**Lee Wade**Founder & CEO Exponential-e.
On the broadest existential level, the COVID-19 virus has highlighted the critical importance of digital transformation and Cloud-based solutions for the future of companies, societies and economies. The changes brought about by COVID-19 have created a tumultuous environment, the long-term impact of which is still unknown. Governments around the world have moved rapidly to devise strategic plans to contain the virus, along with recovery plans that address cultural, social and economic challenges. At a microcosmic company level, we must all do the same to establish our modus operandi in the ‘new normal’ to deliver the best possible outcome for all our stakeholders. This report looks at the cultural, technological and resilience issues we are facing, as we work to achieve this.
Whatever actions we take next to define our route through the COVID-19 malaise, they will have an impact on all our companies’ future survival and success. But this presents an opportunity to re-evaluate the kind of companies we want to be, post-COVID-19. One certainty we need to address is the move towards a distributed workforce, rather than the traditional office environment.
This working environment has already become the ‘new normal’, with companies implementing a range of options for their staff, but there is still much to be done. For most companies, it was not difficult to implement solutions for video conferencing. But with a range of options that may become critical in the future, what other technologies and applications should we be investing in? Consider the following example:
In March 2020, Exponential-e’s 700 staff worked from three office locations. We closed our offices around March 12th and within 48 hours, we had all 700 staff working from home. The security implications of this new arrangement were huge, but as a technology company well-versed in cyber security challenges, we dealt with them very quickly. To illustrate this, on May 20th we held a ‘Home-working Security’ webinar, where we demonstrated how simple it would be for a hacker to break into the corporate core network via a home-worker’s IP-enabled kettle. It really was that easy. However, most companies have not yet looked at the security ramifications of the new normal, let alone the compliance and support concerns. Clearly, investment in home-workers’ security should be a top priority. See our Software-defined Home solution on the next page.
The next step in our response to COVID-19 crisis will be nothing short of a decisive moment for the future of all companies, so we need to integrate the lessons learned into our business practices at all levels. It is clear that we must begin rebuilding our businesses – aligning our applications and tools to our newly distributed workforce.
But, as we do so, we must also ensure they offer the security and scalability required to achieve long-term business goals and the agility to navigate any future crises.
As you embark on this journey, Exponential-e has the knowledge, skills, applications, tools, network and infrastructures required to support you in the implementation of your own Digital Transformation programme. By embracing the ‘new normal’ in this way, you will guarantee your future competitiveness, resiliency and sustainability. We hope this report inspires you and demonstrates that help is on hand, should you require it - whatever the future holds.
Lee Wade Founder & CEO, Exponential-e.
