*It’s not new.
It’s not revolutionary.
It doesn’t require ‘new stuff’.
From the earliest days of broadband, our customers and us here at AFLEX HQ have enjoyed the convenience and efficiency of remote working.
From the earliest days of broadband, our customers and us here at AFLEX HQ have enjoyed the convenience and efficiency of remote working.
But in times like these we often find customers need urgent reviews of their remote access options due to a sudden increase in demand. Here are the main methods we like to employ due to their ease-of-use for the average office worker, their security and their robustness.
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Login to machine
Sometimes simply logging into your familiar office desktop is by far the easiest and most efficient way of working. You may have bespoke programs to run, need file access on your local network or to simply accessing your browser favourites! Although it is possible to have all of these services available anywhere, the simple solution covers all.
However, you still need an office computer for each worker and it needs to be ‘permanently’ switched on. Therefore Therefore, it’s not the best solution for people who are always working remotely. -
Login to terminal server
This method sees you again, logging into a familiar desktop but the hardware for this solution allows lots [a number dependent on the quality of the office internet connection and the capacity of the installed hardware]) of people to login remotely at the same time. This option is good for permanent remote workers and means that you don’t need to allocate a desk, chair, computer etc. within your office.
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Secure VPN from your home to the office
If you have files and folders stored on your network, but the applications you use are standard (e.g. Microsoft Office) then a secured Virtual Private Network connection is a good solution.
Normally, we would give you an explanation of what a secure VPN is / does but
You don’t need to know! After setup, just open a program, enter a password and then you can browse your office files and folders. -
Cloud services
Of course, if your files, folders and applications (and your email by default……contact us urgently if it’s not!) are all cloud-based then a connection into your office is unnecessary and access to everything you need is via the same methods as you would use in your office.
In the case of the last 3 options, security is an issue. Therefore, we would always recommend your remote computers are centrally-managed for security, patching and AV requirements.