Digital workplace technologies, one of two new entrants in our annuastudy of technology trends, earns the highest customer satisfaction rating from survey respondents, a clear sign that the shift to a hybrid workforce is well under way and has changed the focus for many IT organizations. Digital workplace technologies are a set of tools and electronic capabilities to allow workers to communicate and collaborate virtually from anywhere. The use of these technologies has surged as the pandemic showed valuable use cases for them.
As shown in Figure 3 from our Technology Trends 2022 study, digital workplace technologies tops the satisfaction list, followed by another new entrant this year, low-code/no-code. The ratings are based on the percentage of companies saying they are satisfied or very satisfied with their experience with each of the 14 technologies in our survey. The satisfaction ratings are based on a relative scale determined by the highest and lowest values for all technologies in the study.
The study demonstrates that the emergence of smart technologies is enabling workplaces to become more productive and enables a work-from-anywhere model. More companies are using tools such as video conferencing, document collaboration, workflow management, content management, instant messaging, and unified communications to enhance collaboration and productivity.
“Digital workplace technologies is also a money saver,” said Tom Dunlap, director of research for Computer Economics, a service of Avasant, based in Los Angeles. “Fifty-four percent of organizations in our survey recorded positive ROI with their investment in digital workplace technologies, while only 3% failed to recoup their investment over a two-year period.”
However, in the rush to embrace digital workplace technologies, IT leaders would be smart to remember that some employees take to these tools better than others. And the work-from-anywhere paradigm is not for everyone. Managers need to be proactive to be sure struggling employees are supported. Productivity tracking may be necessary during the adjustment. And mental health support is valuable. It is also a good idea to pair adoption of these technologies with another technology in this survey, human resources/human capital management (HR/HCM), to help maximize the success of your employees.
The full study is designed to give business leaders insight into the staying power of 14 technologies that are currently top of mind for many companies. It provides a glimpse into how quickly an emerging technology is being adopted, how deeply more-established technologies are penetrating the market, and how positive the customer experience is with each technology. The study also delves into the specific types of solutions under consideration.
By understanding the adoption trends, investment activity, and customer experience, business leaders are in a better position to assess the potential risks and rewards of investing in each of these technology initiatives. They also can gain insight into just how aggressively competitors and peers are investing in these initiatives.
The full study also takes a quick look at an additional 19 early adopter and future technologies. These include blockchain, digital currencies, digital assistants, digital twins, drones, autonomous vehicles, quantum computing, 5G private networks, 6G networks, low-code/no-code, AI robotics, holograms, metaverse, non-fungible tokens, 3-D printing, human-computer interface, self-healing systems, Wi-Fi 6, and ultra-high-density storage. The study evaluates whether IT decision makers are familiar with these, whether they see a potential use for them, and whether they have already implemented them or have them installed.
Sample pages from the full study are available for free download.
This Research Byte is a brief overview of our study, Technology Trends 2022. The full report is available at no charge for subscribers, or it may be purchased by non-clients directly from our website (click for pricing).