There’s a lot to like about working from home, from the 10-foot commute and comfy clothing to the stocked refrigerator and increased family time. It’s no wonder that some three-quarters of respondents to a new survey from Global Workplace Analytics say they feel happy and productive working from home and would like to continue doing so after the pandemic has ended.
Providing Technical Support with Remote Work
Technical support can be a bit of an issue, however. In fact, nearly two-thirds of survey respondents say they are having more technology issues.
That’s not surprising or unexpected. People accustomed to working with office technology that is regularly monitored, maintained, patched and upgraded by the company’s IT staff often need a good deal of assistance working with their home computers, Internet connections, virtual private networks and wireless networks.
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Password resets, conference call failures, VPN problems and bandwidth limitations are among the recurring issues adding to the burden on IT support staff. In a survey by Ivanti, two-thirds of IT professionals say providing support for remote workers during the pandemic has increased their workload significantly. Additionally, they say “non-compliant employee behavior” has led to an increase in security incidents.
Resolving technical issues can’t always be done by phone or email. Certain problems require a detailed explanation and guidance, and the vast majority of employees would prefer to have a live IT professional available to assist them. In such instances, many IT support teams are now turning to video conferencing solutions to provide one-on-one demonstrations and step-by-step instructions to help remote workers resolve complex issues and get back to work quickly. Videos can also be recorded in case users need to view them again.
The Benefits of Video for Remote Tech Support
Video consultations are also beneficial for IT staff. Instead of relying on the remote employee’s perception and description of problems, help desk personnel can see any alerts or error messages. A recent Vidyard study reports that support teams can resolve support issues 25 percent faster with improved customer satisfaction when using video for support calls.
Mitel’s Video Solutions
Mitel’s portfolio of communication applications offers a variety of ways to enable video tech support. MiCollab, MiCloud Connect and MiTeam Meetings all deliver video conferencing and chat functions along with integration capabilities.
The MiCollab audio, web and video conferencing application is a good choice for organizations with large numbers of remote workers. MiCollab allows video communication features through either a desktop client, a softphone app or supported iOS and Android mobile devices. Advanced conferencing features such as remote desktop control, screen sharing, public and private chats, and file transfers provide multiple ways to work through tech support issues.
MiCloud Connect and MiTeam are great choices for smaller organizations. MiCloud Connect combines video conferencing with voice, instant messaging and collaboration features. A smartphone app allows users to access all these functions from a mobile device with no loss of functionality. MiTeam is a digital workspace solution for mobile devices. It creates an integrated workstream with messaging, content sharing, white boarding and real-time collaboration.
Remote work is likely to remain a fixture in businesses around the world long after the coronavirus pandemic has dissipated. The work-life balance appeals to employees, and employers can use flexible work options as a way to entice new employees. Video IT support is a great way for organizations to ensure their remote workers can remain effective and productive at home.