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Category: Remote Working

  • Why Cloud Security Matters for Your Business

    Why Cloud Security Matters for Your Business

    You moved to the cloud for speed, scalability and savings. You stayed because it gave you flexibility, faster deployments and easy access across teams. But while the benefits are real, so are the risks. One wrong click or downloading one corrupted file can open a crack—and someone out there is always looking to slip through it.

    Let’s be blunt. Cybercriminals don’t care how small or big you are. They only care about one thing: access. And if your cloud environment gives them an easy way in, they’ll take it without hesitation.

    Here are just a few threats lurking in the cloud:

    • Data breaches: If your cloud storage isn’t properly secured, sensitive customer or financial data can be leaked, stolen or exposed.
    • Account hijacking: Weak or reused passwords make it easy for attackers to impersonate users and move laterally across your systems.
    • Misconfigured settings: A single unchecked box or open port can turn your infrastructure into a public playground for threat actors.
    • Insider threats: Sometimes, the breach doesn’t come from the outside. Employees—intentionally or accidentally—compromise access, leak files or invite in malware without realizing it.

    So, the question is: who’s responsible for your data?

    Cloud security isn’t automatic

    Here’s the hard truth. Just because your cloud service provider manages the infrastructure doesn’t mean your data is automatically safe. The cloud follows a shared responsibility model. They’ll handle the hardware, software and network—but securing the data, apps and access? That’s on you.

    Cloud security means implementing the right policies, controls and practices to protect what matters most—your data, your clients, your uptime and your reputation. And with hybrid work, remote access and constant cloud syncs, this isn’t a one-time setup. It’s a continuous process.

    The more you rely on the cloud, the more critical your role becomes in defending it.

    Building a strong cloud security posture

    There are no silver bullets, but there are fundamentals you must get right. Let’s talk about the practices that protect your business while allowing you to enjoy the benefits of the cloud—without constantly looking over your shoulder:

    • Data encryption: Encrypt your data at rest and in transit. Even if attackers intercept your files, they can’t read what they can’t decrypt.
    • Identity and access management (IAM): Ensure that every user only has the access they need. Lock down permissions, use strong authentication and review access regularly.
    • Regular security audits: Assess your cloud security setup often. Spot the gaps before attackers do, and don’t let outdated policies create new vulnerabilities.
    • Compliance checks: Stay aligned with data privacy regulations and industry standards. Skipping this isn’t just risky—it’s a legal and financial landmine.
    • Incident response planning: Have a plan. If something goes wrong, you should know exactly what steps to take, who’s responsible for what and how to contain the damage quickly.
    • Disaster recovery: Back up your critical data and store it in a separate location. That way, if the cloud goes down, your productivity doesn’t go down with it.

    These aren’t just best practices; they’re the bare minimum if you want to stay secure without sacrificing speed and innovation.

    You don’t have to navigate cloud security alone

    Cloud security isn’t a checkbox. It’s a mindset—one that requires regular updates, honest evaluations and strong execution.

    If you’re not sure where to start or how to plug the holes, you don’t have to guess. Let’s take a closer look at your cloud environment, identify the gaps and build a security strategy that works for your business model. You don’t need to be paranoid—you just need to be prepared.

    Reach out today and let’s get your cloud security where it needs to be.

  • What You Should Know Before Buying a Bigger Home for Your Expanding Home-Based Business

    What You Should Know Before Buying a Bigger Home for Your Expanding Home-Based Business

    As your home-based business starts to demand more space, the walls of your current place can start to close in. That once-cozy home office has likely morphed into a chaotic catch-all, and you’ve probably caught yourself dreaming of a separate space where the business can breathe and grow. Buying a bigger house isn’t just about adding square footage—it’s about making a smart, forward-looking investment that aligns with your entrepreneurial goals. Before you call a real estate agent, there are a few angles you’ll want to consider to make sure your next move truly sets you up for long-term success.

    Know What You Need vs. What You Want

    You might be tempted to imagine your future headquarters with every possible luxury: a studio, a storage barn, a private entrance, and maybe even a sauna for breaks. But a better way to start is by assessing what your business actually requires today—and what it’s likely to need in the next few years. Make a practical list that separates business-critical features from wish list items, so you’re not swayed by flash when you need function. This approach also helps you keep your budget in check while still finding a place that supports growth.

    Think About Zoning and Legal Logistics

    It’s easy to fall in love with a property and forget to ask the boring but essential questions about zoning and usage. Depending on your location, certain neighborhoods might have restrictions on operating businesses from home, especially if clients or customers will be visiting. Even if your operation is fully remote, you’ll want to ensure your activities won’t clash with HOA rules or local ordinances. The last thing you want is to move in, settle down, and discover your business setup violates some obscure clause in the community guidelines.

