3 tips for increased BYOD security

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The benefits of allowing employees to bring their own devices to work are pretty clear. A study conducted by Pew Research Center earlier this year found that 64 percent of American adults own a smartphone, which means a vast majority of the workforce already has the hardware your company needs to conduct business. This means less of a financial burden on you company for hardware procurement, while also allowing employees to use the devices they know and love.

But there is a dark side to BYOD.

The reason many workplaces are hesitant to fall in line with the BYOD revolution is the security risks it typically entails. Allowing people to blend their home life and work life in a single device can be dangerous. However, by following basic security protocols, BYOD can be a viable option. 

To that end, we've compiled this list of three security tips to make sure your company benefits from all BYOD has to offer without falling victim to the security risks:

1. Have a well-defined list of do's and don'ts: Any company even remotely considering enacting a BYOD policy needs to sit down and have a long discussion about the definition of acceptable behavior on a personal device used for work purposes. Employees will be used to doing as they please on their own devices, which is perfectly fine when these devices don't have company data on them.

The problems begin to arise when employees forget the importance of the work information stored on their devices. If given the opportunity to work from their own devices, employees will invariably make some bad decisions in terms of data security. All it takes is a worker clicking one wrong link to put all of your company's data at risk. It's vital that employees recognize the importance of proper device usage, and it's why they should also be included in the creation of this list of rules. 

2. Mandate proper device security: This tip sounds like it should just be a part of the first, or even something that should be left to common sense. Sadly, quite a lot of Americans simply don't value the security of their devices. A study conducted by Consumer Reports last year found that around 34 percent of Americans take no security measures whatsoever to keep their phone safe.

This means that more than a third of your employees don't even use a password to protect their own data, a troubling statistic if you're attempting to implement a BYOD policy. When sitting down with employees to talk about the list of do's and don'ts, you'll need to have a separate discussion concerning safety practices such as setting up a complex password to gain access to the device. 

3. Prepare for the eventuality of lost device: Notice that this tip doesn't say "Prepare for the possibility of a lost device." This is because if you intend to cash in on all of the benefits of a BYOD policy, you're going to have to accept the risk that one of your employees will eventually lose a device with work information on it. The same Consumer Reports study found that in 2013 alone, 4.5 million devices were either lost or stolen.

But don't let this statistic get you down about the advantages of BYOD. Your company can absolutely benefit from not having to constantly upgrade hardware, as long as you take the necessary precautions. This is why anyone wishing to implement a BYOD policy should contact the experts at ISG Technology. Not only can they help you set up your list of do's and don'ts, they can also help protect your company data through device encryption, taking the headache out of employees losing hardware or not taking the proper precautions. 

How hyperconverged infrastructure can benefit remote branches

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Businesses that are experiencing a period of rapid expansion may seem like they have it made, but there is a downside to that growth. When enterprises scale up and build out their corporate footprint, they will likely be faced with numerous challenges supporting satellite offices and remote branches. Relying on legacy IT assets to provide the compute, storage and network resources required by additional company locations can be a costly decision. However, business leaders can find some relief in these situations by considering a shift to hyperconverged infrastructure and changing the way enterprise operations are scaled and expanded.

For years, IT environments have been characterized by system silos. Core assets such as storage and compute resources have traditionally been handled separately. What hyperconverged infrastructure does is condense a large percentage of these assets into a single bundle of hardware and software. As TechTarget noted, organizations can then build out these systems by integrating additional nodes when needed. With this arrangement, maintenance teams can avoid many of the everyday headaches experienced while overseeing IT infrastructure on an enterprise scale.

"Under the converged infrastructure approach, a vendor provides a pre-configured bundle of hardware and software in a single chassis with the goal of minimizing compatibility issues and simplifying management," TechTarget stated.

Scale up operations with ease
One of the main benefits here for enterprises is the ability to expand IT resource needs in a simple and efficient fashion. Hyperconverged.org cited the easy scalability of hyperconverged infrastructure as one of the approach's top selling points, comparing the addition of nodes to erecting a structure with LEGO blocks. The authors noted that this method allows businesses to easily build out their IT assets on an as-needed basis. This makes enterprise expansion a much less bitter of a pill to swallow for business leaders as scaling up to support remote branches and satellite offices is not quite as arduous a task as it was in the past.

