Voice and video are trending again

 

There are undeniable advantages to e-mail and instant messaging. For example, they make it possible to reliably record the agreements reached, clearly and without ambiguity indicating a position or summarizing the results of the meeting. They also do not force an immediate response, allowing you to complete the current task without losing focus and reducing productivity. However, with the shift to remote work and hybrid schedules, e-mail and instant messengers have shown their failure to completely replace live communication with colleagues, urgent questions and meetings.

 

Voice and video communication in the realities of the pandemic has shown its effectiveness when it is required to make decisions promptly, to show empathy or persuasion, to motivate employees, to demonstrate the correct emotional colouring in difficult discussions and in cases when a work issue requires collecting and taking into account different points of view.

 

Taking work home is not enough

 

Remote or partial transformation of a living space into a work space is not suitable for everyone. The productivity of some employees increases significantly in the office environment, while others find it difficult to find a balance between work and personal life when it is combined in the same area. It is impossible to completely exclude the influence of character and lifestyle characteristics on work productivity in a pandemic. Neither will it be possible to reduce the risk of intellectual and emotional burnout, feelings of isolation, or the feeling that work is beginning to consume personal life.

 

This being said, there is still a way to minimize the negative effects of teleworking for the hybrid model. The solution to the problem is to create a comfortable and well-equipped home workplace, where the employee would get the opportunity to "disconnect" from the home environment, use effective tools for work and feel their productivity close to the office level.

 

Modularity is an area that JPL Telecom pays special attention to. The most advanced solutions in terms of technologies are modular solutions for business. They provide a longer life cycle, increased maintainability, the ability to transfer equipment from one employee to another, and they also adapt more easily to changing business tasks.

For example, if we talk about a modular headset, it can have two stereo speakers, and can also be equipped in mono format. In case of a breakdown, it will be enough to replace only one part, and not the entire gadget. And if an employee has left the company, a new employee will not have to buy a headset for work again — it is enough to replace the ear pads that touch the ears.

Modularity also allows you to contribute to the care of the environment, to use resources more efficiently. Due to the use of a smaller number of headset elements, the volume of material that is subsequently recycled is significantly reduced.

The increased durability and lightness of JPL Telecom headsets and accessories ensure long-term comfort. Patented technologies make it easy to change the wearing style with one or two speakers. With the Quick Disconnect system, it is possible to disconnect the headsets without losing the call. And the noise-cancelling microphones, which all headsets are equipped with, ensure a high level of speech quality without extraneous sounds.

 

Communication devices: closing the pyramid of needs

 

For communications equipment manufacturers and employers interested in high-quality equipment for remote and hybrid workplaces, a new task list has appeared, which should not only take into account the conditions of the pandemic, but also aim for the future and post-coronavirus reality. At a basic level, communication gadgets should be convenient for employees, durable and cost-effective for business owners, and effectively solve work problems.

Hybrid and remote workplaces have added new requirements. New products must be mobile to be able to quickly deploy a workplace without being tied to a company office. Instead of specialized devices for specific tasks, multifunctional all-in-one gadgets are becoming popular. And most importantly, the equipment needs to be easy to use and maintain, because in hybrid and remote workplaces, the availability of service and technical support is significantly reduced.

 

JPL Telecom's portfolio includes many devices that require minimal settings to operate. These Plug and Play solutions allow you to connect them to computers and softphones instantly - no additional software is required. Such a proposal helps reduce costs for the company, both in terms of employee engagement and in terms of security. Employees do not need to install any software that could become malicious in the event of a ransomware attack.

 

Prosumerism — an advanced level of gadget requirements

 

After the basic device requirements from business owners and employees are closed, an extended wish list appears. High competition in the consumer electronics and business gadgets segment has led brands to hear their users well and create products where human needs are at the center of attention. In addition to the availability, reliability and functionality of devices, the user experience with devices and associated software is starting to play an important role, attention to the issues of responsible consumption and the possibility of reducing the number of devices while increasing the life cycle. And in general, the course of manufacturing companies towards sustainable development with a reduction in carbon footprint and ethical production becomes important for consumers.

 

 

 

 

Business gadgets with attention to the individual

 

What will be the next stage in the development of telecommunications equipment? Most likely we are looking for devices with high mobility, increased resource of work and reliability, capable of "switching" between office use scenarios and the needs of home workstations. The modularity of solutions that has not taken root in consumer electronics - when instead of buying a new product, you can upgrade part of it - can show its effectiveness in business gadgets. Extended life cycle, enhanced customization and reduced carbon footprint are the three main benefits of modular products.

 

And we will surely see the emergence of completely new functionality that was not previously required in the b2b segment. For example, in home office conditions, effective noise cancellation for headphones and microphones becomes important, and when you return to the office - the ‘transparency’ mode so as not to fall out of the outside world. For video communication, software solutions will be developed to adapt the picture, including scenarios of insufficient lighting or hiding the ‘background’ in a home office. In general, for all products, we are waiting for the design of more and more simple and convenient software (perhaps with an eye to UI and UX trends in the mobile market) so that users do not need the help of specialists when connecting and configuring. No software, or minimal software helps to avoid hackers’ attacks since employees do not need to go to third-party sites to download software.

 

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We live in a time when we have to equip home offices, master hybrid models, change everyday habits in communicating with clients and colleagues, re-search for a balance between work and personal life, be attentive to ourselves, others and the whole planet. At the same time, it is important that both employees and companies take into account the peculiarities of the “new reality” when they have to look for and master new tools for productivity, pay attention to the quality of equipment, software and, in general, the equipment of workplaces. It is unlikely that soon it will be possible to play back the consequences of the coronavirus, so the only correct bet will be on the adaptation of business processes and employees to its consequences.