Arraya Insights

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Just shy of a month ago, Arraya moved into our new company headquarters in Blue Bell, PA. Now, for the next two weeks, those doors – just like the doors of organizations across Montgomery County, PA (and really, the world) – are locked. Our actual homes are doubling as our work homes due to directives from our state government aimed at stemming the spread of the coronavirus. The realities of this situation are unlike anything we’ve ever experienced, and things are constantly changing. However, we’re proud to say that, even as our typical routines are upended, our ability to do what we love won’t be affected.  

We post a lot on this blog and on our social media accounts about digital transformation. But that’s not just some buzzword that we and others in this business have latched on to. It’s a part of who we are. It’s also a part of how we designed our new office space and the solutions we chose to deploy.

From a technology perspective, one of the biggest differences between our old HQ and our new one is that our old space included a data center. Our new office does not. Instead, our general operational infrastructure lives in the cloud. We made this decision for the same reasons other organizations are making it. Increasing resource availability, freeing up physical space for other purposes, shifting expenses from the CapEx column to the OpEx column.     

We’ve also rolled out a cloud-based version of Cisco Webex to serve as our unified communications platform. Our investments in Cloud Voice Calling, Softphone Dialers and Webex Meetings were made to give our team members more freedom to work from anywhere while still having a consistent experience. At the time, this seemed like a good perk and a way to promote productivity. We never could have imagined that flexibility would become so much more important. The same goes for our decision to utilize Microsoft 365, particularly Microsoft Teams, as our collaboration platform. Should new devices need to be provisioned from afar, we have Windows Autopilot backed by Azure Active Directory for identity management.

All of these solutions allow us to continue working together as one Arraya team even though we won’t be able to do so face-to-face for a little while. They’ll also let us continue to collaborate with our customers, many of whom have also had to close their own doors temporarily. Both of these things are critical because, while it’s important for all of us to do our part to keep others safe, it’s also important to maintain some semblance of normalcy. We’re fortunate enough that, whether it’s working directly with technology or crunching the numbers behind a deal, all of us will be able to continue to do what we love, even if we aren’t able to come into an office to do it.

That ability to work seamlessly from home, in the office, wherever, that’s why we’ve pushed digital transformation so heavily. It’s also why we’ll continue to do so internally, with our customers, on social media, etc. You’ll never be able to predict what you need to be prepared for, but it’s never been more important to have a business continuity plan, to build it out with the right solutions and services so that whatever happens, you’re ready.   

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work from home, webex, teams, microsoft, cisco

Once considered a perk, work from home days have started to become something of a norm. Fears sparked by the spread of the deadly coronavirus have led many organizations around the world to temporarily expand and redefine their policies in the name of public safety. In response, two leaders in the enterprise mobility space – Cisco and Microsoft– have both taken steps to empower organizations everywhere, of all sizes, to do the same for their workforces and their communities.

Let’s start with Cisco. The tech giant is offering free 90-day licenses to organizations not currently leveraging Webex. This will give users at these companies access to the voice, meeting, and collaboration capabilities baked into Webex, allowing for a seamless transition between typical and remote work environments. Additionally, Cisco has pledged to work alongside existing Webex customers, ramping up access as needed to ensure the solution continues to meet their needs for the duration of this crisis.

As for Microsoft, the company is offering free Office 365 E1 licenses for six months. The Office 365 E1 license (or A1 for educators) covers access to web-based versions of Office apps and services, email, meetings, file storage and sharing, messaging and much more all backed by Microsoft security. This offer is open to all organizations not currently licensed to use Microsoft Teams, which is one of the solutions included as part of the E1/A1 license.       

Coronavirus pandemic forcing collaboration evolution

Both organizations have reported seeing massive spikes in usage of each of these services as the coronavirus crisis has unfolded. In a recent blog post, Sri Srinivasan, SVP and GM of Cisco’s Team Collaboration Group shared a trio of eye-opening statistics documenting how work styles have changed globally as a result of the virus. Srinivasan posted that:

  • traffic connecting China-based users to global workspaces has increased 22x since the beginning of the outbreak
  • 4-5x increase in users based in Japan, South Korea and Singapore
  • Average time spent on Webex video meetings in Japan, South Korea and Singapore has doubled

In a separate post, Jared Spataro, Microsoft’s Corporate Vice President for Microsoft 365, wrote about these changes from his company’s perspective. Specific to China, Microsoft has witnessed a 500% increase in Teams meetings, calling and conferences. The company has also seen a 200% increase in Teams usage originating from mobile devices.

