With the UK Government having told people once more that they should work from home if they’re able to, many businesses are faced with the prospect of remote working or working from home becoming a normal part of their routine.
Some people are still confused as to how they can get these kinds of systems up and running, what the cost will be, what they need and so forth – but more importantly, where to begin, or if it’s too late to do so. As the old saying goes, while the best time may have been yesterday, the second-best time is right now.
At Geek-Guru, we have many years of experience in helping businesses set up their IT systems to allow remote working; obviously our first solution in this list is going to be to give us a call! Even if we don’t yet support your organisation, we can most certainly work something out that will be useful for you going forwards. We offer flexible support – for example, if you’ve already got someone on your team who does the IT support work while you’re in the office, we can help and provide any necessary additional support while you’re working remotely.
We can also help you to choose the software (and, if necessary, hardware) you’ll need to get started, and help you get set up.
Some types of organisation can be more flexible than others. With some small changes, many office-based businesses, for example, can operate at least partially remotely, reducing any potential commute for workers and also reducing contact with others in times where there are health concerns.
Leverage what hardware you have available already. A top-of-the-range PC isn’t required for running things like Microsoft Word or Excel. A budget laptop or even a Chromebook may even be adequate for your needs. Sometimes it’s even possible to use a tablet with a stand and a keyboard, although obviously we wouldn’t recommend this as a long-term option unless you need a very portable device. We can help to find something that is both suitable for your needs and budget-friendly.
If you’re worried about tracking and managing your physical IT assets with people working remotely, we can also help you to put systems in place to help with this.
It goes without saying, an internet connection is essential for remote working – however, if someone’s home broadband is unreliable and your work is time-critical, you can help them by, for example, providing a mini 4g router (“MiFi”) or a smartphone with tethering capability for when their main internet connection is slow or down.
Services like GSuite, Microsoft Office / Microsoft 365, Google Meet, Skype, Microsoft Teams, Zoom and Slack, among others, are some of the most popular methods that people are using at the moment. GSuite and Office or Microsoft365 are especially useful as they can be used as browser-based apps, meaning that if the person is using their home PC, they do not need to download anything at all – all they need is an active account, an internet connection and a web browser like Chrome, Firefox, Safari or Edge.
Adequate security and antimalware are essential whether your team is working in office or working remotely. We can help you get set a safe and secure working environment set up for everyone who needs to work remotely in your organisation!
