Unified communications at the heart of business transformation

Soon traditional workplaces will cease to exist, with emerging technologies enabling employees to work from anywhere with an internet connection.

According to Wavelink, Unified communications (UC) is at the centre of this transformation. As a mix of integrated enterprise and communications platforms, UC is already starting to shape the future of the workplace, Wavelink says.

In 2014, there was a 26% increase in open remote job postings compared to the prior year, with hiring managers expecting many more to come over the next five years, according to recent findings by job service, FlexJobs

Ilan Rubin, Wavelink managing director, says, "This change reflects the continuing evolution of the workplace, driven by the rise of the digital office, and UC in particular.

Without emerging UC technology, workplace evolution and the shift to remote working would not be possible, according to the company. It includes multiple communication channels, such as web-based video and audio, and online collaboration tools, many of which can be integrated into other enterprise software solutions.

Furthermore, new technologies have been designed to support remote learning, with new features such as call handling and chat capabilities, which make it largely irrelevant where an employee is located.

Likewise, many enterprise technology solutions, both large and small, now come with at least some mobility capabilities, untethering employees from their desks. Increasingly, enterprise solutions are incorporating elements of UC technology to make telecommuting possible, according to Wavelink.

Rubin says, "This technology has been one of the major forces underpinning our changing ideas about the office and the workplace. It really is driving workplace transformation. UC platforms often also have additional security and flexibility, which traditional communications solutions sometimes struggle to provide when organisations implement them to support remote workers.

"This, combined with employees' rising preference for a 'bring-your-own-device' (BYOD) scenario, is helping to put UC firmly at the centre of the evolving office and, ultimately, the workplace of the future.