Next Steps: Expand your own WFH/remote work capabilities

Obviously in situations like this, the safety of employees and the community at large is priority one. If your organization is looking to revise its policies regarding remote work – or upgrade its capabilities in that space – please reach out to Arraya today. Simply visit: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/. Our team can help you explore either of the above offerings, if applicable. For those organizations already utilizing Microsoft Teams or Cisco Webex, we can help you rapidly grow out your ability to support an increasingly disparate workforce. Then, when things begin returning to normal, we can help you right-size your collaboration footprint as necessary. 

For additional insights, contact:

  • Chuck Kiessling, Senior Director, Presales Solutions (ckiessling@arrayasolutions.com)
  • David Finnegan, Enterprise Architect (dfinnegan@arrayasolutions.com)

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Cisco smart licenses smart accounts

Smart licenses and smart accounts are intended to make managing Cisco solutions easier – but they can sometimes do just the opposite. Legacy lifecycle tools, such as PAK files, are ingrained in the minds and routines of countless technologists. For some admins, the culture shock that accompanies life after PAK files can make smart licenses or smart accounts feel like anything but an improvement.

In our experience, those who weather that initial awkwardness will come to see smart licenses and smart accounts as a true step forward. With this in mind, we put together a cheat sheet that can help admins feel more at home, faster, with Cisco smart accounts and smart licensing.

  • Get a lay of the (smart) licensing landscape. PAK files could be stored in a folder or maybe tucked away in a file cabinet. If an admin needed to review a license, that’s where he or she would go. With smart accounts, the Inventory tab – specifically the Licenses sub-tab – is essentially the new file cabinet. There, admins can access a full accounting of the licenses their organization currently owns and how those licenses have been deployed. These licenses can be sorted into separate virtual accounts, which act as stand-ins for department, geographic area or nearly any defining characteristic.
  • Keep up with what’s new from Cisco. Too often, licenses are allowed to expire for no reason other than they simply fell through the cracks. Maybe the person tasked with managing them was tied up fighting other fires or maybe a lack of visibility into the licenses portfolio allowed that person to overlook it. Either way, the result is the same. Smart licensing looks to prevent this by putting licensing news front and center. The Alerts tab is the default tab in smart accounts, displaying notifications of missed renewals and updated license agreements as well as general information alerts. These alerts are classified as either minor – which require no immediate action – or major – which require direct attention.
  • Keep up with internal activity. Not all noteworthy license events and activities start with Cisco. Activity taking place within a smart account can be tracked in a couple of different ways. One option is by using the Activity tab. This charts the movement and status of licenses within a smart account. All events are sorted chronologically, with the most recent listed first. Admins also have the option to use the Preferences tab to have daily updates on their smart accounts sent straight to their email inbox. These can include notifications regarding expired or expiring licenses, new license additions, etc.
  • Generate smart license reports. Nestled under the Reports tab are options to generate three separate reports, each offering insights into the world of an organization’s smart account. The three report types are: licenses, license descriptions, and product instances. Simply put, the license report includes a full rundown of the licenses contained within a smart account. As for the license description report, this lets admins go a little deeper. It can be filtered by virtual account type, license type, or even license status. Finally, the product instance report is intended to give admins a better view of the devices and solutions associated with their license portfolio. 
  • Convert classic licenses to smart licenses. Organizations looking to expand their smart license footprint are able to do so right from their smart account. Using the Smart Licensing tab, admins can convert their legacy Cisco licenses into smart licenses. The Convert PAKs and Convert Licenses sub-tabs both include lists of an organization’s current license obligations that are stored in its smart account. Admins are able to modernize these licenses (wherever applicable) to smart licenses with just the click of a button. Additionally, they can also track conversion activity by way of the Event Log sub-tab.   

