Earlier of this week, Apple released its first automatic security update for Mac users to patch the vulnerability in OSX connected to the network time protocol (NTP).
A cloud survey report from KPMG (2014) shows that executives feel implementing the cloud has helped them improve business performance (73%) and improve levels of service automation (72%). That reflects the perspectives of more than 500 global business executives – including CEOs, CIOs and CFOs – from organizations with annual revenues between $100 million and $20+ billion and spanning more than a dozen major industries.
From version 3.7, Automattic has deployed WordPress automatic update feature. If you keep it ON as default, the sites will be updated automatically when a security patch is released.
Why do all focus on automated tasks?
It is easily to see that many automated tasks are related to software / platform security. It helps business to secure its data and also improve the business productivity. Through that, business is saving costs.
In startups environment, not all entrepreneurs pay attention to that. They focus more on fixed costs, not much on variable costs (Read et al. 2011, Chapter 4). That thinking can increase the total costs, which something that any entrepreneur does not want to have in their startups.
Let’s take an example: comparing a hosted antispam with an installation on your own.
You own
- Need to collect spam, virus samples every day.
- Need to update the engine database multiple times every day.
- Need to have at least one IT man for doing above tasks.
- Time and effort for human management.
- Lower cost.
Hosted system
- Spam, virus samples are collected and analyzed automatically, done by vendor.
- The centralized database is updated automatically, done by vendor.
- Doesn’t need to have any extra IT guy.
- Save cost and effort in human management.
- Higher cost.
The only advantage of standalone installation is cost. However, let’s continue in calculating:
- How much do you need to pay for an IT man as an employee? Especially considering Norwegian welfare system?
- How much does it cost for your one hour? How many hours do you need on processing management tasks for that IT man?
I highly doubt that a hosted antispam system costing more than those numbers. That is not counting to the effort and headaches in HR management.
That is where the automated tasks come in to help you to increase business data security and your productivity. The question is not how much for deploying those automated tasks. The right question is how much you will lose if NOT deploying those automated tasks. Decide it now. Let us know if you still have any concern.
References:
- KPMG (2014). Elevating business in the cloud.
- Read, S., Sarasvathy, S. D., Dew, N., Wiltbank, R. and Ohlsson, A.-V. (2011). Effectual Entrepreneurship, Routledge.