A few years back, when the world was plunging into the darkness of COVID-19, businesses created new working norms, such as hybrid and remote working to consistently grow while ignoring the pandemic induced challenges. However, while COVID-19 may have gone on hibernation, remote work continues to be a prominent working model for many businesses today. One of the significant growth drivers behind the consistency in remote working, even after the pandemic, is the rise of advanced remote work software that could meet remote working needs and requirements without much hassle.
Unlike the earlier versions, the new generation remote worker management software systems come equipped with the advanced functionalities and technologies to streamline critical remote working tasks. It can help businesses easily navigate the remote work challenges associated with task assigning, time tracking, employee monitoring, working efficiency, communication, etc. This is beneficial for both businesses as well as remote working in saving costs, improving performance and ensuring a better work-life balance for all involved stakeholders.
However, the challenge lies in finding a reliable remote work software that can fulfill the remote support, and remote monitoring & management (RMM), and remote desktop needs. So, to help businesses in such a scenario, GoodFirms has come up with this cost and feature guide to the top remote work software that sheds light on a few critical aspects of remote work software, including prices, features, supported devices, etc.
This blog also addresses a few common queries like;
- Which technologies do the top remote work software support?
- Are the remote work support cloud/self-hosted?
- How scalable are the remote work solutions?
- Do the remote support tools support customization?
- Is there any free trial version of the remote work software?
You will get the answers to many more relevant questions through this blog.
What is a Remote Work Software?
A remote work software is a set of tools or functions that help remote employees, teams and businesses manage communication, collaboration, task management, productivity and various other components of remote working in an efficient manner. Reports indicate that 87% of American workers prefer flexible/remote working in comparison to working from the office. Clearly, the demand for remote work software is only going to increase and become a standalone choice for businesses looking to explore opportunities in remote working.
History and Evolution of Remote Work Software Systems
With the continuous developments in modern technologies, remote work software systems are evolving and have come a long way from mere basic file sharing and messaging features to an era of AI, AR/VR and automation features.
The first generation of remote work systems dates back to 1970 when Jack Nilles, a NASA engineer, set up a remote working lab with telephones, fax, modems, etc. He invented the word “telecommuting” in 1973 and, hence, is regarded as the father of modern remote working.
However, soon, the telephones and fax machines were replaced by digital devices such as computers, internet, WIFI, etc., resulting in the development of new features. The basic functionalities evolved to advanced cloud computing, video conferencing, project management, task management, employee monitoring and time management features, bringing a whole new level of productivity and performance for the remote employees.
Who Can Use a Remote Work Tool?
Anyone who works from home or away from the office, can use remote work software to efficiently perform the assigned roles and responsibilities. Some of the professions that can use the remote work tools are as follows;
- Accountant
- Executive assistant
- Customer service representative
- Financial analyst
- Recruiter
- Project manager
- Technical writer
- Product marketing manager
- Customer success manager
- Graphic designer
- Developers
Benefits of Remote Work Software
Enhanced Work Life Balance
“In the world of remote work, the key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule, but to schedule your priorities.”
-Stephen Covey
In a 2023 survey of US workers, nearly 71% say they can better manage their work and personal life in remote working. When using remote workforce management solutions, remote employees can better structure their schedules and work, which is beneficial in creating a flexible lifestyle. They can conveniently balance their professional and personal life while delivering their work on time with desired output. This also helps them efficiently manage their family needs along with office work that positively contributes to their well-being and a healthy work-life balance.
Better Communication
Best tools for remote work offer easy to use chat features to ensure real time communication between remote workers and in-house teams. Live chat, video conferencing, instant messaging, calls, etc., are some features that help businesses ensure streamlined communication. In addition, the work from home software also supports integration with other commonly used communication tools, social media platforms, email and various other platforms to synchronize communication and interaction in real-time. Zoom is one name that rose in popularity in the remote working space for video conferencing during the pandemic time of 2020.
High Retention Rate
Remote working management software brings flexibility to the work of employees working from home. These tools come with robust collaboration, communication and task management capabilities through which employees can easily perform their work with utmost efficiency and performance. Such workers are more likely to stay with their organizations as working with the company contributes to their better life and career stability. This often leads to higher satisfaction, job loyalty, work efficiency and customer experience.
Better Cost Saving
Remote work software comes with the features of chat, scheduling, file sharing, remote desktop access and many more tools, eliminating the need to maintain separate software for these functions. This hugely contributes to reduced operational costs. Overhead costs associated with physical office space, rent, utilities, relocation, traveling, office equipment, etc., can also be saved and can be used for more productive purposes. In addition, working remotely from anywhere helps employees save commuting costs, vehicle maintenance costs, etc., allowing them to financially secure their future.
