Many of us are not spending as much on transport, car maintenance, takeaway coffees, and lunches, after-work drinks and meals with colleagues or office clothes but more of our money is going towards the energy, phone and internet provider bills. Working from home however, needn’t leave you out of pocket. You only need to make some clever adjustments like the … Read More
What Are the Long Term Effects of Working From Home?
“Working from home” a mode traditionally viewed with suspicion by bosses and with envy by regular commuters, has become the new norm from this spring. The effects of working from home have been little studied, partly because remote working seem to be previously uncommon – 5.1%.1 In the past working and communicating with the office virtually was dismissed by many … Read More
How to Look After Your Car During the COVID-19 Lockdown
The chances are that your car won’t have moved (far) during lockdown. But how can you ensure that your car is ready to go when the time comes to use it more regularly? Cars are made to be used and without regular use their condition can deteriorate. A few preventative measures can help combat this. In this article I discuss … Read More
IT Considerations for Preparing to Return to Office Life
Although possibly premature, as a business we must start to think about what we need to put in place for the eventual return to work of our employees. The Government has issued guidelines and there will be many comments in the press over the coming months, with suggestions about how we can stagger our return and ensure employees safety. There … Read More
How I’m Keeping My Social Life Going During Lockdown
A social life during lockdown? Is that even possible?! Many people that know me, know that I like to socialise and meet up with friends and family most weekends. After a busy week at work it is nice to relax and chat with friends about the week’s stresses and worries. Family first Staying in touch with people is more important … Read More
Optima Staff Top Picks for Things to Do During Lockdown
We asked our staff for recommendations for things to do whilst social distancing. Here are some of the best! Gemma, IT Manager – Go see a musical! Know the lyrics to Jesus Christ Superstar? Wish you could play Christine in the Phantom of the Opera? Then you’re in luck. Andrew Lloyd Webber has teamed up with Universal to announce that … Read More
How to Use Virtual Desktops in Windows 10
The Virtual Desktop feature in Windows 10 can help you split your work and personal apps on the same computer. What is a virtual desktop? A virtual desktop is another desktop running on the same PC / Laptop / Server as the one you are currently using. Rather than having 2 PCs to run as a different person, you can … Read More
How Can I Backup My Data While Working From Home?
Backups are even more important now we are all working from home. How are you storing your data? Those lucky enough of us who can work from home are probably using laptops, either sitting at our kitchen table or ensconced in our small offices (converted junk room), using all the tools we can to keep things going. When we are … Read More
How to Integrate Microsoft SharePoint and Microsoft Teams
What is Microsoft SharePoint? Within most Office 365 Business Licenses there are apps called SharePoint and Teams. SharePoint is like OneDrive or Drobox as it allows files and folders to be saved in the Cloud and then synchronized to make a local copy on your PC, Laptop or Mobile Device. The synchronized copy on your PC or Laptop will reflect … Read More
How to Help the Fight Against COVID-19 from Home
Text About the Author Steve McGuigan Network Engineer Steve is one of our Network Engineers. He was born and raised in Crawley, West Sussex. After completing his GCSE’s he found a job as a Domestic IT Technician for an independent Computer Repair company in Redhill. This saw him travelling around Surrey and West Sussex repairing people’s PCs, laptops, Macs and … Read More
My Tips for Working from Home Better During the COVID-19 Quarantine
I have never worked from home in my life. Always dreamed about it, how great and easy it would be, especially as I have two young children, 4 and 6. Now my dream just came true, realising it could be a nightmare. I am lucky, I have a healthy family, roof over our head and I have a new job … Read More
4 Great Tips for Video Conferencing
We are all being forced to use video conferencing for all meetings and catch-ups during the COVID-19 lockdown. For some of us this is a new and strangely scary thing. But for now, we have no choice and after all this is over, we may find we are working from home far more. But there are a few things you … Read More
How to Access Your Office PC from Home Using RemotePC
Struggling to access or no access to your work PC? Company can’t afford expensive licenses in the current economical situation? If you have answered yes to both these questions, then we would recommend looking at RemotePC. RemotePC has slashed its prices in half to help with the current situation and the increase of users working from home. RemotePC works by … Read More
7 of the Best Headsets for Video Conferencing
Nowadays there is a confusingly huge variety of headsets to choose from. Anything from wireless earbuds to full over ear headsets, everyone has their own opinion on which are best. Typically, the only required features are good audio quality and a good microphone. The remaining features are up to personal preference and budget! The best wireless earphones Apple AirPods Brand: … Read More
Working from Home – The Pros and Cons I’ve Noticed So Far
What happened to my commute?! Being in my late 50’s and having started work at 17, I have to confess to finding this whole “Working from Home” thing difficult. My entire working life has been spent commuting to work. In the early days of the IT industry there was no “connect to this PC remotely”. If a client had an … Read More
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