Recent advances in technology have helped to create an ever more connected world, transforming businesses and even entire industries. In the transport and logistics sector, connected cloud solutions have been a game-changer, and if you’re in the industry, here are the top three ways in which these solutions could help your business.
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IoT
Internet of Things, also known as IoT, refers to everyday physical devices being able to connect to the internet and transmit real-time data. The challenges of the pandemic in recent years have accelerated the growth of IoT in this sector - 72% of transport and logistics businesses have now deployed at least one IoT project. With IoT, you can accurately track everything from assets and deliveries to vehicles and even employees, getting up-to-the-minute information on where they are.
All of this data can also help you to optimise your delivery times, mapping out the best delivery routes for drivers to take, analysing weather conditions, and responding rapidly to any delays or issues as and when they arise. As well as helping to maximise efficiency, IoT can also help you to reduce your costs and keep your customers happy, with more information about where their deliveries are at all times. These are just the short-term benefits of IoT - as the technology continues to advance, businesses will be able to reap even more benefits. IoT could lead to self-driving cars, with all deliveries executed by a fleet of autonomous vehicles. Even if there are drivers, the connected vehicles will be able to communicate with each other, to avoid any collisions and make the roads safer.
SD-WAN
In such an interconnected world, doing business can easily become complex, with transport and logistics companies often dealing with assets in hard-to-reach places, which can either be across the country or on the other side of the world. That’s where SD-WAN comes in. SD-WAN, or a software-defined wide area network, can help to provide connectivity wherever you are, with great connectivity despite geographical challenges. SD-WAN provides a virtual network architecture, and it can be used to set up new connections between users.
It’s scalable, too, so if new locations, applications or connections are required, they can be easily added to your network. The difficulties, of course, can lie in updating your existing infrastructure to SD-WAN, but we’re here to help. Our expert partners at SAS Global Communications have years of experience with SD-WAN, and have deployed and managed networks in 65 countries around the world. It can be customised depending on your needs, and you can rely on us to create a SD-WAN perfectly suited to you and your business. There’s a range of other related solutions that we can offer, too, including SASE (Secure Access Service Edge), which builds on SD-WAN’s existing wide-area networking capabilities to add cloud-based security functions.
Cyber Security
From ransomware to phishing, cyber attacks are on the rise in every industry. As one of the largest sectors, transport and logistics companies both large and small have been hit hard by attacks. Between June 2020 and June 2021, for example, there was a 186% increase in the number of attacks each week, with malicious actors targeting business’ supply chains. Many businesses find it difficult to deal with the number of attacks, both successful and unsuccessful.
Our expert cyber partners at Cyber Security Associates offer solutions designed to keep your data safe from cyber criminals, from identifying weaknesses in your cyber defences to educating your staff on the best cyber hygiene practices, or even providing 24/7 support from the dedicated team at their Security Operations Centre. With the workforce in the transport and logistics industry often working remotely or being on the move, it’s important to make sure that all of their connected devices are just as secure as the devices in your business’ main office, and we can help with that too. One of the solutions we offer through CSA is Lookout Mobile Endpoint Security, ensuring that every entry point into your network is kept safe so you can stay one step ahead of cyber criminals.
We provide all the necessary services to keep your business moving, and ensure you’re connected at all times, whether you’re in the warehouse or on the road. Find out more about the transport and logistics solutions we offer or get in touch with us today to learn how we can help.
