{"id":292,"date":"2020-03-27T16:59:13","date_gmt":"2020-03-27T14:59:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/?p=292"},"modified":"2020-03-27T17:01:54","modified_gmt":"2020-03-27T15:01:54","slug":"telecommuting","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/telecommuting\/","title":{"rendered":"telecommuting during COVID-19 pandemic"},"content":{"rendered":"<span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Telecommuting is the ability for an employee to <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353469\/20028132\">complete work assignments<\/a> from outside the traditional workplace by using telecommunications tools such as email, phone, chat and video apps. <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p> Posted by: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.techtarget.com\/contributor\/Margaret-Rouse\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.ttgtmedia.com\/rms\/onlineImages\/rouse_margaret.jpg\" alt=\"\"\/><\/a><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Margaret Rouse<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>WhatIs.com &#8211; TechTarget &#8211; <a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\">WhatIs.com<\/a> <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\">WhatIs.com<\/a> Contributor(s): Susan Mary Smith <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The pervasive growth of the Internet, along with advancements in <a href=\"https:\/\/searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com\/definition\/unified-communications\">unified communications<\/a>\n (UC), artificial intelligence and robotics has made it easier than ever\n for many work-related tasks to be performed outside the normal \nworkplace. Knowledge workers are especially well-suited for working from\n home or other remote locations. Jobs that require the physical \noperation of special equipment, including vehicles, are not well-suited \nfor telecommuting.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\"><p>When an employee telecommutes to work more often than they physically  visit the office, they may also be referred to as a remote worker. This  distinction can be important in some countries because the word  \u201cremote\u201d implies that the employee lives outside a reasonable commuting  distance from their employer and may therefore be subject to different  tax and legal requirements.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Benefits <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Telecommuting can have a variety of benefits for both individual \nemployees and the company they work for. Some of these benefits include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Employees have a more flexible work schedule since they can work at their own pace without pressure.<\/li><li>Employees may not have to deal with common workplace distractions.<\/li><li>With less transportation costs, workers can save more money. \nAdditionally, less time spent commuting gives more time to be \nproductive.<\/li><li>Higher productivity. With a more flexible schedule, and less \nworkplace distractions and not having to deal with transportation, \ntelecommuting workers can be more productive.<\/li><li>Increases employee autonomy and loyalty.<\/li><li>Better work life balance for employees.<\/li><li>Can save an organization money, considering real estate and other overhead expenses.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Telecommuting also benefits the planet. Fewer workers needing to \ntravel means less carbon-dioxide emissions. According to research by \nGlobal Workplace Analytics in 2019, if those who could work remotely \ntelecommute, even just 50% of the time, it would equal the equivalent of\n removing all of New York State\u2019s workforce off the road. This is \nbecause 29% of <a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/greenhouse-gas\">greenhouse gas<\/a> emissions originate from transportation sectors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Challenges <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>While telecommuting can boast many benefits, it can also be the source of some challenges. Some downsides, for example, include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>Less personal and social contact with managers and coworkers.<\/li><li>The worker may have more distractions at home, reducing productivity.<\/li><li>Employers can\u2019t control how workers will make use of their time.<\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchdatacenter.techtarget.com\/definition\/IT\">IT<\/a>-related issues may be more difficult to deal with.<\/li><li>Managers may find it more difficult to supervise employees.<\/li><li>Telecommuting could mean reduced security for the organization.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Financial impact<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Telecommuting can also have a positive impact on finance for both \nemployers and employees. The employee will not have to spend money each \nweek on transportation and other incidentals such as parking. The \nemployer is likely to see increased productivity, as well as reduced \nabsenteeism, turnover and real estate costs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article is part of<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/Guide-to-telecommuting-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic\">Guide to telecommuting during the coronavirus pandemic<\/a><\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Which also includes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchsecurity.techtarget.com\/tip\/4-tips-to-ensure-secure-remote-working-during-COVID-19-pandemic\">4 tips to ensure secure remote working during COVID-19 pandemic<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchhrsoftware.techtarget.com\/tip\/4-ways-to-implement-HR-support-for-remote-employees\">4 ways to implement HR support for remote employees<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com\/news\/252480239\/Amid-coronavirus-Microsoft-Teams-users-balk-at-video-stream-limit\">Amid coronavirus, Microsoft Teams users balk at video stream limit<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Should a disaster occur &#8212; such as flooding or earthquake&nbsp; &#8212; an \norganization with an established telecommuting framework can potentially\n gain a competitive advantage by being able to continue operations \nduring the crisis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Team management best practices<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>To enable effective telecommuting policies, a manager should maintain\n a list of best practices when it comes to management strategies. An \nexample set of best practices include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\"><li>A manager should be breeding an environment of trust, especially trust that employees are working.<\/li><li>Manage by outcome. The thought of an employee telecommuting can be \nconcerning because of productivity; however, managers should only be \nconcerned about productivity if an employee gets is not fulling the same\n roles as they would while in the office.