As another year quickly comes to an end, it’s a natural time for businesses to look ahead and ponder what the future holds in store. When it comes to communications and collaboration, here are some top predictions based on current trends we think will redefine the way people work together in the coming years. √ To streamline the communication process, voice calls, texts, file sharing, video chats, and other tools will increasingly be consolidated onto centralized collaboration platforms. √ With more employees wanting to use their own mobile devices at work, the days of the traditional desk phone are numbered. √ Business communications systems will be able to analyze data and adapt on the fly, becoming more predictive of the needs of individuals and companies. √ A rise in the use of unified communications solutions will allow more people than ever to work and collaborate effectively from wherever they may be.

1. %of enterprise voice calls will originate
from collaboration applications by 2020.
Whether it’s chatting, sharing files, video chatting, or using other
collaboration tools, today’s workers are less willing to move between
apps for their day-to-day communications. A revolution has started,
and all of these tools are moving to one centralized platform.
Source: Gartner
8
TRENDS
IN BUSINESS
COMMUNICATIONS
FOR 2016
Text messages have eclipsed phone calls as the preferred method
of communication by individuals today. Calls are now reserved for only
those questions or situations that require an immediate response.
Source: Chicago Tribune
Predictive communication
will gain traction
in business settings.
Technology has reached the point where modern-day supercomputers
will soon start analyzing and using data to program themselves.
Modern business communications systems should do the same,
ushering in a new era of “predictive” or “cognitive” communication.
Source: IBM Insider
The age of mobility has taken over the workplace, with employees
now expecting to be able to use their own mobile devices in and out
of the office. This trend is often referred to as “bring your own
device,” or BYOB.
Source: Forbes
BYOD
Text messages will
exceed phone calls.
is accelerating
the evolution of
the desk phone.
Employees cite wordy emails and other lengthy
communications as among their biggest workplace pain
points. To help address this problem, infographics and videos
have become the new standard in viral marketing.
Source: Dennis Dunleavy (Author)
Images and short-form
messages will replace
traditional communications.
Team collaboration tools
will free you from email.
Email has replaced the desk phone as the dominant form of workplace
communication and collaboration, with 36% of a worker’s day spent
in the inbox. With employees spending more and more time on email
every day, companies are looking for ways to reduce or eliminate their
dependence on traditional email systems.
Source: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Same experience across devices
will become a requirement.
People now expect the information they see,
hear, click, and touch on their screens to
behave in a similar fashion—whether
they’re using a computer, cell phone,
tablet, or other mobile device. This
makes the idea of responsive design
in apps more critical than ever.
Source: PC World
As companies look for ways to improve collaboration among their
employees, 86% report to already be testing or using unified
communications (UC) solutions.
Source: ZK Research: Business agility drives the need for work-
stream
ringcentral.com
Workers will expect
to be able to work
the way they want.