    Designate Purpose-Driven Spaces

    When you upsize, don’t just look for extra space—look for the right kinds of space. Open floor plans might feel modern and inviting, but they’re not always great for separating work from life. Ideally, you want clear boundaries between your work environment and your personal living space, so that you can stay productive during the day and unplug at night. Consider whether a detached garage, finished basement, or guest house could double as your business HQ without bleeding into your home life.

    Plan for Scalability, Not Just Comfort

    It’s tempting to optimize a new home for what feels comfortable right now, but a smarter move is to plan for scale. Think about whether the property allows you to add new workstations, bring in employees, or support equipment you don’t own yet. Electrical infrastructure, internet connectivity, parking, and even soundproofing can be critical as your operation evolves. What feels like overkill today might be a game-changer two years down the line—especially if you’re expanding into new markets or product lines.

    Safeguard Your Space with a Home Warranty

    When you’re running a business from home, even a minor issue—like a broken water heater or faulty electrical panel—can throw off your entire day. Investing in a home warranty can give you a crucial buffer against unexpected repairs, helping you avoid downtime and keep your operations running smoothly. Look for a plan that includes home systems and appliance coverage, especially one that handles removal of defective equipment and protects against issues caused by improper installation or past repair mistakes.

    Make Room for Inventory, Not Just Ideas

    A growing home-based business often means more than just a laptop and a Zoom account. If you sell products, run a service that requires physical materials, or keep client records, you’ll need storage that’s secure, accessible, and climate-controlled. Look for homes with built-in shelving, dry basements, or insulated garages that can house your inventory without cluttering up the rest of your space. Poor storage solutions can become a bottleneck that drags down your operations fast.

    Don’t Ignore the Emotional Side of the Move

    While all the logistics and spreadsheets matter, there’s an emotional side to leaving your current space that’s worth acknowledging. Your home isn’t just where you live—it’s where your business was born. Letting go of the familiar can be hard, even if the new place checks every box on your list. Give yourself time to mentally transition, and try to see the move as a celebration of progress rather than an abandonment of roots.

    Your Family Has to Fit Into the Picture Too

    Even if your primary motivation for moving is to support your business, you can’t forget the needs of your household. If you’ve got a partner, kids, or roommates, they’ll all be affected by this shift in space, routine, and rhythm. Make sure everyone has a voice in the process and feels like their needs are being considered. The goal is to create a space where the business can grow without crowding out the people you share your life with.

    Moving into a larger home to support your business is more than a real estate transaction—it’s a strategic step toward long-term sustainability. You’re not just buying square footage; you’re buying flexibility, infrastructure, and the freedom to expand your vision. But that freedom only pays off if you go into it with clarity, a solid plan, and the right support systems in place. Get it right, and you’ll have a home that works for your business instead of around it—giving you room to dream even bigger.

    Discover how NTELogic can transform your business with cutting-edge technology solutions!

    Image by wahyu_t on Freepik 

  • 6 Reasons Why Your Small Business Needs Cloud Communications Solutions

    Modernizing your small business phone system with cloud communications solutions can provide numerous benefits for your business: saving money, improving collaboration, streamlining your operations, improving call quality, and more.

    As a small business owner, you’re always looking for ways to stay ahead of the competition and keep your team productive, all while keeping costs under control. One area that’s often overlooked, but is critical to your success, is your communication system. On-premises phone systems can be very limiting, especially given the rapid adoption of remote and hybrid work models. In this blog post, we’ll discuss 6 reasons why you should consider making the switch from on-prem to cloud communications solutions.

    1. Save Money:
      Cloud communications solutions eliminate the need for expensive hardware and maintenance costs, allowing you to save money on setup and maintenance.
    2. Flexibility:
      Cloud communications solutions offer the flexibility and scalability needed to keep up with the changing needs of your business. You can easily scale up or down as your business needs change, without having to invest in new hardware or software.
    3. Collaboration:
      With cloud communications solutions, your team can communicate and collaborate in real time, no matter where they are located. You can also access your communication tools from any device, whether it’s a desktop computer, laptop, tablet, or smartphone.
    4. Streamlined Operations:
      Cloud-based IVR (Interactive Voice Response) can automate your inbound call-handling process, allowing your team to focus on more complex tasks. This can help you streamline your operations while improving your customers’ experience.
    5. Remote Collaboration:
      Cloud-based video conference solutions can provide high-quality video and audio, as well as screen sharing and other collaboration tools. This can help your team stay connected and collaborate effectively, no matter where they are located.
    6. Better Call Quality:
      Cloud-based VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) solutions provide high-quality call quality, even in areas with poor network coverage. This can help you stay connected with your customers and provide better service.

    Modernizing your small business phone system with cloud communications solutions can provide numerous benefits for your business. Whether you’re looking to save money, improve collaboration, streamline your operations, or improve call quality, there’s a cloud-based solution that can help. So, if you’re still using an on-premises phone system, it’s time to consider making the switch to the cloud!

