Vendor-neutral guide · 8 min read
Three areas to focus on when managing technology in the hybrid workplace
Shape of the topic
In short
The enforced shift to remote working proved a surprise for many business leaders, who found that productivity did not plummet as expected. Sustaining that result depends on getting day-to-day IT support right: a tighter grip on data, devices and processes, awareness of the risk introduced by third-party cloud services, visibility of constant technology change, and a genuinely frictionless support experience for staff wherever they are working. This guide sets out three practical areas of focus for teams managing hybrid workplace technology.
Key takeaways
- Hybrid work environments demand a better organisational awareness of risk and a tighter grip on data, devices and processes to remain operational.
- Cybersecurity failures are consistently ranked among the top risks organisations face, and hybrid work widens the attack surface.
- Technology changes fast, with continuous automatic updates from vendors meaning technicians need real-time visibility of device status to isolate the cause of a fault quickly.
- A frictionless user experience, including support tools that let a technician talk directly to a staff member during a remote session, is central to employee productivity.
- Recording remote support sessions can double as material for a self-service knowledge base, reducing repeat contacts.
Why day-to-day technology management now carries more weight
The enforced shift to remote working in 2020 largely proved a surprise for business leaders, many of whom found that, contrary to their expectations, productivity did not plummet. Employees have collectively proven they can work autonomously, and flexible work in some form looks set to last. None of this transformation would be possible without technology, and for employees to be at their most productive, a frictionless work experience is essential.
By their very nature, hybrid work environments demand that organisations have a better awareness of risk and an even tighter grip on their data, devices and processes to remain operational. It is not just about devices either; it is also about being aware of the risks as technology practices change, for example as more companies implement third-party, cloud-based solutions and services without checking their providers' security protocols.
Focus one: cybersecurity discipline
According to the Global Risks Report, cybersecurity failures are among the top risks to organisations today, and the cyber-attack rate increased considerably in recent years, with high-profile violations at organisations such as SolarWinds, the Oldsmar water treatment plant and Colonial Pipeline demonstrating how audacious and disruptive cybercriminals have become. Many businesses recognised this elevated risk during the pandemic and worked proactively to ramp up employee cybersecurity education while ensuring comprehensive endpoint security tools and strict protocols were in place.
Extra layers of encryption and multi-factor authentication are essential to keep external attackers out, but internal security also matters: only authorised users with the appropriate clearance should be able to connect to certain devices, with access level restricted for more junior team members. Sensitive data should be encrypted on every device and backed up to different locations, and data that does not need to be within everyday reach should be archived separately, which guarantees its security while still allowing it to be un-archived if required.
- Layer encryption and multi-factor authentication on top of endpoint security tools
- Restrict device access according to authorisation level, not by default
- Encrypt sensitive data on every device and back it up to separate locations
- Archive data that is not needed day to day rather than leaving it in the regular data pool
Focus two: keeping pace with constant technology change
Technology moves fast. Even a typical PC desktop is now significantly different from five years ago, with a continuing move toward cloud-based and browser-based solutions with continuous automatic updates from vendors. As solutions get updated more regularly, there are more chances for things to go wrong. Technicians need solutions that inform them of the real-time status of updates on devices, enabling them to drill down more quickly into issues, trace the potential cause to a recent update, and avoid company downtime and lost revenue.
There are many ways technicians can gain a better overview of an organisation's IT assets, from support solutions that deliver automated alerts to detailed reports. Even simple initiatives can increase visibility, such as installing find-my-device apps on company tablets and laptops so technicians know their location if they are lost or stolen out in the field.
Focus three: delivering a frictionless support experience
With staff now working both in and outside the office network, this is the moment for organisations to ensure their IT management solutions are as capable as possible, since technicians will not always be able to visit users in person. Determining whether support software helps accomplish an ideal user experience is vital; for example, if a technician is delivering remote support to a staff member, using a solution such as 247connect that allows them to talk directly to each other during the session makes life easier and saves them both from having to open a separate call in Teams or Zoom.
There is a further benefit if that same support solution can record the session as an exemplar for other employees to refer to as part of a self-service knowledge bank. In this way, smarter support solutions help advance the company's digital transformation and contribute to the frictionless work experience employees are looking for.
