The New World of Work - A Microsoft and Plantronics Perspective

At our recent event jointly hosted by Plantronics and Microsoft, CCMA members heard about the dramatic changes taking place in the way in which people now work. We asked CCMA member Jane Palles On Line Operations Manager Customer Support for Paddypower.com to write a short piece about this event which we are delighted to share below.

Work is what we do, not where we go' Event Review - Jane Palles

Since my first contact with technology I've been a user of Microsoft so my expectations for the day were pretty aspirational. The entrance from reception into the communal area didn't let me down; I was presented with a large futuristic space of elevators and endless sun reflected glass. I was impressed! Phillip Van Houtte (Managing Director Plantronics Europe) was an advocate for the Plantronics brand and although I cringed at the thoughts of it being a sales pitch his approach made me inquisitive of the subject - 'Work Topology'. The idea of putting someone into their own space and allowing their creativity to fuse ideas resonated in me. Of course the remote interaction with their contact centre peers would be challenging but contact centre staff already have to use their voice as the main communication with customers so why can't the same rule of thumb apply for how they would communicate remotely with peers and management. The ability to trust the employee to conduct their work plays a huge factor. The walk through of how a company can use unified communications to its fullest was a practical demo but got me thinking about how I currently use all these features but nothing is yet integrated. Some examples of my day would be: Yahoo messenger - I use instant chat to communicate with work mates Skype - I use the internet to speak and video conference vendors It got me thinking about how productive my team and the company as a whole could be if everything was integrated. Instant communication, sharing data securely, video conferencing, escaping the dreaded mailbox; the demonstration brought outlook to life. Follow ups for me:

Many thanks to Jane for this review - this short Microsoft video on the New World of Work will hopefully give you a persepective on how things are changing.