Organisations and remote sites operating at the network edge face a unique set of challenges when adopting the latest technologies
Digital transformation impacts every aspect of our lives—how we work, shop, connect with family and friends, stream entertainment, and pay for things.
Thanks to digital disruptors like Amazon, Uber and Netflix, today’s connected and smartphone-wielding consumers have high expectations. For them, the rules of engagement have changed, with ease and convenience becoming a ‘must have’ whenever they enter a store or head online.
Little surprise, then, that the rapid adoption of technology to transform their operations has become a top priority for enterprises of every size and in every sector. But nobody feels this imperative more keenly than small businesses and franchise owners.
For them, adapting to this new digital dynamic represents a commercial imperative. By failing to keep up with digital trends, these businesses risk missing out on important opportunities and getting left by the wayside in an era that’s characterised by fast-paced disruption.
These organisations – think petrol stations, convenience stores, fast-food restaurants, and GP surgeries – operate away from the main HQ, right at the network edge, in this case at the periphery of the network in the remote location away from HQ.
Because of this highly distributed setup these organisations face a unique set of challenges when adopting the latest technologies. Let’s explore some of the top transformation challenges they face:
The move to the cloud
The pervasive nature of digital real-time interactions means modern businesses are moving to digital-first strategies that accelerate innovation, drive growth, and improve efficiency.
In bid to connect people, things and locations, they’re turning to the cloud to access a rich choice of applications that reduce operational expenditure, while enabling new and agile ways of working.
Cloud computing delivers numerous benefits – especially for small business and franchise owners. It provides a low-cost way to access the infrastructure and IT resources needed to drive digital business advantage. British SMBs have been quick to seize the opportunity — according to the British Chamber of Commerce, 69 percent of SMBs now harness some form of cloud computing service.
As the cloud becomes the gateway to utilising cutting edge technologies such as analytics, AI and automation, small businesses are set to benefit as these capabilities become democratised and accessible.
By being able to compete on a level playing field with much larger enterprises, they’ll leverage these advanced technologies to develop new improved products and elevate how they engage with customers.
However, all this adds up to a growing volume of business-critical network workloads that will need to be protected from any potential failure in network availability, performance or reliability.