Did you know that 80% to 90% of the US workforce says they would like to telework at least part time?
Some attribute this shift to the millennial generation and the advent of recent technologies, like remote desktops, while others attribute it to an overall shift in thinking. No matter the motivation, it is evident that as a society, we have revamped how we view the workday in terms of when and where we think it needs to occur.
To that end, consider for a moment sociologists and professors Phyllis Moen and Erin Kelly’s theory: the modern workplace has to adjust to suit the modern employee. To find support for their assertions, in 2005, Moen and Kelly embarked on a multi-year experiment where a company they were studying offered two different options to their technology employees- one group was given the freedom to choose when and where they work with the focus shifting from hours worked to projects completed. The other group worked per usual in the office, still focusing on hours worked.
At the end of the experiment, it was found that the group offered the more flexible schedule was happier and experienced less perceived stress. Even their children were reported to have had less stress as a result of their parents’ more flexible work environment.
Studies such as Moen and Kelly’s demonstrate that the current working population is seeking more work-life balance. And, luckily for them, the technologies and applications necessary to achieve this greater work-life balance have finally been developed and matured.
For example, advancements such as remote desktops, or Desktops as a Service (DaaS), have given corporations the tools they need to encourage happier and healthier employees by offering them much needed flexibility and access to company networks through these advanced tools. Additionally, what corporations are also finding is that in addition to having more content employees, they are experiencing an increase in efficiency, a decrease in overhead, and an improvement in security as well.
Recently, a Cirrity partner was able to secure 600 desktop DaaS components with medical coding and billing for one of their customers. Through the DaaS acquisition, the partner will be able to offer the same flexibility as other employers who have adopted remote desktops. Another important element of the Cirrity solution is the reduced risk of this customer being fined for HIPAA violations when a laptop is lost or stolen. All of the data accessed to perform the medical coding and billing is securely stored on servers in the US and none of it is on the physical devices used to access the system. This mitigates the risk of paying a HIPAA fine of $500 per lost patient record if one of those physical devices gets misplaced.
Utilizing Cirrity’s Cloud Try and Buy program, the partner offered the customer the opportunity to test the performance of Cirrity’s DaaS solution with international users in Europe and Asia. This pilot convinced the account that Cirrity’s solution provided comparable performance to physical desktops. Cirrity’s partner took advantage of a Cirrity promotion, the Cloud Transition Package, which eased the customer’s transition to cloud by giving them the first two months of a fourteen month contract at no charge. The combination of programs and incentives from Cirrity resulted in a win with an account that plans to grow to 1000 desktops before the end of the year. Since the initial install, Cirrity’s partner has upsold a variety of security tools and management services to fortify the security of the remote desktops.
Ultimately, by working with Cirrity and exploring these new technologies, Cirrity’s partner is now able to offer customers secure and compliant cutting edge DaaS technology while also encouraging happier, healthier, and more efficient employees.
According to GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com, 50% of the US workforce holds a job that is compatible with at least partial telework and approximately 20-25% of the workforce teleworks at some frequency; regular work-at-home, among the non-self-employed population, has grown by 103% since 2005 and by 6.5% in 2014, representing the largest year over year increase since before the recession.
Given the cited data, telecommuting and the use of DaaS will only increase. Don’t be one of the last to benefit from the cost savings and consider incorporating more telecommuting options at your place of business.
Want to learn more about how technology can improve your business culture and strategies? Click here to register for “The Future is In The Cloud: Cisco Cloud Opportunity and Cloud Partner Spotlight” a webinar featuring thought leadership from Cisco and Cirrity experts.
