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Streamline Your Hybrid Office with These Remote Work Tools

In recent years, a lot has changed, including the way we work. Technology has played a remarkable role in these shifting trends. Employees are now working remotely in a distributed fashion, especially after the first quarter of 2020 when the pandemic put the world to a standstill. It is worth noting that employees who work from home are 22% happier than those who work from the office, according to a survey report conducted by Owl labs. Some employees are, however, split between working at the office and working from home in what is known as a hybrid work model.

The bottom line is that the trend is expected to keep gaining traction in the coming years. In fact, it is estimated that 22%, which roughly translates to around 36.2 million Americans, will be working remotely by 2025.  This is why as a business, you need to invest in the right remote work tools to tap into the benefits. Talking of being prepared, here is a list of essential tools to facilitate hybrid working:

What Exactly Are Remote Work Tools?

Remote work tools are essentially digital software and programs that help remote workers transact, collaborate, communicate and accomplish work together as a team. Simply put, it allows employees to work together from anywhere across the world. It was born out of the growing adoption of remote work and a hybrid model, where employees can do their jobs in-office or from distributed locations other than the central office.

Top Remote Work Tools to Have:

RemoteToPC

The RemoteToPC is a wonderful Remote pc viewer tool that helps businesses provide remote support and IT management. For example, this tool gives you remote access to your office PC. With Remote login to pc access, everything on a target computer can be accessed virtually- from anywhere in the world. You can use it to grab a locally saved file, check something quickly from your remote PC, or take remote control of a colleague’s computer when they need help.

You can enjoy Remote access to pc with advanced features like an end to end encryption, double password protection, and a two-factor authentication web login. The beauty is that RemoteToPC software has a number of plans depending on your business size and desired features, which are pretty affordable.  For example, you can go for the enterprise level for corporate and IT remote access, which allows unlimited additional user accounts.

Additionally, it provides unattended remote PC access for hundred-plus computers and gives you the power to limit users’ access to specific computers. Your business IT team can provide remote PC access management along with support, alerts, and PC health monitoring. Also, with a Remote PC viewer, you can secure remote login to pc through a web browser which is an ideal solution for accessing your remote computers without any software installation.

It is excellent software to provide everyone in the office with secure remote access!

Zoom

Zoom is a remote video conferencing service that has become quite popular in the last few years. It keeps your team connected through phone calls, conference rooms, and video chat. It also provides video webinars, online meetings, file sharing, and cross-platform messaging. Collaborative features such as whiteboard and simultaneous screen sharing are also available.

Zoom offers HD video and voice, gallery view, full screen, and Outlook and Chrome plugins, all for free. It can host up to one hundred participants and unlimited one-on-one meetings where a group of three or even more can meet for 40 minutes with the free plan, which many companies find limiting. However, with the paid plan, there’s unlimited meeting time. The paid program supports streaming on social media and cloud storage of meetings. Zoom supports Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS operating systems.

Fyle

Fyle is a cloud-based software that helps you manage your expenses as a company by taking care of the repetitive mundane tasks, thus allowing employees to focus on tasks that matter more. Fyle codes and extracts data from expense receipts using an AI-powered data extraction machine. Thus, it is more accurate and significantly eliminates the manual reconciliation of receipts.

Traditionally, expense reporting takes hours and hours, but with this software, the time used reduces drastically. The finance, accounting team, and general employees can access and view their business expenses under one dashboard.

The receipts are submitted from Microsoft teams, email forwarding, slack, text messaging, Outlook, Gmail, and the Fyle mobile app. Fyle is an excellent software as it gives management a glimpse of their financial operations, thus making Fyle a recommendable tool.

Slack

Slack is a platform that allows real-time file sharing, instant messaging, and collaboration used across the company for simplified communication. The conversations are broken down into shared channels, thus simplifying teamwork and allowing organizations to communicate with team members worldwide.

Further, somebody can use the channels to chat and send individual messages to employees and co-workers. Video and voice call also enable face-to-face communication to feel like a walk in the park. Slack has up to ten integrations with other apps, such as Office 365 and Google Drive.

HubSpot

HubSpot meetings give you a chance to sync your calendar with the platform. Hence, it allows your employees and customers to schedule appointments with you.

Users can save contact information using the form fields on your meeting page. Additionally, somebody can send the meeting page by embedding it on a website or send it as a link by email. You can get started with free HubSpot and have access to unlimited meetings.

Google Drive

This Google cloud service allows you to share, sync, store, and access your files across any device, allowing individuals to view and update them from anywhere. The files are held in one centralized location. Also, It integrates with other google applications such as Drawings, Sheets, Slides, Google Forms, and Docs. Google Drive allows you to save email attachments in one workspace. The personal plan has a capacity of free 15GB of cloud storage, which fills up quickly.

Zapier

Zapier is an automation tool that automatically combines two or more web apps to take advantage of their functionalities. Zapier is a nice tool that can elevate your employee productivity. You can turn emails you get into to-dos on task management apps like Trello, Tallyfy,  Asana, Airtable, and the like. You can also save your mail attachments directly to any cloud storage provider like Dropbox or G Drive. You could also assign tasks to your employees from your email. It also allows you to send automatic surveys, among other workflows you could automate.

