Employees across the UAE have a positive outlook towards video collaboration as it allows them to work more effectively from anywhere and derive the benefits of strong internal and external business collaboration, says a study.

The Polycom commissioned YouGov survey “Examining Video Collaboration at the Workplace” indicates that at least one in every three employees frequently uses video conferencing technology for work.  

The new research analyses the workers’ attitude towards video collaboration which is known to be slowly becoming one of the main enablers of workplace collaboration in the UAE, said a statement.

The study, launched at the Gitex Technology Week 2016 in Dubai, says that employees in the UAE also believe that the option of video collaboration in a workplace allows for flexible working and working from anywhere.

About 90 per cent of employees say that the ability to video helps them enjoy the main benefits of flexible working, which includes the ability to balance work and family responsibilities, be more productive and be more satisfied with their jobs.

The research also revealed that:
• 50 per cent believe that the ability to connect with colleagues or external parties from virtually any location and at any time is one of the main benefits of video collaboration for their job roles and business;
• Employees also class ‘security’ as one of their top priorities for business communication solutions, in addition to ‘fast responses times’;
• UAE employees are not unfamiliar with video collaboration as only one in every four say that they needed technical training or an internal champion at work.

As workforce has become more geographically dispersed, the need for video collaboration is now greater than ever as teams and stakeholders based in different locations need to communicate on a frequent basis to conduct the business. While face-to-face meetings may not always be possible, a reliable enterprise video solution provides a good alternative for teams to come together and collaborate on current projects. In terms of internal communications, the solution can also be utilised to conduct employee trainings sessions in a more visually interactive and cost-effective way.  

“The UAE is one of the leading international business hubs and video collaboration technologies have become key for business and workforce productivity in the region,” said Daniel Schmierer, area sales vice president for Middle East and Africa at Polycom. “No longer are meetings held within the confines of the boardroom; video collaboration has been instrumental in eliminating communication barriers and empowering the workforce to collaborate from anywhere. Polycom’s new research indicates that there is still progress to be made before we start seeing the true proliferation of enterprise video collaboration technology.”

Schmierer added: “In order to improve the adoption of video at the workplace, organisations need to invest in the solutions that are easy to use and fully address the communication needs of their employees and business. The collaboration technology should offer enterprise-grade security and integrate seamlessly with all other systems that the organisation and its business affiliates use. In addition, it is advisable that the solution promotes mobility and working from anywhere.”

The survey was commissioned by Polycom in July 2016. The survey responses were collected from over 700 participants who are either in full or part time employment in the UAE. - TradeArabia News Service