BlackHawk Data Engineer Q&A: Collaboration Security On-Prem and Outside the Firewall

Staying connected is especially important and can be tricky when everyone is working from home. We’ve received a lot of questions from customers, regarding communication and collaboration solutions. In this 4-part series, Sam Opeyemi, BlackHawk Data’s Vice President of Engineering, offers sage advice to enable your team to work effectively, no matter their location.

Collaboration and communication are key in moving a business forward. The sudden change in workplace dynamics due to COVID-19 making so many teams work from their homes has challenged companies to look at how they stay connected and productive when apart.

Question: How can I ensure my collaboration tools are securely connected to the on-prem resources, even outside the firewall?

Answer:

Most businesses have teams consisting of their in-house employees and members who work at other companies. Having access to the same systems streamlines everyone’s ability to be seen and heard in strategizing solutions for better business.

Cisco Expressway is my solution of choice for this. It offers users outside your firewall simple, highly secure access to all collaboration workloads, including video, voice, content, IM, and presence. With this technology, collaboration with those users who are on third-party systems and in other organizations becomes easier and secure. It helps Cisco Jabber mobile users and teleworkers collaborate efficiently through the devices of their choice.

Expressway delivers:

Remote, single-sign-on access to all collaboration workloads for mobile users and teleworkers without the need for a VPN client
Ability to extend your organizational reach for both your business-to-business and business-to-consumer collaborations
On-premises and third-party connectability to Cisco Webex Meetings and Webex Teams collaboration services
Support for a wide range of Cisco IP phones, Cisco Collaboration Desk endpoints, and Jabber for smartphones, tablets, and desktops
Aligns with your bring-your-own-device strategies and policies for remote and mobile workers

Now’s the time to get started seeing what Cisco Expressway can do for your business. BlackHawk Data is here to help with your set up and provide complimentary engineering assistance.

About Sam

With more than 17 years of experience designing and building unified collaboration (UC) suites for voice, video and call center solutions in IT infrastructures, Sam has developed innovative UC strategies and provided trusted technical and practical advice to a wealth of client, enabling them to get more out of their IT.