Conclusion

Remote working and especially hybrid work models are here to stay! So, make it your goal to find tools for accessing remote computers and software that can streamline and speed up your collaboration and processes for a better workplace culture in a hybrid work environment. These remote work tools are bound to maximize your team’s productivity and smoothen operations; thus, you will reap the benefits of the remote and hybrid work model.

Must-Have Features In Secure Remote Access Solution For Small Businesses

At the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, many businesses were caught in limbo and forced to start operating remotely. While some businesses had preexisting structures to aid remote working, many struggled because they were unprepared. Frankly, many never anticipated a time when the work-from-home model would become more or less the norm.

Since then, though, the world has largely embraced remote working because it improves productivity in a business irrespective of size. According to a survey by Airtasker, remote workers are unproductive for an average of 27 minutes a day compared to 37 minutes for in-office employees. This is further supported by a Stanford study that shows that working from home is like increasing a full day of productivity every week.

In fact, a study by McKinsey American Opportunity Survey shows that 87% of employees would take remote jobs because it provides flexible working arrangements. Furthermore, employees get desired freedom and peace, which aids in work/life balance, and saves cost.

Image Source: Forbes

From a business perspective, it helps save wage growth because of flexible work strategies and reduced costs. Again, employees get to work on their optimum conditions to deliver the best for a business.

Of course, work-from-home (remote) and hybrid models cannot be successful without the right technology. Using virtual communication platforms like Zoom is just not enough anymore. You probably need to access important data from a remote device, process and share it with other members of a distributed team. This is where having a secure remote access solution for a small business like RemoteToPC software comes in handy!

This is a tool that allows you to interact remotely with your business computer, safely fetch desired information/data, and remotely process to meet your needs. The beauty of this tool is that it is suitable and tailored to fit virtually any size of business.

What is Remote Access? 

Remote PC access, as the name suggests, is a secure way to connect to a network or computer located elsewhere, i.e., at home. Simply put, Remote access to pc solutions enables authorized users to access remote devices from remote locations. It is built with the appropriate hardware, software, and network infrastructure.

The remote access solution can also be used by the technical support staff to connect to the employee’s remote computers and address system problems without having to touch the afflicted device directly. Small businesses are using these solutions to elevate their work-from-home productivity and yield revenue.

Features to Lookout for In Secure Remote Access Solution for Small Businesses

When finding the ideal remote PC access solution for your business, it is important to look out for the right features if you are to get the best services. Some of the best features of a secure remote access solution for small businesses include:

Unattended Remote PC Access

Good remote access solutions for small businesses should provide reliable unattended desktop access services whenever you want. This means you can conveniently install the software, access the computer, and manage them to meet your needs.

With such a system, you can access remote computers from any device, add many accounts, access the computer concurrently with different accounts, allow installation via email link, manage computers, and group them as per your preferences. This feature ensures reliable, unlimited, and convenient access to remote computers and authorized connected devices.

Remote Management & Monitoring For IT

A secure remote access solution for small businesses should provide suitable remote management and monitoring for IT. This means that the IT functionalities like remote reboot, sleep, restart, sleeping, and multi-user access must be provided.

Good remote access to PC solutions allows users to reboot remotely, receive an email alert for CPU, RAM, servers, and other components, perform bulk actions on multiple computers, and manage multiple user access to a computer. In a nutshell, you can conveniently manage IT functions on your end without disrupting other users.

Remote Security & Logging

Remote security and logging guarantees safe and authorized access to the computer. Without security and logging features, unauthorized users can access and fetch sensitive information from the computer/network.

A good remote to pc solution ensures secure remote access for everyone. This is achieved through features like two-factor authentication, strong remote access encryption technologies, user connection and action logs, stacked login security, and compliance with industry security standards.

Why Choose RemoteToPC?

RemoteToPC essentially ticks all the boxes of a secure remote access solution for small businesses. This software provides nearly all the features you would demand from a modern remote access solution for all types and sizes of businesses. No wonder it streamlines remote computer access for home, business, and IT.

This tool provides a reliable and convenient way to access your PC remotely. Users can easily create unlimited accounts, install them via email or in a domain, manage multiple users simultaneously, transfer files remotely, and easily print files from their devices.

RemoteToPC also provides built-in monitoring, alerts, and management functions for IT services like safe-mode reboot, sleep, restart, wake-on-LAN, and bulk actions. You also get the status of components like servers, CPU, RAM, and Drives.

Furthermore, RemoteToPC provides top-grade security and logging features. Thanks to the two-factor authentication, downloadable action logs, user connections, AEDA encryption, and stacked login security. With such security features, you can comfortably implement the work-from-home model without fearing losing sensitive information to unauthorized people.

The list of features is incredible. With these amazing features, ease of use, availability of affordable pricing plans, and flexibility, RemoteToPC is one of the best remote access solutions for small businesses.

Wrapping up

In a nutshell, it is essential to find the right remote access tool to facilitate collaboration and troubleshooting capabilities for your business. The key is to look into features and pick the ideal secure remote access solution. This is where RemoteToPC excels as one of the best remote access solutions you can invest in for your small businesses. You can try it to get first-hand experience with the benefits of the tool to your business.

