The Strain of Distributed Work

NetEase’s distributed team was skilled and capable, but remote work had created a sense of isolation. Zoom calls and Slack messages kept projects moving, yet the energy of working side by side was gone. Spontaneous conversations and quick check ins disappeared. Employees felt disconnected, and leadership realized that restoring engagement was critical to maintaining productivity.

Discovering a Persistent, Human-Centered Workspace

NetEase turned to SoWork, creating a persistent virtual office where employees could see who was online, drop into rooms for collaboration, and host meetings without juggling multiple tools.

• Persistent office space: Encouraged casual, spontaneous interactions that naturally increased engagement.
  
  

• Human-centered design: Made virtual collaboration feel intuitive and personal.
  
  

• Seamless client integrations: Allowed external stakeholders to join without friction.

SoWork eliminated loneliness. It was incredible! Once we got everyone in the same room, their natural human tendencies to connect and collaborate came out.

Productivity Through Connection

With SoWork, informal interactions returned naturally. Team members could check in instantly, brainstorm spontaneously, and make decisions faster. The platform became more than a workspace. It became the heartbeat of collaboration across locations. “More than anything else, SoWork has provided me with a space to effortlessly communicate with my team. I am so happy to have found [SoWork]!” Nate exclaimed.

• Reduced isolation and improved morale.
  
  

• Faster problem-solving and decision-making.
  
  

• Clear visibility into ongoing projects, reducing delays and confusion.

Results That Matter

By centralizing collaboration in a persistent digital office, NetEase rebuilt team engagement and productivity. Employees feel connected, aligned, and motivated, and leadership has a platform that scales as the team grows.