August 4, 2014
The dreams of yesterday are the reality of tomorrow. People dreamt about being able to communicate over long distances instantaneously, and the phone created that reality. Others dreamt about being able to watch live sports as if they were actually in the stadium, and the television created that reality. Finally, businesses dream about being able to operate from anywhere, regardless of where employees and customers are located. Workstations in the cloud make that a reality. But before we look into the future, we have to consider the past.
The Office of the Past
Imagine row upon row of cubicles, each with an employee at a typewriter. They have an inbox and an outbox. An administrator copies things not by using a copier, but by using carbon paper. Memos are tacked onto a central board. Communication with other businesses was done over the phone or in person, consuming valuable time. If you told someone working in this environment that soon they'd be able to have full access to everything in their office – without being in their office – do you think they would have believed you?
Cloud Computing – Changing Today’s Office
Cloud computing allows workers to connect from anywhere through a variety of devices. You could be thirty thousand feet in the air, flying from New York to Los Angeles, and still do a few hours of work thanks to in-flight wifi. Businesses can hire remote employees located in a different state, or even country, giving these contractors access to necessary data they need to be productive. But let's stretch further ahead than that, and try to imagine what the next step in office evolution may be.
The Office of the Future
Currently, every employee has their own computer and application software. This hardware and software provides access to the information they need to do their jobs. Consider your laptop; I bet it has documents stored on it, along with the applications you use every day. But what if you could do everything in the cloud? What if, by using workstations in the cloud, you didn't need a computer at all? Instead, you could do your daily work by connecting to the cloud with just your phone, tablet or a simple monitor and keyboard?
Access from Anywhere
It sounds kind of far-fetched. But think about it for a moment. Currently, many businesses are already using a hybrid cloud computing model. Some of their software applications are already available in the cloud, but some don’t have cloud capabilities, yet. A future where a business accesses all of its documentation and software via the cloud is close to being a reality. And, it even provides many advantages. Employees would be granted access to what they need, from anywhere. The cost of adding an employee would be substantially smaller – you wouldn’t have to invest in traditional hardware requirements and you could run a completely mobile office environment.
Socialization Matters
In a truly mobile environment, you wouldn't even need to rent office space – in theory, everyone could work from home. This may raise collaboration and relationship development issues; but the cloud solves these, too. Streaming video services allow meetings and informal chats to continue as usual, giving your employees and customers’ opportunities to connect and build relationships. (In fact, they may even be more productive – rather than stopping by someone's cubicle for an idle chat, employees would only initiate video calls when they had something specific they needed to talk about.)
Employee Workstations in the Cloud
You want what's best for your business. But the best graphic designer is in Australia, the software programmer is in Canada, the best sales consultant is in New York and your clients are scattered across the world. You're based in sunny California. You could work from your own sunlit office while still connecting and collaborating with the best of the best, no matter where they are.
Workstations in the cloud may be the next step in the evolution of the office. Lucky for us, aspects of this future are already a reality. Take your first step toward this future by requesting a consultation with a cloud service specialist.
