As we move forward into a new reality in the wake of COVID-19, ensure that your establishment is well-equipped with the latest tech solutions.
The reality of the world we live in and the road to recovery across all industries, facilities, and institutions has proven an extremely challenging one in the wake of COVID-19. In fact, the road to recovery and the emergence into a new reality is rewriting itself in the world as we know it. Our relationships with multiple global institutions – political, consumer, capital markets, religious, education, and social — are all undergoing tremendous change. While different industries and markets will follow diverse paths and speeds into this uncharted future, all will exist in a much more digitally connected world.
That’s why, no matter the nature of your facility, business, or industry, we as a collective society need to create appropriate policies and procedures that can be put in place and sustained to ensure safe, secure, and healthy environments – professional or otherwise.
What we refer to as the digital world — the cloud, network, and modern IT infrastructure components of a technological environment — is the foundation that gives us as a society the ability to navigate necessary changes and to move forward. The shift to cloud-native and public cloud has radically accelerated, and with that in mind, we provide some insights that you might want to consider as we move forward in the age of business/industry and the coronavirus pandemic. The following is what we predict in terms of policies and procedures for COVID-19 and IT in your facility.
The Necessity of a Connected World
Cloud, network, and modern IT infrastructure will help enable enterprises to navigate the new reality of all of the changes set in motion and/or accelerated by the COVID-19 pandemic. If not already in place, it is all but imperative for your facility, no matter which vertical it falls into, to advance to a modern network of connectivity.
With millions working remotely, the necessity for more modern infrastructure has become evident. For example, the increased demand for 5G networks should be anticipated if it hasn’t already become evident. The same goes for any mobile devices, re-imagined remote workplace setups, integrated SaaS (Software as a Service) collaboration tools, and highly secure PaaS (Platform as a Service) solutions. If you carefully and purposefully embed these solutions into your facility’s IT infrastructure now, it will almost certainly pay off in the future.
Take it to the Cloud
Your company, facility, or establishment must be resilient during such times. It’s important that you make well-informed and calculated decisions for the longevity of your enterprise. Where possible, it’s critical to disperse risk, increase work-load relevancy, and gain flexibility.
It would also be beneficial to consider shifting your facility’s network to a multi-cloud system. We at Uniti believe that cloud and modern infrastructure solutions will be an essential part of the path forward in today’s IT world. Take this time to examine your entire strategies and policies, how cloud-compatibility will fit into your business, and ask yourself the following questions:
- What cloud strategies are required to deliver the speed and flexibility you require?
- Will your establishment support a secure, connected, and seamless experience?
- Is your architecture built to support a broader digital ecosystem within the next year?
- Are you properly optimizing the spend on your current infrastructure environment?
Thermal Cams and the Extras
With new policies set in place by coronavirus, it’s also important to equip your facility with modern and necessary solutions for keeping everyone safe. One such popular device is thermal imaging. Many companies have taken to installing thermal cameras – a high-resolution camera that detects body temperatures with an accuracy of one-half a degree Fahrenheit.
The system interprets the data and alerts a technician when anyone presents an above-average temperature, a potential symptom of a COVID-19 infection, so the person could be pulled aside for additional screening.
Such devices aren’t necessarily just for medical use, either. Energy companies, for example, use this technology to spot leaky pipelines. Factories use them to detect worn out parts in machinery.
Since the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, thermal cameras were implemented in high-traffic facilities such as airports, shopping malls, nursing homes, factories, office buildings, schools, and more. But the implementation of such equipment is raising questions about their safety and accuracy.
The thermal imaging cameras of today are quite accurate — with few moving parts and simple operating mechanisms. In order to get an accurate temperature reading, however, it’s imperative that these cameras are positioned in such a way that they’re able to target the correct area of a person’s face. According to the Conversation, during the 2009 Swine Flu pandemic, the forehead was the target area used, and this gave misleading results.
Using Thermal cameras in a workplace or public environment must be accompanied by policies that consider the health data information, discrimination, and necessary protections of the entity deploying the camera and the individuals subject to the screenings.
A Precaution, Not a Solution
Fever is an important symptom to look out for when it comes to COVID-19 but will not always be present. This is why the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency in the UK warned that temperature screening cannot be relied upon for detecting cases of COVID-19.
Still, there is clinical evidence to support the use of thermal cameras for fever screening. The reality is that with the right thermal imaging camera, the right lens, and following the correct guidelines and standards, it can be effective as a screening tool.
Work with a Trusted Provider
Uniti is a leading provider of wireless infrastructure solutions for the communications industry. We know things are changing daily and want our partners to always be prepared. Network requirements today are very different from what they will be in the near future, therefore our solutions prepare companies for future growth – using reliable infrastructure and scalable solutions.
As we combat COVID-19 and move into a safe and connected future, team up with the pros at Uniti Fiber for safe and secure IT solutions.
