The “Modern Workplace”

The “Modern Workplace”: What Does It Mean?

You’ve probably heard the phrase “modern workplace” more and more recently. Do you know what it means?

If you’re reading this article, you’re probably not 100% sure what the “modern workplace” is. It’s a term lots of people are throwing around these days, but it’s not exactly clear what they mean.

If you don’t know what they’re talking about, don’t be embarrassed. In fact, the term actually has more than one meaning.

I wanted to help clear it up, so I put together a quick video and blog to clearly explain what the modern workplace is, and why it’s important to you.

Check out this video to discover more:

Two Definitions Of The Modern Workplace

• Modern Workplace Culture: Some people may use this term to refer to the culture popularized by Google over the past decade. You know, the Silicon Valley companies that have nap areas, ping pong tables, and flexible cowork spaces. It’s more like a campus than an office, and it’s designed to encourage employees not just to work there, but to live there as well.
• Cloud-Based Workspace: The other “modern workplace” is the virtual, cloud-based workplace that many businesses are choosing over traditional IT systems. Microsoft 365, G Suite and other online work platforms that provide all the applications, storage and communication solutions a team needs to get their work done from wherever they have an Internet connection.

For the purposes of this article, we’ll be exploring the second definition further. Understanding how a cloud-based workspace operates will help you consider it’s potential for you and your team.

Why Are Businesses Moving Their Workspaces To The Cloud?

There are a number of reasons to move your workspace into the virtual space. By transitioning your data and apps off-premise through the cloud, you can get the freedom to clean out your server rooms and gain a number of key advantages:

• Reducing Hardware: One of the key benefits of the cloud is how it allows businesses to get rid of their onsite servers. This allows businesses to reduce the money they spend on office space.
• Fewer Expenses: By outsourcing your infrastructure to a third-party, you offload a range of management expenses to them. Utilities like power and cooling, and continuity expenses for liability are all paid by them — you just pay a simple monthly fee.
• Minimizing Your Carbon Footprint: Everyone knows how big a deal Global Warming is in the modern world, but not everyone knows that the cloud can help reduce carbon footprints. By moving IT operations into the cloud, businesses can cut energy use and carbon emissions.
• Comprehensive Dematerialization: The cloud offers a number of ways to substitute virtual options for their conventional equivalents. Whether it’s by storing data and apps offsite in a data center, accessing work at home instead of driving to the office, or by using VoIP and video chat to conduct meetings instead of travelling there in person, businesses can save money and reduce carbon emissions with modern cloud technologies.

Why Do Users Prefer Working In The Modern Workspace?

Beyond the business benefits of the modern workspace, your staff members will likely prefer to work there as well. Especially when it’s a part of a remote work model:

• 77% of remote employees say they’re more productive when working from home
• 76% of employees prefer to avoid their office completely when they need to concentrate on a project
• 98% of remote workers want to continue to work remotely (at least some of the time) for the rest of their careers

Modern workspaces offer teams the ability to:

• Stay In Touch: Communication solutions allow you to communicate in the moment and keep everyone in the know. Stay connected with chat, calls, and meetings within your team and in private or small group conversations.
• Work Together: Collaboration features allow you to share your files, apps or desktop in online meetings and review the important moments later with transcriptions of recorded content.

Is The Modern Workplace Right For You?

It depends – if you’re a small business with a simple organization and small team, you may not need to bother with a cloud-based workspace. If everything you do happens on-premises between a few people, then there may not be the need to provide remote access to data and communication tools.

On the other hand, if you have a larger team operating remotely or on the go, the modern workplace will do a lot to improve your productivity. A cloud-based environment is where you and your staff can meet, communicate and work in a shared virtual space instead of a conventional office.

It’s never been easier to start moving your business to the cloud, and the benefits are clear: save yourself money that you’d otherwise spend to maintain a server room by transitioning to a cloud environment. If you haven’t started using a modern workplace solution yet and want to know more, get in touch with the Pure IT team to get started.