How Has Technology Improved Business and Productivity?

The rapid development of technology in the last two decades has changed every aspect of our lives. It has changed the way we shop, how we learn and how we communicate. Information, services and products are now just by pressing a button. Inevitably, this progression of technology has changed the workplace and the way we do business. Arguably, some aspects of information technology have reduced productivity - ie employees wasting time checking social networks during the workday - but overall the interleaving technology and business has improved the efficiency and productivity in the workplace.


One could argue that the introduction of electronic mail in the workplace has been one of the biggest technology changes in the workplace - workers could communicate almost instantly with anyone in the world and could spend less time making phone calls and waiting for people to come back to them. Today, things have changed considerably since email, now there are a variety of different channels of communication, e-mail, phone calls, instant messaging, video calls and send SMS to name a few . As a result many companies are now choosing to integrate a platform unified communications in their offices. These platforms consolidate various means of communication in an easy to use interface. You can communicate with someone on the other side of the building or across the world with a UC solution in any way you choose communications. Unified communications can facilitate communication in the workplace, but they can also improve collaboration. Many unified communications services have options for desktop sharing, editing documents in real time or virtual "whiteboard" where projects can be processed, edited and shared on the Internet. Using a unified communications solution as Hosted Lync, can improve communication and collaboration at work.

Information technology has also improved the way we do our work. More and more people are now able to work at home and away. The development of information technology has had a profound impact being able to work from anywhere. Remote access technology, usually associated with some form of unified communications services, can provide remote everything they need to carry out their role outside the office workers. Connecting to the intranet and use of solutions software-as-a-Service platform, office and give access to all the information and software that remote worker might need. Time spent commuting can be better spent and overhead of the company may be less less office space may be required. Companies with offices in multiple locations may also use information technology for better integration and collaboration between offices.

Although social networking sites are often blamed for a lack of productivity at work, they can often benefit the company and help it expand its reach. Blogs and forums and websites such as Facebook and Twitter can help companies reach new audiences and expand their customer base. It also provides a new channel for instant communication for their clients. Customers can ask questions and get help with problems, but they can also give information to the company and share information with your friends and followers. The social networking sites can make companies feel more personal and give customers a sense of more direct communication. Similarly the Internet can be a useful tool for gathering market research and target advertisements to appropriate new audiences.Information technology has undoubtedly increased work efficiency - thanks to the automation of work that has already been processed manually. Documents longer need to be filed manually or in a physical format, on the contrary, they can quickly and easily be made by computer and can be easily found and accessible when needed. Existing paper documents can now be analyzed in the central databases. Instead of requiring multiple filing systems used to organize, maintain and locate the files, it can be done automatically by a computer system. E-mail and instant communication can be seen in the same way - very little needs to be displayed any more has been automated through messaging systems.

The introduction of computer storage - and the subsequent drop in prices for gigabytes and terabytes of space - has dramatically changed the workplace. Companies can now store much more data and information that they have previously. Data going back several years can be located and used almost instantly, resulting in a better looking and gains in productivity and efficiency. Technology has not only changed the way we access internal data within a company, however, it has also improved the availability of data in general. Resources and information are now much easier to find and use. This technological development means that small businesses can now use many of the same resources as many large companies - providing a more equitable and enabling companies to make better strategic decisions. The advancement and technological changes have had a profound effect on the workplace and will continue to change the way we work and productivity that new technologies are developed and implemented.