Toshiba believes automation is the future

tccmIt is not a secret that technology is being developed at  an incredibly fast pace and nowadays we can control our TVs using our smartphone. This is why we have ever-increasing expectations for flexibility and speed, as well as the desire to have access to all our important data from any device possible. There’s already a technology developed for this and it’s called the “Cloud” – it stores data beyond the physical confines of your local storage solution.

Since we rely on software more and more, that allows us to upload and download files from the “Cloud” (such as Google Drive), and most large companies strive to automate the process through a type of software or tool that controls cloud-based devices. Here’s what they are trying to accomplish  – easier control and access to information for their personnel, as well as better productivity from the cloud services.

In this regard, Toshiba is taking a step forward by announcing the so-called Toshiba Cloud Client Manager. This is a cloud service type software which takes care of the traffic and provides higher security for companies, by allowing them to completely control the end devices, thus securing higher efficiency and consistency between them. Here you can read more about one of the technologies, which we expect to quickly become known worldwide:

It’s no secret that the key to a seamless business workflow in today’s digital era is to ensure employees can work as swiftly and flexibly as possible, regardless of their location. This has of course been possible through the rise of mobile devices and broadband connectivity and also, increasingly, cloud technology.

Cloud-based solutions in particular are in the midst of an upward curve in investment in the corporate sphere. Forrester expects global IT spend to reach $2.9tn this year as companies invest in even more cloud device management tools and analytics software. These solutions are already simplifying how companies juggle a growing proliferation of mobile devices and data, allowing them to ensure reliable device performance and data access for employees.

b8edc20da1432f2e34ccb444dc43bab7As businesses become more comfortable with using cloud storage and are able to overcome any security concerns surrounding the technology. CIOs are set to recognise that enabling basic document access on the move is one thing, but using this technology to support business workflows and collate data which can inform an automated action within a business is a whole other level. It is the next crucial step in productivity we expect to see in the mid-size and large business market. Furthermore, the concept of a secure zero client, whereby mobile devices become solely powerful, secure shells rather than portable storage, is edging closer to the business world than some may think.

The ability to delegate daily manual business tasks to automation ushers in a new era of workflow-enhancing technology. But proposing such a radical new way of working will lead to challenging questions for CIOs in the boardroom. Here are some of the most common queries we believe they will face, and how they can overcome them to ensure their company remains ahead of the competitive curve:

How can we justify the investment while our budgets remain modest? The cost of implementation might appear high if a CIO is forced to present a lump sum investment figure. But this can be avoided if they focus on how this can be offset by the level of human resource which can be saved and dedicated to other, different added value tasks.

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Does this mean a solution will take on the roles of some of our staff?

While this is generally more of a concern for large companies with substantial security or IT teams, we recommend CIOs tackle this concept from the beginning and focus on how this technology can help to enhance the agile nature of the roles employees already have, and help them to be more productive by taking more menial tasks away from them and freeing them to focus on driving the objectives and direction of a business.

For example, imagine being able to automate expense approvals from a mobile device through a cloud solution. This would enable finance staff to use this saved time to review and provide more in-depth sales projections, even preparing more tailored recommendations for the product design team based on the most popular selling models.

However, a CIO will also need to recognise that in reality, the volume of staff which may purely own these more menial processes will decrease in the long-term. This is something they will need to raise with the board sooner rather than later to help them to manage the situation sensitively, ideally offering employees opportunities to be trained to take on a different role within the business.

Do we trust automation enough to take business decisions out of human hands?

Human error is an often a daily occurrence on a small scale in most corporations, but these small mistakes can add up to become costly in the long run. CIOs should focus on positioning automation as a technological safety net, as opposed to a risk.
“Based on our experience, we can expect to see mid-size organisations embracing this way of thinking much faster than larger corporations in order to remain competitive. We often find they’re the early adopters of new and cutting edge technologies which might initially seem to challenge the status quo and are able to act with more agility because they have less unwieldy infrastructures to incorporate new innovations into,” comments Ronald Ravel Business Unit Director, B2B PC, Eastern Europe.

The case for investing in automation is a strong one, especially against today’s modest European economic climate, where an emphasis on achieving more with less remains. Those who have already implemented cloud services are in a stronger position for this next phase of efficiency-enhancing technology, but for those that haven’t, solutions such as Toshiba’s Cloud Client Manager is an ideal first step – helping to manage your assets now in order to establish the right framework to support the integration of business workflow automation in the future.

TSCM_TCCM_logo_concept_SINGLEToshiba Cloud Client Manager (TCCM) is a cloud service which allows companies to easily control their end devices. By granting them complete control through a wide variety of options it improves their effectiveness. TCCM allows for management of the patches, assets inventory and supply modules, as well as the distribution of software drivers and new features related to the management of mobile devices and intelligent cloud backup (http://www.toshiba.eu/innovation/generic/toshiba-cloud- client-manager).

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