The pandemic and last couple of years have shown us how important connectivity really is. And not just for our personal lives but for our working world too. Recent research from Virgin Media O2 Business and Centre for Economics and Business Research reveals that both employers and employees share similar views on hybrid working, with both expecting it to continue long into the future.
So now that the prominence of the digital workplace has been fully realised, businesses are looking to understand how they can use connectivity to deliver permanent hybrid working that drives productivity and growth.
Poor connectivity is only going to decrease work efficiency, leaving staff feeling frustrated and unmotivated. Plus, with collaboration apps like Microsoft Teams playing a vital role in the success of hybrid working, reliable connectivity is key in increasing productivity and ensuring that colleagues and customers can communicate seamlessly with each other.
As the work environment has had to flex to a hybrid model, businesses now need to provide a digital workspace that allows employees to work from anywhere – in the office, at home, or out in the field. This means reliable connectivity, wherever you need to work from. And while 5G may be the future for most of us, 4G still offers businesses everything they need, with a reliable connection built to reach even the most rural areas.
So, with the option of being able to connect wherever you’re working, here are five ways connectivity can now help your business to grow:
- Taking advantage of new technology opportunities
High speed connectivity means data can move quickly and securely from device to the cloud so businesses can keep on top of things without delay, making it invaluable for future business growth.
But as well as making a difference to everyday business activity, future technology opportunities such as AI, ML, chatbots, and personalisation will only work efficiently on a high speed network.
And as AI can undertake time-consuming tasks so businesses can focus their time, attention, and resources on more important things, modern technology opportunities are certainly something that businesses are starting to place a lot of importance on.
- Reliability, flexibility, speed
36% of hybrid workers report being more productive and 34% more in control of their work when working from home, making it clear that reliable connectivity for wherever your team need to work from is the key to a future-proofed, successful digital workplace.
To facilitate this demand in flexible working, and appeal to the very top talent in the recruitment market, businesses need to be able to offer a reliable, secure, and fast connection. After all, no-one wants to turn away or lose some of their best workers because they work too remotely to be able to work to their maximum potential.
- Increased cyber security
With 39% of businesses having reported a rise in the number of cyber security attacks in the last 12 months, 77% of companies say cyber security is a high priority for their directors and senior managers [1]. Safe to say, security has been a huge focus for the business world in recent times.
4G and 5G both have carrier grade security meaning that they’re extremely reliable, well tested and proven in their capabilities [2]. But 5G gives an even more secure service than 4G due to better use of bandwidth and more connection points, so businesses know that they’re not just investing in better connectivity, but also improved security.
- Cost savings
Poor connectivity can cost a business a lot more than they may initially think. In fact, £494 is lost per employee every year in productivity costs due to a slow internet connection, according to swcomms [3].
But a reliable, high-speed connection will mean staff can work to their most productive and efficient potential, rather than getting frustrated and unmotivated with a slow and unreliable connection.
- Meeting customer expectations
Nowadays, businesses need to do everything they can to stand out from their competitors. And lousy connectivity is only going to leave them behind. The kind of service customers expect demands strong internet connectivity and a reliable connection.
Also, every time a business’ connectivity goes down, its brand reputation suffers. And once customers get frustrated with a slow service caused by poor connectivity, they’ll need a lot of persuading to try again and visit the same website.
[1] https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2021/cyber-security-breaches-survey-2021
[2] https://www.affirmednetworks.com/what-it-means-to-be-carrier-grade/
[3] https://www.swcomms.co.uk/resource-centre/article/infographic-the-cost-of-poor-connectivity-vs-the-benefits-of-leased-line/
