NEW DELHI: People around the world are bracing for a long stretch at home thanks to Covid-19, and boomers and millennials alike are going to have to figure out how to stay focused even as they stay indoors for an indeterminate period of time. While certain companies, like those producing content (Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and others) or mobile/console games (Tencent’s PUBG, Call of Duty, and others), are seeing increased growth and usage, most others are trying to figure out this whole work-from-home thing.
And while the ubiquity of the Internet means we’re always connected, different professions require different ways to work together. In the spirit of co-operation, here are some of the best productivity apps for all those working from home:
Basecamp
We guess it’s only because the term ‘virtual office’ was already taken because that’s exactly what Basecamp is. This app is geared towards remotely working teams in all kinds of industries and enables each work-related task to be broken up into separate projects. Each task contains everything related to the project on hand including the employees involved, discussions, related files and media, and other relevant data.
Slack
More business-oriented than WhatsApp, and more versatile than Google Hangouts, this messaging platform and app allows team members to communicate online. It also enables them to create channels for different departments and or projects so that chats are topic-specific.
ZOOM
This highly popular video conferencing app allows anyone with a laptop and Internet connection to host or join meetings online. One of the ZOOM’s best features is that it allows you to record meetings, so you automatically have the minutes of every discussion.
Microsoft Teams
This is the OG collaborative business suite with all the features of Word, Excel, Powerpoint, and all the other necessary evils of a modern workplace, along with video chats and channels, which can be accessed by all the members of the team.
Sketchboard
Talk about getting virtual with your illustrations and designs. Sketchboard is a literal white-boarding platform and app that helps colleagues in creative fields connect, create, and share their ideas and designs by actually sketching them online.All the above apps have free basic use as well as premium paid features.