3.5 mins | 900 words
By: Katie LeClair
Today, we’re all relying on technology to a greater degree than we ever have before. We connect with our friends over online gameplay (have you downloaded Houseparty yet?), pre-order groceries for curbside pick-up, and stream the latest home workout video to break a sweat. Our day-to-day has changed – is changing – and we’re adapting.
Businesses are adapting too.
Companies around the globe are transitioning, adjusting as they go in this new reality. Almost overnight, my team went from having a central office at the always busy Bayview Yards – every day surrounded by the energizing hustle and bustle of the innovation centre – to logging in from home. Maybe your business is remote now, too, or at least a majority of people in your organization are working virtually. Maybe you’ve been impacted on an additional level: you’re an owner or founder who’s had to evolve your business model or pivot your product. Whatever you’re experiencing as a company, you’re managing change, and that change includes an increasingly virtual work life.
Although the hows and whens of returning to the office are uncertain for most of us, a recent poll suggests that Canadians think working from home works, and they’ll continue to even when the pandemic ends. For business leaders, the question is, are you fully equipped to manage virtual teams?
These companies could help with that.
Here are five Ottawa-based software-as-a-service (SaaS) companies that could provide the solution your business is looking for:
Keep in lockstep with your remote teams: Fellow
Fellow is a smart assistant tool built for managers. The app makes working with teams, particularly working with direct reports, easier. It integrates with your calendar, sends notifications and recommendations for increased efficiencies that keep your day on track, and offers one place to send and receive feedback, collaborate on agendas (while even suggesting meeting topics!), and assign to-dos.
With this tool, you can run more effective one-on-ones and, ultimately, communicate better as a leader. Fellow.app is a must-try for any leader looking for a smoother way to stay on top of things.
Monitor servers and networks on your phone: ITmanager.net
ITmanager.net is a mobile-first SaaS company for IT Administrators. This software allows IT admins to monitor their servers and networks, receive notifications when problems come up and then connect to their servers and fix problems using only their phone.
It’s an all-in-one enterprise server and network administrator service. Now, you or your IT professional doesn’t have to go into the server room to monitor/maintain/restart equipment. ITmanager.nets service lets you oversee and maintain your company’s computer infrastructure from devices as small and convenient as an apple watch.
ITmanager.net is offering an extended free trial period. Instead of 30-days, new customers can have 90-days to decide if the service is for them.
Make learning from home seamless for your staff and students: Kivuto
Kivuto is a SaaS company that helps schools go digital by centralizing the management and distribution of all digital resources, making e-learning easier. Academic institutions use their software platform to host content electronically, and, in one place, institutions can ensure compliance, distribution to the right people, and get access to reporting and analytics. Ultimately, their staff can work from home and students can learn from home.
Kivuto Solution is now providing open access to digital academic resources for educational institutions. Kivuto and Pearson partnered to enhance the digital learning experience by offering access to over 70 curriculum-based K-12 textbooks covering such topics as literacy, math and science via Kivuto’s Texidium platform and Reader. As of April 22, over 100,000 (108,755 to be exact!), free resources were accessed by students, teachers, and families through this initiative.
If you’re a teacher, student or member of the school board looking for resources to continue to immerse yourself in the digital learning environment, check out their offer of support before it ends on May 25.
Transfer massive files ultra-fast from anywhere: MASV
MASV is a SaaS company that allows subscribers to transfer massive files seamlessly with a pay-as-you-go plan. The company claims to be exactly the same as other large file transfer services but without file size limits, software, port-forwarding issues, expensive annual contracts, storage limits, slow speeds, complicated interfaces, or transfer failures. On February 26, MASV announced the launch of a new service to upload large (and they’re talking LARGE) files to Amazon Simple Storage Service. And, on April 8, they launched MASV App 2.0, an upgrade that allows for the automated transfer of ultra-large files for remote teams.
Who is their primary user? You, the media and entertainment professional, videographer and/or creator; the one who wants to transfer 100GB+ files fast.
Deploy a virtual workplace the fastest, easiest and most secure way: Tehama
Tehama is a SaaS platform that delivers virtual offices, rooms, and desktops anywhere in minutes. It offers control and security for global businesses by allowing them to deploy work environments, all in the cloud, in any web browser on any device. Tehama’s software replaces the need for patch updates, shipping laptops, VPN connections and upfront infrastructure costs altogether.
Using Tehama, you can quickly onboard/offboard employees and manage, scale, secure, and audit virtual workers. It’s a central and safe way to grant access to corporate assets, and eliminate laptop shipping costs and cut down on time wasted.
If you have a global workforce, cybersecurity is a priority, and you want to cut down on cost, Tehama offers it all.
About the Author
Katie LeClair is the Corporate Communications Team Lead with Invest Ottawa and Bayview Yards. What she loves most about working for Ottawa’s lead economic development agency and innovation hub is meeting the local business owners and entrepreneurs. They inspire her every day.