Technology advances, a changing economy and a shift in workers’ and employers’ attitudes are rapidly changing the way business is conducted. Today’s workforce is quickly transforming into a culture in which employees can work where they want, and when they want. The bring-your-own-device (BYOD) trend as well as collaboration and conferencing technologies are powering this shift, which is ultimately saving organizations time and money.
A recent survey from Unify, published in Entrepreneur magazine, found that when it comes to defining a new way to work, 47 percent of global professionals interpreted that as working where they want to work. And 43 percent believe it means that they can work when they want to work. For 39 percent of those queried, a new way of working signifies working in a more collaborative organization, and that statement is really key to enabling the “where” and the “when” of how work will be accomplished.
Collaboration technologies are the glue pulling together an increasingly global workforce, and being able to speak to colleagues in real time, wherever they may be located and whenever is necessary, is vital to this shift in workforce attitudes. Ad hoc conferencing technologies are an essential component in this new way of working, and ease of use and an affordable price point are critical for most businesses.
Particularly in the case of SMBs, who often can’t justify the expense and manpower required to deploy and maintain an on-site conferencing system, an affordable and flexible service is needed. AT Conference specializes in on-demand phone conferencing services that may be used any time, from anywhere, and through any phone, without the need for a reservation. The company’s Reservationless Conference Calling uses simple keypad commands to accomplish a host of conferencing features and also provides data and analytics on calls.
According to Unify’s statistics, 80 percent of workers on so-called “successful” teams are as likely to pitch a spontaneous idea during a virtual meeting as in a face-to-face meeting. That makes a compelling case for the new way of working, and services and solutions like ad hoc phone conferencing make that possible. AT Conference is a prime example of how SMBs can benefit from this technology, and the company counts healthcare firms, law offices, real estate and insurance companies, energy and utility firms and not-for-profits among its regular customers.
Edited by Maurice Nagle