Six remote technologies that are changing the way we work
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New technologies and devices have made remote work more practical and popular than ever before. About 70% of global workers now work remotely for at least part of their week. Some even go so far as to work as digital nomads - leading a work style that involves them being on the move and not having a permanent home. But remote technologies are also being unconsciously adopted by static, office-bound teams, meaning more and more companies are opening up to a distributed future. Below are six Technologies that are changing the way we work and that you should definitely check out.
5G
5G , the next generation of cellular networks, is rolling out across America this year and promises to make remote work much easier. The network offers speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G and is designed to handle more devices than ever before, making it convenient to work from anywhere you can receive a signal. A fast, stable connection is for them Remote work elementary - especially for computationally intensive video communication applications. Where remote work locations were previously limited by a Wi-Fi or Ethernet connection, 5G will help expand potential work locations, creating more opportunities for distributed work.
VR and IM communication
Virtual Reality - Quelle: pexels.com
Video conferencing tools like Zoom and instant messenger apps for businesses like Slack and Twist help move everyday team collaboration to a remote environment. They offer a cost-effective, simple solution for distributed teams that want to replicate a synchronous on-site experience. Virtual reality already promises to take this to the next level. Many VR meeting tools are still in beta, but they give a good idea of what a virtualized meeting environment could look like. For fully remote enterprise teams looking for a more personal and authentic conference call experience, VR will be a powerful new development.
Automation of administration
Remote work offers people unprecedented autonomy in designing their work and managing their environment. However, because it relies on individual self-reporting and self-organization, remote work introduces a complex new layer of management into employees' lives. To ensure collaboration, performance management and accounting remain fluid, they must ensure that their work activities, schedules and expenses remain visible. Fortunately, automation means this new digital coordination doesn't have to come at the expense of remote worker efficiency. A number of smart technologies have already solved the biggest problems: automated time tracking systems like Timely can now create accurate timesheets for employees and keep managers informed about remote workers' workloads; AI scheduling apps like Dewo can intelligently book meetings according to the schedules of remote work teams; and smart expense reporting apps like Expensify You can immediately document company receipts with a quick scan with your cell phone camera.
Productive assistants
While autonomy directly supports employee motivation, being completely responsible for how you structure and manage your work can be daunting. Remote workers need to quickly understand how they work to manage their productivity - from concentration spikes to distracting behaviors. There are more and more tools available to help remote workers streamline their workflows and stay on track, making the whole thing easier to manage. Personal productivity assistants can use artificial intelligence to provide actionable insights into a user's work patterns - showing how often they switch between different contexts and which apps and websites are consuming their time. A new market for anti-distraction apps also serves to protect remote workers from annoying Slack and email pings when they're trying to focus.
Cloud storage and computing
Many internal teams already rely on Cloud storage to create quick backups, keep company documents in a common location and enable access from multiple devices - think Google Docs and Dropbox . But cloud computing and cloud-based tools are becoming the norm. Almost everything now has a cloud-based version or alternative that can be accessed from anywhere. With many office teams already using these virtual tools, many companies already have the basic tools to work remotely - they just need the culture to support it.
Distance learning tools
Remote work presents a major challenge for day one onboarding. For companies with a global remote workforce, it's often not practical to fly new team members in for a week-long onboarding - assuming they actually have a physical headquarters. But thanks to the Technology it is now easier than ever to close this gap. A variety of tools enable remote teams to intelligently gather and communicate company-wide knowledge through engaging, real-world experiences. Although designed for developers, best-in-class screen pairing tools like Tuple help remote teams demonstrate new information and tools without being physically in the same room. With webinar apps like BigMarker Companies can pre-record standardized training sessions to make the entire process more efficient. A range of tools can also be used to create a self-service corporate knowledge base where employees can intuitively search for useful templates, documentation and company guides.
