2020 started with a nasty surprise for the entire world, and since then the impact of Covid-19 Pandemic and the ripples are being felt far and wide by every human being and every industry. The lockdown and the immediate need to shift to a remote working arrangement threw many organizations completely out of their comfort zone and forced all most every industry to shift to a remote work environment.
For many organizations, this shift would be permanent whereas for some the shift will be more towards a hybrid work culture. The impact of these prevailing trends on IMS Industry is nothing short of transformational albeit ridden with challenges. In my opinion, here are the four ways remote working has impacted the IMS industry
- Transformational shift in terms of the way the industry works:
COVID changed the way IMS providers worked earlier. The sudden need to shift WFA mode meant that IMS providers had to quickly enable their clients with the infra needed for WFA and seamless transition from offline mode to WFA mode. Traditional IMS providers who were not ready for remote infra management were completely taken by surprise and had to scramble to upgrade their capabilities. Going forward, providers who will ensure seamless hybrid workplace option for their clients by ensuring adequate infrastructure that supports remote collaboration on a 24/7 basis, are the ones who will succeed in the long run.
- Readiness to manage logistics remotely:
The WFA mandate threw newer challenges for the industry, especially in terms of managing the logistics of enabling required infra for employees without being physically present in client locations. Whether it comes to enabling VDS or ensuring that repairs are done remotely, the challenges have been many and will continue to be there. IMS providers need to be ready to predict and handle all such scenarios.
- Requirement for continuous education & training:
While most clients understood the need to shift to WFA mode, the responsibility of educating the leadership and the employees on the right way to do it fell solely on IMS providers. It also became imperative for the industry to train its own resources to upskill themselves in order to handle the newer challenges thrown by the shifting demands and challenges of remote working.
- Capability to manage Cyber Security and End Point vulnerability concerns:
Cyber-attacks and security breaches in a remote working environment have become really important challenges for IMS providers to address. Enforcing enterprise systems and data security while ensuring remote access and the capability to manage security threats havebecome default must-have capabilities that a IMS provider must provide and this has resulted in IMS providers rushing to partner/collaborate with relevant partners with utmost immediacy.
To conclude, these are challenging but exciting times for the IMS Industry and gives us an opportunity to help our clients move to more modern infrastructure that will not only ensure that their business continues to function without disruption but will also enable them to create and run their most modern and customised business applications without worrying about associated Infra concerns.
Vivek Hegde,
Founder Director & CEO
Ahana Systems & Solutions
