The post-pandemic digital landscape called for organizations across the globe to relook at their toolkits as they adapted to remote work and hybrid arrangements. Post-pandemic, the adoption of flexible work arrangements surged, with 82% of company leaders intending to offer hybrid work options, as was reported by a 2020 survey from Gartner .

This seismic shift necessitates the organization to adopt digital tools that ensure effective collaboration, facilitate knowledge sharing, and bridge geographical divides. A private, secure network designed for internal use within an organization can empower companies to operate in any environment effectively. An employee intranet software is a centralized hub, facilitating seamless communication, collaboration, and efficient information sharing among employees. 

Assuming a critical role in the everyday functioning of modern digital businesses, employee intranet platforms empower organizations to enhance productivity, align their workforce, and streamline internal processes.

In this comprehensive guide, we will explore the importance of intranet platforms in modern businesses, shedding light on their key features, benefits, and considerations for effective implementation.

A Unified Digital Workplace – Importance of Intranet Platforms in Modern Businesses

According to a report by Prescient & Strategic Intelligence, the global intranet market is projected to reach $39.71 billion by 2026, underscoring its growing importance.

Businesses looking to streamline employee communication and Intranet platforms have become indispensable tools for organizations seeking to optimize their internal operations. They serve as the backbone of internal communication, collaboration, and information sharing within a company. 

For starters, employee Intranet platforms significantly enhance employee engagement and satisfaction by providing a unified digital workplace. A recent Gallup Workplace survey revealed that engaged employees exhibit 17% higher productivity. Features like employee directories, discussion forums, and recognition portals foster a sense of belonging and boost morale.

As per Gartner, enhanced employee engagement drives a 20% increase in productivity.

Setting the Stage: Key Features and Benefits of Employee Intranet Platforms

Before delving deeper into employee intranet platforms, let’s outline some key features and benefits that these platforms offer to modern organizations.

An employee intranet platform offers several benefits to organizations, including improved internal communication, enhanced collaboration, efficient information sharing, streamlined processes, and boosted productivity. These platforms also contribute to aligning employees with the organizational culture and fostering a sense of community within the workplace.

Key Features of Employee Intranet Platforms

1. Internal Communication (Announcements & Newsfeed):

• Internal communication is the lifeblood of any organization, and modern intranet platforms excel at facilitating effective communication. An engaging newsfeed and announcement system ensures important updates reach all employees. According to a study by Towers Watson, companies with effective communication have a 47% higher total return to shareholders. Intranet platforms offer information boards for effective communication and sharing of company announcements, news updates, and vital information. This feature ensures that all employees are well-informed about organizational developments.
• Collaboration platforms offer channels for specific teams or projects where real-time updates and announcements are shared, promoting transparency and collaboration. Employees can comment, react, and stay informed about organizational news and updates.

2. Collaboration Tools:

• Collaboration tools are central to enhancing productivity and fostering teamwork within organizations. Modern intranet platforms integrate various tools like document collaboration, project management, and video conferencing to streamline collaboration. A McKinsey report shows that effective collaboration can improve employee productivity by 20-30%.
• An employee intranet platform should integrate well into existing systems. Real-time document editing, shared project boards, and instant messaging can enable teams to collaborate seamlessly regardless of their location.

3. File Storage and Secure Sharing:

• Secure file storage and sharing capabilities are paramount in modern intranet platforms to ensure easy access to documents and data while maintaining security. Data breaches can cost a company an average of $3.86 million, according to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report.
• Advanced permissions and encryption features ensure data integrity and confidentiality.

4. Employee Directory:

• An employee directory is a fundamental feature in intranet platforms, offering a centralized hub for accessing contact information and organizational hierarchies. It facilitates connectivity and collaboration across the organization, enhancing transparency and accessibility.
• A comprehensive employee directory should include profiles, skills, and contact details, fostering better collaboration and networking within the organization.

5. Security and Access Control:

• Ensuring security and access control is a critical feature of modern intranet platforms. Robust authentication, role-based access, and compliance measures are essential to safeguard sensitive organizational data and maintain regulatory compliance.
• Granular security controls and user permissions ensure data privacy and role-based access, protecting sensitive information from unauthorized access.

6. Task and Project Management:

Task and project management tools integrated into modern employee intranet platforms streamline workflows and enhance productivity. They allow teams to create, assign, and track tasks and projects collaboratively. According to a PwC study, 77% of high-performing projects use project management software.

7. Mobile Accessibility:

Mobile accessibility is a vital feature in modern intranet platforms, ensuring that employees can access essential information and collaborate on-the-go. With the proliferation of smartphones, mobile accessibility has become crucial for a connected and agile workforce. A Global Workplace Analytics report indicates that 48% of employees work remotely at least some of the time.

8. Integration Capabilities:

Integration capabilities are essential for a seamless user experience by allowing intranet platforms to integrate with other essential tools and applications used within an organization. Integration enhances efficiency and reduces manual effort by providing a centralized hub for accessing various systems and data. As per surveys 77% of employees believe integrated technology enhances their productivity.

Integration streamlines workflows, allowing employees to access and manage different tools within an intranet platform.

9. Employee Feedback and Surveys:

Gathering employee feedback and conducting surveys within an intranet platform is crucial for gauging employee satisfaction, identifying areas for improvement, and fostering a culture of open communication. Engaged employees are 21% more productive, as highlighted by a Gallup report.

Benefits of Employee Intranet Platforms

1. Improved Communication, Collaboration, and Productivity:

Intranet platforms facilitate seamless communication and collaboration, leading to increased productivity and efficiency within the organization.

2. Alignment with Organizational Culture:

By providing a platform for organizational updates and sharing of values, intranet platforms help align employees with the organizational culture, fostering a sense of belonging.

3. Enhanced Employee Engagement and Community Building:

Intranet platforms create a sense of community by encouraging interaction and engagement, contributing to a more cohesive and motivated workforce.

Considerations for Implementing an Employee Intranet Platform

Implementing an employee intranet platform is a strategic decision that can significantly impact an organization’s communication, collaboration, and overall efficiency. A well-thought-out implementation process is crucial for maximizing the platform’s potential and ensuring successful integration into the organization. Here are key considerations for a successful employee intranet platform implementation:

1. Needs Assessment and Requirement Analysis:

Before choosing an intranet platform, it’s essential to conduct a thorough needs assessment and requirement analysis. Understand the unique needs, challenges, and objectives of your organization. Gather input from different departments and stakeholders to identify specific features and functionalities that are crucial for your intranet.

2. User-Friendly Design and Accessibility:

The platform should have an intuitive interface and be easily accessible to all employees, regardless of their technical expertise. Consider the diverse needs of your workforce, including remote workers or those on the field. Mobile responsiveness and a user-friendly design are vital aspects to ensure widespread adoption.

3. Integration with Existing Systems:

The intranet platform should seamlessly integrate with existing tools and systems used within the organization, such as email, project management software, or customer relationship management (CRM) systems. Integration enhances productivity by providing a centralized hub for accessing and managing various tools.

4. Data Security and Compliance:

Security is paramount. Ensure the intranet platform complies with data security standards and regulations relevant to your industry. Implement features like role-based access control, encryption, and regular security updates to protect sensitive organizational data.

5. Training and Adoption Strategy:

Develop a comprehensive training plan to ensure employees understand the platform’s features and functionalities. Incorporate ongoing training and support mechanisms to encourage adoption and address any challenges employees might face during the transition.

6. Measuring and Analyzing Performance:

Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) to measure the effectiveness of the intranet platform. Metrics could include user engagement, adoption rates, task completion rates, and feedback. Regularly analyze the data to identify areas for improvement and optimization.

7. Budget, Customization, and Scalability:

Look for a platform that allows customization to align with your organization’s branding, culture, and unique requirements. Consider the budget constraints and scalability requirements while selecting an intranet platform to ensure a sustainable and cost-effective solution.

Additionally, ensure the platform is scalable to accommodate organizational growth and evolving needs.

8. Organizational Goals:

Align the choice of an intranet platform with the organization’s specific goals and objectives, ensuring that it meets the unique needs of the company.

