Using technology to achieve a work-life balance: VPN and BYOD

The following article presents some of the technologies that can be used to help us improve our work-life balance by being more efficient and flexible in what we do and where we do it from. Many of the technologies help us work from dynamic locations and make communication and information sharing faster and more versatile, providing benefits to both employers and their employees with higher staff morale and increased productivity.

VPN

The term VPN, or Virtual Private Network, is used to describe scenarios and technologies that allow two disparate local computer networks (LANs) to be securely connected over public networks such as the Internet. The exact protocols and technologies may vary with some VPNs that use software programs and / or network configurations, but the basic principle is that the data that is transmitted between the two endpoints on each network or device is contained in encrypted packets, while each endpoint requires authentication to restrict access to authorized users. Since encrypted packets can only be decoded at these endpoints, data cannot be intercepted while traveling over public networks.

This secure system can be used not to connect just two different geo-location LANs, but also to connect individual machines / devices to the LANs. Therefore, for businesses, it can be a valuable technology for connecting separate offices or allowing employees to connect to centralized LANs when traveling or working from other locations. However, for individual employees looking to improve their work-life balance, it can be a vital tool allowing them to work from home and still access all the secure files and data stored on their office servers, as well as to run programs, such as e-mail. customers as if they were sitting at their usual desk. The flexibility this offers can, when required by the employer, greatly alleviate time and travel pressures, preventing work from excessively encroaching on personal time. Additionally, employers using VPNs are more likely to be helpful when it comes to moving workplaces due to the security the VPN offers, as well as continuity, with employees able to contribute and work at the same capacity as if were on the site.

BYOD

BYOD, which stands for Bring Your Own Device, represents a rapidly growing trend in the workplace in which employees are allowed, and sometimes encouraged, to use their own personal devices instead of those provided by their company . A BYOD policy has to address security concerns as ‘untrusted’ devices (with various malware vulnerabilities and the potential to remove private data from the network) make their way into the workplace LANs that they denounce. otherwise they would be restricted. On the other hand, adoption can reduce a company’s IT spending, introduce more IT functions into the workplace, and make individual employees more productive as they work on devices with which they are most familiar. Therefore, the adoption of BYOD and its benefits are based on technologies such as VPN (above) to provide secure connections between devices and LAN (without necessarily bringing the device directly to the LAN behind the firewall).

BYOD helps improve work-life balance by further blurring the line between working from the office, on the road, or at home, so there is a seamless transition between the two; reducing the need to travel / commute in many cases. It can also increase the period and efficiency of production, which, in turn, can mean that the working day consumes less personal time. All of which means more personal time at home. Furthermore, it cannot be underestimated how the sense of morality at work affects the dynamics of work and personal life, so the use of devices with which one is familiar, experienced and comfortable can be important.

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