Here are the top five strategies to streamline desktop support troubleshooting time when preparing to advance your DEX initiatives.

The Importance of True Real-Time Data

Before starting, consider that your team can’t fix what they can’t see. The issue may not just be within your company’s process but in the data itself. Most DEX vendors collect data in minutes, leading to missed events between intervals or when averaged over time. If you are receiving data in minutes, IT will miss vital information, resulting in a lag in response time. This can contribute to a surplus of tickets and confusion about the true source of the problem. Finding a data collection system that offers true real-time visibility is the key to truly enabling IT teams to identify and address issues before they impact productivity and security. Once your team has this actionable data, they can analyze the top five ways to reduce your desktop support troubleshooting time.

Step 1. Implementing Proactive Notifications

Proactive notifications, such as those alerting to potential issues like application downtime or connectivity issues, can be a game-changer. Empower your IT teams with these tools, so the issues get addressed before they escalate, therefore ensuring a seamless digital experience for employees and reducing the need for reactive troubleshooting.

Step 2: Prioritize the Problems with Problem Scoring

Prioritizing issues that impact DEX can be daunting but are extremely important. Ease the process by presenting a consolidated score of performance metrics. These metrics are calculated by highlighting the most significant impact areas, guiding IT teams to direct their attention effectively. Consider implementing a scoring dashboard across various domains, including VDI and DaaS, physical desktops, desktop applications, vulnerabilities, patch management, unified communications, and SaaS and web applications. Dashboards are invaluable tools that provide a comprehensive overview of system health and drill down to a specific problem.

Step 3: Incorporate GenAI

Collecting lots of troubleshooting data and representing it with a score is a powerful method for interpreting data differently. While data can be exported as a CVS, or custom reports can be created, sometimes, you need to get quick answers on the fly. Incorporating a secure, natural language, using a GenAI feature will enable your teams to receive information immediately, represented in unique and informative ways, significantly reducing response times and improving service quality.

Step 4: Add Script Actions

Scripts can be a powerful way to retrieve detailed troubleshooting data from a remote device. However, getting any script to run on a remote device can be problematic as most companies lock down their machines so that employees cannot edit or run scripts. It may also be difficult for IT to run a remote script on behalf of an employee without the full picture. One option to securely incorporate script actions is adding a DEX service to your IT budget. Look for a DEX solution that provides a versatile range of methods for running a script on a remote device and supports various script languages that can run on any platform. Ensure the solution can also provide and store the results in a secure database that your IT team can easily access and understand for future analysis that can inform proactive actions.

Step 5: Enable Remote Control

When problems arise, so much can be lost in translation. Often, IT needs to remotely troubleshoot a user’s desktop, but traditional remoting tools can disrupt employees’ workflow and impact productivity. This is often due to the employees’ base knowledge of the issue at hand. Consider implementing a remote control feature so your IT team can quickly find and troubleshoot the issue at hand, seeing what the user is experiencing without hampering productivity. To make remote troubleshooting more efficient and help users get back up and running as quickly as possible, consider a multifaceted approach to accessing a user’s computer remotely.

The Key: Why Automation Completes the Process

Automation is vital to your DEX process. According to IDC, “by 2027, 90% of organizations will augment operational roles with automation technology, elevating employee engagement and unlocking a predicted 30% increase in worker efficiency.” Since many computer problems are recurring, implementing automation will empower IT teams by streamlining the discovery process and supporting rapid issue remediation. Incorporating automation to your proactive notifications (alerting) within script actions will also ease issue detection and within seconds, allow a corrected script to be executed. Together, these tips can not only empower your team but pull them out of the IT support ticket weeds. As a result, you can move beyond simply supporting your company initiatives, to also decreasing employee burnout and creating a more productive team.

Maintaining optimal performance and swiftly resolving technical issues is critical for the future of any business. Surveys tell us that organizations that have optimized their DEX see a 25% reduction in employee turnover and DEX tools have shown to lead to a 20% increase in employee engagement. While it is clear that DEX solutions will boost your business, it is not always “one size fits all” when finding the right solution. As long as you incorporate a solution that proactively manages endpoints, applications, and user experiences while providing real-time data collection, proactive notifications, and comprehensive scoring dashboards, you and your IT team will find a streamlined troubleshooting process to be an achievable reality.

Jeff Johnson is the product marketing manager at ControlUp.

The post Five Ways to Reduce Desktop Support Troubleshooting Time appeared first on My TechDecisions.

With Xyte’s Mobile RMM, users can remotely monitor connected devices on the go through an intuitive live map interface, allowing them to see the location of devices in relation to their own location, making it easier than ever to manage large-scale deployments. Teams can send remote commands, check real-time device states and view recent changes such as temperature adjustments, Wi-Fi status and other key parameters. In addition to monitoring, users can interact with devices in real time, issuing commands and observing how device statuses change after the commands are received.

