Bad Digitization – When IT solutions fail due to poor infrastructure

Published on: April 2, 2018 / update from: September 9, 2018 - Author: Konrad Wolfenstein

Bad Digitization – @shutterstock | bluebay

Ever faster data networks, more and more digitalization as well as software and hardware that give us a powerful Internet of Things whose diverse possibilities could make the biggest tech dreams come true. But what happens if the network of the digital world of tomorrow goes on strike or even collapses? A situation that will already seem all too familiar to many users today.

Whether it's the laying of new fiber optic cables over thousands of kilometers for a hyper-fast 1 Gbit/s Internet, the construction of transmission stations for mobile 5G data transfers or the constant further development of the software architecture that controls the data flows - hard work is being done everywhere to create better conditions for the digitized to create the world of tomorrow.
These efforts are also necessary because comprehensive networking in the Internet of Things requires networks that, in terms of speed, coverage and reliability, go far beyond what is currently available to companies and private individuals.

In just a few years, all the self-driving cars, refrigerators that autonomously order food and drones that automatically deliver coffee will be anything but a mere utopia. Unfortunately, what happens when the infrastructure breaks down is far too often ignored. You don't even have to look into the future, because even today providers and users of digital content are constantly confronted with technical disruptions that massively affect the online experience.

This is important to consider when developing new virtual and digital solutions. After all, what use are the best programs or apps if they lack reliability? For this reason, Trends always takes troubleshooting into account in its projects. Because nothing is worse for customers than when the software crashes at the most inopportune moment and there is no alternative in sight.

Of course, the digital specialists cannot prevent a network blackout. However, you can ensure that users are best prepared for such a situation. This also includes making customers aware of the fact that, despite what feels like omnipresent online availability, the Internet can crash at some point. Better if you are prepared for it.

When customers and agencies want too much

However, technical blackouts are only one problem area when creating increasingly high-performance and therefore more vulnerable IT projects. In addition, many solutions are developed in a way that ignores real-world conditions or are designed with deadlines that are too short. In fact, customers and agencies often want too much at once instead of limiting themselves to a few core competencies. The cases in which the commissioned app or system software, which is as versatile as possible, is not ready in time for the presentation date, are therefore more the rule than the exception. The result is that the customer has to settle for an interim solution with a dummy that could do many things but can do very little. If this is already annoying enough during the company's internal presentation, it becomes a serious problem when presenting externally at a trade fair or roadshow. The Trends team therefore always takes the existing time frame into account in its projects. In case of doubt, the aim is to develop the most viable solution possible, instead of trying everything possible and running the risk of having to present the dummy in question.

Technical infrastructure is often suboptimal

In addition to timeouts and breakdowns of the networks and immature dummies, there is another factor that makes life difficult for users: Despite the many announcements from politicians and network operators, there are still too many dark spots on the map where the Internet age is due to the poor Network coverage doesn't seem to have arrived yet. Anyone who is outside of large metropolitan areas is therefore sometimes cut off from the modern online world or can only access it under difficult conditions. When developing digital solutions, the significant fluctuations in quality between cities and more remote regions must definitely be taken into account. Otherwise there is a risk that the concept presented in Munich, Hamburg or Berlin will not work at all or only inadequately for the customer or the end user in the country.

The digital infrastructure is often suboptimal – @shuttersthock | HongtaeStocker

But the difficulties of problematic reception are not only limited to the fluctuating network quality across Germany. There is still a lot to do on the part of professional providers. You only have to look around at any trade fair to see how bad the online solutions on offer currently are. The list of defects ranges from a lack of speed to automatic throttling when a certain volume is exceeded to permanently overloaded networks. A nuisance for visitors, but especially for exhibitors, who can therefore only present their digitally sophisticated trade fair presentations to a limited extent - and all this at extremely high costs for the rented online access.

The Xpert.Digital knows from experience that looking at all the promising future possibilities should not obscure the problems and shortcomings that are currently occurring in the online world. When advising and developing new digital products and services, in addition to defining the best possible solution, it is always about taking into account availability in the event of system and network failures.