What an unfortunate and terrifying past couple of weeks in the US and around the world! We’ve seen a flood of people being sent to "work from home (WFH)" along with a rise in the death tolls. Many of the less fortunate have been laid off or furloughed during these troubling times, making the impact to our economy entirely felt in every way.

However, I can't help but imagine the panic if any of the following systems went down:

• Networks
• Internet
• VPN systems
• Office 365
• EHR and ERP / clinical and back-end software systems
• Hospitals, Clinics, Banking, Credit Card Clearing Systems, ATM Machines, et cetera

These systems must be kept running. In order to do so, it takes people. No matter how much automation is utilized, there are people in the back office making sure that technology is up and functioning. It's just another utility. But it is a very close second to both of those. In fact, I would argue that without the technology up and going, we would not have water or power delivered to our businesses and homes.

This phenomenon puts tremendous pressure on our support system within IT:

• Increase in calls to the Service / Help Desk

• People needing help connecting to meetings

• Troubleshooting headsets and cameras

• Connecting to Virtual Private Networks (VPN).

This appears to be one of those times where there is a displacement of people with these technology skills. In addition, there is pressure on a company's ability to be able to provide this support. This is not only limited to help desk or troubleshooting problems either. There are still cybersecurity threats, as fraud has already proven to be rampant with both web and mobile devices.

Despite everything going on in the world, environments need to be patched, systems need to be upgraded, and mission critical projects need to continue. I urge companies to HIRE AMERICANS during this time more than ever. Our industry has been in a race to the bottom on cost for the last twenty (20) years, which includes a frantic transfer of positions offshore. We need the work here at home now more than ever.

It is in times like these when we start to recognize the importance of keeping your company up to date in the latest and greatest technology and dedicated employees, which requires an upfront investment. But in the long-run, you’ll notice that the companies who aren’t being as negatively impacted by these times are the ones who did make that investment, and you should, too.

If you’re looking for a band-aid solution, or even want to take a step in the right direction for the future, contact us and we’ll work with you on contract and long-term solutions to get your company’s technology updated, upgraded, and ready for the future.