The COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak forces numerous companies to review their IT strategies as a top priority. Many organizations emphasize the importance of having the right cloud based collaboration tool allowing employees to work remotely to limit the impact on productivity.
No doubt, there will be a “before-and-after” analysis of how COVID-19 changed the way companies leverage telecommuting and cloud based collaboration tools in their operations. We can anticipate the emergence of cloud based collaboration tools that will allow to best work remotely while staying close to the rest of your team.
Companies cannot escape cloud based collaboration tools anymore
Even though telecommuting has more than doubled in the past decade, nearly 44% of global companies still don’t allow remote work.
According to Owl Labs, 16% of global companies are fully remote. 40% of them are hybrid, and 52% of employees worldwide work from home at least once weekly.
Most companies still run on-premise server hardware, not just for backup purposes. Even though the cloud is now mature, and despite the end of support threat, IT decision-makers still choose on-premises solutions to control security, which is not the most trustworthy approach.
By relying on cloud-based solutions, you benefit from the technical expertise of thousands of developers and IT professionals. Likewise, you don’t have to spend resources securing your environment and developing and updating tailored applications and bridges to maintain your infrastructure.
By the end of 2020, the percentage of the remote workforce globally will undoubtedly break a new record.
Benefits of cloud based collaboration tools
Cloud based collaboration tools help businesses of any size achieve better results. Besides equal access, users can reproduce many tasks remotely, like holding meetings, group collaboration, and real-time communication.
The benefits of cloud computing include simplified deployment and maintenance, 24/7 global accessibility, shared files and presentations automatically synced and available, increased mobility, and more.
There are plenty of solutions for maximizing collaboration between employees in Google Suite, Slack, and Microsoft Office 365. Office 365 and GSuite offer a complete package with content creation tools (Word, Excel, PowerPoint – G. Docs, G. Sheets, G. Slides), store and share solutions (OneDrive – G. Drive), enterprise collaboration (SharePoint – G. Sites), asynchronous communication (Outlook – Gmail), and real-time communication (Teams – Hangouts).
The IT team must choose the right tool for your company, depending on your needs and objectives. It is not an exaggeration to say that collaboration tools are essential to maintain business continuity during an outbreak like COVID-19.
Communication and Cloud Based collaboration best practices
Working in the same place we live is challenging and requires some new practices. At Cloudiway, we recommend these “6 Remote Working Tips for Continued Productivity“.
Working remotely, you will rely on technology more to collaborate, communicate, and engage with colleagues. To learn how to maximize these technologies, collaborative tool providers offer tutorials online, videos, and admin guides at your disposal.
When telecommuting is the new norm
COVID-19 challenges IT Professionals to maintain the efficiency and productivity of thousands of companies. Eventually, the need to work remotely due to the coronavirus will end. However, this experience will provide many with an awareness of the beneficial aspects of cloud-based collaboration tools.
We may enter a new era where telecommuting will be the norm, reducing traffic-related air pollution, improving confidence between companies and their employees, and offering more flexibility.
With over ten years of experience, Cloudiway has built a strong network of partners and customers worldwide. This network of MSPs, CSPs, and IT Professionals assist companies in their migration from different tenants and collaboration tools to the cloud. don’t hesitate to contact Cloudiway if you are planning a Slack migration or a Microsoft Teams migration.
