3 Trends, predictions (and channel opportunities) in a not-so-post-pandemic world

Last October, Nuvias UC commissioned a survey of 1,508 European IT decision makers – including those in managerial, directorial, and C-suite positions – to understand their evaluation of trends, challenges and opportunities in the UC market and the impact of UC for businesses.

The survey was carried out by an independent research company, and countries surveyed include the UK, Benelux, Sweden, France, Spain and Italy.

As a taster for the full research reveal, here’s a taster of 3 of the findings – with related trends on what to expect in the year ahead, and predictions from the Nuvias UC team on what it means for the channel.

To read our full report ‘Post-pandemic bugbears, work culture impact, and UC spending plans for IT decision makers for 2022’ click here.

Finding #1: 70% of businesses expect a split between ‘in’ and ‘out’ workers 

Hybrid working looks here to stay, with many workers showing reluctance in going back to the office full time. From a cultural perspective, seven in ten IT leaders we asked across Europe believe hybrid working will cause a divide between those who come into the office and those who work from home. 

What does this mean for IT resellers and the channel? 

Prediction: Jeremy Keefe, CEO, Nuvias UC, foresees there being a higher demand for channel support in deploying not just the technologies but the accompanying business strategies for organisations to make sure that employees have the collaboration tools they need, both at home and in the office. 

Keefe comments: “UC will play an integral role in business morality – the application of moral standards in the professional environment – and business continuity as organisations look to mitigate cultural barriers. We’re experts in the technology but it’s having a real understanding of the business and what companies are facing that is just as important. And that’s where the channel has an opportunity to be invaluable in providing insight for these evolving times.”

Finding #2: 37% of IT leaders say lack of technical skills within their team is their biggest frustration 

With over a third of IT leaders across Europe essentially lacking in-team experience and know-how during what has been a stressful period of accelerated digital transformation, it’s understandable why the skills frustration has arisen. 

So, how does this play into the year ahead? 

Prediction: Nick Waldeck, Commercial Director, at Nuvias UC, sees an opportunity for IT resellers to establish themselves as technical experts on all aspects of UC as he anticipates that businesses will be eager to develop more synergistic relationships to fill the knowledge and skills gap. 

Waldeck comments: “The labour shortages being experienced around the world and across all industries indicate the skills issue is unlikely to be resolved any time soon and may even get worse. I envision that over the next 12 months, just as channel partners will be called upon to help fill in the technical skills gap for businesses, by the end of the year we’ll be seeing partners increasingly performing in a consultancy-led role.”

Finding #3: Over 40% of IT leaders are looking for communications tools that work easily across all devices

An increase in communication channels may have relieved the immediate challenges of remote working, but many businesses (2 in 5) still think their employees are not fully satisfied with the communication tools provided.

Knowing this, how will businesses meet employee demands in 2022?

Prediction: Jeremy Keefe, CEO, Nuvias UC, believes remote worker expectations – coupled with the possibility of future lockdowns – will motivate business and IT leaders to address the disruption arising from lack of communication tool integration. For IT resellers, this is an opportunity to complement the provision of UC communication solutions for businesses with guidance.

Keefe comments: “Accelerated digital transformation has meant we’ve become accustomed to communicating and collaborating across a plethora of different platforms and devices. As a result, many now expect the same ease of integration of communication channels they experience in their personal lives to be reflected in their work tools. By giving their teams what they want, businesses can expect to see a rise in productivity”

Following on from our report, and as the year came to a close, we sat down with Ed House – our U.K Sales Director – to review the previous year and get his take on what could be in store for the IT channel in 2022.

We discussed:

• The increased adoption of cloud video, as well as video moving from a ‘nice-o-have’ to a necessary enterprise tool for work communication
• The move towards hybrid working and the role of the future role of the office
• The role of cloud technologies in 2021
• How Nuvias UC are improving the sales and procurement process for resellers
• Contingency planning in an ever-changing pandemic

Want to have a chat with one of the team? Get in contact today and find out more about how Nuvias UC can grow your business.