Flexible IT accelerates problem solving

GO Inc. is the provider of Japan’s number one taxi-hailing app, GO, an application that has been downloaded about 15 million times in Japan. They also provide traffic accident reduction services combining AI with recording devices, and the GX (Green Transformation) decarbonization service for the taxi industry.

As an innovative tech start-up, GO Inc. believes in using the power of IT to take on the challenge of solving Japan’s’ problems, especially transportation issues.

But as presenters Yoshinori Inaba, Director of IT, and Mayu Shirai, Device Engineer, explain in their JNUC presentation, Flexible IT Accelerates Problem Solving, to ensure that IT can contribute to the business, it’s crucial that the IT environment is attractive to employees, and is not a bottleneck for business decisions.

Device choice attracts talent

Japan has a shortage of workers, especially young people. Companies such as GO Inc. need to attract talented people, but IT environments can sometimes be frustrating or seem inconvenient to employees when it comes to the tech used.

Inaba shared that iPhone use in Japan is nearly 40% higher than the rest of the world – making it the most used mobile device in everyday life. More and more people are also using Macs and iPads from a young age. It’s possible that the very first time they ever see or use a Windows computer may be after they graduate, at a new job.

At GO Inc., they have been using Macs for less than two years, as most of their carriers had been working with Windows. But they believe it is important for employees to be able to choose an OS and device that they are familiar with, and for businesses to provide an environment where employees can work at the same level and maintain the same level of security whether they are using Windows or Mac computers.

Offering that choice can be a key benefit of a company that attracts more talented young people. And when talented people gather, the company becomes more powerful, and accelerates its business.

Prevent bottlenecks with flexible IT

Another common issue IT environments face is how to implement necessary changes without unnecessary stressors and minimal disruption to employee’s work time.

Shirai walked through a recent example of a crucial IT task required at GO Inc. following a company merger. In April 2023 the business decided to change their company name to match their service name as the service, GO, Inc. was more well-known than the existing company name, Mobility Technology.

The IT team was tasked with changing their domain name to coincide with the name change.

This change would affect 800 user accounts, who could be using either Windows computers running Microsoft Intune and Microsoft Entra or Macs using Jamf Connect for identity-based access.

A potential bottleneck in the making? Not for Shirai, who discovered that she could administrate the changes on her Mac while managing both Macs and Windows PCs. She explained that PowerShell and Microsoft Entra can both be managed on macOS, making it easy to create or modify many accounts.

Shirai demonstrated a simple three-step workflow she used to complete the task of changing the domain using a script, free downloads of PowerShell and Visual Studio code, and Jamf Pro and Jamf Connect for identity management.

For the end users, the final task was even easier – simply logging in to change their email address in Jamf Connect (there is no step two!).

Adapt to change, accelerate business

Inaba says, “Let go of your assumptions… if we eliminate the stereotypes of what is not possible… we will be able to create flexible IT. In other words, a flexible system is one that can adapt to change.”

When IT is flexible, it accelerates problem solving. And successful businesses can help solve issues and change the future.

Check out the full session for a deeper dive into how your organization can benefit from flexible IT problem-solving.