XFER Blog

You or one of your employees may need to work while on the road for many reasons. Unfortunately, this can be dangerous if you aren’t careful. We wanted to take a few minutes to (hopefully) review some security best practices your entire team should follow should they ever find themselves working as they travel.

In today’s age of remote and hybrid operations, engaging your employees has never been more important. People want to feel like they belong, like they are connected to their coworkers and colleagues. What can you do to encourage this type of connectedness that might not always be so easy when your workforce is scattered about?

Widespread remote work is a relatively new method of operations for most businesses, but even with the limited amount of time it has been in play, the benefits it contributes have been made abundantly clear. Working on the assumption that remote work won’t be abandoned as quickly as it was adopted and instead may see some growth, let’s hypothesize what impacts it could bring to society as a whole.

With mobile devices so ingrained into modern culture, the fact is that your employees are going to bring them to work. Most of them will use them for work. This can be beneficial, of course, but it can also cause problems. This month we’ll discuss what your company’s mobile policy should cover.

While remote work has been more widely implemented than ever as of late, many people still find themselves struggling to remain productive throughout their workday. We wanted to share a few tips to help them really make the most of working from home.

Despite many having to work from home for some time now, a lot of these people still haven’t quite gotten the hang of remote productivity or have developed some less-than-productive habits. This week, we’re providing these people with a few remedial tips to make their efforts while working from home as effective as possible.

Working from home isn’t new, but with the COVID-19 pandemic sparking public health fears many businesses decided to move their operations offsite. For much of the past decade remote work was an available strategy for business, but many business owners feared it would give them a lack of control over their workforce, and therefore was largely ignored. This was despite remote work being a strategy people have embraced for a long, long time. Today, we take a look at the history and progression of working from home.  

Despite how it might feel for many, the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak is not the first time that humanity has dealt with such a serious health crisis. With the information technology we have at our disposal, we’ve been able to stifle the infection somewhat, with more innovation happening all the time. The same has happened at different times throughout history, so to keep our spirits up, we figured it would make sense to discuss how the darkest times also brought great progress.

The COVID-19 pandemic has most of the world at home. It has completely disrupted everyday life and has businesses scrapping their normal strategies for work-at-home policies that will at least allow them to maintain some productivity. These strategies, while highly effective, carry with them additional risk. Today, we take a look at some of the risks associated with relying on remote workers.

We are experiencing a technological “revolution” of sorts when it comes to mobile devices.  The use of mobile technology for internet connectivity has rapidly begun to replace PCs, laptops and tablets in both our personal and professional lives.  Our ability to carry this device wherever, whenever has created a convenience to which we’ve become quite accustomed. The ease-of-use and functionality of personal Smartphones has now become a major player in many industries for field workers, remote employees and other job functions; enabling us to reduce costs, improve customer service and increase employee productivity.

Using email to conduct important business always starts with the best intentions – saving everyone time. Just think back to the last time you used email to solve a significant business issue or answer detailed questions from an important customer.

But sometimes email creates a disaster of miscommunication. Tone, intonation, and emotion get lost in translation. Messages and ideas are misunderstood. Nothing really gets accomplished.

So, what's your obvious next step when email isn't working?
 

If you’ve ever taken your gadgets on the go for work purposes, you might have found that it’s somewhat difficult to get anything done with the limited computing potential of a smartphone or tablet. However, with the right technology, you can take full advantage of your mobile devices, especially if you’re using Windows 10 with its full Microsoft Office suite (Want to know if Windows 10 is right for your business? Reach out to us before you upgrade).

Industries are constantly trying to save money and improve productivity in the workplace. A BYOD strategy, known as Bring Your Own Device, allows employees to achieve this new level of success. With employees bringing their own devices into the workplace, you would think that this saves the business the trouble of supplying them; but there’s some controversy over whether the reward is worth the risk.

The advantage of staying on top of the latest technology trends is that your business can utilize the newest solutions designed to give your company the competitive edge. New technology makes doing business easier and increases profits. There are three hot technology trends in 2014 that you should know about. We've looked at two trends already, now to our third, mobile computing.

Remember back when buying mobile devices for your business meant choosing between a handful of laptops? Thanks to the increased proliferation of devices like smartphones, tablets, netbooks, and the development new hybrid models, it's become quite the task to pick out the right make and model. Here are five questions to consider when picking out mobile devices for your organization.

By now the vast majority of people have settled into using the Internet as a 24-hour shopping center, where almost anything imaginable can be purchased and shipped right to your door. From goods to services, everything under the sun has a digital price tag. While most of us have used a credit card to buy something online, many of us have alternatively chosen a more secure option, especially when closing deals with individuals on online auction sites like eBay. That option has traditionally been PayPal, which in many ways, has helped to revolutionize the way people transfer money. In fact, PayPal has been so successful, and essential to eBay's success, that eBay bought the company in 2002.

As the mobile device market is booming, more employees are bringing in their own device to work (BYOD). Advantages to BYOD include a workforce that's mobile, increased employee satisfaction, and more; but using personal devices comes with risks, and business owners must consider these risks before allowing BYOD in their office.

The fact that over half of all working adults own a smartphone is changing not only the way we do business, but also how we interact as a species. With the development of smart glasses and watches, we are seeing technology becoming even more intertwined with our bodies, effectively turning people into cyborgs.

You have worked hard to gather and develop the perfect team and build a profitable business. It may have taken years to train your team in the intricacies of your business, and teach them to work together as a cohesive unit. Then life happens and messes up everything. When life hits, what can you do to save your team?

There's a tidal wave of different consumer devices available on the market; smartphones, tablets, laptops, netbooks, and much more. Employees love their devices and love bringing them to work. If your company is allowing for Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), then you will want professional support to get the most out of it.