Companies of all types have needed to adapt quickly to a larger remote workplace. Some were remote workplace-ready, while others needed to make a lot of adjustments. The takeaway is that businesses should always be prepared to support remote workers.
Workforce, a company that develops workplace software, reported that some companies believe remote workplaces will become the new normal. The experts at Workforce stress that companies should offer multiple forms of communication for remote workers and schedule regular video check-ins to support employees.
To be remote workplace-ready, having a robust, highly available, and secure network is key, as is adopting and optimizing unified communications (UC).
Challenges of the Remote Workplace
Remote workplaces can put a lot of stress on the network. The network experiences extra traffic with the entire workforce operating at a distance. Data and communications from the additional endpoints created by remote workers need to be transmitted to the data center, the home office, and the cloud.
Your company headquarters may have had strong security measures in place before transitioning to a remote workplace. However, your remote workforce may not be protected by these measures. Protection of users needs wherever they’re working needs to be well thought out.
Availability is crucial in a remote workplace environment. If your network experiences bottlenecks and latency, employees become frustrated. They have a poor workplace experience and may even be unable to work.
Remote work does offer opportunities for adoption of collaboration tools that are proven to help improve communication.
What the Remote Workplace Needs From a Network
To support a remote workforce, your company must be able to provide enough bandwidth to accommodate dramatically increased network traffic. Being remote worker-ready means having an easily scalable network.
A high-speed fiber optic network provides more bandwidth, and if it is carrier-grade, will also offer low latency and improved uptime.
The network must also be secure enough to protect remote workers from threats. A remote workforce requires security outside the perimeter that extends to every endpoint. Your company’s network solution should include intrusion detection and prevention, as well as encryption, to protect sensitive data as it is transmitted.
Ramping Up Your UC
Your company may have some UC tools in place, but can you offer a rich communication experience for your remote workers?
Quick communication can be done using instant messaging, but as remote work looks to continue, teams will benefit from face-to-face communication. Tools such as video conferencing and WebEx simulate the feel of being in the same room as coworkers.
UC can be used to touch base with workers and even schedule fun events, such as remote lunches and other get-togethers. Just because your workforce is remote doesn’t mean you can’t promote your company culture.
Is Your Company Remote Workplace-Ready?
Your company may have transitioned to a remote workplace without much warning. Now is the time to make sure you can support your remote workers for the long term by developing a remote workplace strategy.
FirstLight is a one-stop shop for everything organizations in the Northeast need to optimize their remote workforce. We are a Cisco Premier Business Partner, offering the Managed Cisco Solutions your business needs to support your remote workplace. Our certified network experts can provide network management, monitoring, and engineering services that ensure your network is safe and performing optimally.
We also provide a full portfolio of cloud-based collaboration solutions. Our unified communications as a service offering allows remote workers to interact with each other using their preferred communication styles.
Find out more about options for supporting your remote workforce. Request a consultation with one of FirstLight’s experts who can meet with you to discuss your needs, remotely!
