How IT 4 Retirees brings online literacy and security to a vulnerable group

IT services have been becoming more and more important as business and life has shifted online, but some vulnerable groups have always fallen a bit behind when it comes to digital transformation. As COVID-19 has pushed us all into lockdown, it is more important than ever to get vulnerable groups online so that they have access to the same health and safety resources as everyone else, not to mention entertainment and social interaction outside the household. Tackling this issue head on, IT 4 Retirees offers IT services and privacy training to retired individuals to help ensure their clients' online safety. After retiring herself, Christine David, director of IT 4 Retirees, expected to be playing golf and leaving work behind, but she quickly realized that there were large numbers of retired people who needed help with technology. She figured she had stumbled onto a niche market but had no idea what a demand there would be to come.

IT 4 Retirees was founded six years ago, but underwent a major shift as COVID-19 pushed more people online. Christine said that now, "People realize they'll have to have a certain level of digital literacy to cope with these lockdown periods." When lockdown started, IT 4 Retirees moved to Zoho to better offer support to more customers. Their initial offering was all in person, with trainers travelling to see their clients and help them with their IT needs. COVID-19 presented a new set of safety concerns here, and IT 4 Retirees was able to address those new concerns while also eliminating the cost that travel adds to their bill by utilizing Zoho Assist, a remote support tool. "Often when we pop in to see a client, we're the only people they see. Just us being there is a huge lift for them. But if we can't be there for cost or safety reasons, this gives them an alternative at a lower cost," said Christine.

COVID-19 has made it more important than ever that vulnerable groups get online safely, and IT 4 Retirees has made that an easier transition for many. "We've probably been able to help 50 clients we wouldn't have been able to otherwise because of this remote offering," Christine said. With every training session they do, they make sure to cover basic security and privacy practices with their clients to ensure they have the knowledge they need to stay safe online. And as IT 4 Retirees brings more clients online, it's even more important that the data remain secure. "We pride ourselves in ensuring our clientele aren't spammed and that their data isn't gleaned by any other groups. We are dealing with very vulnerable clients and often we're helping them with online banking and other similar services," said Christine. Using Zoho Assist, IT 4 Retirees is not only able to maintain the same privacy standards as their in person visits, but improve upon them. "When a trainer is sitting with a client, they turn their heads as the client enters passwords. When using Zoho Assist, trainers don't see the passwords at all," said Christine.

IT 4 Retirees is security focused on their end, but also rests assured with the knowledge that their data is secure on Zoho's end. "Under no circumstances should our data be used by any party other than ourselves," said Christine, and Zoho is firm on the stance that your data belongs to you and we will never share or sell customer data.

IT 4 Retirees works with a vulnerable group, and takes the responsibility of their trust seriously. Without that trust, their clients would not be able to protect themselves. Considering that IT 4 Retirees is there to help retirees protect themselves and their data, Christine has created a structure that keeps their private information secure and empowers retirees to safely navigate the digital world.