The Coronavirus pandemic has forced many companies to change how they do business. Many businesses have shifted operations to a full or partial remote work environment with employees accessing company resources and systems from home. In some cases, standard policies have been relaxed to allow staff to use personal computers, phones, and other devices while telecommuting.
Now, as states begin to relax shelter-in-place restrictions and business owners plan to reopen their offices, it’s time to assess such changes to create an effective technology plan.
When preparing for the restart phase, it’s important to reassess the technology that was used while working remotely and determine if and how it should be permanently integrated into an office environment. Interim solutions may be necessary to ease the transition as temporary solutions are disbanded. Key questions to ask yourself are:
- What infrastructure and technology changes will be required to support the transition?
- How should the company handle returned assets and repurpose computer equipment that was issued for working from home? It may make sense for employees to keep the devices at home in case another wave of illness spreads.
- Will the business continue to support and pay for tools and licenses for all employees to access resources remotely? (i.e. VPN, collaboration software, Office 365, etc.)
- How will the company manage the backup and retention of data before sanitizing devices? This is particularly important for privileged and protected information on work-from-home devices that may be subject to compliance and privacy regulations. Note: Ensure the backups are tested to ensure they work!
If you need guidance through this evaluation process, call us at 914-934-9775 or email us at info@p-connect.com. As an IT Managed Service Provider, we have the necessary tools and experience to transition your business from remote to on-site operations. We will take the time to understand your needs and concerns before expertly implementing all the necessary technical work to seamlessly transition your staff back to the office.