Here today, gone tomorrow — thanks to your business internet connection.

We all know the internet, and all the technology it has spawned, has made things more convenient and less time-consuming, but it’s hard to believe how much it has reshaped the modern office environment. Work methods and tools that seemed hip and modern a few years ago are now expendable due to the increased penetration of high speed internet connectivity. Here are six such things—from old methods of storing files to items that have outlived their usefulness—that are slowly but surely fading from everyday use in the office. 

Landlines (replaced by VoIP)

The rise of internet communications led to the slow but steady demise of traditional copper landlines. Today Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) has replaced traditional telephones as a more efficient communication tool for making voice calls due to cheaper costs and a multitude of features. VoIP is available as hard phones (devices that resemble old school telephones) and softphones (software programmes that turn your PC into a telephone), both of which use your internet connection to make and receive calls.

Flash drives (replaced by the cloud)

In the early 2000s, the introduction of USB flash drives eliminated the need for floppy disks (still remember those?) as the former had a larger storage capacity. Flash drives are now falling out of use as cloud storage becomes increasingly popular. With free and pay-as-you-go cloud services now available, businesses can store, access, and save files from any device with an internet connection.

Software on a disk (replaced by online software)

While it’s true that you can still get your hands on physical installation disks if you prefer to go old-school, there are far more convenient options available. Many software companies have made software downloads possible in addition to physical discs in stores. Online downloads are usually much cheaper, and when run over high-speed business fibre or wireless internet, takes minutes to install.

The meeting room (replaced by video conferencing)

Offices and meeting rooms are still important and won’t be going away anytime soon. However, many companies have shifted to a remote workforce which means that many meetings are being conducted virtually. Video conferencing software like Microsoft Teams takes face-to-face communication online, making it easy for employees to collaborate and stay productive remotely.   

The briefcase (replaced by the cloud)

There was a time when the briefcase was a firm favourite with businessmen who needed to carry stacks of documents and business cards with them. Nowadays, it is so much simpler to carry digital versions of everything in the cloud or some document management service. With cloud storage, you don’t have the burden of traveling with luggage, everything is super organised (which means no more fishing for paperwork), and your files are being kept in a much safer environment.  

Diaries (replaced by appointment scheduling software)

Let me check my diary. This was often how professionals responded to a meeting request. Yes, a diary is still a useful item to have around but more and more business people are relying on the online calendars and appointment scheduling software to book meetings, arrange events and organise their week.

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Final takeaway

Your business internet connection has the capability to perform just about anything and everything you could ever want it to, making it a one-stop-stop for completing tasks. What would you add to our list of five things replaced by the internet? Let us know in the comments section.