According to analyst firm Gartner, green IT and unified communications are the top two strategic technologies for 2008. With the possibility of new regulations and demand for greater efficiency and connectivity, more enterprises raced to be environmentally conscious and cost-effective in 2007, driving these technologies to the forefront of the IT industry. One of the often-overlooked yet easiest ways businesses can capture green benefits in 2008 and beyond: go mobile.
Wireless technology and mobile communications services are already pervading the conventional workplace. With the advent of devices like BlackBerry employees are no longer chained to their desks and are free to work from virtually anywhere. By extending the identity and functionality of the traditional business PBX to other voice endpoints including cell and VoIP phones, employers can now provide staff with enterprise data and voice regardless of location.
With rising energy costs, companies wanting to reduce their carbon footprint have looked to mobility technologies. By allowing a percentage of the workforce to telecommute or hot swap desks with other employees, the organization can reduce infrastructure costs and decrease energy use. However, streamlining and unifying communications systems so that mobile workers can more effectively work from home is an important step. While most enterprises have already figured out how to manage mobile data and email with laptops and BlackBerries, they are now starting to include voice mobility so employees can make and receive phone calls and appear they are at their desks.
Extending the PBX to mobile devices, VoIP and other phones and PCs allows employees to leverage a mobile deskphone extension that allows them to work from anywhere and better time-share office space. They type in a code on a deskphone to take it over as their extension for the day, plug in their laptop and are ready to go. Enterprises can implement telecommuting schedules to reduce company space and infrastructure requirements, decrease energy use and air pollution, minimize travel costs, and lessen expenses for lighting and cooling when offices are unoccupied.
Organizations developing green strategies can also achieve benefits for employees. As business and personal lines of communication continue to evolve, mobility and flexibility in the workplace allow staff to balance the challenges in their lives. Happier employees are less likely to call in sick for reasons such as family issues and personal needs. Retention rates and overall company morale are also higher for telecommuters, bringing high productivity.
With enterprises actively reducing their carbon footprints, the demand for a mobile workforce will only continue to increase. Unified mobility and voice solutions not only enable energy savings but also positively impact the environment.
Reach the author at hhowland@ascendentsystems.com.
© 2008 Telecom Reseller. All Rights Reserved.