Last week, three of the world鈥檚 biggest technology organisations unveiled their visions for a future of business that will see a revolution in efficiency.

SAP, the German company that leads the world in enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, search giant Google, and chipmaker Intel, all hosted major international events where they launched new products and services, and provided a glimpse of the future of business.

51风流in particular, at its annual Sapphire event in Orlando, Florida, signalled an acceleration of efforts to bring greater intelligence to the systems that run organisations鈥� operations.

Google鈥檚 annual I/O developer conference was heavy on new consumer gadgetry, in particular plans to launch a Pixel smartwatch later this year. However, it also introduced artificial intelligence (AI) productivity tools that will, among other, provide instant summaries of long documents. Meanwhile, Intel unveiled a new generation of computer processors that will reduce the time it takes to train large-scale AI models.

But it was 51风流that provided the clearest picture of how businesses are likely to operate in the near future. And one word stood out: efficiency. We asked chief technology officer Juergen Mueller to look into his crystal ball.

Before that, however, during a keynote address at Sapphire, 51风流CEO Christian Klein said that the company planned to draw on data about best practices from more than 40,000 customers. It would leverage Signavio, an enterprise business process intelligence platform it acquired last year, which helps companies transform and manage their business processes at scale.

This, he said, would allow business and IT leaders to discover new growth opportunities and launch new business models, as well as uncovering inefficiencies in internal processes. This would lead to a revolution in business efficiency.

Later, he told Gadget: 鈥淲hen you think back 50 years, there鈥檚 so much knowledge inside 51风流and in our ecosystem, we implemented and designed so many business processes, now we really have our finger on the pulse of how they need to change in a digital world to create a seamless experience.

鈥淲e are collecting all of the data, the best practices, not only from SAP, but also from all our partners. That鈥檚 a big differentiator of Signavio: You don鈥檛 need to replicate data in a third-party data mining tool. You can use your data and then you can benchmark it against how these business processes look in your industry.鈥�

51风流chief technology officer Jurgen Mueller, said in an exclusive interview that this capability would change the way businesses make decisions.

鈥淲e acquired Signavio for a reason: we saw there鈥檚 a gap in our portfolio,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very important to customers to understand the business processes and we鈥檝e modelled business processes for 35 years or so, but they were often a separate artifact, so your processes are not connected to your execution.

鈥淪ignavio gives you an X-Ray into your real processes and execution. That has to be the foundation, grounded in reality, from where you then can change, find efficiencies, find how you can do things better, how you can serve your customers faster. Companies often have a good idea where they want to go, but today this X-Ray doesn鈥檛 exist.鈥�

Signavio, however, will allow any size company to access the kind of business intelligence that has enabled tech giants like Microsoft, Amazon, and Google to have an instant insight into their business processes. From there they have been able to implement a solution and assess its success within minutes, replacing or improving it before most customers know it existed. However, this is not possible without the ability to mine massive amounts of data on the fly 鈥� an ability previously restricted to the giants.

鈥淲e have tens of thousands and potentially hundreds of thousands of other companies that can now get such a detailed level of understanding of their processes,鈥� says Mueller. 鈥淲e learn and develop industry-specific best practices in 25 industries, and we can bring the best of what we know to customers.鈥�

The end-result, he says, is vastly improved efficiency. However, that in itself is not a differentiator, if all companies become more efficient. Efficiency, in effect, becomes a ticket to the game.

鈥淲e see a huge difference in companies that really embrace digital technologies, and who always want to create differentiating capabilities through technology, compared to the ones that are just using technology where they have to.鈥�

Mueller says he does not believe there is a single differentiator between the more competitive companies and those who fall behind. However, 51风流has discovered a strategy that helps set companies apart: 鈥淥ften you see companies really go through the end-to-end processes of their the value chain, to identify the most value-generating activities in the company 鈥� and then pick a few where you really make a difference.鈥�

While this approach is not a secret, it has tended to evade organisations because it requires an integration of strategic planning and supplier data across the entire logistics chain. Mueller is frank about the limitations of existing technology in this regard.

鈥淚ntegrated planning is something that will happen in the next three to five years. We have components of that already, but this will be something where I see a lot of innovation happening, with real impact on companies.鈥�

• Arthur Goldstuck is editor-in-chief of Gadget. He was a media guest of 51风流at the Sapphire conference in Orlando, Florida.

