Trends in the digital workspace

Traditional 9-to-5 work performed at the home office is fast becoming a thing of the past.

Accelerated by the influx of increasingly more millennials in the workforce, several trends in the digital workplace are gaining more momentum.

Today’s professionals want to work using their favorite digital tools, from any location and at the time of their preference.

BYOD, CYOD and working anytime from anywhere

Bring Your Own Device 

BYOD means that employees use their personal devices for work purposes. While not a major trend in Western corporations, in growth markets such as Russia and Brazil, up to 75% of employees already use personal devices for performing some work-related tasks.

Up to 75% of employees already use personal devices for work in certain markets

Choose Your Own Device

CYOD is where employees pick their preferred device from a list of pre-approved alternatives. The users may receive their device from local IT support or acquire it directly from a third-party partner or retailer.

Work anytime, anywhere

People want to work when they are productive and have the time: while travelling, at the client’s office, cafes, at home, at odd hours. Remote work can boost an employee’s performance and motivation, thereby adding more value to the employer.

Where are the trends taking us?

Trends like BYOD and CYOD can eventually lead to a hyper connected world, where users can simply pick up their preferred device from any retailer.

After obtaining their device, users then connect to the company network remotely.

After authentication, the corporate network pushes the required applications, settings and services matching that user’s role and preferences.

All these new trends poses new kinds of challenges and demands for managing and supporting digital tools: when the user's workplace can be anywhere, it must be managed and supported from anywhere.

So, how to ensure good service levels?

How safe and secure are personal devices connected to the company’s network?

What can be done to quickly solve computer problems for remote workers across the globe or at odd times?

User is in the heart of everything

In the new era, the role of IT is to focus on empowering people and business and constantly improving the value employees generate.

This will ultimately save costs in IT tools and HR as well as boost employee productivity.

When the focus shifts to the users, service desks and IT professionals must be willing to give up control over the systems and technologies it manages and supports.

However, giving up that control should not result in a chaos.

The key to avoid chaos is data - and processes that utilize that data.

Data that allows you to understand the state of your digital tools. Data that shows how productive your users are. Data that reveals vulnerabilities. Data that enables proactive operation, transparent discussion and constant improvement.