The supermarket shelves are devoid of cleaning products and you can’t get a bottle of hand sanitiser no matter how hard you look. It’s clear that the global spread of Coronavirus and the threat of a UK epidemic is having a significant impact. It’s even affecting workplace communication as more staff avoid high population offices but this is where video conferencing steps in to save the day.
Travel, retail, imports and the hospitality sectors are among those hit worst at the moment, not to mention the climbing death toll and fear for residual damage on health and the global (and regional) economy. This of course, creates a ripple effect which leads to consequences on a smaller scale such as the day-to-day operations within the workplace. As companies take the decision to close off their premises and more staff choose to work from home to avoid contact with others, communication could be suffering.
How to keep a business running in the Coronavirus climate
Fortunately, the office design of today offers a multitude of solutions to better connect remote and resident workers so that communication and efficiency are less effected by an increasingly nomadic workforce. One of the most valuable of these solutions is good video conferencing technology, which enables things like meetings, briefs and collaborative idea-sharing to still take place, even when all members of staff aren’t in the same room.
SMART Boards and innovative products such as the Google Jamboard which facilitate remote interactively and multi-user participation are also instrumental in keeping a spread out workforce connected. In this blog post however, within the midst of the Coronavirus epidemic, we want to share the video conferencing technology that Penketh Group Av & Tech Specialist, Martin Taylor would recommend for keeping communication in check without face-to-face contact to ensure ‘business as usual’.
Allowing staff to work from home and limiting your usual face-to-face meetings is an effective way to help stop the spread of germs and bacteria. However, this means you’ll need some form of communication contingency in place and these video conferencing options are a great place to start:
Gold Option – for long-term investment, large organisations or offices with multi-locations
Lifesize video conferencing system is a product which we would recommend to anybody looking to invest in a comprehensive, enterprise solution. It comes complete with its own cloud license, infrastructure and web app to keep employees in touch and connected wherever they are – even if its on the other side of the world.
Silver Option – a more affordable solution for small businesses or budgets
If you’re looking for quicker fix or something with a lower cost then our experts would recommend a good quality camera from a reputable brand such as Logitech. This means you can then maximise the potential of commercial-focused services such as Microsoft Teams and Skype for Business.
If you’d like a demonstration of these products, call us on 0161 200 6990 or email enquiries@penkethgroup.com to arrange a visit to our Manchester showroom.
“Coronavirus presents some serious challenges for the economy going forward so it’s vital that businesses are equipped with the tools they need to continue their daily operations. VC technology is popular among our customers for its benefits in supporting agile teams but it is a particularly effective solution in the current Coronavirus crisis where people are doing all they can to avoid face-to-face meetings.” – Martin Taylor, AV & Tech Specialist
Speak to Martin about your video conferencing options via the contact methods listed below. Alternatively, stay on our website for more general advice on how to maintain good communication in a flexible working environment.
