New Research Reveals Need for Organizations to Modernize Business Communications to Support Accelerating Hybrid Work

Significant Employee vs Employer disconnect on hybrid work-life balance concerns

• 84% of organizations surveyed say modern communications solutions are vital to their success
• Organizations must invest more in modernization to adequately support hybrid work
• Flexibility, agility, and future-proofing are critical requirements for modernization
• Employee vs. employer expectations diverge sharply on hybrid work-life balance
• 1,361 organizations across Australia, France, Germany, UK, US shared hybrid work insights

SAN JOSE, Calif. & SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Mitel^®, a global leader in business communications, is today sharing the findings of a business communications research survey conducted by analyst research firm Techaisle, which unveils crucial insights into the wide-ranging needs of organizations seeking to modernize their business communications to support hybrid work. The research was conducted in the Australian, French, German, UK, and US markets across industries that include construction, finance, healthcare, hospitality, manufacturing, IT, professional services, retail/wholesale, telecom, transportation, and utilities.

The research, which includes trends, similarities, and differences in attitudes regarding business communications in increasingly “hybrid-first” work environments where organizations now permanently operate with a mix of on-site and remote workforce, found several critical common takeaways that apply across industries, all of which and more – including country-specific insights – can be explored more deeply by downloading Techaisle’s “Building a Strong Hybrid Work Foundation” white paper and research report.

Organizations want to modernize through convenient, flexible UC solutions

Despite the early-stage support of consistent hybrid work practices and tools, an overwhelming 84% of organizations recognize their importance, believing that modern communications are vital to business success. But organizations don’t want just any solution. 69% of organizations surveyed want to invest in multi-purpose communication and collaboration technology rather than single-purpose, dedicated devices – effectively reinforcing the value of robust Unified Communications (UC) platforms. According to survey respondents, the right UC solutions allow for flexibility, include a breadth of features, and integrate well with other technology solutions such as office suites, project management, and CRM solutions, making them ideally suited for a hybrid work environment.

Organizations also want convenient ways to purchase modern UC solutions. When it comes to on-prem UC specifically, 40% of organizations prefer to purchase UC solutions as a capital expenditure (CapEx), while 33% prefer an operational expenditure model (OpEx). UC providers who offer flexible purchase models, including services by subscription, are better positioned to attract organizations wanting to modernize their communications.

A need to bridge the employer-employee divide by prioritizing mental health and wellness

As “the Great Resignation” continues to play out, 51% of employees expressed worry about work-life conflict compared with just 23% of employers. Further, 34% of employees cited concerns about loneliness while working remotely, while 27% of employers expressed the same concern. And while 50% of organizations reported having a continuous feedback and assessment process to gather employee feedback, 26% still do not have an employee feedback mechanism in place. While there is still much more to explore in closing this gap between employee and employer perceptions, Techaisle’s research suggests that increased investments in modern UC solutions can be a catalyst for more efficient work and seamless connections between employees, employers, and co-workers and help alleviate stress and fuel engagement.

“As Techaisle’s research finds, organizations are not investing sufficiently in hybrid and remote work tools and resources to effectively meet the needs of a rapidly evolving hybrid-first business environment,” said Anurag Agrawal, founder and chief global analyst at Techaisle. “The complexities of choice and deployment, economic uncertainties, and the need to quickly adapt to changing conditions present enormous challenges for organizations seeking to modernize and equally enormous opportunities for unified communications providers to support customers in that process. Based on our research, providers who offer comprehensive customer lifecycle management designed to evolve as their clients’ needs evolve have a winning strategy.”

“Techaisle’s latest research underscores the urgent need for organizations to modernize their communications experiences in ways that will help employees and customers thrive in the era of hybrid work,” said Daren Finney, senior vice president, global channels at Mitel. “However, with the amount of persistent change organizations are facing and needs that vary greatly from one organization to the next, it can be challenging to figure out how to successfully navigate the modernization process. Mitel’s business strategy is rooted in comprehensive customer lifecycle management that gives organizations of varying sizes and industries the choice, flexibility, future-proofing, and support they need to win over employees and customers long term.”

Techaisle white paper available for download

Techaisle’s white paper and report detailing the research findings in are available for download at Mitel.com/Modernize (Français, Deutsch)

Modernize your communications with Mitel

Mitel is ready to help your organization thrive through modernized unified communications solutions. To engage with a Mitel authorized partner to begin your modernization journey, visit the Mitel upgrade page here.

About Mitel

A global market leader in business communications powering more than two billion business connections, Mitel helps businesses and service providers connect, collaborate, and provide innovative services to their customers. Our innovation and communications experts serve business users in more than 100 countries. For more information, go to www.mitel.com and follow us on LinkedIn and Twitter @Mitel.

About Techaisle

Techaisle is a data-driven global IT market research and industry Analyst organization founded on the premise that go-to-market strategies require insightful research, flexible data, and deeper analysis. Understanding the value of data consistency across markets to inform strategic planning, Techaisle has remained holistic in its approach to insights and provides globally consistent analysis across geographies. Techaisle’s believes that data is inherently more valuable when it can be summarized and delivered as the answer to a specific question.

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