E-Business
Move to ‘the Cloud’, Save Costs on the Ground (Google Apps)
When times get tough, focusing on your core business is imperative. Cutting bottom-line costs to the business along with making operations run as efficiently and effectively as possible is one of the first steps towards shoring up your defences.
In these tough economic times, ask any company if they could save money a year per employee and most likely they’d jump at the chance.
IT can be a big upfront cost and having to manage it on a daily basis can increase spend and distract you even further from your core focus – making money. Until now.
The business approach to IT is being redefined by the Internet. Email, documents, calendars and other business communication tools are increasingly being delivered and hosted online via a trend known as ‘cloud computing’.
Cloud computing is a simple concept: applications and data are delivered over the Internet via a third party. It’s a transformational, disruptive technology which is having a big impact on the way the world of IT works and the way businesses run IT.
Cloud computing has many key benefits, but two stand out – firstly, cost savings. Once you’re hooked up to the web, the cost of buying licenses, purchasing servers and maintaining them is reduced because it’s possible to effectively ‘rent’ business applications from a third party.
From a budget perspective, it brings predictable costs for IT and dramatically reduces spend on traditional desktop software.
Secondly, there are productivity gains to be made from running your business via the cloud. Key to this is the shift towards a more collaborative way of working.
We need to share information and work with others to get things done, and the Internet allows you to do this in a way that hasn’t been possible before.
A business owner in Leeds chats with one of her managers working from London as they work on the same spreadsheet at the same time.
An on-the-road sales team meets on a single document in the cloud to plan the next quarter’s budget. Getting access to information instantly, from wherever you might be, on whatever device you need it is crucial.
After all, the geographical and mobile nature of business doesn’t change just because credit is harder to come by.
Some business owners could be hesitant to transfer their entire IT infrastructure to the cloud: hosting your data with a web-based provider can represent a shift in thinking about control and security of data.
However, it is important to remember that the business of the key cloud computing providers who host the data depends on offering a secure environment for it.
They invest more time and money in protecting their customers’ data than any small organisation could possibly afford; in fact, it is one of the most important factors considered when developing new products that handle personal and business data.
Over 5 million businesses are currently using our Google Apps productivity suite which provides online email, instant messaging, documents, video and much more.
Many of these companies are businesses who have seen that this model makes economic and business sense, making them more agile, flexible, competitive and innovative. The question is, have you?
Sophos, a global leader of innovative security solutions that defeat cyberattacks, has released its inaugural “MSP Perspectives 2024” survey report, which found that the biggest day-to-day challenge facing Managed Service Providers (MSP) is keeping up with the latest cybersecurity solutions/technologies, cited by 39% of the MSPs surveyed.
Alongside this, MSPs indicated that hiring new cybersecurity analysts to keep up with customer growth and keep pace with the latest cyberthreats were also top challenges.
The survey also reveals that MSPs perceive the shortage of in-house cybersecurity skills to be the single biggest cybersecurity risk to both their own business and their clients’ organizations.
MSPs also perceive stolen access data and credentials and unpatched vulnerabilities to be amongst the biggest security risks to their customers.
The latest State of Ransomware 2024 report found that nearly a third (29%) of ransomware attacks started with compromised credentials, showing the prevalence of this entry vector.
“The speed of innovation across the cybersecurity battleground means it’s harder than ever for MSPs to keep up with threats and the cyber controls designed to stop them.
“When you couple this with a global skills shortage, which has made it infinitely more difficult for many MSPs to attract and retain cybersecurity analyst resources, its unsurprising that MSPs feel unable to keep pace with the changing threat landscape,” said Scott Barlow vice president of MSP at Sophos.
“This is all compounded by the need for 24×7 coverage as indicated in our 2023 Active Adversary report for Tech Leaders, which finds that 91% of ransomware attacks now happen out of business hours.”
In response to this complex threat landscape, there is growing demand for managed detection and response (MDR) services to provide always-on coverage. Currently 81% of MSPs offer an MDR service, and almost all (97%) MSPs that do not currently offer MDR plan to add it to their portfolio in the coming years.
Reflecting the shortage of in-house cybersecurity skills, 66% of MSPs use a third-party vendor to deliver the MDR service and a further 15% deliver jointly through their own SOC and a third-party vendor.
Topping the list of essential capabilities in a third-party MDR provider is the ability to provide a 24/7 incident response service.
MSPs are also streamlining their cybersecurity partnerships, working with a small number of vendors.
The study revealed that over half (53%) of MSPs work with just one or two cybersecurity vendors, rising to 83% that use between one and five.
Reflecting the effort and overhead of running multiple platforms, MSPs estimate that they could cut their day-to-day management time by 48% if they could manage all their cybersecurity tools from a single platform.
Other interesting findings from the report include:
· 99% of MSPs report an increase in demand for cyber insurance-related support, with the most common requests including clients wanting to implement an MDR service to improve their insurability (47%) or to receive help completing their insurance application (45%).
· MSPs want flexibility from their MDR provider, with 71% saying it is “essential or very important” that the vendor can use telemetry from their existing security tools for threat detection and response.
