“Can You Hear Me Now?” The Role of Technology in Business Communication

Consider for a second how much of the day you spend on your office computer. What about the business phone? How many emails, text messages or invoices does your business makes every day? The role of technology in business communication has never been more vital to nearly every aspect of a business than it is now.

Small businesses have the options that they never had before, and it's making managing a fledgling business that much easier. In order for a business to truly succeed in the 21st Century, it's completely necessary to utilize every possible application that office technology offers.Just a few years ago, cell phones were for calling people, exclusively. Calling a person when they were out at the grocery store was right in the wheelhouse for the brick phones of the late-1990's and early-2000's. But now it's 2014. Cell phones have been replaced by smartphones that have capabilities one could only dream of previously. Actually calling someone isn't even necessary anymore; text messages and emails can convey the same message, without the hassle of exchanging pleasantries (who has time for those anymore?).Advanced ProductivitySmartphones improve overall productivity because they offer a diverse set of skills that hadn't been available before. Business activities deemed impossible just a few years ago can now be done effortlessly without being near a computer, extending the workday and improving productivity exponentially. Innovations in technology have increased the efficiency and confidence of workers because they permit them to work more quickly, with even the smallest of devices capable of containing a voluminous amount of applications and data. For example, an employee in Surrey is easily capable of reaching a colleague in San Diego--without actually having to speak--instantly.Alternative MethodsFor all of the uses of the fax machine, nearly every transmission involved a crossing-of-fingers and a few “pleases” muttered under one's breath. Thankfully, image scanning has replaced the fax machine nearly completely, and employees everywhere are thankful for it. Aside from its reliability, a scanner easily provides workers with the ability to convert paperwork into digital files and back, which increases productivity and organization, as well as helps save money on storage, paper and toner.The transferral of data between far-flung locations so effortlessly is often downplayed because of the effort that it requires to do so: none. It still boggles the mind that technologies with such innovative features are available for a fraction of the price, in comparison to older technologies. A Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system can replace a corporation's entire telecommunications system while allowing the company to operate at a higher level than it had beforehand, and expanding communication opportunities monumentally.DisadvantagesWith a more capable, easy way to communicate comes setbacks never anticipated before. Speed of response has become essential, and changes the way most people interact. It's now assumed that an employee with a company-issued smartphone will respond to emails or text messages, even during their own free time. Life--both personal and professional--has become more distracting, and stress is seemingly ever present.With the continuous development of office technologies comes changed expectations. It's important to utilize the benefits of having such efficient technologies, but it's important to manage time so that employees aren't overworked and too stressed to attain a productive level of output.Author: Ivan Serrano is an enthusiastic writer who enjoys learning whatever he can about international communications, and hopes to manage his own global business someday. He also enjoys sharing his knowledge of technology and how it can improve business communications on an international level.