Thursday 25 July 2013

BYOD or UYOD


There is much said about BYOD in recent times, but I suspect the intent of BYOD is being lost in the debate.

The intent of BYOD may better be described as Use Your Own Device, or UYOD.  

There are plenty of reasons, good reasons, why enterprises are not keen to allow their employees to connect consumer or non-enterprise sanctioned devices to the enterprise network.  There are issues of virus and malware protection, data access and protection and architectural standards.

However, there is also lots of good reasons why you want to enable your stakeholders, including employees, customers and suppliers, to be able to transact with you regardless of their location, the time of day or the device they are using.  It could be as simple as web mail access, time sheeting, purchase order submitting or requesting leave.

In reality if you let people connect to web mail, or to your network via a VPN, from their home PC you are supporting users to use their own devices.

I wonder if the word ‘Bring’ causes the confusion and angst?  Users interacting with your systems either via VPN or internet pages are likely doing that on devices that are not enterprise sanctioned.  This issue for the enterprise is not whether or not it is happening, but how to provide great service in this environment, especially when your CEO wants to drive cost down and service levels up by leveraging the internet?

I suspect what you will need is a browser strategy - a plan to deliver every piece of information possible, and every transaction practicable, via a browser.  Once you have done that, users can use their own devices with ease and the concepts of BYOD revert to being nothing more than a fad we have passed through.

Cheers!

Wednesday 24 July 2013

Why I Think #EQNZ Validates Cloud Computing

It was scary - the scariest earthquake I have experienced and Wellington's weekend earthquake did teach me a number of things.
Map courtesy of Geonet.org.nz

First an foremost it gave me the smallest sense of what the people of Christchurch, Japan, Haiti and other places hit by much larger earthquakes must have felt.  I wasn't 'terrified', and we didn't have a single piece of damage in our house, but it was real.  The kids were jittery for hours as were some of the adults we had visiting at the time.  For those who have lived through, and are rebuilding, after much more devastating events, I salute you.

Secondly, it was a good reminder that living in NZ, we all need to be prepared.  Thankfully we had just completed an audit of our supplies (school holiday task for Mr 12 and Ms 11) and were good.  Please make sure you have what you need.  There is good information available on the Ministry of Civil Defense and Emergency Management website.  There is no excuse for not being ready.

Business Continuity - Cloud Style
While this latest earthquake was not as big or devastating as others in recent times, it was enough to cause a lot of workplaces to be off limits while buildings were inspected and/or cleaned up.

My employer, Fronde, is a technology company specialising in 'cloud integration'.  Put simply we help other organisations leverage the goodness that is cloud computing and integrate that goodness into their systems, processes and operations, to transform their business.

Understandably we passionate cloud computing users.  And on Monday, with our office off limits, that was put to the test in a BCP context.  Different people in different roles have different needs, but most importantly, as a business we could still communicate - communicate with our employees, customers and partners even though our offices were closed.

Communication is the lifeblood of any business or organisation, and because we have not just our communication tools, but also our productivity, CRM and ERP systems in the cloud the majority of my colleagues continued to function remotely without any significant degradation in service.

Of course focusing on the health and well-being of our family, friends, neighbours and colleagues is paramount.  But once everyone is safe, keeping your business running in a time of societal stress is vital to your own economic security as well as the nation's productivity. 

You should look seriously at the security and business continuity benefits of cloud computing.  It saves dollars and makes sense.

Cheers!






Sunday 21 July 2013

Beer of the Month, July 2013

Welcome to my first note on my own choice of 'beer of the month'. This could be a beer I have tasted for the first time, one I have brewed or a commercial beer that is just hitting the spot nicely.

With the colder months upon us I have been drinking the darker beers (I tend to anyway, but especially in the colder months).  

I have found myself at Wellington's The Bruhaus more than once this last week, and to be honest, it has been a commercial beer, albeit from the UK that I have enjoyed the most.  Good old London Porter.  It is stronger than some NZ porters, but I have savored the flavor and the after taste.

I have enjoyed each visit to The Bruhaus - it is inviting, the staff are friendly and the beer selection is great. And what's even better is the food is great (I do like their beef burger).
So if you enjoy an easy to drink porter, drop in an have a pint on the way home.  Check out the map below to find them. 


View Larger Map

Please always drink responsibly.  We have so many good beers available in Wellington - it is worth taking the time to enjoy them. 

Cheers!

Monday 15 July 2013

When Is BYOD Not BYOD?

I have had a lot of conversations about BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in the last few weeks.  I have been amazed at just how strongly people feel about the issue.  Almost universally people tell me that BYOD will not work in the corporate enterprise, local government or central government.

It has been a topic of debate amongst colleagues and customers alike.

BYOD is not BYOD if all you are talking about is the device. 
http://communities.intel.com/servlet/JiveServlet/showImage/38-14858-221915/multitouch.jpg

BYOD is not about a piece of plastic, but rather it is about ubiquitous access to consumer or business information anywhere and at any time.   It has been said that giving employees remote access to your enterprise systems via VPN is in effect allowing them to BYOD.  Hard to argue... they are after all using their own computer device to connect.

BYOD is not just about your employees, but it is also about your customers.  

Governments and businesses used to provide kiosks for citizens and customers to access the internet.  Some still do, but more and more just provide free WiFi.  They do this because people walk in the door with their own devices - smartphones, tablets, laptops and even gaming consoles.

Move away from a device centric discussion people - move it to being about your customers (not just your employees) being able to access information or transact at any time, from any place, in any way.

Here's a prediction.  Schools and universities will start to phase out computer rooms and labs in the next 2 years.  They will never disappear, but there will be less of them.  You heard it here first!

Cheers!


Monday 1 July 2013

Thanks Ma'a - You Saved Me Time

I was going to write a new blog today but there is no need.  After Ma'a Nonu's brain explosion over the weekend, I get to just say it again. 

Ma'a Nonu is not a leader.  For New Zealand Rugby to get the best from him he must be sent to the Crusaders where he can play with leaders. 

As I said in a previous post, there are leaders and players, and then there is Ma'a.


After a good turnout for the All Black's vs France series it only takes a week to revert to his usual ways.  Never forget, not all game changers are leaders.  Make sure people you hire to lead can in fact lead.

Cheers!