“This is an incredibly powerful feature. It may seem simple, but the ability to monitor an entire network of connected technology – whether AV systems, sensors or industrial equipment – straight from your phone is a game-changer,” says Omer Brookstein, CEO and co-founder of Xyte. He continues, “Our mobile RMM not only simplifies remote monitoring but gives teams the flexibility to stay on top of their installations, whether they’re managing a handful of devices or thousands. With AV systems becoming more and more mission critical, the ability to monitor and manage them from a mobile device from anywhere and at any time is more imperative than ever before.”

According to Xyte, it was the first to introduce QR code device claiming on mobile devices, which allows both end-users or dealers and system integrators to quickly scan and claim devices as part of their managed environment. Building on these previous platform capabilities, Xyte’s Mobile RMM extends beyond mobile QR code device claiming, allowing users to identify, actively manage and troubleshoot devices remotely. While larger displays may still provide the best experience for monitoring high-volume installations, mobile RMM ensures quick, efficient action while on the move.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on Sept. 23 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Xyte Unveils Mobile RMM for IT Managers to Monitor and Manage Their Devices On The Go appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The event illustrated two things:

1. how deep the roots of digitization have become globally;
2. the fragility of the global technology ecosystem, exacerbated by an overreliance on a select number of cloud providers.

This is a wake-up call for us all. Although not a cyber attack, imagine if a nation state was able to find and exploit such vulnerabilities through a coordinated and sustained attack?

It’s given us a glimpse into what cyber armageddon could look like; how should we respond?

The Interconnectivity Trade-Off

Dubbed “the largest IT outage in history,” the global technology outage was caused when an update to one of CrowdStrike’s pieces of software, Falcon Sensor, malfunctioned, paralyzing computers running Windows and resulting in widespread tech failures around the world.

While not the cause, the severity of the impact was only made possible as a result of the increasingly interconnected systems and software that have become so entrenched in our digital infrastructure. The effects were also inflamed by the global reliance on a select number of cloud providers – with Windows devices the worst impacted, many initially thought it was solely a Microsoft issue.

This dependency has brought with it many benefits – global connectivity, efficiency and innovation. But it’s a simple fact that it leaves us all more vulnerable. If a major cloud provider goes down or is impacted, the world grinds to a halt.

For many of us in the business of IT and security, questions are starting to be asked about the trade-off: can we find a way to remain connected, but become more resilient and lessen the impact of events like these?

The initial discussion has been around reassessing cloud strategies, such as avoiding the automatic updating of patches. Some may also be thinking about a multi-cloud approach, where more than one cloud provider is used to ensure continuity if one goes down – “Microsoft is down? That’s ok, we can just switch to Google.” However, despite being a relatively simple undertaking, it would be an expensive luxury that’s out of reach for most.

Build Something from the Ground Up

Rather than trying to patch up ever more complex and interdependent legacy architecture, company boards should use this opportunity to explore shifting their legacy digital architecture to something built from the ground up and future proof.

That is, firms should be viewing this as an opportunity to run an entirely new, low-cost, digital infrastructure in parallel, which is independent of their primary cloud provider and legacy applications. The idea is that in the case of a major systems outage, organizations would have the ability to seamlessly switch over to this secondary infrastructure without manual intervention, allowing them to perform critical functions throughout the crisis. This infrastructure would be backed up with essential data, with advanced security protocols to protect against cyber threats. As a minimum, this provides an out-of-band communications channel for the board and senior management to tell staff and clients what to do and ensures they are not swamped by fraudulent scams after the Crowdstrike outage.

Imagine an airline affected by a major software outage. Having an independent backup system would allow them to continue day-to-day operations such as booking passengers, handling ticket changes and scheduling flights. Instead of relying on extensive manual interventions to recover the primary system, backup protocols would prevent disruption while the main systems are brought back online.

Any solution developed in this way needs to be quick-to-implement and must be able to initiate a contingency command and control process, handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. Our mission critical clients are beginning to build these fail-over systems that can handle basic tasks and keep the company running in the event of a major attack or outage. In some instances, these shadow systems operate entirely through a mobile messaging platform.

Continuity and Resilience are Possible

As businesses now begin to revisit how they can ensure a return to business as usual as quickly as possible when disaster strikes, they should not be clouded by all the technical terms and confusing offerings, and just focus on three simple and fundamental principles when assessing their current and future risks: completeness, accuracy and validity.

Shifting legacy digital architecture towards something that is built from the ground up ticks all these boxes.  Moreover, it addresses the inter-connectivity, inter-dependency and relatedness and reputational risks that we all face in the digital world today. This may just be the difference between surviving the next global meltdown or being left in its wake.

