delivering business- critical communication and

July 2019

Delivering Business-Critical Communication and Collaboration in Today’s Modern WorkplaceAs user requirements evolve, IT departments need to navigate several barriers to successfully deliver value to their organizations

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OVUM: RESEARCH AND THOUGHT LEADERSHIP02

Contents

MILA D’ANTONIOPrinciple Analyst,

Customer Engagement

TIM BANTINGPrincipal Analyst,

Workspace Services (Collaboration)

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03In brief . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

Ovum view . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

Key messages . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 03

Two-thirds of global CIOs view UCC as business critical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 04

Nomadic, tech-savvy workforces are reshaping the workplace . . . . . . . . . . 08

Organizational barriers and unmet technology needs will halt advancement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 09

A well-articulated digital strategy is fundamental to user adoption . . . . . 12

UCC spending is set to increase across sectors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14

Enterprises expect rapid ROI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16

A lack of platform consolidation represents significant opportunities . . . . 17

Artificial intelligence is a key future requirement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Ten imperatives for effective UCC adoption . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20

DELIVERING BUSINESS-CRITICAL COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION IN TODAY’S MODERN WORKPLACE 03

SummaryIN BRIEF

Two-thirds of global chief information officers (CIOs) view unified communications and collaboration (UCC) as critical to the success of their business. In May 2019 Ovum, in partnership with GoTo by LogMeIn, interviewed 2,357 managers from medium and large companies in the US, the UK, Ireland, France, Germany, Australia, and Brazil across multiple sectors to understand the business needs behind critical initiatives and the challenges they face with UCC solutions.

UCC is also at a tipping point of change. Workforces demand greater flexibility in their unique working styles as customer centricity becomes a strategic focus. Organizations are challenging the value of traditional tools that deliver basic conferencing for remote workers and are moving to more valuable and integrated software suites with enhanced collaborative capabilities. This shift combines multiple forms of communication from traditional PSTN calling and instant messaging to cloud-based voice, online meetings, and business chat.

OVUM VIEW

CIOs are right to consider UCC business critical, but they must also recognize the opportunity to take a close look at what they are paying for and providing to the enterprise. UCC in the workplace needs to transform to reflect changing business needs. Organizations today can still provide traditional features (such as voice, video, and conferencing) but can provide these in combination with innovative functionality such as artificial intelligence (AI) and software or hardware integrations. Providing an integrated cohesive solution will enable frictionless user experiences and empower teams to be more productive.

Cloud-based UCC suites typically provide an easier path to digital transformation compared to their premised-based alternatives; however, that road has not been without its challenges. Ovum’s research reveals that

while enterprises recognize the need to evolve their organizations to meet the needs of digital natives, increase operational efficiencies, and reduce costs, several barriers inhibit progress. Agile businesses that can adapt to change quickly and effectively will emerge as the digital leaders in this rapidly changing environment.

KEY MESSAGES

Two-thirds of global CIOs view UCC as mission critical.

Nomadic, tech-savvy workforces are reshaping the workplace.

Organizational barriers and unmet technology needs will halt advancement.

A well-articulated digital strategy is fundamental to user adoption.

UCC spending is set to increase across sectors.

Enterprises expect a rapid return on investment (ROI).

A lack of platform consolidation represents significant opportunities.

Artificial Intelligence is a key future requirement.


Two-thirds of global CIOs view UCC as business criticalIn today’s economy, enterprises are performing a high-wire balancing act. They are tasked with increasing operational efficiencies and reducing overall costs while improving connectivity and digital enablement to enhance the user experience. Any organization looking to balance this constantly changing business environment needs an IT department capable of facing the challenges of continuous development, deployment, and integration.

The convergence of unified communications and employee collaboration is changing the UCC conversation from enabling a single feature (e.g., basic meetings with remote workers) to providing more valuable capabilities that enable workforces to communicate and collaborate from a single platform.

Indeed, this survey shows two-thirds of global CIOs consider communications and collaboration tools critical to the overall success of their business (see Figure 1).

