How IT Services Can Bring Out the Best in Your Remote Workforce
A remote workforce poses considerable tech challenges for businesses. Discover how an IT partner can optimize operations, even when you're not on-site.
The coronavirus pandemic is forcing companies worldwide to make a hasty transition from on-site operations to remote work. However, they may not have the technology infrastructure to support a large number of employees working full-time from home. Partnering with an IT company allows you to upgrade your network in ways that best fit your business model. Even if you're managing some of your IT in-house, tech consultants can provide additional support as needed. Consider the benefits of including a third-party tech specialist on your team.
Cybersecurity
It goes without saying that a secure network is vital to promoting the health of your business. Additional security concerns arise when your employees are working remotely. They may be accessing your network from personal devices — possibly on public wi-fi — that don't have the built-in safeguards embedded in employer-issued devices. An IT company monitors your network around-the-clock, intercepting any threats before they compromise your data. Additionally, you will have access to the most up-to-date firewalls and anti-virus software to minimize the risk of cyberattacks.
To educate your employees about data-loss prevention, IT specialists also provide cybersecurity awareness training. A significant percentage of data breaches occur internally. Most of these digital missteps aren't intentional and can be prevented if employees understand how their actions may compromise data integrity. As a critical first line of defense, cybersecurity training teaches employees about network safety policies and protocols.
Video-Conferencing Capabilities
When your employees can't interact face-to-face, the next best thing is to meet virtually. Tools such as Zoom and Google Hangouts allow your teams to simulate in-person meetings, even when they're far from the office. It's important to ensure that they have the bandwidth necessary to utilize these capabilities, especially when other household members may be using the Internet at the same time. An IT partner can help you integrate these solutions with your existing infrastructure and effectively meet the tech challenges faced by remote workers.
Task-Management and Collaboration
When your employees disperse to their home offices, task-management and collaboration can become fragmented. Platforms such as Slack and Microsoft Teams enable colleagues to seamlessly create virtual to-do lists, delegate tasks, and track their progress.
Additionally, software that allows you to sync and share files is vital for effective collaboration. Another way to promote teamwork is to create virtual workspaces, where employees can digitally come to the office, even when they're working from their couch.
Support for Your Devices
Whether you use Apple or Microsoft products, your IT partner should provide the support you need to make the best use of them. IT experts ensure that all your devices are connected to your network, even when you're working remotely. Accessibility issues may arise when you're connecting off-site. IT experts can help at-home workers configure their devices to leverage all the capabilities they're used to at the office.
Microsoft users can take advantage of cloud-based solutions — Office 365 and Azure. The latter is a public cloud platform that eliminates the need to maintain on-site servers. Additionally, Azure allows you to appropriately scale computing capacity and easily connect and manage your devices.
Strategic Consulting
Managed IT services provide quality consulting to help you meet your short-term and long-term goals. To ensure data loss never slows you down, tech experts develop a disaster recovery plan so that your data is reliably backed up and available when you need it. Tech professionals work with you to find the right tools for your business and help remote staff easily transition to using new platforms and applications, no matter their level of experience with technology.
Teaming up with an IT service provider allows you to implement practical, cost-effective solutions to meet and exceed your goals, now and in the future. Working from home may initially present some limitations, but when your employees have the tools they need, they'll be able to accomplish more than they thought was possible.
