How mobile-first will guide the future of work

As businesses move into more permanent remote work and flexible working hours, it’s clear the future of work will require a mobile-first strategy.

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How mobile-first will guide the future of work

Key insights at-a-glance

  • A lack of technology infrastructure is one of the biggest challenge businesses face when transitioning to remote work. 
  • To overcome this challenge, businesses could turn to a mobile-first strategy, which involves a switch from desktops and laptops to smartphones.
  • Adopting a mobile-first strategy offers several benefits for businesses, including increased productivity, improved security, and better management.

How mobile-first will guide the future of work

4 June 2020 | SMB, Digitalisation, Mobility, Voice and Collaboration | 5 min read

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen many businesses embrace new working arrangements, including remote work and flexible working hours. This new normal might be the future of work, with the next generation of workers seeking autonomy and freedom in when, where, and how they get work done.

But businesses might not find it easy to transition to working remotely or implement flexible working hours. Saikat Chatterjee, a senior director for advisory at Gartner, says “the biggest challenge stems from the lack of technology infrastructure and lack of comfort with new ways of working.”

How can businesses overcome the technology infrastructure? Mobile technologies and a mobile-first strategy could be the answer. It involves shifting from desktops and laptops to smartphones to deliver products and services and achieve business goals.

Here are some of the potential benefits SMBs can gain from adopting a mobile-first strategy.

Increased productivity

Using mobile devices, employees can access work anytime, anywhere. By connecting their smartphone to a monitor and input devices, employees can access work apps in a desktop setting complete with keyboard and mouse.

Samsung DeX enables this intuitive desktop work experience, with DeX software built into Galaxy range of smartphones, and an adapter that lets users connect to a monitor. DeX is also compatible with major virtual desktop providers so employees can launch a virtual desktop session from their smartphones.

With this desktop work experience, employees can simultaneously answer phone calls and connect with customers or team members for seamless communication and collaboration.

Employees can use Focus Mode on their smartphones to pause apps and minimise distractions so they can get work done.

With a unified communications solution such as Singtel BizVoice UC, your team can stay connected and enjoy the benefits of a PBX setup. BizVoice UC acts as a cloud-based private branch exchange (PBX) solution that lets you enjoy all the features of a hosted PBX such as a call forwarding, company phone directory for internal calls, and access to a single business number on multiple devices. There are also collaboration features such as video conference calls, instant messaging and desktop sharing for computer users. Users have the option of using BizVoice via mobile phone app as well as desktop PC or Mac applications,  and are able to answer calls from their land line number just like they normally would in office.

Enjoy the benefits of a cloud-based PBX setup with Singtel BizVoice UC. Available FREE for 3 months.

Improved security

Smartphones typically have more safety features built into them, such as enhanced biometrics and security mechanisms such as storage encryption and integrity verification of booting components. A mobile device management solution can also be installed to enforce company policies even while working remotely.

For instance, Samsung Knox is built into their range of smartphones and tablets, adding multiple layers of hardware and software security features to protect against malware and malicious threats. It provides a dual persona container to separate work and personal data on a single device, ensuring that company data is encrypted, isolated, and protected from personal use.

Better management

A mobile-first strategy streamlines device management for IT managers. They can

  • easily enrol and configure mobile devices based on the security settings required by a business, and
  • quickly deploy mobile devices in the field and update them remotely, minimising downtime and interruptions for employees.

Utilising the speed offered by mobile networks, device settings and profiles can be simultaneously applied over the air to ensure a consistent and secure experience across the entire business.

Mobile-first is fast becoming the future of work. Businesses must adopt a mobile-first mentality now to prepare for the future. To help businesses embrace a mobile-first strategy, a fast 4G+ network and flexible data add-ons can help support and enhance this experience. Employees have easy access to mobile data so they can be productive wherever they are.

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