collaboration software in the era of gen-z€¦ · collaboration software in the era of gen-z ....

E-guide

Collaboration in the era software

of Gen-Z

http://www.computerweekly.com

of 27

In this e-guide

Has collaboration software

wrought perilous

communication overload?

Slack vs. Teams vs. Spark:

Which is the best

collaboration tool?

MoD ditches spreadsheets for

SaaS thanks to collaboration

software

Microsoft dominates SaaS

thanks to collaboration

software

ServiceNow: Enterprises must

rethink workplace

communication as Generation

Z enter workforce

Emerging technologies to fuel

collaboration industry growth

Collaboration software in the era of Gen-Z

In this e-guide:

Collaboration software enjoyed a skittish youth in the late

1990s, during the heyday of knowledge management,

promising more than it typically delivered.

But, as social media has saturated our lives from the advent of

Facebook onwards, collaboration software for business took on

a new lease of life. Slack has been one of the emblems of this,

and Microsoft Teams is shaping up as riposte from a supplier

who has long been in the collaboration game, most notably

with Sharepoint.

But has the new generation of collaboration software also

stoked communication overload, as the lead article in this e-

guide explores? Also in this guide, Computer Weekly’s sister

site SearchContentManagement offers a chart comparing Slack,

Microsoft Teams, and Spark.

And lest we think collaboration software is the exclusive

domain of cool American West Coast software firms, our own


https://searchdomino.techtarget.com/definition/knowledge-management

https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Can-emulating-social-media-make-business-applications-more-productive

https://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Can-emulating-social-media-make-business-applications-more-productive

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Has-collaboration-software-wrought-perilous-communication-overload

https://searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Slack-vs-Teams-vs-Spark-Which-is-the-best-collaboration-tool

https://searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/feature/Slack-vs-Teams-vs-Spark-Which-is-the-best-collaboration-tool

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




UK Ministry of Defence here shows itself managing some of its

activities around the world through a cloud-based collaboration

tool that was designed by a former Royal Navy IT expert.

The entry of digital natives born in the 1990s – so-called

Generation Z – into the workforce means employers need to up

their collaboration software game, we discover in this report

from a ServiceNow conference, “Knowledge 18”, in Vegas this

year. From this e-guide you will also learn how Microsoft is

dominating the Software as a Service space thanks to its

strength in collaboration software.

More broadly, another of Computer Weekly’s sister sites

surveys the unified communications and collaboration industry

in what looks to be a year of growth, fuelled by the emerging

and ubiquitous technology of modern artificial intelligence, as

well as APIs.

Brian McKenna, business applications editor


https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450414178/MoD-ditches-spreadsheets-for-SaaS-based-collaboration-tool

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450414178/MoD-ditches-spreadsheets-for-SaaS-based-collaboration-tool

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252440963/ServiceNow-Enterprises-must-rethink-workplace-communication-as-generation-z-enter-workforce

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252440963/ServiceNow-Enterprises-must-rethink-workplace-communication-as-generation-z-enter-workforce

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252447312/Microsoft-dominates-SaaS-thanks-to-collaboration-software

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252447312/Microsoft-dominates-SaaS-thanks-to-collaboration-software

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/opinion/Emerging-technologies-to-fuel-collaboration-industry-growth

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Has collaboration software wrought perilous communication overload?

Peter Allison, guest contributor

The collaboration tool Slack now counts eight million daily users, whilst

Microsoft’s Team chat app is used in over 200,000 organisations. Popular as

such tools are, do they really improve productivity as much as is claimed?

Three years ago, it was reported that an email epidemic was killing UK

productivity. An over-reliance on email meant that employees were being

swamped with unnecessary messages, distracting them from their projects and

thereby damaging an organisation’s productivity.

There has since been significant research conducted on how emails are

affecting people’s mental and social wellbeing, with a whole new field of

psychology called “Technostress” being formed.

“Emails are the most pernicious,” observes Sir Cary Cooper CBE, Professor of

Organisational Psychology & Health at the University of Manchester. “They

interfere with [peoples’] private life and social time and holidays and are having

a major impact on their productivity.”


https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Email-overload-is-killing-the-UKs-economic-productivity

https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/Email-overload-is-killing-the-UKs-economic-productivity

http://www.manchester.ac.uk/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Since then, we have witnessed the rise of collaborative tools in the work place.