  • The Dangers Within: Understanding Insider Threats

    With most companies evaluating the continued use of remote or hybrid workforce models in the wake of the pandemic, cybersecurity threats have grown rapidly across the world. Insider risk has become a key problem for businesses — a risk that must be investigated, well understood and dealt with from the top down. An insider threat could be anything from negligent employees who lack cybersecurity training to rogue employees who facilitate a breach for personal gain.

    The increased frequency of insider threats and the severity of data breaches resulting from them is a wake-up call to all organizations to take proactive steps to combat this serious security risk.

    However, before taking any preventative security measures, it is necessary for you to understand where these risks come from and why. In this blog, we’ll discuss all aspects of insider threats including the motivations behind them, potential actors, primary targets, consequences and more.

    Actors behind insider threats

    Anyone with access to critical information can pose a potential insider threat risk if the information is unknowingly or maliciously misused, resulting in a data breach. Businesses need to identify these actors if they want to curb insider threats effectively.

    Insider threat types can be classified as follows:

    • Negligent insiders – This may include careless executives or employees with access to privileged information. These insiders don’t have any motivation – money or otherwise. They are simply careless in their actions or may have fallen victim to a scam. In a recent incident, an IT employee deleted critical case files from a police department’s cloud storage, not realizing that millions of files were not completely transferred.
    • Malicious insiders – These are insiders who intentionally abuse their credentials for personal gain. These actors can be more effective than external attackers because they have access to privileged information and are aware of security loopholes. They may be motivated by monetary gain or may have a personal vendetta against the company. An ex-employee of a medical equipment packaging

      company gained administrator access to the company’s computer network by hacking. He modified and wiped a huge volume of records to take revenge for his job loss.

    • Contractors or vendors – Third-party vendors and contractors who have temporary access to an organization’s IT network can cause a data breach. The motivation, in this case, could also be negligence or malice. One of the Army Reserves payroll systems was once targeted by a contractor who lost his contract and activated a logic bomb to create a delay in delivering paychecks.

    Motivations behind malicious insider threats

    Malicious insiders are usually motivated by one or more of the following reasons:

    • Money or greed – Most cases of non-negligent insider threats are motivated by money and personal financial gain. A greedy insider with access to restricted information is most often the culprit in this case. For instance, two employees stole intellectual property on calibrating turbines from a global energy leader and used it to form a rival company.
    • Revenge – Another common reason for insider threats is vengeance. Disgruntled employees, who believe they have been wronged by the company they once worked for, are usually behind this type of threat. When a disgruntled former employee of a tech giant deleted hundreds of virtual machines, the company suffered huge losses before it could recover.
    • Espionage – Many large organizations across the world have been victims of economic espionage from competing firms. This is mainly done to gain a competitive advantage in the market. An extranational, state-owned enterprise infiltrated an American semi-conductor firm with corporate spies to steal valuable trade secrets.
    • Strategic advantage – Intellectual property theft against corporations is most often a result of trying to gain a strategic advantage in the market. A renowned smartphone company became a victim of an insider attack when its blueprint for bendable screen technology was stolen by its supplier.
    • Political or ideological – There have been many documented cases of insider threats motivated by political or ideological factors. These cases often concern national pride or revenge against another nation for the attack. There have been numerous incidents of international hacking of businesses, human rights organizations and intellectual property theft.

    Why insider threats are dangerous

    Insider threats can have a massive impact on your data and bottom line. They typically aim for an organization’s core assets, including confidential data, product information, business strategies, corporate funds and IT infrastructure. Huge expenses are incurred because of downtime losses, lost business opportunities and more. Above all, it is frequently difficult to identify and contain these dangers.

    Don’t wait to protect your business

    Although the consequences of insider threats may be severe, you don’t have to face this problem alone. If you are wondering how you can mitigate these threats and prevent losses, we’ve got you covered. Check out our eBook to learn key strategies for mitigating insider threats.

    Reach out to us today to understand different ways of building a resilient cybersecurity posture against insider threats.

  • 4 Clever Ways to Reduce Costs with Unified Communications

    4 Clever Ways to Reduce Costs with Unified Communications

     

    Because of the cost of unified communications (UC) and the opportunity for financial savings that it brings, using UC is a smart decision for most organizations. The reality is that switching to a cloud communications system and adopting UC costs less than using a traditional telephony system.

    According to Jose Pastor, former senior vice president of product management at RingCentral, organizations can save tens of thousands of dollars with unified communications.

    If you’re thinking of investing in unified communications, you’ll probably save a lot of money, especially in the long term.

    But before you invest, you should do your research and perform a cost-benefit analysis for your business. That’s the only way you can assess the value that it can bring to your organization.

    You also want to know what strategies you can use to minimize your costs so you can maximize your benefits.

    Let’s look at the ways your business can save with UC so you have the information you need to perform a unified communications cost-benefit analysis and make an informed purchasing decision.

