How the IoT has made remote work possible

Remote working is certainly a trend that is becoming more popular as the days go by. For nearly a decade, the possibility of working from home has become more feasible for workers everywhere, and its almost all thanks to technology. The internet of things brings efficiency and accessibility on a level never seen before, and this is what has allowed remote working to gain the foothold it has in modern society.

Technology marches on

The internet has been a force in our lives for many years; its not a new development in the slightest. Why then, has it taken so long for remote working to finally catch on? The answer lies in the capability of the internet and related technologies. The IoT's function as a connected web of devices sharing data in real time is something that would have been unthinkable just a few decades ago, but the technology has reached the point where it almost seems trivial.

What remote working requires to be feasible is all the trappings and capabilities of office work. This includes the obvious, like an internet connection, access to important information and data, lines of communication to relevant parties and other aspects. There's also the less obvious needs, the ones that are taken for granted, such as instantaneous face-to-face communication and the ability to share relevant information with coworkers quickly. The IoT ensures that all of these needs are met while providing an environment for business to be conducted efficiently and with minimal hassle despite the arbitrary distance between workers, supervisors and clients.

A few decades ago, this was next to impossible - in the era of dial-up modems and oversized computer monitors, the capability to video or audio chat with coworkers with the click of a button seemed a distant fantasy, as did real-time document sharing, editing and uploading. Now though, thanks to the IoT, software for this purpose is commonplace. So too are advanced devices - smartphones are now in the hands of 81% of the American population, a far cry from the 35% rate of adoption in 2011, according to data collected by Pew Research. And of course, laptop or desktop computers are ubiquitous as well, whereas a few decades ago they were far more uncommon. With these devices, the average worker is able to harness the power of the IoT to work from practically anywhere they want, as long as their job does not require an in-person presence.

Remote working is made possible by new technologies.

New capabilities

With the IoT powering many different aspects of modern work practices, its no surprise that remote working opportunities are flourishing as well. In roles that can feasibly work from home, there is little reason to prevent the practice if employees prefer it. In many ways, remote working is a similar paradigm shift to the one away from formal business clothing in the past decade - just like how workers might be upset about their company still requiring suits and dresses to be worn in 2010, professionals now might roll their eyes at company's who aren't opening their doors to the possibility of even limited work from home.

The IoT means that there is little reason for business owners to not even consider remote working policies for their business. Document sharing platforms like Google Docs and remote communication software, like Skype and Slack, gives remote workers access to all of the tools they need to make working from home nearly indistinguishable from working in the office. The IoT is only going to make this easier as well - as the technology advances further, even in-person, "physical" work duties could be performed from the comfort of the home office. The rise of virtual coworking spaces is also anticipated to make remote working more appealing to both employees and businesses, thanks to their collaborative and social nature that can help relieve feelings of isolation inherent to remote working, according to Entrepreneur. All of this is powered by the IoT, and would not have been possible without great increases in networking and computer technologies.

For companies looking to make the most out of the IoT and emerging technologies like machine learning, strong network infrastructure is key. Perle offers high-performance connectivity tools that can help enterprises prepare for the future of business technology. Our industrial-grade Ethernet converters and reliable console servers enable IT admins to focus on what really matters - building a strong framework for IoT integration. Read some of our customer stories to find out how we've helped other companies take full advantage of business technologies.