As the timeline until “return to normal” drags into 2021, companies will continue to move more functions — including web conferencing, payroll systems, and e-signatures — online. However, it’s Zoom video conferencing that leads the charge when compared to all other technologies in these categories.
This post is part of ZoomInfo’s 2020 Annual Report series.
In the time of COVID-19, employees have taken on a remote mindset and lifestyle: working from their bedrooms, clumsily interchanging parenting with managing, and, generally, adapting to the new normal.
Likewise, in the very early stages of the pandemic, employers adopted tools for remote collaboration. As the months of social distancing stretched on, however, businesses began to implement more digital back-office tools — and we predict the adoption of these technologies may outlast the pandemic.
Others tend to agree:
“Business execs … will demand that IT accelerate roadmaps for app and infrastructure modernization, a high-performance network, high-availability architectures, automation for speed and reliability, and cloud for scale and flexibility. They’ll also take an interest in once unexciting technologies like video conferencing and collaboration tools, phone services, VPNs, and virtual desktops.”
— Forrester Report, Returning To Work: How To Prepare For Pandemic Recovery, April 20, 2020
The current climate: “The Zoom life” prevails
In the first half of 2020, all web conferencing tools saw outstanding growth. Webex grew more than 162% and GoToWebinar grew ~310%, but Zoom far outpaced competitors, growing over 1,181%. However, what’s perhaps not so expected is the growth of more back-office tools — like payroll and electronic signatures.
In the first quarter of 2020, DocuSign and ADP increased ~50%. From the end of May to the end of June, DocuSign grew ~52% and ADP grew 75%, outpacing all other examined technologies.
While web conferencing may be emblematic of the impact social distancing had on office life, this shouldn’t obscure how important the adoption of payroll and e-signature software has been overall.
However, in terms of the percentage of growth, it’s evident that Zoom’s increased rate of adoption is consistent and greater overall.
So, what does this mean for 2021–and some time to come?
We predict that Zoom is here to stay; so is remote work in some fashion.
The transition of more mundane, back-office functions to cloud-based formats will also continue going forward.
In 2021, as companies continue to move more functions online, employees will take a more virtual — and flexible — mindset and lifestyle parallel to the digitization of businesses.
ZoomInfo’s 2020 Annual Report Series
- Companies Navigate Through a Storm in 2021
- Corporate Diversity & Inclusion Trends of 2020
- A New Employee Landscape & Future Work Environment
- Customers Await Recharged Sellers
- The New Work From Home Norm is Driven by Tech Adoption
- A Speck of Promise for Women in the Workforce
- Three Forces Drove Venture Capital Trends in 2020
- Size Affects How Companies Fare During and After The Pandemic
- Success During the Pandemic – Customer Retention Is Key
- Finding New Customers in a Pandemic: Zoom’s Success Story
To browse through more go-to-market trends and 2021 business predictions, continue on to ZoomInfo’s latest Annual Report: Going to Market Smarter in the New Economy.