    The Case for Unified Communications

    Businesses of all sizes are implementing unified communications, most of which are either using the cloud or are planning on moving to the cloud soon. The global market for UC is expected to exceed $234 billion in 2028 with a compound annual growth rate of nearly 20 percent over the next few years.

    Why the massive growth?

    UC is a necessary communications tool for hybrid work, which is becoming the norm post-pandemic. It also offers tools that empower businesses to enhance the customer experience.

    But one of the biggest drivers of adoption is the ability to save money.

    4 Ways to Save Money with Unified Communications

    With a cloud-based unified communications solution, you can minimize your IT and operating costs, simplify your technology stack, and save on your phone bill.

    Here are the ways you can reduce costs when you invest in unified communications and clever ways to optimize those savings.

    1. Lower Upfront Costs

    With unified communications, you can use a cloud phone system, which means voice data transmits over the internet rather than phone lines. Instead of paying for all the hardware and maintenance costs of a traditional PBX phone system, you can get started with a mobile app downloaded onto your devices and a subscription licensing fee.

    How to reduce your costs: Don’t purchase cloud phones for all your users. Pre-configured desktop phones are useful because they offer the same features as modern business phones. But, with UC, you already have a lot of functionality within your software.

    Decide which employees need a desk phone – everyone else can enjoy all the features and security benefits of your unified communications solution through the app. They can place calls, host or join a video conference, share files, and more from their laptop, smartphone, or tablet.

    2. Fewer Communications Apps

    Because you have voice, video conferencing, chat messaging, and file sharing all rolled up into one platform, you aren’t paying multiple vendors. This can lead to significant cost savings. One study found that using a single vendor results in a 56 percent lower total cost of ownership versus using a multi-vendor approach.

    How to reduce your costs: When choosing a unified communications provider, look for a vendor that offers all the communications tools your business will need so you aren’t paying multiple vendors. If you want contact center functionality, make sure your vendor has Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) and Contact Center as a Service (CCaaS). You should also be able to integrate your tools so your data updates across platforms. That will make using your software seamless for users, which can boost productivity and lead to even greater benefits.

    3. Smaller Phone Bill

    You’ll also see lower costs with unified communications through a better rate per line and reduced long-distance calling costs.

    Businesses that use cloud phone systems save money each month on their phone bill. When NTELogic compared what other phone companies were charging, we found that most of our customers were paying about 50 percent less with us. Other phone companies charge about $67 per line, while NTELogic’s hosted phone users pay a fraction of that.

    How to reduce your costs: Choose a cloud-based unified communications system instead of an on-premises solution. That way you can take advantage of the immense savings that come with a cloud phone system. You’ll have a smaller phone bill and never have to worry about downtime for app updates – your cloud provider automatically updates the software.

    4. Increased Productivity and Less Employee Recruitment

    When you empower your teams with user-friendly, full-featured software, they have the tools they need to work more efficiently. Additionally, with UCaaS, your staff can be productive from anywhere.

    Your employees are going to be more productive and more satisfied with their job when they have technology that makes work more flexible and seamless, which means your company will probably spend less on recruitment and training over time.

    How to reduce your costs: Choose a provider with excellent customer support and reliability. That way your employees will have the best experience possible, technical support will be there when you need it for fast problem-solving, and you don’t have to worry about issues with downtime.

    Optimize Your Unified Communications Costs by Choosing the Right Provider

    Cloud communications is a popular business tool because businesses end up saving money when they switch from their legacy phone systems. But, you can optimize those savings if you choose the right cloud provider.

    Contact us today to learn how easy it is to make the move to UCaaS.

  • 3 Lessons Learned About Remote Work In 2020

    One of the most impactful shifts of the pandemic was the widespread adoption of remote work. More people than ever started working from home, which taught us all a lot about what’s possible for the future. Business leaders, managers, and employees learned several important lessons from remote work, and as a result, new, more flexible work models are emerging.

    Looking at the lessons learned, we can gain perspective on where work models are headed and what to expect for the future.

    Lesson #1: Remote Work Does Work

    Before the pandemic, only about six percent of Americans were primarily work-from-home workers. Naturally, a lot of companies weren’t sure if it could even work.

    So, does working remotely work?

    When you look at the number of people still working remotely today along with projections for the future, it’s clear that remote work is effective.

    By the last quarter of 2021, about 45 percent were still working from home at least part-time (down from nearly 70 percent in 2020), and surveys are showing that a sizable chunk of the workforce will be remote permanently. A Gartner survey found that 74 percent of CFOs expect to transition at least five percent of their employees to remote work on a permanent basis. And, according to research conducted by Global Workplace Analytics, anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the U.S. workforce will be remote even after the pandemic is history.

    During the COVID crisis, we learned that remote models do indeed work for many businesses – 83 percent of employers say the shift to remote work was a success for their business.

    And most workers prefer it. Of the 2,050 full-time workers surveyed by Owl Labs for the State of Remote Work 2021 study, 84 percent said working remotely post-pandemic would make them happy, and many would take a pay cut if it meant being able to work from home.

