No, you’re not a robot. But in today’s fast-paced world, your business has to almost operate like one to keep up with the competition — especially in the area of communication.
Communication remains of the most critical elements of modern business. It’s imperative that you stay connected with remote employees, customers and partners 24/7.
If you don’t take your communication seriously in 2019, your bottom line will suffer for it. In fact, research shows that companies lose an average of more than $62 million a year due to poor communication.
So, how can you improve your communication and thus your growth rate this year? Here’s a rundown on the business communication trends to watch out for in the months ahead.
Communication Trends Include the Growth of Internet of Things
Internet of Things, or IoT, is a concept that has mostly been applied to the logistics and industrial industries in past years. However, it is now entering the business communications sphere.
Various wireless connection options are available today — for example, Bluetooth, Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access, and General Packet Radio Service.
And with these connections, the users of mobile devices can stay connected in any location across the globe where a Global System for Mobile Communications network is available.
What’s great about IoT for your business is that it can help you as a business owner to understand how your company processes are being implemented.
Specifically, M2M technology enables your organization’s electronic devices to stay connected and thus can help you to collect important business data regularly.
4K
Years ago, 4K video calls were available only in very costly video conferencing systems. But now, 4K resolution — which provides images of eight million pixels at least — is becoming increasingly available for businesses.
For instance, Dell and LG have created devices with these capabilities that are relatively affordable for businesses, costing hundreds of dollars. This technological feature may quickly become an important component of a self-completed telepresence system down the road, offering much higher-quality distance talks.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
The iPhone’s Siri — an AI-based assistant — is well known today. Users love how she responds to their voice requests by searching her browser and implementing processes. Expect to see more of this in 2019 — but on a business level.
Today, the information technology sector is witnessing many thriving mobile applications that are based on virtual neural networks and machine learning. And as a business owner, you can use these apps for remote communication purposes, for example.
When you use such software, you essentially acquire a virtual assistant. This assistant is capable of taking over some of your real employees’ duties. And this will save you both time and money in the long run.
An example of this technology is Chanty. This is an AI-based messenger who has an unlimited message history coupled with advanced search capabilities.
Chanty can help you to increase your team’s productivity. It also has a low threshold of entry. This is great if you’ve got employees who aren’t very technologically literate.
5G
This is the fifth generation of today’s mobile communication, and it can provide a rate of data transfer of 100 Mbits per second in cities.
This technology allows the users of mobile devices to interact with one another via video communication. And the best part is that they can enjoy high resolution while doing it.
This standard offers powerful benefits for businesses. For instance, it can help with integrating various video communication applications that support the simultaneous exchange of content in everyday life.
The downside of such software is that carries hefty loads on a network’s bandwidth. This can slow down performance when multiple users are involved.
This is part of the reason that 5G hasn’t gained mass use yet.
However, 5G is slated to be commercialized in 2020. It will no doubt transform video communications for companies at that time.
LiFi
Also known as visible light communication, this technology is expected to increase in popularity in the near future. That means it will replace the well-known WIFI used today.
LiFi uses light-emitting diodes that produce bidirectional channels through which data can be transmitted. These channels serve as access points.
The light that these diodes emit isn’t visible to your eye and doesn’t penetrate walls. As a result, the radius of their action is relatively small.
However, LiFi uses light rays rather than radio waves. Therefore, you’ll be able to use it in medical centers and airplanes.
You can even use it underwater, although only at depths that are shallow.
Another perk of LiFi is that light-emitting diodes don’t use as much energy as their conventional incandescent lamp counterparts. So LiFi is an excellent option if being a green business is important to you.
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Internet Protocol phones today are increasingly being integrated with users’ mobile devices.
As a result, users’ smartphones automatically receive the phonebook, as well as corporate email and calls.
This is a huge advantage for businesses, particularly if you have branches in various time zones.
If your VoIP services support BYOD equipment, you can have more people work remotely. As a result, you can rent fewer office spaces, as you can support users’ personal devices.
The question you face with VoIP, though, is whether you should go with hosted VoIP or on-premise VoIP. You can compare the two to find out which is best for your business.
How We Can Help
In addition to highlighting the top business communication trends in 2019, we offer a wide range of other information technology–related tips and advice for businesses.
For example, we show you the top qualities to watch for in managed information technology service providers. You can also find out how to protect your business against cyber attacks.
Take a peek here to find out more about how you can grow your business from a technological and communications standpoint in 2019 and beyond.
