Solving the hybrid work dilemma for SMBs

As workplaces continue to morph into a blend of home and office-based configurations, many businesses are discovering there is some technical finessing needed to make this hybrid work as seamless as possible.  

While businesses may have adopted the technologies of virtual work quickly during the pandemic, the more permanent shift to a combination of both ways of working relies heavily on more than just a laptop, a webcam and an internet connection. 

The shift to remote and  hybrid working has brought with it specific challenges for small business operators. Almost 45% identify productivity as a critical challenge, with cost as another crucial factor. 

In addition, the reasons employees will go into the office have changed, shifting from a place of everyday work to a place for specific group collaboration, as well as for social connection and interaction with colleagues. This means organisations need to adapt their office space to meet these changing needs and still be able to remain connected with remote workers through video technology. 

Businesses are increasingly looking to integrated communications as a solution and the good news is that implementing the right tools and technologies essential to creating a frictionless hybrid experience is not difficult, or expensive. 

Make anywhere work — Cisco

Reducing complexity in a hybrid world

Cisco’s Collaboration Leader for SMB, Glenn Roberts says getting on top of technology isn’t complicated. It just involves providing the right tools and taking the headache out of worrying about whether the technology will work or not.

For small business operators, one frustration can include technical difficulties with virtual meeting rooms, he says. With people using a range of different devices and platforms, such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Google, a range of issues can arise that small businesses often don’t have the experience or time to be able to deal with.

“When a small business operator comes into a meeting room, they need to be able to walk in and know it’s going to work. The critical factor is that their devices, their cameras, microphones and video screens all need to work seamlessly with whatever other technology someone else is using,” says Roberts.  

“Nine out of ten small business operators have to deal with more than one meeting platform every day, that means they need to be able to switch between them without any issues. That’s where Cisco technology comes in — it integrates seamlessly with the solutions customers, suppliers and partners are using.”

One of the platforms most used by small businesses is Microsoft Teams, says Roberts, which has seen Cisco partner with the company to help businesses do more with less and get more value out of their existing technology investments. 

“The reality is we live in a multi-platform world and ultimately, we want to give our customers flexibility. We’ve certified with Microsoft in recognition of the investment that people have already made in that platform – by partnering with them we are giving our customers more choice and a guarantee that the technology is going to work. It’s just one less thing for people to worry about,” he says.

“All Cisco devices are built in with security by design,” he says. “They are the most secure, whereas others might have some headaches around security updates and patches. Small businesses need to get on with worrying about their core business, not spending time on security issues,” says Roberts.

Quality of experience

While being able to connect virtually is a useful tool, its limitations include poor visual and sound quality, people not participating equally and of course technical difficulties in connecting.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is addressing these issues and levelling the playing field, says Roberts. This kind of technology lets you do far more with less, he adds.

“If you’ve got six people sitting around a table, our framing technology can break everyone up and adjust the image sizing so that everyone has an equal seat at the table.

“If someone is a soft speaker, our technology can heighten their voice. If there is noise in the background we can cut that out completely,” he says.

Hybrid is here for the long term, says Roberts, which means we need to make the tools that make it happen as easy to use as possible.

“Hybrid work is more challenging than anyone expected – we need to help operators connect as smoothly as possible so they can do business.”