Closing Thoughts

Intranet platforms have evolved into indispensable tools for modern organizations, revolutionizing internal communication, collaboration, and information sharing. By serving as centralized hubs, these platforms enhance productivity, align employees with the organizational culture, and foster a sense of community within the workplace. Implementing an employee intranet platform thoughtfully, considering organizational goals, budget, and scalability, can significantly elevate an organization’s internal operations, setting it on the path of success in today’s competitive business landscape.

Are you ready to enhance your organization’s internal communication and collaboration with a modern employee intranet platform? Explore the possibilities and transform your workplace with InfinCE today!

While 2023 unfolded as a significant year for several global businesses, with them coming to terms with the adoption of hybrid workplace models, back-to-work scenarios, and completely remote modes of work, it is clear that the intranet landscape has evolved extensively, too.  Keeping pace with the changes and its dynamic trends is vital for businesses of all sizes to optimize their intranet strategies. 

As the nerve center of internal communication and collaboration within an organization, intranets double up as centralized hubs, enabling information sharing, project management, and team collaboration. Equipped to offer an array of features such as document management, discussion boards, calendars, and more, they enhance productivity, efficiency, and, ultimately, the company’s bottom line. Themes such as personalization, gamification, and robust technology adoption have been doing the rounds even as we see both small and large organizations rushing to stay atop these intranet trends in order to stay relevant and future-proof their operating models. 

Let’s delve into the upcoming trends that will shape intranet strategies in the year 2024.

1. Personalization and Employee Experience

Personalization is the key to future intranets. Tailoring the intranet experience to individual employee preferences and roles ensures a more engaging and productive work environment. Social feeds and user-centric designs play pivotal roles in enhancing this personalized experience, making the intranet a go-to platform for employees. A Gartner study points to how personalized intranet experiences have the potential to increase employee engagement by up to 34%. A McKinsey & Company report from 2022 highlights that engaged employees are 20-25% more productive than their disengaged counterparts. 

These statistics underscore the critical role of personalization in enhancing employee engagement, collaboration, and overall intranet effectiveness. In 2024, integrating personalization into intranet systems is not just a trend; it’s a strategic imperative for a thriving, motivated workforce.

2. Integration with Collaboration Tools

According to a study by International Data Corporation (IDC), businesses leveraging integrated collaboration tools and intranets witness a 30% reduction in project time. In 2024, this trend not only optimizes work processes but also fosters a cohesive and collaborative work culture. Embracing this integration is pivotal for organizations seeking to harness the power of collaboration tools within their intranet ecosystems, ultimately driving organizational success. Seamless integration of intranets with popular collaboration tools allows employees to access collaboration tools within the intranet environment, simplifying workflows and boosting efficiency. It’s a step towards a unified digital workplace.

3. Mobile-Friendly Intranets

Gartner forecasts that by 2025, nearly 80% of work will be done on a mobile device. Ensuring mobile accessibility for intranet systems is no longer an option but a strategic necessity. Research by Nielsen Norman Group indicates that mobile users engage with content for an average of 1.25 minutes, emphasizing the need for concise and easily digestible information on mobile intranets. With the rise of remote work, mobile accessibility is no longer an option but a necessity. In 2024, intranets need to be mobile-friendly, providing responsive designs, dedicated mobile apps, and mobile-specific features to ensure employees can stay connected and productive on the move.

4. Cloud-based Platforms

A study by McKinsey & Company reveals that 92% of organizations have reported increased business agility and speed of innovation after moving their operations to the cloud. Moreover, the cloud facilitates personalized experiences on intranets by allowing tailored content delivery based on user preferences. Cloud-based intranets are gaining momentum due to their scalability, accessibility, and cost-efficiency. Moving to the cloud ensures data security, enhances collaboration, and facilitates real-time updates, making it a trend to watch out for in 2024.

5. Inclusive Knowledge Sharing

Intranets play a critical role in democratizing knowledge, making it easily accessible and shareable across the organization. Encouraging knowledge sharing among employees is crucial for innovation and growth. Intranets are evolving to promote inclusivity in knowledge sharing, ensuring that insights and expertise are accessible across the organization, irrespective of hierarchy.

6. Team-based Segmentation

Intranets with features tailored to specific teams streamline communication, document sharing, and project management, amplifying efficiency. Intranets that enable segmentation based on teams stand a greater chance of fostering focused collaboration within specific groups, enhancing efficiency, and promoting a sense of belonging and community. Personalization within these segmented intranets ensures that teams receive information and updates relevant to their projects and objectives, facilitating informed decision-making and a cohesive team dynamic. 

7. Employee Well-being and Engagement

Intranets are now placing a strong emphasis on employee well-being and engagement. Features such as wellness resources, feedback mechanisms, and recognition programs are being integrated to create a positive work environment. Advancing workforce well-being, a report by Deloitte, has useful pointers advising what leaders should do to help move the needle on workforce well-being. It formulates the kind of roles managers and executives should play and discusses why human sustainability should be part of the long-term solution.

8. A Focus on Search Functionality

A study by Forrester Consulting revealed that 94% of employees believe the search function is crucial for their productivity, emphasizing its importance. Intranets often house extensive amounts of data and documents, making a robust search capability essential. According to a study by the IDC, employees spend about 9.3 hours per week searching for information, highlighting the productivity drain without an efficient search function. 

Personalization further amplifies this functionality by tailoring search results based on an individual’s role, preferences, and search history, significantly enhancing the accuracy and relevance of the results. An enhanced search functionality is crucial for quick and efficient access to information within the intranet. A robust search mechanism is vital to support employees in finding the right information at the right time.

9. Data Visualization

Data visualization is a vital component of intranet systems, transforming complex data into easily understandable visuals for informed decision-making. Visual representations simplify data interpretation and aid in better decision-making. According to a study by the Content Marketing Institute, 73% of organizations prioritize creating more visual content due to its effectiveness in conveying information. Intranets often accumulate vast amounts of data, and visual representation through charts, graphs, and infographics simplifies interpretation. The Nielsen Norman Group suggests that visual aids enhance information retention by up to 32%. In 2024, integrating personalized data visualization into intranets will not only streamline data interpretation but also improve employee engagement and understanding, ultimately leading to more informed decisions and enhanced productivity within the organization.

10. Gamification (Employee Recognition, Leaderboards)

Research by TalentLMS found that 87% of employees found gamified training more effective, showcasing its potential in intranet platforms. Incorporating gamified elements, such as leaderboards, challenges, and badges, incentivizes participation and motivates employees to achieve goals. According to a study by Deloitte University Press, gamified platforms can lead to a 50% increase in employee engagement. Gamification is being employed to drive employee engagement and recognition. Leaderboards, badges, and other gamified elements motivate employees, boosting their productivity and participation.

Next Steps

Where are you on your intranet-building journey?

Assess your current intranet strategy and consider how these trends can be seamlessly incorporated. Stay ahead of the curve by embracing these trends to ensure your intranet remains a cutting-edge tool for enhancing internal communication and collaboration.

For more personalized guidance on implementing these trends into your intranet system, reach out to us for a consultation. 

Goals of increased employee productivity and cost savings are a no-brainer in today’s digitally transformed business landscape. As Rodney Zimmel from McKinsey Digital observes, the whole point of digital transformation isn’t exactly to become digital. It’s actually to drive value for the business. And that value comes from understanding clearly how to move from a physical workspace to a hybrid or a digital workplace platform. 

Embracing a digital workplace is crucial for businesses looking to increase productivity, enhance collaboration, and reduce costs. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a key accelerator of the perceptive shift to the digital workplace.

Read More: The Definitive Guide to Perfect Digital Workplace Solution

In this blog, we’ll discuss the 8 key considerations you need to make while you make the much needed transition to a digital workplace. From the benefits to caution areas, to potential pitfalls – we have the rundown.

