According to the annual State of Remote Work report from Buffer, 99 percent of respondents said they want to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their career. 95 percent encourage others to work remotely. 91 percent of respondents who are business owners said they always intend to support remote work.
The concept of remote working, considered by some to be a trend, isn’t going anywhere. In fact, it’s more likely to become the norm than fade away. This is especially true for small businesses, as 56 percent of respondents to the Buffer survey come from organizations with 100 or fewer employees. Fortunately, the cloud provides affordable solutions that enable small businesses to offer remote working capabilities without compromising productivity or security.
Why Remote Working Is on the Rise
40 percent of respondents to the Buffer survey said they like the flexible schedule that working remotely enables. They can pick up their kids from school, walk the dog, or go to a doctor’s appointment without taking time off. Instead of commuting, they can start work earlier or end later to make up for lost time.
30 percent said the biggest benefit is being able to work from any location. For example, if salespeople have appointments staggered throughout the day, they often can get more work done by stopping at a co-working space or coffee shop with a secure Wi-Fi connection rather than driving back to the office.
Of course, employers benefit from remote working, too. High employee satisfaction typically translates to higher productivity and higher employee retention rates. Some organizations have even been able to downsize their physical workspace due to remote working, and 75 percent don’t reimburse employees for their home internet service.
How UCaaS Enables Successful Remote Working
The simplest and most cost-effective way to enable remote working is adoption of Unified Communications-as-a-Service (UCaaS). UCaaS is a cloud-based communication delivery model in which all communication applications and services – voice, video, email, text, instant messaging, presence, etc. – are integrated into a single interface. Users can interact with co-workers and customers on the channel of their choosing without bouncing between applications.
With UCaaS, collaboration is more efficient and effective, regardless of where employees are working. Remote workers can easily organize and join meetings, share data and screens, assign and receive tasks, and monitor the progress of projects.
From healthcare organizations being able to practice telemedicine, to simpler collaboration between teachers, students and parents in education, to seamless communication among local and state government agencies, the use cases for UCaaS are virtually endless.
As the coronavirus continues to spread, we’re seeing how working remotely can help your employees avoid serious health risks. Not only can employees work from home and attend meetings virtually if they’re dealing with a minor illness or injury, like a cold or a pulled muscle, but they’ll also be less exposed to harmful viruses, germs, and bacteria on a daily basis.
Everything from trains and buses to elevators and stairwells can spread the coronavirus, but how often are these environments properly disinfected and sanitized? UCaaS enables you to minimize the impact of unusual risks and threats by allowing employees to simply work from home.
Powering Remote Work Access with the Cloud
Similar to UCaaS, Ancero Cloud Workspace provides a remote work platform – your desktop “workspace” – that allows users to securely access company applications and data from any location, on any device.
You can easily transition your existing data, applications and devices to the cloud so you can connect remote employees, enhance mobile work, and support BYOD. A simple, consistent user experience on desktops, laptops, smartphones and tablets enhances productivity, whether employees are working in the office or remotely.
Hardened security technology gives you the confidence that your applications, files, and desktops are protected and available when you need them. Because none of these resources and assets are stored on user devices, the likelihood of a data breach or compliance violation is dramatically reduced. In fact, cloud data is typically more secure than data stored onsite.
Affordable Solutions for Small Businesses
The inherent cost-efficiency of the cloud makes UCaaS and Cloud Workspace affordable for the small business community. Instead of upgrading or replacing equipment, you can migrate to the cloud with minimal upfront costs, shifting IT budgets from a capital to operational expenditure. Simply pay a monthly fee for the resources you need and add or remove users and services based on current business demand. Users can access the tools they need from any location and device with an internet connection.
A Reliable Remote Work Experience
As early cloud adopters who have been developing innovative, cloud-based voice and data systems for more than a decade, the Ancero team understands the complexity of cloud computing. More importantly, we have the knowledge and expertise to overcome that complexity and help small businesses modernize their technology and services while containing costs.
Ancero’s Utility VoIP UCaaS solutions, combined with Cloud Workspace and UC Client, deliver a robust, reliable, and secure remote work experience. Ancero is using its numerous FCC-compliant voice platforms to deliver UCaaS solutions that give our customers a competitive edge.
To learn more about how Utility VoIP, Cloud Workspace and UC Client can help you and your team reap the rewards of remote working, contact us to schedule a demo.