The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way many organizations work. Remote and hybrid work gained so much popularity that it has helped drive the mass adoption of unified communications (UC) throughout the business world. A recent study shows that 57% of SMBs increased their remote working plan to keep this arrangement going forward.
While the pandemic acted as a driver for UC tool adoption, it is not the only one. Here are four trends that are unrelated to the pandemic that are helping make UC the new normal for businesses.
Trend #1 – First Generation of Digital Natives in Workforce
As baby boomers age out of the workforce, more millennials are getting seats at the conference table. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that by 2030, 75% of the workforce will be millennials. The millennial generation has become the first generation of digital natives. They have grown up during the internet era and are much more comfortable than their corporate predecessors with technology. Millennials also have higher expectations of functionality and user experience. They have the expectation that their work applications should be as user friendly as the apps they use in their daily lives outside of work.
Trend #2 – Today’s Workforce is More Transient
Gone are the days where people worked in one career for one business for 30-35 years and retired with a gold watch and pension. Independent contractors/freelancers are forming a more transient workforce for a growing number of companies. A 2020 study from Upwork found that 73% of hiring managers plan to continue or even increase their future use of independent contractors/freelancers. With team members being spread out, companies need to make sure that reliable tools are available for communicating. UC gives teams the ability to collaborate from any device, from anywhere, regardless of whether they are a full-time, career employee or a consultant that is on a six-month contract.
Trend #3 – Customers’ Expectations Have Changed
There has been a shift in customers’ expectations that was beginning years before the pandemic struck. Customers are no longer satisfied with settling for cookie cutter experiences. Once they get a taste of an amazing customer experience, that will become the benchmark for comparing all their future experiences. A recent Epsilon Research study found that 80% of consumers are more apt to purchase from companies that deliver personalized experiences. To deliver that type of experience, there needs to be effective collaboration across all business units, from the marketing team to your product, customer support and service delivery teams. UC makes this level of collaboration easy to initiate and manage.
Trend #4 – Digital Transformation is for Everyone
Everyone and their brother are moving to the cloud. It is no longer limited to the tech pros. You don’t have to be an international enterprise or multimillion-dollar corporation either. A 2021 Techaisle survey reveals that 96% of SMBs rate collaboration as a top priority for IT, right under cloud initiatives. SMBs who want to remain competitive need to make cloud-based software and collaboration tools strategic priorities. By holding off a move to the cloud, you put your business at risk because of the delay in adopting the flexibility, productivity and security that a UC technology solution provides.
With digital transformation showing no signs of slowing down across the globe, the time to break the chains of legacy solutions is now before your business gets left behind.
About Logista Solutions
Logista Solutions is a nationally recognized leader in a broad range of technology management solutions. As one of the largest technology support providers in the U.S., Logista provides innovative and holistic solutions to help companies take control of their IT infrastructure and achieve better business outcomes. Popular services include Managed IT as a Service, VoIP and Unified Communications, Managed Print, Cloud Services and Asset Disposition.
