Need Wi-Fi Support Help? Simplify Management & Secure Your Office Network from the Cloud

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Wireless connections are a critical element of today’s network infrastructure and one that consumes a growing share of IT resources to secure and manage. To support your wireless connections, TCI offers cloud-managed Wi-Fi solutions that enable you to streamline switching, routing, and security tasks via the web.

Protecting your Wi-Fi networks

You can arrange to dynamically grant or restrict network access to a device based on its security status, location, installed software and OS version, and more. And when a user fails to comply with a set security measure – such as disabling the antivirus program, jail-breaking a device, removing a passcode, or leaving a given territory – that person’s access to your Wi-Fi networks will be automatically revoked.

Need Wi-Fi support help?

TCI’s certified network experts can optimize and manage the hosting of your entire Wi-Fi infrastructure by offering:

  • Immediate implementation and expansion of Wi-Fi, switching, and security to new sites.
  • Upgrades, patches, and maintenance.
  • Support to allow mobile and remote workers to become as productive on the road as in the office.
  • Tiered services to suit the needs of any sized organization.

TCI’s cloud experts are ready to help you secure and manage your Wi-Fi network. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Flexible Funding & Delivery Models… Why Migrating to the Cloud is More Affordable than You Think

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Most businesses recognize that modernizing their communications technologies will help them increase productivity, improve customer satisfaction and sharpen their competitive edge. But many are sticking with the technologies they have today because they don’t believe they can afford to do anything else.

The good news is funding and delivery models for communications technologies have become far more flexible in recent years. This flexibility opens the door for almost every business to start on the path to modernization.

CapEx Funding Strategies May Be Holding You Back

Traditionally, CFOs have preferred to buy IT infrastructure outright as a capital expenditure (CapEx) because they could use the associated amortization and depreciation costs as tax deductions. While these financial benefits are helpful to businesses, a CapEx purchase strategy for communications systems also comes with downsides.

  • A significant cash outlay is required to initiate the purchase.
  • Hardware is particularly notorious for becoming obsolete in shorter-than-expected timeframes.
  • There’s a significant risk that purchased resources will remain idle or underused over the lifetime of the system.
  • Purchased on-site hardware and software systems consume space, and they must be maintained, powered, and cooled.

An OpEx Strategy Increases Flexibility On Every Front

With an OpEx strategy, businesses don’t purchase the communications system hardware or software. Instead, they pay a monthly, quarterly, or yearly fee to access communications capabilities that are offered in a subscription model. All hardware and software are owned, operated, and maintained by another company, and communications costs become day-to-day business costs. When technology is an operating expense, businesses can:

  • Pay only for the capacity they currently need, so capital is never tied up in under-used hardware and software
  • Write off the entire subscription cost each year rather than just a percentage of the total CapEx purchase price
  • Free up large amounts of capital that can be invested across the company
  • Avoid the need to borrow money or divert money from other projects to pay for large, upfront technology costs
  • Reduce the costs of system operation, management, and maintenance
  • Streamline cash flows by eliminating large, sporadic cash outlays
  • Simplify and accelerate budgeting exercises because short-term spending requirements are lower

Cloud Communications Solutions Leverage the Benefits of OpEx Funding

The limitations of CapEx strategies, combined with the availability of subscription-based, cloud-hosted communications solutions, are leading many CFOs and CIOs to choose OpEx funding models for business communications systems.

With this approach, businesses can immediately start migrating to the cloud at a pace that makes the most sense for their communications requirements, business goals, and budgets. For many businesses, a hybrid approach that combines existing on-premises solutions with cloud-based applications could be the right way to start the journey to the cloud.

TCI Is Ready To Help

Your local TCI experts are ready to discuss the benefits of an OpEx funding strategy for your communications system as well as the pros and cons of different cloud migration strategies.

Don’t let financial roadblocks be an obstacle to cloud migration. For flexible financing arrangements, contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Onboarding Checklist for Your New Hires… Ramp Up Successful Employees in Remote/Hybrid Work Settings

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The Covid-19 outbreak forced many companies to allow employees to work remotely or through hybrid work models. However, not all employers were prepared to transfer their entire workflow to a virtual setting. As a result, many organizations have struggled with disengaged employees and reduced productivity.

This helpful 7-step onboarding checklist works for fully remote or hybrid working teams.

1. Early Engagement

Making your employees feel included early on before onboarding even starts is one of the best employee engagement strategies for those workers who work at least a part of their time remotely. Get creative with these possibilities:

  • Send them a welcome package
  • Invite them to the relevant group chat or communication channel
  • Organize an informal virtual get together
  • Explain the career path and reward system for top performance
  • Communicate and keep in touch regularly during early onboarding

2. Secure a Desk Setup In Advance

New employees need the right equipment to start working. These would be things like a PC or a laptop, a high-quality headset, webcam, phone, printer, desk supplies, keyboard, and mouse. Depending on job role and specialization, there might be other equipment and tools they need. If employees are audited and judged based on their performance, remote people need the same tools and working conditions as on-site employees.

