Roughly three weeks ago those in the UC industry could have told the rest of the world, that people who could work from home would likely transition to that way of working because of the Coronavirus. Most companies were not prepared for the latest life-altering reality, leading many to hastily enact remote-work policies to protect employees from the potential wide-spread of the virus, otherwise known as COVID-19.
As a result of being ill-prepared for such an incident, companies have had to reassess what the future of work might look like, a topic Cisco felt was so significant, the collaboration company recently hosted a virtual chat with industry analysts, Zeus Kerravala, Dave Michels, and Cisco Collaboration CMO, Aruna Ravichandra, to consider what work might look like in a post-COVID-19 world.
Kerravala, an analyst who has spent the better half of a decade working from home, said he did have to adjust to platforms like Webex being the primary way he collaborates, with in-person meetings no longer an option. He noted that the spring tech conference season has been forever reshaped, adding many conferences are digital, canceled, or postponed, hoping for an eventual reduction in the number of recorded cases.
"The amount of change and disruption that's happened over the past few weeks is significant"
This is according to Michels, who further shared, it is the disruption that's led him to consider how those who have never worked remotely will adjust to active communications. Reaching out, following up, accommodating different time-zones, and no longer relying on lunchroom conversations. "Employers need to set aside time to mimic water cooler talks, these things are crucial because people need social interaction, and collaboration tools can help employees be more productive and social," he noted.
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Zeus Kerravala[/caption]
Ravichandra, Cisco's Head of Collab believes video adaption is increasing because people crave social interaction in the workplace, and Michels said we've seen tremendous growth in collaboration, particularly in the huddle room space for the past few years, noting Coronavirus has merely elevated this.
None of the conversations' participants think flying will totally flatline once global travel restrictions lift, but do caution, now that people have a taste of what is possible from home, audio calls might get replaced with video calls. Flights are likely to resume, but business, as usual, may never be the same. "Nobody wants to be in an office, and this will be a part of a larger cultural transformation where people are more comfortable using video to meet to get a glimpse into coworkers' lives," said Michels.
He even predicts, the idea of the dedicated cubes and desks will not be 'a popular option' in the near future, sharing, 'those days are certainly numbered.' Ravichandra said Cisco has seen a spike in video traffic, and it's a rather immense one:
"People are just more comfortable, which is the reason we've seen an uptick in video meeting minutes, people crave personalization, and that shows in our metrics, up 166 percent in the past two weeks," adding, "Coronavirus has forced people to reassess how simple the technology is, and businesses will reap the fringe benefits."
Because now we have a viable alternative to going to the office, and people realize it, anyone can access collaboration software which is often cloud-based and affordable. Not to mention low-cost equipment, whiteboard technology and the fact that the technology is more intuitive than it used to be. So far, the true impacts of COVID-19 have yet to be felt or seen, and the concept of the future 'norm' is not something we can predict. "It will depend on what 'normal' is as we emerge from COVID-19, Michels added.