Hyperconverged infrastructure enables IT teams to manage enterprise assets from a central location.Hyperconverged infrastructure enables IT teams to manage enterprise assets from a central location.

Lower investment, management costs
Due to this setup of adding onto existing infrastructure whenever needed, hyperconverged infrastructure allows for enterprise expansion to occur at a lower up-front cost. As Hyperconverged.org explained, this approach reduces the "step size" required to make a leap in terms of infrastructure scope and maturity.

"The bigger the step size, the longer it takes to fully utilize new resources added through the expansion," Hyperconverged.org stated. "A smaller step size results in a far more efficient use of resources. As new resources are required, it's easy to add nodes to a hyperconverged infrastructure."

This approach to IT infrastructure and management further lowers costs by enabling businesses to support critical systems with commodity hardware. Because many core processes are handled at the software level within hyperconverged infrastructure, organizations do not need to consistently upgrade their data center hardware with the most advanced equipment available. In most cases, commodity x86 hardware will be sufficient to keep everything running smoothly while also allowing for rapid enterprise expansion.

"Commodity x86 hardware will be sufficient to keep everything running smoothly."

Reduce IT challenges
It's not just the bookkeepers and executives who will see the appeal of embracing hyperconverged infrastructure. For IT members, there is a lot to like here, especially when working with multiple sites and remote offices. Because this setup condenses and centralizes IT infrastructure, teams tasked with overseeing that equipment and handling any maintenance needs will have far fewer headaches to deal with.

Jointly developed by Hyperconverged.org and ActualTech Media, the "2015 State of Hyperconverged Infrastructure Market Report" shed light on the challenges that enterprise IT staff regularly face. The mix of on-premises and off-premises assets to manage, the ever-escalating virtualization and disaster recovery needs along with the growing complexity of today's data center environments have all made IT work incredibly challenging within large businesses. Hyperconvergence addresses these difficulties by providing IT teams with a single resource pool to draw from, allowing them to easily maintain a sprawling enterprise-scale system from a central location.

Building out a business's footprint can present new opportunities for market growth and tapping into additional revenue streams. However, the hit in CAPEX and OPEX can make some enterprise leaders wary of developing remote branches. Hyperconverged infrastructure offers a way to reduce the cost and complexity of such projects, enabling organizations to take more aggressive action within their industries and stake out new territory when the moment arises.

As enterprises become larger, they will need to address the headaches that come part and parcel with any organizational growth. Hyperconvergence provides a way to reduce or eliminate those challenges, allowing for greater heights of success.

What to know about letting employees bring devices from home

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The bring-your-own-device movement has been getting serious traction lately, as the amount of technology owned by employees continues to go up. Whether it be their personal phone, tablet or even laptop, people really seem to like the idea of having their own tech at work. And this recent BYOD trend doesn't seem to be slowing down. In fact, research firm Gartner said approximately 70 percent of mobile workers will be using their own smart devices rather than those given to them by their company by 2018. With those kinds of numbers, it's no wonder that many companies are gearing up for the BYOD revolution. 

BYOD: The risks and rewards
Just like every trend, there are positives and negatives to letting employees bring their own electronics to work. The simplest and perhaps the most obvious of the positives is that people like their own devices. Employees don't just grab the first phone or computer that catches their eye. They take enormous amounts of time and energy to figure out what device is right for them. There is a multitude of things a device can offer someone, and allowing employees to tailor their work devices to their own wants and needs is certainly a benefit to both productivity and employee morale. 

Another positive point to consider with BYOD is the fact that employees upgrade their own devices at a much more rapid pace than their employers. According to eMarketer, about 54 percent of smartphone users plan to buy a new device within the next 12 months. Any company attempting to keep their own hardware this current would most certainly run itself into the ground. It's best to let employees worry about having the most current device.

