3 Tech Trends with the Rise of Remote Work
Across the globe, companies have made the transition to a work-from-home model, and many have announced their plans for continued remote work through the remainder of the year. As many employees have discovered, there are several benefits to working remotely including increased productivity and a better work-life balance. As remote work continues to be the norm, here are the most important technology trends your business needs to understand to support your remote teams.
1. Collaboration Tools: Even though teams are working remotely, they need tools that allow them to connect, share ideas, and seamlessly work on projects. Essential to the rise of remote work is the rise of collaboration tools such as video conferencing, VoIP, file-sharing, and project management tools. With video conferencing applications like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and WebEx, teams can feel connected even while working remotely. File-sharing tools also help solve the physical collaboration issue. With cloud-enabled storage, employees can access, share, and edit documents instantly and simultaneously. In the past few months, there have been dramatic usage increases of Dropbox, OneDrive, and other file-sharing options along with video conferencing mobile apps reaching over 62 million additional downloads in the first few weeks of March. As businesses continue to allow their employees to safely work from home, we will see an even larger increase of adoption of collaboration tools for remote work.
2. Cloud Computing: Along with the increased usage of collaboration tools, there will continue to be an increase of companies migrating to the cloud. The cloud offers businesses the greatest level of flexibility for remote work. With the cloud, employees can access corporate data and resources via any device connected to the Internet. It facilitates better communication and collaboration in addition to enhanced security. Digital attacks are rising amid COVID-19, but the cloud offers increased data security and serves as the ultimate backup solution for no data loss.
3. Cybersecurity Protocols: There has been a 300% increase in reported cyber-attacks since the start of March. With the rise of these cyber-attacks, it is vital for organizations to invest in proper cybersecurity practices. Over the next few years, we will see increased spend on security practices including firewall protection, network security, mobile device management, and user training.
