The pandemic has ushered in an era of remote work, and we're all adjusting to this relatively new manner of conducting business. In 2021, an estimated 1 in 4 Americans are working remotely. In addition, many companies are now in the process of transitioning to hybrid or fully remote working.
However, for remote work to run smoothly, companies must support their employees' need for advanced technology. As remote work increases, so will the need for video conferencing and high-tech audiovisual equipment in the home office. Through modern video conferencing technology, remote workers can feel connected and collaborate effectively even if they reside in different parts of the globe.
By 2027, the video collaboration market will reach a predicted value of $11.56 billion. Companies and employees must remain on the cutting edge of video technology for success in the present and for years to come. As such, we're looking ahead to video conferencing predictions for remote workers in the digital era.
Issues with Video Conferencing and Remote Work
99% of people would choose to work remotely for the rest of their life given the opportunity, and it is estimated that 50% of people will work from home by 2030. But many companies transferred to remote work so quickly that employers have had little time to structure their remote communication process for optimal results. Systems, procedures, and policies were not put in place during this rapid transformation of the workplace. As a result, remote workers face technical issues that they can't handle, while poor video meeting organization costs companies $399 billion per year.
Currently, IT professionals and audiovisual integrators are developing ways to improve the digital collaboration process. To start, high-quality webcams with HD resolution, headsets, and appropriate lighting are pivotal in creating a productive remote working environment. Soon, it will become standard for employers to issue this technology. In addition, the programs that professionals use in the workplace must have a design that supports an optimal user experience. If your company has IT issues, professional audiovisual integrators at Applied Global Technologies can supply video conferencing equipment fully supported with remote and onsite services, a live Help Desk, and a team of certified personnel. Your audiovisual integrators will act as an extension of your team to minimize pain points.
Benefits of Video Conferencing for Remote Workers
As technology advances, so does the quality of video conferencing capabilities. And each improvement in video conferencing equipment or software also improves remote workers' ability to collaborate and connect.
Constant communication through email or instant messaging, while convenient for remote work, can easily lead to misunderstandings or the spread of misinformation. The lack of tone and body language in text-based communication can undermine a message's clarity. But with modern video conferencing software, employees can share ideas clearly and effectively.
In addition, most video conferencing programs make it possible to quickly share screens and files, simplifying your team's ability to view and discuss documents collaboratively. Video meetings also reduce the need for long, convoluted email conversations.
Working from home can be isolating, especially in the wake of a pandemic and lockdowns. With video conferencing, employees can engage with their coworkers in a highly personal way. As employees adjust to a remote working environment, video meetings can encourage transparent communication and strengthen interpersonal connections. In turn, your team's remote work environment remains efficient and adequately maintained.
Trending Features in Video Conferencing
Wondering how the ever-evolving video conferencing features can benefit your business? Choosing a modern and well-rounded video conferencing platform can offer your team a number of advantages.
Unified Communications Solutions
It is no longer efficient for companies to use services that only solve one problem at a time. There is too much room for error if your employees use separate chat, video conferencing, and phone communication programs. Messages get missed, and balls get dropped. To foster better collaboration, employers are streamlining their remote work communication process by ensuring that all external and internal communication requirements exist within a single application.
Deep Integration
In light of unified communication solutions, the way our devices work together is transforming as well. For instance, if you receive a work-related call from your desktop computer, you can answer with your mobile phone. From there, you could move the conversation to a video conference, where you can collaborate and share ideas with coworkers. As these tools become deeply integrated, the entire collaboration process is simplified.
A Focus on High-Quality Video and Audio
Low-quality video and audio can adversely affect communication among staff or between employees and clients. Regardless of any extra features that video conferencing tools may provide, the platform that your company uses must first and foremost be capable of producing high-quality video and audio. Fortunately, many video conferencing applications are placing priority on quality and clarity. Just make sure that you aren't overlooking this basic functionality in favor of additional bells and whistles.
The Future of Work and Mixed Reality Collaboration
As more people transition to remote work, companies have many concerns about maintaining high levels of productivity and efficiency outside of a traditional office setting. They seek to mitigate these concerns with frequent video collaboration. Of course, this is just the beginning. Remote work and video conferencing allow talent from all over the world to be present in one digital space without traveling from home, but how will the way we digitally interact and collaborate transform in the future?
Mixed reality is the future of video conferencing. We define mixed reality as an environment in which physical and digital reality intertwine for an interactive experience with the real and virtual worlds. In the future, mixed reality will allow the use of lifelike avatars that will meet in virtual meeting rooms as if it's happening in real life.
In a mixed reality meeting space, people can use their avatars to pin content onto virtual walls and share notes from their phone or laptop in real-time. In these virtual rooms, digital objects will become physical so that you can scroll through messages. In addition, people will be able to join and leave these virtual rooms the same way they would if it were a physical room.
Once mixed reality technology is at a later stage of development and testing, it will drastically alter our perception of the workplace. Advanced technology will enable humans to collaborate in a more intimate, direct manner that builds teamwork and trust.
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