Gone are the days of clunky desk phones and tethered headsets. Today's "work from anywhere" model demands a broader, more connected ecosystem of endpoints. Both businesses and tech vendors are racing to adapt, recognizing that the right devices are crucial for this new reality.
Digital transformation is key, with all communication modes becoming data streams. This elevates endpoints – the physical or virtual access points between workers and technology – to the heart of the future work experience.
Employees crave user-friendly endpoints seamlessly integrated with their daily apps. Meanwhile, IT needs to leverage endpoint data for improved network management.
A session at Future of Work Expo 2024 tackled this subject and dissected the critical capabilities required from today's diverse endpoints.
David Danto, director of emerging technology, IMCCA, led the panel discussion as moderator. The panel featured Gideon Adler, solutions executive Shouth East Majors, CDW; Simon Bradbrook, sales engineer, cloud service provider, Snom; Vern Fernandez, senior business development and strategic alliances manager, Jabra; and Darren Knapp, director, Poly inside Channel Sales, Americas, Poly.
From tablets and softphones to mobile devices, video hardware, conference systems, headsets, and even biometric tools, these experts explored how these diverse technologies enable smarter communication regardless of physical location.
Danto opened the discussion by asking what classifies an endpoint today.
“An endpoint today is anything connected to a network,” said Adler. “Endpoints in the enterprise have home offices, cars, everything.”
Danto then asked, “how do we support and manage endpoints when the campus is now everywhere (office, traveling and WFH).”
Adler provided a simple answer and said that is basically what endpoint management is. Fernandez elaborated on it.
“When I think of campuses, people have four to five devices that people use to be professional communicators,” said Fernandez. “Companies need to be able to manage and see all of that.
That then raised a couple of questions. What is the expected lifecycle of today’s various endpoints? Should they be replaced even when still working perfectly to experience new capabilities?
“It comes down to the vertical and architectural of your network,” said Knapp. “You don’t want a phone from 2003 going over the cloud.”
“Certain verticals are not moving with the technology,” said Bradbrook. “Service people can say they don’t need the advanced product. So, it comes down to the individual and when they want to move forward.”
The long story short? The session emphasized the need for intelligent solutions to help pave the way for a flexible and data-driven future of work.
Edited by
Greg Tavarez
