Glossary

VPN

A VPN (virtual private network) is a secure tunnel over the internet that lets an employee's computer or a server into the company's internal network. Everything that goes through the tunnel is encrypted, and the employee works as if they were in the office.

Why it mattersLets people work securely with internal systems from home or another city.

Also called: Virtual private network, Virtual Private Network

Use cases

When you need a VPN

A remote employee needs software that isn't reachable from the internet
You need to connect the networks of two offices
You need to connect an external system to your network securely

Downsides

A VPN adds delay and one more point of failure: if the tunnel goes down, the employee is cut off. Voice feels this most – audio can lag or break up.

Comparison

VPN or a secure browser connection

VPNAll of the computer's traffic goes through the company network.

Browser encryptionOnly the connection to the system you need is protected, with no extra software.

In CONTACT.WORK

How it works in CONTACT.WORK

CONTACT.WORK agents call through a softphone in a browser tab. It runs on WebRTC and encrypts audio by itself, so remote agents usually do not need a VPN. A VPN is used when the platform connects to software inside the customer's internal network.