PARTNER
3 ways to prepare for the future workplace
By Intel
Changes to the nature of work post-pandemic pose new challenges and opportunities for the public sector.
Technology has the ability to unlock new possibilities in the workplace. For public sector offices today, hybrid working, cyber threats and rising costs pose a significant challenge.
New tech can help to overcome these difficulties and increase productivity. Here are three things governments should think about as they move into a new age of work.
Government as a target
“There is a growing trend of hackers targeting critical infrastructure,” says CNN. Critical services are targeted to maximise impact on citizens. They report that gas pipelines, water supply, government agencies and agricultural producers have all been victims of cyberattacks.
Information theft is another area of concern, as governments possess valuable data on many aspects of citizen’s lives. Healthcare data was found to be up to ten times more valuable than credit card numbers on the deep web, according to a report from the Independent.
Governments must ensure that the technology provided to their employees can protect sensitive systems and data from hackers who are targeting the public sector.
The Intel vPro Platform provides computers with threat detection to identify crypto mining and ransomware attacks without disrupting performance. It also keeps memory stored separately when programmes are running, preventing malware from infecting the operating system.
“Security established at each layer is only as secure as the next-lowest layer” is the approach taken to Intel’s vPro security. This means Intel works security protections into the hardware, emphasising that higher layered “software-only security is no longer sufficient”.
By doing this, laptops are protected from the moment of booting up the computer, protecting the core computing elements from attacks that originate through software programmes.
Adapting to the hybrid working environment
The pandemic has completely knocked down the common concept of a workplace. The physical office is no longer the only suitable environment for productive work.
In a post-Covid future, public sector employees will be expected to be mobile, working from the office, their home and other locations, according to the UK’s Local Government Association. Governments need a new model for greater flexibility in working locations.
To make this possible, governments must be able to provide their employees with technology that allows for continuous productivity regardless of location.
Hardware systems can allow for laptops to build upon their mobility and become powerful computers as well. The Intel vPro Platform is a series of hardware systems that can boost the ability of a computer.
For government employees who may need to move locations in their day-to-day work cycle, the vPro Platform also promises 11 hours of battery life, reports Laptop Mag. These hardware features allow for consistent productivity across each area of the hybrid work environment.
Cost saving after the pandemic
The Covid-19 pandemic and government’s efforts to protect public health have led to US$11.7 trillion of spending, around 12 per cent of global GDP. Global public debt is projected to approach a record high of 100 percent of GDP, according to Bloomberg.
With the public purse already stretched thin, it is even more important that public sector services are cost efficient, including the government workplace.
An economic impact study conducted by Forrester measured how technologies were helping to reduce spending in workplaces. They found that the vPro Platform saved businesses up to US$ 650,000 a year by replacing the need to pay third-parties.
The study also found that the platform provided every employee two extra hours of productivity per month. Productivity was less interrupted as there were 90,000 fewer help desk incidents per year after the vPro system improved desktop management and security. This will free up civil servants’ time for what truly matters: improving citizen lives.
As the public sector adapts their structure to meet the changing nature of work, the demands on technology increase. Governments must be prepared to equip their employees with the right tools to allow this changing work environment to remain productive.