1. The Covid-19 pandemic as a watershed movement: The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the need for businesses to shift to a digital workplace, leading to improved efficiencies, cost savings, and a more agile workforce. According to a study by PwC, companies that adopt digital workplace technology experience a 67% increase in productivity. Additionally, Gartner estimates that the digital workplace market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 14.6% from 2020 to 2027, reaching $45.7 billion by 2027. Deloitte reports that businesses can save up to $11,000 per employee annually by adopting a digital workplace platform. With the rise of automation and artificial intelligence, businesses need to embrace digital transformation and stay ahead of competition. Failure to do so could result in a loss of market share and diminished profitability.
2. Investment in tools and technologies: To enable a successful digital workplace, businesses must invest in the right tools and technologies. This includes video conferencing, instant messaging, project management software, cloud storage, and more. These tools enable employees to communicate and collaborate, regardless of their location or time zone. Additionally, digital workplace tools and technologies offer companies the opportunity to enhance the employee experience, leading to better retention rates and improved employee satisfaction. Access to online training and development programs, as well as digital resources and tools for wellbeing, help employees to feel valued and supported by their employers. A case in point is Accenture, which has implemented a platform called “Collaboration 2.0.” This platform offers employees a range of tools and services to simplify and enhance collaboration and communication, including instant messaging, video conferencing, and document-sharing capabilities. Accenture has reported increased productivity and employee engagement as a result of Collaboration 2.0.
3. The need for continuous upskilling and training: As businesses shift to digital workplaces, it’s essential to upskill and train employees to use the latest technologies effectively. This can be done through online training, workshops, and mentorship programs. Upskilling employees can also boost morale and improve job satisfaction as employees feel valued and equipped with the skills to succeed in a digital workplace. A key example to highlight this is AT&T, which created a Future Ready Employee initiative aimed at providing ongoing upskilling and reskilling to workers while providing them with new career development paths. As a result, they have improved employee retention by 14% and accelerated digital transformation.
4. Cybersecurity as a crucial tenet: As businesses shift to a digital workplace, cybersecurity becomes a crucial consideration. Cyber threats such as phishing, ransomware, and malware can wreak havoc on a business’s operations, leading to data loss and financial losses. To maintain business continuity, it is important to stay wary of cyber attacks that can bring business operations to a complete halt, causing a loss in productivity and revenue.  Educating employees on cybersecurity best practices and investing in strong cybersecurity measures, such as password management and two-factor authentication, is critical in mitigating these risks.
5. Remote work as a key cost-effective driver: Remote work has become increasingly popular in recent years, with the pandemic intensifying the trend. Remote work offers many benefits, such as cost savings and increased productivity. However, managing a remote team can be challenging, requiring strong communication and collaboration tools and a clear structure for managing tasks and deadlines.
6. Change management: Shifting to a digital workplace requires a shift in thinking and behavior, which can be challenging for some employees. Change management is critical in managing resistance to change and ensuring a smooth transition. This involves involving employees in the process and providing them with the support and training necessary to adapt to the new reality. Training employees to get up to speed with the latest tools and technologies is key to successful implementation of a digital workplace platform. The risk of working in silos is also cut to a great degree if there is a cohesive change management plan that drives key resources toward a co
7. Generative AI and the future of work: The future of work is set to be increasingly digital, with emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, and virtual reality playing a significant role. Businesses must continue to invest in digital tools and technologies to remain competitive and harness the potential benefits these technologies offer.
8. Processes and best practices: To successfully shift to a digital workplace, businesses must adopt best practices. This includes creating a digital transformation roadmap and involving employees in the process.
   1. Create a clear digital transformation roadmap: Develop a clear roadmap that outlines your goals, timeline, process, and milestones. This will ensure that everyone in your organization understands the direction of the digital transformation.
   2. Involve employees in the process: Employees are key stakeholders in the transformation process, and their involvement is crucial for the success of the project. Get them involved in brainstorming sessions, focus groups, testing, and feedback.
   3. Secure buy-in from leadership: Secure the buy-in from senior leadership to ensure that the transformation receives the necessary resources and support. This will demonstrate the importance of the project and its impact on the organization’s growth.
   4. Evaluate and choose the right digital tools and platforms: Carefully choose the digital tools and platforms that fit your organization’s needs and culture. Ensure that the tools provide the required features and functionality to achieve your goals.
   5. Train and support employees: Ensure that your employees have appropriate training and support throughout the transformation process. Provide training for new tools and processes to improve their adoption and comprehension.
   6. Measure the success of the transition: Regularly review the progress of the transformation using metrics that are relevant to your goals. Assess the results and adjust plans where necessary to achieve intended outcomes.
   7. Ensure data security and privacy: Implement appropriate data security measures to protect data and comply with applicable laws and regulations.
   8. Simplify processes and eliminate redundancies: Use the transformation to simplify processes and eliminate redundancies. This will optimize the use of resources and reduce costs.
   9. Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement: Encourage innovation and continuous improvement in your organization by creating a culture that promotes creativity, experimentation, and learning.
   10. Communicate effectively: Communicate the transformation plans and progress consistently and openly with all stakeholders, partners, and employees. This will ensure that everyone is aware of the efforts and the benefits of the transformation.

In addition to this, the implementation of best practices needs to be reviewed to get a tangible measure of success. Therefore, defining key performance indicators against very specific goals is crucial in ensuring the transition is successful.

Read more: Role of a Digital Workplace Platform in Hybrid Workplace

In conclusion, the shift to a digital workplace is essential for any business looking to remain competitive in an increasingly digital world. The benefits of enhanced collaboration, increased productivity, and cost savings are significant, but the transition requires careful planning, investment in the right tools and technologies, and upskilling and training employees. 

To know more about how InfinCE can take your business to new heights, connect with our experts today!

Ever since the pandemic brought in the dynamics of remote work and hybrid models, Microsoft Teams has become a household name in the world of remote work. A 2022 press release indicates Microsoft’s revenue of $51.7 billion in the December quarter, a rise of 20% from the same quarter last year, and profits of $18.8 billion, a steady increase of 21%, with earnings per share of $2.48, up 22%. In terms of quick numbers, the number of daily active users doubled in the wake of the pandemic – from 75 million in April 2020 to 145 million in April 2021.

Despite its immense popularity, it’s not without its shortcomings. Microsoft Teams is feature rich yet falls short of some basic essentials that drive effective communication and collaboration. It’s also probably why several businesses are on the lookout for Microsoft Teams alternatives. 

• For one, it is limited in its use for large scale enterprises that have several cross-functional teams. It offers only about 30 private channels that can be a bottleneck for several communication workflows across large companies.
• Secondly, nuanced access control is not a well-thought out feature with Microsoft Teams. Rankling several industry leaders who have considered switching to Microsoft Teams, the absence of an evolved access and permission control has made it a rather unpopular option.

In this blog, we take a quick tour of 10 Microsoft Teams alternatives that offer an array of features beyond messaging and video conferencing.

1. Zoom

Primarily seen as a video conferencing tool with an instant messaging service, Zoom is equipped with a native cloud phone solution. 

• Integration with other tools and platforms: Available on iOS and Android, Zoom can host a large audience and has powerful integration capabilities. Zoom offers integration with other tools and platforms such as Slack, Dropbox, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams.
• User experience and ease of use: With a simple and intuitive interface, Zoom enables easy scheduling and joining of meetings from desktop and mobile devices.
• Security: Zoom provides several security and privacy features, such as end-to-end encryption for video meetings, password protection, and waiting rooms for meeting attendees.
• Customer support: Customers can access Zoom’s customer support through email, chat, or phone besides offering a comprehensive resource section that serves as a knowledge base. 
• Pricing: It offers a limited free plan with paid plans starting at $149.90/year (or $12.50 / month).
• The flipside: One thing that deters ease of use is that it is loaded with too many add-ons that may not particularly make financial sense for a small business. Also, one of the major cons of Zoom is the mandate to download the app, thus lacking browser only functionality. 

Read More: Why Is InfinCE A Better Choice For Safe Video Calling Than Zoom

2. Google Meet 

Google Meet is a video conferencing tool that allows users to have video meetings directly from their Google Calendar event, email invite, or Gmail.  

• Integration with other tools and platforms: Google Meet can be integrated with other Google tools such as Google Calendar and Google Drive and other third-party tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
• User experience and ease of use: It has a simple and user-friendly interface that makes it easy to use for both hosts and participants. The platform offers features such as screen sharing, real-time captions, and recording abilities, which enhance the user experience.
• Security and privacy features: Google Meet features end-to-end encryption for video meetings, two-factor authentication, and enterprise-grade security.
• Customer support and resources available: Google provides extensive support and resources to its users through the Google Meet Help Center.
• Pricing: Offers a free plan for starters with paid plans priced from $8/ user per month.
• The flipside: Browser support is limited, which means some users may need to rely on apps for a smoother experience. The platform does not provide advanced webinar features, such as Q&A sessions or polling, which could be a drawback for larger meetings.

