It seems like an eternity since the advent of 4G and smartphones ushered in the era of enterprise mobility, with voice and data IP services and a fast broadband internet experience serving as a primary engine of growth. The introduction of 5G mobile data networks takes this to a whole new level. Offering faster speeds and increased data capacity with lower latency and greater device density, the fifth generation of mobile wireless communications technology is fast becoming an integral part of every business strategy.

Back in the day – around about ten years ago – bring your own device or BYOD represented a bold move reflecting the new relationship technology played in people’s work and personal lives and the shift to a more mobile and always on work culture. Led by employee demand for the same level of technology performance at work as they enjoy at home, companies began to figure out how to allow employees’ smartphones, tablets, and laptop devices to access corporate networks while ensuring the infrastructure remains secure.

During the onset of the pandemic last year, the adoption of cloud technologies gathered pace as more and more businesses opted for a cloud-first technology strategy. This in turn has fuelled new demand for SD-WAN services.

These days, with 18 months of rapid change care of the global pandemic, the traditional 9-5 work framework with employees tethered to their computers in an office environment is no longer the status quo. In addition to employees working in the office, modern workplaces are now made up of remote workers who are working from home as well as employees working in other locations and virtual teams based in other countries.

In most companies, enterprise mobility is a given and the adoption of cloud systems is continuing at pace – with more employees using ever more devices to access corporate data and applications through open networks. Controlling who is granted access to which applications presents CIOs and their teams with a raft of identity and access management (IAM) challenges.