    Lesson #2: Going Remote Offers Benefits Across the Board

    Employees, managers, and business owners have uncovered some incredible benefits to remote work.

    The cost-savings potential is huge

    • One report found that, if the roughly 48 million employees who have a remote-compatible job worked from home at least once per week, employers in the U.S. could save as much as $500 billion per year.
    • When you factor in not having to pay for commuting costs, eating out, and maintaining a work wardrobe, remote workers themselves can save about $4,000 a year.

    Productivity actually increases

    • According to a survey conducted by Upwork on the future of work, hiring managers say that fewer non-essential meetings, less time commuting, and increased schedule flexibility have helped to boost time spent working.
    • Also, once organizations implement cloud technology and processes to facilitate remote work, the infrastructure is in place, and working remotely can feel seamless – 68 percent of hiring managers believed that remote work was much smoother several months after making the shift.
    • Workers themselves say they are, for the most part, getting more done. Ninety percent of respondents in the Owl Labs survey said they are more productive working from home.

    Remote work can boost your workforce

    • Employers can hire from a wider pool of applicants, making top talent more accessible.
    • They also become more attractive to skilled employees – the reality is, few employees prefer an office-only workplace. According to a PwC survey, only eight percent don’t want to work remotely at all. Over half want to work from home at least three days a week.
    • And finally, remote employees tend to be happier than their in-office counterparts. They stay in their jobs for longer and, for customer-facing teams, they’re more likely to provide top-notch customer service.

    Lesson #3: There’s Still a Place for the Traditional Office

    Companies can operate effectively with remote teams, and there are plenty of benefits to having remote flexibility. However, we’ve also learned another lesson – 100% remote work isn’t the best option for every company.

    • There’s still value in expecting employees to come into the office. That’s something that both employers and employees agree upon. Employees appreciate the ability to collaborate with team members in person and to build relationships. Employers and managers see the office as a space to meet with clients, enable collaboration, and ensure productivity stays high.
    • Also, there are problems with the remote work lifestyle – some employees say they have trouble maintaining a work-life balance, and others feel burned out by excessive video meetings.

    The bottom line is that a fully remote model isn’t a good fit for every company, job role, or individual. But the option to work from wherever is something that almost every worker wants.

    Because of the Benefits and Lessons Learned, the Future of Work Will Be Hybrid

    There’s no question that remote work is here to stay. Companies of all sizes and from all industries have learned how practical it can be. But, it’s not all positive. There are advantages to having some employees in the office, at least some of the time.

    That’s why so many companies are shifting to a work-from-wherever model. If your company is considering a hybrid model, or if you are looking for ways to improve your hybrid workplace, NTELogic can help your company make hybrid work work better.

  • Got Questions About UcaaS? We Have Answers

    For organizations looking for ways to increase flexibility and resilience with cloud technology, a unified communications solution is often the first step. With UCaaS, teams can stay productive, engaged, and connected, whether they are working from home, in the office, or on the go. Before adopting any new technology, however, it’s important to learn as much as you can about how it works, what it can and cannot do, and potential challenges. We’ve put together this list of UCaaS questions and answers to help you start the research process.

    What Is UCaaS?

    UCaaS, or unified communications as a service, is a cloud communications solution that offers all the main types of business communications from one platform. Users can access everything from one app.

    What Features Are Included?

    This is something that can vary a lot between cloud providers, so be sure to do your homework and ensure the platform you use has everything you need. Often, UCaaS comes with video, voice, chat, and file sharing,

    You’ll also want to look at the more granular details such as advanced voice features like voicemail, call waiting, and caller ID, as well as a contact center solution to power your customer success. Other details to look for include rich video conferencing features, including interactive presentation tools, screen sharing, and HD video, and a real-time backup and restore function for your file management.

    What Do Users Need to Access the Technology?

    As a cloud solution, users simply need to download the application to their device and log in to the platform to get started. Your employees can chat with co-workers, launch video meetings, share files, and more from any location as long as they have an internet connection.

    The software is hosted on secure off-site servers, so there’s no need for on-site hardware, nor for extra IT resources to manage and maintain the technology. You can, however, purchase specific hardware such as desk phones, headsets, and webcams to work with your technology.

    Does My Company Need a New Phone System to Make UCaaS Work?

    UCaaS relies on VoIP (voice over internet protocol) technology. This means voice data is transmitted over the internet, so there’s no need to have a traditional phone line to make and receive calls. In fact, this is one of the largest draws of cloud phone systems – your business can likely save on your phone bill by switching from a traditional phone system to VoIP technology.

    Can Employees Use Desk Phones Through the UC Platform?

    Yes, they can! You can use feature-rich desk VoIP phones to make and receive calls, send messages, and more, all through the same unified communications app you have on your computer, mobile phone, or other devices. These desk phones are plug-and-play, so you can set them up yourself right away.

