There’s a kind of cool factor these days to being viewed as a disruptor. The word “disrupt” itself implies innovation, or at least change and a move to replace the old with the new. In everyday life, a disruptor is someone who crashes the proverbial party; in business today, disruptors are seen in an altogether more positive light, as bringers of new ideas and fresh perspectives.
New age
The spirit of disruption is strong in an entire generation of people. Millennials, or those born between 1981 and 1997, are now bursting into the workforce and by 2025 will comprise three-quarters of the global workforce. This cohort claims and practices the kind of digital citizenry described in a recent article by Government of Canada CIO Alex Benay:
- They are very active on social media;
- They see the digital world as just “the world”;
- They don’t like borders and barriers; and
- They believe in the power of collaboration.
While the “borderless world” approach to doing business may have come into vigour with the emergence of the Millennials, it is not a strictly Millennial phenomenon. Even though the office of earlier cohorts was one of walls and cubicles, their wholehearted embrace of digital and digital transformation puts a kind of stamp on the “new world” of disruption, innovation, and collaboration.
Collaboration used to happen within clearly defined teams or groups within an organization, leveraging some inward-focused technology. In the digital workplace, however, collaboration is occurring without regard to or dependence on geographic proximity or other such boundaries. Today, with cloud and a fast-emerging Internet of Things, collaboration is becoming a much more organic thing, as natural an exchange as working with someone who’s sitting across the table from you.
Balance key
Smart companies are aware of the dangers of unrestricted, unregulated collaboration between internal and external players in the day and age of ransomware. Smart companies will always have security in mind, and will instinctively know how to “keep things clean” as they adopt new technologies. However, companies on a digital journey will seek balance first and above all else. Although security is essential, today’s agile organization seeks to be a disruptor first. This can only happen where upon the fertile ground of collaboration and engagement.
Solutions for the times
Northern Micro’s Remote Support solution satisfies the needs of today’s digital citizen by removing barriers between business and client and between all service and support resources in a business. Northern Micro’s Vault solution shrinks companies’ attack surface by tightening password security for both privileged users and IT vendors.
Find out more about Northern Micro Remote Support.
Find out more about Northern Micro Vault.
Find out more about Northern Micro Privileged Access.
The white paper “Enabling Digital Transformation with Secure Engagement and Collaboration” discusses the new digital citizen and the increasing importance of collaboration in the digital workplace. Download this white paper now.
