Working Smarter Online: 8 of the Best Remote Team Productivity Tools

As established companies continue to increase the number of employees allowed to telecommute to their jobs every week, they're faced with new productivity-related challenges that come from managing such a spread out workforce. Technologists have been hard at work addressing this problem, however, so human resources department staffers who don't mind implementing new software-based solutions may be able to assuage some of these concerns.

As far as productivity is concerned, though, the situation may actually be looking up. Some 40% of employees feel that they actually get more work done when they're at home, and a growing number of companies are transitioning to a fully remote work environment. Businesses that are experimenting with that kind of model are likely using more than a few of the following tools.

1. Outlook

Microsoft's venerable email platform gets overlooked as often as it's region-specific Outlook Lite distribution. That's unfortunate because it has a number of sophisticated features, such as automatic mail sorting, that make it perfect for remote workers who have to process huge numbers of messages on an hourly basis. Desktop versions of the email client, as well as those that run inside of a web browser, support a number of convenient keyboard shortcuts. Power users will also appreciate the fact that Outlook can import contact details from electronic business cards with just a single click. That makes connecting an entire team together easier than ever.

2. Cloud-Based Telephony Connections

Long distance charges can quickly start to pile up for any small business that has to stay in touch with clients all over the country. Wireless handsets can save money when it comes to calling outside of the immediate area code, but they're not secure enough for regular business use. Companies that switch to a cloud-based phone system can route their traffic through the Internet to take advantage of lower costs and may even be able to control landlines from a smartphone app even if they're in a physical location different from where a firm's private branch exchange is installed.

3. HyperAccess

In spite of the fact that HyperAccess comes with a wide variety of remote work tools that would be ideal for small-to-medium sized teams, it's the included terminal emulation package that usually takes center stage when talking about this software suite. Viewdata and Kermit support both come bundled in, which should prove attractive with those who plan on connecting to remote bulletin board systems to trade information with other members of their team.

4. Social Media Inbox Dashboard

The ability to manage all social media in one place is very powerful, especially for companies that have to work with multiple services simultaneously. A cross-platform social media inbox solution will aggregate material from every account a business is signed up for in a single place, which gives marketing and sales representatives the freedom to get an at-a-glance look at everything they've hosted on these services regardless of where they're logged in from. Groups can collaborate together and see changes to social content in real time, making it the perfect choice for larger online teams.

5. BusyBox

No other single executable packs as many functions into one file as BusyBox does. It combines multiple Linux commands into a multi-call binary that programmers and information technology department workers can use to share data over a network. A miniature FTP transfer client and a telnet console come compiled into BusyBox, which helps to further increase it's appeal for anyone who plans to do a lot of serious technical work from a remote location. Various ports have come out for other platforms, which make it possible for Windows and macOS users to install a version of it and share files with other members of their team.

6. Oxygen Operating System

This alternate Android-based mobile device system software package comes with a number of unique features that make it especially attractive to those who plan on dialing into their work from a tablet computer. Updates get installed over the air, so users won't have to worry about taking time away from their schedule to perform mundane maintenance tasks. Later versions include highly optimized driver code, which may even help to make the battery last longer when running intensive programs such as video chats with multiple other remote workers.

7. Infographic Template Editor

An instant infographic generator will take a series of statistics or other points of data and assemble them into an attractive poster-like image that can be shared with other members of a team. It's a great way to share information with staffers who might be spread over a large area. At-home sales representatives and social content developers can also use this kind of app to generate materials they might share with customers even if they can't meet face-to-face with a graphic designer.

8. The Secure Shell Protocol

While the OpenSSH login system might seem like a rather quaint tool that's often forgotten about in a world of flashy social media-based products, it's absolutely indispensable for technical professionals who work over a network. Assuming it's properly configured, ssh offers a relatively safe way to control servers and administer Unix systems online. Companies that have a remote IT department can create login accounts for each of their staffers who can then tackle all of their chores from wherever they are using the same commands they'd have access to from any other terminal program.

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed are the personal views of the author. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)