NAVIGATION
CORPORATE OFFICE
Zunesis, Inc.
4B Inverness Ct E Suite 100,
Englewood, CO 80112
(720) 221-5200
Las Vegas
6671 Las Vegas Blvd S
Building D Suite 210, Office 260
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 837-5300
If you have ever read my blogs (or know me at all) then it will be no secret, to you, that I enjoy movies. I also like to use things I enjoy in an analogous way to help me better explain or convey things. For this reason, I will be hypothesizing the years 2020 and 2021 as entries in a 2-part film franchise. Where 2020 is the nail-biting first act filled with plot-twists, red herrings and maybe even a cliffhanger ending (sorry you’ll find no spoilers below, you’re just going to have to stick around until the end credits). This inevitably sets up the much-anticipated sequel: 2021. Where high stakes, big reveals, and even bigger emotional payoffs are to be expected (maybe even a massive deus ex machina will come into play? You never know!).
Keep in mind that all of the events laid out below are ones that were a direct result of the Covid-19 pandemic. If we are comparing 2020 to a movie, it is pretty clear that the coronavirus would be the primary villain. I realize other notable events occurred in the last year, but I think it is safe to assume that we all know the key storyline as well as the chief antagonist.
Note: The forecast of 2021 events are merely conjecture and should be viewed as the expected outcomes based on the current information we have. As much as I would love to give a concrete story summary, we should always be prepared for unexpected plot twists.
What Happened in 2020: Capacity Restrictions and Curfews- For the majority of 2020, many restaurants, bars, gyms, and other communal locations were put on stringent capacity reductions or required to close completely.
What This Means for 2021: Many of these restrictions have already been dialed back or lifted entirely. In 2021, we can expect to not only get closer to “the old normal” but also see a big increase in traffic in all previously affected social locations.
What Happened in 2020: Remote and Hybrid Learning- Most schools across the country had to adopt a new E-learning model, with some schools still able to provide an in-person or hybrid model.
What This Means for 2021: This necessary alteration to educational institutions has brought a rise to methodologies and new solutions to make this transition possible and much easier. It is expected that students will return to physical classrooms in 2021, but now they will have a foundation to fall back on for unexpected remote necessities. Find out More Here
What Happened in 2020: Movie and Concert Reschedules – Seemingly common occurrences like going to the movie theater or attending a concert venue were completely derailed in 2020 and forced to be postponed.
What This Means for 2021: Good things come to those who wait. If these fun events can’t take place now…. But they have to happen sometime. And that time is pointing towards being 2021. Artists have pushed most shows off to a date and time where it will be safe for them to perform, again, in front of crowds. And as far as the 2021 movie schedule? It is now going to be STACKED.
What Happened in 2020: New Health and Safety Precautions- Over the past several months, a plethora of new health initiatives, such as face-coverings, hand-sanitizing stations, and temperature checks, have been put into place. Both as a mandated requirement and as a necessity.
What This Means for 2021: Organizations all over the world are rising to the challenge and meeting demand to supply valuable PPE and employ other methods to monitor the population and keep people safe (including, but not limited to, temperature-screening kiosks from Meridian. The need for these precautions may minimize over time (that plotline might be saved for 2022 and we can make this a trilogy 😉). For the time being, it looks like 2021 will constantly be churning out solutions to keep folks safe.
What Happened in 2020: Commercial and Public Sector Budgets – Once the uncertainty of the pandemic began to play out, many organizations across the country, had to limit or freeze all spending.
What This Means for 2021: Help from multiple directions has come into assist in a multitude of ways. Small business loans, grants, The CARES Act, and new changes to e-rate funding, will all significantly help a wide array of companies with securing much-needed funds. Find more info here
What Happened in 2020: No Live Sporting Events- Some organizations delayed their seasons, some televised them from empty stadiums, and others cancelled their seasons entirely. Regardless of the route taken, there was no way for fans to watch “live” sports for the majority of 2020
What This Means for 2021: This one is an ever-evolving landscape. In the last portion of 2020, SOME fans have been able to attend live sporting events in a heavily social-distanced format. With these small victories, all we can hope is packing the stadiums again, in the near future, like the good ol’ days!
What Happened in 2020: Working from home- An unprecedented amount of businesses and their office workers had to quickly switch to a remote workforce.
What This Means for 2021: Like the developments brought about by the aforementioned E-learning model, the sudden shift to a remote workforce has opened up the floodgates for new solutions encompassing VDI and cloud gateways. It will also change the way that future business is conducted for merchants and customers alike.
Well, my friends, the good thing about “2020: The Movie- Part 1” is that we are in the final scenes of the third act. We won’t be able to rate this bad boy until we see the final credits on New Year’s Eve. Regardless, 2021 is shaping up to be a killer sequel. If 2020 is Mad Max, then 2021 will be Road Warrior….and I can’t wait to catch you all at the premier!
