The question of monitoring your employees’ computers is a tricky one. Some say such a practice is unethical. But it can also be a way to prevent data breaches. Find out the pros and cons of monitoring your employees’ online behavior by reading this blog. And should you decide your business needs employee monitoring, we have some helpful tips on how to implement it.

The case for monitoring

Here are several reasons why monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices is a good idea. It can help you:

• Protect your organization from data theft or harm – because careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
• Ensure you have a harassment-free workplace – because cyberharassment (sexual or otherwise) happens among employees.
• Ensure members of your staff comply with policies – such as not downloading illegal programs or spending time on websites with illegal or hostile content.
• Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit – should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers (heaven forbid!), monitoring their device can provide evidence of their involvement.

Sadly, many business owners who monitor their employees often discover that their staff members aren’t focused solely on the company’s success.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

• Productivity loss – monitoring can put a damper on employee morale, and you may see the distrust leading to productivity losses.
• Lost privacy and lawsuits – you’ll likely learn personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. You may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself: “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” If your monitoring policies are too strict, you could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Tell your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues. By being transparent, you may actually see a boost in productivity by deterring employees from wasting time on the web.

When you tell your employees, explain why you’re doing it and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal life, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

3. Get the right technology tools
You don’t need to know each and every employee activity, so look for apps and software that alert you of the most relevant problems, so you can focus on more important tasks.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

There are advantages and disadvantages to monitoring your employees’ online behavior. Below is an honest and transparent list of arguments for and against such a practice. However, should you decide to monitor your employees, we have some guidelines for you to follow for a smooth implementation process.

The case for monitoring

Here are several reasons why monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices is a good idea. It can help you:

• Protect your organization from data theft or harm – because careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
• Ensure you have a harassment-free workplace – because cyberharassment (sexual or otherwise) happens among employees.
• Ensure members of your staff comply with policies – such as not downloading illegal programs or spending time on websites with illegal or hostile content.
• Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit – should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers (heaven forbid!), monitoring their device can provide evidence of their involvement.

Sadly, many business owners who monitor their employees often discover that their staff members aren’t focused solely on the company’s success.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

• Productivity loss – monitoring can put a damper on employee morale, and you may see the distrust leading to productivity losses.
• Lost privacy and lawsuits – you’ll likely learn personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. You may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself: “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” If your monitoring policies are too strict, you could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Tell your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues. By being transparent, you may actually see a boost in productivity by deterring employees from wasting time on the web.

When you tell your employees, explain why you’re doing it and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal life, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

3. Get the right technology tools
You don’t need to know each and every employee activity, so look for apps and software that alert you of the most relevant problems, so you can focus on more important tasks.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

To monitor or not to monitor — that is the question. Employee monitoring is a touchy subject. If you’ve ever considered it, then you may ask yourself if it is a good idea for an employer to check on their staff’s online activities. Below are the pros and cons of employee monitoring, and some helpful tips should you push through with it.

The case for monitoring

Here are several reasons why monitoring your employees’ activities on company devices is a good idea. It can help you:

• Protect your organization from data theft or harm – because careless or disgruntled employees may leak or steal your data.
• Ensure you have a harassment-free workplace – because cyberharassment (sexual or otherwise) happens among employees.
• Ensure members of your staff comply with policies – such as not downloading illegal programs or spending time on websites with illegal or hostile content.
• Provide evidence in case of a lawsuit – should an employee participate in illegal activities using your business’s computers (heaven forbid!), monitoring their device can provide evidence of their involvement.

Sadly, many business owners who monitor their employees often discover that their staff members aren’t focused solely on the company’s success.

Arguments against employee monitoring

Of course, you should also be aware of the potential downsides to monitoring. These include:

• Productivity loss – monitoring can put a damper on employee morale, and you may see the distrust leading to productivity losses.
• Lost privacy and lawsuits – you’ll likely learn personal details about your employees that you would’ve never known about had you not monitored them. You may discover their political or religious views, sexual orientation, or medical problems. This subjects your business to potential privacy or discrimination issues if you or your management team acts negatively based on any of this information.

Monitoring guidelines to follow

If you decide to monitor your employees, here are a few tips you should follow.

1. Create written policies
When you monitor your employees, ask yourself: “Am I doing this for security purposes? Is it to ensure my employees aren’t wasting time on games or social media?” If your monitoring policies are too strict, you could create an atmosphere of distrust.

Set guidelines for acceptable use of email and social media, web browsing, instant messaging, and downloading software and apps. Also, make sure to include how monitoring will be carried out and how data will be used, secured, and destroyed.

2. Tell your employees
It’s important to inform your employees about the scope of your monitoring policies. If they find out you’re doing it secretly, you could face legal issues. By being transparent, you may actually see a boost in productivity by deterring employees from wasting time on the web.

When you tell your employees, explain why you’re doing it and the risks your business faces from misuse of digital assets. Reassure them you’re not doing it to spy on their personal life, but to create a compliant and law-abiding workplace. Because their activities will now be less private, encourage your staff to use their smartphones for personal matters. Also, provide your employees a copy of your written policy for them to read and sign.