Read More: 5 Workplace Innovations You Can Welcome with Video Conferencing

3.  InfinCE

Here’s how InfinCE Scores over other remote platforms. 

• Tailored for remote work: Infince is designed to cater to the needs of remote teams by centralizing communication, collaboration, and data management in a single platform. The platform is optimized for remote access, usage, and management, providing businesses with flexibility and control over their operations.
• Enhanced security: Infince uses the latest security protocols and encryption methods to ensure data privacy and protection from cyber threats. The platform is hosted on a private cloud infrastructure, which provides additional security layers compared to public cloud hosting used by Microsoft 365 or Google Meets.
• Cost-effective pricing: Infince offers scalable pricing plans suitable for businesses of all sizes and budgets. The pricing is transparent with no hidden costs, making it easy for businesses to budget and predict their expenses.
• High degree of customizability: Infince features highly customizable templates that businesses can tailor to match their brand identity. This allows businesses to create a professional look and feel for their platform without the need for expensive customization.
• Dedicated support: Infince provides users with dedicated 24/7 support via phone, email, or chat. This ensures that businesses always have access to help when they need it, improving the efficiency and productivity of remote teams. It is in fact a perfect alternative during Microsoft Cloud or Google Cloud outages.

4. Cisco Webex

• Integration: Integrates with multiple tools, including Microsoft Teams, Salesforce, and Google Calendar.
• User Experience: Offers an easy-to-use interface, with features like screen sharing and virtual backgrounds.
• Security and Privacy: Provides industry-leading security measures and end-to-end encryption.
• Customer Support: Offers technical support through multiple channels, including phone and chat. 
• Pricing: Offers a free plan with paid plans ranging from $14.95/host per month.
• The flipside: Limited customization options and slightly higher pricing compared to other video conferencing platforms.

Read More: 6 Ways to Build a Secure File Sharing Practice Within Your Organization

5. ClickUp

• Integration: Integrates with popular tools such as Slack, Trello, and Google Calendar.
• User Experience: Offers a customizable interface, with various views and templates.
• Security and Privacy: Provides options like two-factor authentication and GDPR compliance.
• Customer Support: Offers 24/7 customer support through email and live chat.
• Pricing: Comes with a free plan for unlimited users and paid versions starting at $5 per user/month. 
• The flipside: Steep learning curve and requires a longer setup time compared to other project management tools.

6. Chanty

• Integration: Integrates with G Suite and third-party apps like Zapier and Trello.
• User Experience: Offers a simple, clutter-free interface with features like threaded conversations and file sharing.
• Security and Privacy: Provides end-to-end encryption and compliance with GDPR.
• Customer Support: Offers support via email, chat, and phone, with a detailed knowledge base. 
• Pricing: Provides a free plan for up to 10 members and a paid plan with $3/user/month.
• The flipside: Lacks advanced features like screen sharing and video calling, and limited integrations compared to other team chat platforms.

7. Pumble

• Integration: Integrates with Google Drive, GitHub, Bitbucket, and Zapier.
• User Experience: Offers a simple, user-friendly interface with features like public and private channels and voice messaging.
• Security and Privacy: Provides end-to-end encryption and complies with GDPR.
• Customer Support: Offers 24/7 support through a dedicated team and a comprehensive knowledge base. 
• Pricing: Offers a free forever plan that works for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Paid plans start at $1.99 per user per month with access to most Pumble features. 
• The flipside: Limited integrations and lacks video conferencing capabilities compared to other team chat platforms.

Read More: 5 Tips To Effectively Manage Remote Teams During Challenging Times

8. Brosix

• Integration: Integrates with other tools via Zapier and offers API for custom integration.
• User Experience: Offers a user-friendly interface with features like group and screen sharing and a customizable chat environment.
• Security and Privacy: Provides end-to-end encryption and complies with EU data privacy laws.
• Customer Support: Offers 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and live chat.
• Pricing:A forever free plan that works for small teams that are just getting started. Paid plans begin at $4 user per month.
• The flipside: Limited integrations compared to other team chat platforms and higher pricing compared to some competitors.7. Pumble:

• Integration: Integrates with Google Drive, GitHub, Bitbucket, and Zapier.
• User Experience: Offers a simple, user-friendly interface with features like public and private channels and voice messaging.
• Security and Privacy: Provides end-to-end encryption and complies with GDPR.
• Customer Support: Offers 24/7 support through a dedicated team and a comprehensive knowledge base. 
• Pricing: Offers a free forever plan that works for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. Paid plans start at $1.99 per user per month with access to most Pumble features. 
• The flipside: Limited integrations and lacks video conferencing capabilities compared to other team chat platforms.

9. Zoho

• Integration: Offers integration with many popular tools, including G Suite, Salesforce, and Slack.
• User Experience: Offers a user-friendly interface with features like task management and a customizable dashboard.
• Security and Privacy: Provides industry-standard security measures and promotes data privacy.
• Customer Support: Offers support through phone, email, and chat, with a comprehensive knowledge base and user forum. 
• The flipside: Advanced features require higher-tier subscriptions, and some users may find the interface and navigation slightly overwhelming.

10. Slack

• Integration: Offers integration with various tools, including Google Drive, Zoom, and Trello.
• User Experience: Offers a user-friendly interface with features like channels and direct messaging, file sharing, and app management.
• Security and privacy: Provides various data security and privacy measures, including enterprise-level encryption and two-factor authentication.
• Customer Support: Offers 24/7 customer support through phone, email, and chat, with a detailed knowledge base and user forum. 
• The flipside: Lack of threaded chats, and some users may find it challenging to locate specific conversations or messages

To Summarize

Remote work is gaining popularity with the various shifts in work culture. How companies strategize, evaluate and implement the right tools would define the path to their success. Where, some businesses might focus on improving work efficiency, others might depend on advanced tools and technologies to enhance work collaboration. However, a platform like InfinCE is built to help embrace the ever changing digital work environment and thrive with the rising technology advancements. 

Connect with us today to learn more about InfinCE!

Despite the soaring popularity of virtual meetings since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, researchers point toward the concern that virtual meetings aren’t as effective as the traditional, in-person meetings. 

“Part of the problem might be that we’re worse at taking turns in virtual conversations than in physical ones.” (Stanford University, 2022)

“The number of meetings grew by 7.4% between June 2020 and December 2021, but the meetings were typically of low quality.” (University of Cambridge Judge Business School, 2022)

Many employees are annoyed with the amount of time lost due to technical issues, delayed meetings, irrelevant agenda, off-topic discussions, unpreparedness, and loud background noises. These challenges, however, cannot deny the fact that virtual meetings are here to stay. Gartner data shows that by 2025, 50% of all enterprise virtual events will be held on the video meeting platforms commonly used by organizations today, proving that video meetings are not likely to disappear from our workplace anytime soon.  

What does it take to run an effective virtual meeting that facilitates collaboration, engagement, and communication between in-office and remote teams? 

Common Challenges in Hosting Virtual Meetings

The use of virtual meetings in workplace can raise several concerns, some of the most commonly cited issues are discussed below:

• It can be difficult to pick up on non-verbal cues such as body language and gestures in virtual meetings. For instance, the meeting host or speaker may not be able to gauge whether other members of the meeting are puzzled, distracted or have lost interest.
• Video meetings can lead to Zoom fatigue, a unique kind of exhaustion that occurs when people participate in video meetings for an extended time period. The constant need to focus on screens, lack of breaks, and the difficulty in understanding non-verbal or social cues lead to fatigue and reduced productivity.
• Technical glitches that you have no control over, such as server or internet connection outages, microphone failure, audio problems, crashing of shared applications, or the trouble of logging into a virtual meeting. 
• Many people prefer face-to-face, in-person interaction instead of virtual team meetings. Remote team members may not get enough time to bond with each other and build formal relationships. The result can be a lack of mutual trust which, in turn, can impact your team’s productivity.
• Scheduling virtual meetings could be a challenge when you want remote teams working from multiple locations and different time zones to join the meeting at a reasonable hour.

Best Practices & Tips to Make Your Video Meetings More Effective

1. Turn your camera on during virtual calls

In a prolonged remote work environment, your employees get only little in-person face time with their colleagues, supervisors, or managers. Keeping the camera on during virtual meetings will make your video conferences more accessible, exciting, and intuitive for participants. 