Next Steps: Get a helping hand for lifecycle management

Moving to smart licenses from Cisco can shrink the complexity and time investments associated with managing the average organization’s license portfolio. You can learn more about this subject by checking out our video here. Also, smart licenses aren’t totally hands-free and, as mentioned above, there is a learning curve. Need help transitioning to smart licenses or managing your portfolio? Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to start a conversation with Arraya’s in-house technology lifecycle experts today.

We want to hear your take! Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique IT learning opportunities.

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VNX, Isilon and More Key 2020 Dell EMC End of Support Dates

Several key Dell EMC solutions are set to hit major lifecycle milestones this year, including end of life (EoL) and end of standard support (EoSS). If any of the following technologies can be found in your data center, the time to start prepping an upgrade plan is now. This way, when the clock strikes zero on them, your organization won’t be stuck depending on unsupported, legacy solutions.

We reached out to our data center team to get their take on what the next steps should be for any organization looking to modernize its technology environment by moving away from these soon-to-be-legacy technologies.

Take note of these End of Life (EoL) dates

Despite the seeming finality of the designation, End of Life is just step one in the journey to wind down a given solution. After the EoL date, organizations will still have access to upgrades, patches and will retain the backing of any support contracts signed with Dell EMC. That being said, organizations will want to make sure they’ve started planning for life after the solutions on this list.    

End of Standard Support (EoSS)

EoSS marks the end of standard support for a Dell EMC solution. Once this date arrives, ProSupport contracts will expire for impacted solutions, leaving organizations without access to Dell EMC’s baseline level of support. Given the risks of proceeding without this safety net, organizations will want to make sure they’ve left themselves plenty of time to explore and complete the upgrade paths listed below prior to EoSS.

Next Steps: Planning for – and executing – your data center’s future

Need help planning for any of the above EoL or EoSS dates? Arraya’s data center team can help. Our experts have decades of experience with industry-leading solutions from across the IT spectrum. They can help your organization choose the upgrade path that best suits your unique needs. Start up a conversation with our team today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique IT learning opportunities.

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It’s easy for those outside of the day-to-day grind of IT to stress the importance of keeping an eye on technology lifecycle management. Those on the inside? We know that assets, licenses, and subscriptions are just one of, say, a thousand things IT needs to keep an eye on, each of which is labeled as equally, if not more important, than the last. Part of the issue here is that organizational strategies regarding  renewals (if they exist) can make the job bigger and more complex than it needs to be.

With that in mind, here are six mistakes organizations are making in regards to lifecycle management plus a few tips on how to streamline the process.

  • Misaligning end dates. Depending on the size of the organization, it could carry thousands of separate assets – or far more. It’s likely that the solutions tied to these assets weren’t all purchased at the same time, resulting in a variety of contract end dates. A firewall may expire in the summer, while a series of switches remain covered until the following spring. Staying on top of those various end dates is a huge task, one that most IT teams simply don’t have the resources to manage. A best practice tip is to work with a partner to consolidate end dates as much as possible, recasting licenses, for example, as a quarterly concern rather than a sporadic one.
  • Taking on too many contracts. Staying on the subject of excess, many organizations are juggling far more project licenses and contracts than they need. This too can stem from the piecemeal way in which most technology environments are built and maintained. It can also be caused by organizations carrying coverage on products that, for whatever reason, no longer require support. However, the opportunity does exist for them to rein in this overload and bring that number down to a more manageable total. Once again, working alongside partners and vendors can open doors for license reduction that may have otherwise remained closed.          
  • Overlooking end of life dates. Obviously, carrying a standard support contract on a no-longer-supported solution isn’t going to do much good. Organizations should take time to review their support contracts and the end of life dates for the solutions they cover. By ensuring alignment in this way, organizations can maximize their support investments. Additionally, this process can serve as a helpful reminder to begin making life-after plans for solutions nearing the end of their product lifecycle.
  • Working from out-of-date network snapshots. Organizations need to have a complete and up-to-date picture of the solutions and technologies that make up their technology environments. Too often, they work from incomplete or out-of-date topologies, resulting in rework, rising frustrations, and worst of all, leaving gaps in places IT believed covered. Of course, routine audits are just one more line on the already-extensive to-do lists we mentioned earlier. Passing that responsibility over to a trusted partner can help ensure organizations have access to the most accurate data, which can then be used to build out a more complete and secure license map. 
  • Underestimating service level needs. Organizations have to walk a fine line regarding the level of service guaranteed in the contracts they sign. Securing a service level too far above their need can unnecessarily tax the budget. Aiming too low, however, can leave IT teams scrambling in the event something goes wrong. When the time comes to renew a contract or license, organizations should first consider their exposure. How much, if any, downtime can they afford? That can be used to guide service level conversations with vendors and partners.    
  • Failing to secure sufficient budget. Here’s another item that can be chalked up to initial planning struggles. Without proper allocation, budgets can run short when an unexpected license end-date hits. This can force IT to try to find room in the budget or to have to go to executive leadership and request additional funding. That earlier advice about reducing (or eliminating) surprise end-dates can certainly pay off here. Furthermore, it also helps to work with a partner that can help manage the financial planning process, anticipating needs and thereby closing the door on potential coverage gaps.      