3. Get the right technology tools
You don’t need to know each and every employee activity, so look for apps and software that alert you of the most relevant problems, so you can focus on more important tasks.

If implemented correctly, employee monitoring makes your business more secure and productive. For more information about security and other IT support tools, get in touch with us today.

Change can be difficult in business, but it can also usher in a new era of productivity and profitability. Microsoft is shooting for better ways to improve productivity and elevate data integrity with its new Microsoft 365 product.

Name change

Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to their products and services in the name of development. Their Windows 10 operating system (OS), for instance, is a far cry from its predecessor Windows 8. Microsoft made the jump from what they thought would be a revolutionary tile-based design in Windows 8 to a classic, ergonomically designed Windows 10.

The tech giant has once again made drastic changes, this time to their award-winning line of productivity apps Microsoft Office 365. O365, as it was lovingly referred to for nearly a decade, is now the sleeker, more powerful, Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Business is available to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on three different subscription plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.

Available plans

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes with many standard features, including web and mobile app access, full email and calendaring tools, secure file storage, collaboration tools, and support. Rest easy knowing that you have a powerful enterprise-grade software for a fraction of the cost such as:

• Web and mobile app versions of Office apps
• Real-time coauthoring
• Email hosting with 50 GB capacity
• 1 TB of OneDrive storage
• Automatic syncs regardless of work platform choice (between OneDrive and SharePoint).
• Teleconferencing and unified communications via Microsoft Teams for up to 250 users
• Automatic threat defense via Exchange Online Protection
• A complete array of cybersecurity tools and protocols, such as automated password policy tools

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you’ll get everything Business Basic offers plus:

• Desktop versions of Office apps for up to five PCs or Macs per user
• Easy and smart appointments management with Microsoft Bookings
• Real-time mileage tracking and reporting with MileIQ

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the brand’s flagship plan, a great tool for businesses ready to take their operations to the next level. It comes with everything Business Standard offers plus:

• Advanced security tools to protect from zero-day threats and ransomware, via Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
• Remote wiping tools for stolen or lost devices, via Selective Wipe from Intune
• Restricted copying or saving options for unauthorized apps and locations
• Complete control of company data, via Information Rights Management
• Pre-breach threat resistance policy options, via Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Malware protection, via Windows Defender
• Unlimited cloud archiving of emails, via Exchange Online Archiving
• Setup wizards for Windows 10, iOS, and Android
• Total security policy deployment — even for mobile apps — via Mobile Device Management from Intune

Microsoft 365 Business will change the way your staff powers your business. Contact us today to discuss how you can avail of a subscription.

Microsoft 365 isn’t just a new name for the tech giant’s old product Office 365. The new software comes with chock-full of tools that will empower employees, protect data, and provide business leaders with comprehensive oversight and control. Check out its features below.

Name change

Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to their products and services in the name of development. Their Windows 10 operating system (OS), for instance, is a far cry from its predecessor Windows 8. Microsoft made the jump from what they thought would be a revolutionary tile-based design in Windows 8 to a classic, ergonomically designed Windows 10.

The tech giant has once again made drastic changes, this time to their award-winning line of productivity apps Microsoft Office 365. O365, as it was lovingly referred to for nearly a decade, is now the sleeker, more powerful, Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Business is available to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on three different subscription plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.

Available plans

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes with many standard features, including web and mobile app access, full email and calendaring tools, secure file storage, collaboration tools, and support. Rest easy knowing that you have a powerful enterprise-grade software for a fraction of the cost such as:

• Web and mobile app versions of Office apps
• Real-time coauthoring
• Email hosting with 50 GB capacity
• 1 TB of OneDrive storage
• Automatic syncs regardless of work platform choice (between OneDrive and SharePoint).
• Teleconferencing and unified communications via Microsoft Teams for up to 250 users
• Automatic threat defense via Exchange Online Protection
• A complete array of cybersecurity tools and protocols, such as automated password policy tools

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you’ll get everything Business Basic offers plus:

• Desktop versions of Office apps for up to five PCs or Macs per user
• Easy and smart appointments management with Microsoft Bookings
• Real-time mileage tracking and reporting with MileIQ

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the brand’s flagship plan, a great tool for businesses ready to take their operations to the next level. It comes with everything Business Standard offers plus:

• Advanced security tools to protect from zero-day threats and ransomware, via Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
• Remote wiping tools for stolen or lost devices, via Selective Wipe from Intune
• Restricted copying or saving options for unauthorized apps and locations
• Complete control of company data, via Information Rights Management
• Pre-breach threat resistance policy options, via Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Malware protection, via Windows Defender
• Unlimited cloud archiving of emails, via Exchange Online Archiving
• Setup wizards for Windows 10, iOS, and Android
• Total security policy deployment — even for mobile apps — via Mobile Device Management from Intune

Microsoft 365 Business will change the way your staff powers your business. Contact us today to discuss how you can avail of a subscription.

In April 2020, Microsoft launched Microsoft 365, the successor to its popular Office 365. But it’s not a mere name change. The tech giant is also introducing improvements to its productivity software that will enhance how your business deals with cyberthreats every day.

