How horizontal technology recharges the workplace

I believe horizontal technology is a quiet achiever in the extremes. It’s so ingrained in our everyday systems and processes that the modern workforce would cease to exist without it. Yet, on a societal level, we most often take it for granted or aren’t fully aware of its permeation.?

So, in terms of how the business world works today, what is horizontal technology and why does it even matter??

Horizontal technologies are those that can be used across multiple industries, including spreadsheets, payroll management systems and web browsers. They are often delivered via the cloud or over the internet.?

To understand the importance of such technologies in our world today, let’s first look at what makes the new paradigm of hybrid work possible.?

The backbone of hybrid work

In practice, horizontal technology usually isn’t spoken of in its exact name as it’s often applied in the context of enabling collaboration and is thus spoken about in those terms. The impact of horizontal technology on collaboration is made evident by the hybrid way of working that’s emerged in the aftermath of the pandemic. ?

In last year’s Lenovo global study which looked at 6000 IT leaders, it was found that 82% want to work with technology that helps build a transformed workplace. Virtual collaboration has graduated from being “nice to have” and is now integral to both current and future business operations. ?

It’s safe to say that hybrid work is here to stay. No matter what ratio of in-person versus remote time an organization dictates, collaboration tools are the backbone of any work model today.

I wouldn't say that 100% of organizations already have this set up. From what I’ve seen across my travels in APAC, I don’t think we can assume that everyone, in the past two years of the pandemic, had the resources or even the initial understanding to implement an ideal collaboration system between teams.?

I believe many businesses are learning as they go. Even larger corporations are still seeking to improve upon their systems of collaboration. Now, as we reconcile what an ideal work setup looks like post-pandemic, the time for digital assessment across organizations of all sizes and verticals is here. ?

In terms of the horizontal technology that I’m excited to see deployed for such assessment, I’m anticipating an uptick in more intuitive video cameras. Let’s say for example, there’s a boardroom of around 150 people at a virtual conference. When one person speaks, a more intuitive camera can detect the voice and movement on the screen and zoom in on the person speaking.?

I think this capability can make online conferences more coherent as it’s easier to keep track of who is speaking and for attendees to stay focused as a result. I know there has been some development in this over the past 10 years, but I’m excited to see the momentum grow for this type of technology. I believe it significantly helps to improve employee user experience online, a key arena that determines success in today’s hybrid world.?

Makes distance learning more efficient

Distance learning isn’t new. For the longest time, university students and the like have been able to learn by having coursework sent to them in the mail. Upon receiving the postal delivery, learners read the course content, did the required work, and posted it back to the education institute.?

That was distance learning in the past. Now, distant learners have an improved capacity to shorten delivery cycles and interact with course facilitators in real-time. Horizontal technology allows students to download coursework from online learning portals, participate in webinars and seize instant messaging capabilities through applications like Microsoft teams. These functions enable greater reach as well as richer engagement among learners.?

As Tim Cavey outlines, horizontal technology makes it easier for students to collaborate . With horizontal capabilities, students can work on shared documents while teachers maintain seamless visibility over student output. Even in education, there are collaboration ideals that are enabled through the implementation of horizontal technology.?

With technology shortening delivery cycles and making the act of accessing information faster, I’m excited to see the effect this has on the next generations of critical thinkers, who will no doubt continue to revolutionize the business landscape through improved horizontal applications.?

Fuels everything as a service (XaaS)

In terms of the work I do at Lenovo , my number one priority with horizontal technology is to drive XaaS. This is where I believe customer value can be optimized almost seamlessly.?

With service packages, be it device as a service (DaaS), or software as a service (SaaS), etc, I think one of the key things we can draw from it is streamlined operating costs. Instead of needing to hire additional people and resources, service providers like Lenovo can sell the license to the business customer and maintain the operation.?

Not only do businesses experience improved operating efficiency in the performance of the technology, but they also save money by having the required suite of technologies bundled in a single package. They no longer need to develop expertise: they can let those who are already experts manage it. I think the XaaS model therefore makes for a great customer experience, the key stake in all digital innovation .?

As we reflect on the journey of horizontal technology and prepare to make assessments on how we can improve collaboration with technology, I think an ongoing awareness of what people need to drive improved outcomes should guide future progress. That is how we’ll continue to recharge the workplace with horizontal technology.?