As many companies shift to a hybrid approach to work where some folks are working in the office and some at home, it’s easy for the home-based workers to feel a disconnect, even with video conferencing tools like Zoom. Video Window is designed to give users a feeling of being connected to other offices as though you were looking through a virtual window. Today, the company introduced a companion app for iOS and Android called Video Window Remote aimed squarely at those remote employees.
As the name implies, the latest addition to the Video Window family is designed to involve not just intra-office remote communication, but also include those employees who are working offsite, whether at home or in another location, and make them feel like they are in the office.
While video conferencing allows you to meet virtually to discuss the business of your work, it doesn’t give that connection that you feel of being in the office and chatting with your colleagues. That can sometimes lead to feelings of isolation or that your ideas are not being heard.
With Video Window Remote, users download the app to their phone or tablet and use that as a visual connection to the office, getting both video and audio as desired. This gives the water cooler experience that many remote workers feel they are missing by not being in the office.
Company CEO Daryl Hutchings says he came up with many of the features in Video Window Remote based on his own experience working at home during the pandemic. “Using Video Window is exactly like looking through a window to see your colleagues. It enables you to really be present with the people you work with while successfully completing your projects and accomplishing your goals, making work better, more enjoyable, fun and leveling the playing field for all. Ultimately creating a happy hybrid workplace,” Hutchings said in a statement.
In case you are concerned about security or privacy with a tool like this, Hutchings says that he built in several safeguards including preventing guest access, audio and video off by default (you control when you want to be seen and heard), the ability for everyone to see who is present regardless of their video/audio status, and scheduled sleep mode, so the service only turns on during scheduled hours.
The tool is available for free starting today from the iOS and Android app stores.
