Not so long ago, employees worked under one roof. They collaborated on projects in person, and when they called a client, it was from a desk phone - not a personal mobile device that risked exposing their private information.

But not anymore. The 2020 global pandemic permanently changed the way teams collaborate.

Just three years ago, 9 percent of professional jobs were remote. In early 2023, nearly 30 percent of all work happened at home, according to WFH Research, a data-collection project.

It's clear that the need for organizations of all sizes to adopt a robust collaboration solution is crucial for success. However, some companies are finding that these tools are complicated. “They can help your team better work together from anywhere in the world. But they can also create more headaches. For example, using too many app means having to switch back and forth between chat in one app and meetings in another and so on,” said C Spire Product Development Manager John Bergoon.

When you’re shopping for the right tool, Bergoon suggests looking for a solution that provides everything you need in one app, including these seven features:

• Audio calls, videoconferencing with screen sharing, and instant messaging. These features are the foundation of any smart collaboration tool since they provide the next best options to live and in-person communication. People across multiple locations can immediately connect and still have the feeling of being together.
  
  
• Private persona protection. Collaboration solutions can guard private information. For example, instead of exposing your personal cell phone number, a collaboration tool will display your business persona and number during calls and instant messages with clients, vendors, etc.
  
  
• Third-party app integration. Consider the software your organization uses regularly and make sure it will integrate with your collaboration tool. For example, some collaboration tools can integrate with platforms like Salesforce and Microsoft 365.

• File-sharing from any device. Gone are the days of transferring files via email, saturating inboxes with heavy files. Some collaboration solutions allow you to transfer files, distribute them and give access to them from one central location. These shared files can vary from software, books, videos, documents and more.
  
  
• Collaboration channels for specific groups. These are spaces within a collaboration tool in which specific people can chat, share documents, hold whiteboard sessions, schedule meetings, and more.