On this episode of The Bridge, I’m joined by my friend Kevin Sullivan, Director of Solutions Engineering at Evolve IP. We’re questioning how we do end user computing and more.
Evolve IP partners with IT professionals to bring together their essential productivity and communication tools into a single, secure cloud-based solution, fine-tuned for the hybrid workforce and delivered as a service. By integrating these disconnected systems and filling in the gaps, they improve both productivity and security, increasing uptime to make the future of work better for everyone.
During our conversation, we’re rethinking end user computing, reconsidering the disjointed structure of the security vendors and products IT leaders are leveraging to secure the widest part of their footprint, the importance of recovery and its unsexy but crucial role in the technology landscape, and so much more.
Topics covered in this episode:
● Why Evolve IP's superpower lies in the realm of the hybrid workforce.
● How Evolve IP emphasizes the ability to optimize solutions regardless of the underlying platform, promoting platform agnosticism.
● Why the pandemic fundamentally changed work dynamics and industry norms, leading to a continued evolution of strategies.
● How the pandemic caused a shift in technology adoption, especially in DaaS and VDI.
● Why the ongoing effects of the pandemic have led to uncertainty and fluidity in strategic planning.
● Why differentiating data sets based on their importance to the business operations is key.
● Why businesses should be skeptical of providers who try to dictate their recovery priorities.
● Why the role of solution providers is to present the "art of the possible" rather than prescribing specific solutions.
● The relationship between compliance and recovery.
● How the impact of the event and its consequences define the extent of the disaster in recovery scenarios.
● Why recovery plans need to extend beyond server workloads to consider employee work capabilities, such as communications, endpoints, and user computing.
● How the hybridization of the workforce due to remote work offers a built-in business continuity plan for organizations.
● How DaaS was pivotal in maintaining access to secure applications during challenges like the pandemic.
● The significance of optimizing real-time audio and video in remote work scenarios.
● Predictions for the future.
ABOUT KEVIN SULLIVAN
Over the course of my journey in corporate IT and cloud services that started all the way back in 2006, the most important thing that I have learned is that context drives progress. Whether it comes to understanding an organization's needs, ensuring client satisfaction, designing a solution, implementing services, or the myriad of other IT initiatives we undertake on a regular basis, the WHY matters just as much as the WHAT and HOW (if not more-so). This mentality has helped me to serve as a trusted advisor to help both clients as well as partners throughout their digital transformation journeys as they embrace new technology to address their ever-evolving needs.
While technical in nature, I am a huge proponent of the concept of 'Outcome Oriented IT.' Putting the nuances of the technical solutions aside, what are the business challenges, regulatory requirements, and organizational pain-points that we are, ultimately, looking to address? Let's begin with the end in mind knowing that, as an industry, we have a massive technical toolbox from which we can pull solutions, but what ultimately matters is applying that technology to put our customers, our partners, and/or ourselves in a better position than where we started.
Over the last few years, I have used these approaches in the Cloud Services space to serve as a Director of Solutions Engineering, specifically focused on providing analysis, planning, design, solution building, and product education to my colleagues in both direct and channel sales as well as assisting in developing our forward-looking technology roadmap, developing and articulating both our solution and organizational value propositions, and striving to contribute to industry thought leadership in our space specific to end user computing, edge security, general cybersecurity and compliance, and end user experience.
I am extremely fortunate to have served at various levels on both sides of the client/vendor relationship throughout my career from Systems Administration to Director of IT on the client side and Project Management, Solution Architect, Client Success Management, and Director of Solutions Engineering on the vendor side. This multifaceted experience helps with understanding and empathizing with all aspects of the digital transformation journey and enables me to function as both a trusted advisor and advocate for both the clients and partners with whom I am fortunate enough to work as well as the sales professionals whom I represent.
Interested in cloud services, security, or compliance? Please reach out; I'd love to talk!
CONTACT KEVIN
LinkedIn. https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-sullivan-3204292b/
Web. http://evolveip.net