FeatureUC&C27 Nov 2019 · 3 min read

Cisco Shares 2020 Collaboration Predictions

Aruna Ravichandran is CMO of Collaboration Business at Cisco. She's all-too-familiar with collaboration trends, and recently shared some of her 2020 predictions with UC Today

Ian Taylor

Aruna Ravichandran is CMO of Collaboration Business at Cisco. She's all-too-familiar with collaboration trends, and recently shared some of her 2020 predictions with UC Today. She said everything from AI-enabled voice assistants, to Augmented/Virtual Reality, will impact the industry in 2020.

[caption id="attachment_25300" align="alignright" width="150"] Aruna Ravichandran - Cisco[/caption]

Ravichandran brings a fresh perspective to the subject matter of 2020 predictions, as she's been on the job just over a year now. This doesn't mean she isn't responsible for a lot of positive changes to Cisco's six billion dollar Webex Collaboration portfolio, however.

Since her appointment, Ravichandran's reached some impressive milestones, including several award-winning campaigns and increased revenue growth in 2019. It is, therefore, safe to say, she and her team have been hard at work in 2019. So, what are Ravichandran's predictions for 2020?

AI-Enabled Voice Assistants to Become Smarter

More and more consumers use home automation devices to perform tasks like changing music or checking the weekly forecast. And an increasing number of these applications are now used in the workplace. For collaboration purposes, the application of AI-voice assistants in a work environment means, asking a room to prepare a PowerPoint presentation or to invite someone else to a meeting.

"This allows those meeting and collaborating to stay focused"

"The new year will bring simple actions like logging in or calling a number, and more sophisticated ones like transcribing meeting minutes, automatic transcription in Portuguese or French." She added, she believes as times progresses, these features will become standard.

AR & VR Technology will Enable Video Conferencing

Thanks to emerging technologies such as 5G bandwidth for data, higher quality video, facial recognition, and artificial intelligence, existing technologies are clever enough to leverage for workplace training.

"Think about telemedicine, examining a patient and performing surgery is now a reality. Technicians responsible for maintaining and repairing complex machinery are already using AR to replace manuals and books"

Ravichandran added, "Conferencing and collaboration have also taken significant steps forward, away from audio-only teleconference speakers."

Location Analytics to Integrate with Collaboration Tools

Ravichandran's final prediction for 2020 seems obvious, but as I mentioned at the beginning, she's sort of a big thinker. So, this prediction has a bit of a twist. She told me, in 2020, we should witness an increase in location analytics. Sensors in the floor or ceiling can make sense of data, physical space, and people already. "This means, for example, locating an empty meeting room and guiding you to it for a fast, ad hoc meeting without the need to book it or wait for it to become available."

Ravichandran further shared other practical use-cases, such as below-ground uses, which could result in finding parking spaces in crowded lots with ease. Ravichandran added, "The same technology can analyze traffic patterns and room usage, and there are several short and long-term benefits of the technology."

In the short-term, she said, you could adjust lights and maintain a comfortable temperature with climate controls, as well as find a room perfect for the amount of meeting participants you have.

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