The failure of Google’s gmail to work today may have caught a number of companies by surprise. However, TCC were ready for it! Our utilisation of a range of web 2.0 tools means we had not placed all our eggs in one backet, even though we have a business account with Google.
This morning, we were still able to send reports to clients, as well as transfer files and documents between our Northern and Southern offices.
Currently we are using:
– Central Desktop
– Skype – did you know you can transfer files through its text facility?
– Facebook
– Twitter – easy to set up short conversations between a group of people using PCs and mobile phones
Many TCC staff also have a number of backup personal email addresses. As well as my TCC and personal gmail accounts, I also run a ymail account.
Today we are all in the office with no official email, but it is having a minimal effect on us. Earlier this month, almost all of us were unable to get into the office due to the snow, but then we were fully up and running as a company by 9.30am and using Skype messaging and PC to PC voice conversations, along with email, to operate at full strength. This enabled us to advise one or two clients on communications issues relating to the impact of the weather and how best they should engage with their customers, members and users.
The key lesson of today and from earlier in the month is to operate across a range of systems and be flexible enough with them to operate them anywhere.