- Choose remote support tools that include built-in voice communication with the user
- Record sessions where appropriate to build a self-service knowledge bank
- Treat support tooling as part of the digital transformation programme, not a separate helpdesk concern
The cumulative effect
If today's flexible working practices are to continue delivering results, efficient technology management becomes increasingly significant. Supporting workers remotely and in-office, and implementing solutions that let them learn, communicate and work collaboratively regardless of location, results in an enhanced employee experience that delivers increased engagement and motivation. Effective IT support in all of its forms is a major contributor to this ongoing transformation.
Best-practice checklist
1. Audit third-party cloud provider security
Check the security protocols of every cloud-based or third-party service in use, rather than assuming vendor responsibility covers the gap.
2. Layer authentication and access control
Combine multi-factor authentication with tiered device access so only appropriately authorised staff can connect to sensitive systems.
3. Set a data archiving policy
Move data that does not need everyday access out of the regular pool into secure archives, reducing what is exposed if a breach occurs.
4. Adopt real-time update visibility tooling
Give technicians a live view of update status across devices so a fault can be traced to a recent change quickly, rather than through trial and error.
5. Choose remote support tools with built-in voice
Favour solutions that let a technician speak to the user during a session directly, avoiding the friction of opening a separate conferencing tool.
6. Record sessions for a self-service knowledge bank
Where appropriate and with consent, capture support sessions as reusable exemplars that reduce repeat contacts for common issues.
Common pitfalls
- Assuming a third-party cloud provider's security protocols are adequate without ever checking them
- Applying the same access level to every user regardless of seniority or role
- Leaving all data in the regular, everyday-access pool rather than archiving what is not needed
- Running remote support through a separate conferencing tool instead of one with built-in voice
- Failing to record support sessions that could otherwise become reusable self-service material
What to measure
| Update status visibility | Proportion of devices with real-time patch status reporting |
|---|---|
| Device access clearance accuracy | Audit that access level matches current authorisation |
| Mean time to isolate a fault to a recent update | Should fall with better real-time visibility |
| Self-service knowledge bank usage | Track views and deflection of repeat contacts |
| Lost or stolen device recovery rate | Track against find-my-device app coverage |
Select any column heading to sort.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does hybrid work require a tighter grip on IT than a fully office-based model?
- Hybrid work spreads data, devices and processes across locations that are not all under direct organisational control, and often introduces third-party cloud services whose security protocols may not be checked. This combination raises risk, so organisations need a better overall awareness of where data and devices sit and how they are protected.
- How should technicians keep up with constantly updating hybrid workplace technology?
- By using tools that report the real-time status of updates across devices, so a technician can quickly trace an emerging fault to a recent update rather than diagnosing from scratch. Simple visibility measures, such as find-my-device apps, also help track hardware that is out in the field.
- What makes remote IT support feel frictionless to employees?
- Support tools that let a technician talk directly to the user during a session, without needing a separate conferencing app, remove a layer of hassle from every support interaction. Recording sessions to build a self-service knowledge base extends that benefit to future similar issues.
- Why is internal access control as important as external cybersecurity defences?
- Encryption and multi-factor authentication protect against external attackers, but restricting which internal users can connect to which devices, according to their level of clearance, closes a different gap. Both layers are needed, since a breach can come from mismanaged internal access as easily as from an outside attack.
Sources
Independent, standards-body and peer-reviewed material. None of these sources is affiliated with 247connect.
- Three Tips For Managing Technology In The Hybrid Workspace
Forbes Technology Council
Original article by Al Kingsley, Forbes Technology Council, June 2022.
- Global Risks Report
World Economic Forum
Independent annual assessment ranking cybersecurity failure among the top global organisational risks, referenced in the source article.
- Guidelines for Managing the Security of Mobile Devices in the Enterprise
NIST
Authoritative guidance on securing endpoints and mobile devices used across hybrid working environments.
- Cloud Security Guidance
National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)
UK national guidance on assessing the security of third-party cloud service providers.
Putting it into practice
This guide is deliberately product-neutral. If you want to see how one implementation handles these requirements — attended and unattended access, named operator accounts, AES-256 encryption, audit logs and fixed pricing — the reference pages on this hub document 247connect in detail, and the product itself lives at 247connect.cloud.
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