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Unlock the potential of remote work with these toolsBusinesses are still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one way they're dealing with the situation is by implementing remote work policies. The global health crisis is driving them to unlock the full potential of working remotely, allowing people to work through quarantines, as well as keep companies and even economies afloat. […]

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Unlock the potential of remote work with these tools

Businesses are still grappling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and one way they're dealing with the situation is by implementing remote work policies. The global health crisis is driving them to unlock the full potential of working remotely, allowing people to work through quarantines, as well as keep companies and even economies afloat. Here’s a rundown of exceptional tools many remote teams are using.

For both employers and employees, a remote working arrangement has attractive benefits. Organizations can tap into a potentially larger labor pool, hiring from just about anywhere and finding highly skilled talent at lower rates.

Fifty percent of remote workers reported increased job satisfaction and had 13.5 percent more calls completed. Being spared the stress of a daily commute and having a better work-life balance are factors to their happiness, and therefore, better productivity.

In the face of natural calamities, outages, and the ongoing pandemic, a distributed workforce becomes a necessary business continuity measure — a means to protect employees and keep productivity up, even as normal facilities remain unavailable.

But all of this was only possible because we have the technologies to support remote work. Barriers to remote working have been brought down by the advancement of remote working tools. With a plethora of software to choose from, we’ve selected the ones that help your remote teams thrive.

Remote desktop applications

Accessing your work computer while on the go or out of the office was once unheard of. Remote desktop apps have made it possible, allowing users to work remotely on a computer through another device and from any location.

Our picks: TeamViewer and Splashtop
Team Viewer has capabilities such as screen sharing, file transfer, wake-on-LAN, and clipboard transfer. Free for personal use, the app is easy to set up and is available for multiple operating systems such as Windows, macOS, and Android. Meanwhile, Splashtop has similar capabilities but with the added benefit of “low-latency” transfers or the transfer of a high volume of data and messages with minimal delay.

Real-time communication and collaboration software

Every successful organization needs to communicate. When communication breaks down, productivity and engagement suffer. Given the lack of face-to-face contact, regular, real-time communication is arguably more critical for remote teams and their managers. The following apps make it possible, seamless, and simple.

Our picks: Slack, Mattermost, RocketChat, Microsoft Teams, and Join.me
Deemed the alternative to email, Slack is the leader of the pack, with its robust API that allows integration with countless applications. Its basic functionality enables remote workers to direct message (DM) or create “collaboration hubs” around departments, projects, or any topic. Mattermost and Rocket Chat are open source tools that recreate many of Slack’s capabilities.

Microsoft Teams and Join.me are well-known video chat and conferencing apps. However, as a full collaboration and communication suite, Teams offers more for Windows users. It allows VoIP, direct and group messages, and integration with all the Office 365 apps. Not only is Join.me a free video-conferencing app, but it also allows participants to use a cool brainstorming feature called “whiteboarding” for real-time interaction on a shared document.

Project management essentials

When you’re managing a team of dozens located in different parts of the globe, things can start to fall apart quickly. Time differences and distance can create significant complexity if you lack the right tools. These two apps can help you overcome the challenges and streamline project organization and collaboration.

Our picks: Basecamp and Trello
Basecamp is a web-based management tool for planning and collaboration on projects. There’s no installation needed, just your regular web browser to access its powerful core functions that include task management, messaging, collaboration, file sharing, scheduling, quick search, and reporting.

Trello’s overall shining feature is its simplicity. The web-based tool’s approach to project management is built around one concept: the bulletin board. Users can create boards that represent projects and each board can be populated with cards assigned to specific members and customized with deadlines, comments, and attachments.

With the current global crisis, remote working tools have become even more crucial to sustaining productivity, accomplishing projects, and solidifying distributed teams. It’s important your organization chooses ones that are well-suited to budget, infrastructure, and goals. Our experts can help make a proper assessment and configure the perfect remote working setup. Talk to us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Stay connected and productive with VoIP during the COVID-19 pandemicIf there’s one thing we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that communication is key during a crisis or emergency. Poor communication can lead to misinformation, which can cause undue panic. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony offers organizations in all sectors with the perfect solution to keep their workforces, clients, and partners in […]

The post Stay connected and productive with VoIP during the COVID-19 pandemic appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Stay connected and productive with VoIP during the COVID-19 pandemic

If there’s one thing we have learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s that communication is key during a crisis or emergency. Poor communication can lead to misinformation, which can cause undue panic. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony offers organizations in all sectors with the perfect solution to keep their workforces, clients, and partners in the loop at all times, among other benefits. Read on to learn more about them.