<\/li><li>Teamwork is still important. Managers should treat teamwork as a group activity.<\/li><li>Make time to meet in person as a team to continue a strong sense of community.<\/li><li>Include telecommuters in meetings and events.<\/li><li>Accommodate flexible work schedules &#8212; as many employees may see telecommuting as being a significant benefit or privilege.<\/li><li>Be clear and concise about expectations. Ensuring every worker \nknows what is expected of them when telecommuting is important. Knowing \nwhat meetings they need to attend, what work needs to be completed when \nand other important tasks that need to be punctual are important in \nensuring employees stay on task.<\/li><li>Have the right technology to support telecommuting. Ensuring that \ntechnology and software are accessible and easy to use will promote more\n communication between team members &#8212; whether that technology is email,\n screen sharing software, conference lines, document sharing software or\n other services.<\/li><li>Ensure communication is simple. Managers should support using \naccessible communication technology for all team members. Employees \nshould be able to have a quick line of connections to ask any questions \nor communicate with other team members if needed.<\/li><li>IT support. Managers should also ensure that telecommuters have \naccess to the organization\u2019s IT team for any device or software \nfailures. Telecommuters are dependent on the proper functioning of their\n technology to communicate, get work done and to complete most other \ntasks.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Technology<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The technology used to support telecommuting may differ depending on \nthe industry, however, there are some general software products that \nwill be useful in many telecommuting settings. For example, Google G \nSuite, a business version of Google Drive, has a grouping of software \nthat includes Google Docs, Sheets and Slides. Zoom is also currently a \npopular application for video conferencing. Zoom supports both screen \nsharing and video calls. <a href=\"https:\/\/searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com\/definition\/Slack-software\">Slack<\/a>\n is a good example of a popular chatting app employees can use to stay \nin touch and up to date with information. Workers can also use  to keep track of and schedule meetings.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Using a combination of these applications can enable an organization \nto shift to a telecommute-friendly company. The options of available \nvendors may change depending on what an organization needs. For example,\n <a href=\"https:\/\/searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com\/definition\/VoIP\">voice over IP<\/a> and unified communications as a service (<a href=\"https:\/\/searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com\/definition\/UCaaS-Unified-Communications-as-a-Service\">UCaaS<\/a>)\n vendors include 8&#215;8, Dialpad, LogMeIn&#8217;s GoToMeeting, RingCentral and \nZoom. Organizations that may need to use may use products such as <a href=\"https:\/\/searchaws.techtarget.com\/definition\/Amazon-WorkSpaces\">Amazon Workspaces<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/searchcloudcomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/IBM-Bluemix\">IBM Cloud<\/a>, Cisco VXI or <a href=\"https:\/\/searchservervirtualization.techtarget.com\/definition\/RHEV-Red-Hat-Enterprise-Virtualization\">RedHat Virtualization<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Working remotely vs. telecommuting<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Telecommuting and working remotely are near-synonyms and may often be  conflated with one another. However, the distinction lies in distance.  Remote work implies that the employee lives outside the geographic area  of the organization\u2019s location. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Meanwhile, telecommuting indicates that  the employee is close enough to the organization so they can, at least  part-time, work on-site. An organization can have a group of employees  telecommuting from a moderate distance or could have a group of  employees remote working from all over the globe. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This was last updated in <a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/archive\/2020\/3\">March 2020<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong> Continue Reading About telecommuting <\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\"><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchitchannel.techtarget.com\/news\/252479986\/Channel-execs-say-coronavirus-spurs-remote-work-technology\">Channel execs say coronavirus spurs remote work technology<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchhrsoftware.techtarget.com\/news\/252479594\/As-remote-work-tools-deploy-next-task-is-behavioral\">As remote work tools deploy, next task is behavioral<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchvirtualdesktop.techtarget.com\/feature\/Coronavirus-could-spur-desktop-as-a-service-adoption\">Coronavirus could spur desktop-as-a-service adoption<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchhrsoftware.techtarget.com\/tip\/4-ways-to-implement-HR-support-for-remote-employees\">4 ways to implement HR support for remote employees<\/a><\/li><li><a href=\"https:\/\/searchsecurity.techtarget.com\/tip\/Telecommuting-security-Protecting-sensitive-data-inside-and-out\">Telecommuting security: Protecting sensitive data inside and out<\/a><\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\n\t\t\t\tRelated Terms<\/h4>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/flexible-display\">flexible display<\/a> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A flexible display or foldable tech\/smartphone is a visual  output surface on a device that is designed to be folded or closed &#8230;<a href=\"https:\/\/whatis.techtarget.com\/definition\/flexible-display\"><strong>  See\u00a0complete\u00a0definition <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/LDAP\">LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol)<\/a> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>LDAP (Lightweight Directory Access Protocol) is a software  protocol for enabling anyone to locate data such as organizations, &#8230;<a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/LDAP\">  <strong>See\u00a0complete\u00a0definition <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/smartphone\">smartphone<\/a> <\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>A smartphone is a cellular telephone with an integrated  computer and other features not originally associated with telephones,  &#8230;<a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/smartphone\">  <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/searchmobilecomputing.techtarget.com\/definition\/smartphone\"><strong>See\u00a0complete\u00a0definition <\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, quite a few IT vendors are offering telecommuting-related products either for free &#8212; or for an extended trial period.