As an industry built on history and tradition, the last 12 months have shaken up the FSI sector and have accelerated the rate at which FSI organisations have had to innovate. Leaders, Operations and IT teams have had to come together to find ways to maintain business continuity without causing so much disruption. As a result, operations have changed significantly to support business growth and customers.

What challenges are FSI businesses facing?

The pandemic has given every FSI business challenges that few would have expected, let alone planned for. As we return to a ‘new normal’, many employees are working from home full time, some with no plans to return to traditional ways of working in the office.

Most organisations have not planned for a new, flexible style of working and therefore do not have the infrastructure in place to support it long term. You’re now left with a choice; don’t offer flexible working packages and risk becoming a less appealing employer in a climate where remote working is essential, or do you offer flexible working and accept the risks associated with it? What if you didn’t have to choose either?

In an effort to protect their employees and their customers, organisations are searching for a solution that will enable their workforce to work safely and securely from their homes while still being productive.

How do you know if you are achieving the operation resiliency you need?

In addition to networking considerations, you should be aware that cybercriminals are prepared to exploit the weaknesses and security gaps that often arise during such events. Unprepared users and unsecured systems can quickly become channels for malware and malicious activity. Security must be an integral element of any remote-working strategy.

One solution that enables employees to run workloads on any workstation with enterprise level security, compliance, and security, is Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD)

AVD is a Microsoft service that allows you to access your desktop and apps from anywhere. Your employees will get the best virtualised experience and can work seamlessly knowing the built-in intelligent security will proactively detect any threats.

You can deploy and scale AVD in minutes depending on your business needs. The best part? Use your existing licenses to save costs with a modern cloud-based virtual desktop infrastructure.

If it isn’t already, remote working will become an instrumental part of your business continuity strategy. With some challenging weeks and months ahead as we navigate the new normal, ensuring you can keep your workforce healthy and your business in business will be critical to your organisation’s success.