Coronavirus accelerates move to the cloud T
Technology
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While the coronavirus pandemic has halted operations at dozens of businesses across South East London, it has very much been business as usual at cloud communications specialist Glemnet.
he Beckenham-based firm has been helping firms embrace digital communications in this new age of social distancing, which has seen a surge in home-working and video conferencing as offices temporarily shut down. Although people are now starting to return to work, Glemnet believes the coronavirus has forced many companies to consider adopting cloud-based communications solutions on a longer-term basis. Managing director Neil Linter says: “The pandemic seems to have quickened the shift towards the cloud. In recent weeks we’ve received multiple requests from companies looking to move away
from traditional telephone lines and physical on-premise servers to cloud-based solutions that can help people work from home effectively. “The new normal post-COVID is likely to lead to more flexible working and less demand for physical office space, so it’s vital that companies are set up to cope with this. The roll-out of full fibre, which will create a superfast broadband network, will increase the speed and reliability of broadband services as traditional phone lines are gradually phased out. “This provides an opportunity for businesses as they recover from the impact of COVID and deal with the uncertainly of
Brexit. In this challenging trading environment, full fibre will help them to become more agile, efficient and competitive.� In the short-term, however, many companies are simply focused on getting by. Neil and his team have been as helpful as possible, arranging line rental payment holidays for customers in sectors hit hardest by the pandemic, such as hospitality and leisure firms. Others have required assistance to tackle vulnerabilities caused by chinks in their cyber armoury – something Glemnet is well-placed to do having recently acquired a cyber security business. The move has allowed the company to grow its team of staff to 22 and beef up its
IT security provision at a time when cyber awareness is high on the economic and political agendas. Neil says: “Security challenges will become more commonplace in future as cyber criminals become more sophisticated. Moving to a cloud-based solution such as Microsoft 365 can counter this far better than relying on an outdated physical server, which is more vulnerable to cyberattacks. “Businesses are now beginning to recognise the true value of the cloud. This is likely to continue in a post-COVID era in which slick, secure digital communications will be vital for business efficiency and productivity.�
Be Back to business ready We have a range of products and services to help you get back up and running and assist in your business’ continuity efforts: • Thermal Screening Products • Free Cyber Security Assessments • Esignature Products including Docusign • Hosted Cloud Telephony
Established in 2001 as an independent service provider, we’ve been serving local businesses in and around London and the South East for 20 years.
• Calls and Lines • Cloud Solutions including Storage and Security • Business Broadband & Mobile
Rated ‘Excellent’ by our customers
• IT Services and Support
Contact us now and let’s help you get back to business ready www.glemnet.com | 020 8639 0230 | info@glemnet.com
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July 2020