3. Tools & Learning Materials

Once you’ve provided the necessary devices and tools, arrange a virtual meeting between your new employee and your IT department or other onboarding person/group. At this point, you have to provide your new hire with the following:

  • Login details for their new company email account
  • Credentials for any remote tools or software they will use
  • Company-wide communication channels and tools
  • Calendar access for client appointments or meetings
  • Proper training on cyber security
  • Digital employee handbooks and learning materials
  • Access to cloud storage and documentation

4. Assign a Buddy for Mentorship

New employees will often have many questions but can be too embarrassed or afraid to ask. To make them feel more comfortable, provide one-on-one mentorship with an existing employee who’s willing to show them all the ins and outs of the company. You’ll create a sense of unity and common goals by tying the mentor’s success to the new hire’s performance.

5. Be Transparent

Be clear about work and performance expectations. Provide your new hire with details on how you plan to measure their performance and a list of short and long-term goals of their job role. After going through virtual training, give your new employee straightforward tasks to start with. Always set clear expectations and give reasonable deadlines. At the end of each successful project, schedule some time for re-evaluation and feedback.

6. Don’t Stop Communicating

Making a first impression and establishing personal connections with teammates so that an employee feels included is more challenging to achieve virtually. Since the employees aren’t always there to read your facial cues, you have to open a constant communication line. In remote settings, over-communicating is better than under-communicating. Onboarding shouldn’t be one-way communication, rather a process, where you socialize and engage the new hire. And this is especially vital for workers with a hybrid schedule.

7. Train Managers to Lead Their Hybrid Teams with Flexibility

There is no one-fits-all solution when it comes to flexible schedules, so your managers and leaders need to learn what type of hybrid schedules work best for your business needs and different job roles within an organization. A great manager will differentiate between essential staff that has to be on-site or on a minimally hybrid schedule, and those that can work fully remote. From that point on, the manager needs to be able to rotate and schedule staff shifts accordingly, with employees’ well-being always in mind.

Personalize to give your hybrid onboarding a boost

Tailoring your onboarding process to each job role and allowing your new hires to progress at their own pace can improve their integration and assimilation to the company culture, regardless of how many days they work on- or off-site.

TCI has technology solutions that can support remote and hybrid work arrangements. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 


Boosting Employee Engagement in Your Evolving Hybrid Workplace

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The COVID-19 pandemic has forced most of us to try out new working arrangements. For many, work-from-home and remote working became real alternatives. However, some jobs require fieldwork and cannot support the work-from-home setup. In such a scenario, a hybrid workplace can strike a balance between the two.

The hybrid working model has enormous advantages. It gives employees a sense of freedom and fulfillment at work. But there are some challenges that employers and employees are facing for the first time. At the top of this priority list are employee engagement and employee well-being. But let’s first reflect on the definition and advantages of a hybrid workplace…

The Hybrid Workplace

The hybrid workplace, which includes both in-office and remote workers, can have many advantages:

  • It is more productive, promotes holistic well-being, and thus more economical.
  • It attracts employees of all ages and retains them by enhancing job satisfaction.
  • The company saves money on operating expenses; employees save time and money by minimizing commutes to work.
  • By reducing the number of people in the office during a pandemic, a hybrid workplace promotes health and safety.

Fostering Employee Engagement

But a hybrid work arrangement has its own set of complexities, particularly when it comes to fostering employee engagement because two distinct cultures emerge – one in the office and one online. As a result, managers can find it difficult to supervise and engage their distributed teams. Here are 4 ways to keep employees engaged in the hybrid workplace:

1. Encourage Creativity – Managers can check on employees to learn about their interests, hobbies, or how they spent their weekends. Contests and activities like a fun MiTeams icebreaker session can help employees feel more connected and stimulate team bonding. Doing these is especially crucial for younger generations who look for meaning, purpose, and connection in their work.

2. Provide the Right Equipment – Even if employees work from home, organizations must be conscious of their remote environment. Simple things like their desk setup, availability of a high-end microphone or speaker, and adequate lighting can enhance the employee experience in terms of comfort and health. So, leaders should provide employees with the necessary equipment ahead of time.

3. Minimize Burnout – Advise employees to turn off email and work notifications after working hours and encourage them to take breaks during the day. Encouraging them to participate in some wellness activities can help them feel and perform better. Minimize burnout by having well-defined meeting agendas with specific goals. Identify the people who need to attend a meeting, for example. It can make the most efficient use of everyone’s time while also making each employee feel valued and productive.

4. Prioritize Employee Recognition – Workplace incentives and perks must be well-structured to engage employees. It would help if you recognized extraordinary effort, new ideas, team contributions, and leadership.

As new technologies emerge, the hybrid workplace will continue to evolve. However, proper attention to employee engagement practices will determine the success of these arrangements.

TCI is ready to support your changing workplace arrangements with technology and services that will keep your business in the fast lane. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.