Without a doubt the advantages of migration to cloud computing and operational adoption have been a foundational game-changer for large organizations. However, cloud computing is fast becoming a change agent for Mid-Tier Enterprises (MTEs) as well.
Architecture
Desktop as a Service, or ‘DaaS’, represents computers that you access over a network and remotely control just like a normal computer. That network could be the internet or a company network. You can be hundreds of miles away from a desktop.
Most IT environments have a requirement to keep systems up to date on vendor patches. Typically, in on-premise environments there are dedicated systems that scan and update patching targets. The patching targets in this case are the operating systems of servers or virtual machines, including Windows servers and many variants of Linux. Examples of this kind of software include Microsoft Windows Server Update Services, Red Hat Satellite, IBM BigFix, or Ivanti. This blog specifically references operating system patching.
The term “technical debt” originated from Ward Cunningham, one of the authors of the Agile Manifesto. He once said that some problems with code are like financial debt. Technical debt is incurred by completing work in a swift way with some known and/or unknown gaps, which is like a financial debt. Like a financial debt, the technical debt results in interest payments, which come in the form of the extra effort that technology professionals must do in future work because of design choices or shortcuts. We can continue paying the interest, or we can pay down the principal by correcting or polishing the hasty work results into more refined results. Technical debt is usually unintentional, but similar to accrued interest, the impact often increases over time.
Master data represents some of the most valuable information shared across an organization such as customer, vendor, product, and employee data. It tends to be static and non-transactional in nature, meaning it doesn’t change very often. Master data may also include reference data such as zip codes and U.S. states as part of address data for customers, vendors, or employees.
Ever heard the saying, “The Cloud is just someone else’s computer”? This is one of the many arguments I encountered as I became an early adopter in 2010. While it is technically true, it misses the point: the inherent flexibility and benefits of the “Cloud” maximize the chances of differentiating your company from its competitors, especially in financial services.
The brain power was palpable. We hosted the Global Azure Bootcamp at our space in Richmond, Virginia, and the attendees were ready to tackle some big cloud issues during breakouts and presentations.
We asked attendees to fill out a survey about their cloud adoption and implementation journeys, as well as their top challenges. They revealed themes that are reminiscent of trends we’ve seen in our clients’ cloud journeys.
While most organizations have made some investments in each of the three building blocks of cybersecurity, many overemphasize “technology.” The most overlooked component are the “people,” which will actually make or break the effectiveness of your cybersecurity.
