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The escalating COVID-19 outbreak has already changed the way we work and live in significant ways, with countries under lockdown, supply chains disrupted and businesses in the midst of an economic crisis. A plethora of tech companies havestepped up, however, to help in ways that only they can, whether its by supporting other businesses or the emergency services as they struggle to contain the crisis.

Be it security software to protect medical teams from cyber security threats, or providing access to workplace apps to ease employees working from home, tech companies are rising to the challenge. Weve rounded up some of the best offers that organisations and workers can take up today as the coronavirus crisis continues to escalate.

Non-profit organisation CompTIA is a trade association that trains, upskills and issues professional certifications for IT workers

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CompTIA is providing free 30-day licenses for the CertMaster Learn eLearning course for the CompTIA IT Fundamentals (ITF+) certification. This is a pre-career certification that helps students and those keen to switch careers understand whether or not they have the capacity to take on a career in technology.

The CertMaster Learn programme is a tool that can be tweaked to suit each individuals preferred method of learning, and includes a host of features tailored to suit different ways of learning. These span learning with flashcards, videos to outline key concepts and processes, as well as performance-based questioning, and analytics.

The Russian-based cyber security company Kaspersky develops enterprise security products and antivirus systems for organisations

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Medical organisations based around the world are eligible for six months of free product licenses for a swathe of B2B products that covers an array of security facets - from the cloud to Office 365 protection.

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For six months, the firms Endpoint Security Cloud Plus, Security for Microsoft Office 365, Endpoint Security for Business Advanced, and Hybrid Cloud Security platforms will be free for healthcare organisations. To obtain a license, representatives of medical organisations can contact local resellers or a local Kaspersky office directly.

Founded ten years ago, ThousandEyes in a network monitoring company that develops software that analyses performance of local and wide area networks

A Global Internet Outages Map has been launched to provide a real-time visualisation for the state of the global internet health, based on ThousandEyes insights.

With more and more of the workforce working remotely, fears are rising that pressures on the internet - from streaming services to workplace apps - may become too great. Anyone can use the service to gain a broad understanding of internet usage patterns, as demand for services climbs, by indicating when outages may be occurring, where, and which services are affected.

The web security ImmuniWeb develops AI and machine learning-based tech for app security testing and attack surface management

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Businesses can apply for $500,000 worth of ImmuniWeb products to help migrate their employees to digital spaces. Eligible firms can use ImmuniWeb Discovery, ImmuniWeb On-Demand and ImmuniWeb Mobile Suite products to perform a host of tasks from assessing their attack perimeter to conducting audits of their web and mobile apps.

The offers been extended to international companies or government entities in Europe, Canada or the US, and solvent businesses that have existed for the last two years in these regions. Companies must have made 30% of less of their revenues from online sales in 2019, and must expect 70% or more of their revenues to shift online in the second quarter of 2020 due to coronavirus.

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Firms must email ImmuniWeb, describing their digital transformation demands, a list of their web or mobile apps, cloud or software as a service (SaaS) systems, and contact details. Governmental agencies fighting COVID-19, as well as suppliers of medical equipment and essential goods, can apply for fast-tracking.

Banyan produces a flagship remote access platform for businesses in thrall to hybrid and multi-cloud environments

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To help businesses through the global crisis, Banyan is offering companies free full access to its Zero Trust Security Platform. This product offers customers secure remote access for users and applications through a singular platform, which is also scalable.

The remote access system is designed to suit a multitude of environments, from on-premise to multi-cloud deployments. Newly-registered companies will be offered free usage of the Zero Trust system for a limited time to help them improve workforce productivity and reduce frustrations tied with virtual private networks (VPNs).

The multinational cyber security firm Trend Micro develops enterprise software for a wide range of systems including servers, containers and end points

Trend Micro has offered six months of free access to its internet security product Maximum Security for employees forced to work from home using their personal computers. This is in addition to a one-month trial for Maximum Security for mobile devices.

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The Work From Home Assistance Programme gives workers access to the comprehensive security and antivirus software, which includes features ranging from ransomware protection to anti-phishing tools. Businesses can sign up with Trend Micro website directly to receive product download URLs that can then be shared among employees.

The developers Q&A site Stack Overflow gives programmers and coding enthusiasts a forum to learn and share their expertise

The basic tier of Stack Overflow for Teams, a collaborative learning environment for development teams within businesses, is being made free for an unlimited number of users through to 30 June 2020.

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The tool helps people collaborate and share knowledge across their organisations, and empowers them to ask and answer questions directly relevant to the systems theyre building and maintaining. Organisations can apply to use the service through the Stack Overflow website.

The Leeds-based analytics company Panintelligence gives businesses insights, analytics and software to help with reporting

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Small businesses in Yorkshire, England can apply for a full version of Panintelligences flagship analytics suite for 90 days, which includes ten user licenses.

