Remote working technologies saved millions of jobs worldwide

The Covid-19 pandemic forced most businesses to rethink how they approach their everyday operations, virtually overnight. As people were required to keep their distance, remote working suddenly became key to business continuity, and communications and collaboration tools proved pivotal.

A new report from video conferencing company Zoom sheds more light on just how important these tools were for businesses in 2020.

Polling 5,820 employees in the US, UK, Germany, France, Japan, and India, working at SMBs and enterprises in various sectors, Zoom discovered that there were 2.5-3x more remote workers last year.

The firm also found that remote working saved millions of jobs around the world, including 2.28 million in the US alone.

Among remote working employees, there was a 2.4-2.7x increase in the usage of video conferencing solutions. Employees spent up to five times more time on video calls, as well.

Remote working has made decision-makers more confident for the future. The majority (70 percent) are now more open to flexible and remote working models, compared to before the pandemic.

Employees also enjoyed this new modus operandi, with hybrid working emerging as the preferred model for most. Businesses expect more than a third of their employees to remain remote, at least part-time, after the pandemic has subsided.

“Remote work won’t be a novelty exclusive to the pandemic, but rather a competitive advantage,” the report concluded. “By empowering employees with agile solutions, you can future-proof operations and foster a resilient, happier workforce.” 

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