Now that technology allows us to work anywhere, on any device, work is something people do — not just a place to which they go. This shift demands that businesses manage and operate so that they can attract the right people, retain them, and ensure they can do their best work.
The result: the reimagined workplace. An environment where employees demand a seamless work experience no matter where they are and the tools to make that happen. New ways to improve business productivity, flexibility, and agility are no longer just nice to have: They are essential for the modern workplace.
As companies design their workplaces for the future, adopting the right technology and putting the right policies into place are key to business strategy and organizational success. Companies that can build and protect strong cultures that foster diversity, collaboration, and innovation, while supporting work-life balance and flexibility, will clearly gain the competitive advantage.
This is a fundamental shift in thinking about the workplace: Offices are becoming more open and walls are coming down. And by making communication easier — between people, devices, applications, and data — organizations are increasing flexibility, decreasing costs, and increasing collaboration and the speed of change.
In research with executives across the globe, Citrix found that some companies are gaining organizational and strategic advantages by using technology to:
- Recruit and retain talent through cutting-edge policies for personal device usage and flexible work schedules
- Increase personal productivity for people working anywhere by offering easy, secure access to business resources
- Offer modern, flexible workspaces that inspire people while reducing overhead and real estate costs
Companies that leverage these technologies to enhance their talent strategies are tapping into a whole new way of thinking about work and restructuring the way work is done.
Research shows that in the next decade one-third of workers will no longer be based at traditional offices. They’ll be operating from home, the field, and project and customer locations, as well as from hotels, airports, and trains. Along with changing where they work, employees also are shifting when they work; the traditional 9-to-5 schedule is being adapted to create more work-life balance.
Employees with this new “mobile workstyle” expect to work seamlessly across many platforms. Research finds that people will access corporate applications, data, and services from an average of six different computing devices a day.
While these workers will not always be in the same time zone, let alone the same workspace, organizations know the need for collaboration has never been greater. From idea generation to problem-solving to delivering results, teamwork is essential to productivity and innovation, and companies need a toolbox of technologies that will allow teams to work together and build relationships.
Citrix tools offer a wide range of collaboration solutions, including meeting online, sharing and accessing large files, and answering calls with a virtual phone system. Citrix solutions empower employees to work from anywhere while providing full security, granular control, and an uncompromised user experience.
Meet Online Anytime, Anywhere
GoToMeeting makes it easy for dispersed teams of any size to meet with the tap of a screen on any device. The easy-to-use interface allows for quick meetings, quick check-ins, and quick results. GoToMeeting features:
- Get more done with unlimited meetings, a simple interface, and clear communication
- Decrease travel costs while meeting as often as you like
- Build better relationships: HD video, clear audio, and a shared screen create unified focus
- Increase sales. Here’s a simple equation: unlimited meetings + more time to meet prospects – travel = deals closing 20% faster
Send Files Securely and Easily
Teams have to share, revise, review, and send large amounts of information efficiently and securely without clogging inboxes. ShareFile is an easy-to-use file-sharing tool that includes many useful features:
- Secure sharing and syncing for files up to 10 GB
- Automatic desktop sync and data backup between desktop folders and the ShareFile account in the cloud
- Custom-branded web portals for clients, vendors, and other external partners to securely access and share files
- Confirmation of received files and extensive tracking options
- Microsoft Outlook plugin to send and request files directly from your inbox
- Mobile apps for iOS, Android, Blackberry, and Windows Phone tablets and smartphones
Employees who are on the go, meeting with clients, and working at different sites can’t always wait at a desk for a call—no matter how important—or answer a cellphone. With Grasshopper, a virtual phone system, each and every call can be forwarded to a cellphone and/or an office landline. If a call can’t be answered, it can be routed to another extension or sent to voicemail, where the message can be transcribed and emailed to the employee. Outside callers can be routed to different “informational” extensions based on what they need. Grasshopper turns the world into your office with many features:
- Call forwarding that works with landlines and mobile phones, regardless of the type of device being used by the employee
- Scheduled call forwarding for periods when employees cannot answer the phone, with calls rerouted to designated employees who can handle the calls
- Transcribed voicemails delivered to email
- Multiple extensions for everyone on the team
- Toll-free or local numbers, delivering a national or local presence
- Compatibility with existing cell or landline phones; no need for new hardware
Mobile productivity is fundamental to every organization’s ability to support a happy, productive workforce. As employees increasingly expect to be able to work from anywhere, on any device, your organization must move beyond the constraints of fixed locations and standard PCs to enable freedom and flexibility in the way people work. Modern mobility management solutions allow your organization to securely provide access to the apps and data people need to do their jobs effectively no matter where they are or what devices they use.
Learn more: www.gotomeeting.com.