Eligible companies can use these intelligence, reporting and analytical tools to maintain a broad view of business performance, keep in the loop with key metrics like cash flow, as well as maintain communication between staff members. Businesses can leave their details with the Panintelligence website for a member of its software team to get back in touch with further details.

The workplace mental health and personal development platform Umind gives employees digital tools to manage their mental wellbeing

All 1.5 million NHS workers have been granted free access to Unminds workplace mental health platform to manage their concerns and wellbeing during the COVID-19 crisis.

The platform will give any staff member with an NHS email address access to the suite of digital tools, which comprise learning and development programmes, relaxation tools, mental health assessments and insights, among other tools. Staff can register for free with the Unmind website, and no expiry date for access to these tools have been set.

The tech giant most known for its Windows operating systems also runs the Azure public cloud platform and develops enterprise and workplace software

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NHS staff can make use of Microsoft Teams to communicate with one another through audio and video calls, as well as chats, during the coronavirus outbreak to share advice and updates on patients.

The unified collaboration and communication platform, which boasts a staggering 44 million users, hosts a range of business centric tools, and boasts a solid range of app integrations. NHS Digital is rolling Teams out to all NHSmail users, with organisations not using the NHSmail system also eligible for free access if they apply directly to Microsoft. Theyll also have access to NHS Digitals NHSmail support platform for help with rolling out the platform.

RingVPN offers an unlimited encryption service for secure and anonymous web browsing for a range of devices

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RingVPN has made the first 90 days usage of its flagship service free of charge, and suggests it may extend this offer if the business disruption continues beyond.

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The company had been planning to launch its VPN service in May, but has brought forward the software following an explosion of questions and queries. RingVPN uses AES 265-bit encryption to protect connections across a range of devices and operating systems. Organisations can register to receive the initial three-month cost-free subscription through the RingVPN website.

The Singaporean firm Acronis develops on-premises and cloud software for backup, disaster recovery and secure file sync and share, and data access

The cyber protection firm Acronis has made its Cyber Files Cloud product free to all service providers until 31 July 2020, so they can help clients transition to remote working.

The enterprise-grade file sync and share platform can be deployed by service providers to their client organisations to reinforce the transfer of files and data as workers migrate to working from home. Partners who are keen to take up the offer should approach their account manager with Acronis.

The Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) company 3CX develops unified communications (UC) software for organisations of all sizes

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All businesses and public sector bodies can take advantage of the standard edition of 3CXs flagship VoIP software free of charge for a staggering three years. Unlimited employees can be registered with the service, too.

The UC platform allows users to make and receive calls with a smartphone and web app, as well as communicate with colleagues. Firms looking to keep a clear line of communication with customers can also do so with a live chat plugin embedded into their websites. Organisations interested in registering for the free service can do so through a dedicated 3CX web page.

Selenity develops a range of cloud-based back-office software for organisations, spanning HR and finance to procurement and legal

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Selenity is offering free access to a segment of its ER Tracker software, an HR case management system, to help businesses track staff absences due to COVID-19 infections.

The platform is designed to help HR professionals improve case compliance and turn HR policies into effective actions. The system features a variety of tools from document capture, to real-time monitoring and workflow management.

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Large businesses with more than 500 employees can use ER Tracker CV-19 for a six-month trial period on a first-come, first-serve basis. The CV-19 addon is also being offered to its existing customers free of charge.

Lifesize is a video collaboration software developer that builds communication and productivity tools

Organisations impacted by the pandemic are eligible for an unlimited number of free licenses to use Lifesizes cloud-based video collaboration platform for six months.

The platform allows unlimited hosts, meetings and call duration for video conferencing so businesses can more easily transition their workers into remote working. Its compatible with iOS and Android as well as Windows and Mac devices, alongside in-browser functionality. Organisations of all sizes and all sectors are welcome to take up the offer, and can do so by singing up on the Lifesize website.

Qualys provides cloud security, IT and compliance services to businesses with real-time threat analysis

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Remote workers can keep their devices secure with a 60-day free trial of Qualys Remote Endpoint Protection service. The offer includes free instant security assessments, visibility and remote computer patching for corporate and personal PCs.

The Remote Endpoint Protection software identifies and inventories all remote endpoints with real-time visibility, ensures these devices are secure, and patches remotely with no impact to VPN bandwidth, among other features. Businesses of all sizes can apply for the 60-day trial by registering with the Qualys website.

The password and information security manager Dashlane builds a platform that doubles as a password repository and digital wallet

Dashlane is waiving the charge for the first three months of Dashlane Premium subscriptions for new individuals, as well as corporate accounts through Dashlane Business.

The service aims to boost personal and corporate security by storing passwords and other sensitive material including payment information in an online and desktop-based repository. Companies of any size or sector can use a Dashlane Business account for 90 days free of charge for an unlimited number of employees by registering with the website. Dashlane will also send discount codes for individuals who have already signed up to use the free version.

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These are the companies offering free software during the coronavirus crisis - IT PRO