Next Steps: Don’t face the license lifecycle alone

Managing the asset lifecycle is a big job. It’s not easy to find the time and the expertise in-house to take it on. That’s where a partner like Arraya Solutions can help. Our expert Lifecycle Management and Contract Support team excels at working with organizations to refresh aging assets and bridge coverage gaps quickly, securely, and in accordance with budgetary restrictions. They can help address and eliminate any and all of the above stumbling blocks, positioning organizations for success in the long term as well as the here and now.

Want to learn more about our Lifecycle Management and Contract Support services? You can start a conversation today at: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

What do you think? Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique technology learning opportunities.

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Cisco patches phones routers

Cisco has released patches for not one, not two, not three but five high-risk vulnerabilities affecting potentially tens of millions of its devices. If left unaddressed, these exposures could allow remote attackers to take control of desktop phones, switches, routers, and even security cameras. Despite the massive assortment of possible targets, as of yet, there’s no evidence of cyber criminals exploiting these vulnerabilities in the wild. However, the risk is great enough that both Cisco as well as the government’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have urged Cisco customers to take immediate action.

Dubbed CDPwn by Armis, the cyber security firm that first brought them to Cisco’s attention, the vulnerabilities exist within the Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP). This Layer 2 protocol is broadly used among Cisco utilities to foster interactions between networking devices, including those using different network-layer protocols. All an attacker would need to do to take advantage of an unpatched system would be to put together a malicious CDP packet and direct it at a target device.

IT teams should immediately begin patching against:

  • a Cisco IP Phone Remote Code Execution and DoS Vulnerability. Essentially, this allows a remote, unauthenticated attacker to execute malicious code by way of CDP with root privileges. The attacker could also use this power to force a phone to reboot leading to a DoS situation. The list of potentially impacted endpoints is long and includes the 7832 and 8832 versions of Cisco’s IP Conference Phone as well as multiple models from the 6800, 7800, and 8800 series of IP Phones.
  • a Cisco NX-OS Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Remote Code Execution Vulnerability. As a result of this weakness, hackers can execute malicious on vulnerable devices. The list of potentially affected devices includes switches from the Nexus 3000, 5500, and 6000 lines as well as UCS 6200, 6300, and 6400 series of Fabric Interconnects.
  • a Cisco Video Surveillance 8000 Series IP Cameras Cisco Discovery Protocol Remote Code Execution and DoS Vulnerability. Hackers can inject malicious code onto affected cameras or force them to reboot. This vulnerability affects unpatched devices from Cisco’s Video Surveillance 8000 Series of IP cameras.
  • a Cisco IOS XR Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Format String Vulnerability. Similar to the other vulnerabilities, this one will allow attackers to launch malicious code with admin rights, in this case provided the targeted devices are running either the 32-bit or the 64-bit version of Cisco’s IOS XR Software. Affected devices include ASR 9000 Series Aggregation Services Routers, Carrier Routing System (CRS) devices, and multiple models from Cisco’s Network Convergence System series of routers.
  • a Cisco FXOS, IOS XR, and NX-OS Software Cisco Discovery Protocol Denial of Service Vulnerability. By leveraging this weak point, attackers can force an unpatched device running either Cisco’s FXOS, IOS XR, or its NX-OS Software platform to reboot, possibly leading to a DoS scenario. Once again, the list of affected products is sizeable. It includes representatives from the ASR, Firepower, NCS, Nexus, and UCS product families.

