Discover 130+ Remote Collaboration Tools to Fit Your Business Needs

It’s not easy sifting through all the remote collaboration options for your organization. Experts agree that no single feature can solve all remote work issues. Instead, the choice depends on your budget and culture, as well as the unique factors your company faces. 

Bryant Galindo is the Founder of CollabsHQ and has worked with large-scale organizations and startups in conflict resolution, online training, and leadership development. He stresses that finding the perfect tool might require trial and error, and you might have to try multiple options. “Just as you had to learn how someone works in real life, finding the right piece of software that works best for your team and its intended goals is a process of experimentation,” he says.

Sergey Konoplich, COO of Smart IT, echoes this sentiment. His take on the best approach to picking a collaboration tool: “Trial and error, unless you know what you are looking for and have a clear picture of what that tool can do.” 

That said, there are some features that any top collaboration tool should support.

Layne Levine is the President of Windstream Enterprise, an award-winning enterprise communication solution. When looking for a tool, he says, “conference capabilities are essential, but don’t limit this to audio conferencing. HD videoconferencing can improve productivity and enhance collaboration versus standard conference calls.”

Additionally, Levine suggests prioritizing the following features and capabilities:

• Host large-scale meetings (think about your largest meetings, such as, all-hands and new hire trainings)
• Record meetings
• Screen-sharing and chat
• Easy connectivity (avoid long meeting ID codes, etc.)
• Cloud-based software (if you use a cloud-based network)

Additionally, he says, “Don’t forget about security. With everyone working remotely, there will be new challenges to protecting your company’s data. Firewalls can ensure that no one can access your company’s network [except for] authorized employees. And if you’re planning to take orders online, you need PCI compliance to protect credit card numbers.” 

Finally, Levine recommends looking for a network provider with 24/7 support. “Having everyone working remotely means a whole new set of challenges. Don’t go with a budget provider that offers limited service: You want 24/7, always-on service from a reputable, stable network provider.”

Regardless of your chosen features, budget, culture, and needs, experts agree that for large-scale (especially company-wide) remote work, tools are essential — not only for your employees, but to retain relationships with clients and potential customers.

“Tools are mission critical,” says Konoplich of Smart IT. “If we didn’t use [collaboration tools], we would lose a vital tether between teams and clients. It [is] vital that we use a tool that helps …  provide as much transparency to clients as possible.”

For a deep dive and best practices on remote collaboration, read “How to Effectively Build Remote Team Collaboration.” To find more information about the keys to effectively managing remote teams, read this article.