Signs Your Business Needs Remote Monitoring and Management

In the wake of the recent pandemic, there have been significant shifts and changes in various sectors. Most businesses rely on new working models, i.e., remote and hybrid models. Indeed, it improves the company’s efficiency but raises concerns about employee management and network monitoring. 

This is where critical tools like RMM solutions come in handy. Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) is a technology serving Managed Service Providers (MSPs) owing to the incredible benefits it offers its clients. These perks include the likes of automation, compliance, and security features.

What Is RMM? 

To understand what Remote Monitoring and Management is, it would be best to break it down into its parts-remote monitoring and remote management. Remote management involves supervising work-from-home employees using remote access technology. Essentially, it is all about using the right tools to help control and take care of all activities on a workstation, server, client endpoint, or systems/networks from a remote location.

Remote monitoring, on the other hand, encompasses all the specifications that make it possible for managed Service Providers to track and monitor network operation activities for their clients through remote devices like probes and monitors. The result is efficient network infrastructure control.

Remote monitoring and management, as a whole, strives to help Managed IT Service Providers to monitor networks and client endpoints remotely. It can also be referred to as remote network management or IT management.

How Does RMM Tool Work?

RMM software products provide several tools aimed at allowing IT service companies to stay on top of their clients’ desktops, servers, applications, and IT systems. A good example is RemoteToPC, an RMM tool that delivers remote monitoring and alerts for the core system metrics like CPU, RAM, and the C-Drive. The tools also allow you to keep an eye on those critical servers or workstations that need to be up and online all the time. Suppose any of the system metrics go beyond a threshold or, say; the heartbeat-monitored system goes offline. In that case, a text message or email alert will be sent to the designated IT person for a rapid response.

These tools offer the right performance data and other reports that service technicians can go through. Aside from client endpoint device monitoring, RMM also allows service providers to execute management tasks like update and service configurations and patch management. And the best thing about it is that all these functions can be monitored remotely!

Let us get to the nitty-gritty of how exactly RMM tools work:

Remote Monitoring and Management are possible when a footprint called an agent is installed on a client’s server, workstation, mobile device, or endpoint. The agent divulges information about the status and machine health to the Managed Service Provider. Using the agent, a Managed Service Provider is able to get incredible insight into the client network. That way, they can maintain and update machines and be on top of any issues in real-time. An MSP can also attend to any problems that arise remotely. There is no need to go to the client’s premises physically!

If there are any troubles on a machine under an agent’s radar, the agent creates and sends an alert/ticket to the Managed Service Provider. The company will then take the necessary steps to resolve the problem. A ticket will be categorized depending on the problem type and severity of the problem. That way, the business will know the critical issues to prioritize. RMM tools can be so effective that an MSP may get to an issue before the client realizes there is one.

With RMM tools and technology, an IT service provider can take up more clients- and do so efficiently. An MSP can send tasks to many machines simultaneously when doing routine maintenance from a single location. They can deliver patches, do updates and administer patches seamlessly because all of it can be done from one unified dashboard.

Signs You Need RMM?

Granted, Remote Monitoring and Management tools are incredible and all. But how do you know if it is the solution your MSP enterprise needs? You should consider getting on the RMM if interested in solutions such as:

Real-Time Monitoring And Alerts Management

Alert management is crucial for MSPs that want to be on top of their client needs. RMM tools look for any issues in the network, and if they find any, they send alerts to your IT team. RMM tools and technology make you more efficient in fixing troubles, seeing that you can set the alert to as many devices as you need.

Automatic alerts will give you an edge and ensure you are steps ahead of any looming incidents before clients start to raise the heat. RMM, with its alerts and monitoring functionality, is your go-to if you need reduced downtime for your clients. RMM tools like RemoteToPC with features like RemoteToPC’s Multi-User Access Computer Management, Wake-on-LAN, Safe-mode Reboot, and Bulk option make the real-time monitoring more seamless.

Reporting And Analytics 

RMM tools often come with reporting functionalities. These reports are crucial for helping Managed Service Providers to understand data trends that will help them perform their functions better.

Reporting tools will help you as an MSP know aspects that need special attention, allowing you to make better decisions. It helps that RMM systems can gather the data from IT systems and translate it into an analytical report. That makes it easier to make informed decisions.

Furthermore, the reports act as a great resource in measuring your business growth since you can keep track of data-driven goals. It is also easier to get more clients and grow the profitability of your business when you have solid reports and analytics to prove that you are worth the hype.

Automation And Scripting

RMM tools stay on top of business-owned devices and are able to automate maintenance tasks. Its automation benefits allow you to free up time for other critical issues. Some of the functions that RMM software can automate are running scripts, doing disk checks, rebooting devices, deleting temporary files, and creating a system for restoring points.

What Are the Benefits Of RMM?

Here are some of the benefits of RMM for MSPs and enterprises:

Remote Access

RMM tools like RemoteToPC allow Managed Service providers the superpower that is controlling and monitoring several devices from a remote location. An MSP can tackle issues and fix the networks of various clients without ever leaving their remote workstations. Also, remote monitoring and management tools offer real-time monitoring that is essential for managing networks.

Improved Services

Downtimes can be a pain- an incredibly costly one. It is a bummer that system failure can make downtime unavoidable. Any opportunity to minimize or avoid downtime is good news to MSPs and clients. Fortunately, RMM tools make it possible for businesses to monitor networks proactively. An MSP will be on top of any potential issues in real-time- thanks to the alerts, leading to improved services and reduced downtime.