There are now many online tools for companies to choose from; from business

messaging apps such as Slack and Skype for Business to project collaboration

tools like GitHub and Asana.

“Over the course of my career I’ve seen online collaboration tools develop from

something novel into something vitally useful,” says Chris Brind, Software

Engineer at DuckDuckGo.

Information overload

Whilst such tools reduce the frequency of emails, the total number of messages

being sent has not been reduced. Rather, messages are now spread across

multiple messaging and collaborative applications. “Volume has now moved

over into a variety of tools. It becomes difficult to keep everything merged

together,” says David Goulden, product director at Clarizen.

A survey about collaboration technology published by Clarizen last year

revealed, amongst other things, that despite 81% of respondents taking steps to

improve communication, they still lacked a way to keep projects on track and

provide management oversight.

Although designed to mitigate the loss of productivity, inappropriate use of

collaboration tools can inadvertently cause a further reduction in productivity. In


https://www.computerweekly.com/feature/No-more-email-Why-companies-are-turning-to-collaboration-technology

https://slack.com/

https://www.skype.com/en/business/

https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/collaboration

https://github.com/

https://asana.com/

https://duckduckgo.com/

https://www.clarizen.com/

https://www.clarizen.com/press-release/survey-pins-falling-productivity-on-communication-overload/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




short, a multitude of incoming messages from a number of channels can be a

serious distraction.

“I have no doubt productivity is falling through the floor due to these socially

collaborative tools,” says Ian Armstrong, co-founder of Glass Onion. “I've seen

them used in product development, company mergers and fully distributed

businesses, and I've been around long enough to know of a world before they

were available.”

Enabling collaboration and knowledge sharing

However, collaboration tools are not without their benefits, as they allow users

to check colleague availability at a glance, collaborate with others regardless of

distance and obtain a swift answer to a brief question.

“Slack has helped us to effectively separate communication between team

members from external communications,” says Dr Zubair Ahmed, CEO of

MedicSpot. “The informal nature of Slack allows the team to get important

points across without wasting time on email etiquette.”

Collaborative tools also allow geographically diverse teams to collaborate

effectively. Projects were previously more constrained by the locally available

talent pool, whereas now organisations are able to recruit on a world-wide basis

and have their employees connected via collaboration tools.


http://glassonion.co/home/4594017150

https://www.medicspot.co.uk/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




“Slack and other collaborative tools such as GitHub, Trello, and Asana are

redefining the way we work,” says David Hanson, Co-CEO of Ultra. “For the first

time, teams can be spread all over the globe and still operate as a team.”

This sentiment is shared by Claire Elbrow of Blue Lizard Marketing; “We use

Timecamp for time tracking and invoicing, and Trello for project management.

We use OneDrive for filing and file sharing. Without them I would not be able to

run my business in the way I do.”

Distractions and disruptions

However, people are naturally reactive. Our preconditioned behaviour dictates

that we respond to incoming stimuli. For example, if the phone rings, we answer

it.

With incoming messages – and their notifications – employees are distracted

from projects. They feel compelled to read the message and respond if

necessary. Some people cannot help but watch the animated notifications that

indicate someone is typing, and after the conversation they have to regain their

original focus. All this takes up valuable time.

Collaborative tools can also saturate employees with information, further

distracting them from what they are working on. If employees are constantly

bombarded with unfiltered information about everything happening within a


https://ultra.io/

https://www.bluelizardmarketing.com/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




company, it can be difficult for people to discern what is important and what can

wait – or even be ignored.

“There is a danger of information overload when too many channels are in use,”

says Sherry Bevan, a women's leadership coach. “It's important to set

boundaries, because you cannot possibly respond to every channel with the

same level of responsiveness.”

Information shared in this way often becomes hard to find, as many

collaboration tools store everything in long threads. Finding what was shared a

few weeks or months ago becomes a time-consuming endeavour.

“There is a plethora of communication [tools] and keeping those aligned is

increasingly difficult,” says Goulden. “If information is not channelled through a

shared repository, then those communications can be lost.”

Productivity boosts

From the outset, companies should determine who requires access to which

chat channels and collaboration tools. For example, much like the rule of not

CCing everyone into an email, it is important to understand that not everyone

requires access to all the information all of the time. Information overload leads

to a highly distracted – and confused – workforce.


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Instead, access to each communication channel should be on a need-to-know

basis, with the information transparently available for employees to find as and

when they require it.

