December commonly encourages us to reflect on the year just gone, and this year is no different. 2020 has been quite a rollercoaster though and, if you think back to the beginning of the year, it’s apparent there has been a drastic change – especially in the way we work.
Looking Back at January 2020
At the beginning of 2020, we had no idea of what the year would bring us and certainly not a clue about a global pandemic. However, even before COVID-19 arrived, there was a slight increase in remote working for a number of businesses. Working from home was still considered as normality for some employees, but obviously it was a lot more common to be going into an office every day and working with your team in real life.
The Sudden Shift in March 2020
The end of March brought lockdown restrictions and, alongside that, major changes for many businesses. If you could work from home, this was a necessity but if you couldn’t, you couldn’t work at all. These strict guidelines impacted businesses in such a way as they didn’t have much time to prepare.
As of April 2020, 67 percent of organisations reported an increase in spending on web conferencing software. Virtual tools, collaboration technology and cloud-based phone systems were vital for businesses who could work from home to continue running as normally as possible.
2021 and the Future of the Workplace
Working from home may have been a temporary and abrupt solution for some, but for others it seems it will be a permanent fixture. A survey of just under 1,000 firms by the Institute of Directors (IoD) shows that 74% plan on maintaining the increase in home working. Plus, more than half planned on reducing their long-term use of workplaces.
In addition to this, there has also been consideration for business trips and expanding workforces over the country. With the introduction of video conferencing technology during this pandemic, many businesses will be thinking about whether they need to limit themselves to hiring employees who live in the area and whether they need to travel for essential meetings.
The savings that can be made from reducing office space and not commuting can be reinvested in the virtual tools and software that are helping maintain successful working from home.
When you’re looking for the right remote working technology for your business, make sure you get in contact with Ocean Telecom. We’ve helped a number of our clients through the pandemic this year and offer reliable support alongside our Unified Communication and Collaboration software and Cloud-Based Telecoms.
Contact us today to find out more.
