Top 7 software vendors facilitating ‘Work from Home’ during COVID-19 pandemic

The Coronavirus pandemic had made countries go on lock down and many organizations around the world have initiated work from home as an alternative. Considering the situation, software manufacturers have come up with free remote working software to facilitate the productivity and security of business operations. By doing this, the vendors are branding themselves as a software manufacturer in the target category and are hoping to gain some returns eventually.

This article will include a list of free software that is being offered for free in the market to make things easy for businesses.

1. Adobe 

Since many schools are physically closed and have moved to the online learning methodology, Adobe is giving extended access to Adobe Creative Cloud desktop apps, to facilitate the distant learning approach. They are giving their higher education and K-12 customers a temporary login ‘at-home’ option instead of doing so from the on-campus labs. Adobe will keep this option running until May 31st, 2020 at no additional cost. Users can follow this ‘Enabling student access to Creative Cloud during COVID-19 campus closures‘ to activate this learn work from home option. Adobe is also sharing some distant learning resources like inspiring projects, ideas, best practices and more to keep things alive.

It is also giving a free 90-day access to Adobe Connect– a web conferencing software that schools, businesses and government agencies to facilitate the entire work from the home situation. Check this video to know more about it.

2. Cisco

Cisco has also launched its free web conferencing software with additional perks like, unlimited usage, supports 100 participants and toll dial-in with VOIP capabilities. They are also giving a 90-day free license to non-Webex customers and scaled up the capabilities for existing customers.

3. Cloudfare

Joining the Cicso and Adobe’s coronavirus remote workplace offers, Cloudfare is also expanding their product offerings to solve the remote work option, by ensuring the employees and teams in an organization can access critical tools they work on with complete security, speed and reliability. With robust VPNs and Firewalls, accessing critical applications, tools and documents would be cyber safe.

4. Google

Google is offering more such work from home and education from home tools at no additional costs starting with their G suite and G Suite for Education, followed by Hangouts Meet a web conferencing application, and Google classrooms to continue schooling from home.

Advanced version of Hangouts Meet application is being rolled out to G Suite customers globally with options below,

1. Increased participant capabilities to 250 per call.
2. Live streaming enabled to 100,000 viewers in a domain.
3. Recording and saving the meetings in Google Drive for review and audit purposes.

5. LogMeIn

LogMeIn is giving a three month free licenses to GoToMeeting which will facilitate employees to attend meetings, conduct one-to-one discussions, conferences, webinars and other virtual events absolutely free for 30 days. ‘The emergency remote work kit ‘Meet’ will provide a site-wide license for GoToMeeting,’ said Bill Wagner, the CEO of LogMeIn in a blog post.

6. Microsoft

Microsoft is contributing through its Microsoft Teams at zero cost. If the organization is already using Office 365, then they already own it. For individuals and IT professionals, this is what they need to do to avail it,

Individuals:

• Got an e-mail address that is through a school or work, click here. 
• Gmail or Outlook, signup here. 

IT Professionals:

• IT professionals can avail the free Office 365 E1 offer for six months, if their organization doesn’t own a license for the Teams.
• If the professionals are from an educational institution, then they can avail the Office 365 A1 (free version) from here. 

7. Zoho

Zoho is offering a free remote working software called ‘Zoho Remotely‘ which will enable the remote workers to be more productive, reliable and quick during this COVID-19 situation. With Zoho Remotely comes ten different applications at no additional cost until July 1st, 2020. Zoho is offering Cliq, Meeting, Showtime, Workdrive, Projects, Sprints, Assist, Writer, Sheet and Show in this Zoho Remotely bundle. Zoho believes this could facilitate the startups big time compared to other options in the market. 

Enterprises that have incorporated work from home options can use the above listed free software that are here to facilitate remote work and enhance employee productivity. These are times when people should stay safe, so lets wield these tools to make things come off just from our home.

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P.S: If you’re a vendor and offering similar free tools during this pandemic, please message us through our facebook page so we can include you.