"We shape our tools and, thereafter, our tools shape us." - John Culkin (1967).

It's one of the best descriptions of modern technology's impact on its users and dates back 50 years.

Changing workplace dynamics.

Reflecting on 2020, we saw the rapid mass adoption of remote work technology across organizations, which quickly shaped us and how we now work. What hasn't changed is that businesses still rely on many different tools to get work done. According to Deloitte's Working during lockdown survey, 75 percent of office workers have used at least two new technology types for work. But employees can't do their best work when their focus is scattered across several different apps, 22 separate chatroom conversations, and a to-do list that never becomes a “done” list.

So, working from home and the associated pressures on productivity have only emphasized the need for fewer tools that do more. Instead of learning another tool, what if workers had all their communication tools intelligently brought together in one place? They could chat instantly with co-workers, make high-quality phone calls, and securely join video meetings or share content, and much more. And suppose they could do that using any modern browser on any desktop, laptop, smartphone, or tablet. The implications are enormous - workers get a common browser-based communications experience that’s intuitive, while over-stretched IT pros get a reprieve with simplified user management.

A single communications hub.

8x8 Work for Web transforms any modern browser into a versatile communications workspace that brings all their essential business communications together. Built using WebRTC, 8x8 Work for Web allows users to easily collaborate with third-parties beyond their organizations' walls, without switching apps, forcing the download of an executable file, or having admin rights on their devices without circumventing security measures.

We've repeatedly heard from beta customers that switching between separate communication apps interrupts workflows, which in turn impacts their users’ focus. That's why we designed an integrated experience in 8x8 Work for Web to cut context switching so users can communicate and collaborate more fluidly, irrespective of device or operating system - even Chromebooks and Linux devices. They can quickly move from a chat message to a phone call or join a video meeting smoothly, making it easy to manage the daily tasks and get more done.

Integrated features keeping users productive.

8x8 Work for Web incorporates all the functionality of the native 8x8 Work desktop app. Users can see colleagues’ real-time presence status and start a collaboration session in a private or group chat room by adding files or sharing content and important documents, making it easier for everyone in a group to stay on the same page. Plus, they can create chatrooms for external contractors or consultants on different messaging apps, making group collaboration not only cross-functional but also cross-organizational, vital for working with external parties in the "new normal."

Users can make and receive high-quality and reliable phone calls from their browsers. Businesses leveraging enterprise-grade cloud PBX functions of 8x8 Work for Web benefit from multi-level auto-attendants, voicemail, unlimited global calling and eFax, call recording and storage, and more. IT admins can easily manage users through an intuitive administration console with role-based access controls. Supervisors can instantly view rich analytics reports that offer valuable insights into their remote workforce.

Today's collaboration-centric workers prefer video meeting and screen-sharing, which surfaced as essential remote working requirements during the pandemic. For remote work models to succeed, organizations need to maintain security and compliance for their users and data. With 8x8 Work for Web, remote users can connect securely face-to-face in video meetings with up to 100 participants over end-to-end encrypted calls. Advanced moderation controls give meeting hosts greater control over sessions. Additional meeting capabilities like cloud recordings and storage, calendar integrations, and Live Youtube streaming are all available through the browser.

Communication and collaboration are about connecting people, and we're always exploring ways to integrate our communication products to help everyone work better together. In the future, you'll see 8x8 Work for Web being shaped even further with intelligent functions that give everyone the ability to make a real impact and the flexibility to work exactly where and how they want.

Try the 8x8 Work for Web beta* today.

*Beta version supports the following browsers - Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge (Chromium-based), the latest plus previous two versions.