What Role Does the Office Play in the Future of Work & What Tools Will Your People Need?

Do businesses still need expansive campuses in a post-pandemic world? With approved vaccines now being administered globally, now is the time to start evaluating what work will look like in the future: fully remote, return to a 100% office environment, or adopt a hybrid of the two?

SMB Group’s Co-founder and Partner, Laurie McCabe, offers some guidance to help you decide…

Evaluating Roles

As you look ahead into 2021, evaluate which roles truly need to be fully in-office, which can be fully remote, and which can be a hybrid. In remote roles, consider which can be worked from different states or even spread across the world. It may be a good idea to avoid recreating what you were doing before the onset of the pandemic. This is an opportunity to see what might work best for your employees and your business going forward.

Accommodating a Hybrid Workforce

Examine how you need to digitize your business processes so that employees can do their job anytime, anywhere. Laptops are a must if you want to give your staff the flexibility to work at home as well as the office, of course. The ability to answer work phones securely from personal devices is another essential component of a hybrid workforce. For the office itself, consider flexible workstations to accommodate hybrid workers when they need to be on the premises.

Who Needs to Work Collaboratively?

Investing in collaborative tech is the key for a remote or hybrid workforce. It helps to keep employees connected to each other and to customers. To maintain this level of engagement, access to certain tools is crucial:

  • Videoconferencing – Face-to-face time is always vital, whether it is achieved in person or remotely via video.
  • Chat – Not all communications have to be in person or synchronous. Text-based chat can help your employees avoid videoconferencing fatigue while still staying connected.
  • Collaboration Solutions – TCI offers a suite of collaboration software to help enable the sharing of info via voice, video, and instant messaging.
  • VPN – An encrypted connection to the Internet keeps data secure and uncompromised. A VPN allows a remote workforce to send and receive data as securely as if they were on site.

Securing Employee Well-Being and Engagement

Flexibility is the key for making sure employees’ needs are being met. Instead of forcing everyone into a single way of working, many businesses are looking at ways to promote a hybrid workforce, with workers able to choose the work environment that suits them best. This type of flexibility will also help businesses attract and retain top talent.

Preparing Now for Life Post-Pandemic

Just like we weren’t quite sure what life in a pandemic would look like, we can’t be entirely certain of how the world will look on the other side of the pandemic. But we can use what you’ve learned over the past year as a guide to the next phase.

TCI is ready to assist you in preparing for the next phase of work with innovative communication and collaboration solutions. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Mitel Rolls Out IP Phones Protected with Antimicrobial Technology

TCI has been serving healthcare providers with innovative communication solutions for over 40 years. And the innovations continue…

With the increased awareness of health issues in office and home workplaces, Mitel has launched a series of IP phones built from plastics protected with antimicrobial technology. The phones feature surfaces that are treated with a silver-based compound that inhibits microbial growth by up to 99.9%.

The new Mitel 6920t and 6930t IP phones are designed to virtually eliminate the health risks associated with dirt, germ and grime collection, making the handsets easier to clean. In addition, Mitel removed the ribs on the back side of the handsets, removed crevices from the microphone grill, and hard-wired the cord to the handset to dispense with the jack receptacle.

The new business phones are also engineered with advanced tools for today’s power users. For example, the 6930t IP phone offers mobile device integration, which seamlessly connects mobile phone call audio, contact and call log information to the desktop phone, allowing calls to the mobile phone to be answered on the 6930t.

With Bluetooth functionality, many mobile phone features are also accessible on the desk phone, making the 6930t a great companion to the user’s smartphone.

As organizations continue to modernize and support new ways of working, they’re looking for solutions and devices that can do more, are simple to use, and easy to maintain. The Mitel 6920t and 6930t IP phones were created with this in mind, using antimicrobial technology and packed with features for powering productivity and collaboration, whether that takes place between traditional office walls and shared spaces or home offices.

The Mitel 6920t and 6930t antimicrobial IP phones are available now for installation and implementation by TCI. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

Remote Work and Hybrid Workplaces… The Future of Work is Now

Remote and hybrid work is no longer the future of work – it’s the “now” of work. But connecting and collaborating with coworkers can be a challenge. We’ve all had our share of setbacks and lessons learned, but at TCI we’ll make sure your business communications are optimized for your future success. We’ve been designing, deploying and supporting technology for over 40 years.

Let’s talk about your new opportunities and the new ways your teams can work together…

  • Cultivating easier collaboration for improved Customer Experience
  • Migrating to the Cloud for flexibility and growth for the “now” of work
  • Industry-specific solutions and tools, including field service apps and distributed call centers for customer support
  • Leverage next-gen apps, including customized Google AI solutions
  • Improving the security and compliance of remote work

Regardless of what the future holds, it’s clear that hybrid and remote workers are here to stay. It’s up to you to keep your employees engaged, productive and safe, no matter where they’re working.

For insights on building solutions and processes for hybrid work that can scale into the future, arrange a planning session with your local TCI experts.

TCI can help your business thrive in 2021. Contact us today at (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.

 

 

Get to Know TCI’s Support Plans… Annual Agreements and Ad hoc On-Call

Our customers appreciate having a choice of service programs for keeping their Voice and IT systems running smoothly. We offer everything from traditional ad hoc support to annual plans.

TCI’s factory certified technicians provide installation, repair and maintenance services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year…

  • Telecom system moves, upgrades and service
  • Maintenance contracts
  • Managed Services
  • Monitoring service (Telecom and Network)
  • Service level programs

Extended Service and Support

  • Discounted labor bundles (2, 4, 6 and 8-hour units)
  • Labor can be used for anything
  • Flat rate annual contract with no trip charges
  • Extended hours 7 am to 9 pm Monday through Saturday

Maintenance Contracts

  • Flexible programs
  • Alarm monitoring and reporting option

Four packages to choose from:

  • Parts coverage
  • Parts & Labor business hours
  • Parts & Labor business hours, plus free remote MAC
  • Parts & Labor with 24-hour labor coverage, plus free remote MAC

Take the headaches out of managing your Voice and IT… Contact the TCI relief team to customize a support plan that makes sense for your business: (703) 321-3030 or info@tcicomm.com.