Forecast for the Workplace of 2017

By Jon Meleshenko
Convergence Design Engineer, SOURCE

Have you ever wondered what the workplace will be like in ten years?  With advancements in technology, corporate communications are sure to be different in 2017. 

Today’s large corporations will be a thing of the past, other than perhaps 50 super corporations owning and managing the necessary services – energy, food, health, media and data.  Those displaced by the worldwide emergence of these super corporations will cause small businesses to evolve and grow in number exponentially.

To remain competitive, small businesses will demand better, faster, cheaper and more advanced applications, equipment and software to run the business.  With communications connecting all aspects of a business, the following seven services are expected to become necessary in 2017.

1. VoIP for Businesses and Consumers
   Support for non-VoIP legacy products will not likely exist in ten years.

2. Desktop Visualization
   With this technology, all integral information regarding the calling customer will be at the fingertips of the home agent.  No need for separate database, etc.  Every aspect of the client and its history will be available, even to the mom-and-pop shops. Speech and touch will replace the keyboard and mouse.

3. Mobile Devices
   From phones to PDAs to laptop tablets, mobile devices will completely replace the desktop, and Bluetooth will replace docking stations.  Personal eyewear will project virtual desktops onto the lenses.

4. Real-time Desktop Video Conferencing
   Look for video conferencing to become a requirement of everyday business.

5. Wireless Connections
   All connections – for PC, TV, video, cell, voice, etc. – will likely be wireless. Another option may include fiber optic cables where wireless may not be able to penetrate.

6. Open & Secure Software
   Open-source software combined with hardened protocols will change communication practices for the entire workforce to require constant presence and availability.

7. Power House Equipment
   Expect to see more robust equipment in terms of speed and resiliency to effectively support convergence requirements, growth and customer demand.

The Future is VoIP
Given the trends in voice and data convergence, experts agree VoIP is inevitable for businesses wanting to compete in the future marketplace.  Traditional voice services are already feeling the pressure from VoIP, declining by 10 percent or more each year, according to Paul Budde Communication, which also predicts that worldwide revenue from next generation voice products will reach approximately $6 billion by 2008.

Gartner expects that by the end of the decade – well before 2017 – that “40 percent of companies will have completed the convergence of their entire voice and data networks to a single network, and more than 95 percent of large and midsize companies will have started the process.”  

Gartner advises that every major organization should at least be testing a converged network; however, users should not replace/upgrade the established LAN infrastructure if definitive IP telephony plans are not in place.  According to Gartner, VoIP is much more than just a “replacement for the established telephone system.” It is important to “consider it a foundation to unify communications applications and assess how business and communications processes can be changed or integrated with IP telephony and collaborative applications.”

Further, Gartner projects “convergence will drive additional classes of communications-enabled business applications – and cause the greatest upheaval in the telecommunications industry since its inception.”

What do the Numbers Mean for Budgets?
By Gartner’s calculation through 2010, we can expect network budgets to grow 5 percent to 10 percent per year.  Gartner also predicted through 2011, enterprises will waste $100 billion buying networking technologies and services that do not meet their communications needs. 

Partnering with a reliable and knowledgeable IT partner will ensure smart spending and propel your businesses into 2017 with the ease, confidence and most important – budget surplus.