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.
Extend also offers a dual persona capability that enables employees to use that company line on their own personal phones, allowing them to switch between business and personal calls without needing two devices. Calls made through the business line use the phone’s native dialer and voice networks, improving quality and reliability, reducing battery drain, and simplifying the process.
“When calls are clear, reliable, and integrated into a single device, employees can work naturally, respond faster, and collaborate without friction,” Essex notes. “That’s the real impact of mobile-first thinking.”
With Tango Extend, employees can communicate in the field with the same experience as in the office, setting the stage for broader workforce collaboration strategies.
Closing the Deskless Tech Gap for Good
Deskless employees often handle complex communication and collaboration tasks, yet most enterprise tools are designed for office-based workflows. This not only slows work and frustrates employees but also frustrates the customers and partners they interact with, risking operational consistency and key business relationships.
With these challenges consistent across sectors, organizations that rethink how their communication and collaboration tools operate in the field can turn a systemic weakness into a competitive advantage. Solutions like Tango Extend demonstrate that mobile-first approaches can deliver the same clarity, reliability, and flexibility as in-office systems, letting employees work seamlessly across locations.
The opportunity is immediate: by equipping deskless workers with reliable, intuitive tools, organizations can reduce friction and maintain consistent performance. Organizations ready to close the 1% tech gap should evaluate mobile-first solutions like Tango Extend and align their tech deployment with field workflows to harness the efficiencies on offer.
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