Video calling and conferencing is the current mainstay of organizational communication across the world. In tandem, the amount of investment made in the sector – and the number of video conferencing applications launched to meet that need – are a clear indicator of how the Work From Home trend will never completely go away.
On the flip side, professionals are leaving metropolitan areas for their hometowns in unprecedented numbers. In a survey conducted by the Economic Times, the ever rising cost of living in the big city, as well as heavy pollution, are major factors behind why people are moving to Tier 2 and 3 cities – even when it costs them up to 40% of loss in income.
With a talent pool being spread across an ever-widening geographic radius, the need of the hour for organizations is to invest in their digital infrastructure. The change in the way we work is occurring rapidly – and organizations, big and small, need to roll with the punches.
What is Digital Infrastructure, and why do companies need it?
Digital Infrastructure comprises all internet-based software and services that allow a company to conduct its operations virtually. According to Forbes, 66% of professionals are already experienced with working in virtual teams, making it even more worthwhile to invest in such technologies. Enabling virtual teams is not dissimilar to setting up co-located teams – with the key to both being communication.
According to management theory, every team goes through four steps – forming, norming, storming and dissolving. There is a special emphasis on the personality of each team member, and how they mix together towards the group’s outcome. The more time they share together, the likelier they are to bond. Empathy, the glue of all human relations, is what helps a team find its rhythm.
Currently, most corporate teams are operating through video conferencing applications. Even though these apps are the mainstay of communication, video calling and conferencing suffers far too many drawbacks. However, these applications pose significant barriers to smooth communication, leading to a steady loss of interest amongst team members. At best, they provide an interim solution for virtual teams – with plenty of room for improvement.
The next big upgrade – Immersive VR App
To recreate the shared experience of working in an office, Immersive Virtual Reality (IVR) has made possible the alternative of 3D video calling and conferencing. With Google I/O’s Project Starline making headlines worldwide, the interest in adopting this technology has been renewed. Where video conferencing applications can make it difficult to sustain a sense of connection with other users, IVR-enabled conferencing makes up for the lost spatial stimulus and humanizes the process of remote working.
At NextMeet, we have been operating on a similar principle to create a virtual conferencing environment that responds to each user groups’ specific needs. Replicating the way people communicate in a boardroom, a seminar hall, or an expo space, we have created a platform that makes it possible to enjoy the benefits of physical networking without having to step out of your living room.
This is what 3D virtual meetings make possible – closing the distance between two users beyond pure utility. For remote working to be a sustainable option, human connection is essential – as evidenced by many of the world’s tech giants working tirelessly to create IVR products.
With teams further apart from each other than ever before, being able to interact daily in a shared space is crucial to generating empathy amongst members. The most effective solution to this problem is to create that space in virtual reality, where teams can cultivate their sense of belonging – to their common cause, and to each other. As they say, seeing is believing.
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