Global provider of innovative meeting room and video conferencing solutions, StarLeaf, recently published the new StarLeaf Trends report. This report highlights the massive uptake of video conferencing use seen across the current landscape as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Leveraging data from a wide selection of customers, including France, the UK, Germany, Sweden, and the US, StarLeaf has seen a significant change in the way that people are communicating during this difficult time. Within the UK, some of the most significant findings included:
- An increase in daily call minutes of 947% since January
- Significant growth in the volume of calls across major cities within the UK. Manchester saw a daily increase of over 3,000%, followed by an increase in Birmingham of 2,500%, and an increase in Bristol of over 2,000%
- An increase of 300% in new user creation within StarLeaf accounts since the lockdown began, and companies began to support remote working for their employees
- An increase in international calls made by StarLeaf users within the UK of 250%. National calls within the UK also saw a massive increase of 750%, highlighting the increased demand for communication within the UK
- A London intercity call volume increase of more than three times, highlighting a strong demand for collaboration between the capital and other cities in the UK
The Impact of the Lockdown on Communication
Looking at the other companies surveyed by StarLeaf for the recent report, the data found that countries with the most stringent lockdown measures were the ones that saw the largest increase in daily call minutes since January. France had a 1093% increase in call minutes, followed by Germany with 1,148%, Italy with 1,336% and the UK with 947%.
What’s more, many countries covered within the report saw huge changes to their communication strategies too. France’s national calls across the country increased by almost 500%, while international calls rose by 250%. National calls in Germany increased by 1,300%, and Italy saw call minutes increase by 1,336%.
Examining the United States, StarLeaf highlighted an increase in new user accounts of more than 1,500%, as well as an influx of new national calls across the country, rising by 300%. Sweden, which didn’t impose a lockdown, saw an increase of around 426% in daily calling minutes.
The Demand for Connection Grows
Mark Richer, the CEO of StarLeaf, commented on the recent findings, saying that video conferencing has played a powerful role in our ability to embrace remote working as a society. Video has given us an opportunity for business continuity and ensured that teams could continue to work together wherever they were.
Richer noted that the financial impact of this pandemic has been incredible, and many organisations going forward will be forced to implement cost-cutting measures to stay afloat. The need to pay for physical office space will be reconsidered, with many companies looking to downsize their workspaces in the months to come.
Mark also highlighted the importance of recognising the psychological impact of the coronavirus outbreak. The idea of commuting back into busy environments when restrictions are relaxed will be a worrying concept for many employees. Employers will need to be extra sensitive about this issue, and make sure that they can offer greater flexibility where possible.
The Future Will Be Very Different
StarLeaf believes that there are a lot of changes to come, including a change in attitudes towards things like recruitment. In the past, the ability of business leaders to employ the right people was restricted by the issue of location. However, with more remote and flexible working practices available, organisations will be able to think more about who they want to employ without being limited by geographical guidelines.
| Country | Increase in daily call minutes (Jan-Apr) |
| France | 1,093% |
| Germany | 1,148% |
| Italy | 1,336% |
| UK | 947% |
| Sweden | 426% |
| United States | 395% |
On top of all this, the StarLeaf CEO noted that one consideration that many businesses will need to address is the positive impact that the coronavirus has had on our environment. Sustainability is a big concern for a lot of people right now, and business leaders in many organisations will want to continue protecting the environment. StarLeaf expects to see more businesses evaluating their travel and commuting needs more carefully. Additionally, business leaders are likely to be more drawn to the idea of environmentally-friendly options for communication, like video meetings.