Ovum’s research reveals that the top three strategic priorities IT is tasked with are driving operational efficiencies, improving employee productivity and collaboration, and increasing customer satisfaction, all while reducing costs (see Figure 2). Fourteen percent ranked “improving operational efficiency” as their top expected outcome of communications and collaboration; 11% said “improving employee productivity” is their top expected outcome; 12% said “increase customer satisfaction;” and 11% cited “reducing costs.” Indeed, effective and efficient collaboration between employees, partners, suppliers, and customers as well as ubiquitous access to team members and information are key business benefits of a consolidated UCC solution.

FIGURE 1: GLOBAL CIOS BELIEVE UCC IS CRITICAL TO THE SUCCESS OF THEIR BUSINESS

SOURCE: OVUM

How critical are communications and collaboration tools to the overall success of your business?

0% 10% 20% 30%Percentage of respondents

40% 50% 60% 70%

Critical 66%

Important but not critical 28%

Useful but not important 5%

Not relevant � 0%

N=128


Of all the necessary functional requirements within communications and collaboration, having the ability to integrate with software and hardware is rapidly becoming a key capability for effective enterprise collaboration and competitive differentiation. Of the respondents in this survey, 71% said they have capabilities in place to integrate with current software, but 23% still need integration capabilities (see Figure 3).

In an age where communication between enterprise systems is becoming more complex, data sources are increasing, and employees demand digital dexterity, enterprise systems must respond and exchange information constantly throughout the day and night for persistent, holistic, and rapid insights.

To meet the expectations of the modern workforce, CIOs must respond swiftly in choosing tools that can integrate data from a variety of sources – from third-party to operational data – synthesize and contextualize the data, and then enable seamless collaboration along the workflow.

FIGURE 2: ENTERPRISES LOOK TO UCC TO BALANCE DRIVING OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCIES AND REDUCING COSTS WHILE IMPROVING THE USER EXPERIENCE AND CUSTOMER SATISFACTION

SOURCE: OVUM

What are the most important business outcomes you’re trying to accomplish through communication and collaboration tools?


40%

Improving operational efficiency

Improving employee productivity and collaboration

14% 14% 11%

11%

11%

10% 8% 8%

11%10%

11% 12%

12% 9% 12%Increasing customer or client satisfaction

Reducing costs

Workspace flexibility

N=1,537 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3


FIGURE 3: THE MOST COMMONLY USED AND FUTURE FUNCTIONALITY REQUIREMENTS OF A UCC SOLUTION

SOURCE: OVUM

Show all the capabilities your organization currently needs or uses

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%Percentage of respondents

100%

File storage

Conferencing and meeting capabilities

84%

77% 17%

17%

6%

6%

11%

11%

12%

12%

10%

22%

22%

67%

67%

65%

15%

19%

21%

30%

23%71%

3%13%

Integrations with current software or hardware tools

Business chat / persistent chat capabilities

Enterprise telephony (PSTN)

Conferencing & meeting capabilities with telephony

Screen sharing

Single point of administration / management

Predominantly cloud-based solutions

Predominantly premesis-based solutions

Specific certification standards (e.g.: HIPAA)

Predominantly an externally managed service

21%

21%

68%

68%

25%

60% 28%

59%

52%

44% 26%

27%

N=2,357 Using Need No requirement

To meet the expectations of the modern workforce, CIOs must respond swiftly in

choosing tools that can integrate data from a variety of sources


Nomadic, tech-savvy workforces are reshaping the workplaceToday’s businesses now recognize that the way people work may vary. Modern UCC solutions empower people to work in the ways they want and from the locations that suit them best. Such solutions enable effective collaboration, make it easier for teams to work together on projects, and reduce human latency (i.e., the time it takes to make decisions).

As modern workplaces evolve, businesses are looking for solutions that meet the expectations of those familiar with digital technology (“digital natives”) to provide them with new and flexible ways of working. In Ovum’s survey, 49% of respondents indicated they are seeking collaborative solutions with the goal of accommodating

digital natives (see Figure 4). In addition, 44% are providing remote access and 42% are encouraging flexible work options to help in the hiring and retention of digital talent.