Andersen Cheng is the founder and chairman of Post-Quantum.

The post CrowdStrike Cyber Armageddon: How Do Firms Now Build Resilience? appeared first on My TechDecisions.

In fact, the reality is quite the opposite. Many employees, and more than a few managers, regard this essential business support service as “annoying,” “slow” and “only heard of when something is going wrong.”

This is not because of any personal issues that employees might have with the IT team — it is simply that they only interact with this part of the business when they are having a problem. Quite often frustration rises when things aren’t fixed instantly — when the simple reality of the situation means they can’t be.

Don’t hate the IT team, hate the substandard tech they have at their disposal

When it comes to business IT and desk-side support services many issues reappear time-and-again causing employees to get frustrated with their IT and/or the people responsible for maintaining it. Let’s take a closer look at some of the most hated aspects of IT and desk-side support in the modern office environment.

#1 The Deskside Support is Helpless

You might be the king of your day-to-day job, but nothing makes you turn into a pauper quicker than when your IT system crashes or your device stops working (which always happens at the worst time!).

When this happens, you look to the IT desk-side support team as your knights in shining armor riding in to save the day. Yet when they arrive, you discover that they will have to take over your device and “have a play around” to figure out the problem.

This can take a long time, and time is a precious commodity. Sitting around watching IT support perform tests on your device frustrates workers and gives the impression that the IT team doesn’t know what they’re doing. The reality is many of these problems require these “exploratory” tests to be carried out to identify the problem before it can be fixed.

You wouldn’t be frustrated with a Doctor performing tests to identify why you’re feeling under the weather.

#2 IT Projects Never Seem to End

IT infrastructure is under constant monitoring, revision and improvement. Patches and updates are necessary in order to keep the business secure.

Add to this the unplanned IT issues — failure, lost, damaged items — and you should begin to understand why IT desk-side support can sometimes take time to resolve. Even worse is what most of us have experienced at some point — twiddling our thumbs and watching our device under the control of the remote IT support team when you need to be working on that report, proposal or other important document/ project. This wasted time leads to lost productivity in the workplace and reduced employee morale.

#3 Employee On-Boarding with No IT equipment on Day One

Anyone who has gone to work in an office as a new starter in the last decade will understand the frustration of the “new employee IT onboarding process.”

Even though you’ve had months of interviews and your agreed start date is not a mystery or unexpected, imagine the frustration when you walk through the door for your first day feeling confident, but nervous and your computer is not fully set up for use.

Instead, you end up sitting around watching your new colleagues get stuck into the work they want to be doing, while you’re waiting for your computer to be fully configured. Praise Be for that “team lunch” will help break up the monotony of the first day.

The configuration of IT assets should be completed before the first day. It should be waiting for them from day one.

#4 Hardware Refresh Cycles

Getting a new, improved, more up-to-date device should be a day of joy for workers as you say goodbye to your slow, unreliable equipment that looks like it has just arrived from the late noughties.

One client I worked for actually embraced the embarrassment of how old its IT equipment was by naming its most ancient range of hand-me-down laptops as “Heritage Laptops.” I did think that what would come next would be a UNESCO “World Heritage” badge stating the equipment was now considered “IT equipment of significant historic value.”

This process of switching from an old to a more modern device is not just simply handing over a laptop for a new one. The new device still has to be configured and cloned to your settings and then tested to make sure everything is running smoothly — which can lead to new problems.

For the business, these processes are a short-term pain for the long-term gain. However, for employees, it can be seen as a dull, unnecessary experience that some will actively avoid, preferring to stay on older, slower, less secure devices.

A new, user-friendly system is needed to make this process smoother and simpler for employees to be a part of, and it needs to be much more convenient than it currently is.

#5 Where is my order?

It used to be that work IT and desk-side support was far better than what we had at home. Some of us might even be old enough to remember a relative or parent proudly coming home with a wonder of technology which they had “borrowed from work.” Much to the amazement of the family.

Nowadays this has completely changed. Each of us carries a super-computer in our pocket and uses seamless “omnichannel” services provided by retailers. Whether this is from tech giants like Amazon or Apple to luxury brands like Burberry or even high street names like Argos. With each of them, whenever you place an order you are presented with a wealth of information about where your item can be collected, when it will arrive, and whether you want to delay arrival — right down to the name of your delivery driver.

Take this experience back to the workplace and you are met with the “black hole of IT.” Every time you order IT equipment it disappears into the ether. You might get a confirmation notice, but how often do you receive an update on how the order is progressing, or how you will eventually collect your item? Do you know the name of the person in your IT support team working on this order?

The answer to all these problems = Automation

One thing each of the above issues has in common is that at some point they rely on a human touchpoint in the process to get anything done.

