COVID has definitely made some changes to the work environment that are here to stay, and the term "hybrid workforce" doesn't seem to be going anywhere. As the business definition of a normal work environment is changing, so do the communication means required to maintaining it.
I sat down for a fascinating chat with Marcus-Michael Müller, Yamaha's Head of Sales & Marketing Unified Communications Europe, to discuss the future of communication and collaboration in light of the not-so-new reality.
"If we look into the future, I think some people will get used to working from home and like it, and others will hate it and want to go back to the office," says Müller.
"Once this division becomes a permanent reality, the main challenge is going to be combining employees working from home with those working from the office."
"Another challenge will have to do with the changes to the office environment itself," Müller explains.
"I think for the next two years, people are still going to be afraid of being packed together in a small room. We will probably see more and more open spaces, and less people-per-room."
So, what do we need in order to better equip ourselves for a hybrid, socially-distanced future?
Different Technologies for Different Use Cases
In order to properly adapt to the new work environment, companies and workers will probably be required to use various types of communications solutions, depending on the use case.
When it comes to the individual-user level, for example, Müller believes people are likely to move from personal headsets to personal portable speakerphones.
"When you wear a headset for hours on end – it makes you feel capsulated, as if you're in a bubble with yourself. Many people find this uncomfortable. Using a portable speakerphone, like Yamaha's YVC-200, allows one to speak freely wherever they are – whether it's on the road, at home or in the office. This takes care of that inconvenience while providing great sound quality."
Another change that Müller believes will expand further is the transition from working in small offices to working in open spaces, in order to help maintain social distancing.
Open spaces equal more people in the same room, which entails more noise in the background when conducting calls.
"I believe people will lean more and more towards solutions that have excellent noise cancelling capabilities. I can already see Yamaha's YVC-330 speakerphone gaining more popularity, since it's based on SoundCap technology. SoundCap creates a type of 'bubble' around the users it in order to keep irrelevant noise from being transferred to the far end, which means participants are heard much more clearly."
Marcus-Michael Müller[/caption]