“At first, we found we were getting distracted by different channels, with multiple

notifications and conversations sometimes starting on one channel and finishing

on another,” says Ahmed. “We [then] created specific private channels within

Slack, inviting only those who needed to be involved in those conversations.”

Limiting employees’ access to chat channels will diminish the distractions this

brings. This can be further mitigated by switching off certain notifications, such

as the employee only being notified when they are specifically mentioned in a

comment. If users find themselves distracted by every message, this can lead to

them switching off the application altogether.

Whilst an induction seminar about collaboration tools seems somewhat obsolete

in this digitally connected age, it does allow companies to stipulate the expected

level of professional behaviour when using such tools. These seminars can also

highlight that messages on the corporate network should not to be considered

private.

Managers can lead by example, by setting the expected tone for using chat

tools. This encourages professional dialogue and helps to prevent

conversations going off topic.


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




An option worth considering is adopting asynchronous

collaboration/communication tools. Unlike synchronous tools, which notify

employees as soon as a message has been delivered, asynchronous tools only

deliver messages when the employee is ready.

This may delay a message by, at most, a few hours. However, asynchronous

tools are not intended to replace tools designed for immediate dissemination of

information and should therefore not be used as such. In such as cases, a

telephone call or face-to-face meeting would be better suited.

“Asynchronous communication apps allow people to share updates or ask for

feedback and get responses or simply others’ attention when their attention is

free from important work,” says Martynas Jocius, co-founder and product

engineer at Tipi. “That simple principle is a big productivity booster.”

Maximising productivity, minimising distractions

Collaboration and communication tools are here to stay, whether we like it or

not. They can enhance an organisation’s productivity and interconnectedness,

allowing company-wide project collaboration, regardless of how geographically

diverse an organisation may be. However, this is only when they are used

appropriately.

Awareness of the damage that collaboration tools can cause – and the wider

impacts of always being digitally connected - are being recognised. The French


https://www.tipihub.com/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




government have passed a law saying that no manager in the public or private

sector can send an email – including any messaging apps – to their staff

members out of office hours. “It is utterly unenforceable,” says Cooper. “But it is

sending a big message.”

Rather than simply deploying any new collaborative technologies across their

network as is, companies need to consider the impact that this new technology

will have on work flow and ensure all staff are briefed on appropriate use. Time

should be taken to consider how to best connect their employees without unduly

distracting them.

“I couldn’t do my job without collaboration tools,” says Brind. “They can be

distracting, but the thing to remember is that you’re in control.”

Next Article


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Slack vs. Teams vs. Spark: Which is the best collaboration tool?

Reda Chouffani, guest contributor

Platforms that offer real-time collaboration with instant messaging or chat have

been in high demand, and that isn't showing any signs of slowing down. Given

the fact that many teams considering these popular messaging solutions have a

number of options from which to choose, it is becoming very difficult for them

and their IT leadership to determine the best collaboration tool for their needs,

and to compare the tools to each other.

So how does Slack vs. Microsoft Teams vs. Cisco Spark stack up, features

wise?

With the ongoing push for teams to be more efficient, as well as the need to

stay connected at the office or while on the go, messaging platforms have

become a staple in organizations. Being able to connect via one centralized tool

can help users stay up to date with the latest conversations around projects and

future initiatives.


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/tip/Cisco-Spark-Slack-ignite-fledgling-team-messaging-market

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




But finding the best collaboration tool for an organization isn't just about

messaging; real-time cloud collaboration tools also support audio, video and

screen sharing, as well. Products like Slack and HipChat are two of the most

popular, newer platforms to enter the market, but they've just as quickly seen

competitors like Microsoft and Cisco threaten to take some of their subscribers.

Ultimately, the question of Slack vs. Teams vs. Cisco Spark comes down to

functionality. While they all offer the same core functionality, including instant

messaging, audio and video chat, and file sharing, they differ when it comes to

additional enterprise functionality.

