Next-gen workplaces from Polycom's eyes

HYDERABAD, INDIA: The way we work is changing. Collaboration technologies are ushering in a next generation workplace that is more productive, efficient and delivers meaningful cost savings to organisations of all sizes across the globe, as what Polycom hinted with unveiling of its top seven technology predictions for 2015 and beyond.

It noted here that globalising companies will rapidly adopt and use collaboration tools. Global expansion means working across time zones, borders and cultures. The future of business requires collaboration tools that extend business and defy distance and time. In 2015, more tools that enable visual communication from people to content will help break down communication borders and enable more global success.

It added how video conferencing is altering business models, according to the white paper, “Revolutionising the Future Workplace” by futurist Jack Uldrich. It is quickly becoming one of the most used collaboration tools and is expected to overtake email as the preferred tool by 2016.

But mass adoption does not happen unless it is made contextual to an end user’s preferred work style. Integrating collaboration technology, such as voice, video and content sharing tools into communication systems, business applications and workflows will drive adoption. New technologies such as WebRTC, standards-based video, rich software development kits and a deeper understanding of unified communications applications, make this a reality.

New industry-specific solutions—particularly in healthcare, government, financial services and retail—will increase the use and relevance of video this year.

The company also highlighted new technology innovations, like noise cancellation, lighting adjustments and digital white-boarding, that will support transformation. These technology innovations, coupled with a stronger desire for open collaboration, will render the current office-based workspace obsolete. More emphasis will be placed on connecting to anywhere, from anywhere, at any time.

It also expects that more than ever, large scale movement of small- to medium-sized businesses (SMB) to cloud-based VoIP, video and content sharing services will grow. Traditional PSTN infrastructure is becoming outdated, and with a regulatory mandate to move all voice services off PSTN within the next five years, cloud-based voice, video and content use will rise dramatically. New applications and capabilities that were previously hard to get in the traditional premise-based world will become much easier to deploy with these cloud-based collaboration services.

Companies looking for simple and effective communications will turn to the web browser in 2015, added Polycom. Enabled by WebRTC, companies globally will come to depend more on the browser to perform communication functions within work streams. Simplicity will ultimately rule this change, as more businesses look to make video an easy to use option. WebRTC will continue to gain traction in 2015, but will remain basic, meaning any advanced functionality will still require an enterprise solution.

Polycom reminds to expect 2015 to be a signature year for advancement of collaboration tools around the globe. The workplace is changing for the better, and we expect visual communications to be one of the biggest catalysts in next generation team collaboration, it states.