Soaring to great heights via secured digital transformation

It’s safe to say that the next industrial revolution is here. And for businesses trying to play a part in it, they must transform digitally. Equally, if businesses are to survive in this digital world; their IT infrastructure and security demands the utmost attention to the hyper growth of technologies that surrounds them. This is why digital transformation is like a double-edged sword – a crude analogy, but true nonetheless.     

Today’s overwhelming use of personal and work-related smart devices is a phenomenon of digital transformation. For such devices have caused disruption in many industries throughout the world, unlocking competitive threats and a treasure trove of opportunities – depending on how businesses responded. 

Internet of Things (IoT) demonstrate such transformation in a contemporary way. And while some companies always fare better than others; the importance of legitimate digital transformation solutions, the use of fortified technology to radically improve performance and reach, has never been greater than it’s today. But there are risks and threats to IoT devices. The effects of hyper-growth in the number of IoT, poor security hygiene, and high value of sensitive data. These threats of disruption can be lethal to any enterprise. 

Pubudu Basnayake, Microsoft’s OEM Director for New Markets in Southeast Asia, commented on the call for fundamental changes to existing cyber security strategies in this era of digital transformation. He believes that rather than focusing on digital disruption, consumers and enterprises should emphasise “caution” and deliver “genuine digital transformation solutions with built-in security.”

From the rise of smart devices to IoT, from growing mounds of data to the emergence of advanced analytics, from machine learning to augmented reality; the challenge and opportunity for business leaders to harness the disruptive force of technology has never been more clearer. They must navigate the expectations of a changing workforce, address evolving cyber security threats and manage a host of other challenges. 

As caretaker of Microsoft’s broad hardware and software partner ecosystem, Basnayake is responsible for stimulating hardware and software advancements, while also sustaining a healthy and vibrant hardware ecosystem to create substantial business opportunities for local and international partners. In other words, he helps push technological boundaries so as to bring rich computing experiences to life. 

While on the subject of digital transformation, Basnayake states: “Local businesses understand the importance of digital transformation. But I often see an alarming gap between planning and action, especially with regard to the short time frame organisations have in order to adapt to massive technological shifts. Without the right IoT capabilities, businesses are investing in obsolete marketing, sales, and customer relationship management channels.” 

To be successful in digital transformation, a business must choose a platform designed for the key attributes in intelligent devices. These devices must have natural and intuitive user interfaces to enable ease of interaction for the end-user. They must have robust firewalls, encrypted data storage features and secure transmissions. To communicate with a multitude of other devices, an intelligent device must also be interoperable and service-enabled. And finally, it has to be easy to deploy and manage without extra burden.  

By choosing Windows 10 IoT, customers can enable intelligent device capabilities to make a significant impact. The Windows 10 IoT operating system brings one converged system that powers IoT devices and provides an optimised platform for management, security, and application development. Windows 10 IoT is the family name for the Windows 10 operating systems that run on a wide range of devices -- from small intelligent devices to industry machinery.  

“Businesses wanting to survive disruption must evolve and cater to changing lifestyles through legitimate digital transformation solutions, with built-in security. To support this process and increase IoT initiatives, Microsoft works with multiple device partners to provide innovative device offerings. The software built into such devices is either given free of charge or at little cost. Partnerships like these, help increase our reach to empower people with the tools they need to survive digital disruption,” Basnayake says. 

Interestingly, his attempt at setting a new direction and outline for digital transformation comes as a result of his keen interest in mountaineering. “People often climb mountains to conquer them. Sometimes, though, climbing a mountain can end up exerting an influence over a person, a kind of influence one might never quite expect. In my experience, this influence had everything to do with nurturing caution. Businesses need to expand their accountability for security and focus on protection against known threats,” he added.   

In his closing remarks, Basnayake noted that reliability, security and privacy are “must haves” to support key uses of digital technology. “In order for businesses to be relevant, competitive or profitable five years from now, they need to adapt to the new tools of business,” he said. This shows that any business, large or small, can take advantage of this window of opportunity to reposition themselves ahead of the technology curve and see their digital transformation efforts rewarded.