How Crestron UC Collaboration Tools Support the New Digital Workplace

The COVID-19 crisis in 2020 catalyzed a massive shift toward remote work on a scale unheard of until now. December 2020 data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) indicated that 24% of the workforce (35.5 million people) were working from home at that time. 

Multiple surveys taken throughout 2020 have revealed that many employees would like to continue working from home when the pandemic is over. A Pew Research Center survey from December 2020 reported that 54% of people whose jobs can be performed at home would want to work from home all or most of the time after the coronavirus outbreak ends. 

And enterprise organizations have discovered — somewhat to their surprise — that remote work hasn’t hindered employee productivity or motivation, as many feared it would. As we move into a future that looks likely to embrace and expand more remote work opportunities, the looming question for businesses concerns long-term sustainability: how do we ensure that people can work together when they’re not together in person? 

No longer is the workplace tied to a physical location, a cubicle, and a desktop computer that hasn’t been updated in several years. Instead, the workplace is in the cloud, it’s in the Zoom app on smartphones across America, it’s in shared Google docs, and it’s in laptops across America. 

Unified communication (UC) collaboration tools are the bridge that makes the digital workplace possible. UC products and services integrate and deliver multiple communication channels and collaborative tools in a single platform. These platforms are cloud-delivered to facilitate a “work from anywhere” dynamic for hybrid workforces with in-person and remote employees.

Crestron Electronics is one of the manufacturers at the forefront of facilitating communications, collaboration, and productivity in the hybrid workplace. Room systems like Crestron Flex and cloud-based management tools like Crestron XiO Cloud are designed to help commercial organizations of all sizes adapt to the changing landscape of work. 

Keep reading to learn how UC products and services like Flex and XiO Cloud provide value to the digital workplace in Phoenix, AZ, and globally. 

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UC Paves the Way for Digital Transformation in the Workplace

Unified communication platforms decentralize the workplace and allow employees to have greater mobility and flexibility over connecting and collaborating with coworkers. As hybrid workforces become the norm, here’s how UC solutions provide value to globally dispersed teams. 

1. Support for in-person and remote employees. Remote work is difficult for organizations to support when it relies on employees having access to the office’s tools and equipment. But all-in-one systems like Crestron Flex integrate the services, tools, and communication channels employees need in one user-friendly platform. Employees can confidently access enterprise-quality conferencing, wireless presentation, and meeting scheduling from any device — whether they’re in a private home office or executive boardroom. As a result, employees can “work from anywhere” while still having the resources they need to communicate and collaborate in real-time with coworkers across the room or the globe.

2. Improved productivity. UC solutions that integrate multiple communication channels and collaborative tools into a single platform facilitate more efficiency, speed, multi-tasking, teamwork, and comfort — all of which boost productivity in the workplace. Tools like group chats, one-touch video conferencing, and shared document editing over the cloud enable geographically dispersed workforces to connect and work together effectively despite location and time zone differences.

3. A consistent user experience. UC platforms like Flex ensure that all employees have a consistent user experience with the tools they need to do their jobs, whether at home or in the office. At home, employees can use the device of their choice (laptop, tablet, desktop computer) to start or join video conferencing calls, participate in digital whiteboarding, chat with coworkers, and share documents during the day. In the conference room, meeting leaders can use the Flex tabletop device to facilitate one-touch start and join video conferencing calls, wireless content sharing, and collaborative whiteboarding sessions. Flex natively integrates with Microsoft Teams and Zoom to turn any space into a productive and collaborative hub. Employees have the freedom to work how they choose with a consistent user experience no matter where they are.

4. Organizational agility. Cloud-delivered UC solutions are designed to enable your workforce to adapt quickly to changes in the workplace. IT teams can remotely deploy, manage, monitor, and support standardized applications across a globally dispersed workforce using Crestron’s IoT-based XiO Cloud platform. With XiO Cloud, IT teams have the power to configure thousands of devices remotely, monitor devices and resolve downtime issues remotely, and implement setting and firmware updates across thousands of devices simultaneously. Remote deployment and management reduce costs while allowing organizations to scale up or down in size as needed. 

Let Level 3 Audiovisual Help You Lead Your Workplace into the Future

As the workplace evolves, smart enterprise organizations invest their resources into next-generation room systems like Crestron Flex that empower employees to communicate, collaborate, and connect more efficiently and productively. If you’re ready to make upgrades to support the workplace of the future, reach out to Level 3 Audiovisual today. Call us or fill out an online form to connect with our team.