To build tomorrow’s workplace, it’s necessary to embrace the new order of IT, i.e adopt cloud technology, join the collaborative revolution and drive the engine of competitiveness through cloud, says Haider Salloum, SMB Director, Microsoft Gulf.
As a business owner, no matter how big or small your company is, you have one primary goal – maximizing your profits while managing operating costs efficiently. Everything an organization does centres around that one key element. So it is only logical that you should always be on the lookout for solutions that increase productivity and profitability for the business wherever possible. One of the surest ways to do this is by moving to the cloud.
Some people may have thought that cloud technology was just another passing trend. However, in the mobile-first, cloud-first world, technology is really a make-or-break factor for business. The businesses that embrace cloud technology to reinvent themselves and their industries, will thrive, while those that choose to hang on to the status quo risk extinction.
A collaborative revolution
It is evident that a collaborative insurgency has been brewing for decades before coming to the forefront of business operations. This particular aspect lays the groundwork for innovation and allows for a more productive work space. In these modern times, employees regularly require networking and communication for sharing of ideas more efficiently. According to the Wall Street Journal, many companies wrongly assume that innovation comes from individual genius or isolated groups of people working on a common task. In truth, innovation is the product of repeated networking and transfer of ideas. Collaborative tools give workers a chance to be productive no matter where they are and deliver better performance results. Microsoft tools such as Skype for business, Yammer and SharePoint enable more integration amongst employees and facilitates better collaboration and document sharing.
Future trends point towards organisations seeking a more intimate degree of collaboration amongst workers, resulting in a modern workplace where idea sharing happens in real time. Yammer and Skype for business lets employees arrange ad-hoc meetings and experience the advantages of HD video and audio. Creative content can be created using OneNote and similar cloud tools. Such collaborative efforts empower the modern workplace, fostering innovation and breeding creativity.
Even though cloud technology and cloud solutions are being embraced by larger enterprises, which tend to be more innovative in their long term strategies, smaller and medium-sized firms can also reap huge benefits from cloud products, enhancing their business acumen and competence. So what exactly is it that the cloud can do for business owners and employees worldwide, and how can all modern workplaces see dramatic and fruitful results from this technology?
Accelerated Business
Agility has taken a new meaning in the business world as cloud computing has prevailed. Cloud-based strategies and methods enable firms to complete initiatives much faster compared to their traditional methods of collaboration. More agility in terms of communication and productivity leads to faster implementation of business tasks.
With Microsoft Azure and its cloud based tools such as CRM Online and Office 365, organisations do not need to own and host software on their servers. It is instead hosted on remote, centralized servers which are used as software-as-a-service. These solutions have inbuilt services and apps that assist in integrating data from multiple sources, increasing company-wide co-operation and creativity.
Revolutionary gains
Teamwork across different time zones and functional boundaries is no small feat. Most data gets lost or is translated poorly when filtered across different time zones.
All companies, including small- and medium-sized corporations are using cloud-based collaborative tools to transcend geographical boundaries and supersede functional specializations. They are easy to install and use and can be effectively utilized by employees of all levels.
Remote working and flexibility
One major advantage of using cloud tools for integration is that all company data is securely stored on the cloud servers. This means that employees can access their data from anywhere in the world, on any device, and be assured that their data is backed up safely. Employees working from home or even 
remote locations, can now communicate with their colleagues using the latest tools and technology. Remote working ensures work gets done and business operations are not affected.
More advanced instances of collaboration in certain cloud platforms make for a highly mobile workforce and effective team sharing capabilities.
Spurring innovation
Leading firms all over the world are more aggressive in the pursuit of collaboration as they realize the advantages of the cloud. Employees have varied reasons for shifting to the cloud but the main driver is increased productivity as a result of more innovative, time-saving working practices.
In some instance, this figure can increase, especially in small- and medium-sized firms, which can best leverage the functions of remote working and flexibility and opt for more strategic advancements in their area of work.
Cloud apps help lessen the burden on IT management and reduce the need for further specialized recruitment. The ability to collaborate and reach a wider audience in terms of market share and quick accessibility to data are becoming the key drivers in installing cloud-based apps.
Cloud computing is a driver for human mobility and allows for more flexibility and integration.
Haider Salloum Director, (SMB) Segment, Microsoft Gulf Follow him on Twitter at @HaiderSalloum
The research from Forbes further affirms that cloud-based collaboration fosters more organizational agility, productivity and innovation. It is for these reasons that Microsoft, with its bold mission to empower every person and organisation on the planet to achieve more, and with an aim to reinvent business processes and intelligence, is at the forefront of cloud transformation and collaboration. Microsoft Azure, is one such platform that is fuelling the modern workplace, paving the way towards a more global and dynamic workforce.
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