When the pandemic struck, we were all forced to stay at home for an indefinite period of time. While that’s already difficult for us, those who run businesses have taken not just personal but professional challenges as well. That’s why businesses have started looking for solutions on how to battle this pandemic.
Because we have to reduce human interaction as much as possible, business owners could not keep up their traditional work setting. One solution they’ve found to this problem is to set up remote access work. This article will help you understand this concept better.
What is Remote Access?
Otherwise known as telecommuting, remote access is the process by which employees are allowed to work in their own chosen place and schedule. Using this setup, businesses can reduce the costs necessary to run their facilities because employees can work from their homes, using their own resources. However, this may also mean that employers must be able to provide services or reimburse their employees for the expenses involved in setting up a home office.
All things considered, remote access can benefit both the employer and the employee, especially when you consider that the risk of contracting the Covid-19 is significantly reduced. You just have to ensure that you use the best remote access solution for your business.
Three Types of Remote Access
There are three major types of remote access to choose from when implementing a work from home setting. It can either be VPN or Virtual Private Network, Cloud Network, or Remote Desktop. We’ll differentiate these three below.
VPN
A virtual private network functions by allowing users to access a computer, data storage, or software through a safe, secured, and private connection. This means that all the information and data are secured from outside threats through encryption and proxy servers. Only registered employees or users can access the data, which is why it’s one of the best remote access solutions. However, one disadvantage of this is that it’s rather complicated and difficult to set up a virtual private network, and employees must understand how it works to maximize its capabilities.
Cloud Network
On the other hand, a cloud network access solution only requires your employees to have an internet connection. This allows employees to work anywhere they want and change location now and then, as long as they know how to access the network. It would also be helpful for your business to look for the services of a virtual number provider so that incoming calls to your company can be redirected to your employees wherever they are. This allows them to provide customer service solutions continuously.
Remote Desktop
Lastly, you can also try remote desktop access. This solution also uses various software programs to allow your employees to establish a connection to your business’s program. On the other hand, a remote desktop can also use an IP address to create a network. One disadvantage of this is that it’s often prone to various cyber threats circulating online. However, if you do not need to establish a network and all your operations can be done offline, you can also provide your employees with a desktop computer that has all the necessary details and information they need to continue their work.
Things to Consider
When establishing a remote access setup for your employees, you need to consider quite a few things. You want to make sure that the one you use provides solutions instead of bringing in more problems for your business. That being said, here are some areas you may want to focus on.
Security
The first thing you need to consider is the security of the network. You need to guarantee that only your employees can access your business information. Otherwise, it might end up in the wrong hands and be used against you. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of the different types of remote access will help you with this.
Ease of Use
Aside from security, you might also want to determine whether or not your employees can use the remote access solution you chose with ease. If you cannot guarantee this, it might be harder for you to run your business operations smoothly.
Cost
Lastly, pay attention to the cost of setting up and running your remote access solution. If left unchecked, you might end up losing money because of the need to hire a technological security provider to fix some problems or provide training to your employees to help them understand the new setup.
All of us are struggling to find solutions and work around this pandemic. It might be difficult for your business, but we should all try to see this situation as a learning opportunity to further grow our business.