VoIP telephony ensures effective communication and business continuity in times of crisis.

Facilitates remote work and service delivery

VoIP is an indispensable tool for organizations that have rolled out work-from-home setups. Through VoIP platforms like Skype, remote workers can jump on calls and join meetings from anywhere, at any time. Employees stay connected as long as they have an internet-connected device — they don’t even need any additional hardware. Managers can also easily check in with their teams through direct calls, voice notes, and instant messaging.

VoIP solutions also promote collaboration among distributed workforces so workflows stay efficient. When collaborating on productivity solutions such as Office 365, third-party VoIP integrations allow your employees to send files back and forth and provide immediate feedback with ease.

VoIP is especially useful in essential services like healthcare; doctors can hold remote consultations with patients who are housebound because of the pandemic. Healthcare providers can even make and take audio or video calls on VoIP phones or other devices, provided it’s done over a safe, HIPAA-compliant network.

Improves customer interaction

The pandemic has tensions running high, and customers want instant feedback to their queries now more than ever. The auto-attendant feature of VoIP solutions ensures that customers are directed to the person best suited to assist them, even those working remotely. Auto-attendants can also be programmed to give status updates to callers in emergency or disaster situations, making them an invaluable tool for conveying important messages to your clients.

You can also set up calls so that voicemails are delivered to your smartphone, ensuring you get messages and return calls regardless of your location.

Reduces expenses

Businesses everywhere are already feeling the financial crunch of the pandemic. Many companies have temporarily ceased operations, and experts predict that this trend will continue in the months ahead. The International Monetary Fund has declared that the global economy is now in a recession. As such, you may be looking for ways to save money and keep your business afloat.

Switching to a hosted VoIP infrastructure is one of the best ways to cut back on expenses. The upfront costs are minimal as the service is delivered over an existing data network. Plus, VoIP is completely flexible, allowing you to scale up or down the number of lines or features depending on your needs. You pay a single, flat monthly fee only for what you use, making budgeting a breeze. The cost savings from VoIP can be reallocated toward more essential resources.

Need help choosing and setting up a VoIP solution that meets your organization’s needs? Give our experts a call today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Pandemic pushes millions to the cloudCOVID-19 is now a global pandemic. Millions of people are affected as countries go on lockdown to halt the spread of the disease. Many employees are forced to work from home. That’s why there’s a sudden surge in demand for cloud-based services worldwide. Can the web infrastructure survive this pandemic, too? Even before the pandemic, […]

The post Pandemic pushes millions to the cloud appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Pandemic pushes millions to the cloud

COVID-19 is now a global pandemic. Millions of people are affected as countries go on lockdown to halt the spread of the disease. Many employees are forced to work from home. That’s why there’s a sudden surge in demand for cloud-based services worldwide. Can the web infrastructure survive this pandemic, too?

Even before the pandemic, many companies were already turning to online productivity and collaboration tools for their business. While projections on how long this pandemic will force people to stay in their homes vary, it is certain that for the next month or so, cloud usage will continue to rise. This has many people worried that the internet is not ready for this sudden increase in activity.

What you should and shouldn’t be concerned about

The internet’s performance depends on many things, including network infrastructure, how things are wired up, and points of presence.

  • Will the internet collapse? Experts say this is unlikely. In fact, the internet is built to survive such surges in activity.
  • Will it affect the quality of service? Yes, but it depends on the network infrastructure, the level of demand, and the ability of providers to scale up rapidly. In areas with inadequate or weak infrastructure but with a lot of users, expect to experience a slower internet because response time takes longer. But for those whose infrastructure allows them to make use of multiple paths, they can continue business as usual.
  • Can teleworking solutions cope with the demand? It depends on how capable they are of scaling horizontally; meaning, if they can distribute the load to different parts of their network. For cloud-based providers, that should not be difficult.
  • Will the increased demand mean that businesses with their data in the cloud will have a harder time retrieving their data? Businesses that use a private cloud to store their data (often for cybersecurity reasons) will not be affected because they have their own dedicated connections. But those who use the public cloud to store their data may be affected.

