For the 80% of the workforce whose jobs take place out of the office, effective communication can be a real challenge and has a serious business impact. "When deskless workers don't have tools built for their environment, even simple tasks take longer, and issues emerge," warns Lee Essex, SVP Global Sales & Marketing at Tango Networks.
It's even more concerning that deskless workers are supported by just 1% of enterprise technology, according to Forbes. There may have been reasons for this imbalance in the past, but current operating realities make it an issue that companies cannot allow to continue. Companies must understand where workflows break down so they can build a unified experience that empowers every worker, regardless of location.
Why Field Work Still Feels Harder Than It Should
Deskless employees rely on mobile devices to stay connected. To use the company communication system they use in the office, they often need to install a UC app on their mobile phones, similar to how they may use a UC app on a computer. While functional in theory, this mobile extension introduces hurdles that impede productivity. As Essex explains:
"What works perfectly on a desktop can become unreliable on a mobile device."
These issues arise both from the app experience and the way communication is delivered. Audio quality suffers because UC app voice traffic is carried on the data network rather than more stable voice networks. This makes calls more prone to instability and interruptions in areas with heavy traffic or poor coverage.
Beyond connectivity issues, mobile apps can be cumbersome. Many are not optimized for phones and don’t use the native dialer, making them awkward to use and causing excessive battery drain.
When these issues compound across a workforce, they add up, making work days harder to plan and execute efficiently. By providing technology that is reliable and intuitive, companies can transform these interactions, letting employees carry out their jobs as smoothly and efficiently as in the office.
How Mobile-First Thinking Brings the Office to the Field
Current app-based solutions clearly aren't enough to bring the broader workforce into the communications fold. But by leveraging today’s eSIM technology to embed enterprise communication directly into mobiles, companies can eliminate the friction that holds field teams back. That's the idea behind Tango Extend.
Extend deploys an eSIM to create a UC communication endpoint directly in the mobile phone. So if the enterprise uses Microsoft Teams or Cisco Webex for UC, the mobile becomes a Teams or Webex extension, just like a traditional desk phone.
