Microsoft Teams is fast becoming the go-to application for managing communication and information flow within organizations.  We wrote HERE about how Teams will be supplanting email for internal communication in the near future.  Many organizations don't plan their technology deployments and this is a big mistake.

It is time to shift your focus from managing devices to managing your data.  The threat landscape changes quickly but the target remains the same, your data!  Data is everywhere, and attempting to secure all the places it can be does not scale.  Starting with a "data first" mindset will help secure you in a way that locking down devices does not.

Cybersecurity has finally been elevated to a "standard" in the business world.  A business of ANY size needs to have a cybersecurity as part of their basic business planning checklist.  This is especially important for businesses that are in the 50-500 employee size range, as these groups often are utilizing processes, and tools that have not been reviewed since they were much smaller.

MFA is no longer optional in today's threat landscape.  Over three YEARS ago we started talking to our Clients about utilizing MFA, as passwords are no longer keeping your information safe.  The number of IT providers that STILL do not ENFORCE this critical security configuration is very surprising.

The first step to improve your business productivity is to understand the three illusions executives have about internal IT versus outsourcing.  These illusions are reinforced by unsophisticated technology providers, vendors what want you to use their (on-premise) products, and internal IT's need to stay employed.

Netflix has changed the way we consume video content, and grown into a streaming giant.  A key to their success was knowing what parts of the business to outsource, and which ones to keep in house.  Starting in 2008 they shifted their infrastructure over to a partner, and unplugged their last corporate datacenter in 2016.  The biggest benefit is their increased agility due to having the "operational load" of running ALL their technology shifted to an outside partner.

Congratulations, you are part of a growing business that is about to make an acquisition!  All the financials are thoroughly reviewed, corporate culture is synergistic, and everyone is excited.  Did anyone do a technology capacity and alignment review?  Nah, we will let the "IT folks" figure that out later, no big deal….except that it is.

Large technology companies are masters of consolidation, think Microsoft, Salesforce, Apple.  They watch new technologies emerge from other groups, and then either buy or replicate that functionality.  Over time all the various DIFFERENT technologies you needed to accomplish a goal now show up under a single integrated application from a single vendor.

Email is the defacto communication standard in business today.  This is interesting considering the first email sent was in 1971, and the fax machine has come and gone since that time.  Email continues to be useful in the business environment, BUT it time to consider alternatives for many scenarios.

If what physical device you are using determines what applications and services you have access to, it's time to reevaluate your technology setup!  It still surprises me at the number of organizations still dependent on VPN, local file shares, and legacy applications.