Just what is “the office” anymore?

We used to commute to the office. Then we rolled out of bed for it. We used to pack into conference rooms. Then we packed into video conferences. We chitchatted by the coffee machine. Then we instant messaged each other. And now we’re all headed back to the office. Or are we?

Some companies are allowing their employees to remain remote. Others seek a “return to normal.” And then there are companies embracing Silicon Valley’s latest trend, the “hybrid workplace.”

So I ask again: What is an office? At the moment, the answer is as uncertain as the last year has been.

But one thing is for sure: No matter what the office turns out to be, companies need to modernize their networks to support it. It’s the difference between a business that can adapt quickly to change — and one that sputters in the face of the unexpected. Here’s why it’s so important.

Build and adapt

A modern network consists of a physical network, modern app connectivity services and multi-cloud virtualized network capabilities. It allows companies to provide employees with fast, reliable and secure access to all applications — cloud-based or otherwise — no matter where those employees are located, all without putting a strain on bandwidth or requiring infrastructure changes.

But how? Take, for instance, Premier America Credit Union (PACU). In 2019, the large financial institution readied for the future and upgraded its legacy MPLS network to modern connectivity solutions so they could support the digital experiences their customers and employees expect. In March 2020, the homes of all 45 call-center employees became offices. The network upgrades provided the backbone PACU needed to turn their call center into a remote operation in just two weeks using Hosted Call Center from Spectrum Business for enterprise.

Or look at CAPA (Concrete, Asphalt, Pipe, Aggregates), a construction materials supplier. Their crews go anywhere — no matter how remote. They transport, mine, pour and lay materials including gravel, ready-mix concrete and asphalt across the 4,244 square-mile Rio Grande Valley area of Texas.

CAPA partnered with us to build a modern network using Ethernet and Dedicated Fiber Internet (DFI) services to connect nine locations. But when projects take crews to more remote locations where reliable connectivity is hard to come by, they still require secure connectivity to CAPA’s fleet management system.

Because the company now has a modern network, they can use modern app connectivity services to quickly connect new remote sites. Managed SD-WAN enables CAPA to extend their existing WAN to the sites using the connectivity best for each location. The solution is set up so the existing Ethernet locations connect to the remote sites via the SD-WAN gateway, which provides secure connectivity to the WAN via the local wireless internet service provider.

What’s next?

Because both PACU and CAPA had modernized their networks, they were able to adapt their offices and workplaces — and the way they did business — when it mattered most.

If we all look into our crystal balls, we will see our own visions of “the office.” With a modern network, you can adapt quickly into whichever vision becomes your reality.