In this blog, you will find out the latest trends in Digital Workspace. We will discuss three main topics:
PART ONE - CHATBOTS
In its Top 10 Predictions for 2018 and Beyond report, Gartner found that by 2021, more than 50% of enterprises will spend more per annum on bots and chatbot creation than traditional mobile app development.
But, what is a chatbot?
A chatbot is a computer program (or AI) designed to simulate conversation with human users over the Internet. They are also known as virtual assistants.
The original purpose of a chatbot was to support customer service teams in dealing with customers. But now they are being used more in other areas. This includes the automation of tedious tasks and delivery of business insights to decision-makers (making this quicker and more convenient).
Chatbots are now also used in booking accommodation, ordering meals, online shopping, reporting bugs and share price alerts. Apps powered by AI are even used in healthcare for diagnosing illnesses.
People simply want direct access between their problem and the solution. And, in the future, that access will be via a bot.
So why are chatbots good?
- They cost less to develop than apps
- Customers don’t need to download them – they’re inbuilt in the webpage
- They provide improved customer service and experience
- When used internally they can speed up simple tasks such as apply for leave or reporting an IT fault
- They deliver increased customer loyalty and sales – customers use companies that provide good service and tell others about it
- Chatbots provide higher retention rates than apps – now, partly because of the novelty, but eventually because an AI chatbot improves as it learns and will simply be better.
- Chatbots can save money in terms of labour but ultimately will increase sales with product or service recommendations
An interesting titbit in the same Gartner report states that in 2020, AI will become a positive net job motivator, creating 2.3M jobs while only eliminating 1.8M jobs.
PART TWO - THE RETURN TO PRODUCTIVITY
A wave you don’t want to miss.
Labour productivity growth is near historic lows in the United States and much of Western Europe. While growth has been slowing since the 1960s in many of these countries, the sharp drop to an average of 0.5% in 2010–14 from 2.4% a decade earlier has been particularly concerning.
In 2018 McKinsey published a 150 page report on productivity: Solving the productivity puzzle: the role of demand and the promise of digitisation.
The report focuses on 3 waves that have had a contributing factor on productivity levels in developed economies over the past 15 years. In the report they found there has been a job-rich but productivity-weak recovery, with low value added but high hours worked growth and a broad-based decline with a distinct lack of productivity-accelerating sectors.
While there are many schools of thought, they found two waves to explain those patterns and the decline and one that portents to bring about positive productivity levels for the future.
Wave 1: The waning of a productivity boom that began in the 1990s dragged down productivity growth by about one percentage point. In around 2005, a decade-long productivity boom from a PC, software, and database system ICT revolution and the restructuring of domestic operations and global supply chains was ending. By then, retail supply chain management tools were broadly implemented and manufacturing offshoring momentum slowed.
Wave 2: Financial crisis aftereffects including weak demand and uncertainty, caused another percentage point drag. After the crisis hit, sectors such as financial services went from boom to bust, and companies reacted to weak demand and uncertainty by holding back investment, driving capital intensity growth down to the lowest rates since World War II.
Weak demand further depressed productivity growth through negative economy of scale effects and downshifts in product and service mix. For example, in finance, growth in loan volumes dropped by about 10 percentage points or more across many countries.
Wave 3: Digitisation, often involving a transformation of operating and business models, promises significant productivity-boosting opportunities.
The findings reveal significant potential to boost productivity growth 2% on average over the next 10 years. And 60% comes from digital investment.
One of the ways Presidio is driving this productivity objective is through our digital workspace service. By harnessing technology from partners such as Citrix, along with our 25 years of know-how in delivery, we are enabling the concept of a digital workspace for everyone. We are creating a digital workspace that is secure, ubiquitous and consistently good and with greater availability of analytics and evidence-based reporting. Measuring productivity has never been easier.
Now seems like a great time to catch a wave!
PART THREE - THE CLOUD SHIFT
Gartner says that by 2021, more than half of global enterprises already using cloud today will adopt an all-in cloud strategy. And, in a separate report, “36% of IT spending on implementation services is already cloud-based and 28% of IT spending on software is software as a service (SaaS).”
Objections are lessening and more organisations are recognising the value of moving to the cloud. And so, as they move towards a cloud environment, the pace and accuracy of decision-making increases. Data becomes accessible to all employees anywhere at any time and across multiple devices. This will also boost both workforce and organisational productivity.
The report found that by end of 2020, anything other than a cloud-only strategy for new IT initiatives will require justification at more than 30% of large-enterprise organisations.
What is causing the cloud shift?
- Better and convenient security and data management
- Lower infrastructure costs
- Remote working capability offered by cloud storage
- Secure backup and disaster recovery as required by GDPR
- With the right tools, data stored in the cloud is extremely secure
- Necessity for real-time data
What should you look for in your cloud provider?
A recent Gartner report advises organisations on 5 priorities to look for in your cloud provider. Here is Presidio's top 3.
1. Do they have processes in place to mitigate security and compliance risks? Are they GDPR compliant and can they help you maintain your compliance? You should also consider whether they are IS0 27001 certified. ISO 27001 is a globally recognised international standard for managing information security risks. ISO 27001 certification enables organisations to assure their stakeholders that the security of the data entrusted to them is managed correctly.
2. Industry experience. Cloud service providers such as AWS and Microsoft Azure launch over 40 new cloud features per month meaning they have thousands by now. AWS has 500 security features alone. There are also migration and management processes involved when moving huge amounts of data and applications to the cloud. Do you choose public or private cloud? You need a partner with experience in your industry to help you decide and plan the right move for your business.
3. The right partners. Your cloud partner needs to have the correct mix of business and technology partners to ensure you have the best possible service.
Presidio works with both Microsoft and AWS and has the best in class technology partners to provide you with the most effective solution to meet your business needs.