These types of wide-scale changes spurred by the demands of the modern workforce require enterprises to lay a solid digital strategy and technology foundation. To enable seamless connectivity, transparency, and agility, enterprises must integrate their software suites or platforms. Only then will organizations gain the real-time extraction and visualization of insights that will give them the nimbleness to respond proactively along the employee value chain.

FIGURE 4: ORGANIZATIONS ARE REACTING TO ACCOMMODATE THE NEEDS OF TODAY’S DIGITAL NATIVES

SOURCE: OVUM

What steps are you taking in anticipation of the growing digital-native workforce?

N=2,192

49%Growing collaborative

software

44%Providing remote work

access

43%Aiming to hire and retain digital talent

42%Encouraging remote and flex work options

41%Seeking to adopt a best-in-class user

experience


Organizational barriers and unmet technology needs will halt advancementDespite the growing need for UCC, employees’ expectations, and expected positive business outcomes, enterprises still face several barriers that may hamper efforts and stall progress.

Respondents to Ovum’s survey stated that lack of budget, technology immaturity, multivendor deals, the need for cloud-based solutions, and a unilateral buying approach to technology contribute to slow adoption and subsequent innovation.

Finding funds to invest in UCC is one of the biggest challenges for IT leaders. In this survey, 15% of respondents said “lack of budget” is their top barrier

to advancement (see Figure 5). As previously stated, IT regularly evaluates which investments will provide the best returns in the short as well as medium term, with 55% saying they determine the need and make the final recommendation (see Figure 6). An advisory and democratized approach that involves conversations centered on long-term corporate strategy, business requirements, and user needs is the ideal option. However, only a combined 42% currently use those approaches when procuring communications and collaboration technologies. Democratized approaches allow technology investments to be utilized as a strategic asset to the business and not a mere capital or operational expense.

Fig 5

FIGURE 5: LACK OF BUDGET IS THE MOST COMMON BUSINESS BARRIER THAT PREVENTS SUCCESSFUL UCC OUTCOMES

SOURCE: OVUM

What are your organization’s biggest barriers to achieving successful outcomes with your current communicaitons and collaborations tools?


40%

Lack of budget

Waiting for technology to mature

15%

13% 11%

11%

11%

11%

12%

9%

10%

12%

10%

10%

11%

Lack of in-house skills

Seperate platforms for voice and voicemail, email, instant messaging

Employee resistance to adoption

11%

11%



A democratized approach gains increasing importance given the multivendor complexity inherent in many enterprises today. According to the survey results, 61% of respondents reported having one to three vendors managing their communications and collaboration (see Figure 7), whereas 31% have four to six vendors, and 5% manage seven to 10 vendors. Multivendor solutions introduce complexity of operations. Simplifying requires integrating orchestration, automation, and response.

Not surprisingly, the high cost of managing the complexity of multivendor relationships topped the list of negative outcomes; 16% ranked it first (see Figure 8). Of the respondents, 13% put “low integration between technology systems” first, making it the second-highest scorer, and 11% cited “the complexity in handling multiple vendors and contracts” as their primary negative outcome.

FIGURE 6: THE DEMOCRATIZATION OF IT AND AN ADVISORY APPROACH ARE GAINING PACE IN UCC PROCUREMENT

SOURCE: OVUM

What is IT’s approach when procuring communications and collaboration technologies?


40% 50% 60%

Our IT department determines the need and makes the final recommendation (unilateral approach)

We evaluate the solution and provide research on investment decisions to departments and business units (advisory approach)

Our IT department discusses and suggests various options as part of a team (democratized appraoch)

55%

24%

18%

We allow department to research and decide on their own solutions to suit their needs (decentralized approach) � 3%

N=2,357


FIGURE 7: MULTIVENDOR DEPLOYMENTS CREATE OPERATIONAL COMPLEXITY

SOURCE: OVUM

How many different vendors / solutions do you have currently deployed that handle your communications and collaboration?