Each of the three has its own unique features when it comes to content sharing,

compliance, integration, artificial intelligence, storage, presence and costs, all of

which an IT decision-maker must consider when trying to determine the best

collaboration tool for an organization. Learn more about the three collaboration

platforms in the following chart:

Next Article


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/252435643/Slack-competitor-Atlassian-Stride-releases-tools-for-developers

https://searchdomino.techtarget.com/definition/real-time-collaboration

https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/answer/Confused-deputy-How-did-the-vulnerability-affect-Slack

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/252445742/Atlassian-Slack-deal-marks-end-of-HipChat-Stride

https://slack.com/

https://products.office.com/en-us/microsoft-teams/group-chat-software

https://www.ciscospark.com/

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/252436710/New-Microsoft-Teams-features-include-Cortana-integration

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/252436775/Cisco-BroadSoft-cloud-PBX-to-bring-telephony-to-Spark

https://searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/tip/Seven-features-to-consider-when-picking-enterprise-collaboration-tools

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




MoD ditches spreadsheets for SaaS-based collaboration tool

Karl Flinders, EMEA content editor

The Ministry of Defence (MoD) is managing some of its activities around the

world through a cloud-based collaboration tool that was designed by a former

Royal Navy IT expert.

The MoD was able to stop using multiple spreadsheets after buying a Linkspace

data management software service from Ctrl O through G-Cloud. The deal also

demonstrates the financial advantages of software as a service (SaaS) that

does not require upfront development.

The collaboration tool can be shared by disparate teams. Its bespoke nature

attracted the MoD because it allowed the organisation to get a tool for a very

specific task, which might include one-off business processes – in this case,

managing global engagements. But at the same time, it requires little

customisation.

The software has replaced the use of spreadsheets to manage defence

engagements, which had limitations. Data integrity was poor and there was


http://ctrlo.com/

http://ctrlo.com/

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




limited version control due to a lack of simultaneous editing capabilities. There

was also no visibility or control over changes made.

Ctrl O managing director Andy Beverley was previously an IT expert in the

Royal Navy.

“Throughout my Royal Navy career, I saw a lot of one-off bespoke

requirements. The military was going out and developing bespoke software from

scratch, and I thought there might be a niche for a software platform that was

already developed,” he said.

This is quicker to deploy and configured to specific needs, he added.

“There was a common theme with all of [the bespoke systems] – they all

needed items of data that could be updated and tracked by lots of people

securely,” said Beverley.

He said 95% of the requirement could be provided off the shelf, with the final

5% by configuration. Beverley then developed Linkspace and set up Ctrl O.

The MoD now has 600 people globally using the system, which includes all

defence attachés across the world.

Due to the nature of the MoD’s work, it was important that there was tight

security and control of access, which many collaboration tools couldn’t offer. Its

bespoke nature was also important because many available enterprise


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




collaboration systems require in-house teams to do development work to make

it fit the requirement.

The Ministry of Justice is another customer of Ctrl O.

At £5 per user per month, it demonstrates the advantages of cloud-based

services that have already been approved for use.

Richard Sykes, chair of the Cloud Industry Forum, said: “Deployed globally by

the MoD, Linkspace saved 90% of the original budget estimate and was

deployed four times faster than originally anticipated. This is the clearest

example of G-Cloud delivering success for the ministry and for the taxpayer.”

Next Article


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Microsoft dominates SaaS thanks to collaboration software

Cliff Saran, managing editor

Microsoft continues to dominate the software-as-a-service (SaaS) market,

ahead of Salesforce, according to research from analyst Synergy which shows

that the software giant has a worldwide market share of more than 17%.

Synergy said Microsoft’s dominance of the large collaboration segment has

helped it to distance itself further from the chasing pack of SaaS providers.

“Thanks primarily to its leadership in the collaboration segment, Microsoft’s

annual revenue growth is running at 45%, far surpassing overall market growth,”

the analyst noted.

Along with Google, ServiceNow and Oracle, Microsoft is the fastest-growing

SaaS provider. Synergy said Salesforce is the second-largest SaaS provider

and remains the dominant player in customer relationship management (CRM),

but this segment is relatively low growth compared to other SaaS segments,

enabling Microsoft to pull ahead in the overall market.


https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450402289/Collaborative-Team-in-Office-365-paves-way-to-AI-augmented-business

https://searchcontentmanagement.techtarget.com/tip/How-to-enhance-collaboration-with-Office-365-tools

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/answer/How-do-Google-business-collaboration-tools-compare-with-Office-365

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252440010/ServiceNow-buys-into-SaaS-licensing-to-drive-digitisation

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




The third-biggest SaaS provider is Adobe, followed by Oracle and SAP,

Synergy reported.

The analyst forecast that collaboration, CRM, enterprise resource planning

(ERP) and human capital management (HCM) will continue to grow strongly

over the next five years.

