You’ve been told to stay put and work from home. You’re looking around your home or apartment and thinking, “uhm, work where?” You’ve never set up a home office. Here’s help getting you organized to go online and get things done working remotely. The first things you’ll need are a computer and a cell phone. […]
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/architecture-business-clean-computer-389818.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-21 23:21:072020-04-21 23:23:44Setting Up Your Work From Home Tech
Back in the day, when sci-fi movies exhilarated us with how the future would be, it typically always had a scene where people were communicating via video conferencing or holograms. These scenes and it’s awe-inspiring technology confirmed a future that was full of advanced tools and even glamourized the business world. However, fast-forward to today […]
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/e-learning-5020950_1280.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-16 16:01:352020-04-16 16:09:01What Video Conference Service is Best for My Business
You’ve been told to stay put and work from home. You’re looking around your home or apartment and thinking, “uhm, work where?” You’ve never set up a home office. Here’s help getting you organized to go online and get things done working remotely. The first things you’ll need are a computer and a cell phone. […]
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/architecture-business-clean-computer-389818.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-21 23:21:072020-04-21 23:23:44Setting Up Your Work From Home Tech
Back in the day, when sci-fi movies exhilarated us with how the future would be, it typically always had a scene where people were communicating via video conferencing or holograms. These scenes and it’s awe-inspiring technology confirmed a future that was full of advanced tools and even glamourized the business world. However, fast-forward to today […]
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/e-learning-5020950_1280.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-16 16:01:352020-04-16 16:09:01What Video Conference Service is Best for My Business
You’ve been told to stay put and work from home. You’re looking around your home or apartment and thinking, “uhm, work where?” You’ve never set up a home office. Here’s help getting you organized to go online and get things done working remotely.
The first things you’ll need are a computer and a cell phone. You may even need the phone if your computer is set up for Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) communication, but at the very least, you will likely need to be able to talk to people and get online.
Work may have provided you with a laptop. Or perhaps you already had one or a desktop that everyone in the house has been sharing for years. So, you’ve got a computer on which you can log in to necessary business applications.
But wait; we said log in – you’re going to need an internet connection. Most homes do at this point, but you may have a pretty barebones router. Like you, your internet service provider (ISP) wasn’t expecting business traffic from your home.
To work remotely online you’ll need the internet speed and capacity to handle video conferencing and running business software. If it were just you, that wouldn’t be an issue. But you have a partner or roommate working from home now, too. Or perhaps there are kids out of school who are avoiding e-learning by streaming shows or playing video games.
It may be time to upgrade. Newer routers often offer both the older 2.4 GHz and the faster 5 GHz frequency, which has less interference. Additionally, since 5 GHz isn’t as common, you’re less likely to compete with neighbors for Wi-Fi signals (since they’re probably stuck at home, too).
Being Productive Working from Home
Once you’re connected to the internet, you’ll also have to log in at work. Some businesses will have set up virtual private networks (VPNs) for added security. A VPN connects a computer, smartphone, or tablet to a shared or public network as if you’re connecting to a private network.
If not, the responsibility for securing your online activity is yours. It’s always a good idea to make sure your operating system is up to date. Plus, run the latest antivirus and software with the most recent security patches installed. This is required if you’re working from home with an industry that has compliance standards, but it’s a best practice for everyone.
And please don’t use Windows 7 any longer. If you haven’t upgraded your OS since you bought that software, it’s definitely time to update. Microsoft has stopped supporting Windows 7, which means it’s also not doing anything to patch vulnerabilities. Cybercriminals know this, so don’t leave your home computer open to attack.
Knowing that you could be working from home for the next few weeks, take the time to actually establish and organize your workspace. Try to find a place away from distractions or that has a door you can close to keep distractions to a minimum. Also, think about being somewhere in the home that gets natural light. This helps people be happier and more engaged in their work.
You’ll also want to think about how far you’re setting up your workspace from the router. Depending on the power of your hardware, you could encounter a reduced signal the further away you go. You could consider a network cable or Mesh Wi-Fi for your home. Traditional Wi-Fi relies on a single router, whereas a mesh system helps you reach many, spread out areas in your home. Need to get up and running from home quickly? A managed service provider can help you connect, upgrade, or troubleshoot your home office setup.
