Many new tech tools are released yearly, whether it’s an application to manage tasks, track marketing efforts, or automate business operations. Within the vast pool of options, a handful stand above the rest as some of the most effective tools for remote teams.

Unlike traditional in-house teams, remote teams have some unique needs. For example, while real-time communication tools are helpful for everyone, remote teams have no other way to work together. Without real-time communication, nothing would get done.

While there are many great apps in use by various businesses, remote teams prefer the following tools because they’re reliable, easy-to-use, and get the job done.

Artificial intelligence

Although it’s not a specific tool per se, artificial intelligence (AI) in general is used to power a variety of features that are embedded in various apps and come built into the operating system of certain devices, like the iPhone 16. Smart business owners are giving remote employees iPhones because they know the value of this technology. Apple is about to release their version of AI, dubbed Apple Intelligence, with the iOS 18.1 update taking place at the end of October.

This upgrade will give everyone with an iPhone 16 Pro and up access to a variety of AI-powered features, like the ability to have emails rewritten with a more professional tone, along with having long content summarized into bullet points and tables. Siri has been upgraded to understand nuanced conversation better, and can now be prompted with text in addition to voice commands. All in all, Apple Intelligence will help remote team members do everyday things better, from communicating and researching to generating content.

The iPhone 16 is an expensive tool, but with the right phone case, employers don’t need to worry about common damage. It’s truly a leap forward for Apple and business owners who want the best for their teams.

Zoom

Even though Skype was the most popular video conferencing platform for many years, Zoom has taken over that status and is now considered the go-to tool for communication. While there’s nothing wrong with Skype, Zoom does several things better. Most importantly, Zoom nails the user experience with an interface that’s easy to use and aesthetically pleasing. Most people will resist using a tool when they don’t like the user experience.

Zoom has all the features a remote team could ever need, including screen sharing, a 1,000 participant capacity, 30-hour meetings on paid plans, breakout sessions, recording transcripts, polls, whiteboards, and meetings can be live streamed to social media. There’s even a HIPAA-compliant version of Zoom for anyone who is legally required to protect private health data on a call.

Discord and Slack

When it comes to real-time communication in a group setting and through direct messages, remote teams frequently use Slack and Discord. These two applications share many features, but they also have unique pros and cons. For example, Discord allows voice chats and you can stream video content in a “watch party.” Both options separate conversations in different channels, but Slack’s thread feature is superior.

Discord was originally built for gamers, while Slack was built for teams to communicate in a professional setting. Even though Discord is a bit more casual than Slack, many people already have a Discord account, so businesses might choose to create a Discord server for their company. However, both are equally used and are highly effective.

VoIP tech

With a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system, business owners can assign remote teams phone numbers that forward calls to their existing phones. When an employee quits, they can reassign the number.

Generative AI for marketing

Marketing teams are always under pressure to come up with content and images for blog posts, social media, and other purposes. With a simple generative AI subscription, remote team members can generate all the imagery and text content they could ever need. Most paid plans cover more than anyone would need to use each month and some offer unlimited plans.

Remote teams rely on technology

Remote work has become common in the last several years as more businesses have realized how it benefits both their business and employees. For example, remote workers are more likely to report a high level of job satisfaction and be more productive.

When remote workers are contractors rather than employees, they’re cheaper for the business because they don’t need to pay for all the employment-related expenses, like taxes and insurance.

Overall, remote work supports a better end result for all, but teams can only be successful when they have access to all the right tools.