Enterprise Mobility Trends To Look Out For In 2020 – Part II

What will the workplace of the future- specifically, enterprise mobility- look like in 2020? What technology will people use, and how will they use it? Here’s four more of our best guesses, following up on Part 1. 

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence has had, and will continue to have, a major impact on enterprises in the new decade. For instance, chatbots- programs that conduct a conversation with the user in order to perform some function-  will benefit workers worldwide. As chatbots become more intelligent, they can accept more complex prompts from workers, exponentially expanding their utility as a result. Indeed, Gartner estimates that “By 2022, 70% of white-collar workers will interact with conversational platforms on a daily basis.”

AI is helpful because it can account for countless variables at once; for example, Behaviosec’s “Deep Authentication” program continually authenticates users based on their patterns of device usage; if it detects sudden changes relative to normal usage patterns, users are excluded from the system. It’s worth noting, however, that these computations can be inscrutable for IT admins, as AI programs may produce results without any clear process leading up to the result. This is why so-called “Explainable AI” may be important, especially in circumstances wherein AI passes judgement on workers’ authenticity. 

Cloud Solutions

From Desktop as a Service (DaaS) providers to programs like Google Drive, cloud-based computing is everywhere in 2020. The benefits of cloud computing are numerous, ranging from reducing on-site infrastructure to facilitating collaboration between coworkers; Microsoft announced in 2017 that its cloud-based Mircosoft 365 solution had begun to sell more than the non-cloud equivalent (at the time, Office 2016), and the disparity has only grown since. 

An ongoing difficulty that enterprises face is in deciding whether to commit to private or public cloud infrastructures. Public solutions maintain privacy between individual users and let companies leave maintenance in the hands of experts, but this can introduce issues that are beyond a company’s control to fix. For instance, the Google Cloud outage in mid-2019 left workers worldwide without access to any of the tools they needed to work. Private cloud solutions, in contrast, are typically more expensive and more difficult to maintain, but belong solely to an organization and therefore give companies more agency in troubleshooting. 

Internet of Things

Internet of Things (IoT) devices are becoming increasingly prevalent in the workplace, letting employees integrate virtual assistants, smart locks, and other key IoT devices into the workday. Unfortunately, this idea of an “Enterprise of Things” has outpaced the development of IoT technology meant for the workplace. This means that companies have started using IoT consumer devices in sensitive contexts, creating major security liabilities. 

This is not to say that workplaces anxious to integrate IoT devices are without recourse; Amazon offers its Alexa for Business program, and 42Gears’ own Things Management Technology lets businesses secure a wide range of IoT devices using custom software. Using tools like these, businesses can enjoy the convenience and utility of IoT devices without opening themselves to data theft. 

Leaving the Physical Workplace Behind

Mobile devices once drove the expansion of the workplace to include remote “mobile workers,” but now, they are going farther to drive the transition from physical workspaces to all-remote virtual workspaces. Such workspaces range from “ghost kitchens” that exist only on food delivery applications, to virtual factory tours that allow investors to see how factories work without being physically present. Remote work may no longer mean being away from the work environment, as AR and VR technology can simulate the experience of being in a dedicated workspace.

If there is no physical hub, it becomes essential to have a way of remotely repairing devices. Unified endpoint management software can make this possible, letting IT admins work remotely at all times, even when troubleshooting employees’ devices. 

No matter what happens in the next year, SureMDM by 42Gears will help you be prepared. By remotely securing, monitoring, and managing your devices, you can maximize the benefits of new technology while minimizing the downsides.