For techies old enough to remember, remote computing is definitely not a new thing. Back when we were riding dinosaurs and coding programs with stone knives, there were ways to connect to your work computer remotely. Some of us wrote entire programs that way.
It even allowed us to leave the office on holidays and enjoy a festive green screen at home. (you are old too if you got that one) That was fine, but it was complicated and not a tool that went much beyond programmers and system administrators.
Remote access used to mean connecting and working on one computer, probably with a slow terminal session. Today, high speed communications allow file sharing, remote system control, remote printing, shared sessions, virtual meetings, and a host of other services.
With today’s communication technology, remote access is now a practical, even necessary, tool for most people and organizations. It has become so pervasive or invasive that we have radically changed the way we work, play and do business. It’s not just for techies any more.
In our business we now work with more people remotely than we do in person. We have completed entire projects without meeting people face to face. We have met other customers, but we may not see them again in person, literally for years.
Just in our firm alone, we regularly use the following technologies to work with non-technical customers: (Cisco VPN, GotoAssist, GotoMeeting, OpenVPN, Remote Desktop, Skype, VNC, Zoom and VOIP phones)
That is a large mix of tools, but we are a technology company that deals with a lot of companies with specific requirements. Most companies can still benefit from a smaller mix of services. Using even a limited set of remote work tools allows companies to
- provide flex time for employees (work when needed)
- reduce real estate costs (people work off site)
- reach customers beyond their immediate area
- leverage technology provided by other firms
- connect remote locations like one group
- provide remote customer support
Adopting the correct tool set can be daunting, but it doesn’t have to be expensive. There are viable options for any sized organization even with a modest budget.
Employing simple services like GotoMeeting, GotoMyPC, and a VOIP phone solution can even make a small company a lot more effective.
A larger organization with more staff may find it cheaper and want to use a VPN instead. We have employed OpenVPN, which has a very reasonable price, with great success.
Some organizations may find that tailored remote/cloud based tools enhance their business. These may not replace a current mix of business solutions, but they may help to eliminate manual processes in spreadsheets. With remote access to tailored ‘helper’ applications, a company can be more consistent, and even offsite staff can be granted access to consistent tools.
Spend some time considering your business process. Remote capabilities may give you some of the tools to expand your business and reduce the cost of running it.
At ICAL, we not only produce environments and solutions that leverage remote technologies, we run our business on them. We couldn’t exist without them.
If you decide that your business might benefit from the addition of remote work capabilities, we can help. call us.
Happy Computing!
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