TechTouch Asia

• Joint effort combines Honeywell operational technology experience with Vertiv’s critical digital infrastructure solutions to create more sustainable and efficient data centre operations • First joint offering to combine intelligent selection of energy resources with centralised visibility of operations and infrastructure to help reduce energy use Honeywell, which focuses on connected building solutions, and Vertiv, a critical digital infrastructure and continuity solutions provider, will work together to create integrated solutions that optimise data centre sustainability, resiliency and operational performance. These solutions are expected to be available in 2020. The partnership builds on Honeywell’s building management systems (BMS), operational software, and safety and security products along with Vertiv’s uninterruptible power supply (UPS), power distribution, thermal management, infrastructure monitoring and modular solutions to enable operators of hyperscale, la...

by Eddie Stefanescu, GM - Asia Pacific & Japan, Claroty As the world scrambled to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic, enterprises have had to fast-track their digital transformation initiatives. Part of this transformation is the convergence of information technology (IT) and operational technology (OT) networks. While most people are familiar with IT and know the importance of securing computers from viruses and malware, OT security is a relatively newer field. It’s also the latest battleground in the world of cybersecurity. OT includes the hardware and software for control systems in manufacturing plants, power generators, and distribution networks, and underpins any industrial environment. While OT systems worked in isolation from other systems in the past, that is no longer the case today, especially with the accelerated push for digitalisation. Based on our recent survey of IT and OT security professionals supporting critical infrastructure in large enterprises, 71% of...

by Paul Churchill, VP of Southeast Asia, Vertiv As governments around the world including in Southeast Asia mandated employees quarantine at home, companies launched the largest remote workforce enablement experiment in the world. The move was driven by the desire to maintain business continuity, protect workers during a pandemic, proactively address ever-changing regional requirements, and remain committed to meeting customers’ evolving business needs. For some companies, the move was relatively seamless, due to their existing dispersed, digital workforce, but for others it was a series of trials, as they sought to rapidly enable remote workers while protecting staff, whose roles demand a continued physical presence. All indications are that remote working, or a hybrid model that combines different forms of remote work with traditional on-site presence, is here to stay. Here are some shared insights, best practices, and tips from our journey at Vertiv to help you adjust to the ...

by Sandeep Bhargava, Managing Director of Asia Pacific Japan (APJ), Rackspace Technology Undoubtedly, the world of business has been disrupted this year, as organisations move to evaluate their business models and technology use in response to the pandemic. Lockdown-imposed restrictions have meant that most Asia-Pacific organisations have had to switch to remote work. We have observed that the businesses which have coped best with this change are those that have adopted some form of cloud technology. From Zoom to Microsoft Teams, Slack and everything in between, cloud delivery technologies have underpinned this transition and have allowed new work from home (WFH) routines to be established. A Gartner study reveals that post pandemic, almost half of all employees will work remotely at least part of the time, highlighting the need for greater digital dexterity and the provision of flexible work options appropriate for a mixed/remote workforce. Here, we outline the four things organ...

Acronis, a global cyberprotection provider, has launched Acronis Security Services in the Asia Pacific and Japan (APJ), providing easy access to security services that are traditionally too complex and costly for small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to consider. The suite of services delivered by top cybersecurity experts. The recent Acronis Cyber Readiness Report , which interviewed 3,400 IT managers and remote workers around the world, found that while 47% of all remote workers did not receive adequate guidance from their IT teams when switching to remote work – leaving them ill-prepared and vulnerable to attacks. “Cyberthreats continue to evolve, which means all companies need to be proactive in their cybersecurity planning and training,” said Serguei “SB” Beloussov, Acronis’ founder and CEO. “Unfortunately, the assessments, best practices and training have historically been too costly and complex for anyone other than large enterprises to implement. By launching Acronis Sec...

by Heng Kwee Tong, VP – Engineering & Customer Solutions, SPTel The role of the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) has changed significantly to a more strategic role within the enterprise. CTOs must now work closely with their CEOs to provide sustainable profits and value to the organisation. This is particularly evident with COVID-19 affecting organisations across all sectors and as technology is increasingly seen as a game-changing option to ensure business continuity. CTOs now have an opportunity to lead from a business front and ultimately make the right choice of technology, particularly in the area of networking, to help their organisation weather the storm of the global recession and get set for renewed growth. The “new normal” requires a change in networking, as digital adoption has become paramount. Studies such as those from McKinsey have showed that the world has covered five years of progress in terms of digital adoption in a mere eight weeks since the onset of COV...

by Mike Campfield, VP, GM International and Global Security Programs at ExtraHop Due to lockdowns, companies have implemented remote work arrangements leaving many offices empty for months. As organisations wait for onsite and office-based activities to resume, offices have been largely dormant, but this does not mean businesses are at all quiet. In March, ExtraHop analysed four petabytes of data from more than 15 million devices and workloads across cloud, data centre and remote site deployments. This data provides insights into how office networks have changed under the quarantine. With remote and hybrid work arrangements becoming a vital part of business continuity strategies, these insights offer businesses valuable direction on how to handle future disruptions. What the numbers are telling us The most obvious insight that can be drawn from Extrahop's data is the overall decline in the use of devices, which confirms the mass migration of employees toward remote working. ...