Better Customer Satisfaction

Customers need assurance that a professional is in charge of their networks. They have better confidence when they know there is proactive monitoring by the Managed Service Provider they have trusted their network with.

RMM tools bolster that trust and improve customer satisfaction. Customer confidence increases when they know there is a constant eye on their sensitive and sometimes vulnerable systems. They know that they can count on you to keep their network running at its peak.

Save Time

RMM tools allow system administrators to reach their clients and solve their issues quickly. Since all this can happen remotely, there are considerable time savings, especially because there is zero need for frequent on-site visits.

Moreover, there are reduced device downtimes considering that the RMM tool can notify the service provider of potential issues ailing a network. That further saves time that would have gone to manual system scanning.

Enhances Productivity

RMM offers incredible backup to Managed Service Providers. The tools take care of client infrastructure, leaving more time in the hands of MSPs. That allows a service provider to focus on other ways of improving their services which, in turn, leads to better services and enhanced productivity.

Conclusion

Success as Managed Service Provider or any business depends on how effectively you can serve your clients. The beauty is that new technology can help you make a lot of work easier. Remote Monitoring and Management tools like RemoteToPC offer incredible benefits and functionalities that will make things easier for MSPs and clients.

Ultimate Guide to Manage Your Outsourced Employees

Remote work, once a status symbol and perk for the lucky few, has grown in popularity, especially in the last decade. In fact, remote work has risen by 400% in the past decade! A major contribution here is technological advancement. The magnificent shift is further encouraged by the benefits the remote model presents to employees. 

What’s more, the lauded benefits of remote work go both ways. Employers also stand to reap enormous benefits from remote work with careful planning and skilled management. For starters, there are reduced costs, optimal efficiency of business tasks, and the chance to hire from a larger talent pool. The key to reaping these benefits is to manage your outsourced workforce efficiently. Let’s delve deeper into how you can monitor them:

Practical Ways to Manage Outsourced Employees 

Managing outsourced employees is pretty different from leading an in-house team. That’s why you must follow the tips given below.

1) Set Realistic Expectations 

Setting expectations shows intentionality. And that is a driver for growth and success in organizations. 

As you already know, long-term team members and new hires are set on a path to success when there are clear expectations. The case is no different for outsourced employees. Your outsourced team ought to know what you expect of them to align with the mission and vision of your organization. 

Set expectations early on in your interactions with your outsourced team. That way, they will know your standards from the get-go. Aiming too high can foster disappointment and low morale with your outsourced employees. Expectations for your outsourced employees need to be attainable and realistic.

The SMART goal framework is an excellent place to start when your organization lays down its objectives and expectations. Another crucial element is conducting regular reviews to assess employee performance. That helps you know what aspects need tweaking to reap maximum benefits from outsourcing employees. With every assessment and performance review, ensure that you give meaningful feedback so that your team can learn and do better. Also, continue to encourage your team to crash their goals.

2) Learn About Employee Skills

Employees are the backbone of any organization. An organization will have an incredible competitive edge if its employees have the critical skills required for their responsibilities. 

However, the reality of the ever-dynamic technologies and workplace makes it hard for employers to know what trending skills their team may lack. Learning about employee skills, especially when working with outsourced employees, helps businesses understand strengths and weaknesses. That way, they know who to rely on for what.

Employee skill assessment helps companies gauge the capabilities and readiness of their outsourced team. It provides a much-needed inventory of the skills represented among the outsourced employees, spot gaps, and use the information gathered to curate training and growth opportunities.

3) Provide the Best Remote Training Tools

Employee training and development is an instrumental contributor to growth. Training your team results in better employee retention, employee satisfaction, boosted productivity, and ultimately, better Return on Investment. Training is also a necessary element when managing outsourced employees.

The outsourced team members may have sufficient knowledge and skills in their field of expertise but may be ill-equipped with unique aspects and procedures of your business. It may not be possible to round up all your outsourced employees in a conference room for training. And that is where remote training tools enter the scene and save the day.

A tool like Remote To PC that provides remote support and effective user management can come in handy when doing remote training. It is also vital to track the results of remote training, depending on your organizational needs. Identify metrics you can use to gauge the efficiency of your remote training tools. Also, scalable training systems will allow you to expand your outsourced team seamlessly when your business evolves.

4) Encourage Seamless Communication

Business success is only possible when there is seamless communication among all the members and departments. Communication is all the more crucial when working with outsourced employees since team members could be scattered all over the world. Eliminating communication roadblocks such as biased persuading, directing, or criticizing to allow for seamless communication is essential for growing mutual trust which is at the core of business success. Have regular meetings so that nothing falls through the cracks.

Fortunately, tools like Zoom, Google Meet, and Skype remove the need to meet in person, making it easier to manage outsourced employees. 

Nevertheless, when working with outsourced employees, there is a need for standard communication policies and protocols to prevent inconveniences that could stem from the lack of physical proximity.

You should agree on the communication channels to use with your outsourced employees and be sure to have stipulated working hours to avoid eating into your employees’ personal time. Regular and effective communication- even when members are miles from each other, is instrumental in achieving an equilibrium that contributes to an effective employee outsourcing ecosystem.