Improved Productivity
“People are more productive working at home than people would have expected. Some people thought that everything was just going to fall apart, and it hasn’t. And a lot of people are actually saying that they’re more productive now.”
- Mark Zuckerberg, CEO, Facebook
A well developed remote work solution comes with the capability of productivity software that reduces employee burnout and improves work life balance. Such tools offer features for team collaboration, document management, project planning, project scheduling, task management, etc., that are specifically designed to enhance remote worker’s productivity. In addition, deploying such software also helps eliminate office commuting for employees, saving both stress and time. According to the National Bureau of Economic Research, remote workers save around 72 minutes per day which can be used for productivity gains.
Robust Data Security
Remote work management software also ensures data safety and security by integrating robust security measures, secure cloud storage, encrypted communication channels, etc. Not only this, but these tools also offer SSL and 256-bit AES encryption, two-factor authentication, firewall, compliance reporting, HIPAA compliance, SOC-2 Type II compliance, single sign-on, access control, etc., to prevent unauthorized access and ensure data security in remote working.
Proper Tracking
Another benefit of using remote worker management software is proper tracking of employees activities, work time, executed tasks, ongoing tasks, etc., in real-time. It comes with employee monitoring, screen sharing, time tracking and many more tracking capabilities to ensure accountability and transparency.
Automation
Automation capabilities are very crucial in remote desktop software to automate monotonous tasks that, in return, can positively influence employee productivity. Typically, tasks associated with meeting scheduling, payroll, invoicing, compliance reporting, file backup, inbox management, data collection, content sharing, reporting, time tracking, etc., can be easily automated through remote work tools. AI, ML, deep learning, natural language processing, etc., are commonly used in the best tools for remote work aimed at automating remote work tasks.
Apart from these, remote work software has many more benefits that can be availed upon selecting the best. But, businesses should carefully select it based on feature comparison, cost comparison and various other considerations to ensure it has proper capabilities.
Top Features of Remote Work Software
The top features in a remote desktop software are as follows;
- Task management
- Dashboard
- Automation
- Remote access
- Customizations
- Employee monitoring
- File sharing
- Screen sharing
- Time tracking
- Team communication/collaboration
- Reporting/analytics
- Live chat
- Audio-video conferencing
- Workload management
- Integrations
List of the Top Remote Work Software
Zoho Assist
Zoho Assist is one of the best simple, secure and web-based remote work solutions with robust employee monitoring, GPS tracking and time tracking functionalities. It is widely used by SMBs and enterprises for file transfer, document sharing, instant chat, task management, screen sharing, reporting and analytics, remote monitoring & management, etc., to ensure remote teams can efficiently execute their work. Remote support teams also use this tool because of its remote support, unattended remote access, session scheduling, and multi-monitor navigation capabilities. Security features of Zoho Assist include action log viewer, two factor authentication, inactive session timeout, 256-bit AES encryption, firewall configuration, etc. It also comes equipped with an AI-powered assistant, easy customizations, a mobile app and a huge number of third-party and Zoho integrations to ensure efficiency and performance.
Asana
Asana is a feature rich software solution for remote workers that comes with Asana Work Graph Model, AI and automation capabilities meant for intelligent scalability. The software offers automated status updates, time tracking, task management, advanced reporting dashboards, time tracking, customizations, workflow builder and many more features to help remote workers ease and manage work. The AI-based Asana Intelligence is another great function of this tool that can be used to create smart status, smart answers, smart reporting, smart workflows, smart editor and smart onboarding. The tool also supports integration with more than 300 third party integrations to ensure readily available data access when needed.
Google Workspace
When it comes to globally popular collaboration tools for remote teams, Google Workspace is a top notch name with robust work management capabilities. It offers professional access to premium Google applications such as Google Docs, Google Meet, Google Spreadsheets, Gmail, Google Drive, Google Calendar, etc. It is widely used by remote workers in marketing, sales and HR for document editing and sharing, communication, task scheduling, conferencing, analytics, enhanced security controls, screen sharing, spreadsheet editing and sharing, email management, etc. Google Workspace also comes with Gemini Addon, an AI-powered assistant to boost productivity. Integrations and plugins are also available for several applications of Google Workspace.
Trello
Trello is a simple-to-use AI-based remote work productivity software with workspace-level templates, 2-factor authentication and mobile app support. It is powered by advanced no-code automation capabilities and Atlassian intelligence to automate remote routine tasks easily. It makes remote work tracking and management very easy owing to the features such as dashboards, advanced checklists, boards, cards, custom fields, hybrid views, project management, etc. Remote workers from marketing, design, product management, engineering, etc., use this tool to remotely organize team resources, track projects and schedule meetings, allowing them to stay productive, connected and aligned.
