Predictable. It’s a word that organizations love to hear, but unfortunately, the past few years have been anything but. Still, businesses must do their best to look ahead and plan – whatever the future may bring.
Many organizations are modernizing their communications systems to streamline operations and keep their employees and customers connected in a hybrid world. This used to be pretty straightforward, but now unified communications (UC) technology is more than just IP phones and simple features like live chat. UC supports complex workflows across hybrid teams, and next year will likely be just as complicated.
Organizations will need a communications provider who evolves with them – a trusted partner who leverages their expertise and analytics to guide them toward the right solutions today and in the future. Delivering continued support during all phases of the customer relationship and adapting the UC technology stack as needs change will be the key differentiator.
Here's what top executives had to say about what the unified communications landscape will look like in 2023:
A one-size-fits-all approach to unified communications will no longer work, as organizations require tailored solutions specific to their unique needs, have many communication technology choices, and can use a mix of infrastructures.
Currently, on-premise solutions are the most common, with 88% of organizations using some on-premises UC solutions, according to a recent five-country research survey conducted by Techaisle. The survey also found that 44% are combining on-premises solutions with a cloud solution, and almost half (47%) are either evaluating or currently moving their on-premises communications to the cloud.
Communications systems will need to do more than support hybrid work as organizations require solutions that can help them adapt to changing conditions and modernize their business.
Hybrid work is taking the global workforce by storm, but the Techaisle survey found that only 11% of organizations have a hybrid-first mindset. There’s work to be done in 2023 to provide employees with the proper communications and collaboration tools to work from anywhere. But supporting hybrid work isn’t enough.
As more businesses seek guidance on the right communications solution that delivers long-term value for both the customer and employee experience, customer lifecycle management (CLM) needs to be fully embraced.
The marketplace shift toward CLM will continue in 2023, as businesses look to drive sustained value from their communications investments – now and into the future.
Choosing the right communications technology to support hybrid work will help. More than three-quarters (78%) of employees surveyed by Techaisle agree that better communications and collaboration tools help them do their job better. Solutions that provide shared workspaces, file and screen sharing, and a mobile-first design offer a quick and sustainable return on investment by empowering workers to collaborate and complete tasks from anywhere. This contributes to a better customer experience and improved lifecycle management in the long run.
Generative AI will take off, resulting in an overload of content. This is because Generative AI can create content automatically. It has the potential to revolutionize certain aspects of business, specifically when it comes to content marketing and contact center communications.
The technology can produce marketing copy like newsletters, emails, and even blogs. It can also improve the chatbot experience on websites and provide personalized content to customers based on their history.
In the contact center, Generative AI can produce content for agent coaching. It can also document and summarize interactions between agents and customers, creating content that can be used for training and development.
Cybersecurity continues to be a pressing issue for organizations. Phishing attacks, in particular, rose 61% in 2022, according to an annual study by Interisle Consulting Group. More than half (52%) of organizations are concerned about unauthorized access or leaks of their proprietary information.
While employers have a primary responsibility to secure their data, employees have a critically important role to play. In 2023, we’ll see increased investment in employee education, training, and awareness to actively recruit employees in the fight against bad actors.
Organizations are also worried about applying adequate security and governance measures to the growing volume of data being used by a mobile workforce on both professional and personal devices. Roughly half of companies expect to spend between 11% and 20% of their edge investment on security, according to a recent AT&T survey.
Predictability may be in short supply these days, but we’re confident the future of unified communications is focused on helping businesses through every step of their journey. Innovative UC technologies combined with industry expertise make it possible to build on the best choices for today which adapt for tomorrow.