Remote work was just another niche trend for independent software developers in Silicon Valley a few years ago. Today, however, against the backdrop of a remote work culture imposed by the coronavirus, business leaders and employees alike are now seeing the benefits of working from home. If anything, the coronavirus has shown us that we can work from home and still be productive. Business leaders are embracing it to save cost on office infrastructure. Sun Microsystems, the makers of the Java programming language, saves more than $68 million each year, all thanks to a remote work policy implemented in 2007. For employees, it's a refreshing story of several benefits that aren't just an improvement. in productivity but also greater job satisfaction. According to a survey conducted by Fluent, employees cite the possibility of spending more time with family (34%), no commuting (29%), flexible hours (17%) and cost savings (11%). ) as the main reasons why working from home is attractive. And this call is also strong; Of the participants surveyed, 44% were willing to take a pay cut to avoid having their work stay at home post-pandemic. About the Author Shaul Levi is the founder of Gamgee It's now clear that remote work is more than just a trend. Post-pandemic, it will be a definite work culture. This reality opens up new challenges as well as opportunities for companies, employees and service providers.
The challenges of remote work
In creating a fully functioning home office environment, two categories of issues need to be addressed: effective online communication and management, and ensuring a fast and secure infrastructure for data transfer. The challenge of online management and communication has already been taken up. Today there is a plethora of online communication and management solutions provided by vendors all over the world. From project management tools to enterprise ERP solutions to video conferencing and collaboration platforms, the list goes on. However, the effectiveness of these solutions in creating the ideal remote work environment is compromised if remote workers cannot connect over a fast and secure network. When there is a fast broadband connection, secure and private data transfer must be reinforced with additional security measures, the most widely implemented being VPN.
Secure home office network
Virtual Private Network, or VPN for short, creates a secure channel for data transfer between work devices at your company's doors, where all security policies are in place. Data managed by a VPN is fully encrypted and protected from hackers or third-party intrusions. Businesses use VPN to connect office networks in different locations or provide remote workers with VPN software on their devices. This way, they can ensure that only trusted, safe and secure devices can communicate with the servers in their office, thus avoiding the risk of data breach or cyber attack. There are many VPN solutions on the market that allow companies to provide secure access to their employees while they work from home. These solutions can be categorized into 1) VPN apps installed on devices, 2) VPN browser plugins for secure and private browsing, or 3) VPN routers that create protected Wi-Fi networks. The problem with currently available solutions is that they require significant setup time, a certain level of computer skills, have limited functionality, or are unnecessarily expensive. However, there are new and creative solutions on the market that take existing technology and turn it into a sophisticated tool for protecting data privacy. The newer ones allow remote workers to use a separate network on their router and create a fully VPN-protected "home office network." Businesses can allow access to all connected devices through this reliable network, creating a direct extension of the office environment in accordance with specific workplace policies and regulations. Employees can then communicate securely from all their devices—even personal ones—while the rest of the personal network remains unchanged to meet the needs of other connected devices in the home.
Preferential bandwidth allocation
Fast and stable network connections are essential for the proper functioning of remote work tools. But more often than not, many remote workers struggle with slow and unstable broadband internet. Once the "home office network" is separated from the "home network" as described above, home workers can preferentially allocate bandwidth to the home office network at the expense of the home network. This configuration ensures that the home office network and any remote work infrastructure it hosts receive relatively higher network bandwidth. In practice, this helps improve network performance, even at times when the overall network connection is poor.
Smart office
Creating the perfect home office for remote work isn't just about providing fast connections and keeping your network secure. The ideal housework is only perfect if it is smart. Smart, in this context, means a work-from-home environment where data transfer is transparent, intuitive and stress-free. Solutions under development integrate a WFH-protected environment with smart 24st century tools that “sit” on the same router. Home consumers then receive services such as user and device management, layered cyber protection, content filtering, 7/XNUMX customer support, and business management console with its WFH toolkit. », all accessible through an intuitive mobile application. Consumer digital expectations in the home are ever greater than simply having Wi-Fi running, and the industry is responding accordingly.
The opportunity for ISPs
To conclude, there is no doubt that the trend of working from home is here to stay. With the many benefits (for both institutions and remote workers) that the new culture brings, it's hard to imagine a future where this is irrelevant. ISPs can take better advantage of this situation by launching and offering Work From Home network and infrastructure services alongside their broadband service offerings. Many providers are already offering technologies like this, but for ISPs looking to go further, the goal will be to launch a work-from-home service package that contains full system security and control functionality. grid. This will include everything from network segregation services and network security services, performance optimization services, and enterprise security integration, all of which combine to deliver a richer digital experience for workers. from distance.