You also need to create rotas of who needs to be in the office and when, taking into account that – every now and then – it’s good to have everyone in the same team in the same room at the same time.
And then, perhaps most importantly, you need to equip your hybrid workforce with the tools and applications they need to work effectively, whether they’re at home, in the office, or somewhere in-between.
Don’t forget mobile
That might include telephony, communications and collaboration solutions. You need to make sure your teams have good, updated laptops, and – of course – good internet access.
How you provide internet access to remote employees is a matter for debate. Some businesses will let employees rely on their domestic broadband lines, while others will invest in dedicated ‘home worker’ internet packages.
But in all this you shouldn’t forget mobile data. It can be used with phones and tablets (and laptops can be tethered to phone hotspots) and can provide an excellent option for businesses that want to provide hybrid workers with cost-effective and business-grade internet access. It can be a stable, reliable back-up for home workers relying on what can be stretched and underpowered home WiFi.
A business-grade solution
Mobile data certainly isn’t a second grade option. Mobile data speeds are available up to 200Mbps, much faster than the average Fibre to the Cabinet (FTTC) connection.
And, while it’s true that mobile data isn’t always as stable as a fixed line equivalent, it can be if you use the right technology. For example, an M2M (Machine to Machine) SIM, or an E-SIM that connects to multiple networks, will both create data streams as robust as fixed line broadband. In addition, the use of SD-internet (Software Defined Internet) allows mobile data connections to be calibrated more precisely, enhancing performance beyond what is traditionally available from 4G. A specialist provider like Everything Voice can perform this calibration for your business.
Mobile is an excellent option for situations when fixed line solutions aren’t available (not everyone has broadband – and certainly not dedicated business broadband), or when domestic connections are shared with several members of a household.
Or to put it another way, home workers might have to fight for bandwidth with online gamers and Netflix streamers, undermining productivity. Mobile can be a good option for hybrid employees whose standard domestic broadband is already stretched to the limit.
And many hybrid workers might want to use their own devices (known as BYOD), which creates a potential saving for your business. But they won’t want to pay for work calls and data use on their personal bill. A dedicated work SIM ensures that business and personal use are always separate.
The risk of escalating data costs
It’s clear then that mobile data can have an important role to play in your transition to permanent remote or hybrid work.
But data use does come with a caveat attached. If usage isn’t carefully monitored and controlled, costs can become prohibitive. It can be difficult to know who’s using what, and it’s not uncommon for businesses to be unaware of overage charges, right up to the point when they receive a nasty bill.
One answer is to put a strict limit on the amount of data available. When users reach their monthly limit, connections drop out. In that way, you’ll always know exactly how much your data bill will come to at the end of each month, and never suffer any nasty surprises.
At the same time, strict data limits can be a nightmare for business. Imagine a remote team working on a report together, only for the team leader to drop out after reaching their data limit and lose access to a shared document just before deadline.
With strict data use limits, there is the continual risk that, at some point every month, several of your more data-hungry users will simply drop off the system, and be forced to find alternative connectivity solutions which may be significantly slower or less secure.
The case for pooled data
Alternatively, you could buy more data than you need, so you always have some spare capacity if required. But few businesses will be happy to spend more money than is strictly necessary, especially in the current climate.
Happily, there is a solution that doesn’t involve paying too much or achieving too little. Pooled data is simply the practice of having one pool of data shared across multiple devices. That means that when an employee’s smartphone is connected to the internet, it’s drawing from a shared company data pool rather than a personal account.
How does pooled data help you meet your data challenges? Well, each month you’ll have heavier and lighter users of data. Unused data from lighter users can be taken up by those with more data hungry requirements.
The result is that the business still pays one predictable monthly data charge, but it’s also much less likely that users will run out of data.
That’s the general principle, but within that there are different types of pooled data for different business use cases.
Different flavours of pooled data
There are three main kinds of pooled data.
Fixed Pools
If you know how much data you are using each month, you can order a Fixed Pool and select your monthly data allowance from 25GB to 10TB. In our Mobile Manager platform you can control your pool and SIMs assigned to it. Total usage for SIMs in the pool will be calculated against the pool capacity, and overages will be clearly visible.
Aggregated Pools
If you don’t know how much data you need each month as your SIM estate is not static, you can order an Aggregated Pool. Aggregated Pools are available for EE, EE Fixed IP, Multi-network, and Vodafone Fixed IP SIMs. You need a separate pool for each carrier network. Aggregated Pool sizes change every time a data SIM is added or removed. If you assigned five 10GB SIMs, your Aggregated Pool size is 50GB. You cannot use bolt-ons in Aggregated Pools.
Buffer Pools
Buffer Pools are available for EE, EE Fixed IP, Multi-network, O2, Vodafone and Vodafone Fixed IP SIMs. You need a separate Buffer Pool for each carrier network. Buffer Pools operate at an account level and can reduce data overage charges significantly.
Why Everything Voice?
If you’re transitioning to remote or hybrid work and using mobile data to help you do it, pooled data is certainly something you need to know about. It can save your business money while safeguarding the productivity of your remote workforce.
If you don’t know which pooled data type is right for you – perhaps you have more complex needs – talk to Everything Voice. We’ll be happy to talk you through the options available to your business and calculate the best pooled data solution for your budget.
You’ll be in safe hands. We’re experts in communications and connectivity solutions with decades of combined experience. We’ll design a mobile solution that equips your hybrid employees to work effectively and efficiently, wherever they happen to be.
Contact Everything Voice
For more information on future-proofing your business communications, please contact Everything Voice. We would be happy to help. Simply book a call, fill in an enquiry form, or chat with us now online.