Name change

Microsoft has time and again shown that they are willing to make drastic changes to their products and services in the name of development. Their Windows 10 operating system (OS), for instance, is a far cry from its predecessor Windows 8. Microsoft made the jump from what they thought would be a revolutionary tile-based design in Windows 8 to a classic, ergonomically designed Windows 10.

The tech giant has once again made drastic changes, this time to their award-winning line of productivity apps Microsoft Office 365. O365, as it was lovingly referred to for nearly a decade, is now the sleeker, more powerful, Microsoft 365 Business.

Microsoft 365 Business is available to small- to mid-sized businesses (SMBs) on three different subscription plans: Business Basic, Business Standard, and Business Premium.

Available plans

Microsoft 365 Business Basic

Microsoft 365 Business Basic comes with many standard features, including web and mobile app access, full email and calendaring tools, secure file storage, collaboration tools, and support. Rest easy knowing that you have a powerful enterprise-grade software for a fraction of the cost such as:

• Web and mobile app versions of Office apps
• Real-time coauthoring
• Email hosting with 50 GB capacity
• 1 TB of OneDrive storage
• Automatic syncs regardless of work platform choice (between OneDrive and SharePoint).
• Teleconferencing and unified communications via Microsoft Teams for up to 250 users
• Automatic threat defense via Exchange Online Protection
• A complete array of cybersecurity tools and protocols, such as automated password policy tools

Microsoft 365 Business Standard

With the Microsoft 365 Business Standard plan, you’ll get everything Business Basic offers plus:

• Desktop versions of Office apps for up to five PCs or Macs per user
• Easy and smart appointments management with Microsoft Bookings
• Real-time mileage tracking and reporting with MileIQ

Microsoft 365 Business Premium

Microsoft 365 Business Premium is the brand’s flagship plan, a great tool for businesses ready to take their operations to the next level. It comes with everything Business Standard offers plus:

• Advanced security tools to protect from zero-day threats and ransomware, via Office 365 Advanced Threat Protection
• Remote wiping tools for stolen or lost devices, via Selective Wipe from Intune
• Restricted copying or saving options for unauthorized apps and locations
• Complete control of company data, via Information Rights Management
• Pre-breach threat resistance policy options, via Windows Defender Exploit Guard
• Malware protection, via Windows Defender
• Unlimited cloud archiving of emails, via Exchange Online Archiving
• Setup wizards for Windows 10, iOS, and Android
• Total security policy deployment — even for mobile apps — via Mobile Device Management from Intune

Microsoft 365 Business will change the way your staff powers your business. Contact us today to discuss how you can avail of a subscription.

Wunderlist is going away, but fans of the productivity app may find some consolation in founder Christian Reber’s announcement that he is launching a new startup called Superlist.

“Superlist will be more than just a todo app, but never as bloated as the project management software you loathe to use,” he tweeted. “Slick, fast, and hyper-collaborative. Helping individuals or teams of any size get things done in record time.”

Today is a good day for reflection. With @Wunderlist closing down and @Pitch ramping up toward launch, I’m excited to announce a new company: @SuperlistHQ — a fresh new take on supercharged team productivity. https://t.co/YNmddyQxpP

— Christian Reber (@christianreber) May 5, 2020

Wunderlist was acquired in 2015 by Microsoft, which announced two years later it would shut down the app in favor of Microsoft To-Do. It finally said at the end of last year that Wunderlist to-dos will no longer sync after May 6, but users will be able to import all their content into Microsoft To-Do.

Shortly before Microsoft announced Wunderlist’s shut down date, Reber tweeted that he wanted to buy back the company. Obviously that didn’t happen, but Superlist may give him a chance to develop features he originally wanted to add to Wunderlist.

After Wunderlist’s acquisition, Reber launched Pitch, a challenger to PowerPoint that has raised more than $52 million in funding so far.

On his Twitter, Reber said he will continue focusing on Pitch, but will support the Superlist team, which is currently hiring.

Remote work is on the rise like never before as companies are pressured to sustain operations amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. But even before massive business disruptions, remote working has been a growing trend. Many have been enjoying work-from-home setups with the help of the right tools. This article is a list of our favorites.

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.

The global pandemic hasn’t defeated many hard-working managers and teams. They’re protecting themselves from the virus, meeting deadlines, collaborating on projects, and hitting business goals, all while working from home. In this article, we’ll go through a list of the essentials tools for the new normal that is remote working.

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.

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.

In this time of uncertainty brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic, communication is more important than ever. Organizations in all sectors are struggling to stay connected with their remote workforces, as well as clients and partners who need assistance. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telephony offers the perfect solution. Aside from ensuring good communication, VoIP has a raft of other benefits to offer your organization in this difficult time. Read on to learn all 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.

With COVID-19 now a full-blown pandemic, it’s increasingly important to stay up to date with the latest news and developments. The same applies to organizations worldwide — management and staff need to be able to communicate effectively to avoid misunderstandings that could prove fatal to operations in this time of crisis. Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies are valuable tools no organization should do without now and in the post-coronavirus future.

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.