John Dinsdale, a chief analyst at Synergy Research Group, said: “There is a

fascinating battle for SaaS playing out, with traditional enterprise software

vendors slugging it out with born-in-the-cloud vendors like Workday, Zendesk,

ServiceNow and Dropbox.

“The latter group are helping to rapidly transform the market, but the more

traditional players like Microsoft, SAP, Oracle and IBM still have a huge base of

on-premise software customers that they can convert to a SaaS-based

consumption model.

“Meanwhile, Cisco and Google too are making ever-bigger inroads into the

SaaS market, via Cisco’s collaboration apps and software vendor acquisitions

and Google’s G Suite.”

Synergy’s research found that SaaS is far smaller than the overall enterprise IT

market, accounting for less than 15% of total enterprise software spending. It

therefore remains small compared to on-premise software, which means SaaS


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




growth will remain buoyant for many years to come, Synergy reported.

Although the SaaS growth rate is not as high as infrastructure as a service

(IaaS) and platform as a service (PaaS), the SaaS market is substantially bigger

and will remain so for the foreseeable future, said Synergy. Quarterly SaaS

spending is now $20bn and growing at 32% a year, it added.

Next Article


of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




ServiceNow: Enterprises must rethink workplace communication as Generation Z enter workforce

Zach Emmanuel, reporter

Enterprises need to update the communication and collaboration tools they offer

staff to ensure they meet the high digital expectations of young people entering

the workforce for the first time.

That is according to executives at service management provider ServiceNow,

who used the company’s Knowledge 18 conference in Las Vegas to talk about

the technology challenge posed by members of Generation Z – those born after

the mid-1990s – entering the workforce.

Members of that demographic have grown up to become reliant on technology

and favour modes of communication that could be considered out of step with

how most enterprises operate.


https://searchitoperations.techtarget.com/definition/ServiceNow

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




“They go to bed with their devices, they wake up with their devices, and they

communicate differently to what we [the older generation] do. They’re very

dependent on technology,” ServiceNow cofounder, Fred Luddy, told delegates.

“They’re going to be joining the workforce very soon, if they’re not already, and

their expectations are very visual and tactical. It’s a whole different planet that

these kids live on and I have great hope for this generation, but we’re going to

have to rethink.”

ServiceNow chief technology officer, Allan Leinwand, said this younger

generation favours flexibility on how they choose to communicate within

companies, rather than rely solely on email, and may prefer to use WhatsApp or

iMessage, for example.

Another case Leinwand used was that of a young developer. “‘I’m a developer

and I love Slack, so I want to do enterprise DevOps collaboration within Slack’,”

he said.

“Out in the real world in 2018, we’re using things like Yelp and Uber and all

these other great tools that people love, and then we to go the office and we’re

back in 1996.”

“People still send email, people still do calendar invites. What people want is

experiences that they’re used to outside of work to get their job done better

inside of work,” he added.


https://www.computerweekly.com/news/252437242/WhatsApp-co-founder-calls-time-on-Facebook

https://www.computerweekly.com/news/450416802/Yelp-deploys-Splunk-to-improve-data-access

https://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/answer/Uber-breach-How-did-a-private-GitHub-repository-fail-Uber

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




One example of this is to find conference rooms in an office building. He said

people can use map applications outside to locate places, but inside they have

to rely on the “archaic” method of asking for help from an admin.

Leinwand said it is not a technology issue stopping these changes, but decision-

makers have prioritised other areas such as developing and incorporating

artificial intelligence (AI).

“The best talent today expects great digital experiences at work. Top talent can

work anywhere, and they are choosing companies that embrace advanced

technology to make work simpler, faster [and] better.”

Next Article


https://www.computerweekly.com/resources/Artificial-intelligence-automation-and-robotics

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Emerging technologies to fuel collaboration industry growth

Stephane Giraudie, guest contributor

The future of any industry is not always certain, and it can be difficult to predict.

However, some trends in the unified communications and collaboration industry

indicate 2018 will be a strong year of growth.

Over the next two years, 80% of companies intend to adopt UCC tools,

according to a survey published by market research firm Ovum. More

importantly, 78% of the 1,300 global companies surveyed have already set

aside budgets to adopt UCC tools -- that's a promising sign.

But what exactly will that growth in the unified communications and

collaboration industry look like? What existing trends will continue? And what

new trends will emerge?