Despite the many positives to BYOD, there are also some risks every company should consider. The biggest problem a company implementing a BYOD plan is likely to run into is the fact that it is extremely hard to tell employees what they can and can't do with their own devices. People get used to surfing the Web on their personal laptops, and while this is fine if the device is strictly for personal use, it becomes a problem when the device is brought into the office. It's very easy to tell an employee what they can and can't do with company-owned property, but it becomes a little harder when the employees own those devices. Any company considering BYOD should express these concerns with employees if they wish to keep productivity at peak levels. 

Aside from productivity, there is also a sizeable security risk from employees using BYOD hardware like they would at home. Something as simple as an employee downloading apps on their phone allows third-party access to company data. This is due to the relative simplicity of developing mobile viruses and can lead to the necessity of malware removal. Again, companies considering letting employees bring their own devices into work need to instruct these people in the correct use of devices. 

But companies shouldn't let the risks scare them away. With help from BYOD experts like ISG Technology, allowing employees to bring their own equipment can have a multitude of benefits without any downsides. 

Growing number of IoT devices calls for enhanced data storage solutions

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When the Internet started gaining prevalence in the workplace two decades ago, it would have been hard for most users to imagine how big a role it would end up playing in business. From our almost non-stop use of Wi-Fi to the growing list of smart devices that are able to connect to Wi-Fi networks, the Internet is changing the way end users interact with devices to accomplish tasks. The next step in the evolution of the Internet, however, is changing the way devices interact with one another.

The Internet of Things is creating a vast web of machines that are able to communicate and share information with one another, changing the way we use devices and the data they create.

"The Internet of Things revolves around increased machine-to-machine communication; it's built on cloud computing and networks of data-gathering sensors; it's mobile, virtual, and instantaneous connection; and they say it's going to make everything in our lives from streetlights to seaports 'smart,'" explained Wired contributor Daniel Burrus. "The Internet of Things really comes together with the connection of sensors and machines. That is to say, the real value that the Internet of Things creates is at the intersection of gathering data and leveraging it. All the information gathered by all the sensors in the world isn't worth very much if there isn't an infrastructure in place to analyze it in real time." 

"By 2020 the number of IoT devices will reach 38.5 billion."

According to a recent study conducted by Juniper Research, the number of devices connected to the IoT is expected to grow dramatically in the next few years. By 2020 the number of IoT devices willreach 38.5 billion, a 285 percent increase from this year. Juniper's report, The Internet of Things: Consumer, Industrial & Public Services 2015-2020, also found that one of the biggest hurdles businesses will have to face due to the massive influx of IoT devices is how to handle the increase in storage space necessary for the newly created data, as well as gathering and analyzing that information.

The IoT is changing the way data is used.The IoT is changing the way data is used.

Breaking health care barriers with the IoT
The IoT is having an impact on practically every industry, but its effects are being felt especially strongly by businesses within the health care sector. The problems associated with data collection, storage and analysis can be especially difficult for medical organizations because of strict security regulations and limited budgets. In order to make the technology behind the IoT work in the most effective way possible for health care companies, industry experts have identified some key elements that need to be addressed by IT administrators.

  • First, employees and users need to start adopting an IoT mindset so they will become more comfortable using the technology.
  • Second, operability between IT systems needs to be increased, so devices and programs will work seamlessly with one another.
  • Third, IT administrators need to think about moving forward and how current technologies will work with and influence future innovations.

The best way to address all of these issues is to implement a cloud-based data management solution. Cloud computing has proven to be the most beneficial way to leverage enterprise data. The IoT already utilizes cloud-based applications to interpret and transmit data coming from all of the sensors on connected devices, so using cloud storage services and other cloud applications to manage the data greatly increases interoperability. Using a cloud environment will also help end users become more comfortable with the technology, as many employees already use the cloud to accomplish a variety of tasks throughout the day and are familiar with the platform. Finally, working with the cloud to store, manage and analyze data being collected from IoT sensors will help health care organizations transition more easily into the future as the cloud can be leveraged for a variety of technologies.

Enterprise cloud adoption continues to grow as companies see benefits

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Since it was introduced nearly a decade ago, cloud computing has been changing the way companies do business by being perhaps the most transformative technology since the Internet itself. The cloud is becoming so important within the enterprise that market research firm IDC has predicted spending on public cloud services alone will reach $70 billion this year. The five industries investing the most on cloud deployments are discrete manufacturing, banking, professional services, process manufacturing and retail, according to the IDC report.

