Changing Times – How the Virtual Office Is Changing the Way Teams Communicate
The virtual office has transformed the modern office in that it has allowed businesses to establish themselves without the excessive financial burden that comes with moving into traditional offices. More than just another remote-working platform, the virtual office assists businesses by providing the standard office features in primarily an online format. However, this office format is also changing a lot in the way businesses perform daily.
For one, it has reduced the cost of leasing office space drastically. Companies that would not be able to lease an address in some of the more prestigious locations, can now do so and comfortably. The virtual office revolution has also changed the way business teams communicate with each other.
Let’s take a look at some of the ways in which the virtual office has changed the way teams communicate.
The Set-Up
The virtual office format provides businesses with the ability to lease the use of conference rooms, meeting rooms and boardrooms. In addition to being able to lease physical space, the virtual office gives business access to some of the best IT services in corporate office space leasing. Essentially, your office is in virtual reality and is established by whichever online infrastructure (business management system) you choose. Servcorp Virtual Offices in London is an example of the way in which many virtual offices are structured.
Because much of working in the virtual office format requires working remotely, businesses have adapted to this new work environment, especially in terms of communication. Whereas in times past, the remote-working space has been characterised by employees working in separate parts of the country with intermittent communication. Today’s virtual office, however, has increased the chances and the types of conversations teams engage in.
Meetings
The virtual office has transformed the business meeting. Because now much of the work is done over a network, meetings have evolved into two types. The first is one where members meet online using any one of the video conferencing apps such as Skype and other online media. The other type is the face-to-face meeting that is held in a meeting, conference, or boardroom but has video-conferencing abilities that allow members to attend online who could not attend in person.
Both methods have made it possible for the virtual office to actually meet the demands of business, especially in a situation where team members must meet together to in person to discuss sensitive matters. The business meeting can be taken at any time of the day or the night because, whether working in a meeting room or at home, businesses have access to the tools necessary to hold meetings. Ultimately, this one advance in office space solutions has transformed the virtual landscape for business.
Messaging
IT technology has made it possible for teams to communicate with each other through a plethora of avenues. Through a virtual office, businesses can establish a management system that will allow managers and co-workers to stay in communication simply through messaging as communications are received. Furthermore, social media sites allow businesses to communicate at any time of the day, so business is uninterrupted. In many ways, one could argue that, because teams have to rely on online messaging systems to transact business, work never ends.
Online Chatter and the Virtual Office
While online chat and other messaging platforms have been around for more than twenty years, the virtual office industry has harnessed these tools and adapted them to the business environment. Because of this, teams can now remain in contact throughout the day and night, regardless of their location. More significantly, the virtual office’s ability to improve much of the communication tools has been at the core of creating a reliable online infrastructure.