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"\"><thead><tr><td><\/td><td>\n   <strong>Free Tool<\/strong>\n   <\/td><td>\n   <strong>Notes<\/strong>\n   <\/td><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>\n  8&#215;8\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353477\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">8&#215;8 Video Meetings<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  The free version of\n  8&#215;8 now includes unlimited usage and closed captioning\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Acronis\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353478\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cyber Files Cloud<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  File sync and share\n  solution; free through July 31\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Addigy\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353479\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Addigy<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Apple device\n  management platform; free for 60 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Air Labs\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353480\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Air<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Collaboration tool\n  for remote teams; free for 30 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Atlassian\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353481\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Jira, Confluence, Jira\n  Service Desk, Jira Core<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free for teams of up\n  to 10 people\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  BlackBerry\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353482\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Blackberry\n  Desktop, SecuSuite for Government, BlackBerry AtHoc and BlackBerry Protect<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  The remote working\n  tools for businesses and government organizations are being made available\n  free for 60 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Box\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353483\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Box Business Edition<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Unlimited storage,\n  5GB file upload and more, free for 90 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Calendly\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353484\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Free Zoom and GoToMeeting\n  integrations<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  The previously\n  Premium-Tier offerings are free through June\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Charter\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353485\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Spectrum WiFi Hotspots<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Spectrum WiFi Hotspots\n  will be free for public use for 60 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Cisco\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353486\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cisco Webex<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Now with unlimited\n  usage, supporting up to 100 participants. Free 90-day licenses for non-users\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Cloudflare\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353487\/20028132\">Cloudflare for Teams<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free seats for small\n  businesses through Sept. 1, with a free onboarding session\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Commvault\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353488\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Metallic Endpoint Backup and\n  Recovery<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Offers unlimited\n  Microsoft Azure backup storage for up to 1,000 endpoint devices through Sept.\n  1\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Google\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353489\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Google Hangouts Meet<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free for all G Suite\n  and G Suite for Education customers globally until July 1\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Igloo\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353490\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Business Continuity Bundle<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Communications\n  platform to dispense information to employees; free until July 6\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Intermedia\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353491\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">AnyMeeting Pro<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Videoconferencing\n  software free to all new users through Dec. 31, 2020\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Librestream\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353492\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Librestrem Onsight<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free business continuity\n  package for qualified aviation, defense, manufacturing, energy and inspection\n  companies\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Lifesize\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353493\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Lifesize video conferencing<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Unlimited free\n  licenses for cloud-based video collaboration tool for six months\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  LogMeIn\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353494\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Emergency Remote Work Kits<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free\n  organization-wide use for three months of certain LogMeIn tools including\n  GoToMeetings\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  ManageEngine\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353495\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Secure Remote Access Tool\n  Kit for IT Teams<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Bundles Access\n  Manager Plus and Remote Access Plus to provide remote access to critical\n  systems; free until July 1.