"Spending on public cloud services will reach $70 billion in 2015."

The study found that the biggest opportunities for success with cloud deployments are in "the development of intelligent industry solutions, which are built on top of a new platform that includes cloud, big data and analytics, mobile and social."

"We have already seen such platforms and innovation communities in place in retail, financial services, media, and other industries," said Eileen Smith, Program Manager of IDC's Global Technology and Research Group. "This will reshape not only how companies operate their IT but also how they compete in their own industry. Technology suppliers will continue to see significant demand for their industry-specific solutions."

So what kinds of benefits can businesses expect when they deploy a cloud solution?

Increased mobility
By hosting IT assets in a cloud environment, information and applications can be accessed and synced from anywhere with an Internet connection. The ability to access information remotely in the same way you would in the office makes it possible for businesses to enable their employees to work from just about anywhere. This also dramatically increases the available talent pool companies can draw from and it makes it  much easier to open and maintain satellite offices around the globe.

Improved collaboration
Because cloud services make accessing data remotely so much easier, collaborating is greatly improved as well. Contractors, remote team members, clients and any other interested party can access the necessary files and programs through a cloud portal instead of through massive attachments on needlessly complicated email chains. Anyone with the appropriate access to information can view, edit and share files, making group projects and collaborative efforts simpler than ever.

More companies are adopting cloud services than ever before because of the competitive advantages it offers.More companies are adopting cloud services than ever before because of the competitive advantages it offers.

Enhanced online backup services
Outages, system failure and unplanned downtime are all a part of working with technology, but how a business comes back from such disruptions is what sets it apart from other companies. With files stored in traditional digital solutions, users typically can't access them if the network goes down, bringing work – and revenue streams – to a grinding halt. With the cloud, however, critical IT assets are still accessible through off-site storage features allowing business to continue even after a disruptive event.

Reduced storage and hardware needs
One of the most expensive parts of enterprise IT infrastructure is the equipment and storage capacity necessary to run a business. Using cloud storage services means organizations do not need as much hard drive space. As a result, hardware requirements are reduced because necessary components are maintained by the cloud service provider.

By partnering with a trusted third-party service provider like ISG Technology, companies can create a customized infrastructure that works for them. Innovative as-a-service options enable CIOs and other IT decision-makers to control the enterprise environment while still being able to access the necessary flexibility to move business forward.

Introducing second wave Wi-Fi

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In the world of technology, a lot can change in just a few years, with new innovations emerging all the time. With users employing a growing number of devices to connect to the Internet while also demanding increasing speed and download capabilities, a lot has changed with the way wireless Internet connections are expected to function.

When the first Wi-Fi certified ac products came onto the scene two years ago, they implemented core features of the IEEE 802.11ac standard. While those products – known as "first wave" 11ac – used more spatial streams, wider channels and higher-density modulation triple the speed of comparable Wi-Fi certified 11n products, the necessary features to meet the standard's full potential of 7 Gbps were left out because the technology was still immature and there were a variety of engineering challenges that had to be overcome before moving forward.

With the rapid development of Internet capabilities and Wi-Fi engineering, the Wi-Fi Alliance has announced that it is currently evaluating features that can be added to the "second wave" 11ac products for an updated certification program that will be available in mid-2016.

The next wave of Wi-Fi products will greatly improve capacity and functionality.The next wave of Wi-Fi products will greatly improve capacity and functionality.

What will second wave Wi-Fi have to offer?
In an article for TechTarget, contributor Lisa Phifer noted that the first wave of 11ac products built off of the technology used in products on the IEEE 802.11n standard.

"The first wave of 11ac was built upon the same technologies used by 11n — most notably, multiple input multiple output (MIMO) antennas that transmit data along several spatial streams, optionally combined with double- or quadruple-wide channels to achieve faster data rates," wrote Phifer. "But unlike 11n, 11ac focuses exclusively on 5 GHz band transmission, leaving the congested 2.4 GHz band for use by older, less capable devices and other technologies, such as Bluetooth. Similarly, the second wave of 11ac will build upon the first wave features."