5) Enhance your security

Security is a matter of grave concern in today’s digital world. Ensuring security when employees work within the confines of an office is easier. Businesses can get away with a comprehensive cybersecurity model when all the data is on one site. 

Remote work and managing outsourced employees call for better paradigms and cybersecurity strategies. Cybersecurity protocols that internal and outsourced employees can use are necessary for keeping cyber-attacks at bay.

The specific cybersecurity protocols will differ depending on a business’s structure and unique needs. That said, some policies will work for almost any business, like training employees on best password policies, sharing files through secure systems, endpoint encryption or routers, and installing antivirus software.

Tools like Remote To PC also come in handy in enhancing cybersecurity for businesses learning how to manage outsourced employees. Remote To PC software has features like two-factor authentication and web login that boost security when remote employees log in to the company network.

6) Prioritize Team Building 

Team building has numerous benefits that are essential to business success. Team building is not just for employees that work from a fixed location. It is equally, if not more, worth investing in when working with outsourced employees. See, remote team members can often feel lonely, disconnected, and unengaged with each other.

Team building events and activities make them feel like part of a team and offer a platform for engagement and dialogue. They keep the staff motivated and enhance morale and productivity. 

Also, remote employees may find it hard to maintain a proper work-life balance. And that eats into their productivity and performance. Team building allows employees to get off work and enjoy other social activities. That way, employees can live to their optimal potential.

7) Monitor Employee Work

When working with outsourced employees, you need a way to monitor their work to ensure optimal productivity. Employee productivity tracking tools come in handy in recording how your outsourced employees spend the time allocated for work. Simply put, you can keep a watch on employees’ work throughout the day.

Well, a tool like Remote PC will allow you to track your employees using its alert, management, and built-in monitoring features. 

Another approach would be to employ self-reporting policies. This model will require employees to send emails and reports to their supervisors to explain the projects they have been tackling throughout the day. This method allows for a degree of subjective analysis, making employees feel like they have some autonomy. The downside is that some employees could misrepresent their workloads.

8) Get Feedback

You will not know how effectively you are managing your outsourced employees if you do not have a way to get feedback. Provide feedback channels for your outsourced employees to air their experiences working with your company. Let them offer insights into how they think the arrangement can work better for mutual benefit. Your in-house employees could also give their two cents on the outsourcing model and give pointers for improvement.

Wrapping up

Managing outsourced employees is essential in ensuring your work processes operate like a well-oiled machine. Onboarding outsourced employees without a proper structure of how best to oversee them could lead to delays that hurt the business’s bottom line. Fortunately, there are quality tools like Remote To PC with incredible remote connection and management features that can make the process less of a hassle!

Accelerate Employee Productivity with these Remote Work Products

“Employees are as integral to business operations as the product or service portfolio.”

It is rightly said that employees are crucial assets that can make or break a venture. Investing time and money in their onboarding leads the organization to the path of progress. 

However, even the best team will count for little if their productivity levels are lacking. Alas, lower efficiency is becoming a significant concern for businesses with remote and hybrid models.

Companies need to boost employee productivity to manage tasks and projects, meet deadlines and collaborate with their counterparts. That’s where remote working software comes into the picture.

Let’s learn about this in detail!

What Are the Common Challenges of Remote Working? 

Maintaining productivity is an even tougher nut to crack when the majority of the employees work from home or in a hybrid model. There are several challenges associated with remote working that are a direct hit to productivity levels. They include:

Time management issues

Distractions are nothing new to people working from home. With no proper work structure or over-the-shoulder accountability, it is not surprising that employees would get sidetracked. All the distractions eat into potential work time and eventually lower productivity levels.

Work-life balance

Most people working from home often feel like they are living at work. Separating work and personal life can be hard when there isn’t a clear structure and employees literally live in the office. It is not uncommon for employees to work late or start earlier. Overworking could end up being counterproductive because of the risk of burnout. People need to unplug and recharge for optimal productivity.

Fragmented communication

Communication, an essential element of teamwork and collaboration, can be a challenge with remote working. This is why eliminating spontaneous deskside brainstorms can affect workflow and productivity levels. The best way around this is to foster communication even with distributed teams.

Remote Work Software for Enhanced Productivity

Staying on top of tasks is much harder when working as a remote team. It is easy for productivity levels to slip when members of an organization are working remotely and may be unable to access crucial work documents. Fortunately, you can deploy some excellent software to promote team collaboration and ensure that employees working remotely are as productive as can be.

Here are some of the best remote work software in the market that can help boost your employee productivity:

Remote To PC

This is one of the best tools that makes it easy for remote workers to access and control their computers remotely. It allows access to PCs and Macs from any device for troubleshooting and collaboration. Employees can securely share and access any files they need from their work computers from home or anywhere. Your team members can do things like remote print documents and images, collaborate by drawing on the remote screen during a session, execute remote reboots, or play sound from wherever they are!

The beauty is that this tool allows you to connect to your remote computers via a web browser portal. In other words, you don’t need to install software to initiate the remote connection. You can also remote view and control Android devices if you have an enterprise mobility policy like BYOD (Bring your Own Device) or COPE (Company Owned/Personally Enabled) in your business. 

