The rapid pace of technology means there are ever-changing trends and features every day. When it comes to outfitting your communication platform, though, you want to make sure you integrate systems that have the potential to change the way we communicate forever. You want tools that reshuffle the deck. So if you’re shopping around for a communication tool to add to your infrastructure, then here are 3 of the most revolutionary and game-changing features to ever exist today, features you should be on the lookout for:
Cloud-based solutions
Search Unified Communications says that about 90 percent of companies now use cloud-based applications and solutions. This has marked a shift away from hardware upgrades and systems that tend to come with hefty costs and expenses, making it possible for more and more companies to set up communication infrastructure with less funds. No need to worry about taking a chunk out of their capital and dedicating it to IT resources like this. With cloud-based apps, teams only need to download the app, install it and they’re good to go. They can basically connect to anywhere from anywhere. That means tremendous cost-savings in terms of operational costs and fees.
Mobile connectivity
Ten years ago, few people thought mobile internet was worth anything. Talk and text features were the big players in mobile-land. That changed fast, though. With bigger screens, more and more users flocked to mobile, tossing their laptops and desktop units for the freedom of untethered connection. Today, people go online to check on books, read up reviews on restaurants or gadgets before they shop or go out to dinner. With the way mobile internet has made connection from anywhere possible, people are spending less time at their desktops and more time at home. It’s made for a change in the way the global workforce operates. With mobile connectivity, more and more employees are finding it easy to achieve work-life balance. As more and more people start join the freelance industry to work flexible hours and dictate their schedules, it coincides with the revolution happening in cubicles and work stations across the American landscape right now, one that says the workforce is ready for greater flexibility. With companies around the globe adjusting their HR policies to retain and keep employees happy, it’s clear that a lot of organizations are already learning the importance of playing catch-up.
Video conferencing
Video communications solutions from companies like BlueJeans are unique. Compared to emails and chats or phone calls, these video meetings have one distinct edge: face to face communication. It can be easy to misunderstand someone on nonverbal communication platforms. It also takes more time. You have to plan what you say, think it over, check it over for anything that might be offensive to the other party. By the time you click on that “send reply” button, more than a few minutes have passed. In the case of overlooked emails, it could take weeks before a proper response is sent back. That kind of delay could be risky for a team, even more if you’re running a startup, where decisions are often made in an instant. With the help of a reliable communication tool like this, a startup can find the necessary assistance and support to stay afloat for months, at least until an angel investor comes on board. Still, that brings home the point of how important a video conferencing system can be. In a video chat, you can see what your coworker is telling you. You can pick up visual and context cues to help you understand where your colleague is coming from. Is he snappy or just tired? Is he dissatisfied or not? That means less misunderstandings, resulting to better employee relationships.
With vide conferencing’s face to face interaction, offsite staff can say hi to their team mates from across the world, catch up on some company news and feel a deeper sense of connection to the company, their team and the work they do. The result? Higher productivity. Better team engagement, says the Cisco Blogs. And greater employee retention.
Bonus: In addition, video conferencing has also made it possible to work through the isolation that often surrounds remote workers. Humans are social beings. We need interaction to grow, to keep improving. That’s how the best teams on the planet continue to produce ground-breaking work. That’s where video conferencing solutions come in. They make it possible for remote employees to not only communicate more often and better. It’s also given them the tools to improve collaboration efforts, to break down geographical and even cultural barriers to establish solid ties of communication.
The Changing Landscape
Given all three, users can expect a whole lot of changes in the coming years. From reduced operational costs that now allow a bevy of startups to run their business on nothing more than the strength of a good idea to tools that make it possible for employees to achieve greater flexibility and connection, the future is definitely something to look forward to.