“We enabled remote work and local access for multiple users”

Anjani Kommisetti, Country Manager (India & SAARC), Raritan & Servertech, shares with Shubhendu Parth steps taken by the company during COVID-19 to ensure business continuity and maintenance support to customers even as a majority of its employees in India take to remote work. Excerpts from the email interview.

On business continuity process and plan

Our India operations are mostly related to sales and we don’t have any factories in the country. Because of the lockdown, our local offices, logistics, shipments, deliveries have been shut down. However, despite these challenges our business is running smoothly even remotely, considering we’re in the business of remote management solutions for more than two decades.

On collaboration and communication tools being used during WFH

We have trained the resources to use online tools like Office 365 Teams and Skype to conduct meetings, training, and have established an online support system for our customers as well. We also use telephone conferencing and 8x8 video conferencing tools.

On tools to keep customer service up and running during the lockdown

During this lockdown period, Raritan is ensuring that its customers are not left behind, and we are constantly providing them with telephonic support and our teams are waiting on different platforms for easy communication and service. We have also ensured remote maintenance of their systems, along with collection and saving video snapshots from equipment for viewing and sharing device status with multiple users.

On strategies and facilities to enable safe and secure remote connectivity

Accessing tools from home, from a security point of view has been addressed way back when the industry moved from IPSEC VPN connections to SSL VPN secured connectivity. And today, we have tools like office 365 teams that are completely on the cloud, and nothing has to be installed at the branch office or on an individual’s device. Employees realize that they now have limited access to the IT help desk and as a measure, all these employees have been given online training to ensure they are well equipped on their own. We have several types of training that are accessible on our website by simply logging in.

Accessing tools from home, from a security point of view has been addressed way back when the industry moved from IPSEC VPN connections to SSL VPN secured connectivity.

On access devices to facilitate work-from-home

We have enabled remote and local access to multiple users. Enabling access from smartphones, mobile devices, laptops, PCs, or workstations allows control of equipment by different-level personnel over the corporate network for uninterrupted operations.

On technology and business challenges faced by the company during the lockdown

We offer KVM and IP solutions on very secure connectivity. The best part of this is that one can reach the test machines, lab machines, or the data centers even when the core network is not available. With these kinds of solutions being offered to the world, one can say that we are technologically equipped to manage our work internally as well.

From a business standpoint, we have seen many of our customers—R&D labs and data centers—sourcing more of KVM solutions during the last one-to-two months. There has been a dependency on Indian labs and for employees to have access to colleagues, customers from other locations like Europe, China, and the US. These labs have been equipped to give remote management, which can also help in conducting a real lab test and development activity, which usually requires a physical presence.

Our KVM or IP solutions have enabled our customers to have the same feel and control as if they are in front of the machine. The only challenge is that we are unable to move any equipment from our warehouse to customers or import some of the goods due to the complete lockdown of freight forwarders, couriers and logistics currently in the country and other locations.

shubhendup@cybermedia.co.in

The interview was first published in the April 2020 print edition of Voice&Data