TeamViewer

This is another remote desktop tool in the market that helps with remote access, control, and support. Employees can remain productive when they have unrestricted access to their files, applications, and servers. It is noteworthy that this remote work software is a bit pricey for personal use or for a small business. You might also experience challenges connecting with different versions of the tool for collaboration. Some users have also complained of frequent connection failures mid-session, even with a good Internet connection.

Splashtop

Splashtop is another tool that has some wonderful remote access and supports tools. This remote desktop software solution ensures central management of users’ remote access. Employees using the software can access their devices using Splashtop Business Access while using any device, be it Windows, Mac, Chromebook, or Android.

On the flip side, Splashtop isn’t that beginner friendly. Some of its remote desktop features are not that well explained. You might also need stable internet access on both ends of the remote connection to avoid lags and abrupt disconnections.

LogMeIn

This tool empowers employees to work from anywhere, boosting their productivity levels. It provides on-demand remote support and ensures secure access to work files. The tool is, however, quite expensive-it is around 50% more expensive than similar remote connection tools in the market. The connectivity isn’t as reliable as well. You might experience serious lags in your connections. They also don’t have an app or an option to log in from a browser portal.

GoToMyPC

This remote computer access software allows users to connect to their home or office computer files, programs, networks, and applications from anywhere. Employees using this tool get to work as effectively as they would had they been working at their desks.

Keep in mind, though, that it can be a bit of a hassle to use, particularly if your work desktop is large. Managing connections with multiple users can also prove a little challenging, plus the resolution quality is relatively below par compared to other remote work software vendors in the market. In fact, the software doesn’t have a full-screen option.

How To Choose the Right Remote Work Software?

There are many remote work software available in the market, but choosing the best for your team and business can be an arduous task. It helps when you understand how to select the right one.

Here are some key factors you ought to keep in mind as you choose the right remote work software for your enterprise:

Know what your company needs

For starters, every business has its unique needs. Remote teams are not all the same. Therefore, the best software solution for you will depend on your company’s specific needs. The features and tools you will need depend on the core activities of your company.

For example, if your employees need to share files often, you can use the remote file transfer feature provided by Remote to PC to transfer files from and to a remote PC effortlessly. 

Bear in mind a good tool should fit in with the number of users you are looking to cater to. You need to know how many employees will use the software in their remote work before deciding on a package.

Explore remote work software features

A little research is necessary when looking for a remote software solution that would be the best fit for your company. A deep dive into the features of each tool allows you to narrow down the best solution for your productivity needs. For instance, you can look for the following features in the software to enhance employee efficiency:

• ​Unattended Remote Desktop Access
• Email User Link to Share Computer
• Unlimited Concurrent Remote Sessions
• Fast peer-to-peer first connections
• Multi-User Management
• Remote Printing
• Batch Multi-System Deployment

In addition, look at reviews to understand the experiences users have had using the software. It is also essential to compare the integrations and functionalities of each option.

Test free trials

You might not know how effective a software solution will be unless you try it. Leveraging the free version, such as provided by the Remote to PC software, can help you decide if the tool will be a good match for your company’s needs. Employees using the free version of the software can help feedback on its effectiveness as a long-term solution for utmost productivity.

Wrapping up

Remote working, accelerated by the pandemic, seems to be going nowhere. The trend does not look like it will slow down or end anytime soon. Not with its wealth of benefits. Unfortunately, innovation and productivity could suffer in a remote working environment. The good news is that you can use bespoke remote software tools to scale up your workplace remote work productivity and reap the benefits of this new model!

Secure Remote Access Solutions for Healthcare Professionals

The healthcare industry has undergone many changes over the years. Many factors, such as new medicine introduced through research and technology, have been significant contributors to the ever-evolving world of healthcare. The recent pandemic also played a role in accelerating some of the growing trends in healthcare, like telemedicine and telehealth. The phrase ‘seeing the doctor’ meant something different than it would a few years back. It is now not unusual to have doctor appointments via virtual conference call systems and teleconferencing apps like Zoom and Google Meet. Healthcare workers are also collaborating remotely more than ever.

In other words, there is a growing need to accommodate changing times while providing excellent services to patients without compromising staff safety. 

Despite the several advantages and conveniences of remote healthcare, there is the aspect of security and privacy. Especially protecting sensitive patients’ data over the internet and with doctors using devices that might even be outside the cyber-secure confines of hospital facilities.

Unsecured handling of patient data poses a significant risk to healthcare security and privacy. It also brings the issue of failing to meet HIPAA compliance requirements for Patients’ Personal Health Information (PHI) to stay secure. 

As a healthcare provider, you can benefit from the accessibility and efficiency of remote healthcare while staying on top of patient data privacy and security thanks to tools like Secure Remote Access solutions.

What Is Secure Remote Access?

Secure remote access is technology often used by staff to log in and operate a work device from anywhere. It is commonly used by IT professionals in healthcare and other niches to offer tech support to employees without having physical access to the target user’s device. Keep in mind that it is vital to keep an eye on the end-user devices that have got access to your enterprise infrastructure. You don’t want sensitive data falling into the wrong hands.

The right secure remote access solutions can help provide quality services to patients. Productivity among employees tends to be scaled up as it makes service delivery, collaboration, and troubleshooting easy!