By observing the facial expressions and body language of the participants during a video call, you can pick up contextual cues that are often lost over audio calls or text-based modes of communication such as chat or email. Encouraging your team members to turn on their cameras during video meetings can make them feel more connected, engaged, and productive.   

2. Use interactive tools to increase engagement

Utilizing interactive tools like polls, surveys, quizzes, and breakout rooms during virtual meetings will allow participants to get involved as if they are all in the same space.

Breakout rooms are one of the most popular features in InfinCE video meeting platform that helps create a dynamic virtual meeting experience. Meeting organizers or hosts can use the breakout rooms to divide participants into smaller groups for focused discussions and effective collaboration. 

InfinCE video meeting software allows you to create and launch polls/ quizzes during a virtual meeting and gather the responses from your participants. You can frame customized questions for your polls and see the results in real-time to make informed decisions or next steps. 

Using the Raise a Hand feature in the InfinCE video meeting platform, a participant can notify the meeting host that they want to discuss a point without disrupting the flow of the meeting. All these tools promote better participation and collaboration and provide valuable feedback to the meeting organizers.

3. Allow short breaks between each meeting

Back-to-back virtual meetings can be stressful and decrease your ability to focus and engage. Participants should be encouraged to step away from their screens and take a short break in between successive meeting schedules. It prevents stress from building up. 

Here are a few tips to make your moments of respite successful:

• View breaks away from your computer will help shift your mind and re-energize before joining the next meeting.
• A short meditation break or a simple physical activity such as a stroll will help you feel refreshed and recharged when you start your next meeting.
• Before scheduling a video call, do check if you really require a meeting to discuss the issue or if it can be solved through email, live chat, or document collaboration. 
• Make your meetings more intentional. Create and share an agenda ahead of time, think about who attends the meeting, start and stop on time, and transition to a five-minute recap at the end of the call. 
• Raise your hand, polls and quizzes, breakout rooms, and other interactive tools are great ways to keep your participants involved and elicit creative and strategic conversations.  

4. Find the right balance between virtual and in-person meetings

Despite returning to normal after the pandemic, virtual calls continue to be a staple of the daily business routines. Though virtual meetings cannot completely replace face-to-face meetings for good, they are likely to remain as a part of our working lives as most businesses adjust to a hybrid way of working. 

Here are a few tips to balance both in-person and virtual meetings:

• Choose the meeting type based on the topic or context. If you’re reaching out to a client for a quick check-in, a virtual meeting would suffice. If you want to discuss a major portfolio change or strategy adjustments, it’s better to meet in-person, if possible.
• Schedule virtual meetings and invite participants ahead of time to best manage your time and theirs, especially when you’re collaborating with remote teams located in different time zones.  
• Gauge the complexity level of the issue you’re going to discuss. If you’re tackling a thorny problem that’s difficult to comprehend or is emotionally complex, it’s better to go for an in-person meeting. 
• Finally, choose the meeting type that would be more inclusive. Consider your participants’ availability (proximity) for an in-person meeting. Check if they have a tight schedule that makes it difficult to find a common time for an in-person meeting. In this case, scheduling a virtual meeting can ensure maximum participation and inclusion.  

The Final Word

In the post-pandemic era, the workplace could mean different things for different people. With the erratic work arrangements across companies, individual teams, and industry segments, workers need video meetings more than ever.

The real challenge for employers now is to foster true collaboration in a hybrid workplace setting by balancing remote and in-office employee experiences – and a video meeting platform is the key to achieving that. 

With InfinCE, your organization can experience all the benefits and features of a modern digital workplace. Enable your team to work together from anywhere, using any device with our comprehensive virtual meeting software. Get started today.

Connect with our experts today or Request a Free Demo!

Definition and Evolution of Digital Workplace Platforms

Digital workplace platforms have evolved tremendously over the past few years, with the modern workplace requiring much more than just a basic communication tool. In a dynamic business environment where change is the only constant, employees require a cohesive digital experience to collaborate, access important information, communicate with colleagues seamlessly, and manage their workload effectively.

As a result, modern digital workplace platforms now provide a range of features that enable businesses to meet these needs. A suite of applications that enable businesses to function remotely, collaborate online, and have access to cloud-based tools to run day-to-day operations, digital workplace platforms include communication tools such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing, and project management tools. Analogously, these platforms act as virtual offices where employees can share files, communicate with colleagues, and complete work tasks. A digital workplace platform is like a toolbox that provides everything you need to get the job done from anywhere on any device, examples of which include HR databases, knowledge management systems, and customer relationship management software.

Read more: What is a Digital Workplace: A Complete Guide! 

Employee Experience: The Key Driver 

Several studies have confirmed that a positive employee experience leads to higher engagement, productivity, retention, and even profitability. For example, according to a 2023 Gartner Survey, 83% of HR leaders believe employee experience is crucial to their organization’s success. On the other hand, companies with poor employee experience see high turnover rates, low productivity, a bad work culture, and even customer dissatisfaction.

For a digital workspace to translate to building a positive employee experience, personalization, mobile accessibility, and ease of use are some critical ingredients.

1. Personalization involves tailoring the digital workspace experience to each employee’s unique needs and preferences – this can be achieved through customized dashboards, relevant information feeds, or custom notifications. 

2. Mobile accessibility means enabling employees to work from anywhere, anytime, on any device. An easy-to-use interface and accessibility from anywhere ensure employees can navigate the digital workplace platform without friction, frustration, or confusion. This also contributes to shorter learning curves and lesser training mandates.

Robust Integration with Third-Party Applications: A Must-have

According to a study conducted by the Aberdeen Group, companies that integrate their enterprise applications experience a 20% increase in productivity. This includes everything from marketing, sales, and supply chain management to HR and finance. Key integration capabilities that need to be present in a digital workplace include compatibility, security, and scalability. Compatibility means having the ability to integrate with a variety of applications, ensuring that you have access to your entire suite of tools. Security is important to ensure sensitive data remains safe and protected. Finally, scalability refers to the ability to add or remove apps as needed without disrupting the current workflow.

The Three Cs – Cloud, Collaboration, and Communication

Microsoft reported a 27% increase in revenue from investing in intelligent cloud, with an overall revenue uptick of 39% attached to the cloud. If you want to take a leaf from their book, you know where to put your money. Cloud-hosting is your best bet for a digital workplace platform especially because it safeguards important information, reduces the risk of data loss, increases security, and of course, allows your employees to share and access files from a central location, lending to a simple and seamless experience. Following suit, communication, and collaboration are key elements that have to fall in place if a digital workplace platform is considered successful.

Read more: Role of a Digital Workplace Platform in Hybrid Workplace

Adherence to Regulatory Compliance and Security: The Much-needed Protocol

Adherence to security and compliance policies is critical to the success of digital workplace platforms. Companies that comply with regulations and protect user data enjoy higher levels of trust and customer loyalty, leading to increased revenue and growth. It is essential to prioritize security and compliance to safeguard against the cost and reputational damage of a security breach. The implementation of security features like single sign-on, two-factor authentication, and data encryption has become crucial for digital workplace platforms to protect sensitive information. According to a report by Verizon, over 80% of data breaches are caused by weak or stolen credentials, which can be prevented by using these security measures. Companies like Slack and Microsoft Teams have successfully implemented these features, resulting in improved security and increased adoption rates. In fact, Microsoft Teams reported a record 2.7 billion meeting minutes in a single day in March 2020, attributed to the platform’s security measures.

Embracing Web3 Technologies

Gartner predicts that by 2024, AI will have automated as much as 75% of the manual work involved in project management-related administrative tasks. Better yet, a study by Accenture found that AI adoption could increase workplace productivity by as much as 40%.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning learning (ML) are becoming increasingly important in the digital workplace, and new platforms are designed to leverage these technologies to enhance productivity and automate routine tasks. One example of how these technologies help personalize user experiences is through intelligent recommendations. By analyzing employee behavior, such as the types of tasks they complete, the documents they access, and the apps they use, ML algorithms can suggest relevant content, information, and tools that are unique to each user. This personalized approach helps employees work more efficiently and effectively by streamlining workflows and reducing the time spent searching for information.

