A third of UK businesses do not currently have the tech infrastructure to handle long-term remote working, according to new data commissioned by Leonne International and conducted by independent survey company Censuswide.
The concerning research comes at a time when large numbers of businesses have closed their offices and implemented mass working from home efforts as part of social distancing attempts to help slow the spread of the highly-infectious coronavirus (COVID-19).
The survey quizzed 200 senior business decision makers from large and medium-sized companies on the business impact of the COVID-19 crisis, discovering that 41% plan to increase their IT and tech investment in the coming weeks to cope with the new remote working structure.
Worryingly, 28% of respondents said they were actively planning to make redundancies to survive the crisis.
Tech expert Sridhar Iyengar, MD of Zoho Europe, said: “The COVID-19 crisis poses an existential threat to many businesses, with a significant number of companies completely unprepared for the sudden shift towards 100% remote working.
“With many businesses scrambling to introduce virtual meetings, manage projects online and provide essential daily briefings for employees, the tech industry has a moral obligation to step in and offer resources to help companies to adapt to this new way of working.”
Jonathan Young, CIO, FDM Group, a FTSE 250 company, added that whilst the sudden shift to complete remote working will be a shock for many companies, it’s vital to recognize that organizations can find ways to operate without a formal office space.
“Despite millions of workers remaining isolated at home for the foreseeable future and juggling family commitments, workers still want to get online and do their jobs as efficiently as possible. It’s critical that businesses leaders take action to address these demands, bringing together digital talent from across the business to ensure every member of staff has access to online support and systems to continue operating as normal.”
The fallout from the COVID-19 pandemic has seen numerous tech companies offer free products, services and advice to organizations to support them as they turn to long-term remote working strategies.