From immersive virtual environments to AI-driven assistance, the next generation of collaborative solutions is transforming how individuals and organisations interact. Our industry’s innovative strides in 2024 and beyond promise to elevate productivity, foster creativity, and revolutionise the way we collaborate in an era where seamless connection and efficiency are critical.
With our latest Round Table subject, “Next-Gen Collaboration”, we spoke with experts and executives from Black Box, Zoom, 8×8 and Vonage about the trends they see in the evolution of collaboration tools, the challenges that come with the widespread adoption of next-gen collaboration tools, how these tools can bridge geographical and cultural gaps within teams, and how emerging technologies like AI and AR can revolutionise collaboration in the future.
What trends are you seeing in the evolution of collaboration tools for the next generation?
Joe Diaz, Strategic Partner Alliances Manager at Black Box
Diaz stated that enhancements in AV Collaboration tools, such as video conferencing, live editing of documents, and interactive white-boarding, will empower users to work together on projects regardless of geographical location.
“Remote work support collaboration applications such as desktop video, file sharing, and CRM have been enhanced to support the growing trend of remote workers,” Diaz continued. “These tools will be further enhanced through Artificial Intelligence to improve productivity and enhance user communication and collaboration among distributed teams.”
Helen Hawthorn, Head of Solutions Engineering, EMEA at Zoom
Hawthorn observed that the next generation of collaboration tools is illustrated by a shift towards seamless integration, enhanced user experiences, and a more holistic approach to team collaboration.
“We’re seeing a growing demand for tools that offer a unified platform, incorporating video conferencing, messaging, and file sharing — essentially, a one-stop shop for all of a user’s communication needs. Integration, interoperability, and productivity are also increasingly important,” Hawthorn added.
Hawthorn explained that Zoom’s customers are actively looking for tools that work with their existing business applications, have AI-powered capabilities that assist in saving time and make employees’ lives easier, and have user-friendly interfaces that are intuitive and streamlined.
“We continuously take user feedback on board when developing solutions at Zoom and have introduced many features in the past year that answer these needs, such as Zoom AI Companion, our AI assistant,” Hawthorn expanded.
Chris Angus, VP of Contact Centre Experience at 8×8
Angus cited the sophistication and, “ironically”, the simplification of Cross-Functional Collaboration tools is “a top trend right now”.
“I think it will be going into the next 12 months at least,” Angus continued. “Distributed teams have already had access to team messaging, video and virtual collaboration spaces for a few years now, but the ability to work seamlessly in the same way from a mobile app without a loss of functionality is on the rise.”
Angus stressed that the priority is being able to maintain your CRM integration whilst being on the road.
“Having access to AI-driven conversational analysis from a UC mobile app or even being able to access your contact centre’s sophisticated call routing rules without being a traditional contact centre user are all things we are seeing on the upward trend,” he said.
John Antanaitis, VP of Product Portfolio Marketing at Vonage
Antanaitis highlighted that one of the more notable trends is AI-driven collaboration, where companies use enhanced AI tools to streamline workflows, automate specific tasks, better connect people with actionable data that impacts their current activities and improve decision-making processes.
“Generative AI can assist in sorting data, offering valuable and actionable insights and even facilitating better communication, which all go a long way in understanding customer or user needs and preferences and enabling proactive and personalized support,” Antanaitis outlined.
“Additionally, tools that facilitate seamless collaboration across various channels, including email, social media, video, phone, and chat, are also helping companies provide a consistent and unified experience for customers and employees, regardless of the communication medium,” he added.
Antanaitis also suggested that a continued focus on improving user interfaces and experiences through more personalized, intuitive, user-friendly, and engaging collaboration tools is another growing trend, along with UC tools allowing for real-time communications where “employees and customers can quickly get the answers they need”.
What challenges do you foresee in the widespread adoption of next-gen collaboration tools, and how can these challenges be effectively addressed?
John Antanaitis, VP of Product Portfolio Marketing at Vonage
Antanaitis argued that one challenge is the seamless integration of these tools into existing systems and workflows without interrupting operations.