N=820

FIGURE 8: THE HIGH COST OF TECHNOLOGY SYSTEMS IS THE TOP NEGATIVE OUTCOME OF HAVING MULTIPLE VENDORS AND TOOLS

SOURCE: OVUM

Please indicate the top three negative outcomes from having multiple vendors and tools


40%

High cost of technology systems

Low integration between technology systems

16%

13% 11% 11%

11%

13% 12%

12%

9% 7% 7%

11%

10%11%

Managing multiple vendors and contracts

Use of multiple systems across operational processes

Disparate architecture

10%

N=820 Rank 1 Rank 2 Rank 3

61%

1-3

31%

4-6

5%

7-10

3%

>10


A well-articulated digital strategy is fundamental to user adoptionIn this fast-paced digital revolution, enterprises face numerous obstacles to meeting the rising expectations of digitally enabled employees while maintaining costs and increasing operational efficiencies. Advancement depends on further investments, reimagined business models, mobile prioritization, a deeper understanding of and reliance on data as an enterprise currency, and tighter collaboration across organizations.

Digital adoption should be viewed instead as an incremental journey, one which looks very different from business to business. Therefore, there is no one-size-fits-all approach. That is why it is imperative to map out clear

objectives – not just the beginning and end goal but also structuring the people and teams responsible for carrying out the plans to achieve them.

Establishing a digital strategy and articulating it clearly is at the heart of any truly digital-oriented organization. A total of 36% of respondents in this survey cited it as their first or second reason behind successful user adoption (see Figure 9). It also remains a priority from the IT manager to the CIO, with 16% of IT managers citing it as their top lesson learned and 21% of CIOs reporting the same. Additionally, 19% cited it as the top lesson learned from their communications and collaboration implementation (see Figure 10).

FIGURE 9: HAVING A CLEARLY ARTICULATED DIGITAL STRATEGY IS THE PRIMARY REASON FOR SUCCESSFUL USER ADOPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS AND COLLABORATION TOOLS

SOURCE: OVUM

What has been the primary reason behind the successful user adoption of communications and collaboration tools?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%Percentage of respondents

60%

A clearly articulated digital transformation strategy

The consolidation of technologies / platform

18% 18%

17% 17%

17%

19%

13%

13%

13%

13%

10% 10%

16%

15%

15%

15%

A move towards supporting flexible ways of working

Ongoing training

Familiarity with “consumer-like” technologies

C-suite buy-in and leadership

A preference for consolidated UCC solution

14%

14%

11%

11% 11%



Having a clear digital strategy guarantees that the customers and employees remain at the center of all significant decisions. Nevertheless, the most difficult task in the planning process is to evaluate the methods

required to develop the optimal digital transformation plan. Any strategy or plan should be able to provide a clear direction to all pertinent members of an organization.

FIGURE 10: FROM IT MANAGER TO CIO, HAVING A DIGITAL STRATEGY EMERGES AS A TOP LESSON LEARNED; HOWEVER, IT MANAGERS REQUIRE MORE BUY-IN FROM EXECUTIVES AND END USERS

SOURCE: OVUM

What are the top three lessons learned from your consolidation initiative?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40%Percentage of respondents

50%

Develop a digital strategy

Ensure the needs of the business align with technology purchases

19%

10%

10%

10%

12%

12%

12%

12%

7% 7%

9%

9% 9%

9%

9%

11%

11%

11%

11%

11%

13%

13% 13%

13%

13%

13%

Offer ongoing training

Consider how technology will scale

Support ongoing communications

Create cross-functional planning teams

Survey user requirements and needs

Get buy-in from executive team

Get buy-in from key users

10%



UCC spending is set to increase across sectorsAs enterprises advance their digital efforts in the pursuit of holistic transparency and greater productivity, collaborative engagement, increased automation, and virtual training prevail. As part of this modern workplace evolution, businesses are changing their investment priorities accordingly with many respondents indicating they plan to increase UCC spending next year and grow their collaboration and communications deployments.

In fact, 26% said they plan to increase UCC spending by 5%, 25% said they intend to increase it by 6–10%, 15% said they plan to increase it by 11–20%, and 7% said they plan to increase it by an astounding 21–50% (see Figure 11). As more enterprises will be tasked with finding new ways to enhance effectiveness and improve customer engagement, adoption of unifying communications capabilities will begin to make sense for all industries.

