Telecommuting Made Possible Through Conferencing Technologies

  

  

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As technologies have evolved over the past decade, the thought of allowing employees to work at home has gone from an approach that is only reserved for the executive level employee to one that can support the entire base. One such technology available today that makes telecommuting a reality for many is conferencing.

Benefits of Telecommuting

For those companies who have taken the leap into allowing more widespread telecommuting, they are experiencing greater productivity, lower costs, increased options for finding and keeping qualified staff and improved employee health, according to research from the Computing Technology Industry Association.

In this survey, 67 percent of respondents reported that their organization experienced greater worker productivity as a result of implementing a telecommuting platform that operated either full-time or part-time. For the most part, productivity is improved as employees no longer have to spend time getting to and from work.

CompTIA highlights that companies who have implemented a telecommuting platform are reaping the benefits of cost savings as office-related materials are used less and travel is reduced. Cost savings are a significant benefit, even when the global economy is not in the midst of a recession.

As stated by Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA."With 'anywhere' connectivity, faster broadband options and online conferencing choices, the opportunity for virtual offices is greater today and more affordable for businesses of all sizes and types."

A Free Flow of Communication

In a telecommuting environment, conferencing plays a large role as it allows for the free flow of communication between colleagues, partners, customers and prospects. Employees can use audio or Web conferencing from any location to talk with as many individuals as necessary to conduct priority business initiatives.

Companies in operation today are concerned with more than just the bottom line. To be competitive and achieve differentiation in the market, companies of all sizes must be able to embrace new technologies and platforms that support the demands and passions of consumers. One growing concern is a company’s carbon footprint.

Those organizations who can demonstrate a proactive approach to reducing their carbon footprint through telecommuting and conferencing can help to drive a better and more powerful position in the overall market. Green initiatives are not as much of a fad as once assumed and consumers want the companies with which they do business to use technology to reduce their reliance on natural resources.

While telecommuting does require changes within the corporate environment in order to make it successful, one of the first steps is to incorporate conferencing between employees, colleagues, partners and customers. By making conferencing a priority now, it will be a natural choice for all communications when telecommuting becomes a viable option to drive productive change.