Society is undergoing major changes to the way it operates – from individuals staying home as much as possible to social distancing in public to non-essential businesses, daycares, and schools being shut down. British Columbia has nearly 700 cases of COVID-19 as of this posting, with between 3,300 and 3,600 people being tested each and every day. The best way to maintain the health and safety of your staff members, loved ones, and communities around you is to stay home – meaning businesses must embrace the concept of remote work.
Most leadership teams and employees will have to adjust to a new way of working: remotely. Coronavirus introduces a range of challenges for businesses that have yet to embrace a mobile workforce – from ensuring sensitive data stays safe against cybercrime to leveraging the right collaboration tools to stay productive and everything in between. Our guide is designed to help you make the most of digital tools and best practices available, and ultimately, stay fully operational during the coronavirus pandemic.
Compunet InfoTech is taking the spread of coronavirus seriously. We’re working hard to transition many of our clients to a remote workforce that helps to limit the spread of COVID-19 as much as possible. Here’s what we recommend for transitioning to remote work from a technology perspective…
Before you can start investing in the right tools or creating processes for cybersecurity, it’s important to assess your employees and their technology resources.
Now that you’ve assessed your employees and their technology resources, it’s time to make any necessary investments into hardware and software. This means purchasing any equipment needed, such as computers, laptops, and smartphones or mobile hot-spots and data plans as listed above. A VPN, also known as a virtual private network, is a good choice for those who are using home computers. A VPN essentially:
You may also choose to leverage a VDI, also known as a virtual desktop infrastructure, as a more affordable alternative to upgrading employee computers within their homes. A VDI enables your employees to access their workstation in the office from home – meaning all of the settings, operating system, and applications will be available to them.
Your employees will need access to important information, documents, and files. If you don’t have a suite of collaboration tools, Microsoft Office 365 is a great place to start – giving your team access to emails, contacts, calendars, and files, alongside the following applications:
Microsoft Teams, in particular, is perfect for remote work as it allows employees to access a range of apps and tools within one window to help them work efficiently. They can:
Microsoft is offering a free 6-month trial of Microsoft Office 365 E1, including Microsoft Teams, in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Interested in getting started? Get in touch with us right away through our support agent’s chat box to the right of this article.
You will also need access to your line of business applications, including ERP systems, CRM systems, HR systems, accounting systems, and more. If you don’t have a cloud-based version of these applications, we can help ensure you’re set up and ready to go.
If you heavily depend on your business phones, it’s likely a good idea to move them to the cloud. A VoIP solution, also known as a voice over IP solution, allows employees to maintain access to their work line from home. Essentially, they can make and receive calls over the internet and access the enterprise-grade features they need to maintain a high level of customer service:
Lastly, it’s vital to create a cybersecurity policy that addresses all of the risks of working from home. Although a VPN can help decrease the risks, employees should be aware of the following:
Get in Touch with Compunet InfoTech to Get Started with Remote Work. Call (604) 986-8170 for More Information.
Performance-driven professional with 20+ year record of demonstrated success driving significant growth in sales and revenue for products and services. Identify market needs and implement innovative strategies to capture new business. Engaging and articulate presenter with a talent for delivering winning product and sales presentations to a diverse client base.