Latest communication trends affecting your customer behaviour

Communication has always been an important factor in any business, and advances in technology and the abundance of apps available for mobile devices have helped to pave the way for better, smarter, and more efficient communication in the workplace and across the globe. There have also been many changes in the way businesses choose to communicate as new trends emerge, whereby businesses can seize upon the latest technologies and take full advantage of what they have to offer.

In order to remain competitive and improve communication in your own organization, it is important to be aware of the latest trends and technologies. Review some of the latest trends below and see which ones can benefit your own business.

1. The Cloud
There are still plenty of people that might not understand exactly how the Cloud works, but more and more businesses are embracing Cloud based apps. The Cloud, and apps that utilize the Cloud, help businesses to perform a manner of tasks more efficiently, and to communicate better with colleagues, clients and customers.

2. Mobile Devices
Just as consumers are using their mobile devices more than their desktop computers for Internet browsing, shopping and other activities, so too are business people using their own mobile devices to do more work outside of the office. The availability of a multitude of easy to learn apps ensures that work can get done no matter where you are.

3. More Internet Usage
As the reliance on cloud based apps and over-the-Internet communication grows, so too does the need for more Internet bandwidth. Connection speeds have also increased, as no business wants a slow connection speed delaying their progress and daily workflow. The rise of social media has also forced the businesses to plan their strategy revolving around the user behavior. As per Social Media Daily, sound and video based services like Sound Cloud and Vine are growing in popularity.

4. An increase in Spending for IT Services
Spending on IT services has grown and continues to grow, as businesses increase their reliance upon new technologies.

5. Integrated Communications
Businesses in the past used to have separate systems for telephone communication, video communication and solutions, web applications and online conferencing, and other communications capabilities. New technologies have managed to integrate all of these into one cohesive system that improves productivity and cuts back on expenses.

6. Hosted VoIP
Helping to save on monthly expenses, maintenance costs, and equipment that clutters up office space, many businesses are ditching the traditional business phone system in favor of a hosted VOIP system. The cloud based phone systems are cheaper, require little to no maintenance, are easy to use, and offer businesses many more features that help to improve communication more than ever before.

7. Security for Cloud-Based Apps
Of course, all those cloud-based applications require new types of security, and cloud-based security apps have emerged as the best protocol. New technology is ready and capable to face the threats of newly developed viruses and malware.

8. WebRTC
Eliminating plugins and other software that normally bogged down systems has enabled WebRTCto make a great leap forward, serving to improve real-time communication and improve the overall functionality between apps and platforms.

9. IT Networks on the Cloud
A cloud-based IT network enables users to easily share, review and edit multiple types of documents with ease, no matter where they might be, so long as they have access to their mobile device or another computer. This helps to keep workflow consistent and smooth, and for productivity to reach new heights.

10. Internet of Things (IoT)
Not one specific thing, but a wide array of various apps and systems that integrate into one cohesive system capable of performing all manner of functions, from home security to health monitoring to shopping, functional through mobile devices, wearable devices, and desktop computers.

Article courtesy of Customerthink.com (http://customerthink.com/latest-communication-trends-that-is-set-to-impact-customer-behavior/)