In the past few years, the way the world works has changed quite a bit, first out of necessity, then out of choice. A recent Gallup poll shows that prior to the pandemic, only 8 percent of remote-capable jobs were exclusively remote, and 32 percent were hybrid. In February 2022, 39 percent were exclusively remote, and 32 percent were hybrid. Now, as we look ahead to what the future of work will hold, it is anticipated that exclusively remote work will go down to 24 percent of remote-capable jobs and hybrid will rise to 53 percent. As some begin the return to office, it’s clear that hybrid is here to stay. As part of this new hybrid work refresh, partners can assist customers by helping assess and adjust infrastructure, bandwidth, and more.
Updating Infrastructure
While some employees returned to work within months of turning remote, some are just beginning to make their way back. Many are returning to calendars still set to March 2020, three-year-old papers stacked and ready for review, and in many instances, infrastructure has set unattended the entire time as well. For example, Gardner discussed how a number of organizations are still running Catalyst 3750 switches. Although these switches have worked well for years, they are no longer supported for replacements and no longer have the ability to be patched. James McGregor, Product Business Manager, Cisco Security, TD SYNNEX, said, “There’s opportunities [for partners] to have conversations with your customers about outdated equipment, making sure the switches they have on-prem aren’t end of life.”
This infrastructure needs to be replaced not only because it’s at the end of life, but also because technology has changed so much. The older infrastructure can make networks more vulnerable to malware and cyberattacks. “So, while something might still work, it doesn’t necessarily mean that you should leave it and not make that investment,” said Brent Gardner, Solutions Architect, TD SYNNEX. Gavin Critchlow, Product Business Manager, Cisco Collaboration, TD SYNNEX, discussed some of the incentives that partners can offer customers looking to make updates, including an environmental sustainability certification that supports hybrid work refreshes with training materials and even a discount for trading in obsolete equipment.
Speeding Up Bandwidth
“Bandwidth is a huge issue in terms of when people are coming back into the office,” Gardner bluntly stated during a recent hybrid work refresh webinar. As people have adjusted to work from home over the past few years, they have also adjusted to faster bandwidth connections. Because of the national need for fast internet at home, many of these upgrades happened automatically. Now, those who are preparing to return to the office expect the bandwidth there to be on par with what they’ve come to expect at home. This may present a challenge as multiple people share bandwidth. It is especially important to address this as video conferencing will continue to be crucial for all operations as team members, clients, partners, and others will be meeting at varied locations.
Updating Solutions
With this truly hybrid work environment, customers are seeking the solutions that allow for secure collaboration with teammates anywhere. Whether in-office or at home, Cisco products can help meet these needs. For customers in an office, tools like Cisco Room Navigator can help customers book meeting rooms and check availability, while those at home can find benefits in small, mobile tools like Cisco Desk Mini. Critchlow mentioned with the upcoming Microsoft Teams operating system rollout, all these devices will soon be fully integrated with Teams, making it easier for customers to navigate within their workspaces.
Conclusion
Partners must understand their customers’ evolving needs as work continues to change. At the beginning of the pandemic, there was a rush to move to remote work. Now, as the world stabilizes, hybrid work models have become more permanent, requiring lasting solutions for both teams working in office and at home. In order for businesses to succeed, they need the right solutions and support, and partners are the ones who can provide them. Watch the full Hybrid Work Refresh Webinar here to learn more.
