Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a concern for everyone. We want to know that our primary goal at VirtualPBX is for everyone to be safe. Please read through the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization Coronavirus pages for information about how to protect yourself and limit the spread of the virus.
Many businesses are sending employees home to work, and many individuals are telecommuting for the first time. Our expertise at VirtualPBX lies in communications. Therefore, we’d like to offer you a quick guide on remote work during the Coronavirus outbreak and how you can best get your home workstation set for productive work days in the coming weeks.
Read on for a brief discussion covering internet bandwidth needs and essential devices like headphones and webcams. For any businesses landing on this page, we’ve also provided a brief list of features that a Business Phone System can offer your remote workers, should you need something more robust to accommodate a change in workplace procedures.
Internet Bandwidth
Remote workers will have to pay particular attention to the bandwidth offered by their internet service provider. If you need internet access at your residence, both Comcast and Charter are offering free internet access during this outbreak.
Although lags in video and webpage loading may be acceptable at home under normal circumstances, it could create problems when transferring files to a company server or conducting an online meeting.
You can run a quick bandwidth analysis by visiting the Speedtest website. Data on the VirtualPBX site shows that a mere 500 kbps of available bandwidth should be enough to support a single audio call. Your bandwidth will fluctuate, however, when other resources are used, like video playback and music streaming.
Even the most basic of broadband internet connections should support live audio chat, so don’t hesitate to reach out to your local provider for assistance if you need it.
Essential Home Workplace Devices
Because working from home often includes online meetings, this means you will need the proper equipment to attend those meetings.
Most laptops come with a built-in camera and microphone. They often provide more than enough video resolution and audio quality than you will need.
As a consideration to yourself and your employees, you should also get a pair of headphones. This makes it easier for you to hear people talking in your meetings, and it keeps any echo from your laptop from reverberating in your built-in microphone.
A pair of headphones is also a great option for when you’re talking on the phone. If you take phone calls with customers, the headphones and lack of reverb can make your conversations move much smoother.
Be sure to keep your workplace surfaces clean, such as with sanitizing wipes. And if you want to browse our Hardware Store, we have multiple desk phones (some refurbished) and accessories to choose from.
Business Phone System Features
As noted earlier, some businesses will find themselves in the position where they need a phone system that supports conferencing and other remote work functions.
We offer two styles of plans at VirtualPBX. Our Unlimited Minute Plans work well for businesses that complete a high volume of calls. Our Unlimited User Plans offer a limited number of monthly calling minutes (300, 500, or 1000) at a lower price.
All plans have access to remote work features like Call Forwarding and Audio Conferencing for as many system users and guests as necessary. Creating a Coronavirus remote work program doesn’t have to be difficult. We want to help you get the tools you need to make remote work run smoothly at your company.
Switching to VirtualPBX from your current phone system provider can take place in fewer than 15 minutes. We can port your current numbers to our system after a brief conversation with our team.
Remote Work During the Coronavirus Outbreak
If you have any questions about working from or want to get started with a new VirtualPBX Phone Plan, don’t hesitate to give our team a call. We’re happy to discuss our options with you.
Stay safe, and if you have any questions about Coronavirus, please read the official Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and World Health Organization pages for expert updated information.