2020 has not been our year. The biggest spill of 2020, COVID-19 (commonly recognized as the coronavirus) has already hit us pretty bad. As the outbreak forces several countries into lockdown and affects almost all global markets, governments all around the world issue advisories for people to stop gathering. To avoid further spread of the virus, companies have instructed their employees to start working from home.
Now, while many (like me) might be accustomed to working from home, some are relatively new. If you’re one of those souls who like the work environment and are having trouble staying on the task at home, here are some apps that’ll make your life easier:
1. Slack
One of the most popular team management apps, Slack is an ideal communication tool for remote workers. We, here at AppleSutra, absolutely love Slack. With so many third-party integrations and an easy-to-use interface, it’s the best way to manage your work and maintain communication with your colleagues. Separate channels and private chat windows decrease irrelevant info, making it a truly focused tool. Slack is free to use for small businesses who are okay with one-to-one only calls and 5GB data limits. For teams who need more, the paid versions start from $2.67 (approx. ₹200 p.m.) to $5 (around ₹380 p.m.), depending upon the upgrades.
2. Team Viewer
Team Viewer is a remote desktop software, one of the best in business, that lets you use almost any device remotely no matter where you are. It allows sharing of desktops and also offers web conferencing! This especially helps IT professionals in manually diagnosing faulty systems from any corner of the world. The free version of Team Viewer is already pretty good for single users. However, the paid version allows access to another 200-500 devices. Furthermore, it also allows cross-device remote access, meaning you can access your Mac through Windows and vice versa.
3. Trello
Designed as a completely board-based management planner, Trello is a handy tool where you can have many different pipelines in a project. The drag-and-drop card system makes it easy to keep track of all the work going on simultaneously. A small team, though not more than 10 people, can actually manage pretty well with the free version of the app. However, that depends a lot upon your work process. The premium plans, starting at $9.99 (approx. ₹750), provide tons of other features including unlimited team boards and team voting.
4. Zoom
Zoom is one of the fastest-growing video communication tools right now. It has apps for both iPhone and iPad, enabling easy communication and meetings for people working from home. Apart from video meetings and one-to-one calls, it also allows web-conferences and webinars. The free version, again, should be more than enough for small teams, but there’s a 40-minute call limit. The best-paid feature is that only the host needs to pay for monthly plans. The viewers can join in for free!
5. Microsoft Teams
Similar to Slack in many ways, Microsoft Teams provides users with a more organized workshop. The default and customized tabs under each project make the conversations, files, and everything else super accessible. Though it’s slower than Slack, many companies prefer Microsoft Teams due to the Office 365 integration. Plus, if you’re already subscribed to Office 365, Microsoft Teams is free for you.
It’s only March, but 2020 has already proven to be a shitty year. Make sure to stay at home, and do try these tried-and-tested apps if you’re worried about work productivity. Meanwhile, does anyone know how long the trial for 2020 lasts? I wanna unsubscribe.