Shakeup in Work Modes Pushes Firms to New Solutions

COVID-19 restrictions accelerated the evolution of work, changing how enterprises support devices, collaboration and employee experience, ISG Provider Lens™ report says

The rapid growth of remote and flexible work triggered by the COVID-19 pandemic is forcing enterprises to change the way they keep employees connected, secure and engaged, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The global 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Future of Work — Services and Solutions report finds the widespread transition to hybrid work in the past two years happened much faster than would have been possible before the pandemic. With employees using an expanding variety of devices to work from almost any location, and in many cases demanding that kind of flexibility as a permanent benefit, companies are quickly adopting new technologies and services to compete for workers.

“Attracting and retaining talent is an increasingly important part of competitiveness,” said Jim Kane, director, Collaboration and Experience at ISG. “Enterprises are stepping up and accelerating solutions to better support users with the devices and workspaces they need to be satisfied and productive and create a near-frictionless work environment.”

As the range of endpoints being used in enterprises extends beyond desktops and laptops to mobile phones, augmented and virtual reality headsets and other devices, many IT departments are seeking platforms to manage all of these from one screen, the report says. PC and mobile device management have been integrated into unified endpoint management (UEM) systems, and with rising security concerns, these are often integrated with cybersecurity platforms.

The rise of hybrid work is also transforming unified communication and collaboration (UCC), which integrates the enterprise technology ecosystem with collaboration solutions in a unified way, ISG says. As more employees work remotely and on a diverse set of new devices, many enterprises are migrating to UCC as a service (UCCaaS). These services are being enhanced with AI and analytics capabilities to better enable enterprises to provide good user experiences.

“When employees can work from anywhere and use their own devices, the level of collaboration they had in the office may be hard to maintain,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Cloud-based capabilities like instant messaging and videoconferencing are helping to keep teams together.”

Remote work has also complicated companies’ efforts to keep employees engaged, which is a key part of enhancing productivity and attracting and retaining workers, the report says. Many workforce engagement initiatives are built around an intranet, which, in addition to a social network for the organization, often incorporates collaboration, business communications and learning tools. Helping workers develop digital adroitness, or the ability to work intelligently with digital tools, is an important part of increasing both engagement and productivity.

For more insights on challenges presented by the future of work, and advice on how to approach them with a modern mindset, see the ISG Provider Lens™ Focal Points briefing here.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ global Future of Work — Services and Solutions report evaluates the capabilities of 51 providers across three quadrants: Unified Endpoint Management, Unified Communication and Collaboration as a Service, and Employee Engagement and Productivity.

The report names Microsoft as a Leader in all three quadrants. It names 8X8, Cisco, Google, IBM, Igloo, Ivanti, ManageEngine, RingCentral, Salesforce, VMware, Workplace from Meta and Zoom as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, GoTo and Matrix42 are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

Customized versions of the report are available from GoTo and Igloo.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ global Future of Work — Services and Solutions report is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG's global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG's enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

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