Whether this is calling a member of the IT support desk, waiting for IT support to make an office visit, or waiting for engineers to finish configuring your machine before you get it back, much of the problem-solving within business IT is done in front of the employees.

This no longer needs to be the case! Automation paired with the use of consumer systems like Smart Lockers, can remove many of the pain points within IT projects. The impact is quickly realised as the IT team has time back to get on with important business-changing projects and employees have the ability to self-serve/ self-solve their own IT issues.

Hassle-Free, Headache-Free IT Support

IT infrastructure will always be a key component of any modern office or business environment, which inevitably means that IT support will always remain a part of employees’ lives.

Much has been made about AI and automation removing the need for human interaction within the workplace, but rather than replacing IT support staff outright, automation using Smart Lockers removes the mundane, time-consuming and repetitive tasks.

The wider workforce now benefits because their IT problems get fixed much quicker, in fact, research has shown that Smart Locker requests are up to 95% faster than traditional deskside support teams; the three-day average wait time is now down to mere minutes.

Moreover, it also removes the headaches of sitting around for hours at a time while an issue is resolved. It also plays heavily into the reputation of employers if they can automate a lot of repetitive processes, presenting a business in which ongoing, recurring IT issues are a thing of the past.

Glen McCarty serves as the Consulting Director at Velocity Smart Consulting, bringing to the table a career spanning two decades as a seasoned IT transformation specialist.

The post Five Common IT Issues Everyone Hates at Work appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Video Collaboration

Look For: Enhanced Communication and Productivity
Avoid: Stressing the Network

Video applications are used across industries for everything from collaborating and problem solving with colleagues, to training sessions, to providing customer services like telehealth appointments. While the use of this technology grew exponentially with many working from home, these applications are so entrenched in business operations that they won’t disappear with return-to-office mandates. Employees will still reach for videoconferencing to connect them with others who aren’t in the same office building — whether that be with a colleague or client in the same state or in another country.

Networks — wired and WiFi — must be resilient enough to withstand the growing dependency of video collaboration. They must support the upload and download of real-time data; otherwise, meeting attendees will experience distorted video, speech delays and other issues.

To keep communication and productivity on track, IT professionals must have:

• End-to-end user experience metrics that measure how capable networks are of supporting video platforms. Metrics measured must include latency, jitter, dropped packets and the Mean Opinion Score.
• Real-time analytics for video collaboration software and all other network devices, applications, and infrastructure to identify and resolve issues with pinpoint accuracy.
• Complete visibility into the entire network ecosystem so there are no behavior and performance mysteries.
• Automatic, proactive alerts to issues as soon as they occur and before users are impacted, rather than reactive alerts from inconvenienced users.

The 6GHz Frequency Band and WiFi 6E Migration

Look For: Expanded Connectivity
Avoid: Interoperability Issues

WiFi 6E appeared on the market soon after the release of WiFi 6. While the two deliver similar benefits for enterprises, WiFi 6E devices are alone in their ability to use the new unlicensed 6GHz spectrum. This is the first time in over a decade that the amount of available unlicensed spectrum has changed so this is far from your run-of-the-mill migration.

Yes, the 6GHz spectrum will be less congested and offer less signal interference since it will only allow 6E devices, and adds 14 additional 80MHz channels and 7 additional 160MHz channels. Yes, the faster data throughput and lower latency are exciting, especially for technologies such as cloud computing, augmented and virtual reality, and instantaneously uploading / downloading extremely large files.

But, networks and network ecosystems are going to significantly change with the new frequency band. Migrations need to move slowly and steadily to avoid interoperability issues. Technology leaders must prep their teams to be ready to:

• Analyze end user metrics to predict which departments need the upgrade first. Migrations are expensive and time consuming; that time and money should be spent where the ROI will be the greatest.
• Redesign AP deployment to better provide 6GHz connectivity. The 6GHz spectrum uses shorter wavelengths than its 2.4GHz and 5GHz predecessors. Existing AP placement may not offer the best support for the new technology.
• Ensure redesigns don’t cause roaming issues for devices on any of the three frequency bands.
• Watch and analyze three frequency bands 24/7. Issues of any sort can occur at any time; if all three frequency bands aren’t analyzed 24/7, IT professionals will be missing data. There’s always the chance that the data that teams don’t have will be the data that is needed to identify a root cause and make it possible for IT to implement a resolution.
• Compare network performance before and after transitions both to identify issues and determine if the expected ROI is delivered.

AI-Powered Network Automation

Look For: Complete Wired and WiFi Assurance
Avoid: Manual, Reactive Operations

Enterprises need issue-free wired and WiFi networks. If networks aren’t issue free, organizations need solutions in place that will drastically:

1. Reduce the number of issues
2. Reduce resolution times

Fewer issues that are in turn resolved faster than ever result in networks that spend more time working optimally and less time causing delays in business continuity. When almost every single business process is dependent on the network, network assurance is a critical need.

