It’s no surprise that the Cognitive Business era is coinciding with the dawn of the Internet of Things. Data growth is enormous now, and IoT will usher in an age of everything from connected cars to service requesting sensors in soda machines.
A car in your company fleet requesting its own oil change? Crops requesting an extra watering? A refrigerator ordering a replacement part for itself? We are on the verge of a new connected age and these examples are already happening. Organizations that embrace this and build their own cognitive journey will be poised to have a competitive advantage. But they have to do one big thing first:
Learning to Love the Cloud
A full embrace of cloud computing is essential to the Cognitive Business Era. Organizations are no longer defined by just their in-house resources. Social and mobile are here, and IoT technologies open up an even greater world of possibilities. But to get there, smart technology leaders need to embrace cloud integration across enterprise IT and hybrid clouds. This needs to happen in a way that unlocks new value for the business.
Leveraging the cloud can give organizations an open ecosystem of technology and partners. Traditionally this has come with a sacrifice. The sacrifice of security. How can you accelerate innovation without sacrificing security and control in the Cognitive Era?
Locking Down While Opening Up
Locking down while opening up means securely connecting business systems and data to cloud through enhanced security. Done properly a secure cloud approach will:
- Protect sensitive assets
- Ensure integration across enterprise IT and hybrid cloud
- Enable workload isolation
- Provide file-level security so that insiders cannot exploit legitimist access
- Encrypt data at a massive scale—both at rest and in flight
- Avoid performance sacrifices for the sake of security
Secure IT infrastructure for the cognitive era
Delivering through cloud platforms means extending existing infrastructure investments by providing controlled access to business assets. It is critical to understand what systems need to be protected and what need to open up and integrate across the ecosystem. IT infrastructure for the cognitive era lets you extend the value of systems and data.
System of Record and System of Engagement Modernization
IoT, Mobile, digital, and social means that modernization of SOR and SOE will have to be evaluated. This will be daunting for any enterprise with a large application portfolio. Enterprises need to take a strategic approach in defining their modernization path. Cloud will be a part of this transformation, but security can’t be sacrificed just for the sake of innovation.
Through Cognitive Business infrastructure organizations will be able to connect business systems and data to cloud through enhanced security. Sensitive assets are protected through encryption:
- High Speed
- Chip
- File & transaction level
- Server through storage
Preparing your Cloud Strategy for the Cognitive Business Era
As you consider starting your cognitive business journey you’ll need a sound Cloud Strategy in place. IBM’s security specialist can help understand the security and privacy risks associated with cloud computing. They’ll work with you to assess your level of risk, establish appropriate risk management strategies and help improve security controls so that you can better manage regulatory and industry requirements.
Cognitive business mean opening up, but it also means locking down and securing your data. Ready to start your cognitive business journey? Make sure that security is a part of the conversation. Find out more about how IBM helps enterprises prepare for the security challenges of the Cognitive Business Era. [link to landing page]
