As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to rage across the globe, it has led to an inevitable surge in online offices due to social distancing norms.

As of December 2021, online office users in China amounted to 469 million, a year-on-year increase of 35.7 percent, according to data from the 49th China Statistical Report on Internet Development published in February.

Online office technologies continue to evolve and people are adjusting to working from home.

Evolved basic technological services for online offices have accelerated the surge. Online office platforms have developed many practical services such as clocking in, instant communication, document editing, data processing, workgroup, E-seal, E-signature, reimbursement, approval and more. Such technologies help workers improve efficiency.

Alongside the technology support, there are many other reasons employees embrace remote life.

According to a survey on remote working made by an internet company, remote working makes commute unnecessarily and saves a lot of time, which is the biggest advantage of online office. In addition, the working environment is more free and comfortable, and working hours can be flexible when doing online tasks. Some people pack an office room at home, while others prefer spaces outside home, such as cafes, bookstores, paid study rooms, and more.

However, the flexible working model is not suitable for everyone. Some people said that the boundaries between work and life are becoming blurred, so they have to be self-disciplined to create a balance. In addition, the necessary social interaction with team members is lacking when working remotely.

The transition from a fixed and centralized office to a mobile, multi-location office will be a trend, said Xu Fujun, vice president of Ding Talk, an intelligent communication and collaboration platform created by Alibaba Group.

This trend puts forward higher requirements for collaborative offices, and is necessary to further improve the efficiency and quality of information flow, which will ultimately improve business management efficiency, he added.