The COVID-19 pandemic has changed the social and economic landscape, forcing businesses to scrutinize their digital transformation strategy, re-think how technology can help them navigate through the crisis, and adapt to the new (largely remote) work environment. If there is one thing the pandemic has shown us, it is that businesses should not only be proactive in times of uncertainty – they must also be predictive. It is a given that major business disruptions will, at times, occur – those that foresee this and plan ahead will fare much better than their ill-prepared counterparts.
In April, there were more than 200 million Microsoft Teams meeting participants in a single day – leading Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella to speculate that there has been two years’ worth of digital transformation in just two months. Businesses are now grappling with the need to easily connect an increased number of remote workers seamlessly, making it a priority to simplify the clutter of multiple platforms and find a unified communication solution.
Remote work and its increased presence within digital transformation is no longer a unique perk; it has become paramount to long-term success, with many major organizations considering a permanent shift to remote work in the aftermath of COVID-19. Twitter Inc. announced its intention to allow employees to work from home indefinitely, while e-commerce company Shopify Inc. also announced plans to let most employees work remotely in the future. With more than 80% of enterprise-technology providers reporting in April that corporate customers were shopping for communications, collaboration and other remote-work tools, it’s safe to say the remote work transformation is part of their ongoing strategic plan.
So, how do businesses go about establishing a cohesive communication platform that is intuitive, secure and reliable? First, choosing a platform should be carefully assessed by evaluating daily workflow and working backwards to match the solution to the unique workflow and business model. There are several factors that must be taken into consideration to make this move successful, such as using Cloud Video Interoperability (CVI). CVI is a relatively new service that exists in the Microsoft Cloud, enabling third-party video endpoints to participate in a Teams meeting. Deploying CVI into your organization provides many benefits including:
- Protecting your existing video investment by connecting H.323/SIP-standards based systems into Microsoft Teams.
- Simplifying the video interop workflow for users through native Outlook calendaring and One Touch Join capabilities.
- Smooth migration without disruption from Skype for Business to Microsoft Teams.
Video conferencing and chat options like StarLeaf eliminate the requirement to meet in person but help with collaboration efforts despite a more remote work environment. With the myriad of platforms to cluttering the market, it’s important to vet out any communication platforms you are considering implementing company-wide. At Vistacom, we recommend platforms like StarLeaf with unequaled reliability, robust security, and one-of-a-kind quality of service.
But without one standard communication platform, confusion can arise. Enter “Bring Your Own Meeting” (BYOM), the newest extension of BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) in the workplace. BYOM with Barco’s new ClickShare Conference allows meeting participants to host a conference call from their personal device using their preferred conferencing solution to connect, a stark contrast to the traditional conference room and one that allows for a more productive workplace.
While simply instituting the above isn’t necessarily a blueprint for success, businesses with pre-established disaster preparedness and remote work plans are in a stronger position to withstand disruption.
To learn more about developing a unified communications strategy and adapting your workplace technology to the new work environment, join our Virtual Tech Expo webinar on July 28. Learn more and register here.