One of the great lessons left by the COVID-19 pandemic is that companies must implement technologies that allow them both to stay at the forefront and to survive the new reality, in which they must also consider aspects such as teleworking.
In this sense, a recent study commissioned by Microsoft Mexico, revealed that 8 out of 10 Mexican SMEs made a change in their business due to the impact of the health crisis and that, as part of these changes, the adoption of technology plays a central role. .
In this regard, the pandemic has forced many companies to adopt teleworking, which is not new, although it is considered that it is here to stay, and even that this new work modality represents the future for many businesses, regardless of their size.
In Mexico, the reform to Article 311 of the Federal Labor Law on teleworking, entered into force in January of this year, and includes the obligations that both employers and employees must comply with; which has also served to drive digital transformation.
According to the regulations, among the elements that companies must consider when implementing teleworking are the provision of information and communication technologies; the installation and maintenance of the equipment; information security mechanisms; digital training and the right to disconnect.
For their part, among the main technological changes that SMEs have implemented in the face of the pandemic, remote work (49%) -especially among small and medium-sized companies-, the reinvention of the business objective (42%), the adoption of technologies stand out. (28%) and digital marketing strategies (26%).
Regarding the measures that have made it easier for SMEs to adopt teleworking are software for video calls (70%), portable computer equipment (56%) and training for employees in technologies (43%).
In this sense, the announcement of Microsoft Corp., made on December 1, regarding the general availability of Teams Essentials, considered the first standalone Microsoft Teams offering designed specifically for small businesses.
Teams Essentials represents a professional and accessible meeting solution that promotes collaboration, connection and productivity in a hybrid work environment, which also has the most competitive price in the market, with a single monthly cost of $ 71 pesos per person.
According to Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of Modern Work at Microsoft, “Teams Essentials is specifically designed to meet the unique needs of small businesses and help them thrive in this new era of work.”
As for the functions to organize professional meetings in one place that Teams Essentials offers, you will find:
- Unlimited group meetings of up to 30 hours.
- Meetings with up to 300 people.
- 10GB of cloud storage per user.
The future of telecommuting
Currently, the majority of small and medium-sized companies remain with telework full time or under a mixed scheme that consists of going to the office for a few days, or some positions or positions in the company; In addition, 44% of the companies still have 100% of their workers remotely.
Looking to the future, SMEs consider having a progress of between 50 and 70% in their digital transformation, and 27% affirm that technology is an essential part of their offer and they use it on a daily basis.
In this sense, 77% of companies declared that they will continue with the acquisition and implementation of new technologies after the pandemic (such as Big Data, AI and Cybersecurity), and 61% of SMEs will prioritize the purchase or change of portable computing equipment medium term; while 40% will invest in data storage and cloud computing, as part of a more comprehensive digital transformation.
In addition to Teams Essentials, and with the aim of recognizing the effort and resilience that SMEs have had during the pandemic, Microsoft developed a program that seeks to address the digitization needs of small and medium-sized companies, and contribute to their economic development that allow them to integrate into the new technological era.
The Digital PyMEs program provides a completely free and no-obligation diagnosis to have guidance on the state of technology of your business; a catalog of technological solutions; financing for the acquisition of technology; digital training to acquire new skills; and digital entrepreneurship for the development of digital native companies.
To learn more about this program, visit: www.aka.ms/pymesdigitales
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Reference-www.eleconomista.com.mx