{"id":4553,"date":"2020-10-23T08:50:10","date_gmt":"2020-10-23T15:50:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/?p=4553"},"modified":"2020-10-23T08:50:10","modified_gmt":"2020-10-23T15:50:10","slug":"4-best-types-of-tools-to-increase-your-remote-teams-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.poly.com\/4-best-types-of-tools-to-increase-your-remote-teams-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"4 Best Types of Tools to Increase Your Remote Team’s Productivity"},"content":{"rendered":"

Back in the 70s, huge advances in telecommunications<\/a><\/span> led NASA to encourage its workers to adopt a new form of working termed, \u2018telecommuting\u2019. However, despite the obvious benefits (think decreased costs and increased convenience) remote working didn\u2019t exactly take off. Fast forward to the late 90s, the emergence of new technologies, including cloud PBX<\/a><\/span> and others, and remote working became far more mainstream.<\/p>\n

A 2019 study<\/a><\/span> revealed an average of 62% of companies worldwide offer employees some form of flexible working and, with the emergence of COVID-19, that number is estimated to be much<\/em> higher \u2013even long after a vaccine. In this post, I\u2019ll assess the best kinds of (mostly free) tools for establishing and running an effective remote<\/a><\/span> or hybrid<\/span><\/a> working environment.<\/p>\n

COVID-19 Offers Few Alternatives to Remote Working<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Recent events have thrown many companies in at the deep end when it comes to remote working. National governments and authorities are giving them no choice but to implement work from home orders to ensure social distancing. And, overseeing newly remote teams can prove overwhelming for the uninitiated. Plus, it\u2019s inevitable that some employees will start to feel stressed<\/a><\/span> and isolated without the right systems and support in place.<\/p>\n

No Need to Panic<\/strong><\/p>\n

Luckily, the evolution of IOT<\/a><\/span>, wireless devices, and other technology means there are now plenty of useful tools available to make working online and collaborating with others easier.<\/p>\n

The four main elements that need to be resolved when it comes to working remotely are:<\/p>\n