How Companies Can Effectively Facilitate Remote and Hybrid Work

When the pandemic made remote and hybrid work necessary, companies didn’t have time to plan. Employees went home with devices, and IT teams worked around-the-clock to ensure everyone could get online. In the rush to connect, vulnerabilities plagued networks, and inefficiencies hindered productivity.

Now, many companies have decided to support continued remote and hybrid work. To do so effectively, they need to consider how they’re getting equipment, applications and security features to employees who are logging in from a distance.

The first step in effectively implementing a remote and hybrid work plan is ensuring that employee devices are properly configured. When planning a technology deployment, computers shouldn’t ship out before they’re set up. However, IT teams don’t always have the bandwidth to configure large shipments of devices before they go to employees. 

Working with a third-party vendor, such as CDW•G, can accelerate and simplify the configuration process. Configuration services can involve everything from asset tagging to etching custom logos and, perhaps most importantly, imaging devices. 

Imaging transfers all the necessary applications and data onto a user’s computer. With managed services, companies can check off this crucial step before devices ever leave the warehouse. Then users can get to work from anywhere as soon as they receive their new equipment.

Installing cloud-based applications allows employees to work together no matter where they are. This helps facilitate remote and hybrid work because everyone can work simultaneously on a project without being in the same room, and no one has to wonder if they’re looking at the latest version. 

Cloud-based applications also allow users to log in and access their work from different devices by connecting the project to a user’s profile. 

IT leaders can secure their company’s applications with appropriate cloud security posture management. CSPM tools give IT teams visibility into the security of their cloud environment. They can run audits, identify vulnerabilities and take steps to strengthen their security posture, which is significant in a hybrid or remote workspace.

Employees connecting to the company’s network remotely introduce potential risks without the proper cybersecurity configurations. Bad actors can travel through a remote endpoint and compromise a company’s confidential data. 

IT teams need security configurations and network monitoring tools to keep their remote and hybrid workplaces safe. Network monitoring gives IT leaders visibility into their security posture, allowing them to identify vulnerabilities and manage the health of their infrastructure.

Many next-generation security solutions use artificial intelligence and machine learning to identify cyberthreats. This helps companies intercept and prevent cyberattacks without a big demand on their IT teams’ time.

All of these tools are easy to implement and manage when companies configure devices properly from the start. Employees can’t work effectively without the proper configurations, applications and protections in the hybrid and remote work environment.

Story by Rebecca Torchia, is a web editor for EdTech: Focus on K–12. Previously, she has produced podcasts and written for several publications in Maryland, Washington, D.C., and Pittsburgh.