NEW ORLEANS (press release) – In response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak, many organizations are mandating a work-from-home policy. While certainly in the best interest of the health of the public at large, this scenario poses new challenges to work processes, infrastructure, and IT systems as users adapt to remote work technologies such as video conferencing, screen sharing, and instant messaging/collaboration tools.
To aid organizations in these response efforts and accommodate a surge in remote workers, many of our vendor partners are offering free or enhanced versions of software and services. Below are a few of the useful services and software licenses available to companies and individuals during the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cisco
- Cisco is modifying the free version of their WebEx Collaboration Suite so that it supports unlimited usage, dial-in availability, and up to 100 people per meeting. For businesses that are not currently Cisco customers, Cisco is also offering a free 90-day trial.
- Cisco Umbrella protects users from malicious Internet destinations whether they are on or off the network. Existing customers can exceed their user limit to support an increase in remote workers, and new customers can access a free license.
- Cisco AnyConnect Secure Mobility Client empowers employees to work from anywhere on company laptops or personal mobile devices. Existing AnyConnect customers can exceed their user limit to support an increase in remote workers, and new customers can access a free license.
Microsoft
For the next six months, Microsoft Teams is available for free to assist businesses who are implementing a remote workforce and require an online collaboration and meeting tool.
Google
G Suite and G Suite for Education customers can acquire free access to the Google Hangouts Meet video conferencing toolset that includes:
- Larger meetings: up to 250 participants per call
- Live streaming: up to 100,000 viewers within a domain
- Record meetings and save them to Google Drive
This article was offered and written by Postlethwaite & Netterville.
