The Coronavirus and How the Cloud Can Enable Remote Work

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Postpones, Reschedules, and Cancelations 

It seems that everything is being postponed or canceled with the rising concerns for the coronavirus. Whether it’s the Telecom Channel and Partners Conference and Expo or The NBA’s season, every event or venue is taking precaution. 

One option that many colleges are opting for is transitioning everything online. Post spring break, the rest of the semester or quarter will be online. The switch to online courses is not a radical solution, as plenty of students across the country already take online courses, be it wholly online or a mix of online and regular classes. Perhaps it is time that businesses took notice of the shift colleges are making. 

Remote Work in the Wake of the Coronavirus 

We have covered the topic of remote work before, as it is something that maybe the future of work. The two greatest costs for businesses are real estate and employees. Given that Millennials are willing to accept less pay if given the chance to work remotely and that 62% of employees would consider leaving their co-located company for a remote role, it seems like the smarter choice for businesses to make the transition into smaller offices and larger remote employees.

The coronavirus could be the catalyst for many companies to make the switch to having remote workers. The greatest concern with this transition remains: “How do I enable my employees to work remotely?” The answer is the Cloud. The technologies already exist for employees to work remotely. 

The Cloud Enables Remote Work

The Remote Work Report conducted by GitLab discovered that 84% of those surveyed said that they were able to accomplish all of their tasks remotely. Plus, nearly 90% of those surveyed said that they were satisfied with the existing tools and processes that enabled remote team communications. 

Both Managed Solutions and Prodoscore wrote articles covering the topic of transitioning to remote work in times of business disruption. Managed Solutions writes that “…Skype, Teams, Slack, and Google Hangout are all available for instant messaging and video conferencing.” Prodoscore adds Zoom and G Suite to the list along with their product (prodoscore) which allows businesses to track the productivity of their employees be they remote or in the office. 

This is not even including tools and services like UCaaS, CCaaS, DaaS, IaaS, and Office 365. All of these options utilize the Cloud and are tried and true methods for helping people collaborate. Take Slack, for example, I have been in office and remote settings where the app was used to the same degree of effectiveness. 

Remote Workers Benefit Businesses 

While Managed Solutions and Prodoscore are correct in that businesses should have continuity plans that include temporally switching over to remote work, fully transitioning long term to a remote workforce or semi-remote is also a viable decision. Businesses may still have trepidation when examining this option. Even if the cloud enables workers to work remotely, will they be just as effective and productive? The data says yes. 

The Remote Work Report by GitLab found that businesses saw an increase in employee productivity and efficiency by 52 and 48%. They also observed a 44% increase in employee morale and a 43% increase in employee loyalty/retention. With the interconnectivity offered by the Cloud, it seems like a misuse of technology not to offer employees the option of remote work. Especially, if the data points to increased productivity and morale. 

Whether or not the coronavirus forces businesses to transition to remote workers, the future of work is likely work from anywhere, enabled by the Cloud. 

 

Curious about how your company can use the Cloud to empower your employees? Then reach out to Conectrix. We are a corporate technology management company representing 250+ suppliers. We can find the right technology fit to meet your business’ needs. 

Sean Lawless