collaboration Archives

Remote working is becoming an increasingly popular way for organizations and their staff to operate. But it’s crucial that you know how to do it properly.

The popularity of remote working has been growing for several years, but this growth has been accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Working from remote locations, however, doesn’t come without challenges. A home, for example, wasn’t built to be used as a workplace. And it’s unlikely that a home will come pre-loaded with powerful communication options. But challenges such as these can easily be tackled.

All you have to do is take a look at our 5 best tips to make remote working on a PC a success.

Enhancing the Remote Working Experience

Simplicity is an essential part of any infrastructure and remote working is no different. Therefore, make sure you integrate these simple tips into your remote working setup:

Comfort is Key: It’s important that you create a suitable working space for setting up your PC. A quiet location with minimal distractions is vital, so it’s a good idea to set up in a location away from TVs and any other noise sources. The most pressing element, however, is a good chair. You’re going to be sitting in the same seat for several hours a day, so you need to get one which is both comfortable and suitable.
Collaboration Tools: Communicating while remote working is very different to communicating when all employees are based in a central location. Naturally, this can lead to an increase in the time taken to answer queries, but it’s easy to work around this. Software such as Microsoft Teams, Discord and Slack allows employees to communicate and collaborate with ease.
Invest in Your Equipment: Whether you’re using your own PC or a work issued one, it pays to invest in your technology. It may be as simple as upgrading your internet connection to increase connection speeds and reliability. Alternatively, you may wish to invest in replacement peripherals which are more ergonomic such as mice, keyboards and headphones.
Use Calendar Apps: Without a team around you, it’s difficult for you to keep on top of things. After all, an office full of employees can quickly remind you that you have a meeting coming up. But a remote worker doesn’t have this luxury. Therefore, using calendar apps such as Google Calendar and Microsoft Calendar can prove invaluable. Take time each week to set up important reminders in these to ensure you remain on top of your schedule.
Don’t Ignore Technical Issues: One of the drawbacks of remote working is that a technical issue can quickly disrupt your day. The luxury of jumping on a spare workstation isn’t an issue when you’re away from the office. And this is why it’s crucial that you report all technical issues to your IT team as soon as possible. An early investigation could easily prevent a major technical fault and allow you to stay productive.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

How can Microsoft 365 Business Help Your Organization?

Cloud, collaboration, Microsoft, Microsoft 365, Ophtek, securitycloud, collaboration, Microsoft 365, Ophtek, securityOphtek, LLC

Jul 2021

The way in which we work has changed radically in the last 10 years. Helping organizations get to grip with these changes is Microsoft 365 Business.

The need for flexibility within business has never been more apparent since the Covid-19 pandemic entered our lives. Thankfully, flexibility had been on the rise in business for some time. Remote working, bring your own device schemes and tailored working hours have all helped to make flexible working a reality. Traditional IT infrastructures, however, aren’t necessarily set up to deal with these arrangements. But this is where a service such as Microsoft 365 Business steps in.

What is Microsoft 365 Business?

Originally launched in 2011 as Office 365, Microsoft 365 is a collection of products and services designed by Microsoft. The service is subscription based with plans available including consumer, small business and enterprise. These plans are made available to users through cloud computing and this is what makes it invaluable for flexible working. Not only is it perfect for teamwork, but it also meets the needs of individual users.

The ‘business’ subscriptions of Microsoft 365 feature significantly more features than the consumer plan. Additional features and functions available to Microsoft 365 Business users include:

Microsoft 365 Apps for Business: A range of Office applications that can be used across a variety of PC, Mac and mobile devices for up to five devices per user.

Office 365 Enterprise: Provides users with access to the complete range of Office applications and hosted services. Full support is also available to safeguard against any technical issues.

What are the Benefits of Microsoft 365 Business?

It’s important to understand how Microsoft 365 Business can benefit your organization, so let’s take a look at the benefits on offer:

Easy Access: Thanks to the magic of cloud computing, users can use Microsoft 365 Business no matter where they are. As long as there’s an internet connection available, users can connect from a mobile device, laptop or desktop. Therefore, users can access crucial data and complete important tasks more easily than ever before. This allows your organization to remain productive 24/7 and ensures that tasks can be completed on time.

Enhanced Collaboration: Microsoft 365 Business was built with collaboration in mind. And it delivers this with power. The presence of Microsoft Teams allows team members to communicate and share files with ease. This is essential for collaboration, but Microsoft 365 Business also allows you to synchronize your email, contacts and calendar. An important function and one which ensures you will never miss meetings and communications again.

Powerful Security: The threat of malware increases with each passing day, so protecting your IT infrastructures is paramount. And Microsoft 365 Business takes the pain out of this security with its simplistic, yet powerful security options. Devices such as laptops and mobile phones can easily be remotely wiped of all data if they are lost or stolen. It’s also possible for IT teams to quickly restrict access to specific users to minimize the risk of any data loss.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Google Workspace Business and How it Helps Businesses

automation, cloud computing, collaboration, Google, google workspace business, Securityautomation, cloud computing, collaboration, google, google workspace businessOphtek, LLC

Jun 2021

Any tool that can help businesses improve processes and enhance productivity is invaluable. And one such tool is Google Workspace Business.

An intriguing and powerful collection of business IT tools, Google Workspace Business has the potential to revolutionize the way your organization works. It’s a platform which embraces the benefits of cloud computing and allows you to take collaboration to a new level. The basic (and free) version of Google Workspace is certainly useful, but the enterprise Business version is packed full of additional features. And, in the current landscape of remote working, it’s an essential tool for businesses.

But what exactly can Google Workspace Business offer your business?

The Lowdown on Google Workspace Business

Introducing a new collaborative tool into any business needs to be managed carefully. But, with Google Workspace Business, you can be rest assured that the following benefits are worth it:

Collaboration: Google Workspace understands the difficulties of remote workers needing to collaborate with office-based workers; it solves this with a wide range of powerful collaborative tools. Documents can be edited and shared in real time. Video calls can be arranged through Google Meet and instant messaging is available in either group or individual chats.

Use Business Branded Email: One of the major benefits of Google Workspace Business is that it allows you to use an in-built email system – similar in design to Gmail – with your company domain name attached. Organizations, therefore, can harness the power of enterprise-level email services, but free themselves from the duties of maintaining an email server.

Unlimited Storage in Google Drive: Each employee who has an account registered with Google Workspace business will also be allocated a Google Drive account. And, in Google Workspace Business, an unlimited amount of space in Google Drive is on offer. Individuals can securely store all the files they ever need in the cloud and separate Teams accounts can also be set up.

Compatibility Across Devices: Whether you are using a laptop, mobile device or desktop, Google Workspace Business will work seamlessly across these different devices. A mobile device user can, for example, share and edit a spreadsheet with a remote colleague working on a desktop PC. The environment this creates is consistent for all users and ensures that productivity is optimized for all employees.

Powerful Automation: Using advanced AI, Google Workspace Business can automate simple tasks such as arranging appointments and scheduling meetings. Make Remote Working Easier with these PC TipsNaturally, this saves time for your business and allows it to be invested elsewhere. Additional features allow you to take advantage of autocomplete in Gmail to complete sentences while Google Sheets can carry out in-depth data analysis.

Enhanced Security: One of Google Workspace Business’ most crucial tools is Endpoint Management. This security suite grants you the power to manage multiple security settings, erase data from stolen devices, limit user access and many more powerful features. It’s an important feature in the world of remote working and guarantees you peace of mind that your digital workplace is secure.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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