"Second wave Wi-Fi will double capacity and add support for 80 80 and 160 MHz channels."

Just as the first wave doubled the maximum channel width available at the time, second wave will double it again and add support for 80 80 and 160 MHz channels. The amount of spatial streams expected from access points will also grow, rising from three to four transmit and receive streams. While these changes may seem small, they have the potential for major improvements. The enhancements in the second wave Wi-Fi offer the possibility of quadruple the maximum data rates currently available under favorable conditions.

The other big difference with second wave Wi-Fi is the introduction of MU-MIMO (multi-user, multiple input output) technology. It offers the ability to dramatically increase the throughput of wireless networks and make a noticeable difference in dense, high capacity networks. Previous wireless standards like 11ac and 11n were able to improve data rates, but only for individual users. MU-MIMO, however, allows for multiple streams to be sent from access points to multiple users simultaneously, creating a greater impact across the network.

"Wi-Fi has always suffered from density and capacity issues, especially in the small and crowded 2.4GHz band," explained Network World contributor Eric Geier. "Using 802.11n or 802.11ac in the 5GHz band helps by providing many more channels and faster data rates. However, MU-MIMO helps even more as multiple devices can be served simultaneously. This leads to increased throughput, frees up more airtime, and allows access points to serve larger crowds of devices."

The first devices featuring second wave Wi-Fi and MU-MIMO are already starting to appear on the market, offering improved capacity for business-class access points and smartphones, as well as laptops and routers.

Having trouble managing data volume? Try converged infrastructure

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As a growing number of businesses across just about all industries adopt new tech trends like bring-your-own-device policies, big data analytics and the Internet of Things, the volume of information stored by such organizations is reaching increasingly high levels. The ability to collect and share data is more important than ever, but traditional information management systems have difficulties handling the rising workloads. In an attempt to manage the growing amounts of data, many companies have scaled their existing IT infrastructure by incorporating disparate systems on outdated technology. This creates overly complex IT environments and puts even more strain on storage setups and IT administrators.

So what are enterprises to do? The current business environment calls for faster and more agile access to critical data, and the systems being used now are complicated and detrimental to the health of a company. To gain the competitive advantages necessary to stay ahead of the game, many organizations are now deploying converged infrastructure.

Growing volumes of data can be better managed with a converged infrastructure. Growing volumes of data can be better managed with a converged infrastructure.

Moving to a converged infrastructure

“The integrated infrastructure market increased by nearly 34% in 2014.”

Instead of buying one-off machines and separate CPU, storage and network components and having to configure them all, converged infrastructure allows IT administrators to access an preconfigured, integrated experience in a box. A growing number of enterprises are seeing the advantages to implementing converged infrastructure, according to research firm IDC. In the second quarter of 2014, the integrated infrastructure and platforms market increased by nearly 34 percent year-over-year and revenue for the first half of 2014 rose 36 percent.

Converged systems scale out performance and capacity by virtualizing computing and storage power across multiple nodes. Data protection and failover are managed between the nodes, and clients typically must start with a minimum of three to account for availability. Once the system has been implemented, users can add nodes on an individual basis in order to increase storage and computing resources.

There are a variety of benefits to converged infrastructure:

  • Faster Provisioning: By employing a converged infrastructure model, a job that may have once required a provisioning time of three weeks can be cut down to less than an hour in some instances.
  • Lowers costs: With convergence, fewer single-use components are needed, and fewer components will be used in the data center overall. This decrease means fewer components to manage, troubleshoot and operate, as well as a reduction in the physical footprint of the data center or other IT facility.
  • Simpler management infrastructure: A converged infrastructure centralizes the management of servers, networks and storage, creating more streamlined daily maintenance. This requires less personnel and a lower knowledge base as opposed to traditional upkeep, freeing up skilled tech workers for more business-critical functions.
  • Quicker IT response: Creates a more agile way to respond to changes in the marketplace or with business priorities.
  • Reduced siloing of IT teams: Instead of managing storage and CPU separately, everything is done together. Fewer overall IT resources are needed with converged infrastructure and more knowledge and cross-training becomes available throughout the business.
  • Improved control: Control is now centralized and management of multiple functions and devices can take place at one time.
  • Scalability and flexibility: Allows the capacity of the entire data center or IT footprint to be quickly adjusted to meet client demands.