Enterprises can try to achieve network assurance through purely manual means, but they will fail. Networks are too complex for this to be possible. Assurance depends on real-time analytics from every single connected device, all infrastructure, and even nearby networks. IT professionals cannot analyze thousands of data packets a second. They need AI-powered network automation.

When teams have the support of these solutions, they have:

• Complete network visibility provided by a solution that never sleeps
• Real-time, automatic problem detection, notification, and identification (root cause analysis)
• Recommended resolutions
• Proactive network testing
• Automated remote troubleshooting

AI-powered network automation solutions deliver in-depth network analytics, down to the device level, so that technology leaders know the precise behavior and performance of their network, and what is needed to improve it. Generalities are not the answer. Enterprises want the best network for their users – and their users have specific needs and pain points. Understanding these, and designing a network that improves user experience, will also improve business performance, reputation and revenue.

AI-powered network automation solutions provide the needed capabilities in a cost-effective and scalable way. This is modern wired and WiFi assurance.

The Details Matter

A network that must be significantly updated or redesigned every year is one that is doing no one any favors. Networks need to meet the needs of enterprise users right now and be adaptable enough to continue providing optimal support for the next three to five years. Build your network to support the three trends of video collaboration, WiFi 6E and the 6GHz band, and network automation, and your network will be resilient, reliable, and give you a competitive edge that lasts beyond 2024.

Roger Sands is the co-founder and CEO of Wyebot, Inc. He has 20+ years of executive management experience under his belt, gained from working with both successful networking startups and Fortune 500 companies, such as the following: Hewlett-Packard’s WW WLAN business, Colubris Networks, Accton Technology, 3com, USRobotics, and Bytex Corporation.

The post Top Three Network Concerns for Technology Decision Makers appeared first on My TechDecisions.

As more large learning models (LLMs) are coming to market, you might find that your enterprise customers are asking how they can automate processes and drive efficiency with AI. While eager to inquire, enterprise decision-makers often hesitate to invest in generative AI for their business upon discovering the significant resources, security considerations, and operational changes required to deploy an effective generative AI tool. While trendy, AI adoption still carries a lot of uncertainty and risk.

AI and the AV Industry

The good news is that our industry is uniquely positioned to help in this new scenario. As a trusted resource and advisor for technology decisions, clients trust AV integrators to offer AI-powered solutions that are ready for prime time and have a meaningful impact. These four critical questions can help integrators and technology managers adapt their discovery phase to incorporate AI into their AV technology roadmap.

Q1. What are the strengths and limitations of AI?

In response to the increased demand, technology vendors have rushed to develop AI integrations for everything — from truncating transcripts into meeting minutes to brainstorming ideas beyond reality. However, integrators should recognize both the efficacy and limitations of AI in truly enhancing the end-user experience. While generative AI can do a lot in its current state, it’s still best suited as a support tool for enhancing and accelerating processes rather than completely overtaking operations end to end.

The key is to identify discrete tasks that AI can successfully handle. If a human must significantly revise an AI’s output to make it usable, AI will waste more time than it saves. Work with clients to establish clear operational guidelines and oversight for AI tools to avoid these limitation roadblocks. This includes defining responsibilities; establishing handoffs between AI and human operators; allocating maintenance resources and having reasonable expectations. Once these boundaries are established, integrators can introduce effective opportunities to accelerate tasks with AI.

Q2. How do the strengths of AI support the client’s goals?

Properly trained AI can extend enterprise bandwidth by accelerating mundane-yet-time-consuming tasks, like retrieving data to answer questions or inform project timelines; providing employee and customer support; and digesting information to guide brainstorming and decision-making. This kind of implementation improves existing information retrieval processes. AI can also automatically compile information from across sources or customize responses to align with user data permissions.

Once you understand the capabilities of AI, it’s time to bring them to your client. To understand how AI can best support their organization, work with them to understand their unique pain points. Remember, the goal is to improve efficiency in existing systems, not replace processes entirely with AI.

AI functions must align with the interests of the enterprise and the evolving processes, demands and expectations of the business. Deployments should complement and improve the existing employee experience. AI should work across devices and processes, offering a reliable and seamless user experience. If an AI application does not make the job easier for enterprise customers, it’s probably not ready for deployment.

Q3. What training resources are available?

When trained with the right data aggregations, AI assistants can produce qualitative and quantitative-driven outputs that help streamline employee experiences, audience engagement, and objective results that benefit an organization’s defined visual goals and output. That being said, an AI’s responses are only ever as accurate as its dataset. Before launching an AI implementation for an application like sales, customer service or troubleshooting support, a business should have solid and up-to-date documentation of its processes and internal knowledge.