Emerging Operational Issues in Healthcare

Just like any other sector, the healthcare sector has a fair share of challenges. There is plenty to navigate, from technological innovations, and increasing patient expectations, to the ever-evolving government regulations. The common operational healthcare goes beyond just treating patients.

Here are some of the emerging operational challenges in healthcare:

• Patients Located in Remote areas

Patients in rural areas have to deal with issues like lack of proper public transportation, healthcare provider shortages and the geographical distance from treatment centers. A disproportionate number of rural inhabitants may be disadvantaged as a result. 

• Troubleshooting Technical Issues

Technical issues are now quite common in healthcare. Unfortunately, unlike any other sector, glitches tend to be more damaging in healthcare setups, mostly because patients’ health is on the line. This is why you need quick troubleshooting to solve technical problems, thus avoiding the ripple effect of delays in service delivery.

The problem is that technical issues are difficult to anticipate. IT infrastructure and teams can also span different geographical locations if a facility has branches away from the headquarters.

Users at those locations might access your resources over the VPN, SaaS applications, and cloud-hosted workloads or files. These layers and multiple tech stacks add to the complexity of the IT troubleshooting process.

• Safety of Patients’ Data

With medical data stored in electronic medical records, there has been the question of privacy and security of the data. Again, few industries hold as much data about their customers as healthcare. That comes with a huge responsibility to be the best guardians of sensitive info.

Unfortunately, data breaches in healthcare are on the rise. According to a study published in the HIPAA Journal, there were 4,419 healthcare data breaches of 500 or more records that were reported to the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights between 2009 and 2021. The breaches led to a loss, theft, exposure, or impermissible disclosure of 314,063,186 healthcare records.

Source: Hipaajournal

This shows how a data breach is a threat to any healthcare service provider. It not only creates downtimes. It also puts health facilities at risk of hefty penalties for violating compliant standards. Your reputation is also on the line. 

Fortunately, most of these emerging challenges facing healthcare can be mitigated if stakeholders in the sector identify and employ the best practices. One such way is by leveraging secure remote access solutions. These solutions ensure that collaboration and service delivery is made easier whilst ensuring that patient data remain safe. 

For example, an IT support engineer can fix technical issues for a practitioner handling patients on-premise, at home, or on an assignment in remote areas. The beauty is that the technical team can do it without worrying about malicious people getting hold of their confidential data being transmitted over the internet.

The Essence of Secure Remote Access Solutions in Healthcare

There is no denying that secure remote access solutions are the need of the hour. It assists multiple professionals in ways to make healthcare accessible to all. Here’s how:

• For Doctors and Nurses

Healthcare workers work from multiple locations to attend to the hundreds of patients that need their services. Remote access tools can let doctors and nurses extend their services far and wide without being too concerned about compromising patient data safety. They can connect to patients virtually, conduct thorough examinations, and provide real-time diagnoses and quick treatments to patients. 

• For Tech Support

With secure remote access tools, tech support teams in healthcare can offer assistance and troubleshoot technical issues remotely faster whilst keeping an eye on data security. They can deliver the right remote assistance to healthcare professionals and the team working from any location.

A remote access tool makes it easier for your technical team to assist healthcare professionals who maintain medical devices and instruments. They can be able to guide them in installation and troubleshooting steps. They can also upgrade software and monitor devices to protect against common cyber threats. 

• For Lab Technicians

Lab technicians can also make their remote work simple, more efficient, and safer with secure remote access solutions. There are generally better, faster, and more high-quality clinical results when labs have the right infrastructure, like centralized data storage and cloud-based digital solutions. In a field where time is that critical between life and death, remote access can save a life.

For example, you might have a machine malfunction in a sterile area of the lab. In this case, troubleshooting with remote access makes it easier to get the machine back up and running to reduce costly downtimes. It is also easier to patch up software updates and conduct regular maintenance on lab machines. Remote access tools are also vital in ensuring that lab practitioners can share patient data safely. 

• For Healthcare Fraternity

Remote access tools also foster smooth collaborations among professionals in healthcare. Medical practitioners can share and collaborate on files while ensuring patient data is protected. A streamlined collaboration among medical professionals allows for more comprehensive, population-based, and cost-effective patient care. It creates an emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention which is vital in solving common challenges in the sector.
Keep in mind that one patient can interact with many of your employees in a facility in the course of treatment, including physicians, nurses, technicians, and others. Thus, having a synced team with a high level of collaboration will ensure that patients get the best care and experience. 

Conclusion

The healthcare ecosystem is changing, with technology becoming more important in service delivery than ever. Medical practitioners are collaborating in a distributed fashion and serving patients virtually. That said, issues like IT downtimes and data breaches are also quite common. In this regard, healthcare organizations need to have strategies to make it easier to tap into the growing tech for collaboration and streamlined service delivery. The best way is to invest in the right tools and take proactive steps to maximize technology implementation whilst protecting against common threats.

How To Handle Remote Workforce’s Security Risks

Today, it is estimated that at least 70% of employees work away from the office at least once a week. Reason being that most employees feel more productive when they work from home. Managers and business executives have also warmed up to remote work owing to its advantages.

On the flipside, the remote work model is presenting challenges like cybersecurity issues for employers.

