1. Improve Your Connection

Connectivity is vital for remote working, but we have seen some issues arise from the sheer volume of users now connecting remotely. However, there are some quick fixes that can help you maximise your home WiFi. Simply being closer to the router can provide a better connection. Set your WiFi router up as close to your workspace as you can. If that doesn’t work, we recommend you source a Wi-Fi range extender, these can be found online. Alternatively, talk to your providers to see if you can increase your package.

2. Stay Secure

With more and more employees accessing documents, systems and other files and applications outside the safety of the office, security is paramount. Cloud solutions are the perfect option as they can be accessed remotely, provided you have the correct login credentials. A way to secure this further would be to adopt MFA (multi-factor authentication), including features such as additional security questions, pin numbers or even biometrics. We also highly recommend using a virtual private network (VPN) to secure your connection and protect network traffic.

3. Adopt New Tools

When it comes to our top remote working tips, it must include ways on staying connected with other people in your team as well as your customers. Whether it’s Zoom, Microsoft Teams, FaceTime or good-old Skype, there are so many different videoconferencing and video-calling options to help you connect with your team. Try them out and see which works best for you. Many of these platforms have additional features to help support remote working, such as collaboration tools and the ability to integrate with other systems, so get exploring!

4. Stay Up to Date

While this is a rule that should be followed in the office as well, it can be extremely important for remote working. In the office, application and software updates may be automated or the IT department may usually sort out these things for you. Be aware that this is something you will need to keep on top of on your at-home devices. Ensuring that all updates are done as soon as possible means that your device will stay protected against hackers and cybercriminals who are looking for weak spots to take advantage of.

5. Train, Train, Train

Something people may not expect for remote working tips, but as with anything, training is key to success. Make sure your team is getting access to up to date training including working from home best practices as well as your company’s security protocols. While many people will be up to date with in-office procedures, working from home comes with a whole new set of rules. A larger portion of employees will not have worked from home before or had to access systems remotely. Things that seem common sense to the more seasoned remote workers may not be as obvious to those who are new to these working arrangements.

For many people, working from home has become the new normal, with the pandemic creating a new remote form of working that many businesses were apprehensive about trying or even adamant that they could not implement effectively. Businesses have had to adapt and have proved that they can do so with great success. Now that these new ways of remote working have been proven to work, it may change the future of working forever. It could lead to a more acceptable, flexible way of working in the future, which is why it is vital to ensure the longevity and security of remote systems for the long term not just until this crisis is over.

These are unprecedented times for everyone, but there is no reason your IT can’t step up to the challenge! If you’re in need of a helping hand or some advice to help maximise your home office, get in touch with a member of our team.

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Why not try these witty Autoresponder emails?

We can all agree, the most exciting part of leaving the office before jetting off on our summer holiday is the prospect of switching on our autoresponder email and hitting shut down. Here is a round-up of some of the best out of office emails that positively oozed wit.

Taking it back to the Eighties

Who remembers 1980s pop hit Never Gonna Give You Up by Rick Astley? Well one guy decided to turn his OOO into a song that certainly got people singing along. It went a little like this:

“Never gonna give you up, Never gonna let you down, Never gonna run around and desert you, “Never gonna make you cry, Never gonna say goodbye, Never gonna tell a lie and hurt you.

“I’m also never gonna reply to your message until 9th August as I’m off on holiday.”
Source: BBC

He admits his Rick Astley email rendition still makes him cringe to this day, but this hasn’t stopped him. In search of the perfect amusing auto response to counteract the serious nature of financial services, he is now in fierce competition with a colleague as they try to outwit one another via their out of office messages.

Email Russian Roulette

This person, decided to turn his auto response into a game of email Russian Roulette:
“I am on annual leave until dd/mm/yyyy. I will allow each sender one email and if you send me multiple emails, I will randomly delete your emails until there is only one remaining. Choose wisely. Please note that you have already sent me one email.”
Source: BBC

Thankfully, this auto response was only sent to internal colleagues – otherwise it could have led to some sticky situations with clients!