FIGURE 11: INVESTMENTS FOR UCC DEPLOYMENTS ARE SET TO INCREASE IN 2020

SOURCE: OVUM

Are you planning to increase or decrease UCC spend next year?


30%

Decrease >5% 2%

Decrease <5% 2%

Stay broadly flat

26%

25%

15%

7%

3%

20%

Increase <6%

Increase 6-10%

Increase 11-20%

Increase 21-50%

Increase >50%

N=2,357


Furthermore, mid- to longer-term investments will be made in team collaboration, virtual training platforms, and intelligent digital assistants (see Figure 12), with 52% saying they plan to invest in a team collaboration platform over the next 18–24 months, 45% wanting to invest in a virtual training platform, another 45%

wanting to deploy AI-powered digital assistants, and 44% requiring video conferencing. (Note: many software suites and team collaboration platforms already include the integrated capabilities listed within this question: online training, conferencing, and support for AI-powered assistants.)

FIGURE 12: MOST ORGANIZATIONS ARE PLANNING TO INVEST IN TEAM COLLABORATION PLATFORMS IN THE LONG TERM

SOURCE: OVUM

What features / capabilities do you plan to invest in over the next 18-24 months?


60%

Team collaboration platform

Virtual training platform

52%

45%

45%

33%

31%

31%

AI-powered intelligent digital assistants

Video conferencing

Enterprise social networking services

Speech recognition

Enterprise telephony

Transcription and translation services

44%

34%

N=2,357


Enterprises expect rapid ROI

Improving operational efficiency continues to serve as a strategic focus for many companies, but executives want to be clear on what they are getting for their budget. Reducing operational expenditure remains critical as enterprises are tasked to lower costs. However, demands to increase employee and customer satisfaction continue to rise. This places inordinate pressures on IT, because executives look to it to create this symbiotic relationship and increase returns on investments. Consequently, IT faces greater pressure to prove ROI, and new initiatives will increasingly need a business case for approval. This will require IT to align more closely to key functional

areas across the organization to ensure budgetary approval and ensure the needs of the business units align with IT’s investment plans.

This research reveals that IT is likely to be under tight scrutiny. Of those surveyed, 21% said they expect a return in four to six months (see Figure 13), and 36% indicated they want to see ROI in seven months to a year. IT departments, therefore, need to ensure that they take into consideration such things as the ability to integrate with existing systems and technology before making a UCC decision.

FIGURE 13: ENTERPRISES EXPECT SHORTENED TIME FRAMES TO ACHIEVE ROI

SOURCE: OVUM

When do you expect to realize a positive return on investment (ROI)?

N=2,357

4% 21% 36% 25%

0-3 months 4-6 months 7-12 months Over a year

9%We don’t specifically measure ROI

6%Unkown?


A lack of platform consolidation represents significant opportunitiesUnified communications is a critical component of digital transformation as enterprises rethink how they run their businesses. A platform for communications is instrumental in determining how employees, processes, and technologies will enable their organization’s future. In fact, 65% said their communications and collaboration technologies are already integrated into a single suite (see Figure 14). However, 35% have yet to consolidate.

As this research reveals, enterprises that have experienced success with their communications deployments have done so because they have clear digital strategies, unified communications platforms, and a flexible workforce.

When high-growth companies have several siloed applications, there are many business challenges that arise. Wasted employee productivity, lack of visibility, process inefficiencies, and employee and customer churn, to name a few. When IT no longer has to procure, install, and maintain multiple systems as well as the various integrations between them, a significant reduction in operational costs can be realized, while IT time can be spent improving business operations. Essentially, integrated suites can help transform businesses and take them to the next level of profitable growth.

FIGURE 14: SILOED TECHNOLOGIES REPRESENT 35% OF ENTERPRISES AND SIGNIFY OPPORTUNITIES

SOURCE: OVUM

Are your communications and collaboration technologies consolidated in a single suite?