Converged infrastructure offers business considerable savings as opposed to traditional approaches. As the market continues to evolve, systems will become simplified and more third-party integrators will emerge to take over the task from in-house teams. This will lead to increased options and lower costs. Modern converged systems focus management on virtual machines, moving commodity computing resources and disks to the background. As the market continues to grow, more options will emerge that offer both options in combined nodes, enabling improved scalability. Sometimes referred to as hyperconvergence, this unites storage, computing a networking in a single unit around a hypervisor that takes care of all of the management duties.

With enterprise data volumes increasing all the time and as the need for reliable, agile and secure management solutions become more important, working with a third-party service provider to create a converged infrastructure solution is more often than not the best way for business to access competitive advantages.

Big data causing big changes in the enterprise

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A lot of IT buzzwords get thrown around without there ever really being any context as to what the technology does for a business or how many companies are actually utilizing it. For 2015, that buzzword is definitely “big data”. It pops up everywhere, but what is the real picture? According to a recent study by EMC, big data is more than just a buzzword, it’s a necessary tool for enterprise success.

The recent report “Big & Fast Data: The Rise of Insight-Driven Business” sponsored by Capgemini revealed that a growing number of companies are investing in big data initiatives and are seeing positive results. According to the study, 70 percent of IT decision-makers believe their organization’s ability to extract value from big data is critical to their future success. Another 65 percent said that they risk becoming irrelevant or losing a competitive advantage if they don’t utilize big data.

Businesses bracing for shifts as big data takes hold
The study, which included interviews with more than 1,000 senior executives and decision-makers across nine industries in 10 countries, provides a variety of insights into how companies are responding to the changes big data has brought to the enterprise. More than half of respondents believe that investments in big data will outstrip past investment in information management over the next three years. This is due in part to the fact that 63 percent of participants believe the monetization of data could potentially become as valuable as existing products and services. This is especially true among those in the telecommunications sector, where 83 percent of respondents agreed with the statement.

One of the most significant statistics is the fact that 47 percent of senior executives believe their organizations’ IT systems are not properly optimized to allow business decision-makers to do their jobs effectively. These executives reported seeing a need for increasing the cadence of their IT systems’ improvement to keep up with the increasing client, supplier and stakeholder requirements outside of their organizations.

In order to accommodate all of the changes brought about by the increased use of big data, businesses will need to ensure that their data center solutions and IT infrastructure are up to the challenge. Working with a trusted service provider to upgrade infrastructure and improve data center performance is the most reliable way to ensure that new big data initiatives will be implemented successfully.

New survey finds clients willing to pay for stronger Wi-Fi

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For most people, it would be hard to go even a few hours without an Internet connection to power a laptop or mobile device. According to a new report, consumers worldwide are more eager than ever to have access to stronger, faster and easier-to-use Wi-Fi services. So eager, in fact, that they are willing to pay a premium to get them.

A recent survey conducted by IE Market Research found that Wi-Fi is more in demand than ever, and subscribers are even willing to relinquish some of their privacy to get a better client experience and personalized offers. The study, which included responses from more than 4,000 Wi-Fi clients in 11 countries, revealed some interesting, though perhaps not surprising, facts about consumer Wi-Fi use.

“Canadian and U.S. clients are willing to pay almost 10% more on average for broadband Internet with certain amenities.”

According to the report, the biggest pain points when it comes to Wi-FI service is coverage outside the house and poor connection speed. Consumers are ready to pay extra to receive carrier-grade services, with clients in Canada and the U.S. willing to pay almost 10 percent more on average for their broadband Internet if it includes service outside of the home and provides a high-connection speed, seamless connections across various endpoints and has automatic handoff to cellular networks.

Consumers are looking for an improved Wi-Fi experience.Consumers are looking for an improved Wi-Fi experience.

