Working from home and travel restrictions - communication in times of coronavirus

The measures caused by the coronavirus call for alternative communication methods such as video conferencing and unified communication concepts. 

The drastic measures taken by the federal government on March 17, 2020 have made the lockdown a reality in Switzerland. Working from home, where possible, has been decreed and will be part of everyday life for an indefinite period. To ensure that communication continues to function reliably both internally and externally, suitable tools, platforms and technology are needed in addition to getting used to the new situation. This means collaboration software and/or a suitable video communication, i.e. video conferencing solution.

Video conferencing and collaboration solutions 

The aim of a suitable video conferencing and/or collaboration solution is to simplify collaboration regardless of location or to optimize existing (infrastructure) structures, such as conventional VPN access to the company network and communication via mobile. The best solutions combine communication via audio and video with various cloud applications and cloud file storage and access options. Screen sharing or joint editing of documents are key advantages, especially when it is not possible to meet physically.

Examples of such solutions are, in the Microsoft environment, MS Teams or, in the Cisco world, Cisco Webex; or, depending on the quality requirements for video conferences, a combination of both. An important aspect of video conferencing, especially for external communication, is platform independence. This means that it should be possible for anyone to dial into an online meeting regardless of their solution, whether via Teams, Skype, Webex, Google Hangout, Zoom or others.

Additional benefit: From a business perspective, the cost savings resulting from the elimination of travel time and the efficiency gains are extremely interesting. In addition to minimizing the risk of COVID-19 for employees, this also represents a major step towards improving the company's eco-balance.

Operational continuity management

Today, modern companies have to work together regardless of location, device and time. This flexibility is becoming increasingly important, especially in situations such as the present, and is becoming a key, if not a survival factor. In the future, such scenarios should be included in business continuity management so as not to risk the interruption of business-relevant processes and thus serious damage or devastating losses.

We support you! 

Kilchenmann has been a specialist in video conferencing and unified communication for over twenty years and is one of the top certified partners of the leading providers: Cisco (Webex), Poly, Microsoft Teams, Pexip, StarLeaf, etc.  

Find a suitable solution with us or Develop a collaboration strategy based on your existing IT infrastructure and business processes. We support you in exploiting all the benefits of efficient collaboration for your company.

You can find out more about Collaboration here.