As 2020 winds down and 2021 looms, it is time to reflect on the year behind us – and what a year it was. We have come a long way from “15 days to slow the spread”, learning each step of the way how to adapt to the uncertain landscape. While most would not have believed that we will still be battling the COVID-19 pandemic 9 months later, that is our reality. It seems prudent at this point to assess how the workforce as changed. After all, what we thought would be a short duration has morphed into an entirely new way to conduct business – and many of our “temporary fixes” are likely here to stay. Perhaps no application was more impactful to 2020 business than videoconferencing. Now that our new normal has settled in, we are taking a look at how videoconference software providers are planning to shift into their new role as standard “business as usual.”
Zoom came to the forefront and reported unprecedented growth; but they were not the only videoconferencing platform to benefit from the pandemic. In June, 4 months after the announcement of the virus, Microsoft reported that Teams platform utilization had surpassed rival Zoom’s number; and developers raced to bolster the platform with more and more features.
This year has given both employer and employee the opportunity to “test out” the reality of a remote workforce. The forced situation resulted in changed paradigms and new methods of communication and collaboration of which videoconferencing is a key component. In addition, many employees have indicated a desire to continue working from home – even after it is safe to return to the office. It seems videoconferencing is here to stay, and therefore will be required to evolve from temporary to permanent business tool.
What Videoconference Users Require
Initially, the list of required features for videoconferencing software was short and to the point. It needed to be easy to use, intuitive, and work on a user’s home network. As features were rolled out throughout the year, Zoom and Microsoft (among others) concentrated on the individual user experience.
However, as the application evolves into a standard fixture in business operations, businesses are looking for more integrated and secure features, such as searching and sharing relevant documents during a meeting. Working smarter and faster will be a key objective go forward. Many of these features will likely be based in AI.
Videoconferencing Advanced Features
Raul Castanon, senior analyst in workforce productivity and collaboration at 451 Research S&P Global Market intelligence, pointed out that AI features have already been included in the offerings of big videoconference providers. Further, Mike Fasciani, senior research director at Gartner, is looking for integrated virtual whiteboarding technology, citing it to be an expected priority for videoconferencing consumers in 2021. While basic whiteboards exist today, they often fall short of real-world practical collaboration needs.
And while companies were forced to accept some security issues when scrambling to establish communication at the outset of the crisis – moving into 2021, levels of security will be required of all serious vendors. After a widely publicized breach in April of 2020, Zoom now offers end-to-end encryption. Making sure security, governance and compliance are all integrated will become a necessity as the technology evolves.
One of the biggest difficulties that South Florida companies will tackle as they adopt a hybrid work model will be seamlessly integrating in-office and remote meeting participants. While remote participants were traditionally marginalized when listening in on an in-person meeting, 2020 saw ALL worker become remote. As we move into 2021, equal footing will need to be established among all attendees.
2020 necessitated that everyone rethink their business protocols. 2021 will find those same businesses refining and solidifying new ways of working and succeeding. If your Sarasota area business is in need of assistance in realigning and restructuring your organization, call Alliance IT. Our expertise and experience in helping companies to move their IT offsite give us a unique and strategic advantage in this area. Call today for more information.
