Revamping Your IT Architecture in a Post-COVID World

On this special episode of The Futurum Tech Podcast - Interview Series host Daniel Newman welcomes Chandrashekar LSP, Product Evangelist at Zoho to discuss a recent work engagement survey, how COVID-19 has impacted IT architecture and how to revamp your IT architecture with one easy test.   LSP and I explored how COVID-19 has accelerated digital transformation. Every company, no matter the industry, was impacted. Most had no choice but to pivot. In the last six months, we’ve seen more digital transformation than the last decade. There has been a tremendous increase in technology adoption as businesses shifted to working from home environments. Zoho specifically saw clients increase productivity and collaboration technology spend to keep business running effectively. In turn, this technology has given companies a new lease on the way to do business.   Zoho’s work engagement survey. LSP shared that in April 2020, Zoho conducted a survey to determine how engaged people are at work. The survey had three parts that covered alignment and leadership competence, employee happiness and satisfaction, and the technology tools that are used in the workplace including the technology strategies that are in place. The survey found that people are happy doing what they do, but companies can improve employee experience when it comes to technology, a telling result for all companies involved.   Silos exist in almost every company. The survey showed many businesses struggle with silos, be it data silos, or technology silos. Too often, companies adopt pieces of technology but do not have the right IT architecture and discipline in maintaining the software. We were experiencing a software creep in IT and marketing until COVID when IT departments had to standardize the technology being used to drive a better customer experience.     Revamping your IT architecture. LSP and I discussed what he calls the four C test to find the right software that fits your company and your needs. The first C is context. Systems need to give seamless context across applications so you can easily jump from one application to another to work on an issue. The second C is continuity. Software needs to be accessible from different devices and different spaces in order to be effective. The third C is convenience. Is the software simple and easy for all employees to use? The final C is collaboration. Is the application or software something that multiple employees can collaborate on at once? Chandrashekar explained that companies could easily justify their tech investments by performing this test.   Zoho’s different approach to business. Lastly, we explored what makes Zoho different from other companies including their stance on privacy. Chandrashekar reiterated that Zoho does not sell any user information and they don’t run ads in their software. That’s a lot of money to sacrifice, but it’s worth it to protect customers. We also examined the breadth and depth that Zoho offers which includes 45 products that can be deployed across an organization to solve almost any problem. Everything is integrated and information is shared across the applications, eliminating silo walls before they can even be created.   If you’d like to learn more about Zoho, their work engagement survey, or any of their products and services, be sure to check out their website. Listen to the full episode below and don’t forget to subscribe to the Futurum Tech Podcast so you never miss an episode.   Disclaimer: This show is for information and entertainment purposes only. While we will discuss publicly traded companies on this show, the contents of this show should not be taken as investment advice.