While AI implementation can make operations easier, it’s not an effortless addition to a business model. Deloitte cites managing internal data and processes as one of the most reported obstacles in scaling AI. It is important to inform the client about the continuous investment required for AI and discuss how they plan to maintain it. Before deployment, the business should evaluate whether the AI solutions that client plan to adopt are maintainable. They should then develop a long-term support plan and appoint someone to oversee the ethics and accuracy of the AI system.

Finally, ensure your clients can deliver on processes continuously after deployment, even if their AI tool is down. Integrators can help customers identify reliable, intuitive foundational AI tools that will support their business best, but setting realistic expectations that no AI tool will be free of error or downtime is the key to effective process management and planning.

Q4. What data is acceptable to share?

Data security is top of mind for enterprises, and while the benefits of AI are worth discussing, it’s crucial to educate clients about the potential risks linked with AI.

One risk is the “black box” paradox: the inner workings of AI systems are obscure to humans — this lack of transparency may pose challenges and lead to unforeseen consequences as AI evolves. That being said, sharing data and training is essential to successful AI implementation. Integrators must educate their clients to ensure they understand the risk. This will help clients make more informed decisions regarding adopting and implementing AI technologies.

Security is also a discussion point when evaluating whether an AI tool will operate on premises or in the cloud. On-premises solutions offer several benefits, including that data never leaves the local area network. This is especially important for businesses that deal with highly sensitive data.

Additionally, on-premises solutions offer firewall protection and integration with internal contact/user data, which enables AI to learn identity and permissions. Finally, on-premises solutions provide access to highly secure employee-facing AI chat with responses derived from proprietary company data.

On the other hand, cloud-based solutions offer flexibility, high scalability and accessibility for distributed workforces. However, clients have less control over data distribution than an on-prem solution. Data and encryption keys are stored with third-party providers. This means that if there is downtime, clients may be unable to access their data.

While each option has its benefits and drawbacks, integrators should advocate for establishing a solid security protocol and best practices before sharing data with an AI assistant.

Concluding Thoughts

While the AI landscape fluctuates, these four questions can guide integrators in evaluating and recommending the right AI investments to meet enterprise customer demands. While some clients might be ready for AI, other organizations might need more preparation before taking the leap. Emphasizing genuine operational enhancements over fleeting trends is paramount, guiding clients toward integrations that yield enduring advantages.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on March 19, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

The post Four Questions to Guide High-Impact Enterprise AI Integrations appeared first on My TechDecisions.

Security Operations Centers (SOC) and Beyond

As businesses focus on business continuity and situational intelligence, IT integrators with a holistic approach are increasingly being asked to extend their expertise beyond the peripheral systems that they are deploying — into the Operation Centers that manage the systems. This natural expansion emphasizes the growing need for a comprehensive approach that combines security, operational functionalities, infrastructure and AV considerations within the enterprise.

C-Level Recognition of Platform Solutions

A significant shift is occurring in the C-Suite with chief information officers (CIOs) recognizing the value of adopting platform solutions over point solutions for visual displays serving core enterprise operations. Enterprises are increasingly seeking integrated platforms that go beyond individual applications, thus providing a unified solution for all visual display needs. This shift reflects a desire for comprehensive solutions that streamline operations and enhance overall efficiency.

Rise of Data Dashboards in Enterprise

The rise of data dashboards in the enterprise is fueled by the growing need for effective metrics measurement and tracking. In this landscape, operational benefits play a crucial role, allowing businesses to manage content on any screen without relying on expensive and unsecure thin client PCs or USB drives, eliminating the need for significant manual intervention in content updates. Users can securely and centrally manage content directly from their web browser, presenting a more efficient and secure approach.

This trend is underpinned by the demand for integrated solutions that seamlessly connect with leading technologies. Notably, these data dashboards fully integrate with key applications like Power BI and Tableau as a single source, ensuring automatic, persistent and secure authentication to dashboards, charts and reports.

The aggregation of multiple charts as a source facilitates the secure distribution of operational data to relevant teams and stakeholders. This not only highlights the importance of technological compatibility but also underscores the broader trend of fostering informed decision-making through streamlined and secure data management.

Software-Defined Solutions versus Hardware Limitations

The paradigm of hardware-based point solutions is becoming obsolete as software solutions gain prominence. The ability of software solutions to seamlessly integrate with various industry-leading technologies provides a level of flexibility and scalability that hardware-based solutions struggle to match. This shift marks a departure from the limitations of hardware-centric approaches to a more agile and interconnected future.

The Significance of 8K Solutions

The advent of 8K solutions adds a new dimension to AV/IT integration. As display resolutions continue to evolve, the demand for higher quality visuals in enterprise environments is driving the adoption of 8K solutions. This shift is not just about increased pixel density; it’s about providing a more immersive and detailed visual experience that enhances collaboration and decision-making processes.

