Gartner® Predicts 2024: build a sustainable and collaborative digital workplace infrastructure

No workspace strategy in place? Act quickly!

You can only win talented, creative, young professionals with a modern IT environment and flexible working concepts. If organisations do not want to miss out, it is time to get out that workspace strategy tailored to their business. If none exists, time has almost run out to address the subject workplace modernisation.

According to the latest IDC Survey “Advanced Workplace Strategies in Germany 2016“, modernisation of the workplace, just after long-term hot topic security, is seen as one of the most important IT tasks of the coming years. The study also takes a look at the demands of current IT users. Here a generation change becomes apparent: While 64 percent of Generation X (36 to 49 years) are still satisfied with their workplace, this reduces remarkably to 55 percent with Generation Y. In particular the younger generation demands new working place concepts. “Any Place, Any Time“ is the demand on today’s workplace. Noticeable is also the desire in the group of young professionals for a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) company strategy. For many German companies, this has become a serious issue in the competition for talented staff.

Investment backlogs to be cleared

With regards to the advancing Generation Y, which, in part, uses more powerful technology privately than in their place of work, there is an urgent need for action. However, the results of the study, which surveyed 281 people with responsibility for IT in companies with more than 100 employees in important industry sectors in Germany, showed a more sobering image of existing IT landscapes. “We see a considerable investment backlog in many companies, which has to be cleared urgently“, explains Mark Alexander Schulte, senior consultant at IDC and project manager of the survey. Despite the great importance for staff productivity, the majority of users in organisations currently can only access every second application device independent. This is where companies need to take action quickly to clear the way for productivity. IT requires modern devices that provides applications and documents device independent.

A Workspace Strategy provides competitive edge

Over recent years, a fragmented management structure of traditional, virtual and mobile devices has developed in many companies. Therefore more and more companies would like to reduce the complexity with the help of an integrated IT workspace management that covers mobile and stationery devices. In this context, the focus has increasingly shifted to virtual workspaces from the public cloud. Windows 10 receives positive feedback and, together with hybrid devices, drives the merging of mobile and desktop IT in companies. If a company has a workspace strategy in place, it has all the pieces in the puzzle to give itself a competitive edge.

Survey „Advanced Workplace Strategies in Germany 2016“: http://idc.de/de/research/multi-client-projekte/advanced-workplace-strategies/advanced-workplace-strategies-2016-projektergebnisse