N=2,357

Yes (65%)

No (35%)


Artificial intelligence is a key future requirement

FIGURE 15: THE ADOPTION OF DIGITAL PERSONAL ASSISTANTS REPRESENTS THE KEY PLANNED AREA OF AI INVESTMENT

SOURCE: OVUM

If you are currently evaluating or using AI, which of the following specific AI capabilities will you consider incorporating in your communications and collaboration strategy?


60%

Adopting personal digital assistants to help employees communicate and collaborate

Improving analytics capabilities for informed decision-making

59%

59%

54%Intelligent, automated transcription services

N=1,894

FIGURE 16: ENTERPRISES ARE LARGELY EVALUATING AI TECHNOLOGY, SIGNIFYING MARKET GROWTH

SOURCE: OVUM

Where is your organization in terms of artificial intelligence adoption today?

N=2,357

We are evaluating AI technology today and we have identified specific use cases (49%)

Our organization is using AI today (32%)

We have no current plans to evaluate AI (18%)

I don’t know (1%)

AI is changing the way companies structure their workflows, decision-making processes, and strategy planning. When coupled with analytics, AI is helping to forge intelligent enterprises enabled with real-time decisioning that allows employees to respond proactively to internal and external events.

As more enterprises realize the benefit of embedding AI into their communications and team collaboration activities, they will start to investigate vendors that offer unified platforms that build AI into the core and across functions.

The results of this survey signal a wave of pilots and full deployments of these platforms over the next year. The need to adopt such capabilities will become increasingly urgent, because enterprises will view AI as a critical element to help them remain competitive and relevant with customers. In this survey, 59% ranked investments in “personal digital assistants” and utilizing AI to improve decision-making as the top areas of AI investment, with 54% stating “intelligent, automated transcription services” as the third area where AI is likely to be incorporated in a communications and collaboration strategy (see Figure 15).


FIGURE 17: SMART CONTENT PRIORITIZATION AND AUTOMATIC RECOMMENDATIONS ARE THE TOP TWO WAYS ENTERPRISES EXPECT AI TO ASSIST THEM

SOURCE: OVUM

If you are currently evaluating or using AI, how do you expect AI can assist you?

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%Percentage of respondents

70%

Smarter content categorization and priorization (inbox, calendar, task list, etc.)

Automatic recommendations (next actions, suggeted content, etc.)

24% 21%

21%

21%

22%

22% 22%

19%

19%

19%

19%

19%

Automated team resourcing (recommended people, resources, content, etc.)

Contextual resource allocation (e.g.: physical / virtual meeting rooms)

Contextual awareness (upcoming meetings, pending tasks, etc.)

16%

16% 18%


Despite intentions, many enterprises remain in the evaluation stage today, with a promising 49% that said they are evaluating AI and identifying use cases (see Figure 16). Although 32% said they are already using AI, 18% said they plan to use it. Of those enterprises that are currently using or evaluating AI, smarter content prioritization, automatic recommendations and automated team resourcing were cited as the foremost ways they expect AI to assist their organizations (see Figure 17). Consequently, such AI-assisted capabilities are likely to benefit is areas

such as employee and team productivity, reduced human latency (i.e. the time it takes to make a decision), and improvements to project management.

Enterprises that invest in AI will advance their digital journeys. Those that wait run the risk of losing their competitive edge to more progressive companies. It is not too late for leaders that are further behind in their AI journeys to start now in order to increase their chances of remaining competitive.


Conclusion

TEN IMPERATIVES FOR EFFECTIVE UCC ADOPTION

This research reveals that enterprise engagement of the future will broaden its reach beyond the boundaries of today’s workplace. Remote workers will collaborate with ease with colleagues in different locations through collaborative video and telepresence. Front- and back-office employees will be able to visualize integrated operational and customer data along the same workstreams. Intelligent virtual assistants will adopt mundane tasks such as scheduling and note-taking while serving up meeting insights that boost productivity.

Considering that future scenario is rapidly coming into view, enterprise expectations for unified communications and collaboration systems will grow and UCC deployments will increase. As more enterprises are tasked with finding new ways to enhance effectiveness and decrease operational costs, consolidating UCC capabilities will make sense for all industries.

