With the economy in a downturn, companies need to reconsider many of the tools they've invest in for virtual coworking.

Along the way, teams added a lot of subscription based tools - but many of those tools aren't get used anymore for various reasons. Some have been replaced by better options, others were never really adopted fully and eventually people forgot about them.

Companies want to avoid unwanted expenses but also give employees the best coworking experiences possible.

Thankfully, there are a ton of different tools that can help your team manage their coworking toolset. Let's check out a few of the different types of tools, some of their key features, and the top tools to upgrade and revamp your virtual coworking investment.

Types of tools for a virtual office upgrade

From keeping track of what's going on in your physical office spaces to bringing teams together in real-time sharing environments, it's so much easier to build organizational culture and visibility with the right coworking tools. Here are some great new tool types to consider adding into the mix.

Office Management

It's easy to forget who's sitting where these days with everyone working in a hybrid schedule. Some are in the office, some are at home, and still others are sitting on the beach getting sand in their laptops while they work away on a project plan. But for those that are trying to coordinate in-person collaboration - it's key to have tools to help.

Office management software improves the logistics.in the workplace to support all employees in your company. Check out tools like Robin to setup and manage floor plans, desks, and improve in-person office visibility.

SaaS Buying Platforms

Organizations have been spending more and more on SaaS solutions over the past years. SaaS spending climbs year over year-- 20+ percent according to Gartner. Software pricing in enterprise contracts but in the end many companies end up overpaying by 20-30 percent.

That’s where SaaS buying platforms come in. The technology is a software and service that helps companies find, buy and manage their software and tech stacks.

The buying partner will analyze the organizations software investments and then streamline contracts and costs to the company.

Collaboration Hubs

Remote employees sometimes need to work together but get frustrated dealing with screen-shares and buggy control sharing. Instead, it's so much easier to use collaboration tools made specifically for shared use.

A collaboration hub allows people to share an online space throughout the day – promoting interaction, community, and teamwork. Often these platforms are centered around a few applications so teams can perform common tasks like brainstorming and note taking.

Not only are these tools a unique fit for online coworking but they can also speed up your teams execution on tasks with faster feedback and learning.

Workplace Hubs

At some organizations, teams use platforms to connect the entire organization and share software in real-time alongside traditional communication channels.

Workplace hubs eliminate the need for team members to go hunting for software or coordinate how to share experiences because they're already all in one place. Collaboration platforms like JumpRoom.io host native software for teams in the cloud and then let them use it together.

They also have features to map out and visualize your virtual office at a higher level so people can find each other and interact spontaneously.

What to look for in software for your virtual office

Regardless of whatever tools you decide to adopt, they will usually have certain things on common that you should be looking for. Some of the most important features include:

People first design

This might go without saying but we're in a new age of coworking interfaces. If users are fighting with bad collaboration tools and bad latency they'll often give up on connecting. These days you're looking for virtual coworking software that was built to be used remotely by teams together.

Clear usage reporting

The vast majority of software being used in online offices today is SaaS based - meaning it's software provided on a subscription bases and typically hosted in the cloud. These subscriptions come with a premium because the provider needs to ensure it's always running and ready for you to use.

On the other hand, it's also very important to ensure you're getting the best use you can out of those subscriptions. Tools that offer detailed usage reporting allow you to make better data-driven purchasing decisions for your company. You'll be able to get clear visibility on if and when tools are being used.

Secure data storage

Teams are using these tools to run vital operations in organizations and the data must be secured and protected from attack. This would typically include end-to-end encryption of data transfers and also encryption of that same data at rest. Lastly, every real-time communication channel should also be locked down and encrypted.

Robust integrations

As organizations invest in their virtual office they don't need to give up on all their old desktop tools. Many platforms make it easy to integrate your other software packages, so you don't need to spend a lot of cash retooling things. Make sure to look for platforms that are able to bring all your current tools into collaborative scenarios without much effort to get the most bang for your buck.

Top virtual coworking software solutions

As you've read, leveraging virtual coworking software can take your teams collaboration experiences to greater heights. With so many different options to choose from, though, you might get lost searching for the tools that fit best for your organization.

To help, here's a list of tools to upgrade your virtual coworking setup:

1. RobinPowered

Robin offers a complete solution when it comes to office management. Their software helps companies manage all their office resources (spaces, desks, amenities) all off an easy to use map.

Teams can book meeting rooms, desks, and find where everyone is in real-time. The platform can also make recommendations on the best spaces to meet for teams.

Then they tie it all together with a fantastic analytics package for office visibility and a ton of integrations with other leading workplace tools.

2. Vendr

SaaS buying platforms save leadership time, money, and frustration in negotiating and tracking SaaS spend. Vendr lets you buy and renew any SaaS product in the world with out picking up the phone. They start by analyzing your software stack to understand how your team is currently spending.

Then you tell them what targets you'd like to hit and by how much you'd like to decrease or increase budgets. This gives them all the information they need to set you up to start watching the savings add up. Once your must-haves are understood they find you the fastest way to a fair price.

3. FigJam

This new offering from the creators of Figma is an online whiteboard for teams to ideate and brainstorm together. People can express ideas with sticky notes. They can also dot vote, stamp, emote, draw, or chat reactions.

FigJam also supports diagramming so you can document user flows, processes, systems and more. Plus, Figma and FigJam live side by side so all design work, from ideation to execution, can be found in one place. And, teammates can leverage design libraries in FigJam to create artifacts that are consistent and on-brand.

4. Monday.com

Monday.com bills itself as your team's Work OS. The cloud-based software helps teams align fast, set goals, easily collaborate, and track progress. Team members are give a weekly schedule that keeps them grounded in what everyone is up to. From the same view users can coordinate shift changes with others.

There are also similar views for meetings and departments throughout the organization. Having all these items organized neatly with easy collaboration drives efficiency. And the best part - it's really easy to get started with their remote work templates.

5. JumpRoom.io

JumpRoom offers a complete collaboration solution for your virtual coworking needs. Some of our key features include native application copiloting, multi-user web desktop, and a dedicated encrypted drive with every room.

With our software, employees can get visibility into what the whole office is up to. Our room dashboards show you the status of each room, so you can easily move your work to the best coworking location – right when you need to.

JumpRoom's unique "App Containerization" functionality offers users the ability to move their native applications directly into the room. Your team will get real-time collaboration and your organization with save on licensing fees with the ability to share applications natively.

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Investing in workplace collaboration hubs is a great way to minimize unwanted meetings. You'll be able to make the most out of your team's day and create a more inclusive environment for your employees no matter where they sit.

JumpRoom makes it easy to get your team sharing and connecting in the workplace. Feel free to schedule a demo with us today to learn more.