Study Confirms Commuting Hinders Small Business Productivity
The study, commissioned by 8x8 and conducted through Dynata, polled 500 United States knowledge workers at companies with 1-100 people and found they view video conferencing and collaboration as an important tool to increase remote productivity while minimizing traditional workplace headaches such as commuting.
8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT), a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of voice, video, chat, contact center, and enterprise-class API solutions powered by one global cloud communications platform, today announced the findings of its Video Collaboration Impact Study, exploring the attitudes of modern employees towards the impact of video conferencing on the workplace experience. The study, commissioned by 8x8 and conducted through Dynata, polled 500 United States knowledge workers at companies with 1-100 people and found they view video conferencing and collaboration as an important tool to increase remote productivity while minimizing traditional workplace headaches such as commuting.
As the lines between professional and personal lives blur, remote working has become the de facto solution for employees looking to take greater ownership of their productivity and to achieve work-life balance, on their terms. In-person meetings and commute times, however, continue to eat into overall productivity. 8x8’s research found that 58 percent of employees believe their company loses $10-25K annually because employees spend time traveling to meetings and commuting to and from work, and 23 percent believe their company loses more than $75K as a result. With nearly 30 percent of respondents citing that meetings require them to come into the office every day or at least multiple times a week, an effective remote solution can give that critical time back to employees, without losing valuable face-to-face interaction.
The survey also looked at the benefits of different video collaboration features. Sixty percent of respondents said they use video or screen sharing when hosting a virtual meeting. When asked what value video conferencing adds to meetings, 48 percent said it allowed them to work from anywhere and 20 percent said it improves their connection with colleagues. Others noted that video conferencing allowed them to hold participants more accountable during meetings than equivalent audio-only conferences.
“As meeting technology has evolved from mass dial-ins and clunky screen sharing functionality, effortless business-ready HD video collaboration has created a powerful link between teams, without requiring them to be tethered to a single office location,” said Dejan Deklich, Chief Product Officer at 8x8. “Meetings are a vital part of the workplace fabric, yet businesses need to be able to support employees who cannot afford to sit through extended commutes due to personal responsibilities or remote physical locations. As most small businesses typically operate on thin profit margins, being able to salvage even 1% of revenue by giving employees time back in their day without sacrificing productivity or human connection is critical.”
While video conferencing continues to grow in popularity among today’s employees, businesses are still falling short in delivering a seamless, intuitive meeting experience. In fact, when asked what they like least about virtual meetings, 38 percent of respondents cited issues with the connection or technology.
In order to deliver the exceptional virtual meetings experience modern employees crave, 8x8 is offering a free, standalone version of 8x8 Video Meetings, enabling teams to digitally meet in seconds and collaborate instantaneously without time restrictions. A recent article in online comparison resource GetVoiP states “8x8 Video Meetings is noteworthy because it’s completely free and is accessible through many browsers, and you don’t even have to sign up to use the service.”
8x8 Video Meetings also doesn’t require downloading of plugins or software applications. Optimized for Google Chrome, Firefox and other WebRTC-enabled browsers, 8x8 Video Meetings works from anywhere globally on any OS and device. To learn more visit here. To start using the 8x8 Video Meetings solution, please visit https://8x8.vc/.
Survey Methodology
This survey was commissioned by 8x8 and conducted through Dynata, polling 500 United States-based knowledge workers at organizations sized between 1-100 people. Dynata offers a global footprint, providing B2B and B2C insights across more than 45 countries. They offer a variety of sample sources, including panels, web intercept samples and specialty lists to meet project requirements. Through their “Total Research Quality” system, Dynata monitors the data through various quality checks to ensure consistent precision.
About 8x8, Inc.
8x8, Inc. (NYSE: EGHT) is transforming the future of business communications as a leading Software-as-a-Service provider of voice, video, chat, contact center and enterprise-class API solutions powered by one global cloud communications platform. 8x8 empowers workforces worldwide to connect individuals and teams so they can collaborate faster and work smarter. Real-time business analytics and intelligence provide businesses unique insights across all interactions and channels so they can delight end-customers and accelerate their business. For additional information, visit www.8x8.com, or follow 8x8 on LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.
8x8® and 8x8 X Series™ are trademarks of 8x8, Inc.
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