The Coronavirus outbreak has forced many countries to initiate lockdowns urging citizens to stay indoors and avoid social interactions to stop the spread of the virus. In light of these measures, many businesses and their employees are now working from home which is giving rise to a number of challenges. However, thanks to technological advancements, work from home is much simpler now.
So, let’s take a look at some of the apps that are making or can make work from home much more productive and efficient while we all stay at home to protect against the current pandemic.
Video conferencing
First and foremost, the biggest need while working from home is for executives and team members to have meetings where they can discuss future course of action and implementation of strategic decisions. This can’t always be done over call or messaging which leads to the need for video conferencing to hold virtual meetings. There are a number of applications for the purpose but Google Duo and Zoom are the most effective:
Google Meet
Powered by one of the biggest tech houses in the world, Google Meet provides amazing bandwidth and call quality to make meetings worthwhile. It allows users to add as many participants and have team meetings online as well.
Zoom
The application that has risen to the greatest significance in light of the current situation is Zoom. It is the perfectly optimized service for all kinds of virtual business meetings, classes and a variety of other activities. It allows seamless web conferencing and screen sharing to maintain workflows and even has a whiteboard facility for teaching and other presentations.
File management
Another important aspect for businesses working online is effective file sharing. While many mainstream services provide this feature, there are limitations and for heavy data files, this can cause inconveniences. Freelancers like videographers in particular face a huge issue in terms of limitations for sending files because their transfers are quite data extensive.
Google Drive
Once again, Google provides a solution for this problem too. The free version of the service though, is limited to just 15 GB of storage across all platforms. The paid service though can offer significant storage and data transfer facilities. This means it can cater to most requirements for businesses and it is a secure and reliable medium after all.
WeTransfer
If you are looking to transfer data files of up to 2 GB then WeTransfer is the application for you. Apps like WhatsApp have a meagre limit for files that can be sent and so does email attachments. Uploading to cloud and then sharing links can be an answer but that raises the question of data security. WeTransfer therefore, provides an easy way out.
Productivity tools
While working from home is imperative in the current scenario, it can give rise to workflow management and task assignment issues. It can also hinder how companies monitor their employees. Thankfully, there are tools that can help with that. Jibble for instance, is an app that helps staff clock-in virtually to track their work times. Similarly, Wrike helps manage teams appropriately.
Chrome Remote Desktop
Work computers hold a variety of sensitive information that is not at times available when working from home. Being in separate place also means that helping out a colleague with a task can turn into a hassle. Chrome Remote Desktop provides an answer to all these problems. It can allow users to mirror the screen and function of not just their own but fellows’ computers on their phones and perform necessary tasks easily.
Wonderlist
The app helps supervisors and employees themselves set reminders and create to-do lists for everyday assignments. These help organize the data as well as workflow even when working remotely. The lists can be shared easily between various users to streamline operations of a business even when team members are miles apart safe in their own homes.
Distraction limitations
A big problem when working from home are the infinite distractions available. Social media, Netflix and a host of other elements continuously come in the way of productivity. Fortunately, there is an answer to this too with several applications and programs that help minimize time lost performing unfruitful tasks during work hours.
Daywise
With the Coronavirus scare, most activity remains suspended while businesses are operating over the phone. This means that the number of notifications received on a daily basis has gone up. If these disturb you on a constant basis, Daywise can help batch notifications for you. For example, you can choose to receive notifications from a social media app after a specific set of time so that they don’t interfere regularly. Users can also whitelist the apps of their choice to ensure the workflow is not affected.
Cybersecurity
For major organizations and their employees, working outside the secure cyberspace of the office gives rise to cybersecurity threat. For small and medium businesses, it has become an even bigger issue than before. Protecting data is necessary because in a time when economies are already slowing down, any extra financial damages can be devastating.
Ivacy VPN
Ivacy VPN is one of the most affordable and top-rated VPN services out there. It provides comprehensive cybersecurity features like AES 256-bit data encryption, secure servers, dedicated IPs and unlimited bandwidth. It has customized solutions for businesses and all other users. Moreover, it is also your ultimate streaming partner when it comes to unblocking your favorite channels online such as BBC, Amazon Prime, Hulu or Netflix.
Conclusion
Businesses are going through a difficult time but it is all temporary. With the help of the above-mentioned applications, businesses can simplify tasks, manage communications and continue to function with relative ease even virtually.
It is important for business owners and company executives to derive strategies for their employees that can help create a unanimous course of action for the entire organizations. Elimination of confusion about everyday processes can put customers at ease about the future direction of their company.
