It is undeniable that technology has enabled the survival of many companies over the past couple of years. For some that have done it well, it also allowed them to thrive and explore opportunities that seemed impossible before.
However, if there’s one piece of technology that became the star of the Covid-era, it will have to be Zoom Communications. During the early days of the pandemic, millions of people across the globe utilised the platform to stay connected, so much so that Zoom practically became synonymous with remote work and has become a part of our daily lexicon.
As we enter the third year of the pandemic, many companies have returned to the office and in-person events are making a comeback. But the irrefutable advantages that remote working offers have driven organisations to embrace a hybrid approach.
“The future of the workplace is all about hybrid,” said Sam Tayan, Head of MENA, Zoom. “Flexibility remains a top priority for many employees and organisations. This is because businesses and employees have realised that work is something we do, not where we must be.”
A recent study in the UAE revealed that 64 percent of employees consider working from anywhere, office or home, as a driver of satisfaction and happiness. This is primarily because employees believe that a remote or hybrid work model allows them to experience a better work-life balance.
“Allowing employees the flexibility to choose when (or if) they want to come into the office gives them more time to coordinate their personal lives, reducing their stress, and giving them more time to take care of themselves and their families,” said Tayan.
He added that for organisations, hybrid models also allowed them to recruit the best talent by giving them access to a broader pool of candidates who live outside their state or country.
A new era of collaboration
Video communications technologies have transformed and adapted to the changing circumstances, accommodating the new modes of flexible work, blended learning and even hybrid events. In the UAE, a recent industry study revealed that 84% of business and IT decision-makers believe that at least a quarter of their workforce will remain hybrid post-pandemic, a strong indication that video communications will continue to be crucial.
“As we enter a new era for communications and collaboration, the immersive video experiences that allow for a robust hybrid setup regardless of the industry will remain,” said Tayan.
However, while having agile, flexible technologies is vital to ensure elevated experiences, productivity and business growth, it is only one part of the equation. The benefits of the hybrid era can only be fully realised by both organisations and employees if there is a positive culture.
According to Tayan, business owners and managers must adopt certain best practices to lead effectively and ensure their organisation’s success in hybrid environments. “Often, organisations are concerned about whether their remote workers will engage and collaborate with their co-workers without the in-person element of communication. By providing employees with virtual channels for communication, managers could give everyone a chance to participate.
“Trusting employees to work effectively and perform is also essential and leaders should also take a ‘macro’ approach to management while ensuring they make individual roles clearer so that employees can see a line of sight between their particular jobs and the team’s collective goals.”
The future of work with Zoom
Looking ahead, Tayan highlighted that Zoom has big plans to continue providing solutions and services that streamline digital communication and contribute to the hybrid work environment.
“Zoom’s disciplined approach, focus on long-term sustainable growth, and proven track record of innovation will continue to deliver happiness to their customers, employees, and communities. We focus on innovation to build our offering at speed and scale – our ability to do so can be seen in the success of our different features and offerings, such as Zoom Phone, which has expanded to over 40 countries and sold over 2 million seats. We believe our global brand, innovative technologies, and large customer base position us well for the future,” he said.
This year, the company aims to launch new features such as ‘Huddle View’, which offers users a visual picture of a channel, providing distributed teams with a sense of togetherness as they communicate and collaborate. As for transforming hybrid events experiences, the company will also roll out ‘Zoom Events Backstage’ where speakers, panellists, and production staff can use Zoom’s backstage feature to reply to questions, monitor chat, and mingle before going live.
Zoom will also enhance the translation and transcription on the platform by adding live translation and expanding its auto-generated captioning to support a range of languages in the coming months. The video collaboration firm is also working on ‘Jumpstart,’ a new app builder tool that will help developers get their apps to market faster by providing dependable video. Other planned updates include the introduction of Zoom Widget, Zoom Apps for Mobile and Webinar, a new Video Engagement Center and enhancements to Zoom Whiteboard.
“Following a rigorous strategy and focusing on long-term sustainable growth and innovation, our goal is to keep our customers, employees, and communities pleased. Our next growth and innovation areas are directly related to what our clients have told us they require to expand their operations,” explained Tayan.
Tayan emphasised that the Middle East is an important region for Zoom and they continue to see a strong interest in their technologies and offerings from both the private and public sectors. “We want to build fruitful and valuable partnerships with key players in both sectors to ensure that we’re included in regional visions and strategies for the future of technology,” he said.