Many of us are now dealing with the reality that we have children who will be attending school online. This will likely put a strain on parents to provide adequate wireless coverage, internet bandwidth and a practical computing platform for their children. It can be overwhelming to identify and understand the logistics of remote learning at home. I will explore the technical options and opportunities available to parents. This will enable parent to provide their students with a productive and resilient learning environment.
Most students will leverage online classrooms and conferencing technologies like Zoom, Microsoft Teams or Google Hangouts while attending school. These video conferencing technologies can really impact the overall performance of your internet when more than one person is utilizing them. Understanding internet service speeds is important to make a good decision when choosing a plan.
Most consumer internet is available with high download speeds and lower upload speeds. It is often marketed as 100Mbps down and 5Mbps up. Understanding how much bandwidth you need can be confusing. I have found that a good rule of thumb for estimating the necessary bandwidth is to take the number of concurrent users utilizing Zoom or whatever virtual meeting software and multiply by 2.5. The number 2.5 represents the necessary speed needed to attend a meeting leveraging 1080P HD web cameras. So, if two students are attending a video call then they would consume on average about 5Mbps (2 x 2.5) both download and upload speed concurrently. Most consumer broadband plans would accommodate that need.
The only type of internet service that will not support two or more users is DSL where service numbers look more like 40Mbps download and 1.5Mbps upload. Most cable or fiber internet providers offer even better speeds than what my examples have shown. If you have a plan that doesn’t mathematically fit our equation, then you should upgrade the service or find a provider that can support the speeds you need. Keep in mind that it is always better to have more bandwidth than just enough to facilitate your requirement.
Your internet provider will often provide this device for you when you subscribe to their service. The device is often a multipurpose all-in-one and acts as the modem and the wireless/wired router for your home. While these devices are convenient and have a small physical footprint, they often leave a lot to be desired with regards to wireless performance and features.
Additionally, your provider is likely leasing this device to you which is something I do not recommend participating in. The cost to lease this underwhelming device is often 10-20 dollars a month. A cost that you will pay for in perpetuity. By the time the provider replaces that device you will have payed for 2 or 3 of them outright. An alternative is to purchase your own wireless router and modem separately. I do not recommend purchasing a device that does both functions.
A great resource to find what device is best for you is to look at purchasing guides for modems and routers. Most of the devices found in the linked guides will service 90% of home users. They will support the highest speeds provided by your ISP and will also provide exceptional wireless coverage to a small or mid-sized house or apartment.
Providing coverage for a large multi-storied house is somewhat of a different story. In that scenario I would look for network solutions that can provide mesh coverage. A product like Aruba’s Instant On series is meant for large houses or small businesses . It has advanced features not found in most consumer network devices.
Regardless of what class of wireless router fits your use-case or budget, make sure to purchase a device that supports at a minimum the WIFI 5 standard or 802.11ac wave 2. Ideally, I would recommend finding a router that supports the all new standard of WIFI 6 or 802.11ax. Purchasing either technology will ensure great coverage in your house. In addition, the long-term support for mobile devices and wireless computers for your student.
Many students are being provided a computer by their school district while for some the burden is shifted to the parents. Depending on the grade level of your student and the type of schoolwork being assigned to them, choosing a computer is a little more straight forward.
For most students, any contemporary laptop or desktop will do. If the computer has an up to date operating system like Windows 10 or Apple OSX 10.8.5 or higher, your student will have what they need. Most laptops have integrated webcams and adding one to a desktop is very easy to do.
For those in the market for a new computer, I do have a few recommendations. Focus on the specs of each computer linked not necessarily on the brand and model number. I prefer HP but you may prefer Dell or any other brand.
For Windows
For Apple Mac
If purchasing new is not feasible or possible, there are great opportunities to purchase refurbished computers also. I support this decision when computer expectations exceed available budget. This is especially the case when more than one child needs a computer. I would recommend purchasing refurbished business grade computers. They are affordable and are built to a higher standard than consumer grade equipment.
A few accessories may be necessary for your home schooler to get the most out of online classes.
A few things that may come up will be:
We are all dealing with a very strange and tumultuous time given the pandemic and other national events. As parents, it is important that we support our kids by making their online learning experience as normal and pleasant as possible. We have enough to deal with in the world. Home IT problems should not be added to the list of our burdens. I hope this guide will help someone who feels lost negotiating the decisions for supporting their kids who are transitioning to online learning at home.
Contact Zunesis for more information on remote access solutions.
NAVIGATION
CORPORATE OFFICE
Zunesis, Inc.
4B Inverness Ct E Suite 100,
Englewood, CO 80112
(720) 221-5200
Las Vegas
6671 Las Vegas Blvd S
Building D Suite 210, Office 260
Las Vegas, NV 89119
(702) 837-5300