Flexible working is here for the long run, so how do we make it the best it can be?

LinkedIn Blog

?For some time now, there has been great debate around whether remote working is temporary measure or if it will continue to prevail in the months and years ahead.

At Cisco, we have a longstanding history of supporting customers as they invest in and reap the benefits of collaboration technology. We know firsthand the impact that it can make and how it is transforming not only the ways in which businesses operate, but also entire industries such as healthcare and education.

We regularly conduct research to gain a sense of understanding what businesses and individuals want from technology, and how we can help them reach their destination.

In our recent Workforce of the Future study, we surveyed 10,000 office-based employees across the EMEAR region (Europe, the Middle East and Russia), identifying perceptions towards working from home and expectations from organizations in the year ahead.

What we found was that overwhelmingly, employees want greater ownership and choice in the new world of work. Prior to the pandemic, only 5% of respondents worked from home most of the time. Yet, when the time is right, nearly nine in ten workers (87%) would like greater ownership in defining how and when they use office spaces – adopting more agile and flexible forms of working.

Respondents also told us that they expect their leaders to equip them with the right tools and resources to stay productive and engaged, while keeping them safe and secure. Fundamental to achieving all of this is investing in the right collaboration technology – which embeds security at its core, while promoting an immersive user experience.

At Cisco, we believe in powering an inclusive future – a world in which access to opportunity is not determined by geographic location or monetary measures, but merely one’s own determination. Digital communications infrastructure is critical to achieving this parity and studies have even shown close correlation between Internet usage and lower levels of inequality.

As we accelerate our efforts to boost the capabilities of collaboration technology, Cisco also recently announced a host of new features within our Webex platform. These features are designed to drive better user experiences and also to give businesses additional peace-of-mind.

As part of our latest offering, gone are the days of having loud typing or rustling papers interrupt a meeting – Webex automatically detects and suppresses common noises, while enhancing speech for a smoother experience. With transcripts and closed captioning, users can simply focus on the call and revisit meeting minutes at a later date. Webex Huddle also empowers users to quickly call specific team members with a single click, instead of scheduling calls ahead of time.

In the new year, we will also be unveiling additional features, such as AI-enabled in-meeting gestures, which recognizes when you give a thumbs up and translates this to a positive reinforcement on screen. From February, real-time translations will provide a live transcript of the active speaker, into one of over ten languages, including Arabic. Soon, Webex Events will even enable conversations between up to 25,000 fully participating attendees, and the hosting of up to 100,000 participants via native live streaming.

These innovations come after careful consideration of how we can continue to improve the experience of digital communication. As businesses enter a new frontier of hybrid working, creating immersive digital experiences and safeguarding vital assets are equally as vital in ensuring a cohesive and collaborative environment to drive growth.