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Albert Einstein said “We cannot solve our
problems with the same thinking we used when we created them”. So, sometimes we need to escape the
tether of our desk. But what if
you need access to files or emails to work on your business
challenges? This month we
highlight the things to consider when working away from the office.
If you only need a few key documents, you may
decide to copy them onto a USB drive to take them out of the office. Be very careful if these files contain
private information such as financial figures or customer records, as USB
drives can be easily lost or even stolen.
Consider USB drives with security features such as password access
and encryption. You also need to
keep in mind whether other people would need to access and possibly
update those same files in your absence, as you don’t want to end
up with conflicts where your changes overwrite theirs or vice versa.
You may be able to access your emails via any
computer with internet access, using a web browser version of your email
software. This would require you
to enter your name and password and is then encrypted, using the same
security mechanism as internet banking and online purchasing
systems.
Email access on mobile phones is also becoming
increasingly popular. If
you’re worried about the large attachments that you receive and how
big your phone bill may become, most phones allow you to download only a
small part of each message first.
You can then decide which emails you want to see the entire
contents of and which attachments you which to download fully.
You can even remotely control your office
computer across the internet from another PC, seeing and actioning everything as if you were sitting back at
your desk. Access can also be
granted so you can use the local disk drives and printers at your
location, and copy and paste information between the two computers. This, however, would require your
office computer to be powered on.
If you normally use a laptop, you may be able
to achieve seamless connectivity back to your office using a
‘virtual private network’ (VPN). This secure channel across an internet
connection allows your laptop to act as if it’s plugged in back at
your desk, including synchronizing files for later use when you are
completely disconnected.
Talk to your local Computer
Troubleshooter about the best remote access method for you.
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