The year 2020 which has given us a roller-coaster ride is coming to an end and honestly, most of us can’t wait to slam the door on 2020 and walk straight into 2021 without so much as a backwards glance.
The pandemic has brought in massive changes on how we work and how we live our daily lives. For Melburnians in particular, the lockdowns and the restrictions on workplace attendance – although it is beginning to ease – have seen a record number of us working from home.
With the holidays approaching and the COVID-19 numbers under control in Australia, we can all finally look forward to a relaxing end to the year; and ultimately, we deserve it! But at the same time, this annual slowdown is also a great time for us to review where our technology is at! Especially, given the overhauls we’ve made to accommodate a flexible and remote working environment.
To facilitate remote work as offices are closed due to the lockdown, many businesses have moved to the cloud for the first time this year.
For some this transition may have been rushed without conducting proper testing and, now that the dust has settled, it’s a good time to evaluate how the transition went and whether there is scope for any improvements.
• Are you still using any server-based applications that should have been transitioned to the cloud?
• Were any software licenses cut back due to budgetary restrictions? In which case, this might be a good time to analyse your requirements and bring back the applications you previously dumped or to upgrade the licenses you trimmed back.
• How well do you think your cloud transition went? Are there any wrinkles in your implementation that need to be ironed out or any deviation that need to be sorted out?
Don’t forget, when you are looking at software solutions, ensure that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve upfront and what benefits you are expecting to get from the investment.
Also, it is imperative to make new software investments to integrate your existing suite with applications that aids to improve on efficiency.
The right software will give you a plethora of opportunities. It will not just bring efficiency gains but also automate parts of your business so that you can obtain greater capabilities. For example, by automating part of the sales process, you might be able to serve your clients better.
The massive changes we faced and the high stress levels we battled this year was huge. Cybercriminals took advantage of our turmoil and a record number of Australians fell prey to cyberattacks and scams as the pandemic took hold.
Although the methods with which the cybercriminals operate might constantly evolve to hone in on the latest opportunities but the key ways to protect yourself always remain the same:
• Two-factor authentication (2FA) needs to be enabled for all your cloud systems.
• Strong passwords need to be used by you and everyone who works with you as well.
• Quality, cloud managed security software has to be installed on all your computers including Apple systems, which are no longer exempt from wholesale attack.
Considering the commutation restrictions and lockdowns, most people started working from home for the first time this year. This arrangement is predicted to stay in place as a lot of people will work from their respective homes either part- or full-time. Therefore, now is the time for your business to develop a strong work from home policy if it is not in place already.
A good work from home policy should include people management and health and safety information and also the information on the use of technology.
2020 has indeed been a year like no other we have seen. Many Australians have worked so hard to bring COVID-19 infections down to manageable levels and we definitely deserve a break. So, stay safe, and let us look forward to a better 2021.