoint management tools, recognizing the need for a common platform to help them manage their fleets of smartphones, tablets and notebook computers, along with associated mobile apps and content. But for organizations that were dragging their feet with UEM, 2020 has served as a wake-up call about the importance of these tools.

For organizations still looking for the right fit, here are four ways that UEM solutions can help navigate these challenging times.

As many of us hit the six-month mark of remote work due to COVID-19, we’ve grown accustomed to days filled with virtual meetings instead of face-to-face gatherings. Cisco has been there for this transition, helping fill the void of empty conference rooms with Webex to facilitate an easy solution for video and online meetings.

From a user perspective, this transition to a reliance on virtual meetings has not been without challenges. Have you ever been unsure if you were muted, or scrambled to locate and mute that chatty person on your participant list? Do you find yourself wishing some of those Event and Training Center features were available in Meeting Center? Do you ever feel overwhelmed because you are the only one in a meeting with host privileges to manage the call? If you are like me and answered yes to all these questions, you will be excited to hear about the new features that are included in Cisco Webex 40.9.

During the global pandemic, Emerging Technologies — the area of IT that I focus on — has seen an exciting influx of new technologies and offerings in a short amount of time that help keep people safe and connected.

Some of these technologies, especially robotics and drones, are causing disruption in the channel in a couple of ways: by providing new avenues for people to communicate in a socially distant world and sanitizing entire rooms autonomously. These emerging technologies are providing peace of mind to coworkers, students and teachers as businesses and schools create plans to reopen.

When I begin working with an organization on its collaboration efforts, I often find that the company already supports a number of tools. Some have different solutions for different functions, such as calling, messaging, file sharing and video meetings. And others run multiple platforms that essentially do the same things.

It’s sometimes necessary, of course, for organizations to adopt and support multiple collaboration solutions. But there really can be such a thing as too much when it comes to these tools. It’s not just that the cost of purchasing and supporting more solutions will naturally be higher than the cost of purchasing and supporting fewer platforms. There’s also the danger of employees becoming confused about the differences among the various tools — and, therefore, using them less (or less effectively).

An unwieldly, sprawling collaboration environment can lead to an organization paying more for less productivity. Here are some steps we take to help business and IT leaders find the right mix of collaboration tools for their organizations.

With many companies needing to support widespread, full-time remote work, the past few months have made it abundantly clear how important it is to have a highly effective collaboration environment. But many businesses have struggled to appropriately support employees with collaboration tools — and others have missed out on opportunities to optimize their solutions.

Recently, CDW expanded its Managed Collaboration Anywhere portfolio with the addition of Cisco Solution Support. This was done to address the most pressing needs of collaboration customers today. The real value here? Organizations not only receive proactive help by way of planning and optimizing their collaboration environments, but also 24/7 reactive support when they need to solve a problem immediately. CDW and Cisco partner to deliver this service across Cisco’s various Webex-powered solutions.

As companies across industries have discovered in recent years, hyperconverged infrastructure offers simplicity and scalability in the data center. While these benefits are important for almost any business, HCI can be particularly useful for financial firms.

Here are three ways HCI can help banks, credit unions and capital market firms face down common challenges in the industry.