Next Steps: Don’t let vulnerabilities sit unpatched 

The number of potentially-impacted devices is high and so too is the level of risk organizations face. That makes it imperative for IT to begin patching vulnerable solutions ASAP. However, the size of the task isn’t the only complicating factor. Many of the devices that require updates don’t support automatic patch deployments, putting the onus on IT to secure the solutions by hand.

Need a hand updating your system against the CDPwn vulnerabilities? Or managing your organization’s patching responsibilities in general? Arraya Solutions can help. Our Managed Security team excels at working with customers to ensure their IT environments are patched and ready for whatever the threat landscape has in store. Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to start a conversation with our team now.

We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique IT learning opportunities.

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Organizational voice strategies used to revolve around the handsets perched on employees’ desks or near their workstations. These physical devices aren’t going anywhere; however, the strategies around them have expanded as organizations look to incorporate a more diverse set of solutions and approaches. As it has throughout the IT stack, this pursuit has landed many in the cloud.

Projections from Synergy Research Group show that 68% of enterprise UC spend was dedicated to cloud resources last year. Go back just five years and that amount sat at less than half – 45%. Go back ten years to 2009 and just 31% of enterprise UC budgets was earmarked for the cloud. That’s an impressive swing over the course of one decade, clocking in at an average of roughly 16% growth per year according to Synergy’s researchers.

On-prem solutions have also seen growth of their own during this period. Synergy’s team points out that, at the individual product and endpoint level, on-prem solutions have continued to generate positive year-over-year returns. This seems to indicate the industry is trending toward a more hybrid, modern environment.

5 reasons organizations are rethinking their approach to voice

Forrester Consulting looked into the factors driving organizations to revamp their approach to communication. Here’s what the research giant observed as well as some of the statistical results reported by early adopters.

  • Efficiency goals. Employees can’t operate at peak efficiency without the backing of a communication platform that does the same. Forrester found inefficient access to voice services resulted in, on average, 1.5 hours a week in lost productivity. Also, suspect call quality subtracted another 38 minutes of productivity each week. Modernizing voice can help counter those stats and ensure employees have access to on-prem quality voice services wherever they happen to be working from, putting valuable time back in their hands.     
  • Budget moderation. Some organizations prefer the OpEx price structure of the cloud to the CapEx model associated with traditional infrastructure. Others prefer the opposite. One thing all organizations can agree on is a desire to reduce surplus expenses wherever possible. Forrester’s research concluded that, by leveraging the cloud as part of their voice strategy, organizations were able to reduce the amount spent on avoidable communication expenses. This included cutting international mobile roaming and long distance fees by more than $1 million over three years.
  • Security and compliance demands. As we’ve pointed out elsewhere in this blog, security and compliance are not one and the same. They are, however, linked closely enough in this instance that they can safely share this bullet point. By integrating a leading cloud provider like Microsoft into their voice strategy, Forrester found that some organizations could more easily achieve compliance with information security standards like ISO 270001 or GDPR due to the provider’s own compliance.
  • Management simplification. Collaboration environments have often been a patchwork of different solutions and vendors. It wasn’t always a guarantee that these disparate technologies would play together reliably. This has changed as technologies and providers have evolved. Today, organizations are able to utilize a lone provider for end-to-end collaboration solutions, covering voice, messaging, meetings, etc. However, they also have the option to lean on the partnerships forged between leaders like Microsoft and Cisco to take advantage of a new era of interoperability in the modern collaboration world.   

Next Step: Modernize your collaboration strategy

Modern workforces need the support of modern collaboration and communication platforms. Arraya’s team has the expertise and experience necessary to help your organization modernize its capabilities without forcing a total environmental rebuild. Instead, our team can help you optimize your current technological investments to ensure users have the tools they need to work closely together from anywhere. Strike up a conversation with our team of voice and collaboration experts today by visiting: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique IT learning opportunities.

