Making the most of mobility
Why a mobile workforce means better upsell opportunities
Amplify
Gone are the days of the workforce being resigned to a physical office during regular office hours. Today’s always connected, instant access workplace has blurred the lines between the physical office and the place where work actually happens.
Flexible working is something the workforce is rapidly coming to expect as standard. According to recent research by Powwownow, three quarters of employees now favour flexible working in some form. In fact, it’s now a key consideration when looking for a new job, with 70% of people saying having the option of flexible working makes a job opportunity look more attractive. And as the way people work, interact and collaborate continues to undergo profound change, employees are expecting more choice in the way they communicate with colleagues, customers and suppliers.
The rise in ‘working anywhere, anytime’
It is now completely normal to see rows of people working in a coffee shop with their headphones plugged in and a steaming cup next to them. The same is true of hearing fellow train passengers discuss their next big presentation with colleagues on a video call or seeing airport lounges dotted with iPad users cramming in a few more minutes work before they need to switch to flight-safe mode.
This shift in recent years has made mobile one of the most crucial elements in an organisation’s communications infrastructure. But it’s not as simple as just giving everyone a mobile phone and getting on with it – the entire IT infrastructure of an organisation must be geared towards making mobility possible.
Remote working has been the biggest driver for SMEs to switch to next-gen telephony. With workers spending an increasing amount of time working outside of the office, the move to a mobile first strategy is both commercially and technologically advantageous.
Mobility and UC are intrinsic
Mobile is at the heart of the UC proposition as employees look for flexibility and productivity gains. Technology that supports productivity and both the new and existing customer experience will be critical in any decision to invest in new systems.
Historically UC solutions were more commonplace within larger enterprise. However, the demand from SMEs for UC is well and truly on the rise, with features such as presence, instant messaging, chat and video conferencing becoming the norm.
At last, UC solutions are becoming more accessible to and affordable for SMEs, and at the same time SMEs are finally getting to grips on what UC is and how it can can benefit their business. However, it’s still up to channel partners to educate customers on all of the possibilities so that they really understand the features and benefits available.
