Organizations need to prepare for the possibility that some employees will quarantine themselves by avoiding the office, or may be mandated by public health officials during widespread flu outbreaks. This research note describes various types of information technologies and IT governance that Info-Tech believes are critical to enable business continuity if a major communicable disease outbreak occurs, impacting your organization. Topics covered include:
- Collaboration tools and technologies
- Enterprise and desktop applications
- Service desk tools and desktop support
- Virtual private networks and virtual desktops
Under the shadow of an H1N1 outbreak, enterprises must also prepare for the possibility that public health organizations may recommend or mandate work-at-home during extreme conditions. IT must be equipped to act swiftly to support such decisions.