What Is VPN?

Virtual Private Network, or VPN for short, can be translated as “Virtual Private Network” on the computer. The VPN is a closed network that can also be used as an encrypted communication channel on the home computer. In times of crisis, this network is used by companies and individuals to establish a secure connection between two remote computers via the Internet. But withdrawing money from ATMs has always been done via VPN, and Internet banking data is also encrypted in this way.

In the “pre-Corona times,” the VPN was mainly used to enable employees to access its IT from home. You can imagine VPN to be like a tunnel through which protected data and information are pushed back and forth invisibly to outsiders.
But in times of exit restrictions and homework, VPN connections like diadiktiokaiasfalia experience an unprecedented demand, and many employees have become VPN clients. This is, of course, due to the rapidly increasing number of homeworkers who need secure and flexible access to their employer’s networks. Therefore, the demand for VPN connections has increased rapidly, and IT companies are upgrading. Within a few weeks, sometimes just days, infrastructure had to be created to enable employees to work from home.

Who Invented VPN?

The technology behind VPN was developed in the 1990s by an employee of the US company Microsoft.

Initially, virtual private network technology gave field workers company files and folders, enabling them to access sensitive documents via a secure and encrypted Internet connection. While this is still the case, commercial services keep people safe and secure online.

How Does VPN Work?

In a VPN, a virtual private network, an encrypted VPN connection is established between a VPN server and a VPN client. The user (VPN client) has access to a network via the VPN server. The network is “private” because it is self-contained, “virtual” since the employees do not sit directly opposite one another “physically” and interact directly with one another. Instead, the Internet is used as a connection, and this connection is established via a VPN server.

VPNs are usually used to access local networks via the Internet or hide one’s IP address from other participants on the Internet. To establish a VPN connection, you need the access data of a VPN server. In practice, a VPN connection is established by a user establishing a connection to a VPN server, and this is done using a secure protocol. The server checks the access data and establishes the connection using a secure communication key. The encrypted connection between the server and the user now simulates direct contact between employees. The VPN client now uses the local network via the server and can interact with other clients.

Where Is VPN used?

The possible uses are diverse. The network is used by business travelers or for communication between company locations. Private individuals are also users as VPN clients. A suitable application ensures that unauthorized persons can no longer read the data.

How Is VPN Used On Mobile?

Anyone who installs a VPN service like debestevpn on their smartphone “hides” their IP address and remains anonymous on the Internet. The data is encrypted so that you can surf the Internet anonymously. This is particularly beneficial in sensitive areas such as online banking and mobile shopping. The use of streaming services from abroad is also made more accessible. The VPN ensures that the own IP address, which every mobile device has, is encrypted on the cell phone. Third parties can no longer view website visits and app activities, and surfing the Internet is protected from prying eyes.

Also Read: How To Manage Your Office Work From Home

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Once we have asked ourselves the necessary questions to analyze the reality of telework that we face –at the organizational level, of the work teams, and from the individual point of view–, we must obtain the necessary information to answer them. Later, it would be interesting to define what metrics and indicators can help us study this phenomenon standardized.

How To Obtain Information About Teleworking?

A first approach to the problem consisted of collecting information through questionnaires about the practices implemented by organizations and the status of employees and work teams in different issues (digital skills, work organization, relationships with colleagues, etc.).

This undoubtedly fundamental approach has two main limitations :

• the information collected is self-reported and therefore is subject to different biases; and
• Obtaining them requires a significant effort. The greater, the more extensive the samples of workers to be surveyed.

One way to complement this approach is to study the information present in the systems used for teleworking, from the virtual platforms to which employees connect to the telephone systems. In these systems, various data of great value are stored to describe the different practices in the teleworking environment.

The Fundamental Advantages of Using This Data Are Two:

• The objectivity of the record (although it is also subject to bias); and
• The possibility of analyzing large volumes of data.

On the other hand, among its drawbacks is the technical difficulty associated with analyzing large volumes of data and, above all, the “meaning” of the data obtained. For example, an employee’s self-reported response to a stress questionnaire reflects their stress level, but what can be inferred from the data contained in the systems? What does it mean, for example, that an employee has more or fewer video calls? Greater or less stress?

