Print.IT Reseller - issue 87

BULLETIN Is hybrid here to stay? Three quarters (76%) of UK IT decision- makers believe their organisation could have made the transition to a hybrid model sooner if they were aware of the pros and cons before the pandemic. This is according to the latest research from eFax, the cloud- based fax solution for businesses. The research found that with most employees now accustomed to the flexibility of being able to work remotely, and many employers now offering this in the long-term, organisations that do not offer such flexibility risk deterring their workforce and being unfavourable to future talent. 51% of UK IT decision-makers believe the inability to attract and retain talent, and over a third (38%), believe being unable to accommodate family life, are big risks if business do not enable a hybrid workforce. A further third (34%) believe it would risk a disengaged culture among employees. www.efax.co.uk Office landlines extinct in six years Ringover’s analysis of Ofcom data suggests that the workplace landline will become extinct in November 2028. Business landline numbers fell 370,000 in a year to 4.98 million, according to the latest Ofcom data. Numbers are predicted to fall below two million in spring 2024, and drop under one million in early 2026. The decline of the office landline comes as businesses replace fixed lines with internet- based communications like VOIP. Renaud Charvet, CEO at Ringover Group, said: “The office landline has kept businesses running for almost a hundred years, so it will be quite a milestone when the last one is terminated. Few people should mourn their demise, however, as the alternatives give businesses a huge opportunity to turn a standard business phone into a real productivity tool designed for modern workers.” www.ringover.co.uk VPN downloads set to hit 1 billion The need to safeguard data and privacy while using the internet has contributed to the rise in the number of Virtual Private Networks downloads. The growth in VPN usage is projected to accelerate to hit new levels. Data acquired by Finbold projects that the number of VPN downloads globally will hit 1.05 billion in 2021. The projection represents a growth of 70.45% from the 616 million downloads recorded in the first half of 2021. Interestingly, downloads in the first six months of 2021 are more than double the 2020 figure of 277 million. www.finbold.com Cybercrime financial loss From the start of 2021, the UK has reported a total of 14,883 instances of cybercrime, with total losses of £5.7m. A new study from click fraud prevention experts PPC Shield, indicates that malicious hacking, fraudulent use of social media accounts and email scams are the most common form of cybercrime so far this year – accounting for 43% of all reported incidents since January 1. Also in the high-ranking categories are reports of malware/ viruses, personal hacking and extortion. Though cybercrime against corporate bodies only accounts for 10% of the UK’s reported offenses, their financial losses of £1.9m accounts for a third of the total figure. www.ppcshield.io Remote security top concern IT heads say data leaks in the home will cause the biggest security headache over the next two years as hybrid working arrangements see employees buying and installing their own technology, according to new research by Brother UK. More than a third of the respondents cited the issue as their top concern as more decentralised purchasing decisions for devices such as laptops, printers and scanners are creating more data vulnerabilities. Work to minimise security risks was signalled by almost a quarter (23%) of respondents anticipating that office technology would be centrally procured with employees purchasing home tech from approved supplier lists over the next two years, up from 19% that currently have this procurement model. However, 11% of IT leads said they expect all office and home technology to be procured by employees on their own over the same period, compared to 5% that currently operate in this way, which could signal some additional challenges for security in the future. Other top concerns included data security in the office (27%), network security for remote workers (13%) and accountability (12%). www.brother.co.uk Surge in demand for ITAD The return to the office will drive a surge in demand for IT disposition services as companies cope with the backlog built up during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to DSA Connect. Its research found 83% of UK IT directors believe demand for IT asset disposition (ITAD) and data destruction services will grow over the next two years with nearly one in five (17%) predicting a dramatic increase in demand. Just 5% expect demand to drop. Around 69% of respondents said data erasure services will be most in demand with just 10% expecting a drop in demand. Around 60% of IT directors believe end of life IT services will see a growth in demand with 24% expecting a dramatic increase over the next two years. More than half of those questioned (55%) believe demand will increase for onsite data destruction and recycling of IT services with 33% expecting a dramatic increase in demand for recycling and 29% a dramatic rise in demand for onsite data destruction. www.dsa-connect.co.uk 01732 759725 4