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Todd Pruzan, HBR
Welcome to HBR Video Quick Take. I’m Todd Pruzan, senior editor of research and special projects at Harvard Business Review. As organizations around the world continue to refine hybrid work models, many are finding they need to plan complex strategies that balance the many different elements that need to work together to support productivity, efficiency, and growth.
Today we’re sitting down with Mike Thomson, President and Chief Operating Officer at Unisys, to explore key business technology trends in today’s hybrid work environment. Mike will share his expertise on using AI and data models, addressing cybersecurity concerns, and managing costs across physical and digital resources. Thanks for joining us, Mike.
Mike Thomson, Unisys
Thank you for calling.
Todd Pruzan, HBR
Now, it’s clear that many organizations today operate in a hybrid work environment. How can you use AI and data models to enhance how you deliver solutions?
Mike Thomson, Unisys
Yes, that’s a good question. Hybrid data models are definitely here to stay. It’s just a matter of how many days you’re actually in the office. So it’s important to make that environment as seamless as possible. And the data model is really important to make that happen.
When you think about the data telemetry that you can capture and analyze — physical devices, physical location, user sentiment, etc. — bringing all of that data together and being able to analyze that data to do things like preventative maintenance and self-healing is the AI and data modeling aspect that we want to talk about. We also look at the persona of the individual, which helps us determine what kind of bandwidth they need, what software they need, what hardware they need. So, it’s all about creating a seamless experience and being able to collaborate with your colleagues as if they were at work.
Todd Pruzan, HBR
With remote work clearly becoming more prevalent, how will organizations adopting a hybrid workplace model address cybersecurity concerns?
Mike Thomson, Unisys
Another great question, but a tricky one: If you think about today’s environment, you’re connected to a home network, which means your kid’s Xbox is part of the network infrastructure.
I like to think about this in two parts. One has to do with actual physical security, adding software like CrowdStrike to your devices. The other part is around education. You need to make sure that your remote workers have a good understanding of what to look out for from a cyber standpoint. And then finally, you need to have the right monitoring tools and things like that to ensure that your environment is secure. Things like multi-factor authentication are really important.
Todd Pruzan, HBR
Can you talk a little bit about the balance between reducing physical costs and managing increasing data-related expenses?
Mike Thomson, Unisys
Yes. Everyone’s looking at the real estate side and the cost savings there, and that’s real and tangible. But there are definitely hidden costs behind the scenes, like additional software, additional hardware in the home. It’s about data. Again, we talked about data telemetry, storing all that data, capturing data, the security side of monitoring your environment. So there’s typically not only hardware costs, but additional licensing costs as well, which are often hidden costs until you actually incur them.
Todd Pruzan, HBR
Okay. Mike, thank you so much for your input today. Thanks so much for joining us.
Mike Thomson, Unisys
Well, thank you so much for having me. I really appreciate it.
Todd Pruzan, HBR
We spoke with Mike Thomson, President and Chief Operating Officer of Unisys Corporation.