The ability to work remotely without sacrificing productivity not only highlights the flexibility of cloud, but it also shows how leveled the field is today for remote, mobile, and in-office knowledge workers. Part of what people need in order to be successful in today’s busy world is the ability to multitask, to stay connected, and to utilize their tools no matter the location.
In daily business, there are many obstacles that will either halt or limit productivity. Part of the issue lies with having too many applications. Think of the number of contacts and projects that are strewn across multiple outlets, creating inconsistencies and disorganization. It becomes too easy to misplace information and even harder to retrieve it when one doesn’t know where to look. Currently, people lack a centralized location to keep all of their contacts, projects, or a complete history of their work communications. People have become so used to making this type of complexity work, even when it takes additional time and effort. Conferencing and scheduling are also disconnected from other types of communications, which adds one more aspect for workers to manage.
The same issues can be seen, and are amplified, among remote workers. Applications and tools are not readily available for remote workers when outside the firewall, limiting their productivity. These workers need to be able to access the same tools as office workers, so they can connect to the same customers and partners as their coworkers sitting in the office. The playing field needs to be equal among workers so that work is consistent and productivity is high.
RingCentral saw these problems that arise in the workplace, which is why we created a solution through integration with Microsoft 365. With RingCentral for Microsoft 365, there is now a single business identity for employees. There is one view for all contacts and projects, creating less confusion. When doing work, it is more natural to communicate through windows that are already up as opposed to constantly switching applications. Conference calls, video chat, and instant messaging are now contained in one communication hub. As far as remote workers, Microsoft 365 is something that is able to travel with them without the risk of security issues. Their experience is identical to that of the standard on-site worker.
Today we see an evolving workspace. The way we use communications tools is changing into something that needs to be central, interchangeable, and adaptable. Many companies and employees are moving to working through a browser, which has become the new cloud workspace. The applications people use are all in the cloud, making communication part of the same cloud space. With this new centralized tool, there is no longer a need for systems management or maintenance. RingCentral for Microsoft 365 lets workers manage their entire network in one single interactive space without having to juggle multiple outlets and applications.
Originally published Aug 11, 2015, updated Sep 08, 2020