Simple and to the point

If you simply don’t have the time to insert that level of wit, because its 5.25pm and frankly you are itching to get out of the door, you can of course keep it short and sweet. However, here are a few amusing messages that made us smile:

“I am out of the office from mm/dd to mm/dd and will not be checking email. It’s likely your note will be swallowed in a sea of inbox banality, never to be seen again. If you require a response, please re-send your email after mm/dd.
On vacation. Hoping to win the lottery and never return.”

“I am away from the office right now. Unfortunately, I will be back tomorrow.”

“If you’re reading this, Doc Brown was unable to make lightning strike the clock tower, and I’m stuck in 1985. I won’t be able to respond to emails or voicemail until 9ish on mm/dd, or until email is invented – whatever comes first.”

“I am currently out of the office. I have a cell phone, but I will not be giving the number out. If you can guess the number, however, I will take your call.”

Whether it is to poke fun at the office atmosphere, or a tongue-in-cheek reference with the intention of making your colleagues insanely jealous, there are plenty of hilarious examples of people injecting some fun into their autoresponder emails.

Just remember though that at some point you will be returning to your desk so it’s unwise to use anything too cheeky if your clients will be on the receiving end of your message!

The post Why not try these witty out of office messages? appeared first on IT Support Services in Huddersfield, Yorkshire.

It’s fair to say, digital communication and unified communication has come a long way in the past decade. Virtually all our daily tasks can be done at our fingertips.

In late 2015, mobile web traffic skyrocketed and surpassed desktop for the very first time. Since then, mobile technology has continued to evolve and adapt, rendering us increasingly dependent on our mobile devices, not just within our personal lives, but also in our professional lives.

A study carried out in 2017 by Asurion found that the average person checks their phone once every 12 minutes, this includes checking work emails and communicating with colleagues and clients alike.

Thanks to the introduction of clever applications, online communication has been streamlined and adapted to bring work to our fingertips. This integration is known as unified communications and more and more companies are seeing the undeniable benefits.

Unified communications nowadays are limitless. Voice, email, chat, video and web communications are brought together and accessible from almost anywhere using nothing more than a simple internet connection.

Whether we’re on the train or sitting in the comfort of our own home, we can participate in web conference calls, check emails and access work documents at the touch of a button without having to fire up our computers.

For business, this technological flexibility brings with it several advantages. Firstly, integrating unified communications allows tasks to be streamlined between locations and resources to be utilised to their full potential.

Unified communications mean a reduction in commute time which leads to greater productivity. There is also a significant increase in employee motivation as fewer distractions lead to reduced stress, and in turn lower sickness levels. Flexible working also has a positive impact on finances due to savings on office space and other facilities.

For employees, the main advantage to accessing work outside of the office is the increased work/ life balance. Employees with children can balance work with childcare and other home commitments. Calls, emails and important work documents can be seamlessly transferred to mobile devices and accessed anywhere.

Whilst to many of us, this seamless technology and working from home is a relatively new notion, the idea of unified communications has actually been around since the 1990s. However, as technology wasn’t as advanced as it is today, communications weren’t as streamlined and convenient. Everything had to be done via desktop with a wired internet connection.

Implementing unified communications into company policy doesn’t require much work. Firstly, every main email service provider used in business has an application that can be downloaded from both Apple and Android app stores. Once downloaded, all employees need to do is log in using their work credentials.

Secondly, work documents and filing systems can be accessed using remote cloud applications. The convenience of cloud storage cannot be underestimated, the amount of desktop storage is greatly reduced which is beneficial for the overall health of computer devices and employees can access work files from wherever they are.

It is clear to see that as technology evolves, we gain more and more flexibility in both our home lives and our professional lives – everything we need is at our fingertips, in our pockets and even on our wrists.

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