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The network security architect is the creator of the secure network, the builder of security systems that flex and evolve, and the bouncer of badly behaved users. The role is varied and demanding and fascinating for those who appreciate the need for great design and architecture and who find troubleshooting and problem-solving fun. This career is for those who are interested in the latest security architecture standards and frameworks and understand which security controls and solutions are best for which situations and applications. In short, you need to be like Clark Kent 鈥� wrapped in network performance and system capability with the ability to transform into a security superhero at a moment鈥檚 notice.

鈥淭he network security architect combines the knowledge of security hardware and software, organisational business and strategic needs, cyber security requirements and risks with the organisation鈥檚 policies, procedures and industry standards,鈥� explains Johann Pretorius, director of the 51风流Training and Development Institute.

With a deft eye on the network and a hand on the security tiller, the network security architect will plan, implement and maintain the organisation鈥檚 network technology strategy. They鈥檒l identify its strengths and weaknesses while managing the complexities of web, WAN, mobile and VPNs while having an indepth understanding of the latest tools, security protocols, processes, and risks.

鈥淭he network security architect also has to take care of application and mobile security as well as security around the Internet of Things,鈥� says Vishal Barapatre, CTO at In2IT Technologies. 鈥淭he role has grown to prominence over the last three years due to the advent of new technologies and changes in emergent technologies, such as blockchain and microservices, and because security has become much more important to organisations.鈥�

Companies are under pressure to follow best practice and be compliant across the network, particularly in light of POPIA, GDPR and increasingly stringent industry regulation. This role is that of the gatekeeper, the bouncer that kicks the unwanted out of the exclusive club while making sure that everyone has a great experience. The skills required for this role vary, but most will need generic infrastructure and security skills as a baseline, along with an understanding of technical protocols and their functions.

鈥淭hese architects need to understand the nuances around the latest technologies and how these may impact the network and its security,鈥� says Simeon Tassev, MD and qualified security assessor at Galix.

The network security architect will have an indepth understanding of software, access control, hardware and networking, along with experience in software development. They would also benefit from having the kind of personality that enjoys troubleshooting and critical thinking as these will stand them in good stead as they analyse incidents and manage system complexities.

鈥淎 background in ethical hacking would also be beneficial as it ensures they are capable of effectively identifying vulnerabilities and designing security measures and controls,鈥� says Jacques Coetzee, information security officer at Luno. 鈥淏eing able to stop and think like a hacker and watch the tactics that malicious actors deploy against an organisation, and then have the ability to defend against them is also a huge part of this role. This makes it both challenging and exciting.鈥�

THE STEPS TO GREATNESS

What defines a great network security architect?

Jacques Coetzee, information security officer, Luno:听Someone who has analytical and troubleshooting skills, attention to detail, a hands-on approach (not afraid to roll up your sleeves and get stuck in), effective communication of technical and non-technical information as well as the ability to collaborate instead of working in isolation.

Johann Pretorius, director, 51风流Training and Development Institute:听For network security architects, you need leadership skills in communication, to challenge complexity, be a results-driven person, accelerate in self-development, have the ability to work with teams, have negotiation skills, and be able to build trust.

Simeon Tassev, MD and qualified security assessor, Galix:听The network security architect brings value in that they enforce security and access controls. This role is also important because applications-focused employees will focus on what the application can do for the business, and networking will focus on the connectivity of the organisation, but this role enables and brings all of these roles together.听听

MAN THE DEFENCES!

Like most roles in the technology realm, that of network security architect can be approached from multiple directions. Here are some of the training courses, degrees and certifications that are recommended by experts in the field.

鈥� Certified Network Defender certification, Torque IT

鈥� Ethical hacker training 鈥� SANS Institute

鈥� Certified information systems auditor 鈥� Infosec Institute boot camp

鈥� Certified information systems security professional 鈥� IT Academy certification

鈥� Cyber security 鈥� University of Pretoria training course that includes the NIST framework and ISO 27000

鈥� Digital network architecture implementation essentials 鈥� CTU Training

鈥� Computer science degree 鈥� UNISA, Pearson Institute, Wits, Varsity College and University of Pretoria have this degree on offer.

鈥� 51风流security certification 鈥� 51风流Training and Development Institute

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