FEATURE
DRAWBACKS OF PROGRESS DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION HAS STRAINED IT DEPARTMENTS BY DAVIA MOSS
S
ay you are an employee at a midsize corporation that recently decided to use two-factor authentication to bolster email security. You aren’t familiar with the security protocol, and management hasn’t sent out instructions regarding the change. You need access to your important emails, but the system won’t let you on until you get twofactor authorization set up. You place a call or message to your IT department to get help. Pretty simple, right? However, on the other side of that phone call is a group of IT professionals who are working through the same problem with hundreds of other employees. What could be a simple adjustment to improve network and personal security will now likely lead to a major influx of calls to the IT department, keeping staff members from performing their more important duties of maintaining efficient digital systems and safeguarding the company’s intellectual property. Technology has made IT more essential than ever,
36 SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2021 | i4Biz.com
but it also has forced IT departments to spend more time on low-priority help desk tasks.
The Digital Era
According to a Deloitte study, 85% of small business owners surveyed believe the use of cloud technology helps businesses be more successful. Adoption rates for technology related to marketing and operations grows every year. By that definition, small business owners are entering into a more connected, efficient ecosystem that requires support by their IT firm or department. “IT has become the backbone of a business,” said Harry Ellis III, chief information officer and president of Next Horizon, which provides technology solutions for businesses. “We are required to do more now than ever. Not only are we tasked with keeping the most important aspects of a business intact, but we are also required to be emergency responders to low-priority tasks too often.”
