14 December 2023

Cian Maher, head of voice technology and infrastructure, DigitalWell

It's a shift that shows no signs of abating, especially given that many businesses are now expanding internationally and globalising operations.

The challenges hybrid work models present

While adopting a hybrid-working model offers a host of advantages for both employers and employees - increased job satisfaction, wider talent pool, cost savings, improved productivity, to name a few - challenges around communication and collaboration are common.

Ensuring effective communication and a collaborative team environment calls for a resilient, well-conceived and unified communication infrastructure that transcends traditional channels of communication. Beyond merely facilitating remote teams, it must bridge the gap between physical and digital realms by integrating video conferencing, instant messaging, project management tools, and more.

However, when employees work remotely, they often connect to unreliable external networks that are not managed by their employers - and it is this lack of control over the network that introduces several concerns around network reliability and security.

Relying on external networks for internet connection may not guarantee the same level of reliability or consistent and fast bandwidth as office networks, which could potentially affect the accessibility and performance of essential services. The dreaded ‘frozen face,’ sound delays or call drops can all impact the overall communication experience.

Using unmanaged networks - particularly public WiFi - also poses security risks. Businesses have very little control over the security measures of the networks employees are using, which means the likelihood of cyber attacks and data breaches is increased. It’s a lack of control that also raises concerns about the confidentiality and integrity of business communications and data.

Alongside issues around network reliability and security, the need to comply with various regulations is another challenge many businesses face. Those in the financial services and healthcare sectors in particular are subject to various regulations and standards designed to safeguard sensitive information, maintain privacy, and ensure the integrity and security of communications.
For financial services, compliance often involves adhering to regulations such as PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) to protect payment card data. Additionally, there may be requirements related to call recording and storage, especially in scenarios where sensitive financial transactions occur over the phone. In some cases, businesses in the financial sector must also comply with regional or national regulations governing data protection and privacy.

Engineering a resilient hybrid communication framework

Crafting an effective unified hybrid-working communication infrastructure for the future - that addresses all these issues - is undeniably challenging. But, by following these steps, organisations can build a solution that does just this - and is also adaptable to future trends and technological advancements no matter what sector they’re operating in:

● Understand your business’ needs and any compliance requirements: Take the time to really get under the skin of the specific communication needs of your organisation, considering factors like remote work, global collaboration, and regulatory compliance. Once identified, ensure that your unified communication solution aligns with these requirements.

● Consider a cloud-based solution: Businesses operating a hybrid-working model are increasingly leaning towards cloud-based solutions, such as AWS, Microsoft Azure or Google Cloud. Offering scalability, flexibility, and accessibility for remote and hybrid work scenarios, select a reputable cloud service provider with a focus on security, encryption, and compliance certifications (such as ISO 27001) to address data protection concerns.

● Integrate security features and compliance tools: Ensuring that communication platforms are secure, that data is safe in transit and at rest, and that access controls are robust to prevent unauthorised access to sensitive information are all vital for businesses - especially those with specific data protection and privacy requirements. As such, look to integrate suitable security features such as end-to-end encryption, secure access controls, and multi-factor authentication (MFA), and employ compliance tools that facilitate adherence to any necessary regulations, such as PCI DSS or HIPAA. Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) is also worth looking into, as it allows remote access to a virtualised desktop environment, ensuring a consistent user experience and secure access to applications and data.

● Consider recordkeeping and data retention: If you’re in a sector where recordkeeping is mandatory, you’ll need to ensure that the unified communication platform allows for secure and compliant recording of voice and video calls. Consider solutions that allow for secure, long-term storage of communication records, and that take any specific retention periods dictated by regulations into account.

● Address bandwidth and network security challenges: While there are challenges associated with varied and potentially untrusted networks when employees work remotely, you can look to implement bandwidth management strategies to optimise network performance and prioritise communication needs.

● Prioritise user experience and training: Not only do you need to design your solution with a user-friendly interface, to enhance adoption and usability, but providing comprehensive training for end-users will help ensure they are confident and skilled to use the unified communication tools effectively.

● Don’t dismiss AI and emerging technologies: As well as looking into the benefits of integrating existing AI and machine learning to automate aspects of your business - such as customer service, language translation or sentiment analysis - ensure you stay up-to-date with emerging technologies. Tech that enables shared virtual spaces such as Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR/VR) - think Oculus for Business and Microsoft HoloLens - may contribute to enhanced collaboration in the future, and staying ahead of these trends will set you apart from the competition and foster immersive collaboration and communication experiences for remote team members.

● Address integration challenges: The importance of seamless integration across different communication channels - whether that’s voice, video, messaging, or email - cannot be understated. As such, choose a technology stack that supports easy integration and collaboration across various applications, and reduces any fragmentation.

● Regularly update your unified communication solution: Select a solution that is regularly updated - this way you can be confident the latest technologies and security measures are incorporated. Also encourage user feedback and suggestions for improvements so that the changing needs of your workforce are always addressed.

● Document and communicate policies: By establishing clear communication policies for remote work, including guidelines on network security, data privacy, and acceptable use, will help foster a culture of cybersecurity among employees.

As we navigate current challenges and prepare for a future where hybrid and remote work are integral, crafting a well-designed unified hybrid-working communication infrastructure becomes ever more important. But, with a focus on tech investment, training and upskilling, security measures, and employee experience, organisations can not only address immediate workforce needs, but lay down the foundations for a resilient and future-ready work environment.