The world’s perspective on work has shifted dramatically of late. With the sensibilities of the global workforce evolving, a growing contingent of employers are making efforts to facilitate better work-life balances through remote and hybrid working arrangements. At the same time, the rise of digital nomadism has seen millions worldwide forgo traditional working lifestyles in favor of combining travel with professional endeavors. It’s undeniable – the world of work is changing for good, and fast.
But just how has all this change come about at such speed and scale? As is often the case in the 21st century, it all comes down to tech. Here, we’ll take a closer look at some of the key technologies that have empowered the global remote work movement, shedding light on what they do and how they can be utilized to improve the remote work experience.
Cybersecurity has perennially been one of the biggest hurdles associated with remote work. With cybercrime a constant threat to businesses and instances of attacks seemingly always on the rise, the challenge has been in ensuring that employees and contractors can access internal resources to work effectively from elsewhere without putting companies’ internal networks at risk. However, Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) have proved highly effective in mitigating cybersecurity risks.
VPNs are uniquely useful in remote work, primarily because they use tunneling and apply robust encryption protocols to user data to help create more secure connections. This means that a remote worker can use a VPN to safely access their company network, even if they need to use a shared public Wi-Fi network.
Additionally, VPNs enable workers to bypass geo-blocks when working across borders. Using a Canada VPN server, for instance, a remote worker can access all of the online resources that they would be able to were they in Canada. As such, a VPN can be a vital tool for facilitating productivity as well as secure remote access.
Cloud Computing
The development of cloud computing has also played a major role in the growth of the remote work movement. In times gone by, the productivity of off-site workers was often task-dependent, as they were limited by the capabilities of their personal devices. However, the development of cloud computing has changed everything by enabling workers to leverage the power of cutting-edge software tools without needing powerful hardware on hand.
Platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace allow remote workers to access comprehensive suites of communication and productivity tools to enable them to carry out their responsibilities effectively and collaborate with colleagues and clients with ease. Additionally, cloud storage facilities like Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive have given remote workers a way to easily save access and share important files from anywhere.
With the help of cloud-based tools, remote workers are now able to set up entirely digital workplaces, making it possible to work from anywhere without sacrificing utility, functionality, or productivity.
Project Management Platforms
In many instances, the shift towards remote work has brought management challenges to the fore. Chiefly, companies have traditionally struggled to effectively delegate tasks, track progress, and manage timelines for collaborative projects with workers operating from different locations, but modern project management platforms have provided a foundation for productivity success in remote work.
Platforms like Slack and Trello, to name just two popular examples, provide convenient and intuitive interfaces for project management, allowing workers and team leaders alike to assign responsibilities, set deadlines, monitor progress, and collaborate on tasks through file sharing. Additionally, many of these platforms leverage automation to remove the burden of repetitive and mundane tasks. This has helped to make remote working processes smoother and more transparent for everyone involved, ensuring that projects reach fruition more easily and with greater consistency.
Project management platforms enable remote workers to fit seamlessly into any collaborative environment, regardless of their geographical location.
Concluding
The world of work is an ever-evolving place, with worker expectations and priorities continually shifting with the times. As WFH, hybrid arrangements and digital nomadism are all gaining considerable traction on a global scale, it’s clear that remote work is the order of the day, and rapid developments in software technology are paving the way for the movement. Virtual Private Networks, Cloud-based software tools, and project management platforms have been at the center of things, allowing remote workers to take their responsibilities online without compromising security or productivity. As the remote work movement continues to sweep the world, there can be no doubt that these technologies will have a key role to place in the next iteration of the 21st-century workplace.
