New challenges predicted for 2020? Jabra says the future is now
Gartner, the world’s leading information technology research company, has predicted 10 key changes in the nature of work through 2020. Jabra contends many of these challenges already exist, with solutions already at hand.
When IT research experts, Gartner encouraged organisations to plan for the changes in the ‘World of Work through 2020’, Jabra, a world leader in innovative hands-free audio solutions, recognised that many of these predications are already a reality.
According to Scott Corry, Business Manager for Jabra South Africa at Kathea; “A world of ‘work swarms’, ‘spontaneous work’ and ‘virtual workplaces’ is how the younger members of the workforce have been brought up. As a result, progressive companies are already utilising tools that fit the new paradigm.”
“So today, with this shift, has come the realisation that competitive organisations have to place strong emphasis on the critical nature of an advanced communications infrastructure. Over the past few years we have seen a production of virtual offices and a strong need for communication systems that facilitate collaboration. Certainly, the ability to set up virtual meetings with ease and immediacy wherever you are, whenever you want, is not just a “nice-to-have” anymore but a necessity,” adds Corry.
Gartner Says the ‘World of Work’ Will Witness 10 Changes During the Next 10 Years:
- De-routinisation of Work
- Work Swarms
- Weak Links
- Working With the Collective
- Work Sketch-Ups
- Spontaneous Work
- Simulation and Experimentation
- Pattern Sensitivity
- Hyper connected
- My Place
The Need for Conferencing
What stands out is that with each of Gartner’s predictions above, they require communication among different groups of people, frequently in remote locations, many ad hoc. As a result, we believe that groups will form and disband; work will be performed in multiple offices; formal and informal relationships will blend across enterprise boundaries and of course the ability to communicate instantly will be key.
“As an integral part of the Unified Communication infrastructure Jabra is experiencing an increasing demand for solutions that facilitate this collaboration via voice, email, presence, IM or conferencing regardless of location or device,” continues Corry.
According to Corry; Jabra is well positioned for this market growth and already have products in place to account for organisational requirements. “Our portable, powerful speakerphones, like the lightweight Jabra SPEAK™ 410, becomes the catalyst for connection. The device is small enough to fit in a briefcase and, with a plug-and-play USB interface that ensures seamless integration, organising conference calls at a desk, in small groups or on the road is simple and immediate.
As with most of the products in Jabra’s portfolio, it is compatible with the burgeoning Unified Communications (UC) platform and already the company is experiencing an increasing demand for solutions that facilitate this collaboration via voice, email, presence, IM or conferencing regardless of location or device.
A Virtual Meeting in Seven Seconds
An example of the importance of this demand for immediacy can be found in Gartner’s prediction of “Work Swarms.” Groups will form quickly to work on an issue and then disband just as rapidly, functioning effectively only when there is an efficient way to link diverse groups in different locations. The ability to set up hardware for a conference call in the ‘blink of an eye’ is essential. “With the portable plug-and-play Jabra SPEAK™ 410 it takes just seven seconds to set up a virtual meeting. This allows different internal and external knowledge resources to form a Meta organisation on an ad hoc basis to immediately solve problems or take advantage of sudden opportunities, and then dissolve once the mission is completed,” says Corry.
“The future will be as full of communications challenges as the present, but one of the keys is facilitating it, and the tools are here,” concludes Corry.
