Are we creating our own “new norm” without even realizing it? More than likely the new normal is going to be more of a hybrid situation. Organizations have adapted to employees working from home, so it is possible that some will keep it that way, some may split between home and office, and some will go back to the office full time. Organizations need to consider how to get some back into the office and also how some can continue working from home.
It is hard telling who will be moving back into the office and when. One thing we have gathered is that a lot of organizations are considering letting their employees continue to work from home even after the pandemic is over. With that being said, there will be changes with IT teams and their services.
A key aspect of more people being remote vs in an office together is collaboration tools. How do you work together online? Microsoft Teams and OneDrive are some of the tools that companies are using. Microsoft Teams has so many everyday uses that are vital to communicating with the people you work with. The program offers messaging, group phone and video calls, screensharing, a calendar, and many more features. With Teams, it is made easy to connect with coworkers and supervisors from the comfort of your own home. OneDrive is an important tool to store, sync, and share your files. This allows you to collaborate with colleagues on a number of tasks whether you are in the office or working from home.
The other part of IT planning is connecting users to the corporate data and applications they need. When deciding whether to move back into the office or stay remote, it is important to consider security planning. There are specialized applications that are only available inside the corporate networks. Generally the answer for this is VPN connections, but most companies don’t have the capacity for 100% of the company to connect to VPN. Planning will need to involve calculating how many users need those applications, what percentage might be using it at the same time and whether you have the VPN capacity and bandwidth to support it.
If you have questions or need guidance on what steps to take for remote workers to stay home, contact us today!
