The Future Workplace: The Evolution of Collaboration

Driven by a convergence of technologies, people and business processes, the average worker’s habits are changing and adapting dramatically. This will mean the workplace of the future will likely be dramatically different to what it is today. Major trends include:

Mobile Devices and Applications

Smartphones and tablets are powerful business tools, especially the recently announced enterprise-focused iPad Pro. The best tools are those that enable employees to share content easily with colleagues, customers and partners on a global scale. Mobile devices are also infinitely more portable (and often, more cost effective) than their video conferencing room-based counterparts.

The emergence of breakout areas, huddle rooms, dedicated collaboration spaces and flexible communication practices mean employees are changing their physical workplaces to match their natural behaviour, whether they realise it or not. As Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies become embedded in everyday IT management, an equally robust strategy that prioritises data security alongside a fluid user experience will become just as critical.

Content Management

Enterprises are generating vast amounts of corporate content, but many do not know how to leverage this to their advantage. This is because recording content isn’t the challenging part, finding it afterwards is. Simplifying how content is accessed is extremely important, particularly if businesses wish to maximise the value of existing resources and to empower staff to create interesting content of their own.

Solutions that enable these employee-driven outcomes will have a knock-on effect on how the workplace of the future functions.

More Personal Accountability with Security

The number of data and network breaches is increasing. This is driven by a security threat landscape that is becoming extremely complex in its penetration techniques.

Each end-user now has a duty to their business to follow security best practices and ensure they do not become an unintentional vulnerability. As a result, we expect to see more security teams becoming more visible across the business, especially in their interaction with other business departments.

Those who are interested in other trends can read more here.