When Globe Business teamed up with Zoom in November 2019, no one suspected that both companies would contend with 2020’s radical changes in the business landscape—and meet challenges head-on.

“We've been thrust into this global experiment of how to work differently,” explained Magnus Falk, CIO Advisor for Zoom, during a virtual roundtable discussion with Globe Business and multi-industry C-level executives. “COVID-19 has [forced] leaders to rethink how work was done—and what their customers now needed.”

Technology lies at the center of this transformation. “It’s the enabling factor in the new digital workplace,” Falk explained.

The disruption caused by the pandemic, combined with key technologies like Zoom’s video communications solutions, has caused three broad trends to emerge and it’s revolutionizing both work and leisure around the world.

Trend #1: Innovation is accelerating

Bill Gates expressed amazement at 2020’s COVID-induced pace of innovation, “We’ve opened up maybe 12 years of progress maybe just in this last year.”

The need to reduce physical contact post-pandemic, among others, has accelerated change to a surprising degree. Even sectors that are steeped in tradition have embraced new ways of doing things, as seen in a 700-year-old British Parliament video conferencing via Zoom.

In the corporate world, Zoom has helped drive the pace of innovation forward, allowing workplaces to reimagine their offices with the following tools:

Virtual Receptionist: “You can walk into an office and walk up to a Virtual Receptionist panel, talk to it, [and] get welcomed by someone,” shared Falk. “The receptionist may well be in another city or country.”

Digital Signage: These automated signs can help maintain safe practices in offices by displaying cloud-based occupancy dashboards that can provide alerts regarding room usage and capacity. Zoom’s technology can also give staff guidance about the safe usage of workplace equipment to help everyone comply with safety protocols.

Activate Zoom Rooms: A new Zoom product “just around the corner” will allow Zoom Rooms to sense and respond to paired smartphones. Users will be able to control the room camera, mute their audio, and more, just from their phone. “It gives you access to all the rich functionality without having to touch any shared panel, which [is] very attractive to people who are in shared offices,” Falk described.

Trend #2: The Business landscape is shifting

The pandemic has upended conventional corporate relationships. The new normal has altered how businesses and clients, employers and employees, deal with each other.

The world is witnessing iconic brands reinvent themselves—from HSBC adding Zoom video conferencing to their mortgage process to retailer John Lewis launching Zoom-enabled personal shopping.

The pandemic has also spurred the adoption of a new hybrid work model—one wherein employees are empowered to work on their own terms, at a time that allows them to be at their best, and in a way that allows them to fully contribute, according to Falk.

A recent JLL survey found that 75% of employees expect employers to support work-from-home policies. In response, formal remote work policies have become more prevalent across the world.

Trend #3: 5G will super-charge change

The rise of 5G in the Philippines will mean higher-bandwidth connections, but that’s not the end of it.

Using 5G’s increased speeds and low latency without a physical connection (Globe’s 5G uses Massive Multiple Input Multiple Output [MIMO] technology that brings speed range from 50Mbps to 200Mbps), people will begin to rethink where they work along with how they work.

“Work is going to become distributed across locations, languages, and split between home and office locations,” Falk surmised. “This is going to be good for people, and for locations that were previously far away.”

5G, for starters, facilitates the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in Zoom Rooms to automatically create accurate transcriptions—an option you can download on the Zoom App Marketplace.

“All this innovation is allowing companies [to let workers choose] to work where, when, and how they want. And it's also applying to the customers: giving them options that they didn't have before.”

Change from top to bottom

“At Globe, we’ve used all sorts of video conferencing tools. Zoom is by far the best one we’ve encountered,” added Peter Maquera, Senior Vice President for Globe Business. “We started this business relationship way before the pandemic. The crisis made us realize how fortunate we are that we began early. Zoom has certainly been key to us continuing to be agile and productive.”

Globe Business and Zoom are well-positioned to help businesses take advantage of big changes and momentous transitions. As an early adopter of 5G and Zoom’s cloud-based, infinitely scalable communications architecture, Globe can help you make sense of the technology fueling the present surge of innovation.

A year into its partnership, Globe has already earned accolades from its collaboration with Zoom. During Zoom Partner Connect 2020, Globe was shortlisted as an APAC finalist for the Rising Star Award for its outstanding commitment to engaging and aligning with the Zoom strategy and philosophy of delivering happiness by securely unifying people’s communication needs.

Allow us to help you simplify communications among your workforce, so you can do great things with your business. Contact your Globe Business Account Manager or visit our website for more information.