While it makes perfect sense for IT employees to work from remote locations via video conferencing and collaboration tools seamlessly - especially in the case of tech giants like Google or Microsoft -- workers from the non-IT companies and small and medium enterprises (SMBs) are the worst-hit in India as most of them have little or no clue about how these messaging and collaboration tools work amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Small companies -- from corporate to education verticals -- are scrambling to get their act together as new coronavirus threat has reached their premises, prompting them to send employees home who have age-old laptops, poor network and connectivity with no UPS backups and little knowledge about how to handle group chat and collaboration software like Zoom, Google Hangouts Meet, Microsoft Teams and Flock etc.
Instead of halting operations, however, businesses can choose to shift towards remote working methods with teaching non-IT staff on how to use the latest digital software to connect and work, say industry experts.
The training will take some time and may hamper productivity in the short run but is a win-win situation for the non-tech companies in the long run, in case any such global emergency arises in the future.
According to a latest report by Gartner, 54 per cent of HR leaders have cited that poor technology and/or infrastructure for remote working is the biggest barrier to effective remote working.
Sandy Shen, Senior Director Analyst, Gartner, says that with COVID-19 disrupting the business landscape, CIOs should relook at the digital fulfillment of market demand.
"The value of digital channels, products and operations is immediately obvious to companies everywhere right now. This is a wake-up call for organisations that have placed too much focus on daily operational needs at the expense of investing in digital business and long-term resilience," warned Shen.
Businesses that can shift technology capacity and investments to digital platforms will mitigate the impact of the outbreak and keep their companies running smoothly now, and over the long term.
"Videoconferencing, messaging, collaboration tools and document sharing are just a few examples of technologies that facilitate remote work. Additional bandwidth and network capacity may also be needed, given the increasing number of users and volume of communications," informed Shen.
The IT industry's apex body Nasscom has asked the government to relax norms for a month to allow work-from-home for technology and back-office employees as a measure to deal with the spread of Covid-19 in India.
Networking giant Cisco said that it has seen "significant growth" in the usage of its web conferencing and video-conferencing service Webex in India.
According to Muneer Ahmad, Business Head, ViewSonic India, due to COVID-19 pandemic, the corporate and educational sector is severely getting affected in the country.
"ViewSonic IFP has a cloud-based software which help teachers and corporates to connect through video conferencing to multiple people at the same time and can split the screen into six screens. It can also connect with various tools like Skype, Cisco WebEx, Zoom, Google Hangouts and GoToMeeting," Ahmad told IANS.
Co-working sector has also taken a hit and the industry is looking at several measures to tackle it -- from ensuring supply of juices rich in Vitamin C to supply of disinfectants and giving work from home facilities.
"The scheduled visits of the clients at our co-working offices have been postponed. Few of our clients have cancelled their outstation meetings and have now started audio/video conferencing for virtual meetings," said Nakul Mathur, MD, Avanta India.
According to reports, India has approximately 1,000 co-working locations (as of September 2019) and is the second-largest market for the co-working industry after China.
As India's first licensed B2B Virtual Network Operator, CloudConnect Communications offers a collaborative platform that allows companies to overcome the COVID-19 threat while maintaining seamless business continuity and optimum employee productivity.
"We offer a secure, robust, reliable, scalable and trackable mobile-first unified communication infrastructure that aids remote teleworking so that businesses can continue operating even under any unforeseen circumstances," said Gokul Tandon, Executive Chairman, CloudConnect Communications.
Comments
MLA Shakuntala Shetty was in RSS and was BJP MLA for a long time. Her blood is contaminated with RSS/BJP venom and still it survived with her. That's the reason she opposes AB Ibrahim name in the invitation letter, that was diktat of VHP/RSS of Puttur. As an Administrator for Mahabaleshwar Temple, DC name has come. No fault with AB Ibrahim.
I remember, some years back, there was rift in Jamiya Masjid, Udipi, that case was before the High Court of Karnataka. High court of Karnataka issued interim order, appointed Mr. Ashwat Narayan Gowda, ASST. Commissioner of Kundapur Revenue Department as an administrator for this institution. The Wakf Board, and two parties of Jamath did not objected for this appointment, adhered to the court order.
I think DC must stay away from this event, to avoid any un-precedent incident may take by the Saffron Goons. These people have no respect for law and order.
Al Hamdulliah, Mr. Ibrahim, Praise Allah, who protected & skipped you from doing a great sin(sHIRK). All Muslims themselves away such type shirk celebrations.
May Allah Guide us on right path.
Al Hamdulliah, Mr. Ibrahim, do not be sad, you praise Allah, who (Allah) saved you through rival group, away from commiting a biggest sin (Shirk). Muslims should not participate any shirk events. May Allah guied us on right path and protect from any shirk.
It shows how people disrespect the guest.\Atiti Devo Bhava\" preaching religion did 'U' turn. Why did they invite him? I request DC not to attend such non sense festival and waste time. Instead spend more on the sensible works. God bless you."
It shows how people disrespect the guest.\Atiti Devo Bhava\" preaching religion did 'U' turn. Why did they invite him? I request DC not to attend such non sense festival and waste time. Instead spend more on the sensible works. God bless you."
Mr.RAI
You are already Succumbed to VHP after Elected ....as you didnt arrest Kalladka Bhat
Inside chaddi and outside congress....not good...camouflaged.
District Congress leaders started making drama now! I don't think that she need some pressure from VHP to do so! Why only Shakuntala Shetty? There are many in the party having such a dirty communal mindset! Who suffered loss in this game? Not DC Ibrahim. Congress party's true color exposed.
If Congress Party does not take any action about Saku akka, next election we will remove her and choose One of the Great Puttur Secular Congress Leader Hemnatha Shetty kavo, also we r all congress member under to go Hemantha Shetty leadership....
for not only he s muslim, it may be other reason also.
Mr. Rai..let sukka shetty remove his name for god sake. Leave that gentle man alone he is doing some good work for D.K. Nowdays human being of smart city just needs a reason to stage a protest. nowdays no news so they got DC in news.. All knows she is under sanghy mind so she will do wat her sangas teach her.. ITs better to remove his name and be happy.
Kalandar why remove Shakuntala sheety? Rai is also hindu, he also know temple law... Congress is only playing in this issue, you people are also blindly this congress, wait and you will see what happened is.
Please invite Mr.Mujahid Balusheri so that he can teach what Islaam is ?What will be their fate life after death? why idol worship is not allowed etc.. to the Innocent people of Puttur. Rather inviting D.C. Mainly we support the Ms.Shetty for her proposal of removing D.C Name bec of her D.C is saved from SIN. Alhumdulillah.
Mr Rai please remove her from Congress party, she is not secular MLA,
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