10 remote apps for work in the age of coronavirus

The coronavirus has forced many businesses to move employees to remote work. Companies that haven't experienced remote working before are looking for ways to optimize their processes in a new way.  In this article, the AssistBot team will discuss 10 effective applications for remote working.

1. Zoom.
This application's finest hour came just after the start of the pandemic. Few people haven't heard of Zoom at the current time. Zoom's main feature is to hold mass web conferences that the whole team can join. In addition to video conferencing, Zoom has the ability to exchange files, chat, protect the meeting with a password, show the screen, record the processes, etc. In our opinion, the main success of Zoom is the ease of joining a conference, just drop a link into the working chat.

2. AssistBot.
A convenient service for managers who are uncomfortable to constantly remind their employees to deliver a report or complete a task. The main advantage of the service is that there is no need to install additional programs, all participants use the messenger they use. Your employees are notified via the bot about the need to submit reports or perform the tasks assigned to them. Reports are generated in the form of analytics in your personal account. The service features are segmentation into departments, working with teams in different time zones, motivation assessment, anonymous polls, blockers indication, setting deadlines, etc. Free version for teams with up to 5 employees. 

3. Discord.
A messenger beloved by gamers is also great for remote team interaction. The application can organize public and private chats, voice conferences with many settings. The service is completely free, but for paid subscribers allocate separate powerful servers. Available on all types of devices: MacOs, Windows, Android and iOS. As well as in Zoom, the invitation can be carried out by link-invitation. From the cons found - rare bugs on MacOS.

4. TeamViewer.
TeamViewer is a popular tool for remote access to any computer if you have internet access. The main advantage of the program is its cross-platform nature. You can configure desktops from IOS for Windows or Android devices and vice versa. The program is completely free for home use, but for companies it is paid. The price depends on the number of users in the system. 

5. Slack.
One of the most popular corporate messengers in the world, was created as a "Skype killer". A huge number of corporations use slack as their primary corporate messenger. An excellent tool with a wide range of functionality: Personal messages, general chats, private groups, search among all messages at once, integration with a huge number of applications, including AssistBot (2nd place in our list). The free version supports an unlimited number of users, archive search up to 10,000 messages. In the paid version the restrictions are removed. Recently the service was purchased by SalesForce company for $27.7 billion, we hope this will not affect the pricing policy of slack.

6. Google Drive.
A popular, completely free service for storing and working on company's public files. The same Google spreadsheets and Google documents are stored here. Access to the files is set up by the administrator or by a link. Of interesting implicit features, great for remote teams: scanning receipts through a mobile app, commenting on files on disk, editing PDF, creating a shortcut document on the desktop. The service is free. 

7. Dropbox.
Another service for shared file storage. Many companies trust it because of the higher degree of security, compared to other services. Features: Synchronization of Windows and Mac devices, automatic backups, notification of changes to the document, differentiation of access rights, etc. On the downside - 2 GB of storage in the free version and long download of large files.

8. Pandadoc.
Service for document automation. Pandadoc allows you to create and track documents, use digital signatures. Among the interesting features is sending documents via google docs. Document templates and analytics are not available in the free version. Paid plans starts at $19 per user. The lack of Russian language is one of the disadvantages.

9. Trello.
Trello is a cloud based project management program. Trello is a desktop, on which you place boards with a list of tasks, which can be moved. Trello is based on the project management principle of kanban, which has its roots in the Toyota corporation. The main advantage over other to-do managers is that you can clearly see the entire scope of assigned tasks. In the free version, teams of 10 people are available. From the disadvantages - absence of the Russian language. 

10. Evernote Buisness.
A service for creating and storing notes is great for remote teams as well. It allows you to share notes in real time. All notes are synchronized instantly. The main difference between the business version and the regular version is the enhanced collaboration capabilities. The service supports all possible platforms. The disadvantages are the price: $15 per person and not the most responsive technical support.