Work & Productivity

3 key ways Microsoft Teams enriches higher education teaching and learning

Whether remotely, in class or hybrid , Microsoft Teams helps to simplify and structure higher education’s day-to-day digital environment – integrating seamlessly with all the solutions you’re already using. “Microsoft Teams is now established as our institution’s trusted tool for live virtual teaching. It’s also used for tutoring, conferences, etc. and complements Moodle, our LMS, […]

Flexible ways of working are here to stay – New research shows the impact on innovation and productivity

Since the beginning of the Industrial Age, the workforce throughout Western Europe has been largely rooted in a predicable rhythm of business – a workday that consists of clocking in at 9, clocking out at 5 and two hectic commutes on either side.  With the onset of Covid-19, we’ve seen that 200+ year-old model completely […]

The power of trust: thoughts on security in the digital age

When you’ve been working in digital security for a quarter of a century, as I have, people often ask what my number 1 piece of advice is to help businesses and organizations build trust with their customers and partners. My answer is always the same: “Don’t be creepy!” I know it’s a cliché to use […]

Home schooling and GDPR: maintaining compliance in disruptive times

Like most areas of society, over the past six months the education sector has had to face challenges unlike any before. Students can’t be placed on furlough, they need to continue studying regardless of the circumstances. Similarly, they can’t just be left alone to work, they need proper teaching and supervision. Altogether, that means parents, […]

How Griftland College is putting technology at the heart of remote learning

“When COVID-19 was on the verge of breaking out, we had to make a choice about how to go further,” says Kees Versteeg, the principle of Griftland College. The secondary school, located in the Dutch town of Soest, was one of the first in the Netherlands to close and start teaching 100% remotely. He describes […]

City of Liège: Facilitating decision making in difficult times

For many organizations, social-distancing measures brought about by COVID-19 have drastically slowed day-to-day operations – and for some, even stopped them altogether. But for local governments across Europe, like the Belgian city of Liège, slowing down hasn’t been an option.  From supporting citizens and businesses to protecting frontline workers, Liège city had to quickly provide stability during this crisis and ensure important decisions could still be made in a democratic […]

Advice to SMBs looking to adapt and recover

It’s no exaggeration to say this has been one of the most difficult and painful years we’ve ever experienced. And it’s first and foremost a human tragedy. However, we mustn’t forget that from an economic perspective, SMBs are on the front line. Too often, it’s smaller businesses that bear the brunt of serious disruption when […]

Northwest Clinics: A new era in virtual healthcare

“I am generally quite modest – I don’t like to brag about my achievements too much. But in this case, I want to make an exception. I want to tell the world what we have done.” For Ed de Myttenaere, CIO at Northwest Clinics hospital (Noordwest Ziekenhuisgroep) in the Netherlands, breaking with tradition is becoming increasingly normal. In responding to the COVID-19 outbreak, his team have implemented a virtual consultation solution that has the potential to redefine […]

Reimagining education: From remote to hybrid learning

The COVID-19 pandemic has generated a torrent of individual and small-group responses as to how education could be transformed. We have found a groundswell of interest in the question, “How best to take advantage of the new opportunities arising from the disruption?” What people desperately need are opportunities to team up and find pathways of […]

HUS: sharing data securely to make life-saving decisions

Illnesses and diseases don’t often play fair – an unfortunate truth that was proved by the COVID-19 outbreak in early 2020, heavily hitting healthcare organizations with challenges the world hadn’t seen in a century. Hospitals needed a rapid response to reduce spreading the virus without affecting patient care. A high-pressure situation for any institution, but […]

VSNU: coordinating a nationwide university digital transformation in one weekend

“A lesson for us during this crisis, has been that new technology doesn’t just change how you work – it also changes people and culture, which is something you have to support everyone through.” Director of Accountability at The Association of Universities in the Netherlands (VSNU), Reinout Van Brakel, is talking about the instrumental role […]

Etex Group: Future-proofing employees to work anywhere across the world

When COVID-19 spread across Europe in early 2020, businesses entered a new digitally-dependent age. Social distancing measures had asked offices of all shapes and sizes to close their doors, sparking organizations to quickly find other virtual ways for colleagues to meet and collaborate remotely. But for Belgium building material specialist Etex, this was a step they were ready for – having already implemented a cloud-based infrastructure and collaboration tools […]