With the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pushing more and more businesses to get employees working from home, the need for reliable and effective IT support for staff is essential. Some businesses already have remote work policies and plans in place as employers today offer flexible workplace options, but the majority of companies require staff to work from their physical location.
In order to support your remote staff, it is critical to have the proper IT support in place. Having a reputable Managed IT Services provider (MSP) that has the tools and expertise to meet the needs of your employees. Even if you have a full-time IT staff, having a Managed IT Services provider ensures you have a proactive support system with experts who are focused on one mission: your IT environment.
So how can an MSP support your remote staff? Here are four ways they can keep your work from home employees running smoothly.
- Remote Support - Your MSP needs to be able to effectively fix IT issues remotely. With the technology MSPs have today, they can remotely access employee workstations and laptops as if they were right there next to you. A good MSP will have IT techs who can walk your staff through possible issues and gain information that they need to fix the problem, preferably on the first call.
- Local Support - While the majority of IT fixes can be handled remotely by a good MSP, there will be instances that arise when a tech may have to visit your location to fix your issue. It is vitally important your MSP has local support in your area to provide on-site support when an emergency comes up.
- Security is Key - Remote work during this Coronavirus pandemic likely means work from home for most employees. In some instances, employees may be using hotspots with unrestricted internet access, and this is a security nightmare for your company. On unrestricted internet hotspots, your business' sensitive data such as financial records or human resources files are at risk. This is why your MSP needs to be proactive and security focused. All remote users should be set up with antivirus programs, malware protection and spam filters. They should also use a virtual private network (VPN) for access to all company resources, and utilize data encryption on their devices. This will keep your critical data safe and protected.
- Emergency Service - With so many employees working at home, it is critical that your MSP offers 24/7 service for emergencies so remote workers can get back up and running quickly.
- Remote IT Security Training - The number of scams that have popped up since the Coronavirus pandemic began is astounding. Computer Weekly indicates that Coronavirus is likely now the largest ever cybersecurity threat. Having a program in place that can educate your staff on the threats that are out there with regards to malware, social engineering and ransomware is key to keeping your business safe.
Nobody can predict when this Coronavirus pandemic will allow us to get back to our physical locations. Remote workers will continue to be the lifeline that our business needs to keep operations moving normally. By providing your remote work staff with the IT support they require, you'll keep them running efficiently.
At Fraser, we are more than just a copier company. We offer an outstanding suite of Managed IT Services that can support your remote workforce. It is our job, during these trying times, to provide you with information that will help you make the important decisions on your business continuity plans, your remote work strategies and keep your data safe. We are here to provide you with peace of mind and to keep your business moving forward. For more information on our remote work solutions, you can reach out to us here.