Even with these unknowns about the interpretation of the available data, we have to face the challenge of using them to generate relevant metrics that allow us to describe how telework is “happening” and have a basis on which to compare different practices, assess corrective actions and study the evolution of the telework situation, among other issues.

Where Do We Start? Metrics and Indicators For Teleworking

The question’s title is pretentious: we have already started and have been working hard on labor force analysis for some time. But maybe a little structure could do us good. And the first thing is to recognize that teleworking, no matter how systematically it has been announced in all institutional reports worldwide as a trend to consolidate, has caught us off the hook.

Recognizing the limitations of the measures described, a possible roadmap would be the following:

• Establish what the parameters that interest us are. The first step in this roadmap would be to establish the three levels of analysis discussed above (organization, teams, and employees), which are the aspects that we are interested in assessing.
• Develop metrics to inform about the aspects of interest. The second step must be developing a shared language that allows us to speak in the same terms regarding the phenomenon. And that shared language is metrics. What numerical quantification can we use to describe each of the aspects mentioned above reliably?
• Engage employees, managers, and institutions in need of developing a culture of data and teleworking. This data culture will help us to have quality data that add to accurate descriptions of reality.
• Manage based on evidence. Incorporate metrics into our daily work and make decisions based on the information they provide.
• Constant evolution. And as a result of the above, to re-identify new aspects, to explore and start again. Maintaining the logic that we do not have all the answers and the concern to find them will be essential to progress in this area (as it happens in all others).

Also Read: The Best Tools For Teleworking

The post Telecommuting – Metrics And Analytics appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.

But once this first challenge, the forced transition to teleworking, has been overcome, most SMEs ask themselves how to maintain productivity levels in this new work regime. And it is that despite having technology on our site, it is necessary to keep the teams coordinated and motivated.

How to Increase Productivity in Times of COVID-19

In a normal situation, the introduction of remote work would be done gradually. Still, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced companies to adopt this model overnight, which can cause losses in work productivity. To mitigate these effects as much as possible, workers must adapt to the new system as quickly as possible. This is possible if we follow a series of guidelines:

Give Your Team The Necessary Tools

If you promote teleworking in your company, you must provide your employees with the means and computer equipment necessary to develop the activity. This is essential if we want to maintain office productivity.

Training is key to increasing performance and competitiveness. Employees must know the resources they can count on and know how to handle the different applications and work tools. To make sure that the whole team is in tune, you can carry out a follow-up, test and evaluate the tools together, get your team’s opinion, and try to solve the difficulties.

Define a Clear Schedule and Goals

To increase productivity while teleworking, it is necessary to set clear and measurable objectives. To do this, you can develop an action plan or guide that includes these objectives, their corresponding indicators, the tasks to be carried out, the steps to follow, and the entire team’s tools. You can define a schedule that includes recurring meetings or a time when all members are available.
The whole team must be clear about the objectives and tasks that each of the members has to carry out. This will help you achieve greater transparency, involvement, and productivity.

Also Read: Good Teleworking Practices Everyone Should know In 2021

Prioritize Communication

Communication plays a fundamental role in conveying the company’s objectives and priorities and maintaining the motivation and productivity of the work teams. The entire team must work aligned with the objectives and in constant collaboration. If all team members know the project’s status, it will be much easier to spot problems and opportunities.

Today, there is a multitude of platforms and online tools that help maintain fluid communication between co-workers. In addition to meetings or video conferences with multiple participants, these tools allow you to exchange and share files, organize tasks, or keep track of the entire team’s activity.

Work in The Cloud During The COVID-19 Pandemic

Thanks to the cloud, teleworking is much easier. Cloud tools facilitate communication, allowing you to view, edit and share information quickly and efficiently, from anywhere and anytime. In addition, it allows two or more people to work simultaneously.

The post COVID-19 – Tips For Teleworking Without Losing Productivity appeared first on TechReviewsCorner.