Hubstaff
Hubstaff is another leading remote work software that can help streamline remote tasks with centralized data reporting and dashboard capabilities. It offers intuitive time tracking, workforce management, employee monitoring, payroll tracking, invoicing, employee scheduling, GPS tracking, overtime tracker, etc., features for easy coordination between remote workers and organizations. The tool even provides payment automation, customizations, report scheduling, productivity tracking, etc., to ensure that employees can reach peak productivity when working remotely.
ActivTrak
One more feature-rich tool in the list of top remote workforce management software is ActivTrak which offers robust visibility into the working and activities of remote workers. Business organizations of all sizes use this tool to manage performance, view screens, track availability, compare productivity, view time utilization, uncover offsite compliance issues, etc., of the remote employees. It is popular among remote teams owing to features such as customizable dashboards, location insights, impact analysis, real-time activity reports, website blocking, remote install, workload management, employee engagement, activity logs, data privacy controls and many more functions.
WorkStatus
WorkStatus is one of the best collaboration tools for remote teams designed to boost their productivity and efficiency using its integrated time tracking and workforce management solutions. Businesses including information technology companies, digital agencies, staffing & recruiting, BPO and contact center use this tool to manage remote worker’s tasks such as time tracking, shift scheduling, activity monitoring, productivity monitoring, attendance management and team management features. Other popular features of the WorkStatus include productivity reports, usage insights, location analytics, impact analysis, workload management, benchmarking, overtime tracker, compliance reporting, etc., that can also be used to strengthen decision making processes.
Feature Comparison of the Top Remote Work Software
Cost Comparison of the Top Remote Work Software
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Tips to Choose the Best Enterprise Remote Work Software
Mastering remote working is easy with a reliable remote workforce management software system. You could consider the following tips while shortlisting the best remote work software;
Features: The must-have functionalities in a work from home software include communication, real-time insights, customizations, data security, task management, tracking and monitoring, etc. So, confirm with the vendor regarding the same in order to avoid any issues later.
Post-deployment Support: Clarify with the chosen remote work tool vendor about the post-deployment support. Check whether there are additional charges for post-deployment support or if it is free with installation. Also, inquire about future updates, bug tracking, and other on-going support.
Scalability and Flexibility Check: This is a major consideration that determines how well the software can perform at times of enormous load or high-scale business growth. Ask the vendor about the software limits and what can be done for enhancing the performance and overall scalability scope.
Pricing: One should also check whether the pricing meets industrial standards. It is advisable to check whether the pricing model is one-time, recurring, monthly or annual. Also, check for the services included in the pricing package, such as support, updates, etc.
Customizations and Integrations: This is another critical consideration to ensure remote work software can easily work with the existing business functions. Businesses should confirm about the available customizations and integration options for branding, marketing, accounting, ERP, CRM, etc. This helps connect the existing business systems and tools with remote work software for real-time insights.
Besides these tips, one should also focus on factors like compliance, technological stack, client portfolio, training, etc., to ensure the best remote work management software selection.
What Are the Top Future Trends In Remote Work Software?
Immersive Collaboration
Technologies such as augmented reality, virtual reality, mixed reality, hologram, Metaverse, etc. would be expected to revolutionize the way remote workers collaborate and communicate with their company and clients. Features such as hologram Zoom meetings, desk holograms, VR meetings, etc. can become reality which can also improve the collaboration within remote teams and offices.
Artificial Intelligence
At present, AI is used in remote work systems for data analysis, real time reporting, smart onboarding, suggestions, BI reports, content creation, language translation, search, etc., to transform the user experience of remote users. In the near future, the use of AI is expected to become large-scale in security monitoring, unusual activity detection, communication pattern analysis, personalizing training and development sessions, customer support, assigning work, strategic automation, etc.
Hybrid Working Models
The global Hybrid Workplace Market is likely to reach USD 21.1 Billion by 2032. This rapid growth in the near future means hybrid working is here to stay, means new advancements in the remote work systems for smart workforce management, enhanced collaboration and better employee well being to properly assist employees with hybrid remote working models.
Conclusion
“Now that companies have built the framework – and experienced the cost and time savings associated with it – there's no real reason to turn back.”
-Mark Lobosco, VP of Talent Solutions, LinkedIn
Remote working culture whether full time or hybrid is here to stay. Remote working software are bringing new flexibility to the business roles, attracting more workers than ever before. And this cost and feature comparison guide could help you select the right software for your remote working model.
