Working from home has recently exploded with the need for many office workers to “shelter in place” to avoid pandemic health risks. Getting acclimated to this new way of conducting business can be especially challenging for IT personnel for multiple reasons:
Reacting to each of these issues effectively and on a timely basis is mandatory to protect IT assets including computers, servers, networks, and databases.
For the inexperienced home worker – and their IT counterparts – support may include several approaches:
IT teams with limited resources can find it extremely difficult to manage the influx of support requests that may be forthcoming as the workforce moves away from dedicated networks and the security they provide.
Some legacy software applications may not even be capable of operating in a remote environment, requiring software keys or specific network connections to access highly secure applications. This can be especially true in government agencies or healthcare institutions.
Additional problems arise for workers who must unexpectedly transition to working from home:
Many businesses have some mobile workers who are supported by VPN services or software that allow secure access to company networks and servers. Still, adding large numbers of virtual workers suddenly could overwhelm available bandwidth or exceed the number of licenses the company owns.
IT support resources may not be prepared for the sudden increase in calls or other requests for technical support, causing delays in response that can reduce productivity for those working from home. Responding to problems is no longer as easy as dropping by the caller’s desk to lend assistance.
Some applications may need reconfiguration or updating to work properly over remote connections, requiring additional effort on the part of IT support technicians and even causing potential downtime.
Working from home presents its own set of security problems. Not all employees have company computers or laptops available and must turn to their personal computers to accomplish work tasks. There are several issues with using home computers for business:
Working remotely can be facilitated by educating employees on certain best practices and security precautions.
There is a solution made-to-order for both IT support teams and remote workers – managed IT services. By implementing such services, IT departments turn over much of their support demand to experienced technicians, freeing their time for more business-critical activities.
Virginia Business Systems (VBS) has been providing our customers with cost-effective, quality business systems and equipment for over 65 years.
Solve your remote support and security problems with managed services from VBS. Contact VBS today for details.