With more and more businesses utilising home working, it is important to consider what equipment and hardware you’ll need to work from home.
As we move towards a digital Britain, it has become easier than ever to keep in contact with colleagues and customers while working from home. Here is our list of the things you’ll need to work remotely from home.
Internet Connection
Starting off with an easy one—an internet connection. Most (if not all) people already have a broadband connection in their house. An important factor to consider is your internet speed. If you’re struggling for speed at home, then you should speak to your provider, and shop around for better, cheaper and faster internet deals.
The reason why internet connectivity is paramount is because it is used to run all modern forms of communications. Everything from your email and your telephone system to video conferencing and more.
Cloud telephone system
Using a cloud based telephone system allows your home workers to take their office telephone extension and equipment home with them, and connect as though they were sat at their desk. Cloud telephone systems make use of a technology called VoIP, which transmits your voice calls over internet, rather than telephone lines.
Upgrading your business to a cloud telephone system will enable your team to work remotely from home and provide your business with a great platform for all of your communications, including file sharing, instant messaging, group chats, video calling and more.
A desk phone or handset
Some businesses choose to provide their employees with a deskphone that they can take home and plug in. This allows them to work as though they were in their office, while working from home.
As I mentioned in the previous point, cloud telephone system are accessible from anywhere, which means that if you’re working from home, your deskphone will automatically pull all of your call logs, stored telephone numbers and hot keys from the system, therefore setting up your telephone exactly as it is in the office.
Mobile phone
The alternative to desk phones is mobile phones. Many businesses choose to provide their employees with their own mobile phone for business use. This helps your team keep in touch with one another, as well as their customers.
However, mobile phones can also make use of our VoIP mobile app. The mobile app is a free to download app that allows your home workers to connect their mobile to your telephone system, allowing them to make and receive calls from their office number. They can also transfer calls to colleagues, which improves call flow and caller experience.
Computer/Laptop
Of course, we couldn’t forget the most important part of any remote working setup—the computer. Whether it’s a laptop or a desktop computer, it should be reliable and fast enough to handle your daily working. Laptops are more common place, with their portability making them a good choice for home workers.
Another great reason why you may want a laptop is because you can turn it into your telephone. By downloading our soft phone app, you turn your laptop or desktop into a telephone, allowing you to make and receive calls from your computer. You can also do video conferences, group chats and more with colleagues.
WiFi adapter
For businesses that choose to provide their remote home workers with a desk phone, they will also need a WiFi adaptor. When you’re in the office, it is common to use a wired ethernet connection. However, using a desk phone at homes means that you will not have access to this ethernet connection.
A great workaround to this is to plug in a WiFi dongle into your handset. These small devices allow your VoIP phone to connect to your home WiFi network. Once connected, the phone will sync with the cloud platform and you’ll be able to use it as normal.
Phone power supply
Similar to the above WiFi adaptor, your office may have a PoE setup. This means that your phone does not have its own dedicated power supply. Therefore, you will need a power supply unit (PSU).
These are inexpensive and can be purchased and shipped by courier to your home workers addresses.
Webcam
If you make use of video conferencing, then a webcam is an obvious necessity. Many laptops have built in webcams, but some do not. You can pick up webcams for cheap on Amazon, which may be a more viable option for those without a built in camera.
You can use this camera, coupled with our aforementioned cloud telephone system and softphone app to make and receive video calls with your colleagues—helping you stay connected when working remotely from home.
There are so many different forms of communication, that picking the right one for your business can be a daunting task—especially if you’re looking to utilise remote workers working from home. However, a cloud telephone system really does connect all the dots, providing your business with a robust communications platform that unifies all of your employees. No matter where they work.