AV Integrators Embracing IT Protocols

On the flip side, AV integrators are gradually embracing IT protocols and solutions designed for the digital age. Software-defined solutions built for IT — standardized over networks — are gaining traction. While the adoption may be slower due to the historical reliance and subsequent familiarity that hardware solutions provide, the industry is witnessing a transformative shift towards embracing more agile and adaptable software-defined solutions.

In conclusion, the convergence of AV/IT is reshaping the landscape of enterprise operations. From organizational restructuring, to the demand for comprehensive platform solutions, and the adoption of software-defined approaches; the trends in AV/IT integration indicate a paradigm shift towards a more interconnected, data-driven and technologically advanced future for businesses.

As the industry continues to evolve, staying abreast of these AV/IT integration trends is imperative for integrators seeking to provide modernized enterprise-class solutions to their clients.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on March 15, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

Jamey Miles is VP Channel & Strategic Accounts at Userful.

The post Top AV/IT Integration Trends Shaping Enterprise Operations in 2024 appeared first on My TechDecisions.

The White House Center for Science and Technology Policy defined the five core principles that underpin the Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights. In July 2023, several large technology companies including Google and Meta convened at the White House to announce voluntary commitments advancing the safe, secure, and transparent development of AI. The latest order sets out to define standards for safety and security, advance equity and civil rights, promote innovation and competition, and ensure transparency to protect consumers. This sweeping order also promises to foster strong international collaboration to ensure the same principles guide global AI development. Let’s delve into the key areas and explore five main takeaways.

1) Defines New Standards for AI Safety & Security

The executive order requires that companies developing the most powerful AI algorithms notify the government when they are training these models and share critical safety test data with the U.S. government. This will apply to models that may pose national security, economic, public health, and safety risks. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will develop rigorous standards to ensure that AI systems are secure and trustworthy prior to their public release. The order also builds on the Biden-Harris Administration Artificial Intelligence Cyber Challenge (AIxCC) with a cybersecurity program that encourages the adoption of AI tools to flag and mitigate vulnerabilities in critical software.

2) Emphasizes Privacy & Data Protection

The Biden Administration’s order is developing programs that will evaluate and develop best practices for federal agencies to protect data privacy for Americans. This program will fund the creation of a Research Coordination Network which will collaborate closely with the National Science Foundation to encourage widespread adoption of cutting-edge privacy technologies by federal agencies. This order also requires that federal agencies be provided with stronger guidance on how they collect and use commercially available information in order to mitigate the risks posed by AI.

3) Advances Equity & Civil Rights

The Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights identifies algorithmic discrimination as an emerging area that undermines equality and civil rights. Guidelines and best practices will be developed to help ensure that AI is used responsibly in the criminal justice system, benefits programs, federal contractors, landlords, and in workplaces. Federal law enforcement agencies will be equipped with the knowledge, skills, and tools to properly investigate and prosecute civil rights violations that involve the use of AI.

4) Advocates for Patients, Workers & Consumers

Society enjoys real benefits from AI applications — including improved healthcare research and delivery, greater productivity, and more personalized experiences in several settings. However, AI brings with it increased workplace surveillance, bias, and potential for discrimination in medical, employment, consumer, and educational settings. The White House Executive Order on Artificial Intelligence benefits workers by defining guiding principles and best practices to ensure employers do not misuse AI to exploit or discriminate against workers. It also establishes a budget to ensure that AI is used effectively and ethically for the development of lifesaving healthcare treatments and to correct healthcare practices.

5) Promotes American Leadership in AI Innovation & Fosters Competition

This order, along with others issued in recent years, fosters breakthrough innovation by authorizing pilot programs, grants and education opportunities. It also emphasizes the need for international, multi-disciplinary collaboration to ensure that the future of AI is safe and trustworthy everywhere. To this end, the State and Commerce Departments will lead international efforts to institute effective frameworks and accelerate the creation of crucial international AI standards that will mitigate risks while still allowing people to take advantage of AI’s many benefits.

The executive order’s standards, best practices, and principles lay a strong foundation for developing responsible, equitable AI systems. The U.S., in collaboration with international partners, aims to ensure that AI is trustworthy, upholds individual rights, and its fullest potential is maximized to support critical global initiatives. AI is still in its early stages, but this Bill marks an important milestone.

Jennifer Mullen, Emerging Technology Solutions at Keysight Technologies (KEYS)

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Research by Frost & Sullivan reports there is greater adoption of meeting insights and analytics tools to gain a better understanding of space utilization, performance, and engagement, with 76% of the decision-makers indicating this is a key capability. Companies are looking into implementing emerging technologies that provide insights on the workspace and meeting room utilization.

