Current technology trends show a preference for user-centric tools and devices. This includes technology that incorporates learning, such as AI and Machine Learning, to provide a personalized user experience. Tech innovations that incorporate AR and VR capabilities also provide a new dimension to numerous activities and industries. Nowadays, cutting-edge technology boasts tech innovations that incorporate various tools that, as a whole, exceeds the capabilities of its individual tools. But what stands out among these technology trends is the increasing demand and utilization of remote collaboration - most notably for software development projects and tech innovation management processes. Mobile apps have also evolved and improved, its market continuously expanding.

     It is forecasted that by 2020, over half of the global workforce will be working remotely - either full-time or part-time. Remote work popularity can be attributed to its numerous advantages, and that more employees find fulfilling and satisfying careers in remote work. Remote work has also been a great way to address instances of tech talent shortage in various industries. With the high demand for remote workers, it is no longer difficult to hire Android app developer for that next big Android app in the market at affordable rates.

When to Go Remote?

There is more to remote work than just software development or the various ways on how to hire a developer for the next big mobile app. Remote work span across industries and practices. It is a matter of understanding when to utilize remote workers that is important.

Remote work is usually employed when businesses or individuals encounter a tech talent shortage for certain processes or projects. Remote work is also another avenue for outsourcing processes and projects. Among the top remote jobs are:

• Android or iPhone Developers (Mobile app development)

• Customer Service Management

• Web or Graphics Design

• Online Marketing

• Crowdsourcing

• Teacher

• Virtual Assistants

• Tools for Effective Remote Innovation Management

There are ways on how to stay current with technology trends. The first key point is to know the current trends that drive the market. Second, is to understand the key technology trends and modern and effective tools used to enhance business processes and tasks. Below are a number of high-recommended and popular tools for key business and collaboration aspects.

Communication

Strong and effective communication is essential to the success of any remote work collaboration. With collaborating individuals having less opportunity to physically work together, effective and efficient communication is a major aspect that ensures successful and effective projects. In the sea of communication apps and tools Skype, Zoom, and Hangout are among the top communication tools in the market. Skype and Zoom are great communication tools for group conferences and meetings. While Hangout - similar to the two - but has the additional function of being linked to Gmail.

If you want to make the most of communication in the workplace, it may be better to streamline it and have a one-stop-shop platform for all types of communication. One platform will make it easier to connect with colleagues, customers, vendors, etc., and it will improve the overall experience for everyone. It can even help you grow your business. New technology is emerging all the time to enable your business with are and improved communication. If this interests you, then look here to learn more.

Storage

File and data storage is essential to everyone. Whether it is to store personal documents or share project files with others, digital storage is a must-have and a must-use. With everyone working and/or communicating online, online storage is highly in-demand. However, quality storage should not only provide quality storage space and access but also more than adequate security. Google Drive and Dropbox are among the widely-used online storage available in the market. Google Drive can be used alongside Gmail account and other Google Suite tools, while Dropbox offers a variety of storage packages to choose from.

Code Repository

For software development projects with dedicated development teams, it is a best practice to have a centralized repository for the project code. This repository will serve as the storage of the code and any changes or updates made by the team members as the project progresses. Nowadays, code repositories provide desktop-compatible interfaces and IDE extensions and links to ease the process of managing changes to the project code. Two of the most popular and recommended code repositories are Github and Bitbucket.

Collaboration

Collaboration tools offer a combination of various tools. Slack provides a platform for communication and the ability for users to share documents and code snippets and organize communication into channels. Google Suite, on the other hand, is an array of the various Google tools that can be used together. Aside from Gmail, Google Suite provides users online storage through its Google Drive, as well as document creation and management with its Google Docs. Communication is provided through Hangouts, while project management can be achieved with Tasks. Google Suite also expands to cover more tools that can be used for a wide array of processes and services. Google Suite enables users to do all tasks with all tools in one place, by just using 1 Google account.

Project Management

One of the best tools to have in your arsenal is a project management tool. Project management tools are great for collaborative work; tasks are tracked and tagged to responsible persons, progress is indicated and visible to everyone on the team, and successes are well-documented enough to be celebrated. These tools are also great for individual work as well. Tools such as Trello, Asana, and Jira are great examples of this. Project management tools are also be used for tech innovation management. Not only can these be used to manage and track tasks, but are also able to link to other tools. Software development progress can be monitored using tasks in tools like Jira and Trello. This can be achieved by linking to third-party development tools and can then be used as a central hub for your various tools.      

What makes these tools all the more effective is that they were developed for the purpose of automating tasks that may otherwise be tedious and time-consuming. These tools also provide a way for teams to centralize and streamline a lot of their work, making collaborations easier and more focused on the project itself. These tools also enable and enhance collaboration and communication, both locally and across the globe. Distance and time zones can be utilized and be less of a hindrance to collaborative work.

One of the indicators of a business or an individual that keep up with changing technology is the knowledge and ability to use new tools - knowing which one is effective and use it to its fullest. Productivity tools are only a part of the wide-ranging tools that evolve with the changing technology but remain to their purpose. And in this rapidly evolving technological age, where everyone has a digital presence and works with some form of technology, productivity tools are amongst those that aim to enhance user experience and promote efficiency and productivity.