01 DEVELOP A CLEARLY ARTICULATED DIGITAL STRATEGY

Clearly articulating your digital transformation strategy is critical to a successful and employee-centric approach. Any strategy or plan should be able to provide a clear direction to all members of an organization and should include not only how employees will be using the new communications and collaboration technologies but also how teams will be organized around them. It should identify key roles and contributors as well as champions within various pockets of the organization.

02 ENSURE THE NEEDS OF THE BUSINESS ALIGN WITH TECHNOLOGY PURCHASES

Strategic IT must be hyperfocused on the overall goals of the business. Initiatives that do not achieve at least a reasonable level of alignment should be deprioritized or moved on from altogether. Alignment involves establishing mutually supportive relationships between the goals, technologies, and processes of a project. Projects that exhibit good alignment should constantly be fine tuned to ensure that all their stages are mutually reinforcing.

IT professionals must judge the appropriate balance based on the complexity of the project, the culture of the organization, and the relationship with the vendor.

03 CONSIDER HOW TECHNOLOGY WILL SCALE (MOVE UCC TO THE CLOUD)

An on-premises approach to communications and collaboration requires an internal infrastructure that is typically hosted in an organization’s data center, and while it may benefit those companies that have stringent data protection and compliance restrictions, it inevitably takes longer than UCC-as-a-service does to receive upgrades, make changes, and increase capacity. Key benefits of UCC-as-a-service include the flexibility to add or remove users as needed, minimal upfront capital investment, and simplified administration.

04 SUPPORT PERSISTENT COMMUNICATIONS

In a rapidly changing world, information sharing is critical. Retrieving knowledge and discussing it with colleagues around the world, regardless of department


or time zone, is becoming a critical need. Geographically dispersed teams, the increasing need to support a mobile workforce, and various dotted-line reporting structures can cause bottlenecks in workflow and impede the resolution of issues.

UCC can assist in easy knowledge sharing by providing workforces with multiple modes of persistent and flexible communications such as chat, virtual meetings, and video. Conversations are seamless, searchable, and persistent when team members work along the same platform. End-to-end platform engagement is particularly useful for customer support and incident management or for project work that spans multiple regions and teams.

05 CONSIDER REDUCING VENDOR COMPLEXITY

Much of today’s UCC environment is increasingly complex. Invariably, organizations end up procuring similar or duplicative capabilities from many suppliers. The resultant complexity adds cost in terms of business agility, expense, and risk. Rationalizing, consolidating, and streamlining your UCC vendors into a single suite or reducing the number of suppliers can help to mitigate these issues. It also helps to reduce the workload of the often-beleaguered IT department that inevitably ends up “firefighting” rather than looking at ways in which IT resources and expertise can become more strategic to the business.

06 CREATE CROSS-FUNCTIONAL DIGITAL MEDIATION TEAMS

Enterprises that seek growth and competitive differentiation are moving away from top-down hierarchical structures and are redesigning their organizations to be more team centric and collaborative, optimizing them for adaptability and learning in preparation for technological shifts.

Synthesis of such digital workplace transformation requires multidisciplinary teams with diverse digital skill sets and deep industry expertise and industry-specific design, training, monitoring, security, and implementation to meet the IT requirements of global organizations. Winning enterprises should adopt teams that incorporate product managers and sales, marketing, communications, and other delivery teams that understand AI. The team should consist of a passionate and forward-thinking group of professionals that will help colleagues understand the future of an intelligent workplace enabled by collaborative, transparent, and proactive engagement capabilities.

07 CONSIDER WHERE TO INVEST IN AI; IDENTIFY USE CASES

As this survey reveals, many enterprises have already enlisted AI to enable greater automation internally and are experiencing productivity gains without job loss because it is helping to free employees from menial tasks to concentrate on high-value items.

