COVID-19 has led many companies to tell their employees to work from home. For some of them, this is a dream come true, but for others, is a new reality, which brings some challenges. To start with, you will need some tools to communicate, track time and staying organized, among other things. We recently published an article called How can businesses deal with coronavirus? as a way to help companies to handling this crisis. Today, this post attempts to show you the best desktop software in the market that can help you and your team working from home effectively.
Best remote desktop software
There are many remote access software available in the market. Here we have selected some of the top tools that can help your business dealing with remote work. The selection was done based on reviews, performance, popularity and on the impact on the organizations using them.
Asana
Asana is a web and mobile application designed to help teams organize, track, and manage their work. Forrester, Inc. reports that “Asana simplifies team-based work management.” Wikipedia
Hangouts
Google Hangouts is a communication software product developed by Google. Originally a feature of Google+, Hangouts became a standalone product in 2013, when Google also began integrating features from Google+ Messenger and Google Talk into Hangouts. Wikipedia
https://gsuite.google.com/products/meet/
Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is a cloud-based software platform that helps you support customers from a distance through web-based, on-demand remote support sessions. The remote support service allows for on-demand connection without any need to pre-install software, by inviting users to connect directly via email. It can manage unattended computers even if it is web based. It is very simple to implement and easy to use, in general it presents a stable interface and with a wide and correct level of functionality. You just have to configure the controls remotely to be able to manage the equipment remotely without any problem.
Slack
Slack is one of the best and more popular business communication tool. It works with a team chat and allow users to personalize the chat channels. You can incorporate different chat channels, which can be accessed by all members of a team and private groups. By using Slack, your team will reduce the number of long email chains and will maintain unified information regarding projects and processes. Another advantage of using Slack is that it is available in iOS, Mac, Windows and Android, which allows its users to work with this platform from the comfort of different devices.
DataScope
DataScope is a mobile solution that helps you collect data offline, manage field teams, and share business insights. Use the intuitive Form Builder to create your forms, and then analyze the data you’ve collected via powerful and personalized dashboards. Collect data offline from any mobile device, assign tasks and get performance indicators, and even chat with your workforce to reduce reaction time.
https://zapier.com/blog/updates/1999/datascope-forms-integrations
Google Keep
Google Keep is a note-taking service developed by Google. Launched on March 20, 2013, Google Keep is available on the web, and has mobile apps for the Android and iOS mobile operating systems. Keep offers a variety of tools for taking notes, including text, lists, images, and audio. Wikipedia
Dropbox
Dropbox is a personal cloud storage service used for file sharing and collaboration that keeps your files together, in one central place and allows you to store multiple versions of all of your documents and control permissions to ensure everyone has access to what they need. You can sync Dropbox files and folders across devices so you can access them anytime, anywhere and will not waste the day tracking down work.
Webex
Cisco Webex Meetings provides a simple and effective modern video experience across all your devices and integrates with the tools and video devices you already use. Your team members can join meetings in just one click, accessing video, audio, polling, and sharing features without needing to download a single plug-in. This tool is easy to setup and simple to manage. By using Cisco Webex Meetings, you can meet with 1000 people on video. Webex can help you to communicate, and collaborate from remote locations without the need to travel.
Slite
Build a company wiki that scales with your team’s knowledge and documentation.
TSheets
TSheets is an employee time tracking and scheduling solution that help business owners to track time on any device to streamline payroll, send accurate invoices, and save thousands each year. Forget about that old punch clock or spreadsheet. This software can simplify payroll, invoicing, and job costing. Whether they are in the office or working from home, your employees can track time from any location — using a smartphone, tablet, desktop or laptop — in real time.
TSheets is more than just a time tracker. It can also keep a record of each time a worker clocks in, changes jobs, and clocks out. The time card audit log can help your business resolve labor disputes and comply with laws in a way that manual time clocks and paper timesheets cannot do it.
PomoDone
Boost and track your workflow using the Pomodoro technique, on top of your current task management system (Asana, Trello, JIRA, Basecamp, Evernote etc). Sharpen your focus by using an interruption shield we built: block certain websites while you working, and notify your distributed team via Slack and switch it to silent mode by managing its DND. Use your productivity history log to analyze and report.
Endpoint protection software
This software provides security solutions to oversee and manage devices that have access to a company’s or a person’s private network. Endpoint protection software protects against a number of security threats and attempt to normalize security measures across multiple devices. If an endpoint device is compromised or infected, endpoint protection software alerts administrators and often provides advice on how to combat the issue. This software can significantly improve a company’s cybersecurity strategy and help users know what they are protected against and how they may be vulnerable.
It is great for remote employees because it offers features like antivirus, anti-malware, firewalls, data encryption, mobile device management, zero-day attack protection and host intrusion prevention systems.
If you want your remote employees to feel supported and valued, ensure they have these software solutions to deal with time management, productivity and collaboration. Have you tried some of these tools? Tell us about your experience in the comments section below.