Stronger, more personalized Wi-Fi top priorities
So interested in stronger Wi-Fi connections are consumers that nearly 66 percent of those surveyed said they would consider replacing their cellphone plans with a Wi-Fi first offering. Kristin Dolan, chief operating officer of Cablevision, explained this growing trend by saying that cellular networks were built to carry voice, while Wi-Fi connections were meant to handle data. As consumers spend more time using the Internet on their phones and doing things other than make calls like watch video, Wi-Fi becomes the channel of choice for many users.

“Connectivity, particularly wireless, is going to become more and more important to our consumers,” said Cablevision CEO James Dolan. “Connectivity has surpassed video as the primary product for a company like ours. And we need to continue to strategize our product offerings to reflect that with different packaging, etc., which is something I think we will do in 2015.”

Another interesting fact the survey uncovered is that 80 percent of participants said they would feel comfortable allowing their service provider to collect personal data if it would make the marketing and client service experience more personalized and satisfactory. Another 7 percent of respondents said they would even be willing to pay more for their service each month if it meant they would get customized offers and personalized service.

“Clients are looking for customized care,” said Nizar Assanie, vice president of IE Market Research. “This question wasn’t asking whether they’d pay more as a line item for customized care. But they did see the value in it. There is a demand for personalized client support and better quality of service and consumers are willing to pay to get it.”

White House making strides to increase public access to broadband Internet

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The federal government has been very concerned with the Internet recently. From cybersecurity taking center stage during this year's State of the Union address to the Federal Communications Commission making historic rules protecting net neutrality, Washington has cyberspace on its mind – and for good reason. The Internet is everywhere and is used by billions of people everyday. It has changed the way people work, play, learn and communicate, but for some reason there are still areas of even the most developed countries that don't have access to reliable Internet service. However, with so much attention being paid to online activities recently, a variety of organizations are working together to change that, at least in the U.S.

" Only 29% of Americans are able to choose from more than one service provider at 25 Mbps."

According to the most recent data from the Department of Commerce, 98 percent of Americans are now able to access 4G wireless broadband service, achieving a goal set by the Obama administration two years earlier than anticipated. However, information from the FCC paints a slightly different picture. A report from the agency indicated that over 50 million Americans are not able to purchase a wired broadband connection capable of download speeds of 25 Mbps, which has been defined by the FCC as the minimum for adequate broadband service. On top of that, only 29 percent of Americans are able to choose from more than one service provider at the minimum broadband speed.

Increased Internet access offers paths to success
The widespread availability of high-speed Internet has been an important cause for the president since he took office in 2009, and he often makes the case that abundant Internet access, as well as education in the STEM fields, is critical to the economic future of the country. Last week Obama praised the progress that has been made by the country's broadband providers to increase the presence of high-speed wireless service across the nation, but acknowledged there was work yet to be done. In response, the president announced the creation of a new inter-agency panel that will be tasked with eliminating regulatory barriers to further deployment even more.

The newly formed Broadband Opportunity Council will be made up of representatives from more than two dozen government departments and agencies. The council is being billed as a coordinated effort among government entities to work alongside the private sector in order to develop a policy environment that enables investment in high-speed networks. The group will be co-chaired by the U.S. Departments of Commerce and Agriculture and is expected to report back to the president within 150 days with steps each agency can take to advance the council's goals. 

"Access to high-speed broadband is no longer a luxury; it is a necessity for American families, businesses, and consumers," Obama said. "The federal government has an important role to play in developing coordinated policies to promote broadband deployment and adoption, including promoting best practices, breaking down regulatory barriers, and encouraging further investment."

The government is taking major steps to improve access to high-speed Internet across the country.The government is taking major steps to improve access to high-speed Internet across the country.

Breaking down barriers to access
Along with creating the BOC, Obama is also urging the FCC to strike down state laws which prevent communities from building or expanding their own 1-gigabit-per-second networks. These types of networks offer download speeds nearly 100 times faster than conventional connections and can be a major resource to rural communities.

"Over the last several years, dozens of cities have accelerated the deployment of world-leading broadband networks by reforming local policies that add unnecessary costs to construction," said Blair Levin, the man behind the FCC's efforts to write the 2010 National Broadband Plan. "It's great, as called for in the National Broadband Plan, that federal agencies are joining the movement to reform policies to help American communities have the best broadband in the world."