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5 Easy workout moves when working remotelyAs the number of COVID-19 cases continues to spike, several countries around the world have issued lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. While some businesses remain operational through remote work arrangements, others are forced to shut down, leaving many people without access to their gyms and workout studios. To help you stay fit during this time, here […]

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5 Easy workout moves when working remotely

As the number of COVID-19 cases continues to spike, several countries around the world have issued lockdowns and stay-at-home orders. While some businesses remain operational through remote work arrangements, others are forced to shut down, leaving many people without access to their gyms and workout studios. To help you stay fit during this time, here are five equipment-free exercise moves that you can do at home.

#1 Bridge

Also known as the hip raise or glute bridge, the bridge is a great way to strengthen your core, glutes, and hamstrings. Many people use this move as part of their warm-up.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. Keep your hands by your sides, with your palms facing the floor.
  2. Tighten your abdominal muscles and buttocks as you raise your hips off the floor. Make sure your hips form a straight line between your knees and shoulders.
  3. Hold this position for three deep breaths, then return to the starting position.

#2 Knee push-up

The knee push-up works your arms, chest, and shoulders. It’s a modified version of the standard push-up that’s perfect for beginners.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Kneel on the floor then slowly bend forward, and put your palms on the floor shoulder-width apart with your arms straight. Bring your feet together behind you.
  2. Keep your knees planted on the floor as you lower your body. Try to get as close to the floor as possible, with your chest between your hands.
  3. While keeping your body tense, use your hands to push your body back up to the starting position.

#3 Squat

This lower body exercise uses your body weight for resistance to tone and strengthen your glutes and legs.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart.
  2. With your arms fully stretched out in front of you, sit back like you are on a chair while keeping your back straight. Lower your hips until they are parallel to the floor. Make sure your knees are also behind your toes.
  3. Push back up to the starting position.

#4 Reverse lunge

Reverse lunges or backward lunges tone your legs and strengthen your thighs and hips.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, and put your hands on your hips for balance.
  2. While keeping your torso straight, take a big step back using your left foot.
  3. Lower your hips until your right knee is positioned directly above your right ankle, and your left knee is bent at a 90° angle with your left heel up.
  4. Push back up to the starting position.

You can repeat this exercise on one leg before switching to your other leg, or opt to alternate legs.

#5 Jumping jack

Mostly used for warm-up, this childhood favorite exercise activates your entire body and elevates your heart rate.

Here’s how to do it:

  1. Stand straight with your legs together and your arms at your sides.
  2. With your knees slightly bent, jump with your feet shoulder-width apart as you overextend both arms over your head.
  3. Jump back to the starting position.

Encourage your employees to do these basic exercise moves every day to keep them healthy while they work from home.

Having tech problems as your employees work remotely? Give our experts a call today and we’ll make sure you won’t have to worry about your IT again. 

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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Help your staff learn the gear they need for remote workWhile being able to let your staff work from home is a distinct advantage, you still need to execute your remote strategy properly. A big part of this is the hardware your staff has at home. In addition to the primary items like computers and smartphones, these are the items your employees need to have. […]

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Help your staff learn the gear they need for remote work

While being able to let your staff work from home is a distinct advantage, you still need to execute your remote strategy properly. A big part of this is the hardware your staff has at home. In addition to the primary items like computers and smartphones, these are the items your employees need to have.

A reliable keyboard and mouse

PC users obviously need external keyboards to operate their machines and work on files, but there are laptop users who splurge on external keyboards because they prefer how these feel or love to customize some or all of the keys.

Some aspects you want your staff to consider when choosing a keyboard are:

  • Interface – Is it wired or wireless? They won’t have to worry about a power source with wired boards, though battery-powered ones can easily last a year. Choosing a wireless one will mostly depend on whether or not they like to move around and still type away as normal.
  • Comfort and ergonomics – How do the keys feel on their fingertips? There’s now a wide variety of key types to suit their fancy. And if they’re worried about carpal tunnel syndrome, there are now keyboards with keys laid out like a very wide V so that users can hold their wrists at more natural angles.
  • Extras – Does it come with a number keypad and/or a trackpad? Does typing fill the room with sound, or is it muffled and silent? Make sure that the keyboard they choose has at least the things that would help them do their job, and at most make them happy whenever they have to work.

When picking a mouse, they’ll want to think about interface, comfort, and ergonomics, too. And while some are satisfied with a trackball or trackpad, the majority might prefer the ease of use a mouse offers. They’ll most likely have to work for hours on end, so it all boils down to what they’re most comfortable with.

A computer monitor (or two)

PCs, laptops, tablets, and smartphones all have their own screens, though most prefer screens they can easily read from and use. If your employees are among the lucky ones who work on a file with one screen while using another one to display their references, then they might find it difficult to go back to a single-monitor setup. Thankfully, replicating a dual-monitor setup is just a matter of getting another monitor, connecting it to their computer, and adjusting their display settings.

Of course, setting up dual monitors is their prerogative. If they’re buying monitors, screen aspects to consider are size, aspect ratio (i.e., the proportions of its width and height, resolution (i.e., image quality), and interface (although ports mismatching video cables is a problem that’s easily fixed with adaptors).

However, they don’t even have to buy a new screen if they have a smart TV or a TV they’ve connected to a Chromecast or other similar device. Laptops running on Windows can detect such internet-connected devices, and all they have to do is go to Settings > System > Display > Multiple displays, then adjust their settings as they like.

Webcam and headset

If an employee’s computer doesn’t come with a web camera, they’ll most likely have to purchase one separately, especially if you regularly keep in touch with your team via video conferencing. They’ll need to primarily consider video resolution and sound quality, plus other features such as noise cancellation and autofocus. To reduce external distractions, they might want to use a headset, though isolating themselves in a room and hanging a “Do not disturb” sign might work just as well.

Letting your staff work at home can be a big boon for your company — provided that employees set their devices up properly and that you have a good remote work policy in place. If you’re interested in taking full advantage of remote work but don’t know where to start, talk to our experts. We're more than happy to help.

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.

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

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