Patrick is joined by expert guest Mark Strassman, who is Senior Vice President and General Manager for LogMeIn's Communications & Collaboration Business Unit.
Mark and Patrick discuss the huge amount of interest that surround emerging technologies within the communication and collaboration industries. Many vendors appear to be talking more about the technologies themselves rather than how they will actually be using them to benefit customers. Mark explains that as a vendor it is their role, at LogMeIn, to use the technologies in the background to provide solutions that work seamlessly on the front end.
"(Customers) Don't want to buy the buzzwords, they want solutions that just work!"
Just because the technologies themselves shouldn't be the focus, does not mean that they don't have huge relevance and applications within platforms. Mark provides Patrick with some examples of how LogMeIn are using the technologies, like artificial intelligence and machine learning, to enrich its platforms. GoTo, LogMeIn's unified communication and collaboration, or UCC, suite, offers customers various benefits that rely on these technologies working in the background. Removing background noises in meetings, terminating meeting attendees with poor connections and analysing meeting content are all made possible by using these technologies within the platform.
Mark tells Patrick that demands on software platforms have shifted dramatically with the changing demand driven by solutions available in the consumer markets. This heightened demand for effective solutions has lead to an increase in the number of applications used within businesses and is effectively increasing potential distractions. LogMeIn have conducted some research looking into these changing trends and Mark takes Patrick through some of the most interesting findings.
"Over half, 54%, (of the workforce) have at least five workplace tools open and running at the same time."
One way to combat these workplace distractions is by utilising a single platform that can meet all of a user's requirements. That is what LogMeIn are trying to provide with GoTo, offering customers the abilities to meet, call, chat and collaborate all from one single interface. If tools within the workplace don't satisfy end users requirements then they will look for further applications to meet their needs, adding to the issues around distractions and also shadow IT.
