Integrating virtual collaboration across operations is vital in today's competitive business environment. Companies need to be highly flexible to meet growing demands for innovation across sectors. In addition, they need to adjust quickly to changing market needs, offering new products and services at a much faster pace if they remain relevant.

Many companies’ level of innovation depends on the ease with which their employees, service providers, and other stakeholders can communicate and collaborate. In many instances, collaboration is synonymous with innovation, supporting the notion that good ideas can come from any level of an organization. Other benefits of online collaboration tools include efficient decision-making, creative idea flow, and the ability to document meetings easily.

We're collaborating more than ever before — 50% more, to be exact. This change has inspired companies worldwide to develop pioneering solutions to enhance the virtual meeting experience. During the first two quarters of 2020, roughly 100 virtual collaboration tools were launched.

To support spontaneous knowledge-sharing, productivity, creativity, and connection tap into the following virtual collaboration trends:

Trend 1: Integrating Emerging Technologies With Video Conferencing

In a 2019 Forbes Insights survey, 79% of business leaders said video meetings are the best tool for creative collaboration. Since the onset of the pandemic, which drove the widespread adoption of video conferencing to keep teams connected, innovation in this space has been booming. Advances in video conferencing have bridged the gap left unfulfilled by email, chat, and phone calls, promoting collaboration, sustaining company culture, and cementing relationships.

Beyond revitalizing connection among team members, emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) have advanced video conferencing, giving us the ability to focus on faces and blur distracting backgrounds. Avatars now also cater for moments when participants aren’t camera-ready or are camera-shy, allowing everyone to participate in collaborative meetings in whatever way they feel most comfortable.

Trend 2: Digitized Whiteboarding Equipped With Useful Brainstorming Tools

Brainstorming and coming up with creative ideas and solutions are central to collaboration. Physical whiteboards have always been a great way of sharing and recording thoughts from multiple people in group discussions. This classic tool has now been digitized, becoming a prominent feature supported by the latest all-in-one conferencing solutions.

The traditional board and markers have been replaced with interactive co-development and co-design tools. The best solutions include meeting templates to help kickstart and lead meetings, time alerts to ensure sessions are focused, and notepads to record ideas. Many of these interactive boards also come with sticky notes, a chat function, and the option to screen-share by using a QR code.

Trend 3: Customizable Virtual Office Space To Simulate Real-World Interactions

Not yet in widespread use, the virtual office is being developed and perfected. Teams will soon be able to virtually simulate interactions once they reserve a real-world environment — for example, walking over to someone’s desk to get advice or ask a question. In addition, staff will once again share a space customizable to a company’s brand and preferred layout.

Informal interactions are encouraged, and you’ll be able to virtually see what everyone’s up to — when they’re in meetings, you can join those meetings at a click of a button or even set space aside for confidential conversations. Screen- and file-sharing can be enabled, and popular software conferencing tools are integrated, simplifying collaboration.

Trend 4: Enter the Metaverse With VR and AR Technologies

Imagine sharing a 3D space with your colleagues where you can connect, collaborate, and conduct meetings in simulated rooms that can be real or created. This future is now possible with augmented and virtual reality (VR) technologies that allow teams to be completely immersed in a 3D environment simply by putting on a headset.

Along with the endless possibilities of how to design a shared space, the ability to create personalized avatars that sync movements with audio and physical input from the real world makes for a highly immersive experience. Beyond sharing a space with colleagues, you can access collaboration tools and simulate experiments with real-world product models.

Trend 5: AI and Data Analysis

Few areas of work will be left untouched by the speed of new developments in AI. The virtual collaboration space, too, is open to AI-driven disruption. The backbone of AI is data, which is one of the reasons why data is considered gold in today’s digital-first world.

AI technology can use data generated through online virtual platforms to determine which collaboration products are working and where alternatives should be sought. In terms of staff, AI data analysis can help prevent burnout by analyzing interactions on these platforms. It also can improve the user experience by analyzing the audio and visual quality and making the necessary adjustments, assessing meeting participation, and advising hosts when to take breaks or shake things up.

In today’s hybrid work world, an endless array of innovative new tools, platforms, and features are coming to market that will take virtual collaboration to the next level. The new normal is yet to be set in stone as we shift to a more immersive relationship with technology that supports efficient and enhanced team interaction. Businesses must continuously experiment with and adopt the right platforms and tools to stay competitive and drive their innovation forward.

Investment in Research and Development

Worldwide, MAXHUB keeps employees connected and engaged with its innovative video conferencing solutions. MAXHUB Share software, for example, allows for wireless screen sharing across devices and operating systems, and its displays provide video quality that verges on real-time streaming.

“MAXHUB never stops developing better collaboration experiences and complete solutions that allow for seamless interactions in today's fast-paced, hybrid working world. We believe this is why we continue to lead in our industry,” notes Darren Lin, General Manager of MAXHUB.

Learn more about how MAXHUB constantly innovates through our continued research and development (R&D) programs.