A very important point is the data synchronization. As soon as you work in more than one place, you have to compile your work results. In concrete terms, I can recommend Dropbox, JungleDisk and Crashplan for data synchronization and data backup. It's the size of small, mature solutions that do exactly one thing - but that's especially good! I use Dropbox for my personal work. It is extremely easy to use and works completely transparently in the background; I do not realize it and yet my data is always up to date on all computers. I recommend JungleDisk for company-wide use. It allows a central administration of data synchronization and all data is transmitted exclusively encrypted. So the company remains master of its data.
Businesses should entrust their sensitive data to the Internet? Is not that a bit daring?
First of all, data synchronization must be as simple as possible; best or interaction. As soon as you have to adjust, configure or run regularly, errors are sneaking in. It is simply human that we make mistakes in routine tasks.
Today's hard drives have capacities of up to 2 terabytes. If you connect several hard drives together, it is easy for small businesses to easily store 10 TB and more data. What is overlooked in this consideration is the data backup. These data sets can hardly be secured economically and reliably. It is not enough to periodically transfer data to other data carriers, but you must also store revisions (ie changes to files).
And where is the advantage with online backups?
I'll explain that with an example: I only make my tax return once a year. That's why I only access certain data once a year. However, if I am unlucky, a virus has corrupted these files and I notice it only a year later. So my backup needs to be able to recover that one year old file. For 2 TB over a year, this is a real challenge.
Online backups have the advantage here that they rid me of this difficult task and they are done by experts. Of course this is associated with a certain loss of control, but honestly: who really has control over his data. As soon as more complex IT systems are used, ie special system administrators or even system houses take over the maintenance, one has only still felt control. EDP is and remains a matter of trust.
I am not quite convinced yet: Is an online backup really a safe alternative?
Information security is crucial for companies. In principle, data should never be released unencrypted from the company. Fortunately, this concern is well known to service providers, so some JungleDisk or Crashplan software for online backups - always encrypt first before they are sent. In this way, you benefit from online synchronization and data backup and still be the only one who can really read the data.
Apart from data security, what else can make companies better to organize work efficiently?
IT becomes more complex and error-prone every year, but our dependency is growing. You should be able to figure out how many employee hours are lost if the IT fails for one day only; apart from frustration. That's why I recommend moving my customers away from self-management to specialized service providers.
Do large companies need software solutions other than small ones?
Basically not, the requirements are basically the same. You can see it in some, even larger American companies, which change partly or completely on Google Apps. The crucial question is again whether one is willing to entrust its data to third parties. This can only be answered case by case and not generally. For example, this also depends on how sensitive the respective data is.
For the most part, Google offers its services and there are also free open source solutions for many applications - does it always have to be the expensive software?
Basically, open source software is as powerful as commercial software. But the rash should not be a comparison of acquisition costs. The actual relevant costs are maintenance costs over time. Here, open source software is not necessarily cheaper, since from my experience, the qualification of the IT-supervising staff must be higher - which then costs accordingly more. How much money a company has to spend can only be answered on the basis of the specific needs of the particular company.
Finally, what does your personal approach look like?
My way of working always follows the same pattern. I always try to work as easy as possible. I get up very early in the morning and start quickly with the most important or biggest daily task. I usually work at home or in the office. But there are days when the ceiling falls on my head and I need a different environment. One of my favorite jobs is the University Library.
I work until I get hungry or my head is not concentrated anymore. Then I take a break. After lunch during the lows, I do trifles, write eMails etc. On bad days, if I do not want to succeed, I go to the afternoon instead of in the evening for sports. In this way, I use the time meaningful instead of sitting idle in the office.
In the evening I go through my notes of the day and prepare the next day. This way, I can start the next morning directly. To use the same working conditions in all places, I use Dropbox. Sensitive data or basically all customer data, encrypt using Truecrypt - open-source encryption software - before the data is stored in Dropbox. I record my notes, thoughts and experiences with Evernote; a note management that exchanges all notes automatically and transparently between my computers and my smartphone. For my task management I use Remember the Milk. It is very lightweight and simple to use.
Efficient virtual management: 7 success factors
// By Roswitha A. van der Markt
Virtual cooperation therefore lives from the few, but intensive face-to-face meetings, such as digital “management by walking around”, in which the technology (Skype, chats, video conferences) is used for personal conversations.
Kick-off meetings
Kick-off meetings are essential, especially at the start of a project, both in a two-on-one discussion as well as in the entire team, as well as in “fixed virtual team structures” and large global distribution meetings at least once or twice a year. Due to the “trust bonus”, the costs incurred are saved many times over with every virtual contact via Skype, chat or collaboration using Yammer, Lync.
Especially these cross-world meetings offer time and space to talk about differences, diversity in the team to open, to find common rules and procedures, but above all to weld the team together as people through fun and joint celebrations.
Listen and learn from each other
Listening is one of the most important skills for leadership and career in the digital age, - focused listening with “real” individual attention. Leadership in the digital world demands the ability to maintain an overview with high dynamics, to deal with the new diversity of thinking and working styles and decision-making, to bring together capacities, to live values and to promote personal ties. However, this takes time, personal openness and the courage to allow closeness in order to exchange preferences, goals, different approaches, to find solutions together and to learn from and with each other.
Digitized forms of collegial cooperation therefore demand virtual ethics, emotional intelligence and training. Training for both the employee and manager. For example, only 87% of the 16% managers have received training for virtual work, and only in the handling of the tools. Virtually no one has dealt with the rules in Puncto communication, cooperation, ethics of a digital, culturally diverse cooperation.
The 7 success factors for virtual routing
1 Mindful corporate culture: The values of corporate culture provide the framework, the framework, the orientation, the rules and guidelines for which purpose