“This can vary based on the communication channels and tools a company is already using,” Antanaitis said. “Companies should focus on creating user-friendly interfaces and use robust APIs for simplified and enhanced integration.”
“Security concerns also remain a critical factor,” he added, “with an increasing amount of sensitive data exchanged through collaboration tools and the magnitude of fraud attempts still at an all-time high. Leveraging AI without appropriate security only amplifies these concerns, as significant amounts of data are created through the use of AI tools.”
Antanaitis suggested that companies should use tools that offer end-to-end encryption and multi-factor authentication and conduct “regular security audits to best ensure data privacy, compliance with regulations and cyber threat protection for both employees and customers”. He emphasised that addressing any of these challenges requires collaboration from solution providers, IT departments and end-users.
Chris Angus, VP of Contact Centre Experience at 8×8
Angus cited the importance of early adopters, as widespread adaptation to new ways of working always starts with them.
“This is already in motion, so it won’t be long before the benefits and values drive wider adoption from businesses trying to solve similar challenges,” Angus continued. “Cost will always play a part in this, of course – you only have to look at the price point for Immersive and Augmented Tech to see that this would be difficult for some organisations to justify.”
Angus’s advice is to start at the end and work backwards. “Ask what problem you wish to solve and what value this brings your customers or employees, both from a CSAT/ESAT perspective and an ROI perspective,” he said. “Then, work with an innovation partner who is focused on helping you solve the problem. Let them be the expert you need to navigate the technology minefield.”
Helen Hawthorn, Head of Solutions Engineering, EMEA at Zoom
Hawthorn listed several challenges to widespread adoption, including resistance to change, security concerns, and interoperability issues with existing tools.
“From our own research, we know that while employers themselves are anxious to embrace new technologies like AI to save time and drive productivity, employees are, on the whole, more cautious,” she explained.
Hawthorn asserted that this, in part, is based on fear of the unknown and a lack of confidence when using these tools.
“To address these issues, it’s essential to provide robust user training programs, prioritise data security measures, and ensure seamless integration with commonly used applications,” Hawthorn expanded. “Collaboration tool providers should actively engage with user feedback to refine and improve their offerings continually.”
Joe Diaz, Strategic Partner Alliances Manager at Black Box
Diaz noted that integrating existing systems and tools is one of the challenges that Black Box foresees businesses facing, especially in organizations with a diverse technology landscape.
“This is why it is important to choose tools that offer robust integration capabilities and a System Integration company that has deep knowledge and experience with APIs and middleware, to help bridge the gap between disparate tools and platforms,” Diaz continued.
“Security will also be a growing challenge when choosing any new collaboration tool or platform,” he added. “This also highlights the importance of choosing the right tools and system integration company to guarantee compliance with industry standards and regulations while ensuring a high level of security.”
Considering the increasing focus on remote work and global collaboration, how can next-gen collaboration tools address the challenges of bridging geographical and cultural gaps within teams?
Helen Hawthorn, Head of Solutions Engineering, EMEA at Zoom
Hawthorn highlighted that remote working has “fundamentally changed the nature of the modern workplace, and while that has brought significant benefits in terms of staff retention, recruitment possibilities from a wider pool of talent, and productivity, there are challenges that need to be overcome”.
As a consequence, Hawthorn stressed that next-gen collaboration tools can play a pivotal role in fostering a sense of connectivity and inclusivity across geographically dispersed teams.
“Features such as real-time language translation and intuitive user interfaces contribute to overcoming communication barriers,” Hawthorn added. “Virtual collaboration spaces and immersive experiences can enhance team cohesion, promoting effective collaboration irrespective of geographical and cultural differences.”
Joe Diaz, Strategic Partner Alliances Manager at Black Box
Diaz emphasised that this can be done by delivering applications and platforms that enhance features such as real-time video conferencing, instant messaging, chat, and virtual workspaces that allow for document editing and cloud storage.
