Posted by Jim Brendish, Brendish Computers 22-09-2021 11:31 AM

One major change for businesses was the need to switch to the work-from-home model to keep things running smoothly. When countries all over the world started imposing lockdown restrictions, companies had no choice but to switch to remote operations if their line of business allowed them to do so. Earlier what was perceived as an advantage for employees (the permission to work from home) was now mandatory for survival of the business. Even businesses that allowed employees to operate from home before the pandemic had a tough time migrating their entire setup to the work-from-home model.

Here are five common challenges they faced from the IT perspective.

Challenge 1: Access to critical data and applications
This issue is easily resolved by migrating to the Cloud. The Cloud offers unparalleled connectivity to your data—from anywhere and at any time, with any Internet-enabled device.

Challenge 2: Data safety, cybersecurity concerns
The Cloud provides solutions to data safety and cybersecurity challenges as well, because data stored in the Cloud is naturally much safer and difficult to break into than data stored in your employee’s home computer. The Cloud offers multiple layers of security, including some from your Cloud service provider.

Challenge 3: Data loss
With the Cloud, businesses don’t have to worry about losing data, as it won’t be stored on their employee’s personal computer, but at a centralized location in the Cloud.

Challenge 4: Hardware issues
The Cloud renders any hardware issues non-existent, as the employee’s personal devices become gateways to their work stored in the Cloud. This means personal devices may not need individually installed programs, applications, etc.

Challenge 5: Phones
Businesses that had adopted the VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) were able to tide over this challenge easily. VoIP allows you to communicate by sending a voice as data packets using the Internet. The VoIP system is primarily software-based and can be accessed from anywhere, using an application that your VoIP provider offers. (Physical instruments are optional.) This means, companies with VoIP systems can keep their office phone numbers active even when their staff is working from home.

While these technologies can help a great deal in helping you maintain business continuity, you will need the assistance of a reputed MSP to deploy them and also to ensure they are functioning as they are supposed to. Plus, there are always other security concerns that crop up in a remote working environment when you can’t easily monitor your staff’s IT activities if they are using their personal devices. Your MSP will be able to offer solutions and control mechanisms that can help put these concerns to rest.