How companies are preparing for this surge in cloud service usage

Since the pandemic is global, all areas are affected, even those with a strong infrastructure backbone. But how they are affected varies.

  • Companies that are already using the cloud extensively are the most ready for this new normal of working from home. Having a multi-cloud infrastructure makes them even more nimble to adjust to the increase in demand.
  • Global corporations with a presence in different parts of the world, including areas with inadequate infrastructure, will experience connectivity issues. The solution is for them to redirect traffic to their areas with better-developed backbones.
  • Companies offering Unified-Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS) and Containers-as-a-Service (CaaS) like Google, Microsoft, Zoom, 8x8, Amazon Web Services, and IBM, to name a few, need to boost their distributed capacities to accommodate the increase in telecommuting.
  • Cloud-based services are elastic, meaning they are quick to scale up or down. But the speed in which companies are able to scale up will depend on their network architecture and the kinds of services they offer.
  • Some Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) providers, like Salesforce and Dropbox, are using a data-driven approach to manage their infrastructure and internet traffic. They incorporate real-time data to determine where to route their traffic so as to decongest their system and ensure consistent and reliable performance overall.
  • The challenge is for providers to look for new and innovative ways to manage their traffic and resources. They should also look for ways to deploy new infrastructure to areas with slower, unpredictable internet service.

This work-from-home situation looks like it will last longer than just a couple of weeks. If you need help to set up your business for remote working, talk to our experts today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Business impacts of the coronavirus diseaseConsumers and businesses are already dealing with the huge impact of COVID-19. As governments and private businesses continue to find ways to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, they turn to all available technology resources. In the long term, expect the following changes in the use of technology. Increased reliance on communications technology The need for […]

The post Business impacts of the coronavirus disease appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Business impacts of the coronavirus disease

Consumers and businesses are already dealing with the huge impact of COVID-19. As governments and private businesses continue to find ways to deal with the coronavirus pandemic, they turn to all available technology resources. In the long term, expect the following changes in the use of technology.

Increased reliance on communications technology
The need for remote interactions and stronger communications technology will inevitably increase. Businesses are expected to immediately adopt things like 5G technology to enhance communication speeds and performance.

Meanwhile, specific industries like healthcare will adopt technologies that optimize current processes. This includes using telehealth platforms that will let healthcare providers diagnose and issue prescriptions remotely. To do that, they need 5G-powered systems that will efficiently facilitate consultations.

Many companies have already shifted to remote work setups. Business leaders now and in the foreseeable future will use more platforms that efficiently facilitate collaboration with colleagues, business partners, and customers. Tools that will let them achieve this include teleconferencing solutions like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and others.

Digital ways to network
Now that many businesses of all sizes have shifted to remote work, it follows that events, conferences, and a variety of gatherings worldwide such as tech conferences have been canceled. This is to curb the fast spread of the coronavirus.

Certain organizations will forgo in-person networking events and business meetings and will explore online avenues to maintain business opportunities. Again, this could mean turning to telecommunications tech that offers reliable connectivity and fast speeds.

A boost in cashless transactions
Paying in cash is quickly becoming a thing of the past due to recommendations of healthcare authorities like the World Health Organization (WHO). This is to limit the spread of the virus that can spread through cash. More than ever, businesses must explore ways to implement measures that restrict cash payments, if not eliminate them altogether.

In other words, contactless payments will now be the norm in many countries around the world. This certainly applies to small businesses, too. Because of the pandemic, businesses across industries are expected to quickly adopt mobile payments and other forms of electronic payments.

Growth in eCommerce
As the general public drastically limits time spent outdoors, brick-and-mortar stores experience less and less foot traffic. Businesses that have adapted to new ways of product and service delivery would find themselves increasingly maximizing online purchase options for their customers.

However, the logistics involved in delivering goods and services could prove overwhelming for many businesses. For instance, they may have to adjust order fulfillment models to align with shifting demands. That could mean increasing the workforce in charge of eCommerce operations. Therefore, those that are able to boost their online shopping operations must take steps to enhance their online selling capabilities to meet unpredictable surges in demand.

In a time of crisis, businesses must explore the many ways technology can help sustain operations; whether it be in terms of maintaining communications, delivering goods and services, and gearing up for a drastically changed future.

Call our IT experts today and let us know how you want your tech resources to aid you in these tough times.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Business impacts of the coronavirus disease appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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