Unified communications (UC) has had quite the year and a half.
Pre-pandemic, UC technology was seen as a nice-to-have for many organisations or were add-ons for existing software. The sudden shift to remote work in March last year proved that UC tools and technologies were fundamental in ensuring employees always had clear lines of communication with each other to ensure operational continuity.
In 2021, UC sits at the heart of most organisations as they transition into a hybrid working model to ensure employees can work how they want from where they want.
We spoke with industry experts from Enreach, Fuze, and LogMeIn to discuss the significant customer trends that have emerged this year and what the UC industry should expect for 2022.
What are the most significant customer trends from 2021?
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Duncan Ward[/caption]
Duncan Ward, CEO of Enreach UK:
The working habits and patterns that employees have developed throughout 2020 continued into this year and instigated IT providers to adapt to this massive shift in working models, according to Enreach’s Duncan Ward.
This has also brought the need for a better customer experience to the surface, he added.
“In 2021 we’ve acknowledged the need for a great customer experience, something that has previously been lacking in the industry,” he elaborated.
“Customers have been demanding quicker responses 24/7. As a result, we’re investing heavily in our customer experience to ensure that customers can contact us regardless of whether they have a quick question or a major fault”
Chris Perrotti, VP of Digital Workplace at LogMeIn:
LogMeIn’s Chris Perrotti echoed Ward’s comments, stating that employees’ needs are dictating more than ever the technologies their employers are investing in.
He noted that asynchronous communication tools is one of the “key” trends emerging from this shift to employee-centric decision-making.
“With more employees operating on different schedules and timezones while working remotely, joining a meeting at the same time or in the same room may not be an option,” he explained.
“That’s where asynchronous communications are really powerful, in providing people the flexibility to take in information on their own terms. It also leaves behind a digital paper trail of discussions, decisions, and actions that help to keep teams aligned and focused.”
However, asynchronous features such as chat or voice need visual elements to ensure that hybrid and remote working is cohesive for all employees.
“While more traditional asynchronous tools like chat or voice message options have been standard for years, they leave out the important visual aspects of meetings like a person’s face or gestures, as well as visual content on your screen like a presentation or shared desktop display,” Perrotti continued.
“Video messaging tools provide the best of both worlds, and we’ve seen growing interest in this field that’s likely to continue into 2022 and beyond as remote and hybrid work models become the standard”
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Matt Glock[/caption]
Matt Glock, Worldwide VP of Sales Engineering at Fuze:
Asynchronous collaboration and real-time collaboration were also customer trends experienced by Fuze, according to its VP of Sales Engineering, Matt Glock.
UC data and insights gained by the use of machine learning (ML) has also become increasingly in demand from customers. Glock cited the benefits of this data, such as the ability to better organise time while working remotely, reducing back-to-back meetings and allowing more time for critical tasks to be of interest to Fuze customers.
“In today’s hybrid work environment, it’s never been more important for communication tools to make everyone feel included, whether working in the office or remotely,” he said.
“Business applications need to embed communication solutions with workstream notifications and individualised tailored workflows to ensure that everyone is in the know, as well as to empower workers – regardless of their location – to do their best work.”
Chris Perrotti[/caption]
