5 digital workplace trends for the future

The last few months we have all been working massively from home and it doesn’t look like the current situation will change immediately. What we saw was that some of the companies were easily adapting to this new way of working, but that other companies were less prepared for this, and that the changes required greater efforts.

The shift from office- to homeworking as the norm is not only bringing changes at this time but will undoubtedly determine our future. In this blog, we therefore discuss five trends that are already becoming more and more common or that will appear in the work field in the near future.

1. Cloud computing

With the implementation of a digital workplace within your company you are ready for the future. By migrating to the Cloud, you can remotely manage different devices and ensure that employees have access to the necessary software and applications whenever and wherever they want. Due to Cloud solutions, data will be stored and securedvirtually in the cloud instead of locally.

Companies often take their first steps into the Cloud by implementing a digital workplace. This often opens doors within the company to migrate other aspects to the Cloud. A choice can be made between the Public, Private and Hybrid Cloud depending on the business needs. You can read the difference between these Cloud solutions here.

Blauwe lucht

2. Artificial intelligence

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the integration of human intelligence into artefacts or devices/objects. The goal is to create devices that are able to act the exact same way as a human when they encounter the same situation. This process is often a matter of ‘trial & error’ with the aim of approaching reality as closely as possible and constantly improving and updating the processes.

The AI principle is not new and is already being used for countless processes today. An example we are all familiar with is updating smartphones and laptops in order to constantly improve their performance.

In the business world AI allows us to evaluate and further optimize the used processes. This is often in combination with automation processes because AI teaches us where things can be done better and faster. Some people fear that this shift will cost their job but there are also people in favor who say that they can use the gained time for strategic thinking, experimenting with new innovations, updates,…

Robot hand

3. Augmented & virtual reality

With Augmented Reality (AR), an extra layer is added to reality via the (smartphone) camera. The camera displays extra computer-generated information on the screen and there are also differences here. For example, the extra layer can also add some extra textual information or can display whole animations with audio and vibrancies.

Virtual Reality (VR)is actually the opposite of Augmented Reality. A VR headset ensures that you’re cut off from reality and that you are immersed in a fictional world.

Augmented and Virtual Reality are both on the rise in the business world, although this is mainly sector-specific. For example, architects can create entire building tours by using virtual reality glasses or can add extra elements to a building using AR. At the beginning of the lockdown, we also saw new initiatives such as fictitious meeting rooms to increase the sense of togetherness between the employees.

Pokémon GO

4. 5G

Anyone who has followed the news over the past few months has probably seen 5G pass by several times. As with other changes, there are supporters and opponents. Still, 5G is a fact and will make an appearance in the (near) future. It promises to be even faster than the mobile internet we are already used to today. For employees who regularly use their cell phone for work-related purposes, this means a wider and faster range.

Technologie afbeelding tandwielen

5. Employee experience

Employee Eperience resembles to User Experience and puts the needs and requirements of the users, in this case the employees, first. Because the Digital Workplace should enable employees to work from anywhere at any time, it is important to start from this point of view.

The implementation is therefore more than providing some new technologies. It requires a holistic approach in which the right accents must be placed from the start. In addition to accessibility and user-friendliness, sufficient attention must also be paid to performance and security in order to secure all data. Ideally, you should just roll out a test environment to a few people in order to improve any shortcomings before implementing the digital workplace for the entire company.

Man die werkt op computer

Are you also considering implementing a digital workplace within your company? We will be happy to advise you about the different functionalities and infrastructure that best suits your business needs.