Give us a call today at888-333-9757
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/architecture-business-clean-computer-389818.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-21 23:21:072020-04-21 23:23:44Setting Up Your Work From Home Tech
Back in the day, when sci-fi movies exhilarated us with how the future would be, it typically always had a scene where people were communicating via video conferencing or holograms. These scenes and it’s awe-inspiring technology confirmed a future that was full of advanced tools and even glamourized the business world. However, fast-forward to today and it seems those promises have since lost its shine in the eyes of many modern workers.
It seems like forever ago that we were attending our regular standup meetings each morning in the office; however, we are now living in a future of social distancing and working from home. Due to the coronavirus outbreak, many employers are requiring that their employees work from home. With everyone working remotely, this means that communication must be on point. Since hosting in-person meetings are a no-go, businesses everywhere must find a way to effectively communicate with one another.
As us “essential workers” know, communication is crucial in the business world – especially during a pandemic! Can you imagine having to rely solely on emails or phone meetings without actually seeing the other person? Effective communication helps foster a good working relationship between you and your employees, which in turn improves morale and efficiency – and those two qualities are a necessity!
Even though we don’t have holograms (yet), we luckily do have video conferencing services. Video conferencing has become the new norm for many business and organization meetings across the nation. There are several video conferencing services available on the internet, so it is important to choose one that is best suited for you and your company. Below we will compare a few services and things to be mindful of while determining which video service to choose such as security, features, pricing, etc. Even during these difficult times, the meetings must go on!
GoToMeeting
This software has a user-friendly interface and assists users begin a meeting in minutes. It also has third-party app integrations that includes support for Slack, Podio, accord, LMS, Microsoft Office 365, and much more. It is also compatible with iOS, MacBook, PC, and Android mobile devices which offer users a wider range of flexibility to use the solution while letting them join online conferences from anywhere, at any time.
Pricing: $12 /month for professional or $16 /month for business
Main Features of GoToMeeting are:
Virtual Whiteboard Built-In Audio Meeting Scheduler Hand Over Control One-Click Recording
Join via Mobile Options Desktop/Application Sharing Personal Meeting Room Drawing Tools
Toll-Free Option One-Click Meetings HDFaces Video Conferencing Join via Desktop Options Call Me To Join Meeting
Zoom
Zoom is a cloud-based and highly scalable video and web conferencing software that allows users to carry out online meetings, file sharing, webinars, and group messaging. Zoom offers many integrations with third-party vendors to simplify workflows, which are available on their Zoom Marketplace, and some are available as extensions and plugins (including Mircosoft Outlook plugin, the Google Chrome extension, Firefox add-on, Skype for Business plugin). It is configureable with identity providers for Single Sign-on based on SAML 2.0.
Main Features of Zoom are:
Zoom Meetings Rooms Integrated Scheduling Video Webinar
Premium Audio Group Collaboration Cloud and Local Recording
Pricing: $15 /month for their pro plan (great for small teams) or $20 /month for small and medium businesses
Microsoft Teams
Microsoft Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage (including collaboration on files), and application integration.
Fully integrated with Office 365 Conversation channels Reduced Email
Direct Access to email, Skype, OneDrive, and SharePoint Collaborate Live in Real-Time Access Teams Across all of your Devices
Integrate Third Party Applications Quickly @ Feature Conversation Threads
Pricing: $5 /month
Security
With any video conferencing platform, it comes with risks. Before choosing which video conferencing service, we’ve laid out a few important things to keep in mind:
Decide if the system you might potentially use is too big a risk by knowing the type of data encryption the system uses, how callers log in, and how the system manages data.
Most conferencing systems that are security-minded will use a single sign-on for user authentication to greatly reduce risks of user credentials being lost, stolen, or compromised.
For the video conferencing system to be secure, it must have security protocols in place for data storage and data transmission.
Data storage – since information discussed in these video conferences could be sensitive, data storage needs to be secure and separate from all other networks.
Data transmission – since data must travel over so many public and private networks, this is the most vulnerable area of video conferencing.
The Tech Zen offers a range of services to solve your technology troubles. Each of our technicians has over 10 years of experience in servicing both PC and Apple environments. We can address your internet security concerns, provide data backup solutions, and offer ongoing support for your office to provide peace of mind. Contact us to find out how we can help.
https://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/e-learning-5020950_1280.jpg8531280The Tech Zenhttps://www.thetechzen.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/Logo-300x83.pngThe Tech Zen2020-04-16 16:01:352020-04-16 16:09:01What Video Conference Service is Best for My Business