\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Microsoft\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353496\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Microsoft Office 365 E1 Trial<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free six-month trial\n  includes Teams\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Okta\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353497\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Okta for Emergency Remote Work<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free access to Okta\n  Single Sign-On and Okta Multi-Factor Authentication\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  PandaDoc\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353498\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Free eSign<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Includes document\n  uploads, payment processing\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  PC Matic\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353499\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PC Matic Pro<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free cybersecurity\n  and remote management tool to businesses with 10 or more remote workstations,\n  until June 30\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Ping\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353500\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SSO and MFA<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free cloud sign-on\n  and multi-factor authentication for six months\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Pronto\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353501\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Pronto<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free access to chat\n  and video messaging tool for businesses and schools\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Qualtrics\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353502\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Remote Work Pulse<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Tool to help\n  organizations assess remote work readiness\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  RemoteDesk\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353503\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RemoteDesk<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Offering 10,000 free\n  licenses for its AI-based remote workforce management tool\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  RingCentral\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353504\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">RingCentral Office<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free for educators,\n  healthcare providers or nonprofits\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Salesforce\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353505\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Quip Starter<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Documents, chat; free\n  to Salesforce customers\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  SAP Ariba\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353506\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">SAP Ariba Discovery<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Enables any buyer to\n  post immediate sourcing needs and suppliers to reply; free until June 30\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Support.com\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353507\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TechSolutions<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Remote tech support\n  service; temporarily free\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Tempered\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353508\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Airwall<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  The VPN is free for\n  90 days; Tempered will also help deploy Airwall\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  TigerGraph\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353509\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">TigerGraph Cloud and\n  Enterprise Editions<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Free for applications\n  with large data or high computation needs to analyze COVID-19 data\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>   Vonage                                <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353510\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Vonage Business Communications<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>   Voice, SMS and team   messaging, video collaboration and more is available free for 90 days                 <\/td><\/tr><tr><td><\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353511\/20028132\">Vonage Free Conferencing<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Standalong video\n  conferencing service; free for 90 days\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Wanido\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353512\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wanido<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  The workplace\n  well-being software will offer free access April 1-Aug. 1\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Wrike\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353513\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wrike Professional<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Project management\n  for marketing, operations; free for six months\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Wundamail\n  <\/td><td>\n  <a href=\"https:\/\/go.techtarget.com\/r\/125353514\/20028132\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Wundamail<\/a>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Remote team\n  management software; free for a month\n  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><span class=\"span-reading-time rt-reading-time\" style=\"display: block;\"><span class=\"rt-label rt-prefix\">Reading Time-approximately:<\/span> <span class=\"rt-time\"> 7<\/span> <span class=\"rt-label rt-postfix\">minutes<\/span><\/span>Telecommuting is the ability for an employee to complete work assignments from outside the traditional workplace by using telecommunications tools such as email, phone, chat and video apps. Posted by: Margaret Rouse WhatIs.com &#8211; TechTarget &#8211; WhatIs.com WhatIs.com Contributor(s): Susan Mary Smith The pervasive growth of the Internet, along with advancements in unified communications (UC), artificial intelligence and robotics has<\/p>\n<p><a class=\"more-link\" href=\"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/telecommuting\/\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32,4,5,30,24,9,27],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-292","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-covid-19-global-responses","category-datacenter-news","category-engage-the-experts","category-expert-advise-and-opinion","category-infrastructure-in-the-data-centre","category-tech-definitions","category-unforeen-unpredictable-must-adapt-scenarios"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=292"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":295,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/292\/revisions\/295"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=292"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=292"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tekmart.co.za\/t-blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=292"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}