    Is Communicating Through a UC App Secure?

    As with any type of cloud technology, security can be a big concern. To ensure your teams can use your UCaaS solution with confidence, it is important to inquire about the security practices your cloud provider uses.

    Your provider should be able to explain how they offer a worry-free experience. Here are some of the security best practices to expect from your cloud services provider:

    • Third-party audits to validate their security controls
    • Adherence to all applicable compliance standards such as HIPAA and PCI-DSS
    • Advanced encryption for email services
    • Ongoing network monitoring and detection
    • Highly secure data centers with security guards, controlled access, and 24/7 monitoring
    • Rigorous background checks for employees

    How Can UCaaS Increase Productivity?

    With a unified solution, employees no longer have to juggle between applications for communication and collaboration. This prevents workers from losing focus every time they have to switch apps, while also saving time overall by making everyday tasks like sending an email or sharing a file more efficient.

    Also, a lot of UCaaS solutions integrate with common business applications. This streamlines workflows even more. And, because users can log in from wherever, work tasks don’t have to wait for someone to return to the office.

    What Does the Onboarding Process Look Like?

    Unlike onboarding for on-premises platforms, onboarding for UCaaS is refreshingly simple with the right provider. Keep in mind, however, if your provider tells you to do the migration yourself, you may run into more complexity.

    For the best onboarding process, work with a cloud provider that moves your IT to the cloud for you at no extra cost. This way, your users can get started with minimal interruption.

    How Reliable Is UCaaS?

    Reliability is critical. If your software doesn’t work for your teams, you could run into problems with productivity and employee frustration. To ensure the UCaaS solution you adopt will perform, look for, at least, 99.99% service reliability and accessible technical support.

    How Much Does UCaaS Cost?

    One of the huge benefits of UCaaS technology is its affordability. Because it uses a subscription-based payment model, there’s no need to make a large IT investment to get started. You pay for the number of users you need.

    You can also scale up or down by adding or subtracting users. To enjoy the cost-efficiency benefits, look for a provider that offers transparent, flexible pricing and doesn’t require a contract.

    Start Benefiting with a Leading UCaaS Solution

    Whether you want to save money with cloud-based communications, unlock your teams’ potential, boost resilience, or all of the above, UCaaS can be game-changing for SMBs. Elevate from NTELogic is a comprehensive unified communications platform that comes with all the features your business needs to thrive. Reach out to our team today for a quote.

  • Building, Onboarding, and Managing Remote Teams

    Is your business implementing a hybrid or fully remote work model for the first time? Wondering how to successfully onboard and manage work-from-home employees without impacting workplace productivity, collaboration, or culture? With the right tools and processes, managing remote teams effectively is possible. Here’s an overview of what companies who are shifting to a hybrid or fully remote work model are doing to build, onboard, and manage remote teams.

    Tips for Building and Onboarding Remote Teams

    When building a remote team, you can focus on hiring based on skills, expertise, and culture fit rather than location. This gives your company a wider pool of applicants to draw from and makes it easier to create a dream team for your company.

    To build and onboard a remote team, you’ll need the right people, processes, and tools to make it work.

    • Designate HR staff to focus on hiring and training remote employees. The work experience is different when you’re working from wherever, so it’s important to have someone who understands how to engage, teach, guide, and provide support for remote workers.
    • Set expectations from the beginning. Establish the rules for work hours, specific times remote employees should make themselves available online, and time tracking from the beginning.
    • Create clear processes around communication – what channels should they use for collaboration, one-on-one meetings, and work questions? Who should they connect with for different types of communication and group work?
    • Empower your remote teams with easy-to-use and full-featured communications solutions that integrate with your business applications. As a lot of work happens through technology, it’s important to use platforms that enable productivity and minimize frustration. The essentials for keeping remote teams connected include unified communications, video conferencing software, and cloud phones.

    Tips for Managing Remote Teams Successfully

    Because your remote employees aren’t in the office, it can feel like you have less insight into how they spend their time, making management difficult. The reality is, working from wherever doesn’t have to impact productivity. With a smart, practical approach, you can still bring the best out of your employees. Here are a few tips to help you manage your remote employees:

    • Set up regular meetings. With remote teams, it’s more important to be proactive about meeting with your staff. Whether you do quick, one-on-one check-ins every morning or a weekly meeting with small groups, making face-to-face interactions part of the routine helps to keep everyone engaged.
    • Be upfront about work goals. Set benchmarks for individuals and groups – what should they be able to get done each day and each week? Also, be open to feedback from your employees. Check in with them to ensure they don’t feel overwhelmed with their workload and make adjustments as necessary.
    • Consider time tracking to gain clarity over time spent on tasks. Time tracking reveals how much time different employees take to do certain types of work and where they are devoting most of their work hours.
    • Provide tips and tools to help your remote employees create an optimal work environment. Talk to them about privacy and quiet when working from home, ways to set up an ideal home office, and what expectations they should set for themselves. Your company may need to provide hardware such as VoIP phones, work supplies, or ergonomically correct home office furniture.
    • Encourage a healthy work-life balance. Working remotely can be a positive experience that increases engagement and job satisfaction. However, employees do need support from management to make this happen. Regular feedback, supportive conversations, and help with the challenges of working from home, such as loneliness or a lack of physical movement, can help your remote teams thrive.