· MSPs in the U.S. lead the way in MDR service provision with almost all (94%) already offering MDR, compared to 70% in Germany, 62% in the U.K., and 58% in Australia.
“While MSPs have a huge job to do in protecting their customers against fast moving adversaries, there’s tremendous opportunity to grow their business and profitability if they can find the right security set up.
“The data shows that MSPs are strengthening their proposition and reducing overheads by amalgamating the platforms they use and engaging with third-party MDR vendors to expand their service offerings.
“As they look to build their security offering of the future, they should prioritize vendors that can offer a complete portfolio of industry-best, fully managed security services and solutions,” continued Barlow.
Data for the MSP Perspectives 2024 report comes from a vendor-agnostic survey of 350 MSPs across the U.S. (200), U.K. (50), Germany (50) and Australia (50). The survey was commissioned by Sophos and conducted by research house Vanson Bourne in March 2024.
Read the MSP Perspectives 2024 report for global findings and data by sector on Sophos.com.
Konga Tech Month sales campaign from e-commerce giant Konga has been nothing short of a sensation since it kicked off on the 1st of this month. With massive discounts promised on a wide range of tech products, shoppers have flocked to Konga’s website in droves, taking advantage of the incredible deals on offer.
However, with just two days left before the campaign ends on Friday, May 31, the clock is ticking for shoppers to grab their favorite items at unbeatable prices.
Throughout the month, Konga has lived up to its promise of delivering mouth-watering deals and discounts to its customers. From smartphones and laptops to home appliances and gadgets, there has been something for everyone at Konga Tech Month. Whether you’re looking to upgrade your tech arsenal or simply snag a bargain on essential items for your home, now is the time to act.
The sheer magnitude of the discounts on offer sets Konga Tech Month apart. Shoppers have been treated to unprecedented deals on some of the biggest brands in the industry, with discounts of up to 50% or more on select items. From flagship smartphones to cutting-edge gadgets, Konga has pulled out all the stops to ensure customers get the best possible deals.
Konga Tech Month goes beyond just tech gadgets and home essentials. The event recognizes the growing need for reliable internet access in Nigeria. As the trusted platform for acquiring genuine Starlink Kits, Konga offers these innovative satellite internet solutions at attractive deals. But the good news does not stop there. During Konga Tech Month, shoppers can benefit from nationwide free delivery on Starlink kits, allowing them to connect to high-speed internet even in remote areas, empowering them to stay connected and bridge the digital divide.
Konga Tech Month is more than just a shopping event. It is a tech revolution that has empowered Nigerians to access technology that improves their lives, businesses, and connections to the world. With unbeatable discounts, genuine products, and unparalleled convenience, Konga has once again proven why it is the go-to destination for tech enthusiasts and savvy shoppers alike.
But with just two days left until the end of the month, now is the time to make your move. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to grab incredible deals on your favorite tech products before it’s too late. Whether you’ve had your eye on that new smartphone or you are in need of a new laptop, there’s never been a better time to shop at Konga.
Innovantics Limited, end-to-end custom-built software solutions provider, has won the best biometric banking solutions of the year award at this year’s Africa Beacon of ICT (ABoICT) Awards held in Lagos at the weekend.
The biometric banking solutions was implemented by Innovantics for UBA, Africa’s pan-African bank to solve difficult business problems.
At the award ceremony organized by Communication Week, publishers of Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, Innovantics was commended for its biometric authentication, facial recognition solutions.
The Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit Awards Series is widely regarded as the most prestigious annual event available in the ICT industry in Nigeria.
This year, the theme “Artificial Intelligence (AI): The Good, The Complex and The Anticipated” and it drew top politicians and government functionaries as well captains in the ICT industry as well financial institutions
Commenting, Ken Nwogbo, editor-in-chief and founder, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, said that that the award will provide Innovantics with encouragement to continue to deliver and sustain more innovations.
In accepting the award, Thomas Ashi, co-founder and Digital Transformation Lead at Innovantics, who led the implementation for UBA, said that “we are also focused on positioning Innovantics, as a prominent player in the solutions space. Offering specialised and customised solutions across our coverage areas.”
Armed with bachelor’s degree in Physics from the University of Calabar, and an MBA from the Lagos Business School, as well MSc in Data Science and Analytics from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte, USA, Ashi said “Our future depends on us, so let’s build it together”
Ashi over 17 years of working experience included a one-year stint with Shell Petroleum Development Company of Nigeria where he participated in the Shell Intensive Training Program for graduates, popularly known as SITP/1, specializing in Information Technology.
Afterwards, he spent two years with the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, as a Systems Administrator, where he set up the school’s Wide Area Network and Internet Access, before proceeding to work for Diamond Bank Plc.
For more than 12 years, his roles in the Bank’s IT department span, Software Development, Business Process Engineering, Business Analysis and Project Management. While in Diamond Bank, Ashi was credited for developing the first local global trade solution for the Bank’s International Trade Business, a Money Market Solution, an IT helpdesk platform, and a host of other solutions. He also pioneered the implementation of a Business Process Management platform for the Bank which accelerated the bank’s retail expansion by over 1000%.
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