“By adding AI tools, we can also provide the integration of language translation services, breaking down language barriers, making it easier for diverse teams to communicate effectively, and reducing misunderstandings and conflicts,” he said.
Chris Angus, VP of Contact Centre Experience at 8×8
Angus namechecks video and collaboration tools as having played a significant role in allowing teams to stay connected and maintain company culture, as well as “enabling new staff members to feel part of the team from 200 miles away”.
“Now that we have widespread adoption of AI tools, we are already seeing how this can help bridge the gap between language barriers and response suggestions,” Angus added.
John Antanaitis, VP of Product Portfolio Marketing at Vonage
Antanaitis states that integrating multilingual support within collaboration tools can support teams in overcoming language barriers. “This includes features like real-time transcription and translation or multilingual chat support to facilitate smoother interactions among team members from diverse backgrounds,” Antanaitis said.
Antanaitis also pointed out that creating virtual collaboration spaces that mimic physical environments can encourage casual interactions among remote team members and be designed for any discussion. “It’s also important to use technology that combines multiple forms of standard office communication into a single interface, allowing for more streamlined work for teams,” he expanded.
Lastly, Antainitis stressed that collaboration tools can help convey complex ideas more effectively to dispersed teams, citing virtual whiteboards or interactive presentations and broadcasts. “By addressing these aspects, next-gen collaboration tools can play a pivotal role in fostering inclusivity, understanding and effective communication across geographical and cultural boundaries within teams,” he explained.
In what ways do you think emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence or augmented reality, could revolutionize collaboration in the future?
Chris Angus, VP of Contact Centre Experience at 8×8
Angus highlighted that our industry is already seeing how AI is changing the way people work, automating routine tasks, reducing customer wait times and providing assistance with customer-facing replies to both digital and voice interactions.
“This technology used internally can help teams communicate effectively cross-functionally — such as helping phrase a question to get a purposeful reply and help reduce miscommunication,” Angus said. “I, for one, can’t wait for Augmented Reality to make its way into our market fully — to be able to truly feel like I am in the room with global team members whilst we whiteboard ideas would be a welcome advancement.”
John Antanaitis, VP of Product Portfolio Marketing at Vonage
Antanaitis said that AI and emerging technologies will play a pivotal role in driving collaboration as companies start understanding where the technology can provide the most value and look to build on current capabilities.
“For example, the recent growth of generative AI models shows powerful potential for accelerating the development of conversational interfaces while supporting more natural conversations, further improving self-service options, deepening employee and customer engagement, and enhancing the overall employee and customer experience,” Antanaitis suggested.
He underlined that companies that integrate generative AI capabilities into their business will be able to serve employees and customers more efficiently across any channel.
“Generative AI will also help spark further product innovation and development among teams by quickly analyzing customer data and generating data-backed insights that align with changing customer needs,” Antanaitis emphasised. “Businesses of all sizes can introduce AI-powered technology to their operations and enhance both the employee and customer experience across all communications channels.”
Joe Diaz, Strategic Partner Alliances Manager at Black Box
Diaz stressed that improved communication and collaboration tools such as AI will streamline communication by handling mundane or repetitive tasks such as scheduling meetings or providing quick information, “thereby reducing cost and increasing productivity”.
“AI algorithms will be able to quickly analyze large amounts of data providing valuable insights and helping the decision-making process,” he added. “Also, by using AI to identify individual team members’ strengths and weaknesses, we will be able to develop personalized training and skill development.”
Helen Hawthorn, Head of Solutions Engineering, EMEA at Zoom
Hawthorn said that emerging technologies like AI and AR have the “potential to revolutionise collaboration by introducing intelligent automation, predictive analytics, and immersive experiences”.
She highlighted that AI can enhance productivity by automating routine tasks, providing data-driven insights, and optimising meeting experiences. Meanwhile, “AR can facilitate more engaging virtual meetings, collaborative problem-solving, and hands-on training experiences, further breaking down barriers in remote and global collaboration,” Hawthorn concluded.
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