Connect with our experts know more about InfinCE

Introduction

Employee engagement is a crucial factor in the success of any business, and InfinCE is a leading employee engagement platform designed to provide a centralized hub for communication, collaboration, and performance management, making it easier for organizations to improve employee engagement and achieve their goals.

IN THIS GUIDE

InfinCE is an employee engagement platform curated to keep you connected to your work and team from anywhere, at any time. With its mobile app, InfinCE makes it easy for you to stay connected and collaborate with your team, even if you’re working remotely or on the go. In this guide, you’ll understand the nitty-gritty of employee engagement software to the benefits of using InfinCE’s tools and resources, you will gain a comprehensive understanding of how InfinCE can help your organization achieve its goals.

But, first things first!

What is an employee engagement platform?

An employee engagement platform is a tailor-made digital solution that enables organizations to improve the level of engagement and satisfaction among their employees. This platform comes equipped with a suite of features and tools designed to enhance the overall employee experience that includes communication resources, recognition, and reward systems, surveys, and pulse poll.

The goal of an employee engagement platform:

• Aimed at improving employee retention rates, boosting productivity, and reducing absenteeism.
• Foster better relationships between employees and their managers, 
• Provide employees a voice in the decision-making process.
• Help increase employee morale, reduce turnover, and improve overall business performance
• Businesses can establish a culture of openness and transparency, leading to higher levels of employee morale and job satisfaction.

Read more: Turning Employee Resignations to Employee Retention in Modern Workplace!

Unlock the benefits of Employee Engagement

Nearly one-third (32%) of US organizations have seen an increase in employee engagement as a result of their engagement initiatives. Employee engagement initiatives have been found to lead to a 2.5x increase in post-engagement performance, a 3.5x improvement in job satisfaction, and an impressive 25% reduction in absenteeism.

Additionally, 91% of employees who are engaged in the workplace report feeling a strong connection to their employer. With an employee engagement platform, organizations can empower their employee base and help them to develop the skills and competencies that will enable them to reach their full potential. Such platforms like InfinCE provide the necessary tools for fostering collaboration, engaging in team building, and improving communication and productivity in the workplace. 

By unlocking the benefits of employee engagement, US companies can expect to see improved morale, better job satisfaction, and improved productivity — all of which will contribute to an overall boost in performance.

Types of Employee Engagement Platforms

There are a wide variety of employee engagement platforms available, each designed to meet the specific needs of various organizations. Some of the most popular types of employee engagement platforms include

• Virtual Workspaces: Virtual workspaces allow employees to access their work from any location, helping to foster collaboration, reduce turnover, and increase productivity.

• Social Media Platforms: Social media platforms are used to build relationships, encourage engagement, and provide employees with a platform to share ideas and collaborate on projects.

• Knowledge Management Platforms: Knowledge management platforms are used to store, organize, and share information among teams. This helps to improve communication, reduce redundancies, and create a better overall work environment.

By providing employees with the tools they need to succeed and fostering a positive work environment, an employee engagement platform like InfinCE can help to increase productivity, reduce turnover, and create an environment in which employees are highly motivated and engaged.

Top Benefits of Employee Engagement Platforms for Business Success

Employee engagement platforms are critical for businesses to remain successful in the modern workplace. By utilizing an effective platform, businesses can create a stronger sense of connection between employers and employees, facilitate collaboration, and promote a positive work environment. Furthermore, there are several tangible benefits of using employee engagement platforms, including improved morale, increased productivity, and better customer experience.

Here are the irresistible benefits you need to consider:

1. Communication Tools: Custom dashboards such as chat boards, video conferencing, and file sharing are essential features of any employee engagement platform. These tools allow for efficient communication between the employer and employees, enabling employees to quickly and easily ask questions, get feedback, and share resources.

2. Employee Feedback Mechanisms: Employee feedback mechanisms, such as surveys, polls, and employee reviews, are an important part of any employee engagement platform. These mechanisms provide employers with valuable insights into employee satisfaction, morale, and productivity, allowing them to make necessary adjustments to their business practices.

3. Performance Management: Performance management tools allow employers to track and evaluate employee performance. These tools enable employers to set objectives and goals, measure progress, and provide feedback to employees. According to a study by Gallup, companies with effective performance management systems have 24% higher profit margins than those without.

4. Recognition and Rewards Systems: Recognition and rewards systems are another essential feature of employee engagement platforms. These systems allow employers to recognize and reward employees for their efforts and accomplishments. According to the same study by Gallup, companies with effective recognition and rewards systems have 22% higher productivity than those without.

5. Gamification and Engagement Activities: Gamification and engagement activities can be used to foster team collaboration and encourage employees to participate in activities that benefit the company. Examples of gamification and engagement activities include team building activities, competitions, and virtual events.

6. Personalized Dashboards: Personalized dashboards are a great way to make the employee engagement platform more user-friendly by providing employees with a personalized view of their tasks and progress. Dashboards can be tailored to each individual employee, providing them with a better understanding of their own performance and that of their colleagues.

Read more: How Does The Intranet Contribute To Digital Employee Experience

Experience Seamless Collaboration with InfinCE: The Ultimate Remote Work Platform

In a remote work environment, it is especially important that employees feel engaged and motivated through a robust remote work platform. With the right strategies, an organization can create a culture where remote work is not only accepted but embraced.

According to US data from 2022, employee engagement is essential for organizational success. This is especially true in a remote work environment, where managers must take additional steps to ensure employee engagement. Companies have found that positive engagement strategies such as encouraging wellness, hosting virtual meetings, and fostering personal connections have helped to keep remote employees motivated and engaged. The best way to gauge employee engagement levels is to ask them directly about their work and passion levels.

Importance of Employee Engagement in Remote Work

The level of employee engagement has a direct relationship to an organisation’s performance. Engaged employees are more productive, which leads to greater earnings and higher customer satisfaction. Additionally, engaged employees are less likely to leave the organisation, leading to improved job security and less need for costly recruitment processes. Finally, engaged employees are more likely to be creative and come up with innovative solutions to business problems.

Benefits of a Remote Work Platform for Employee Engagement

A remote work platform can be a great tool for enhancing employee engagement. A platform can facilitate tasks such as setting up video calls, providing access to documents, and allowing collaboration over long distances. Additionally, a platform can also enable coworkers to stay in touch with one another, creating a sense of unity and connectedness.

Strategies for Enhancing Employee Engagement in Remote Work

Organisations should strive to create a culture of engagement, even in remote work environments. Here are a few strategies to help enhance engagement:

• Provide frequent feedback: Remote workers often feel disconnected from their teams. Providing regular feedback can help bridge this gap.

• Set clear expectations: It’s important to set expectations for tasks and deadlines. This will help employees stay focused and motivated.

• Encourage collaboration: Collaboration can help generate ideas and foster a team atmosphere, even when working remotely.

• Offer incentives: Incentives can help motivate employees and encourage them to do their best work.

By taking the right steps, organisations can create an engaging remote work environment that helps employees feel motivated, connected, and productive.

Bottom Line

Organizations today are more competitive than ever, so they need to rethink their strategies. In order to progress, organizations need to prioritize their employees’ wellbeing, and create an environment of engagement. If organizations fall short of creating engagement, employees are likely to switch jobs until they find a suitable workplace. To ensure that employees remain engaged, organizations must take proper measures.

Here is a quote by Annette Franz on employee engagement:

“Employee engagement cannot be a strategy because engagement comes from within the employee. It’s the emotional connection or commitment that an employee has to the organization that then causes the employee to want to put forth the additional effort to ensure the organization and the brand succeed.”

This quote is an important reminder that employee engagement is more than just a strategy; it’s something that comes from within the employee and is characterized by an emotional connection to the organization. This connection can then lead to greater levels of effort and dedication, resulting in a more successful organization and brand.

Recognition is a very important aspect of employee engagement. However, manual recognition can be time-consuming and lack transparency. To that end, organizations can take advantage with InfinCE, a rock-solid employee engagement platform that collects and records data in real-time to avoid disputes and inaccuracies.

InfinCE also recognizes employees immediately after they accomplish something to ensure that recognition efforts are effective. With its range of essential features and support for remote work, InfinCE makes it easier for organizations to improve employee engagement and achieve their goals.

