Polycom Releases Top Seven Collaboration Technology Predictions for 2016, TD Reacts

Polycom made a huge splash in collaboration technology earlier this year when the company unveiled multiple new technologies at a show in NYC. However, the company has long been invested in the way people collaborate, even since its beginnings as a conference phone provider, when audio conferencing was about as collaborative as technology got in most offices. You’ll be hard pressed to find a company that cares more about where collaboration in companies is heading.

Polycom has released its top seven collaboration technology predictions for 2016, and the list touches on a lot of what Tech Decisions has seen and heard in the industry over the last year. Keep reading to learn about the seven predictions Polycom released, the company’s explanations, and my take on each prediction:

1: The Millennial Generation is shaping the Workplace of the Future

The question of which generation will have the largest impact on the Workplace of the Future has been answered. In 2015, Millennials became the largest generation in the U.S. labor force and they are the most active and engaged through social networks, using technology more frequently than any other generation to stay in touch with family, friends and colleagues. They are natural collaborators and gravitate to video for both communication and learning. In a recent study commissioned by Polycom, 78 percent of millennials indicated access to the technology they preferred to use makes them more productive at work. What they experience in their personal lives, they expect in the workplace. We expect millennials will have a greater impact on shaping the workplace in 2016, and we believe companies who do not offer a stimulating work experience with a rich set of collaboration tools will be in danger of losing top talent. We believe the Workplace of the Future is one that can successfully mesh together the millennial generation with the existing workforce.

My Take: This one is a logical observation as much as it is a prediction, but nonetheless it is true that the millennial generation is taking over the workplace. As a result, companies are going to need to adapt by implementing technology that facilitates the work of millennials. That means state-of-the-art, touchscreen, high-resolution collaboration devices – the same type of tech they have become accustomed to in their personal devices. In addition, millennials place a high premium on work-life balance, and many favor flexible work options such as working from home part-time over salary increases. So video conferencing and collaboration are key in recruiting, retaining and ensuring that millennials are working to the best of their abilities.

2. Mobility is now about the collaboration of devices

The Workplace of the Future is not a location and work is now anywhere you are, not a place you go. It is centered on being able to perform work tasks from any location, at any time, from any device, with the same level of productivity as can be achieved in the office. A recent Polycom-commissioned study showed 90 percent of businesses in the U.S. are offering or expanding remote working options and this is dramatically changing how we work. Collaboration in the age of mobility reaches beyond the specific applications a device provides, and is more about seamless integration across different devices and locations. In 2016, we expect there will be an increased focus on how devices interact with each other to deliver an integrated collaboration experience. The ability to connect consistently and easily across mobile devices, personal systems and group collaboration systems with the same voice, content and video experiences will ensure productivity for the mobile workforce. In the next year we also expect to see more workers using their mobile devices as personal “remotes” and to connect, control and interact with enterprise collaboration solution, from anywhere.

My Take: Absolutely on point. This also falls in line with millennials shaping the workplace. These same employees that are favoring working from home part-time are using their mobile devices as a central hub for all of their work. They might have a work laptop that is separate from a home laptop, and each has certain pieces of content on it while missing others. The mobile device becomes a carrying case for all of the content that they need, and while on the road it’s the only piece of technology they may have at their disposal. As such, they want to be able to connect and push content to the technologies they are using to collaborate in or with the workplace. So companies that provide easy and accessible connection to collaboration devices will become more profitable as they will cater to a large portion of the work force that utilizes collaboration tech.