There are many disruptive sides to the Coronavirus spreading globally – personally, professionally and economically, but throughout the crisis what we’re seeing is that the cloud is significantly reducing its impact – from enabling data to be shared instantly between health care professionals to holding virtual classrooms online.
The rush for cloud-first IT
In recent years businesses have been steadily migrating to a cloud-first approach for the flexibility and peace of mind it supplies, and the industry was expected to reach a value of $411bn this year. With the threat of the Coronavirus around the corner, business leaders are turning to the cloud for comfort, and those without a Business Continuity strategy in place are rapidly testing and implementing remote working tactics.
Remote working
As the US halts travel from Europe, and more individuals are being advised to self-isolate it’s becoming an increasing possibility that employees will not be able to physically attend work. However, if staff have access to an active internet connection, and the businesses also operates in a cloud environment, they can work from anywhere – even overseas.
Accessing software
Businesses that subscribe to a Software as a Service package, for example, Xero or, Mailchimp will be able to access and continue to use core software online through an internet browser, however, organisations without a SaaS-based solution should consider implementing a remote desktop solution, which would allow users to access the software directly on their laptop or PC as normal. It must be noted that connecting to PCs remotely from less secure home networks may hold its own security risks and you should seek advice from a cloud provider before implementation.
File sharing
If files are stored centrally through a service such as SharePoint, users can continue to access, share and edit files as normal, where they can stay stored centrally. For those handling confidential information, Nimbox provides a secure sharing feature.
VoIP technology
Telephones are not limited to physical desk phones, several cloud-based applications can be used to ensure employees can access phones on the move. Simple call forwarding features could also be used for employees away from the office.
The spread of the Coronavirus is not the first event to cause disruption, with the recent Australian fires and UK flooding, not to mention man-made, growing threats such as Ransomware. Since we don’t know what the future will bring, businesses need to have a business continuity strategy in place. We’ve historically put together resources on how to create an effective Disaster Recovery plan and the different areas an organisation should consider, which you can access on our blog.
If we can help, we will.
We’ve made our technical support team available for any organisation with questions or concerns around remote working. You can contact us on 03453 888 327, for free impartial advice as we want to help you plan for the worst, as we all hope for the best.
virtualDCS is offering businesses the use of Microsoft Teams, for free for 6 months to improve employee collaboration when remote working during this difficult time. The service also includes Office online, Microsoft Whiteboard and Planner. To provide a full business toolkit, we’re also offering an extended trial of Nimbox, for four weeks, which includes secure file sharing, collaboration and browser-based document editing features, so that your business can share and access these documents from any location, free of charge.