    How Many Businesses Are Relying on Remote Teams in 2021?

    A few short years ago, remote work was the exception, not the norm. In 2012, only 24 percent of employees worked from home 80 percent of the time or more.

    Throughout the pandemic, millions of employees traded their daily commute and nine to five at the office for a work-from-wherever lifestyle. Working remotely provided the adaptability and resilience necessary to ensure business continuity during the global health crisis. And now in 2021, 41 percent of the US workforce is fully remote. More than half work from home at least part-time.

    As a result, more employees and employers have experienced the benefits of remote work – the cost-savings, flexibility, and the potential for increased focus and satisfaction with work. So, it’s no surprise that the American workforce is moving ahead with some level of remote work.

    No matter what stage your business is at right now – whether you have a few remote employees, are developing a hybrid work model, or you’re considering going fully remote, build your foundation for success with cloud communications for remote teams. At NTELogic, we provide essentials such as Elevate, Online Meeting, and Contact Center. We also offer impeccable customer service, a 99.999% uptime service level agreement, and leading-edge cloud security.

    To learn more about how using NTELogic can help your business transform, get in touch with our team – we’d be happy to talk to you about how our tools can help you better manage remote teams.

  • 6 Webinar Trends Every Company Should Consider

    Webinars have been an important marketing and engagement tool for years. During the pandemic, the use of virtual events skyrocketed. Between February and March of 2020 alone, the number of B2B brands in the United States using live webinars increased by 36 percent. Whether your company is new to hosting virtual events or not, you should familiarize yourself with the latest webinar trends. This space is more active than ever – take a look at what other brands are doing to help inspire your company’s webinar strategy.

    1. Live Interaction Features Keep Attendees Engaged

    Gone are the days of watching a virtual presenter share their screen and calling it a day. Interactive webinars are on-trend. Live polls, chat, and other real-time attendee engagement tools transform the traditional one-sided webinar into a dynamic conversation that pulls the audience into the experience.

    2. Less Is More When It Comes to Webinar Duration

    With marketing webinars, consider keeping your event relatively short. According to research from 2020, the preferred duration for a webinar is 30 to 40 minutes. If you plan a longer event, you may turn away some potential prospects.

    You don’t need to create a jam-packed virtual event to convert leads, but rather, focus on the most relevant, actionable information you can. If you can’t fit a full presentation into 40 or 50 minutes, consider breaking up your webinar content into two or more different virtual events.

    3. Thought Leaders and Micro-Influencers Boost the Appeal of Virtual Events

    Using this webinar trend can help to attract more people to your event. Draw upon the trust, reach, and unique insights offered by thought leaders and micro-influencers in your industry by inviting them to prevent at your virtual event.

    With the right webinar platform, you can count on high-quality HD video broadcasting and still support up to a dozen presenters at once. This allows you to go from a single presenter to a panel of experts and provide even more value to attendees at the same time.

    4. Global Webinars Expand What’s Possible

    After a year of virtual meetings and digital connections, people worldwide are comfortable using webconferencing technology. This makes it easier to branch out to an international audience.

    To reduce friction for your non-local attendees, make sure your platform offers international dial-in numbers. This way, if they want to participate by phone, they don’t have to worry about the cost of an international phone call.

    5. Custom Experiences Raise the Bar on Virtual Events in 2021

    Create a more personalized experience for webinar attendees with customized invitations and reminder emails. Other perks, such as being able to use your own logo and branding for the webinar background, can enhance the experience further while making your brand more memorable.

    6. More Internal Webinars Empower HR

    With the rise of remote work during COVID and the current shift to hybrid work models, HR teams are relying more on technology to train employees. In 2020, the attendance rate for training webinars was 65 percent. Internal webinars can be an excellent way to onboard employees and gain real-time feedback from them at the same time.

    Essential Webinar Features for Keeping Your Attendees Engaged

    Whether your company is focusing on virtual events for marketing or training and onboarding purposes, you’ll need a fully-featured solution to host effective webinars. The right tools give you the capabilities to reach more people and grow your business. Here are some of the features you should look for in a webinar platform:

    • Live polls engage participants while giving you real-time insights into what everyone is thinking.
    • A Q&A feature makes it easy to field questions from your audience. You can sort, edit, and respond quickly. This makes it easy to keep the flow of the conversation without losing anyone’s attention.
    • HD video broadcasting ensures a professional experience, even with hundreds of attendees and multiple presenters.
    • Cloud recording allows you to record the entire event, including screen share slides, videos, and more, which you can then send to your attendees by email or repurpose as other content for marketing purposes.
    • Built-in reporting reveals who attended, for how long, and feedback from interactive tools such as your surveys and quizzes.
    • A presenter green screen gives you and your other presenters the chance to practice and organize the event before going live. This is a key tool for delivering professional virtual events that leave a positive impression on attendees.