One study done by the IBM and the Ponemon institute noted an increase in the cost of a data breach owing to increased adoption of remote work. The study found that in organizations with 81-100 percent of employees working remotely, the total average cost was a whopping $5.54 million!

Well, how do you protect your enterprise as you allow your employees to work remotely? This quick guide will expound on what entails remote work security and the steps you can take to secure your remote workforce.

What is remote work security?

For starters, it involves securing company assets and data when the workforce does their job outside the confines of a typical office setting. Some of the common instances that call for remote work security include when your employees travel for business, work from home, or are on sick leave and the likes.

Security risks of working remotely

Before remote work became the norm cyber defense steps was more or less about implementing security for employees working in a traditional office setup. Remote and hybrid work models present the following challenges as employees are interacting and serving clients in a distributed fashion.

1. Human errors
2. The proliferation of personal devices
3. Poorly secured Wi-Fi networks
4. Obscured visibility of the IT staff
5. Inadequate training and awareness

Now that you know what the challenges are, let’s learn about the possible solutions.

Security tips for employers handling a remote workforce

Now that you know the security risks, here are the steps you should take to ensure your remote workforce is secure:

1. Invest in cybersecurity awareness training

Remember, employees are your weakest link in your fight against remote work security risks. One study done by Proofpoint in 2022 found that 55% of the U.S workforce took risky actions in 2021. Twenty-six percent admitted to have clicked suspicious email links leading to dangerous sites. 17% accidentally compromised their credentials. Only about 50% of them could spot common phishing attacks.

This is why you need to invest in proper cybersecurity training for your remote team.

A study done by Wombat Security Technologies and the Aberdeen Group found that security awareness training plays a key role in employee behavior and measurably which can reduce cybersecurity risks by between 45 and 70 percent.

Another study by Ponemon Institute also found that proper security awareness training can help you reduce the cost of phishing attacks by more than 50%. It can also scale up your password security by 30-50%.

Now, keep in mind that it isn’t enough for your employees to undergo cybersecurity training once. Do regular training to teach your remote workforce how to identify common hijacking and attacking attempts, such as phishing, whaling, typo-squatting, domain hijacking and more. They should be able to know the don’ts as they work remotely like installing unknown browser plugins and opening suspicious email attachments that could contain malware.

2. Develop a cybersecurity policy for remote workers

In line with awareness, you need a proper cybersecurity policy. This is a set of rules, procedures, and documented plans that dictate how remote employees should carry out their activities. As you develop this policy, ensure you cover crucial topics such as data protection, device use, password hygiene, compliance with regulations, access management, and security awareness training. The policy should also encourage your employees to conduct regular backups to ensure you can retrieve data quickly in case of loss or damage.

Tip: Create proper policies surrounding the use of company-owned and personal devices.

3. Choose a right remote-desktop access software

Generally, remote employees rely on remote-desktop access software  to get easy access to their devices (PC or Mac) whenever they want. It further allows them to connect with the smartphone, tablet, or operating system to work uninterruptedly.

However, the access software you install to ease the remote work must also be well-secured. Look for a software that offers 2-factor authentication for web, smartphone, and local access, in addition to the login and password.

Furthermore, use the software that prioritizes your privacy and security by providing peer-to-peer connections. Compliance with The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is also essential.

4. Perform routine review of accounts

It would be wrong to assume that everyone who can access your infrastructure is authorized to do so. Therefore, it is best to do periodic reviews on your user credentials and access privileges. Encourage your employees to periodically update their account details to improve and streamline the authentication process. Promote frequent password changes so that hackers have a more challenging time accessing login credentials and infiltrating your infrastructure. If any employee decides to leave your workplace, ensure you remove their accounts or restrict access.

5. Enforce strong passwords on employee devices

Did you know that a hacker can correctly guess simple passwords within minutes and infiltrate your system? Yes, a computer can get the job done that fast! Well, you can reduce these risks by encouraging your remote workforce to use strong passwords that are harder to crack.

A strong password will avoid common words. It will contain at least eight characters with a combination of letters, symbols and the likes. If your password ticks the checkboxes discussed above, your data will be safe from brute force and dictionary attacks.

6. Invest in organization-wide password management tools

Research shows that many data breaches occur when cybercriminals access user credentials. In this regard, consider using password management software to guarantee your remote workforce will be secure. Password management software also guarantees your staff will not reuse old passwords that might be easy to guess. Excellent examples of strategies and tools you could use include random password generation tools, one-time-use credentials, and automated password rotation.

7. Update your software

Last but not least, ensure you use updated software starting with security tools like anti-malware, antivirus software and firewalls on every device they use to access company assets. These additional measures will provide an extra layer of protection and reduce the risk of infiltration.

Again, it is easier if you have remote tools that allow device management. You can also use tools like Mobile Device Management (MDM) tools to manage and wipe sensitive company data from employee devices in case of theft, loss, or a significant security breach.

Tip: You need to have a solid technical support team to offer assistance to your workforce.

Wrapping up

Remote work security is all about taking proactive rather than reactive measures. You ought to be vigilant in implementing the security steps starting with conducting employee awareness. Install secure remote-access software to begin with. Invest in cybersecurity tools to protect your network and end-user devices. You should also set up the necessary support for your remote workforce with tools that make remote device management easier for your IT staff.