Business continuity planning has been a crucial aspect of business success considering how unprecedented disruptions can have a significant impact on any organization’s operations, reputation, and bottom line. 

Let’s pin down some reasons that make business continuity planning a must for your organization in today’s digital age.

1. Dependence on technology

Today, businesses rely heavily on technology for their day-to-day operations. Any disruption, whether caused by a cyber-attack, natural disaster, or system failure, can result in significant downtime, loss of data, and revenue. Business continuity planning ensures the organization can quickly recover from such incidents and function without severe consequences.

2. Reputation risk

With social media and instant communication, news travels fast. Any prolonged outage, breach, or data loss can create negative publicity and damage the organization’s reputation. A robust continuity plan helps mitigate these risks and ensures the organization can maintain its operations and reputation during crises.

3. Compliance requirements

In many industries, regulatory compliance requires businesses to have a robust business continuity plan. Failure to comply with these requirements can result in financial penalties or legal action.

4. Consumer expectations

Consumers expect businesses to be available 24/7 and provide uninterrupted services. A lack of preparedness can lead to frustration and dissatisfaction and, ultimately, a loss of customers. Business continuity planning ensures the organization can meet its consumers’ expectations, even during a crisis.

As business continuity planning becomes the cornerstone of business success, implementing cost-effective solutions is imperative to help your organization navigate the inherently risky digital landscape and continue to operate smoothly. Read on further to learn how InfinCE is a reliable, cost-effective backup solution for business continuity.

Read more: The Best Ways to Improve Your Digital Workplace Management.

InfinCE- The much-touted backup solution for businesses of all sizes

InfinCE is committed to ensuring the highest levels of data privacy and security. With a robust private IT infrastructure, InfinCE supports multi-factor authentication and a comprehensive, continuous monitoring model to keep data secure and protected from threats. As an independent server, unlike Microsoft Teams or Google Workplace, InfinCE is less prone to public attacks or breaches, acting as a perfect backup solution for your current digital workplace. 

Here is a glimpse of InfinCE’s features focusing on data privacy and security, enabling reliable backup for business continuity.

1. Private IT Infrastucture: When your business runs on private cloud infrastructure, you need not worry about servers being down or your data being stolen. No matter what happens around you, you can easily set up and run your business from anywhere, maintaining service continuity and customer satisfaction every time. InfinCE private cloud solution is purpose-built to enable seamless IT operations, business continuity, and future-proof your business.

2. Secure Access Management: Identity and access management tools that provide secure access to data and applications. InfinCE supports multi-factor authentication, permission-based access controls and authorization, and password policies, among others, to ensure secure access to data. 

3. Data Encryption: InfinCE’s data encryption ensures that all the data is encrypted in transit and storage, offering an extra layer of protection. 

4. Secure Collaboration: InfinCE provides secure collaboration tools that enable teams to collaborate while maintaining the privacy and confidentiality of data.

5. Threat Detection: InfinCE’s security features offer real-time threat detection to identify and prevent attacks before they occur.

6. Access Control: InfinCE provides fine-grained access control that allows companies to set the level of data access their employees have based on their roles and responsibilities.

7. Client Confidentiality: InfinCE prioritizes client confidentiality by implementing privacy laws, security protocols, and dedicated confidentiality clauses in contracts.

8. Centralized IT Management: The biggest challenge organizations face today is to keep up with the rising work culture shifts. InfinCE’s centralized IT management feature makes it convenient to proactively manage IT assets from anywhere, making operations streamlined in remote, hybrid, and work from the office environments. 

When business continuity is your priority, InfinCE is a #NO.1 choice! Although there might still be hesitations implementing such a platform as normally similar software either cost you high or have a complex setup process. But with InfinCE, none is the case. It is easy to set up, simple to use, and cost-effective.  

Let’s learn how easy and fast it is to set up your digital workplace backup solution with InfinCE!

Step-by-step guide on implementing InfinCE as your digital workplace backup solution

1. Conduct a thorough business needs analysis: Before implementing any digital workplace platform, it is important to identify your organization’s needs and pick a platform that suits your business case. 
2. Analyze competitors and choose the right platform: Research and compare different digital workplace platforms available in the market and choose the one that best suits your organizational needs. Consider factors such as ease of use, must-have features, pricing, and scalability.
3. Zero in on the right platform: If you have zeroed in on InfinCE owing to its unique and competitive pricing, sign up for an InfinCE account.
4. Customize the platform: Now that you can choose the features you need with InfinCE, customize it to suit your organization’s specific needs. This includes configuring settings such as branding, user roles, and permissions.
5. Migrate your existing data: Migrate your data from your current system to InfinCE. This includes documents, files, contacts, and other crucial business information.
6. Train your team: InfinCE’s ease of use comes in handy, and given that it is built with great intuitiveness, you can set it up and have your users learn it on the go.

Ensure your team is engaged with the platform by encouraging them to use the key features and providing ongoing support.

InfinCE’s solution is well-positioned to tackle the challenges of today’s dynamic digital business landscape. 

But if you are still reluctant to try InfinCe and are concerned about its pricing, then worry not. InfinCE is more affordable than your Netflix subscription!

Read more: The Benefits of InfinCE’s Unique Pricing Model for Digital Workplace Platforms.

InfinCE’s pricing structure is its USP

A cloud-based digital workplace that offers small and medium-sized businesses a comprehensive solution to improve their employee productivity and streamline their business processes, comes with a suite of enterprise-grade tools such as project management, document management, team collaboration, and automation tools that can be accessed from anywhere, anytime, and from any device. 

What sets InfinCE apart is its unique pricing model. Unlike other cloud-based industry solutions that require users to pay a flat monthly subscription, InfinCE’s competitive market pricing offers lower subscription rates and license costs that require users to pay only for the features they intend to use. This precludes users from the need to pay for a bulk of unnecessary features that serve no purpose in the wake of changing business needs. Customization options to choose what to pay for makes InfinCE a reliable and scalable partner for your digital workplace journey. Not just that, it also doubles up as an affordable backup option, particularly for businesses that may not have the budget to pay for expensive software licenses.

InfinCE’s unique pricing model and data and privacy features are sure-shot reasons why you consider it an appropriate backup option for your business. InfinCE’s solution cuts because of many benefits from a competitive pricing slab. Test drive InfinCE today, or connect with our experts for more details. 

Unprecedented changes over the last couple of years have dramatically changed the way we work. Combine this with amazing technological advancement and what we have is a rather welcome change – that of mushrooming digital workplace platforms. 

Encompassing all things that employees use to go about their everyday work and collaborative tasks, digital workplace platforms typically help manage internal communications, HR tasks, and other communication needs to ensure smooth functioning of a remote workforce. 

From instant messaging apps to high-end social networks, digital workplace platforms have been gaining popularity for all the right reasons. Key factors that drive this are the market availability of new tools, technologies that are advancing by the day, and employees’  demand for greater freedom and flexibility and of course employers’ goals to offer an improved employee experience. 

In this blog, you can discover how InfinCE’s unique pricing model sets it apart as a go-to digital workplace platform.

The Conventional Pricing Model for Digital Workplace Platforms 

Typically, a conventional pricing model works as a set standard price that is built keeping the average customer in mind, precluding potential custom needs of each customer. It is built with a one-size fits all approach that seeks to address market needs as a whole rather than unique needs of every customer. This makes it economical in terms of pricing as it does not particularly factor in specific buying circumstances of customers. A conventional pricing model for digital workplace platforms does not take into account dynamic price sensitivity, or product market segmentation. 

1. Lack of customizability: A traditional pricing model for digital workplace platforms can come in the way of flexibility. It takes a cookie-cutter approach to problem solving and does not cater to specific business needs of an organization. The guiding principle to remember while you set pricing for a digital workplace platform is to realize that it’s not for yourself, but for your target customers.

2. Not anchored in customer value: A traditional pricing model for digital workplace platforms ranks low on sophistication and therefore ignores important factors such as bundling and differentiation. Since remote work platforms need to be agile, flexible, and easy-to-set up, they need to be priced appropriately.

Read more: Is Remote Work Culture Hindering Your Company Productivity & Growth?

