Using Video To Tackle “Digital Dislocation” In Workplace

Organizations are embracing video to help them communicate more effectively with their workers, according to new study from BT and Cisco. Coupled with the proliferation of cloud computing and mobile, these developments are helping to prevent “digital dislocation” between organizations and their employees.

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(Credit: Kim Steele)

Technologies such as video, cloud, and mobile are becoming critical platforms for communication across large businesses — from executives through to employees, according to the study. U.S. executives acknowledge the impact of technology when going global: 92 percent believe desktop video would add value to the workplace, and 76 percent believe video on smart phones would also be useful to their organization. In addition, 73 percent of employees want the latest collaboration software and work tools, but only 20 percent agree that their directors make IT spending a priority.

The findings suggest that more work is needed to reduce “digital dislocation.” Even though 59 percent of America’s IT leaders say they have recently invested in new technology, 52 percent say video conferencing still needs updating. Video demand is surging because seeing someone’s expression and reaction to what you’re saying is incredibly valuable information, as it often reveals more than what they say. If these tools do not facilitate easy, real-time communication then employees can feel frustrated and disconnected causing the business to suffer.

These struggles reflect changes in the modern workplace in recent years, with initiatives such as bring your own device (BYOD) and flexible working driving the need for more innovative communication and collaboration technology. The study reveals that 48 percent of U.S. employees now work “flexibly,” either on the go, at client sites, or from home, and 62 percent want easier access to corporate communications when on the move. As a result, 43 percent of employees now want to use their own device for work.

Better collaboration tools are increasingly being seen as the solution, with 78 percent of employees globally citing this as a way to improve communication.

“It’s easy for employees to get trapped inside specialist departments and divisions or drop off the map while working out of the office,” said Andrew Small, vice president, unified communications and collaboration, customer relationship management and mobility at Global Services. “But staying connected has never been so important and is vital to an organization’s success. Using effective collaboration tools, employees can share information and make faster, better decisions.”

To address this demand, BT and Cisco are announcing an upgrade to the BT One Cloud video technology platform. The new set of enhancements further simplifies scheduling a video call conference using Outlook. They also make it easier for almost any type of video user to join a conference using any device or application, including TelePresence™ and Skype for Business – whether they are located inside or outside of the organization.

“Businesses are under extreme pressure to prevent against ‘digital dislocation,’ streamline processes, and improve productivity in a variety of locations across countries and even continents,” said Scot Gardner, vice president, Global Service Provider Europe, Middle East and Africa and Russia (EMEAR) at Cisco. “By adopting cloud, mobile, and video technology, like the BT One Cloud video technology platform, companies can ensure that they have simple and seamless communication throughout their organization, avoiding siloed departments and ultimately, creating an inclusive and connected culture, regardless of geography.”

In order to facilitate these new technologies, many IT managers are looking at cloud services to help stretch their budgets and replace outdated legacy systems. Even though 78 percent of U.S. IT decision makers said security of their organization’s data has become more important in the last two years, 73 percent see a value in utilizing cloud services to access and store work data, according to the study. Global enterprises reported a 30 percent increase in both employee satisfaction and customer satisfaction directly following implementation of cloud based collaboration technology beyond a trial.

“As organizations become more familiar with cloud services, there is increasing trust and confidence in their security,” said Andrew Small. “At BT we’ve noticed that organizations leading the trend by using cloud collaboration tools are already experiencing great results – saving money and delivering better customer experience.”