Fuze Teases Future of Work Insights at UC EXPO

We talk with Fuze about UC EXPO and their latest research

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FuzeFutureWorkUCEXPO
Unified Communications

Published: May 11, 2018

Rob Scott

Rob Scott

Publisher

The workplace today is in a state of constant flux. As new, digitally-advanced generations enter the business environment, they’re actively pushing the companies they work for to break down some of the long-established career structures we’re all used to.

Analytics companies like Gallup find that work-from-home opportunities and flexible scheduling play a critical role in attracting and retaining talent, and work/life balance is becoming an increasingly significant concern. Fortunately, there are some technology innovators out there ready to help organisations embrace this change in the work environment.

Fuze, the global cloud collaboration and communications platform, looks for ways to connect the expanding and migrating workforce through a simple, secure, and singular platform. Their approach to communications ensures that people can connect anywhere, anytime, through devices that suit them. To get a better understanding of worker preferences and productivity and improve their offerings, Fuze frequently invests in global research studies surrounding the nature of work, and how it’s changing. At UC EXPO 2018, they’ll be discussing their latest Future of Work research.

How Important is the Future of Work to Fuze?

In the lead up to UC EXPO, I was fortunate enough to chat with Michael Affronti, the VP of Product for Fuze. He agreed to talk to me about the upcoming research reveal and what the future of work really means to Fuze. Michael is a man who knows all about the changing nature of the work environment. He still lives across the street from the butcher shop his grandfather launched 50 years ago, which gives him a perfect contrast for his fast-paced, flexible life today.

Michael’s responsible for supporting the growth of the company and ensuring customer satisfaction at Fuze through the development of the Fuze platform. He shared that Fuze’s portfolio has expanded rapidly over the last three years: “We’ve grown from about 300 people to north of 600.” To begin with, Fuze was focused on telephony in the cloud, then they began to embrace the concept of digital transformation, discovering that if they wanted to bring more flexibility into the workforce, they needed to combine the right technology with the right culture.

In a world where the standard office is dying out, Fuze has discovered first-hand what it means to be flexible.

“It’s things like our unlimited vacation policy combined with our work from anywhere policy. We’re constantly experimenting with flexible work experiences that are supported by the collaboration tools we’re creating. In the end, this digital transformation (DX) is all about allowing workers to control when and where they work to maximize productivity.”

Fuze at UC EXPO

The future of work is a critical consideration to Fuze, which is why the company chose to invest in their new research into the state of employment and flexible working.

“Our new research, while launching in late May, will be previewed at UC EXPO. My keynote will be focusing on that report, introducing the role of people in the future of work, and how it’s changed.”

Unlike previous research where Fuze focuses largely on the CIO in a company, this study looks at understanding what the preferences are for the people on the frontlines of work. “We’re looking at how everyday employees are viewing remote work, the flexible approach to work, the gig economy, and even AI and automation.”

Michael noted:”

I’m really passionate about what we build here at Fuze, and what we embody with this idea of the future of work. We’re always experimenting with the software that we build, and the ways we implement new strategies.”

The Journey Towards a New Working Future

Michael shared that when he graduated from college in 2004, he began a journey working with various companies on a map from analogue to digital. He’s gone from a fixed office to a position where he works as often on trains and in airports, as he does in the Fuze office.

“It’s been an interesting journey discovering how to maintain a schedule in these flexible times. One of the things we often talk about at Fuze is how we all get caught up thinking about the latest and most disruptive solutions for technology.”

“However, the truth is that we need to focus on making things as streamlined and simple as possible for this new work environment. When you’re jumping in and out of work periodically, you can’t spend ten minutes getting into a conference line.”

At the UC EXPO conference, Fuze’s sessions will include:

  • “Workplace Futures: Unlocking the Human Potential” (16th May)
  • Productivity in the Digital Workplace (16th and 17th May)
  • The Future of Work panel “Adoption of Tech for the Evolving Workforce” (17th May)

Any Surprises in Your Latest Future of Work Research?

The cultural change for digital transformation can be just as crucial as the technology itself. In fact, Fuze will be welcoming a guest to their keynote speech––Sophie Wade, a workplace futurist who helps to prepare companies for the future of work. She and Michael will dive deeper into the intersection of culture and digital transformation.

Michael shared:

“The workplace is getting younger. Leaders are starting to migrate out and they’re going to be replaced with people who have a different perspective on technology.”

“I think what surprises me most about the research––when it comes to what workers want from their environment and what will make them most productive, there is a hard contrast that still remains between leadership and workers.”

What’s Coming Next for Fuze?

As things like digital transformation and the changing nature of the workforce become a more common concern throughout the world, Fuze is getting actively involved in the digital workplace evolution. Recently, they announced their partnership with AppNeta, an application network monitoring leader. With AppNeta, Fuze delivers real-time visibility into network performance and the ability to resolve issues before they affect the quality of communications.

It’s tools like these that set Fuze up to truly serve the flexible and changing work environment.

 

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