Today’s workforce has become accustomed to the Bring Your Own Meeting (BYOM) or Bring your own Device (BYOD) concept in meeting rooms. The Barco ClickShare solution enables users to host calls from their own laptop with their preferred videoconferencing platform, using the audio and video equipment in the meeting room. According to Barco, ClickShare has been leading the market with its wireless BYOM approach, as market research company Futuresource Consulting has previously estimated that ClickShare’s portfolio makes up over 50% of the global wireless conferencing market.

Clickshare & Microsoft Integration

With more than 240,000 ClickShare Conference devices in the field, ClickShare will be a significant data source for Microsoft Teams Rooms management capabilities and will feed into future initiatives. This first step provides valuable insights for IT decision makers without changing the user experience. When initiating a Teams call, the user’s Teams desktop client identifies the connected microphone, speaker, and camera via the ClickShare Base Unit and Button, passing the data into the Teams Pro Portal. Once multiple users have connected to the same ClickShare Base Unit, the information is populated for IT managers as a potential shared space within the Pro Management portal, enabling registration and management of the meeting space.

“ClickShare has always put the user at the heart of the experience, while guaranteeing IT managers have the necessary insights to equip meeting rooms in the most optimal way,” says Jan van Houtte, head of product at Barco. “Through this integration, Microsoft and Barco will work together to build easy management systems at scale for their customers. The joint forces in the Shared Spaces initiative are a first yet crucial step to explore market opportunities and establish a future portfolio.”

“Barco shares a clear focus with Microsoft on creating the best meeting experience. This focus drives our decision making, strategy, and partnerships, which has led us to take this step,” says Dan Root, head of global strategic alliances at Barco. “We are very pleased to be a part of the Microsoft Teams Devices ecosystem, and to bring Microsoft into our partnership program. Through this collaboration we will work together to build industry-leading solutions that take collaboration to the next level.”

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Commercial Integrator on February 22, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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The Crisis of Convergence: OT/ICS Cybersecurity 2023, which is available for free download, “details diverse intensifying challenges, including growth in attacks via Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) models, exploitation of supply chain vulnerabilities and prevalence of state-sponsored hackers and other politically motivated actors in the wake of geopolitical issues,” according to the company announcement.

TXOne Networks surveyed 405 key information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) security decision-makers from across multiple global markets and sectors including automotive, pharmaceuticals and biotechnology, chemical, general manufacturing, oil and gas and transportation in September 2023.

The Crisis of Convergence: OT/ICS Cybersecurity 2023 “distills the survey findings, alongside extensive TXOne Networks threat research from 545 cybersecurity incidents around the world in 2023,” according to the company announcement.

“The threat landscape has intensified significantly in the industrial manufacturing and critical infrastructure sectors, leading to destructive events, economic losses, and potential risks to human safety,” reads the TXOne Networks report, which was produced in collaboration with Frost & Sullivan.

“Organizations emphasize the protection of critical OT assets as a top priority, with data security being a key investment area within their OT security budget allocations,” the report says. “Organizations are also seeking to invest in strengthening the resilience of their technological infrastructure and are turning to innovative approaches like Cyber-Physical Systems Detection and Response (CPSDR), which integrates OT expertise across various domains.

“This enhances OT security posture and resilience against evolving threats, enabling organizations to better protect their operations and ensure resilience in the face of a constantly changing threat environment,” according to the report.

More About the TXOne Networks Cybersecurity Report

The Crisis of Convergence: OT/ICS Cybersecurity 2023 explores a range of topics relevant to contemporary OT/ICS cybersecurity:

• Ransomware threats
• OT system maintenance and Information Technology (IT) integration concerns
• Nation-state cyberattacks and implications
• Dedicated teams for OT and Industrial Control System (ICS) security management
• OT/ICS cybersecurity investment
• New regulations and standards propelling OT/ICS defense
• Supply-chain Integrity

“The Crisis of Convergence: OT/ICS Cybersecurity 2023 is the result of a thorough research and technical analysis that is aimed at delivering up-to-date insights into the global threat landscape and the tactics that malicious actors employ to launch attacks,” says Terence Liu, chief executive officer (CEO) of TXOne Networks, in the announcement.

“The findings are clear,” he says. “Organizations must move well beyond regulatory compliance in their OT/ICS cybersecurity strategies if they are to successfully adapt for the constantly evolving threat.

“Safeguarding the availability, reliability and security of revenue-generating operations will depend on new governance structures, enhanced team and technical capabilities, integration of advanced threat detection and response into cybersecurity frameworks and risk management across the supply chain,” says Liu.

Another version of this article originally appeared on our sister-site Security Sales & Integration on February 16, 2024. It has since been updated for My TechDecisions’ audience.

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