Frost & Sullivan's Top Predictions for the 2021 UCC Market takes a deep look into the convergence of technological, economic, social and other macro trends to provide an over-arching perspective on our expectations for the changing nature of communications and collaboration. These perspectives are validated by the intersection of our supply and demand-side research, leveraging our thorough market sizing and forecast data combined with our recently concluded global survey of IT decision markers across company sizes and regions. The impact of COVID-19, particularly the resulting social-distancing mandates, will profoundly influence work and learning styles for the remainder of 2021 and into the next several years. During this period IT decision makers face uncertainty with regards to preparing for and executing on requirements in the phases upon the evolution into the next normal. Taking into account the experiences from early 2020 until now, end user organizations must recognize that things have forever changed. There will be a much larger population of remote workers and students compared to pre-pandemic levels. Learning institutions and end user organizations of all types must better prepare to close and re-open their brick and more locations on short notice. However, the last year has evidenced that many were ill-equipped, in terms of both technology and processes, to maintain continuity when physical sites closed. The pandemic shutdowns illustrated the key benefits of cloud communications services, such as superior access to use and manage capabilities from anywhere, are no longer an option. Organizations that had implemented cloud communications services generally responded more quickly to the shutdowns and kept their operations running relatively more effectively compared to organizations that had delayed cloud services adoption. As such, early adopters are expected to both rationalize and scale their investments as they move forward into a cloud-centric world. Many adoption laggards have seen the light, and now plan to embrace cloud communications services. Yet, there is more to adoption than deployment itself. More organizations are looking to cloud communications as a key solution to current challenges and future uncertainty. This report discusses how IT decision makers plan to tackle both. Wrapped in Frost & Sullivan primary research data, our Top Predictions for the 2021 UCC Market are as follows: • Cloud services will be rationalized, scaled and extended • Workplaces will be digitized • Frontliners will take the spotlight • Deployment options will proliferate • Insight and control will be at the forefront • New digital business models will emerge as mainstream With these dynamics in mind, this Frost & Sullivan report guides customer organizations on how to progress their cloud migration journeys. The current crisis can be transformed into opportunity by looking ahead to help shape the next normal, rather than only responding to it. Direction is offered to providers as well, specifically in the arena of enabling cloud services deployments with the speed, flexibility and agility that will help customer organizations to navigate away from future disruptions and toward opportunities. Author: Robert Arnold