I reflected on Deloitte's recently released 2022 Mobile Connectivity and Trends Survey, which shows how mobile technologies continue to proliferate in the new workplace. It's a transformation that, as recent results from Apple and Jamf show, benefits the iPhone-an-Mac company.
The Deloitte data doesn't directly confirm the importance of Apple devices, but it does show the importance of connected devices in the United States, where households have 22 connected devices today (up from 25 in 2021). At least some of these devices are probably made by Apple.
Inside the new workplace
The big takeaway from the report is its confirmation that remote work really has gone mainstream. After years of staunchly resisting the idea by management due to an outdated perspective, Deloitte notes that 45% of consumers surveyed said one or more household members work from home at least some of the time (compared to 55% in 2021). In the field of education, 23% said that one or more members of the household attended school remotely.
The COVID-19 pandemic has changed that.
“Despite the challenges the pandemic has posed, it has also proved to be a unique opportunity for many of us to dig deeper into the digital tools we were already using and accelerate how we apply them,” said Paul Silverglate, vice president and technology at Deloitte. in United States. sector boss.
But what should be the wind under the wings of remote and hybrid work advocates is the finding that 47% of employed adults said they had worked from home at least part of the time in the past year. And those who have "strongly prefer to have virtual or hybrid options for the future."
What they like
What do remote workers like? Not really surprising, given that's what all the reports say, but employees derive great joy from being able to spend more time with their families and avoid costly and inconvenient travel. They appreciate the ability to stay focused without interruptions at work, and have all been less exposed to all the illnesses that commonly affect travelers.
These all-too-human joys have translated into real benefits, Deloitte says, like eight in 10 remote workers having better connections. And only 21% of those who have worked from home in the last year want to go back to the old ways of working. 76% prefer remote and hybrid workplaces.
"Companies that simply ignore employee demands for flexible work hours risk losing a competitive advantage in attracting and retaining the best workers," the report said.
This aligns with a recent McKinsey claim that 87% of employees will work from home given the opportunity, and a second ADP survey that showed 60% of those who work remotely would give up their jobs. jobs if they were forced to return to full-time work. to work.
what you need
Security and better internet access are clearly top priorities for remote and hybrid workplaces. Deloitte reports that workers have invested in better internet, including service upgrades and deployment of signal-boosting devices like Wi-Fi extenders; 44% of consumers invested in Wi-Fi extenders in 2021, according to the report.
The importance of security is a message that seems to be getting through. More than half of those surveyed were concerned about the security of their phones and smart home devices, and there is a growing awareness of data security.
Of course, all of these movements have also highlighted digital inequality: not all jobs can be managed remotely, and not all remote workers have all the resources in terms of private workspace, devices, and internet access. We also saw a tendency for some managers to take a "out of sight, out of heart" approach to the accomplishments of their remote teams.
5G time? May have been
When it comes to smartphones, Apple's decision to introduce 5G has helped make this standard the third most important feature, behind only battery life and data storage. Interestingly, 73% of 5G smartphone users want to better understand the new things they can do with 5G, while 30% are disappointed with what they see as a lack of received apps and services.
I will add that I heard rumors that carriers are also disappointed: they anticipated innovative new use cases would emerge alongside 5G, and they really want that to happen to help evangelize the benefits of the 5G standard, especially with businesses. clientele. Of course, network partitioning, SD-WAN, and other forms of public and private enterprise networks are expected to drive operators' mobile offerings over time.
A step towards digital health
Health care has also gone remote, and while in some countries (the UK) this transition has been a complete disaster, in others it has been relatively seamless. In the United States, 92% of consumers say they are very or somewhat satisfied with their virtual medical experiences. Apple's Apple Watch basks in the glory of learning that 70% of wearable device users report better health and fitness.
At least a third of smartphone users monitor their health and fitness with their phone, and one in five use meditation or mental wellness apps.
we want our freedom
"Seemingly overnight, the pandemic has created a seismic shift in the way we use digital tools and technology. While not always perfect, our research shows that this new digital-centric way of life is it has become more normalized and standardized and is having a positive impact on consumers,” said Jana Arbanas, vice president of Deloitte LLP and a leader in the US telecommunications, media and entertainment industry.
Behind the scenes, of course, the other side of the future of work will see increased adoption of artificial intelligence, robotics, and automation to handle tasks that cannot be done remotely, even if the humans at home are equipped with these so-called "skills." soft". "handle it all.
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