How are trends such as desk sharing, increased working from home and the paperless office currently impacting the workplace IT business?
All three of these trends are leading to an increase in demand for flexible IT solutions as well as modern physical meeting and collaboration rooms. We are seeing our customers investing more in hardware and suitable collaboration tools in particular. However, cloud-based platforms that enable access from any location and at any time are also increasingly in demand. In view of the flexible working models, security issues such as end-point security, multifactor authentication and identity & access management are also becoming increasingly important.
What have been the most important developments in the workplace IT business over the past 12 months?
With the increasing demands of hybrid working, we have seen two important developments in the last 12 months. On the one hand, everything revolves around AI and the automation of processes and IT management. It is precisely this development that is leading to new security considerations and a focus on cloud infrastructure. On the other hand, we are seeing a significant increase in demand for managed services with the desire to place everything in professional hands and use the time and security gained to take care of innovative topics internally.
What does the ideal modern workplace look like? Does it even need stationary equipment?
The ideal modern workplace is characterised by flexibility and connectivity. Offices are increasingly becoming a meeting place that enables people to exchange ideas and be inspired in different ways. In addition to flexible IT solutions, the right working environments are particularly important here. Stationary equipment will continue to be important, but cloud solutions and mobile devices that support teamwork and flexible working will also be added. For me, sustainability is also an important aspect that many companies are increasingly considering as a key criterion in their decision-making process.
How much market potential is there in the workplace IT business? Or are all workstations already set up?
In order to fulfil the requirements of employees, continuous adaptation to technological advances is necessary. The modern workplace goes far beyond equipping the workplace hardware - which, by the way, also needs to be continuously updated. As a result, the market potential for workplace IT remains high. Our customers are currently very interested in topics such as M365, the manageability of IT assets using Autopilot/Intune or communication and collaboration solutions such as Teams.
What technological trends will characterise the market in the next 12 months?
I think that AI and quantum computing will significantly change the way we work over the next few years. AI innovations are also shaping progress in cybersecurity, especially in the area of XDR and identity security. The importance of data analytics will also continue to grow as a result. Automation, particularly through infrastructure as code, and the increasing containerisation of applications, which makes it easier to switch to SaaS, are also among the technological trends of the future for me. Not forgetting the growing role of IoT technologies.
This interview was conducted in cooperation with IT-Markt.
