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For modern businesses that have most of their data stored digitally and conduct nearly all of their business online, IT can be the heart of their operation. Making sure that all systems are functioning optimally and that everyone is able to communicate is key. Many businesses are taking advantage of technology allowing for increased mobility, which means sometimes key systems can break while on the road. IT professionals need multiple ways to communicate effectively, so they can fix problems as quickly as possible even when they aren’t in the same physical location.
That can sometimes mean a harried phone call, but a better solution to these issues can be the use of video conferencing. Gigaom notes that video conferencing is a great way to increase engagement among employees as well as an effective method for improving lines of communication. When everyone has all the resources available to understand issues that can be at hand, problems will be solved faster and everyone can be back to working on important projects instead of being bogged down by slip-ups.
Working Towards Solutions More Quickly
It can be a huge headache when a system breaks down. Perhaps a shared server is down, or software is not working the way it should be. The tools that we rely on for our tasks can fail in unexpected ways, and the less tech-savvy folks may have a difficult time explaining what has gone wrong.
TechRepublic notes that there are certainly ways to communicate more effectively with coworkers that are less familiar with computers. Some good ideas include trying to avoid acronyms and using longhand to explain concepts they may not be familiar with, paraphrasing and shortening long-winded explanations, and trying to remain calm and determine a person’s understanding of what is going on. It is also important to focus on the specific questions being asked and handle their issues in a timely manner, and being careful not to speak down to people.
However, since everyone’s knowledge on issues can vary greatly, it can be best to just see what is going on for yourself. That is where a video-conferencing platform for IT can be extremely useful. Using software like Blue Jeans which offers conference call for IT, it is easy to communicate directly with colleagues and see the issues at a glance. Being able to share screens, files, and discuss what is happening remotely can be a huge boon. If an IT person can see the problem directly, there will be less miscommunication. That allows the employee to go back to work, using their systems effectively with a much shorter turnaround. Another benefit is that video-conferencing can also eliminate the need to schedule appointments to actually look at the malfunctioning machines and software. If it is possible to see everything remotely, problems can be handled in a much more expedient manner.
Avoiding Future Troubles
Many IT professionals complain that their less tech-savvy colleagues often make the same mistakes time and again. It is possible that their coworkers don’t understand how it all works, though sometimes it is the system that is at fault. Another unexpected benefit to a video conferencing is using a cloud-based server. This means that since the avenues for communication are not bogging down the actual company’s systems, it frees up digital space for more work. It can also be possible to save trouble tickets and make share them so that there are reference points for every employee to return to.
Since better versions of video-conferencing software allows for collaboration, it is also possible for IT people to show their colleagues exactly what they are doing to fix a problem and explain things in a very transparent way. This can result in greater understanding, and hopefully prevent the employee from making similar flubs. There is nothing more frustrating than doing the same things over and over again, but many problems can be prevented by strong collaboration and good instruction. Being able to chat over multiple platforms with complete visual and audio access can make that very easy no matter where the participants happen to be when trouble strikes. Having access to collaborative software makes it simple to nip issues in the bud and teach others at the same time.
Unless a company is very small and contained, it is not always practical to have an on-site IT staff to deal with issues in person all the time. Even then, it is often much more convenient to handle issues on the computer remotely. Everyone is expected to conduct business with clients that are far-flung, and to use technology to make communication easier in that regard. Why not utilize software to keep a business up and running too? The IT team is supposed to be the most tech-savvy members of most companies, so there is no reason not to allow them to use the best software to help everyone out.
