As COVID-19 quarantines and social distancing continue in a myriad of locations, a growing percentage of the world’s workforce is suddenly having to adapt to working remotely. This unexpected change leaves many businesses and employees navigating unfamiliar territory and facing frustrating problems that come along with it.
Shifting an entire company to remote work can result in a number of difficulties. Here are a few common issues that companies are currently facing, along with some solutions that can help you keep things running smoothly.
Remote Access to Data
Most businesses rely heavily on in-house servers to share and access data. This means that remote workers can have a lot of difficulty accessing the data they require to complete their work. As we don’t know how long this situation will continue and how long your employees may be working from home, it’s of great importance that you set up a VPN.
A VPN, or virtual private network, adds security and privacy to the public networks (such as Wifi and personal hotspots) that your workers may be using to complete their work.
Another secure solution for accessing and collaborating on files is to switch to using Cloud storage. Storing your data on the Cloud provides security as well as fast and straightforward access for your staff.
Team Collaboration and Creativity
Of course, employees are generally used to being able to collaborate with their fellow colleagues on a face-to-face basis. Communication and collaboration among staff members is absolutely essential for any business’s productivity and ultimate success. After all, communication encourages the sharing of ideas, helps team members come to better solutions and conclusions, ensures work and projects are distributed to the right individuals, and keeps everyone on the same page.
Sure, your staff can email to get points across to one another, but it lacks the immediacy of in-person conversation that promotes creativity. A better solution is software specially designed for remote working and keeping your staff connected. Microsoft Teams is just one option that provides instant messaging options, video call and team meeting capabilities, file sharing, and more.
Access to Phone Systems
Digital communication isn’t the only area of communication impacted by remote working. Telecommunication is suffering, too, and you may find that you need to adapt this area of your business operations accordingly.
Although your team may no longer have access to office-based phones, calls will still need to be made and remain secure. VoIP, or “voice over internet protocol” phone systems, can provide you with phone service over the internet, allowing your team to make and take secure calls from their own homes.
Security Risks
Cyber criminals are always a threat that businesses face. But cyber attacks have spiked during the past few months. Hackers are fully aware that businesses and workers are operating in relatively unknown territory and are consequently more vulnerable to attack. Many businesses’ remote networks and systems aren’t set up with sufficient security to guarantee adequate protection against these increased attacks.
Of course, a secure connection is absolutely essential for employees to access and transfer data. Luckily, overcoming this hurdle is relatively straightforward. A Tampa Managed Service Provider can give you comprehensive cybersecurity services that include anti-malware, but also encompass implementing a security training plan for your employees, 24/7 network monitoring, and more, giving you peace of mind when it comes to your remote work security worries.
The good news is that, with ever-improving technology solutions and the right support, operating effectively and efficiently is still possible. Your business can still flourish, despite the current upheavals caused by the coronavirus.