The Benefits of a Unique Pricing Model for Digital Workplace Platforms

1. Flexibility and cost-effectiveness: One of the essentials that you should look for in a digital workplace platform is its ability to be flexible. Competitive pricing that offers a trial version before a customer signs up for a remote work platform for a long period of time is helpful to understand fitment and purpose. This flexibility allows you to avoid lost sales due to high prices or missed opportunities due to low prices.

2. Scalability: Since it is based on real-time value, a unique pricing model helps companies scale up or down quickly as and when their needs change. This pricing strategy allows businesses to adapt very quickly to the changing demands of the business landscape without losing much in the process.

3. Improved ROI: Because of the personalized approach it takes to pricing, a unique pricing model for remote work platform helps increase profits by a significant margin. It is customer-focused and tailored to fit the wants and needs of your specific customer.

Use Cases of Unique Pricing Models for Digital Workplace Platforms

Unique pricing models particularly work for those companies that are looking to make their business operations more agile. Since it is guided by a usage-based model, a unique pricing model helps companies the liberty to pay according to how they prefer to use the remote work software. Some of the companies that have gone this route are tools and technologies. 

Working with a trusted IT services provider that has a unique pricing model helps ensure that end-to-end requirements are taken care of – from equipment maintenance and on-site configurations to training and support for your in-house team.

How to Choose a Digital Workplace Platform with a Unique Pricing Model

Criteria to consider when evaluating different digital workplace platforms: The most important criteria to remember while choosing a digital workplace platform is to see how it ranks on scalability and flexibility. Since modern day business needs are ever-evolving and growing, the digital workplace platform must have a server configuration that suits your business requirements and can be scaled up or down, per your business needs. Secondly, 

Tips for choosing the best platform for your business: Based on your unique needs and business challenges, it is important that you factor in the following parameters while opting for your remote work software’s pricing model.

• Cost-effectiveness
• Flexibility
• Scalability

Read more: Top 10 Digital Workplace Platforms Your Company Can Choose From

Conclusion

Choosing the right pricing strategy is important for a business to scale their IT resources up or down based on their needs, while keeping overhead costs at bay. InfinCE, along with customizable pricing options has features to effectively operate and progress in the digital era. Enabling data security, business continuity with private IT infrastructure, instant communication channels, productivity tools and more, InfinCE makes a perfect partner to stay ahead of the digital curve. Learn more about InfinCE today. Request a free demo!

Introduction

Are you struggling to retain top talent in your organization? You’re not alone. Resignations are rising, with many employees citing a lack of career growth and work-life balance as key factors in their decision to leave.

Since the great resignation In 2021, employees have started leaving their jobs at record rates. In September 2021 alone, 4.4 million people quit their jobs – a record high. This has shifted the focus of the organization to employee experience & retention.

In fact, According to a survey conducted by the Society for Human Resource Management, there has been an increase in employee dissatisfaction and resignations in recent years. 22% of employees who have left a job cited company culture as a key reason for leaving.

But what if there was a way to improve employee satisfaction and retention while increasing efficiency and productivity?

Enter the modern intranet and digital workplace!

The shift towards remote work has been a major driving force behind the adoption of modern intranets in recent years. One area that has seen significant growth due to the shift towards remote work is adopting remote workplace tools and employee intranet software.

A modern intranet and digital workplace can help control various workplace situations by providing centralized communication, collaboration, and access to information. This can help:

1. Streamline communication: Everyone is kept informed and up-to-date by having a centralized platform for all internal communication.
2. Increase collaboration: Teams can collaborate more effectively by sharing real-time documents, tasks, and ideas.
3. Improve efficiency: Automated processes and access to information from anywhere help employees make decisions faster and reduce downtime.
4. Foster a sense of community: A digital workplace provides a space for employees to connect, share ideas, and collaborate, promoting a sense of belonging and engagement.

A digital workplace and a modern intranet can help organizations improve productivity, reduce confusion and errors, and promote a positive work culture.

Read more: Is Remote Work Culture Hindering Your Company Productivity & Growth?

Disengaged Employees Impair the Advancement of Digital Workspaces

Dissatisfaction among employees can hold back from uncovering the full potential of work. A recent study by Gartner showed that nearly 60% of organizations believe that improving the employee experience is a top priority. When it’s highly impacted, it can lead to high turnover rates and a constant need to hire and train new employees. This can be costly and time-consuming, and it can also disrupt team cohesion and productivity. Various factors that lead to employee dissatisfaction at work:

• Work culture shift frustrations: Rapid changes in work culture and technology can confuse and overwhelm employees.
• Collaboration difficulties: With remote work becoming the norm, it can be challenging for teams to collaborate effectively and stay on the same page.
• Low transparency and limited access to data: Employees can feel disconnected and in the dark about key decisions and developments within the company without proper access to information.
• Not feeling valued: A lack of recognition and appreciation can lead to a demotivated and disengaged workforce.
• Lack of learning and development opportunities: Without access to training and development programs, employees may feel stuck in their careers and unable to grow and advance.

How does a modern intranet help tackle these issues?

A modern intranet can help tackle the issues contributing to employee dissatisfaction in several ways:

1. Improving Communication and Collaboration

A modern intranet provides a centralized platform for teams to communicate and collaborate effectively, regardless of location. Employees can stay connected and work together in real time with features like instant messaging, team chat rooms, and document collaboration tools. This helps to overcome the difficulties of remote work and improves overall collaboration.

2. Increasing Transparency and Access to Data

A modern intranet provides a single source of truth for all internal information and data. This can include company news, policy updates, project progress, and more. A employee intranet software can increase transparency and reduce confusion by giving employees access to this information. This can also help improve decision-making by giving employees access to the data they need to do their jobs effectively.

3. Providing Opportunities for Recognition and Appreciation

A employee intranet software can provide a platform for recognizing and rewarding employees for their contributions. With features like employee profiles, achievement recognition, and peer-to-peer recognition programs, employees can feel valued and appreciated for their work. This can help foster a more positive work culture and improve employee morale.

4. Access to Learning and Development Resources

A employee intranet software can provide employees access to training and development programs, promoting career growth and development. This can include online courses, webinars, and other resources that employees can access at their own pace. By providing these opportunities, a modern intranet can help employees feel like they are continuously learning and growing in their careers, reducing frustration and dissatisfaction.

A  employee intranet software can help tackle the issues contributing to employee dissatisfaction by improving communication, collaboration, transparency, recognition, and access to learning and development resources. This can help organizations create a more positive and engaged workforce, improving productivity and success.

Read more: What is a Digital Workplace: A Complete Guide!

Choosing the Right Modern Intranet: Understanding the Differences and Key Features

A modern intranet is a digital workplace platform that provides centralized communication, collaboration, and access to information for an organization. It is designed to help employees stay connected, informed, and productive, regardless of location or device.

A traditional intranet, on the other hand, is often limited to simple file sharing and basic communication tools. It may not be designed for mobile use or include features like social collaboration, gamification, and personalized experiences.

When choosing a employee intranet software for your company, some key features to look for include:

1. Mobile-responsive design: The ability to access the intranet from any device, anywhere, at any time.
2. Collaboration tools: Features like instant messaging, team chat rooms, and document collaboration to help teams work together effectively.
3. Personalization: Employees can customize their intranet experience based on their roles, interests, and preferences.
4. Social features: The ability to share information, connect with colleagues and recognize and reward employee contributions.
5. Integrations: The ability to integrate with other tools and systems, such as HR systems, project management tools, and more.
6. Analytics and reporting: The ability to track usage and engagement, measure the impact of intranet initiatives, and make data-driven decisions.
7. User-friendly interface: A modern intranet should be easy to use and navigate, with a simple and intuitive design.

By considering these key features, you can ensure that you choose a modern intranet that meets your organization’s needs and supports a positive and productive work culture.

Conclusion

A modern intranet is a powerful tool for organizations to engage their workforce, drive collaboration, and improve operational efficiency. With the rise of remote work and the need for innovative solutions, upgrading your traditional intranet to a modern, collaborative platform that supports your employees and aligns with your organizational goals is essential.

InfinCE provides a comprehensive, modern intranet solution to support employee engagement, regardless of where they work. With features such as shareable dashboards, blogs, wikis, communication apps, and productivity tools, InfinCE is designed to transform employee communications across your organization. Whether your employees work together in-person or remotely, InfinCE ensures seamless communication, connection, and engagement, leading to better collaboration, productivity, and success for your organization.

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