Survey Results Indicate Need for Immersive Collaboration Tools to Optimize Future of Work

LOS ANGELES, CA--(Marketwired - Sep 27, 2017) - Oblong Industries, the developer of spatial, immersive, and gesture-enabled technologies for the new era of collaborative work, today announced compelling new survey data supporting a growing demand for modern collaboration systems. Defined as a new method for visualizing and interacting with data through immersion, advanced collaboration platforms allow users to escape the confines of computers and traditional tools to boost efficiency and streamline processes.

The results call for the adoption of more interactive and disruptive technologies to reduce challenges that hamper office productivity. Issues can range from passive engagement, which occurs when employees are not sufficiently able to interact with shared content, or more technical delays created by blending disparate information sources. Such occurrences may seem benign on a micro-level but when measured as a macro issue they prove to waste significant time and resources. These challenges are fueled by a transitioning workforce that consists of a growing number of millennial users who possess higher baseline proficiency for technology and tend to multitasking while engaging with information from multiple data sources. The trend will only continue to increase overtime with Millennials and ultimately, generation Z inheriting the workforce. Despite evolving demographics, the tools and technologies used for collaboration remain virtually unchanged and are often a byproduct of past generations.

• Two significant challenges of meeting technology can be traced to the quality of the systems, 50% of respondents cite passive engagement or technical delays as obstacles for collaboration.
• Sixty-six percent of respondents report immersive collaboration technologies, defined as utilizing spatial, multi-dimensional or interactive components would help companies overcome complex business challenges.
• As Millennials enter the workforce, technical proficiencies aren't the only consideration when investing in advanced meeting technologies. These workers have ushered new dynamics for how business is conducted. Of those surveyed, 80% of respondents cited work-life balance and establishing an energized workforce as agents of change that impact collaboration and productivity levels.
• The data shows an almost universal mandate to upgrade or replace current collaboration technologies. Twenty-five percent of those surveyed stated an intention to augment current collaboration systems, whereas approximately 38% will replace these tools entirely within the current fiscal year. Of those planning to upgrade, more than 60% of respondents anticipate investing in technologies geared for smaller meeting space or huddle rooms.
• Fifty percent of respondents from each group cited the ability to maximize the benefits of collaboration or the sharing of resources the most compelling factors for upgrading or replacing existing systems.

The response overall points to growing demand for the adoption of advanced collaboration systems that create a more robust and immersive user experience. To pique productivity and maximize collaboration, employers would be wise to proactively invest in technology that best aligns with the predisposing tendencies of the workforce. The conclusion of the study calls upon the business community to modernize systems that establish a more collaborative, efficient work environment.

"Any organization that can see value in a streamlined approach to teamwork will also recognize the return that advanced collaboration systems bring," said John Underkoffler, CEO, Oblong Industries. "As these surveys suggest, the race is now underway: companies must actively mind the technology gap to stop it widening into a chasm between an empowered workforce and the tools they need and demand for success."

Survey Control & Variables

The findings are drawn from two distinct yet apt expert audiences, which represent Audio Visual (AV) professionals and Information Technology (IT) professionals, respectively. The respondents consist of 198 attendees from this year's InfoComm event in Orlando, and another 238 that had attended Enterprise Connect 2017. The roles of all respondents fall into one of five professional categories including: End Users, IT Professionals, Consultants, Integrators and Architects/Interior Designers. The groups were provided with the same polling data, which focused on the perceived effectiveness of current collaboration tools, the potential for investments in new technologies and the desired return on investment for the category as whole.

To learn more about Oblong, visit https://www.oblong.com/.

About Oblong Industries

Oblong Industries' innovative technologies change the way people work, create, and communicate. With roots in more than two decades of research at the MIT Media Lab, Oblong's flagship product, Mezzanine™, is an immersive visual collaboration solution that defines the next era of computing: multi-user, multi-screen, multi-device, multi-location. Mezzanine's groundbreaking Infopresence capabilities multiply the effectiveness of distributed organizations and catalyze new, more effective, more collaborative workflows. Oblong is headquartered in Los Angeles and supplies Mezzanine systems to Fortune 500 enterprise customers and reseller partners including IBM, Accenture and Dentsu Aegis Network. Learn more at www.oblong.com, and connect via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and Google+.