Businesses have always had to adapt and change based on internal and external situations. However, companies are all now in a new boat as the COVID-19 pandemic has caused most to rethink how they operate. Employees are now working remotely, which is a huge transition for some, largely involving technology changes. Many of these changes aren’t just beneficial now; they’ll have value long after the coronavirus disruption. So, what changes will be important now and in the future? Here are six changes to consider.
Establish a BYOD policy
Having a BYOD (bring your own device) policy is essential for any organization that cares about mobility. A Samsung survey found that 61 percent of organizations expect employees to be available remotely even if they don’t provide the device. If this sounds familiar, then your employees are using their own devices. That reliance has likely grown since the coronavirus pandemic.
Without a clear policy, you could be exposed to risk. Your policy should identify what devices can be used to access company networks and files, as well as the minimum security requirements.
Leverage the cloud
When looking at remote work, using the cloud is a must-have for secure access to files and the ability to share those with others. Beyond being a platform for file storage, the cloud can also hold all your applications. With this set-up, your employees won’t encounter barriers to retrieving the files they need or using apps. You can also be assured that the cloud has superior security protocols. Further, it’s much easier to scale your business when you have a cloud environment.
It’s time to ditch physical servers and on-site networks for the cloud. Migrating to the cloud delivers greater efficiency and can reduce your overall costs since expensive hardware is removed from the equation.
Develop a business continuity plan
There is nothing more damaging to a business than downtime for your bottom line and your reputation. According to a 2019-2020 IT Outage Impact Study, companies with frequent outages experience 16 times higher costs. The best way to curtail downtime is to have a strategic and well-documented business continuity plan.
The plan should include proactive and reactive measures that your company will take to reduce the chance of downtime threats. It should define personnel roles, processes, and assets.
Implement a unified communications platform
Communication and collaboration are critical to your company’s success. But how easy is it for your employees to do this, whether they are home or in the office? You can simplify the processes with a unified communications platform. Such a platform integrates a variety of tools, including phone, instant chat, email, file sharing, video conferencing, and more. It enables your team to connect with each other and customers. And, because it’s cloud-based, the tools are usable from any device.
Institute more backups
How often do you backup your data and applications? While you are making some other changes to your IT infrastructure, it’s a good time to revisit your backup policies. Backups by cloud are typically automatic and stored separately. That’s the most convenient avenue to take, but it may need to be tweaked depending on the volume of data you store.
Reassess cybersecurity methods
Cybersecurity threats have not retreated during the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, they’ve become more opportunistic, targeting healthcare providers and consumers with stimulus check phishing scams. It’s time to be hyper-vigilant with monitoring and scanning for threats. Now that you have more people working remotely, your network has expanded. So, it’s a good idea to strengthen your security measures.
If you have questions about how to execute any of these IT changes, we’re glad to answer any questions. Contact us today to learn more.
