7 Essential Technologies Needed For Remote Work and Collaboration
The corporate world as we know it has changed, people have created a whole new way of working without limiting themselves to a particular room or office building; this is to say therefore that work as we know it has changed completely. From the recent survey by Buffer, 98% of workers working remotely worldwide are very much comfortable with the method and want to continue on that path. In 2018, the US Census Bureau established that the number of people working remotely slightly increased to 5.4%, 3% in Japan has admitted have tried working remotely while 8% said they are very much aware such things exist.
In the UK, 56% of companies prefer offering jobs to individuals that can work remotely. In 2012, it was estimated that 42 million people from the UK worked remotely on either full time or part-time capacity, but in 2018, the number increased by 4.4% and from the look of things the number keeps increasing from year to year hence, becoming more popular. In this article, we have compiled some list of great remote working tools you need to know if you are a fan of a remote workforce. Below, they listed thus:
1. VoIP
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is an internet-enabled multimedia voice communication tool used for group broadband telephony, remote workers prefer using this system to communicate among themselves to the traditional public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS) as some people know it by. From the way this tool is designed, it has a complete digitalized channel set, telephony, and signaling which is why all its output information is done over a packet-switched network. Using a VoIP tool reduces the cost of multimedia communication sharing among connected groups. One broadband connection can convey multiple calls, and it is very secured thus it’s standardized protocols.
2. Time Tracking
This is computer software that allows employers to track the amount of times employees spend on a project. The software is often used by companies who employ freelancers remotely to track their performance. Again, it is being used by professionals that usually bill their employers on an hourly basis e. g. lawyers, freelancers, and accountants. This tool is the digital version of the usual paper timesheet as we know it, with the introduction in the remote workforce it will sure help in increasing productivity, and enhance accountability among employees and employers since they can now track the number of time employees spend on projects.
3. Cloud Technology
Also known as cloud computing, this technology is only available on-demand; it comes on only when it is activated and doesn’t need direct management from the user. Usually, Cloud technology is meant to distribute data to multiple users in different locations through some strategically placed central servers. According to Cloud technology advocates, cloud computing provides companies the opportunity to minimize the cost of up-front IT infrastructure. It also allows companies, especially start-ups, improve their managerial capacity with less maintenance, that way, their IT team can be able to meet up with some unprecedented demands.
4. Data Backup/Recovery
There are many software packages designed to help remote workers safeguard their documents in case of any major system damage. The uniqueness of these Data BackUp/Recovery software is that it can be accessed by any user involved in the project from any geographical location. Some of these tools include Dropbox, Box, Comodo Backup, CrashPlan, Memopal, e.t.c.
5. VPN
The VPN technology plays a major role for people working remotely, it serves different purposes for different people. For remote workers, it allows them establish a secured online connection between two or more computer networks connected remotely regardless of the geographical location. The main purpose of introducing the VPN into the remote workforce is because of its ability to secure communication going on between all connected users.
6. Collaborative Tech Tools
This is often used by students to complete a given task, but can also be used by corporate workers to a large extent. It enables connected users to share videos, voice messages, documents, and other important files needed to be shared among other groups of connected users. Some of these tools include FlipGrid, VideoAnt, Padlet, Voicethread, e.t.c.
7. Home Office
The home is the most convenient place to establish your remote work parameter, there are some hard and software tools you need to have in place in other to make this office work. Some of them include a headset and a Webcam. In the software section, there are tools like Skype, Google Drive, and SkypeOut, etc.
Though there are other technologies needed to set up a functional office remotely, but the ones we listed above are the most essential. Hope it guides you through, cheers.
Originally published at https://nextplane.net on February 26, 2020.