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Wi-Fi 6 5G wireless connectivity

The battle lines have been drawn. In one corner stands Wi-Fi 6, the latest generation Wi-Fi standard that also goes by 802.11ax. Positioned directly across from it is 5G, the most updated cellular data network. Future dominance of enterprise networks everywhere is on the line. Or, at least that’s how some industry observers have painted the relationship between these two emerging technologies. However, the reality is more complicated – and less combative – than that narrative suggests.  

Let’s explore Wi-Fi 6, 5G, and the way in which they each fit into modern approaches to networking.

Wi-Fi 6 in the spotlight

From a roll-out perspective, Wi-Fi 6 has the early edge on 5G. There are already multiple Wi-Fi 6-ready options available in Cisco’s Catalyst 9K and Meraki access point families. This new standard promises to outperform its wireless predecessors four times over in both highly congested and moderately trafficked environments while also offering certain devices up to 40% faster data rates. These performance gains stem from its ability to split up channels for multiple clients and also from improved modulation techniques compared to earlier iterations.

It’s also worth mentioning that potential efficiency gains extend beyond throughput. Wi-Fi 6 may also prove to be less taxing on device batteries. Getting more bang for a charge is something all end users will appreciate.  

That’s just a quick fly-by of what organizations can hope to achieve with Wi-Fi 6. Later on, we’ll dive into a specific scenario to see this new standard in action. Before doing so, let’s first review what 5G has to offer.      

Checking out 5G

Right now, 5G is only available in select cities nationwide with wider deployments set to follow. Also limited is the number of devices currently capable of accessing it. Considering the speeds the 5G hype train has already hit among the consumer and business crowds, this also seems destined to change very quickly.

When compared to earlier generations, the numbers look strong for 5G. It promises ten times less latency, ten times more connection density, and ten times greater throughput than what was possible previously. The technology also has the potential to improve overall network efficiency one hundred times over by, among other advances, being smarter regarding energy consumption.         

The steps forward 5G has taken have some in the industry thinking that it might be 5G, and not Wi-Fi 6, which could be the future of enterprise networks. One place where this theoretical conflict could play out is on the factory floor.

Wi-Fi 6 and 5G in action

Industrial settings like manufacturing make a compelling example in this case due to the sheer scale of the digital transformation these facilities are undergoing. However, it’s important to keep in mind that they aren’t the only potential location for a future showdown between 5G and Wi-Fi 6. It could just as easily occur in medical facilities, smart cities, etc.

In order to remain competitive, today’s manufacturers have integrated an array of innovative solutions into their processes. Automation has been a fixture in the industry for years, but its reach has spread and its capabilities have grown thanks to ongoing advances in artificial intelligence. Modern manufacturers can gather more data than ever before thanks to the spread of IoT-connected devices. This abundance of data has been used to refine and hone operations in the hopes of achieving next-level efficiencies.   

Some believe 5G could potentially overtake Wi-Fi as the connectivity method of choice inside “smart factories” for a few reasons. It’s flexible enough to manage the increasingly complex web of connected machines, sensors, etc. hard at work in these factories. Additionally, its ample bandwidth could be called upon to support demanding AR/VR solutions, artificial intelligence and more.    

Still others think the idea of an impending conflict has been overblown. These experts argue that we shouldn’t see the future as a choice between 5G or Wi-Fi 6. Instead, they believe organizations would be best served using these solutions in concert with each other.

5G & Wi-Fi 6: Partners in innovation?

Cisco is among those promoting future hybrid networks that embrace both 5G and Wi-Fi 6-enabled connectivity. The company sees Wi-Fi 6 retaining its crown as the best choice for indoor networks due to its improvements in latency, throughput, and its budget-friendly and accessible hardware. As for 5G, its high speeds and capacity may make it best served keeping today’s mobile workforces connected and productive no matter where they go. Should these two solutions converge inside a manufacturing or medical facility, it will likely be to work together to support users instead of as part of a plan to replace one with the other.