    Getting Started with Webinars in 2021

    Webinars are a useful tool because they have the potential to be deeply engaging while enabling your brand to connect with a large number of people at once. Unlike blog posts, videos, and other types of marketing content that your company might create, publish, and leave for customers to digest, webinars offer a virtual hands-on experience. They can feel intimate, even when hundreds of people are tuned in together online. This is because they allow for face-to-face interaction at scale.

    And, with advanced webinar tools, you can create a truly immersive, high-value experience that will deliver the wow factor you need to stand out in a competitive marketplace.

    Online Meeting from NTELogic is a powerful webinar and video conferencing solution designed to help businesses thrive in the digital space. You’ll have all the features you need to create engaging webinars that convert and more. Learn more about how Online Meeting from NTELogic can enable your company to grow.

  • What Will Work Look Like in 2021?

    2021 is here, and with it comes the hope of normalcy. As we’ve all learned, normal was a relative term, so now, we’re all saying the new normal. In the new year, there are many possibilities about what the workplace will look like, or if there will even be traditional workplaces anymore.

    What 2020 taught the business world is that you have to be resourceful, creative, and agile to survive. SMBs in many industries are still thriving because of this. That success comes in part from their ability to make remote work simple, easy, secure, and collaborative. Executives learned that it is feasible for employees to be at home and still do their jobs well. Some may be doing it even better. The next era could very well be the work from wherever age.

    Remote Work Doesn’t Mean Company Culture Fades Away

    Some of the most successful companies in the world are well-known for their cultures. Culture has become synonymous with the brand itself. Google, Southwest, Costco, and many lesser-known businesses crafted cultures that empower employees and support them.

    In a time when company culture isn’t stuck between two walls, it has to permeate virtually. The new normal of 2021 will be about businesses adapting and finding ways to provide their workforce with the right environment, even if they go to work every day in their home office.

    Enhancing the Work from Wherever Model

    Many companies were unprepared for a full-scale remote employee base. Telecommuting certainly was part of the story before the pandemic, but it was an outlier, not the rule. When they needed to quickly move people home to keep them safe while still maintaining productivity, many businesses made hasty decisions.

    When urgency is a factor in decision-making, it’s easier to make a misstep. If you need something quick, you can’t practice proper due diligence. So, you stick with what you know, like using Google Drive as a file share system or using free video conferencing tools without thinking through the limitations.

    Leaders now have a moment to pause and reflect on how they can improve technology tools and move to an integrated platform that they control. Companies will be rethinking their remote work strategy in terms of tools and structure.

    There are many options for what their new model will look like. You could reopen your office once it’s safe and the vaccine is widely available but still provide people the flexibility to work from home. Or you could move forward with a remote-first model.

    If moving forward with remote-first, companies also have the ability to expand their talent pool. Another potential consequence is that companies can retain employees who want to move outside of urban areas where the cost of living keeps them from homeownership or financial security. There has been no dramatic migration in the U.S. during the pandemic, but it has made people rethink their priorities. Keeping a job they like and moving to a more affordable community is a win-win for employees and employers.

    Businesses That Adapted Will Keep Doing So

    There has been no shortage of innovation in 2020 from businesses of all sizes. The ability to pivot is critical in surviving any kind of disruption to society and the economy. Some of the most important shifts aren’t going to make the headlines, but they show that SMBs, which are the lifeblood of the U.S. economy, aren’t afraid of change or taking a leap.

    These adaptations are happening in every facet of the company. These businesses recognized both needs and opportunities. Most were able to do this with a remote workforce. They were still able to serve their customers by transitioning to a remote contact center, hosting virtual events in lieu of in-person ones, and leveraging technology to stay connected.

    Virtual Hiring and Onboarding

    Another part of the 2021 new normal will be hiring and onboarding virtually. As the economy continues to rebound, hiring will pick up. Candidates can expect their interviews to be via video call. Once hired, they’ll likely do all their onboarding virtually as well. There will certainly be concerns about a new hire acclimating if they aren’t in an office. However, motivated workers will take it in stride.

    To ensure this rolls out well in 2021 and beyond, businesses should define their new onboarding process and work to improve it. Much of this comes down to company culture, which will play a role in how well these new workers perform. Additionally, they’ll need simple technology that allows them to communicate and collaborate easily. It shouldn’t take days to get people up to speed on your stack. If it does, that’s a disconnect to rethink.

    Looking Forward: One Thing Is Certain

    The business world is doing a lot of looking ahead right now. It’s extremely hard to have any assurances about 2021. The only certainty is that work from anywhere will be a permanent part of the new normal.