While it may be premature to say we are emerging from the COVID pandemic, there do seem to be signs of reopening as I sit down to write this. In two short years, we have gone from talking about remote and hybrid work as a “nice-to-have,” to a “must-have,” to a seemingly “will always have.” Everything written about workplace changes, particularly around the sudden shift in work styles, as well as their impact both on the workforce and the technology supporting that workforce, have drastically shaped organizational priorities and visions for the future.
I’ve watched this shift through the lens of our channel ecosystem of partners, vendors and customers and the same big questions seem to be on everyone’s mind these days: What is the future of remote/hybrid work going to look like? How can channel partners support customers in adapting and thriving in this new normal? And what do partners need to be considering as they plan for the future?
The Future is Elastic Work
When it comes to hybrid/remote work, we’re going to see more of an “elastic work” environment in which everybody wants the same experience no matter where they are. The workplace has shifted from a centralized location and standard hours to a work-from-anywhere-at-anytime model. However, the need for secure and reliable access and a positive user experience hasn’t changed.
Edo de Zwaan and Onur Duran, Citrix Solutions Advisors at SoftwareONE, described the experience during a recent interview: “At the start of the pandemic, when remote work was a newer concept for many organizations, the goal of many of our customers was just to make remote work possible — and to do so quickly. Now, the focus has shifted to how to make remote work a good experience for the end user, regardless of location. This means ensuring security is baked in, reducing friction in dealing with technology, and ultimately allowing employees to work how and where they want without hassle. Focusing on the end user experience not only helps to enhance their experience but also drives productivity, providing a win-win situation for both employers and employees.”
Move from Reactive to Proactive
As organizations prepare for the future, they’re starting to shift from a reactive to a proactive approach to securing the remote work environment. A proactive approach helps to maintain the same level of security employees are accustomed to in a centralized work environment, while allowing the flexibility in access they need, and ultimately improving the overall customer experience.
The goal is to not only be able to simply log in remotely and see our desktop but to actually improve that experience in terms of how we’re integrating our engagement with applications. How are we integrating applications with each other in a way that they can learn from each other and provide us the same type of targeted experience we expect when we go on social media or shop online?
In both scenarios there are different functions sharing information and becoming more intelligent as they do. I think we’re going to see a similar evolution in terms of how we interact with our workspace and workplace applications. We’re going to see more of an intelligent response as we work in an elastic environment which could be anywhere, anytime, on any network. I think that’s the next evolution that will be made possible by a proactive approach — not just providing access but improving the overall experience.
Make it Simple and Easy
We’re going back to the roots of who we are as a company and what made us successful in the first place while continuing to focus on innovation. Now more than ever, it is critical that we make it simple and easy to work with our customers and partners. For example, we are directly serving the skyrocketing customer need for secure access by providing a robust portfolio of security-enabling solutions, such as Citrix DaaS. In addition, we’re working on improvements to our partner experience — empowering them to build a profitable business and practice that they can count on and show ROI for their stakeholders throughout the lifecycle of the customer.
For example, the as-a-service model operates a little bit differently financially than the traditional on-premises model, so how do we provide a simple bridge? And then how do we make sure that when they get across the bridge, they’re landing with a model that warrants their investment?
Making it simple and easy while empowering our partners to best serve their customers — these are the two things that are always top of mind for me. As we move forward into unchartered waters, these are the guiding principles that can help navigate this transition toward the workplace of the future.
