1. Working from home has evolved into working from any place.
We projected that the work-from-home trend would accelerate last year. We’ve spent the last few years focusing on mobility, user and customer experience, anticipating that the momentum around remote workforces would continue to grow. However, we will become more intelligent and more versatile in the future.
As people and businesses continue to think beyond the box, we see working remotely becoming a hybrid and work-from-home becoming work-from-anywhere. According to Lenovo’s research, 83 percent of IT executives believe that at least half of their work will be done outside of a traditional office in the future. As a result, technology will play a critical role in producing efficiencies and opportunities that revolutionize our work and lives as the next reality takes shape, including:
We’ll see more goods, solutions, and services geared toward the employee experience. The office serves as a hub for collaboration while preserving the sense of personal space that people who work from home have come to expect. Innovative workplace designs and audio/video technologies will make flexible meeting arrangements, and new ways to create social relationships can be possible by innovative workplace designs and audio/video technologies.
Artificial intelligence (AI) will continue to assist humanity. Still, we believe that one of its lesser-known contributions to the future of collaboration will be its capacity to remove background noises such as barking dogs, ambulance sirens, and the neighbor’s lawnmower during video conversations.
With technologies like ThinkReality A3 Smart Glasses that provide interactive training experiences, multi-screen workspaces, and increase productivity, augmented reality (AR) will enable immersive workspaces for employees no matter where they are.
Other developing technologies, such as virtual reality (VR), natural language processing (NLP), spatial audio, sensors, globe cameras, and Lenovo’s smart collaboration suite of tools, will continue to alter how employees connect with technology and each other. This will change the way people think about “workplace” and “workforce,” allowing employees to collaborate and achieve as a team.
More businesses will devote resources to improving their IT infrastructure. To help their staff as they struggle to keep up with digital transformation and escalating expectations, they will rely on outsourced and professional services increasingly secured via Device-as-a-Service (DaaS) IT acquisition models. Customers will be able to focus on business objectives while outsourcing system-level support to a vendor or cloud service provider as a result of this. Last year, we projected that Cost reductions would drive DaaS adoption. Still, this year, we believe that the major driver for as-a-service and managed service model adoption will be reduced complexity.
2. Go ahead, forget your passwords
From everyone using their favorite passwords to every app requiring periodic password upgrades — which no one remembers — we’ve come a long way. However, in the not-too-distant future, a world free of intrinsically susceptible passwords will paradoxically keep us better and our data more secure. After all, passwords must be secret to be effective, but they must also be shared to be utilised. For example, suppose there are no alphanumeric strings to remember, keep safe, and recreate regularly. They can’t be taken that way, either through hacking or while in transit over the internet. They cannot be purchased and sold, nor can they be hacked in significant numbers. Furthermore, there will be no potential for password exchange, reuse, or human error.
Instead, AI and enhanced sensor technology will drive seamless authentication. In the near future, multifactor authentication (MFA) and public key infrastructure (PKI)-based device security, such as those used today to access our mobile banking products, will continue to reduce reliance on passwords for application and device access. Instead, biometrics such as fingerprint, face, iris, and voice identification can be use to ensure security. As a result, passing on traditional passwords will be one of the safest decisions we can make.
3. Tech for good
As consumers urge businesses for more responsible products and practices, we see technology providing a wiser route forward, helping firms construct a better future for their stakeholders – including the most excellent stakeholder of all: our planet.
Recyclable resources, such as plastics, fibers, and metals; self-decomposable materials, such as bioplastics; and renewable materials, such as bamboo, will become more readily available for product creation. Companies will be able to get closer to closing the product lifecycle loop due to this. As a result, recycling will become more widespread, as will supply chain optimization. In addition, increased use of sustainable materials will reduce the use of chemicals in the manufacturing process, bringing firms closer to carbon neutrality.
As we integrate services and solutions that help our clients offset the environmental impact of their technologies and support them in achieving their own sustainability goals, the role of the IT provider will continue to evolve.
New technologies, such as AR/VR glasses, are also assisting in reducing carbon emissions over time. We expect near-eye displays and head-worn sensors to help the differently-abled with new capabilities that will allow remote employees to immerse in another site or location, eliminating travel and conserving carbon. In addition, nearsighted folks can interact with their computers and cellphones more comfortably if they use a mix of adjustable optics and magnification.
Voice and movement sensors will react to these displays, allowing interaction without motor skills. Separately, we expect to see significant shifts in how and where individuals live, work, and interact with their communities due to the rise of work flexibility. For example, knowledgeable professionals who were previously confined to major cities will work remotely. Companies can also rethink and extend their corporate citizenship initiatives by providing time and resources to workers who want to work and volunteer in remote areas.