{"id":3197,"date":"2022-10-24T09:28:14","date_gmt":"2022-10-24T09:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ecn.co.za\/?p=3197"},"modified":"2022-10-24T09:28:14","modified_gmt":"2022-10-24T09:28:14","slug":"technology-and-the-hybrid-workplace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/technology-and-the-hybrid-workplace\/","title":{"rendered":"Technology and the hybrid workplace"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cHybrid work the default by 2024, half of work performed offsite: 81% believe hybrid work will be the foremost working model by 2024, with 56% of work done offsite.\u201d \u2013 <\/em>PR Newswire<\/em><\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

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Hybrid workplaces, once a foreign concept to most companies, have now become a mainstream work model that allows employees to work from home or in the office, depending on the need. And to accommodate this time-saving and productive model, businesses are investing in technology that better supports both employees and clients. Here\u2019s a look at some of the latest technology options being adopted into the hybrid office.<\/p>\n

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What are the types of hybrid workplaces?<\/h2>\n

The type of technology you will require for your employees will depend on the hybrid office model that you decide to go with. The two main types include:<\/p>\n

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–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Remote-centric hybrid<\/h3>\n

This is where the employees will primarily work remotely but, at times, they will be required to come into the office or there will be teams that are required to work from the office space.<\/p>\n

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–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hybrid remote office<\/h3>\n

In this model, the employees are given the option of coming in on certain days or choosing which days they would prefer to be in the office. This allows for necessary social interaction and idea-sharing while also offering the cost and space savings of remote working.<\/p>\n

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What are hybrid workplace technologies?<\/h2>\n

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1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hosted PBX<\/h3>\n

For a hybrid workplace to operate efficiently, communication technology is key. And, in terms of modern business telecom solutions, you\u2019ll want to look at the hosted PBX (private business exchange) system. This is a cloud-based system that is hosted off-site over the internet, rather than the physical business premises. Calls can be switched between different lines within the organisation to connect with people off-site. This is a much more cost-effective option as there\u2019s no need to invest in software, equipment, training and daily maintenance. The hosted PBX is an ideal hybrid workplace solution as employees can plug their desk phones in at home and carry on as if they were in the office.<\/p>\n

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2.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Security software<\/h3>\n

With employees working remotely, they will be dealing with sensitive client data and information off-site. This means that you\u2019ll have to implement much more stringent security measures to protect your client and business data from the ongoing threat of cybercrime. This means not only investing in cutting-edge security software, but it will also mean that employees will need work-based devices \u2013 computers, cellphones or hard drives \u2013 rather than depending on their own.<\/p>\n

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3.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Collaboration software<\/h3>\n

There was a sudden explosion of collaboration software when Covid-19 hit and everyone was forced to work remotely. It has become more sophisticated, with features that allow you to track the progress of projects, cloud storage, file-sharing tools, document synchronisation and whiteboards, among many others. You will need to decide what collaboration software best suits your business needs, and consider investing in it to unlock all the features (rather than opting for just the free version).<\/p>\n

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4.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Video conferencing software<\/h3>\n

Similarly, you\u2019ll need to consider the best video conferencing software to meet your business needs. No matter the size or type of business, you will be required to host or be involved in online meetings and conferences from time to time. Video conferencing software is also a great way for your team to keep connected no matter where they are.<\/p>\n

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5.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Time-tracking tools<\/h3>\n

While it\u2019s true that certain employees can work without constant supervision, others will take advantage of the hybrid work situation and do as little as possible. That\u2019s why time-tracking tools are an important technology for the hybrid workplace. These can include biometric time clocks which use fingerprint or face capture technology to identify colleagues with authentication offered via smartphones or tablets. This can also be used for enhanced security features.<\/p>\n

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Make sure you\u2019re kitted out with all the relevant technology to facilitate a remote working environment. This way, you\u2019re getting the best of both worlds and enjoying enhanced productivity. Contact ECN<\/a> for all your hybrid workplace needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u201cHybrid work the default by 2024, half of work performed offsite: 81% believe hybrid work will be the foremost working model by 2024, with 56% of work done offsite.\u201d \u2013 PR Newswire   Hybrid workplaces, once a foreign concept to most companies, have now become a mainstream work model that allows employees to work from […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3198,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3197","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-articles"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3197","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3197"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3197\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3198"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3197"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3197"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/ourtestserver2.co.za\/ecnnew\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3197"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}