Next Steps: What does the future hold for your network?

Still have questions about Wi-Fi 6, 5G or how they could fit into your organization’s approach to networking? Arraya’s Network and Security experts can help. You can start a conversation today at: https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/.

We want to hear from you! Leave us a comment on this or any of our blog posts by way of social media. Arraya can be found on LinkedIn, Twitter, and Facebook. While you’re there, follow us to stay up to date on our industry insights and unique IT learning opportunities.

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Arraya Insights Radio

Episode 18: Help Wanted! Filling Your IT Openings the Right Way

Generally speaking, finding the right person to fill openings on your IT team has become a contact sport. It’s an even more rough and tumble task for those looking to fill in-demand roles in areas like cyber security or application development. On this episode of Arraya Insights Radio, our host Thomas York, Arraya’s Senior Director of IT Operations, sits down with Harry Chen, Director, Staffing Solutions, to discuss how organizations can avoid taking the big hits and offer practical advice and insights concerning how to find the right candidate for a position in record time.

Host: Thomas York (Senior Director, IT Operations)

Guest: Harry Chen (Director, Staffing Solutions)

Further Reading:

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There’s a great amount of interest in custom-built applications – and quite a few misconceptions about them as well. Arraya’s Application Development team has encountered many of these, including concerns about complexity, use cases, and more. During this five-part series, our team will seek to dispel some of the more common misunderstandings about custom-built applications in order to shed light on a sometimes murky topic.  

A reasonable concern for any custom development project is that those you’re working with won’t know your business. After all, you’ve been running and building your business for years and these outsiders have barely known you for a hot minute. How can they really help you reach the core of your business needs? What does an outside entity really bring to the table if they don’t know the ins and outs of how you do things?

First, any good outside firm or individual will invest time and energy getting to know your business.  What is a daily process like?  Where are the pain points?  What do you find yourself spending time doing that could be alleviated?  A good partner is first and foremost a good listener.  But there is far more to it than listening.  There’s also asking questions.  There have been plenty of times where I’ve raised a question about some process or solution and the client went: “Oh … I hadn’t thought of that”. A fresh set of eyes can be invaluable. We’ve all been there. We’ve all typed out a long document, proofread it several times, and somehow still spectacularly missed a mistake in the first sentence.

I worked on a project several years ago where I needed to streamline an internal review process for new intranet sites. At this company, if you needed a site for a project or a team, you filled out a form, submitted it to another department, they filled out another form and sent that to a second team which set the security groups and then pushed the request back to the security reviewers who stamped it and sent it back to IT for set up. I was there to automate the site set up. Simple enough, some request would come from the security team, I’d build the site based on their information. To make it simpler, I created a form for them to fill out. All they had to do was click some radio buttons, make selections in some drop down menus, and the system would build a site based on those specs.

However, that wasn’t the full picture. It turns out, that wasn’t even clear to the client. All of these processes could be tied to one unified workflow/form combination. A single, auditable, tracked request with routing to the key people. Digging further in, my team and I found things like the names of the sites and the URLs being requested were being manually transferred around between the various teams. Nearly a quarter of requests were delayed due to typos in this process. By automating all of this into one unified process form and workflow, the typos vanished; it was all buttons and pulldowns. Even there, many of the selections were taken out of the hands of the other departments in favor of a simple review display of what was being requested and an approval/rejection button.

Errors and process delays dropped to nearly nothing and the client finally had a true self-service site creation system which also catered to their security review process to police the creation of new sites. Without that outside eye, these departments likely would have kept doing what they were doing, unaware of the problems the process was causing.

Every business is a unique story and what played out for that client isn’t going to be the same everywhere. This is exactly why you’d seek the help of a person or company and not a pre-built solution. No matter how many widgets are packed into a boxed solution, it will never be the equal of a person actually learning what you do and working with you to shape a better way. Adapting to your business and coming up with creative solutions to the existing problems is what sets custom development apart and delivers the solutions you need most.

Want to learn more about Arraya’s Application Development services? Visit https://www.arrayasolutions.com//contact-us/ to open up a dialogue with us today!

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