Given the juxtaposition of the expectations of AI to transform business and employee productivity and at the same time manage budgetary concerns, enterprises must carefully identify use cases for AI investments to more expeditiously gain buy-in. This means evaluating IT infrastructure, the business processes that can be impacted by AI, and – most importantly – where AI will be able to help enterprises impact the business the most. Therefore, find opportunities where AI can optimize projects quickly. Starting with quick wins to demonstrate the value of AI will help in the long run to secure budgets for larger AI deployments.


08 RECOGNIZE THE NEEDS OF ALL EMPLOYEES

UCC solutions need to be easy to adopt for both end users and IT staff. If the technology is difficult, inconvenient to use, or fails to meet the needs of the business, staff will be reluctant to adopt it or, worse, will use their own solutions, which may compromise security, governance, and compliance. Consequently, providing a solution that allows employees to collaborate and communicate in the way that best suits their unique needs is paramount. IT departments should work with business leaders to identify and address the individual requirements of their employees to optimize their UCC investments and maximize employee productivity.

By defining the similar needs of certain types of workers, creating a specific profile for those employees, and applying the appropriate UCC services based on user profile, the organization can ensure a comprehensive and cost-effective solution. For example, “nomadic workers” may describe a user profile that includes sales teams and service engineers. They all have a need for mobile connectivity, access to files and online content (service manuals and customer relationship management information), and collaboration with both internal colleagues and external customers regardless of where they are. Consequently, nomadic workers are likely to require UCC services that they can use on a laptop, tablet, or smartphone as well as voice, file sharing, conferencing, and business chat features.

09 UNITE EMPLOYEES AROUND THE CUSTOMER

Uniting employees around the customer, with the front office, back office, and external networks all working seamlessly toward common goals, requires a framework for process orchestration and systems integration. It should enable employees to connect, communicate,

socialize, research, share, and cooperate. Operating along a centralized workstream will enable employees to receive persistent messaging, notifications, activity streams, and content-sharing functionalities regarding customer journeys and how and when to deliver next-best intent.

Tight integration allows employees to collaborate and to interact with individual customers with context and in real time as they move across the channels and the enterprise. Applying a connective tissue – or platform – will stop silos of engagement and end fragmented journey management. All teams and activities along a company’s value chain will be connected, allowing them to view and visualize the operational or customer journey from a single screen.

10 PROVIDE ONGOING TRAINING OPTIONS

Merely investing in UCC solutions is not always enough to drive digital transformation or business strategies. Although UCC solutions now focus on the end-user experience and ease of use, it should not be assumed that new tools are intuitive and do not require user training. However, effective user training does not necessarily require significant cost. End-user training is often available via online self-learning courses or scheduled virtual-instructor-led training with integrated tools to support online testing, whiteboard sharing, and recording.

To maximize their UCC investments, businesses should commit to structured training for their employees to ensure a return on the investment and to maximize the communication and collaboration capital of the company. This can, of course, utilize the very UCC platform the organization is looking to procure to deliver cost-effective online training.

AUTHORS

Mila D’Antonio Principal Analyst, Customer Engagement [email protected]

Tim Banting Principal Analyst, Workspace Services [email protected]

OVUM CONSULTING

Ovum is a market-leading data, research, and consulting business focused on helping digital service providers, technology companies, and enterprise decision-makers thrive in the connected digital economy.

Through our 150 analysts worldwide, we offer expert analysis and strategic insight across the IT, telecoms, and media industries.

We create business advantage for our customers by providing actionable insight to support business planning, product development, and go-to-market initiatives.

Our unique combination of authoritative data, market analysis, and vertical industry expertise is designed

to empower decision-making, helping our clients to profit from new technologies and capitalize on evolving business models.

Ovum is part of Informa Tech, a B2B information services business serving the technology, media, and telecoms sector. The Informa group is listed on the London Stock Exchange.

We hope that this analysis will help you make informed and imaginative business decisions. If you have further requirements, Ovum’s consulting team may be able to help your company identify future trends and opportunities, please contact us on [email protected].

GOTO BY LOGMEIN

GoTo by LogMeIn offers one of the industry’s most comprehensive portfolio of UCC solutions, including award-winning products like GoToMeeting and GoToWebinar. For more information visit www.GoTo.com

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