Prioritizing Technology Investment

As well as wanting greater flexibility, our survey respondents also expect their leaders to give them the tools and the training to stay productive and engaged when working remotely, along with the technology that will keep them safer and more secure at work

If given the chance to be CEO for a day, eighty-five percent would ensure effective communication and collaboration tools. Eighty-three percent said they would provide the workforce with similar technology at home as they have in the office and think more training on technology and digital skills will be fundamental to business success in 2021.

Despite these recommendations, there is no “one size fits all” approach. Businesses need solutions designed and built for change at any scale across their organizations.

Over the last three years, Cisco has invested in technology and talent to make collaboration more intelligent, secure, effective, and productive. The ultimate goal is to empower workers and transform work to be smarter and more flexible.

On Dec 8, Cisco announced innovations that raise the bar for creating smart hybrid work experiences that will enable safe returns to work and a better future.

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"Everyone will at different times work from home and in the office, and every organisation must discover the right balance between these for their own unique situation and culture. The most successful will be those that best use technology to tap the potential of their employees by enabling serendipitous connections and supporting seamless collaboration."
Ross Dawson, Futurist, Chairman at Advanced Human Technologies Group.

"The future of work does not have borders, it is not defined by a corporate office or a corporate desk. The future of work is defined by flexibility, security, and privacy with a blend between personal and professional activities. The current changes are there to stay post pandemic. Employees have enjoyed the flexibility and the increased productivity and will opt for freedom of choice. The freedom of choice from a workforce perspective comes in with no enterprise perimeter and with no pre-defined working hours. This freedom comes in with the liberty to focus on deliverables rather than traditional setups, and expectations. The pandemic did change the way businesses operate. It did change the future of work."
Dr. Magda Chelly
Top 50 Cybersecurity Influencer, Co-Founder of Responsible Cyber

"The Covid-19 pandemic taught us that digital is business, and businesses need to be digital. This applies to communications and relationships with customers, business partners and, perhaps more critically, employees. If the workforce is not equipped with the right tools, the right level of secure connectivity, and the right level of remote support and communication, then success will be a challenge. Whilst some markets in Asia Pacific are trying to return to the office, the need to be able to rapidly switch to a remote working environment, the hybrid working model, is now more than ever what will define successful organizations in the future.”
Simon Piff, Vice President, Practice Group, IDC Asia Pacific