Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Part 1
Working Together in a Virtual World Incredible shifts have been taking place in terms of how people do business. But while most companies are aware that they can use the internet and other tech trends to their benefit to some degree, many have yet to learn what going virtual truly means.
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Working Together in a Virtual World
Opportunities for better productivity and security continue to crop up in ways never before seen, and it’s an exciting time for businesses eager to step out of the brick-and-mortar mold. But before we get into productivity and security, let’s discuss something that’s at the very core of every business that has successfully gone virtual: collaboration.
COLLABORATION IS ESSENTIAL TO GOING VIRTUAL At the heart of it, virtual offices exist to bypass physical limitations like space & proximity. They are proof positive that teamwork—productive teamwork—can exist outside the four walls of a traditional office space. Practically any business can create a collaborative work environment by putting different technologies to good use.
VIRTUAL OFFICES EXIST TO BYPASS PHYSICAL LIMITATIONS LIKE SPACE & PROXIMITY
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Working Together in a Virtual World
What are these technologies? Examples of virtual collaboration tools that form the backbone of virtual offices include:
▶ Document collaboration & desktop-sharing apps.
These tools allow team members to view each other’s work and edit shared documents real-time, which makes the group’s creative process faster, easier, and more transparent. Even team members who aren’t available at the same time as the rest of the group can access and contribute to shared work files—a must for businesses spread out across different time zones.
▶ Teleconferencing tools. Emails still play a starring role in virtual and traditional office communications, but when it comes to meetings that require real-time face-toface interaction, teleconferencing tools are the closest thing virtual offices have to a conference table. They make it possible for users to talk business with people from all over the globe as if they’re sitting right across the table from each other. ▶ Presentation tools. Talking about ideas is one thing, but fleshing them out and presenting them visually makes your message more powerful. Presentation tools like tablet-based whiteboard apps and shareable presentation software provide a new medium through which users can share ideas even if their audience isn’t in the same room.
But going virtual doesn’t end with collaboration and communication. In Part Two, we’ll find out how virtual offices promote productivity with the help of technology. Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Part 2 Optimizing Workflows
Productivity has just as much to do with the tools you use as it does with your drive to get things done. For some employees, productivity tools may in fact have a bigger impact—at least in the short term—compared to drive, which tends to ebb and flow with a multitude of factors like time, work environment, and interpersonal relationships
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Optimizing Workflows
When it comes to finding the right productivity tools for your business, it’s always a good idea to take stock of your goals. These tools are, after all, a means to an end and different companies will require different solutions.
Productivity Tools
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Hardware + Software The Hardware Side of the Equation Productivity has a physical aspect in that workers use different devices to carry out their tasks. Knoll, an office furniture design and manufacturing company, highlighted two of the most notable among hardware-related productivity trends, namely, the shift to a mobilefirst workflow and the prevalence of the second screen: â–ś The Mobile-First Workflow Last year saw more and more businesses following the mainstream consumer preference for tablets and laptops over desktop computers. For the first time ever, tablet sales surpassed that of desktop PCs as individual and business buyers became more mobile-centric. This makes sense particularly in the virtual office context, where virtually anywhere with a laptop and internet access can be considered a workspace.
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Optimizing Workflows
▶ The Second Screen Most people have a main device for work, say, a laptop or desktop PC. A productivity trick that’s becoming increasingly common is to supplement that main work device with a second screen, like a tablet or smartphone. It is multi-taskingfriendly and, thanks to apps that sync across devices real-time, a second screen makes it possible for workers to see to different tasks at the same time without compromising either.
The Software Side of the Equation The proliferation of mobile work devices has made it easier for businesses to go virtual, but smartphones and tablets won’t do much to help productivity if they don’t have the right software. Examples of software that promote virtual office productivity include timeshifting and asynchronous workflow apps and eventdriven automation apps. They make it possible for workflows to be distributed across different time zones and for tasks to be completed without the need for round-the-clock monitoring.
As both virtual and traditional offices become more tech-dependent, the need for secure data storage and access increases. In Part Three, we’ll cover cloud computing and data centers and their different applications.
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Part 3 Security in the New IT Age
Different businesses have different needs, but one thing that’s universal is the need for flexibility. In the new IT age, this means scalable and convenient IT solutions. This is where cloud computing and data centers come in. But while the two have similar general purposes (i.e. data storage), they are not one and the same.
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Security in the New IT Age
What’s the difference between the two?
The primary difference between cloud computing and data centers is that the cloud stores data on the Internet (off-premise) while a data center stores data on hardware hooked up to a business’s local network (on-premise). Cloud computing does use data centers for storage but the hardware need not be located where the client is—meaning data can still be accessed anytime, anywhere. Most cloud computing services are offered by third-party providers while data centers are usually maintained by in-house IT teams. However, it is also possible to outsource data center maintenance. Cost-wise, the cloud is more cost-effective for startups and small businesses. Location
Setup & Maintenance
Cloud
Off-premise
Often outsourced
Data Center
On-premise
Often in-house
Cost
$$ $$$$ $$
Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
Security in the New IT Age
What about security? Concerns over security are understandable. Many businesses deal with a lot of sensitive or even proprietary data. Hacking incidents and data breaches do happen, but they are preventable. At the end of the day, having to take extra security measures to protect your data is worth the trouble because cloud computing and data centers have, for all intents and purposes, become business must-haves. Either service has its vulnerabilities, but care in choosing service providers should be one guarantee of protection. Aside from security, other things to look for in a provider include redundant power, fiber-optic network connectivity, disaster recovery, and facilities support.
A Final Thought Non-traditional workspaces have the potential to take your business to new heights if you know which tools to use. With collaboration, productivity, and security tools continuing to break new ground each year, you have very little excuse to not break out of the brick-and-mortar mold. Whether you decide to take baby steps or jump in feet-first, know that the rewards of going virtual are well worth the risks. Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work
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Tech Trends and Virtual Offices: Making Non-traditional Workspaces Work