Covid-19 (CoronaVirus) and your IT

by | Feb 29, 2020 | News

No amount of AntiVirus software will help with this one!

Whether this is a “Black Swan” event or not, it’s certainly having an impact.  As I write this, there are stories of panic buying of hand sanitiser and face masks at the local supermarkets.

That means it’s inevitable you will ask us what we are doing about the Coronavirus, and your stakeholders are probably asking you.

At the time of writing, there are reported just under 90,000 cases and just under 3,000 deaths.  But who knows how accurate that is, or what the impact will be in New Zealand?  It seems likely its going to be hitting us hard at the same time we get the normal flu season, so that won’t help.  Man-flu is bad enough, this could be even worse!  Actually, the emphasis on hygiene might have a positive effect, as people get back to basics and take care of themselves.  Let’s hope so!

In the meantime, there are some real impacts.

The economy is suffering a very real impact

We’ve seen airlines cancelling or suspending services as they experience reduced demand.  That’s going to impact trade.  If its necessary to meet with overseas suppliers or customers, and that travel is disrupted, then the resulting business will be reduced.   With reduced travel, we’re also seeing reduced freightSupply chains are slowing and stopping.  In the IT industry,  there are now significant delays in sourcing equipment, including basic items like laptops, tablets and phones, and even games like Nintendo.

It is reflected in other industries.  For example, in automotive,  Bosch are warning that Chinese supplied parts are becoming scarce.  Hyundai have had to put their manufacturing plans in Korea on ice as they work through supply issues.

The brakes are on conferences as well.  I’ve just booked travel to a US IT conference that might not occur.  The big “MWC” Mobile World Congress mobile phone showcase, where many manufacturers launch their new product, was cancelled last week.  Closer to home, Cisco just cancelled their Melbourne Cisco Live event and SalesForce just moved their in-person conference to a digital event.  (Those carbon footprints are shrinking rapidly!)

So, what are we doing, and what can you do?

At Kinetics, we can do most of our work remotely.  If any of our staff have to work from home, they can.  They’ll miss the camaraderie of their colleagues in the office environment, but they get on with their work.  With Microsoft Teams, we can communicate easily from anywhere, run online meetings and channel the vital office conversations that add so much value to work.  Our tools all work remotely, from our CRM to our time tracking, job-logging, support tools and financial systems.  Everything is securely protected with various layers of defenses, so we’re feeling strong and ready.  The only thing we can’t do remotely is come onsite to your office and move things around or plug them in.

How many of your staff can work remotely?   How many of the software tools you use are ready for remote access for all your people who need them, ready to use at once?  Can your phones work from people’s homes if they need to be away for a period of time?  Every business will be slightly different, and we’re eager to help you work through your own situation.

Please contact your account manager or call us on 0800 KINETICS for advice.