The continued rise of APIs in the collaboration industry


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/tip/Five-predictions-for-communication-and-collaboration-in-2018

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/450423153/Infrastructure-endpoints-to-drive-UC-tech-budget-boom-in-2018

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/news/450423153/Infrastructure-endpoints-to-drive-UC-tech-budget-boom-in-2018

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




As more companies emphasize streamlining their workflows, more IT

departments will embed communication APIs into their existing applications.

Integrating communication APIs is faster, easier and cheaper than a full internal

development, which can take months. Additionally, deploying commercial

software, which requires companies to run their own global infrastructure, can

be burdensome.

In 2017, 25% of companies used APIs to embed UC features, according to a

report from Vidyo, a video conferencing provider based in Hackensack, N.J.

This trend is expected to continue, as half of companies plan to deploy APIs this

year, and another 78% plan to integrate APIs for embedded video in the future.

Embedded communication APIs also provide contextual information for

workflows. Information out of context does not exactly help organizations, and it

provides users with a fragmented experience -- even with a project

management interface to organize workflows.

In 2018, look for new features to put more contextualized information at workers'

fingertips. For example, a sidebar during a video conference could offer users

information, such as certain content to address during the meeting or tasks

associated with the active speaker.

The AI party arrives in the collaboration industry


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/tip/Using-APIs-to-integrate-communication-into-business-workflows

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/answer/How-do-WebRTC-APIs-and-analytics-affect-contextual-communication

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




As we push into 2018, keep an eye on the emergence of AI in the unified

communications and collaboration industry. Virtual assistants and bots, for

example, use AI to enrich the meeting experience.

Imagine sitting through a long conference call when the discussion moves to a

topic that interests you. You call out, "Start recording conversation," and a

virtual assistant immediately begins recording. Then, you say, "Send me a

transcript of this conversation." And at the end of the call, the virtual assistant

sends you a transcript with an analysis of the conversation that you can replay

with action items.

Emerging technology in the contact center

Unified communications apps are revolutionizing business in general. But I

predict 2018 will be a banner year for the customer-support industry in

particular. Some companies have already integrated click-to-call features into

their chatbots, but the quality of those features to date has been subpar.

Companies will move from telephony to instant video calls when connecting

customers with agents. Thanks to instant translation and transcription services,

the video widget will include real-time subtitles translated into French, English,

Spanish or whatever language the customer needs to understand the service

agent.


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/tip/Virtual-assistant-apps-not-quite-geared-for-businesses-yet

https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/tip/4-ways-AI-services-can-improve-video-meeting-room-technology

https://www.dialogic.com/~/media/products/docs/whitepapers/11722-video-contact-ctr-wp.pdf

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




The agent experience will also improve. We'll start to see AI bots on the back

end that transcribe conversations and index all the words, so agents can be

prompted with special content as the conversation unfolds. Agents could then

send information to customers on the spot with a voice command.

Customers and agents will also be able to illustrate what they're talking about

with augmented reality (AR). Imagine you're on the phone with a Comcast

agent, and you can show the agent your router with your iPhone. The agent

could send you diagrams of what to do -- superimposed onto your router in AR.

This process is now possible, thanks to Google and Apple embracing AR

toolkits.

These emerging technologies indicate a bright future for the unified

communications and collaboration industry. Whatever the next year holds, good

luck in your journey.

Stephane Giraudie is CEO and founder of Voxeet, a provider of voice over IP

web conferencing software based in San Francisco.


https://searchunifiedcommunications.techtarget.com/answer/Will-customer-service-chatbots-replace-contact-center-agents

https://whatis.techtarget.com/definition/augmented-reality-AR

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce




Getting more CW+ exclusive content

As a CW+ member, you have access to TechTarget’s entire portfolio of 140+

websites. CW+ access directs you to previously unavailable “platinum members-

only resources” that are guaranteed to save you the time and effort of having to

track such premium content down on your own, ultimately helping you to solve

your toughest IT challenges more effectively—and faster—than ever before.

Take full advantage of your membership by visiting www.computerweekly.com/eproducts

Images; stock.adobe.com

© 2018 TechTarget. No part of this publication may be transmitted or reproduced in any form or by any means without

written permission from the publisher.


http://www.computerweekly.com/eproducts

of 27

In this e-guide


wrought perilous



Which is the best

collaboration tool?



software



software


rethink workplace


Z enter workforce





collaboration software in the era of gen-z€¦ · collaboration software in the era of gen-z ....

Documents