Keeping your business connected

COVID-19 is now affecting every business in the country. Since my last post, many new challenges and uncertainties have come to the fore for Irish businesses in a very short space of time and business continuity remains a top priority for all. I wanted to let you know what we at Vodafone are doing to keep businesses connected in Ireland.

Vodafone has been working closely with our business customers of all sizes to ensure their connectivity needs are met during this time of uncertainty. To support businesses all over Ireland, we have enhanced our fixed, broadband and mobile networks to cope with the extra demand as more people work from home.

Many of our business customers are dealing with a new remote reality with mobility, security and fixed services a priority. Vodafone support teams are working hard to support you through this period, whilst also giving an increased level of support to critical public services.

Remote business tips and tools

We are working with customers to provide solutions that enable remote working during the crisis. One example is the development of cloud-based call centre that gives customers the ability to virtually manage calls without sacrificing key capabilities, such as call distribution and recording and gives them new features like video calling. Nurses and doctors’ on-call and volunteers helping remotely are using this new tool to speak to patients at risk and work on contact tracing over the coming weeks.

While not every business can facilitate remote working practices, for many there are at least some aspects of the employee role or business function that can be supported remotely. While this may alleviate many of the problems associated with COVID 19, preparedness and a clear understanding of what works best for each business and employee is critical to ensure success.

Identify any gaps in your employee technology and connectivity services. Vodafone can help you assess this through our managed mobility service, which also allows you to outsource the management of your devices’ hardware and software.

Device security is highly important – your access points for a breach will multiply. All devices being used to access company data should have a VPN so employees can access email and other applications, without risk, through a two-step authentication process. You may also want to blacklist certain websites and install more robust device management software for an added layer of security in these uncertain times.

Use communication tools like bulk SMS and divert your landline to your mobile so your customers know your plans and can reach you.

Current practices such as routine meetings need to be booked to ensure that all workers can be present together when necessary, and that workers remain well informed and involved. Make sure people’s diaries are up to date, hold meetings by video conference where possible and use collaboration tools like Microsoft teams.

Please be assured that Vodafone Business have a dedicated team working to ensure that the level of service you need and expect from us continues. We are committed to continually monitoring our network capacity and are taking actions to maintain and enhance service levels for our customers across Ireland during this time.