(Photo : Annie Spratt on Unsplash)

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the trend of remote work and highlighted the need for technology that aids and complements a remote working lifestyle. From 2019 to 2023, as remote work becomes more common, various software and tools become available to facilitate remote work and enhance productivity, communication, collaboration, and work-life balance.

Tools to streamline workflow

Tools such as Asana, Trello, and Jira are also a great tool when it comes to scheduling meetings, tracking tasks, assigning responsibilities, setting deadlines, and monitoring progress in real time. 

Digital space management and the Cloud

Another popular tool is the cloud. When the cloud was first introduced, not many people were eager to jump on the bandwagon, but when the world went digital, Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive became a God-send. These tools allow those in your organization to share and access files from anywhere at all. 

Staying safe with VPNs 

VPN - while not a tool that was optimized for remote work - can also help create a secure connection between a remote worker's device and a corporate network. Also, with all the cloud databases that one will be accessing, it's definitely a tool that no remote worker should scrimp on, making VPN an important tool and it will undoubtedly undergo a facelift in the near future in order to make it geared towards the remote working industry. 

Communication is becoming increasingly effective 

Communicative and management tools such as Slack and Discord, or remote employee management and time-tracking software can help keep the remote workplace much more transparent, which will not only increase productivity, but it will also foster a sense of camaraderie, something that is hard to find in a remote workplace. Many of these software and platforms were launched during the pandemic itself, but some have been around since the heyday of freelancing platforms like Upwork, but it can still be improved to be less intrusive and more intuitive. 

One of the most essential technologies for remote work is video conferencing software such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet. These communication platforms allow remote workers to communicate with colleagues, clients, and stakeholders face-to-face from the comfort of their own homes. 

Even without a home office setup, many video conferencing software supports virtual backgrounds and it's become increasingly sophisticated. You could be on the loo and those on the other line would be none the wiser, though it's not recommended, but just an example of how virtual backgrounds can help your video look more presentable. Aside from that, you can also share your screen, record meetings, and schedule meetings. 

Tools and platforms have become intuitive and easily integrated

Many of these tools can be easily integrated with other applications such as calendars, email, and communication software, making it easier to manage work and collaborate remotely. As remote work becomes more and more commonplace, we should expect to see even more tools that can aid us in our quest to be more immersive - there are talks of AR/VR being made for remote work - and productive - who knows what else may be invented or introduced in the next few months? 

It will be interesting to see how far we can take remote work and if it will actually replace conventional work positions and make remote work the norm instead.