Modern Workforce Demands Collaborative, Mobile Technology Solutions

Fairfax, VA /PRNewswire/ - An office environment reflects a business's core values, from the placement of different teams to design elements that showcase the culture and brand. Outfitting workspaces is a major capital investment that affects business outcomes, from productivity to employee satisfaction to talent recruitment. In 2018, corporations are expected to spend $11.8 billion on professional audiovisual technology solutions for office environments in the United States, according to the new 2018 Market Opportunity Analysis Report (MOAR) covering the corporate market by AVIXA, the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association.

According to MOAR: Corporate, 76.4 percent of respondents work for companies with multiple locations. Recent reports show some companies scaling back or eliminating their teleworking programs, however 33.9 percent of corporate employees surveyed say their companies offer telecommuting or remote work options. With many organizations' employees spread across the globe in regional offices and home offices, it's imperative for companies to have efficient means to communicate and collaborate.

The average office worker now uses some mixture of desk phones, mobile phones, voicemail, IM apps, or collaboration apps. In turn, many of these standard communication tools use different user authentication. Aiming to improve corporate communication, 32.6 percent of MOAR: Corporate survey respondents reported they will increase investments in unified communications solutions (UCC) over the next year. A UCC solution provides employees with access to all the varied communications channels they utilize in the workplace – phone calls, messaging, video and webconferencing – all simplified by having one phone number, one user account, and one identity. Almost 80 percent of office workers surveyed that have access to a UCC solution say they interact with it at least weekly, with 34.6 saying they use it every day.

While some companies seek to provide workers the flexibility for when and where they can do their best work, a growing faction of corporate America is attempting to create more innovation by bringing employees back to the office. To create a modern workspace that will attract employees, companies are investing in AV solutions to facilitate better collaboration. More than 60 percent of survey respondents plan to upgrade AV technology in large conference rooms and 58 percent in small conference rooms in the next year. They will focus on audio equipment, and capture and production equipment, such as videoconferencing cameras and systems.

"The modern office worker requires technology to be mobile, collaborative, and ubiquitous, and corporations that want to attract and keep top talent must deliver that," said Sean Wargo, Senior Director of Market Intelligence, AVIXA. "What were cookie-cutter office buildings have become statements of corporate identity, brand, and culture. All the while, some companies are instead down-sizing their headquarters or local offices to encourage and support telecommuting and remote work. But the objective remains the same for all – to increase productivity."

The research for MOAR: Corporate took place in the first quarter of 2018 and involved three different surveys for the following groups: corporate office workers (1,009 responses); decision-makers in corporate environments to learn more about their current usage of AV technology, their expansion plans, and challenges faced when working with providers (324 responses); and providers of AV solutions to learn more about their existing and planned solutions activities within the corporate market (231 responses).

To learn more about MOAR: Corporate, visit www.avixa.org/MOARCorporate.

About AVIXA
AVIXA™ is the Audiovisual and Integrated Experience Association, producer of InfoComm trade shows around the world, co-owner of Integrated Systems Europe, and the international trade association representing the audiovisual industry. Established in 1939, AVIXA has more than 5,400 members, including manufacturers, systems integrators, dealers and distributors, consultants, programmers, live events companies, technology managers, content producers, and multimedia professionals from more than 80 countries. AVIXA members create integrated AV experiences that deliver outcomes for end users. AVIXA is a hub for professional collaboration, information, and community, and the leading resource for AV standards, certification, training, market intelligence and thought leadership. Additional information is available at avixa.org.