Last Updated on Mar 30, 2020 by James W
Today it’s completely possible to run a business without an actual office. Between mobile devices, cloud computing and Wi-Fi the entire world can be your office.
Working on the go is a growing trend that’s being propelled by technology. Love it or hate it, work is just a click away. Below are four things that make working from anywhere easier than ever before:
Backup Storage Systems
When you are taking your office with you everywhere it increases the chance that something will happen to your equipment and everything it contains. Whether you work on the go or in an office, the experts at Secure Data Recovery note that everyone should regularly back up their computers and devices. Every day they help businesses that have lost irreplaceable data due to computer failure, hacking and accidental deletion. Backing everything up on USB flash drives and portable hard drives is a safety net.
This will also allow you to take your work on the go with less worry. You can keep sensitive information on backup storage systems when you’re working on the go so there’s no concern over losing the data if your computer gets lost, stolen, hacked, etc.
Storing Digital Assets on the Cloud
One of the biggest hang-ups of working remotely used to be accessing documents and other digital assets. You had to make sure to download everything on your device or just keep everything stored there and hope nothing happened to your laptop.
Now there’s cloud computing and storage. Instead of keeping things on your hard drive you can put them in the cloud where they can be accessed from any device as long as you’re connected to the Internet or have an app. Or you can use services like Google Drive and do everything online.
Cloud storage also makes it possible to work on devices that don’t have a ton of built in storage or huge hard drives. This is really useful if you prefer to work on tablets that are notorious for limited storage.
As with any work-related service, you’ll want to take security into consideration when selecting you cloud storage providers. Another thing to consider is longevity. You’ll want to make sure the cloud service is well established and not at risk of folding anytime soon.
Wi-Fi All Around
Let’s be honest. You can’t work anywhere without an Internet connection these days. Fortunately for mobile workers, Wi-Fi networks are sweeping the nation.
It’s no coincidence that people are working from Starbucks. Every location offers a Wi-Fi connection. Starbucks was among the first businesses to realize that if you offer Wi-Fi they will come. Wireless phone providers took it to another level when they began offering hotspot connections.
But with the good comes the bad. Wi-Fi connections, especially public ones, are often less than secure. When you share a network your data is at risk. Even hackers that aren’t all that sophisticated know how to see what you’re doing on a shared network and can easily access any login credentials that you use.
It’s just one more reason why data security is a top priority for mobile workers. If you’re using a shared Wi-Fi network it’s important to take a few extra precautions. First and foremost, you should turn off your share settings and enable your firewall. You’ll also want to use SSL and HTTPS whenever possible so data is encrypted.
Mobile Devices
When Radio Shack (yes, Radio Shack) released the TRS-80 Model 100 in 1983 it launched the laptop market. We can all thank Apple and their iPhone for further revolutionizing mobile devices that allow us to work on the go. They already made work much easier when they developed the first consumer laptops with Wi-Fi compatibility.
Then came the iPad. It was the middle ground between a laptop and a smart phone. Now there are smart phones that are the size of mini tablets and hybrid laptop/tablets that are getting more powerful by the day. They all make working from anywhere much easier. Even if you’re on a bus or trolley, it can become a portable office.
As mobile devices continue to evolve, the trend of working from anywhere will as well.
