In a recent Forrester report, 77% of full-time employees said PC devices play a critical factor in their ability to do their work. In today’s climate of hybrid and remote environments, how do you determine what technologies users need and what’s at risk if user experience isn’t prioritized? Listen to this podcast to hear why developing persona-based solutions is critical to user productivity, onboarding, and overall happiness.
Host: James Hilliard
Guests:
- Rhett Livengood, Director of Digital Business Enabling at Intel
- Tim Burns, Vice President of Product Management and Workplace Transformation at Connection
You can also hear this podcast on Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, Spotify, and Google Podcasts.
Show Notes:
[2:55] Walk through how the pandemic impacted user technologies. Where are we now? The first phase of the pandemic was about making sure equipment made it out to users as organizations turned to remote environments. Now that users have devices, the concern has shifted to whether users have the right devices, are they secure, and how can their user experience be improved.
[4:00] How has security changed? Pre-pandemic, many of us relied on software-based security applications. Teams kept adding more and more of these applications, which eventually slowed down machines, especially consumer-grade machines. Intel has focused on developing hardware-based security so that users can have machines that can keep up with their productivity needs.
[6:00] What did we learn post-pandemic? There is an emphasis on making sure users can be their best digital selves. Users are relying on collaboration platforms to meet, coordinate, and accomplish their tasks. The onboarding experience is also critical. Looking at how quickly a user can get up and running with the appropriate tools plays an important role in productivity and the overall user experience.
[11:11] How has the remote or hybrid environment impacted IT deployment? The world has become distributed—employees, students, clinicians, and even IT teams. There’s also a need to have out-of-the-box or turnkey solutions ready to go. Many organizations are looking for a partner that can customize devices, applications, and accessories in addition to deploying the equipment to users.
[13:14] Some organizations don’t see the value in customizing devices and are purchasing consumer-grade machines. What’s the potential downfall with this approach? Each user has different needs so there shouldn’t be a generalization. Providing a checklist or a survey to understand your personas’ requirements can help you determine the appropriate bundle of solutions. Enterprise-grade PCs, such as those that feature Intel® vPro™, can prioritize your Wi-Fi so that your Zoom or Teams meeting takes precedence over your child’s online gaming connection.
[17:45] What’s at stake if user experience isn’t prioritized? There are many studies that illustrate how technology plays a critical factor across the overall user experience: onboarding, productivity, retention, and happiness. Understanding personas, or the different types of users you support, is critical. We have researched how different users work or study and created bundles of hardware, software, and services that would optimize productivity and user experience. These persona-based bundles range from a middle school student to a graphic designer or a road warrior.
[24:28] Many users find themselves going out to purchase an accessory or device at a store. Are there pitfalls with this? User experience is not just IT’s responsibility. It’s also the responsibility of each user too. Buying disparate hardware, accessories, and software will limit IT’s ability to help troubleshoot or support users.
[27:00] What is next in technology as it relates to user experience? Collaboration 2.0 will give users higher quality audio and video features such as panning, eye tracking, and zooming. Connectivity will continue to advance as 5G will be built-in as a backup to 6G Wi-Fi networks. In the next few years, 7G will give us an opportunity to streamline computing across various devices, including autonomous vehicles. Artificial intelligence will transform productivity as the technology learns how to perform repeated tasks users perform.
Explore Your Wherever Workspace to learn more about persona-based bundles or visit the Intel showcase to discover their latest technologies.
