Thanks to the latest developments in IT and digital technology, doing business is getting easier and cheaper than ever before. However, as the barriers to entry to this market decrease, it also means that the business environment is becoming increasingly competitive.
When high-speed internet and efficient digital systems weren’t mainstream just a couple of decades ago, the number of people shopping online and using technology to give their business a competitive edge was quite small. As digital technology became cheaper over time, it’s become widely available to society at large. In fact, the increased reach of the internet means more people can access this global network at far lower costs.
Moreover, the extensive use of technology and the internet in recent years has given rise to several industries which are either completely dependent upon the internet and technology or strongly associated with it.
For example, services such as web development, search engine optimization, and social media marketing are fields that depend entirely upon the internet and digital solutions.
Even fields that traditionally had truly little to do with technology and the internet, such as journalism, photography, and even medicine, now rely significantly on technology to perform their work.
IT AND THE INTERNET TODAY
The main reason for this change in trends across markets and industries is because the internet is quickly becoming an extensively used medium for people all over the world from all age groups.
Nearly everyone is frequently using the internet. According to research, the internet receives close to 4 billion users daily. E-commerce platforms are conducting billions of dollars worth of transactions each day. While the digital entertainment business has also developed into a multi-billion-dollar industry.
YOUR BUSINESS IN TODAY’S DIGITAL CONTEXT
Due to the recent pandemic, many companies were forced to downsize or close. Many people lost their jobs and resorted to working remotely or trying to start their own businesses. The online e-commerce arenas have witnessed an unprecedented surge in both sellers and buyers. While e-commerce has been the way to go for many people during the pandemic, it can’t be denied that nearly every business industry has received more upstarts, and each industry has become more competitive.
In the past, simply having a website, a modest online seller platform, and providing goods to customers in response to online purchases was the most businesses needed for their online presence. In terms of internal operations, a basic local network and digitizing some aspects of the infrastructure were enough to reduce costs and improve functionality drastically.
However, as these become the norm, not only have they lost the value, they provided businesses, but businesses are no longer able to maintain their competitive edge by employing these basic technologies alone.
To maximize your available technology and truly benefit from the latest developments, you must go the extra mile and see how you can implement technology to provide your clients the service they need while improving your own backend functionality, as well.
As these technologies become more complex, it may be a good idea to research a reliable IT company in London, France, or wherever you’re located who can provide support for all your digital requirements. Whether you’re adopting AI for your production line, trying to develop a remote working infrastructure, or looking to enhance your digital security, you need the right IT support by your side to get the job done well.
Let’s look at some of the latest IT developments and how you can use them to give your business the edge it needs.
IT SERVICES FOR BUSINESS TODAY
CYBERSECURITY
While the increase in digital traffic has been great for buyers (as they receive more variety at better prices), and it’s been great for sellers (because have more people to sell to), it’s also been great for cybercriminals – because they have a larger pool to prey on.
Buyers, sellers, and even the average internet user can all become victims of digital crime. However, small to medium-scale businesses are an excellent target. Statistics prove this point, as recent studies show that nearly 60% of all digital attacks targeted SMEs. As digital attacks grow increasingly complex and difficult to detect, having an anti-virus or VPN isn’t enough.
NETWORKING
In the past, both small and large businesses relied on basic LAN networks to get the entire organization on the same platform to digitally exchange information. However, networks have evolved significantly to accommodate these changes.
To accommodate advanced computing strategies, you need advanced networking solutions which can keep up with your processes and not bottleneck your performance. The network of your organization acts as the spine of the digital infrastructure, interconnecting all related services and devices. A poor network hinders the performance of an entire organization and causes disruptions in the overall workflow.
CLOUD COMPUTING
As a business owner, your #1 goal is profitability – and nothing helps reduce costs and improve profits like cloud computing. Previously, this was only employed by large organizations because it was such an expensive solution. Today, even a small business can use concrete cloud computing services to complete an array of tasks.
However, to get the most out of your cloud computing, you should have an expert or two on hand who can assist you in managing your cloud solution on a day-to-day basis.
HACKING YOUR IT TO INCREASE BUSINESS PRODUCTIVITY
The way you use these solutions – and the extent to which they are effective in boosting your business’s performance – will depend entirely on the nature of the businesses and the efficiency with which you employ these techniques. To get maximum output from any digital solution, your best bet is to hire the services of a seasoned IT expert who can help you in setting up, expanding, troubleshooting, and the overall upkeep of your entire digital infrastructure.