未来,人们的工作会是什么样子?会将更多依赖移动设备和云平台?[摘要]你有没有忙里偷闲想一想,未来3到5年,人们的工作会是什么样子呢?
谷歌高管阿米特·辛格在Rise大会上
随着机器人、自动化和人工智能(AI)的稳步发展,人类也一直在不断思考一个问题,即究竟是什么能够成为人们在未来时间内维持工作的动力呢?或者说,未来人们的工作会是什么样子呢?我们需要在办公桌前连续工作多长时间才能获得支付帐单所需的报酬?
在近期于中国香港召开的Rise大会上,客户支持服务供应商Freshdesk的首席执行官吉里斯·马斯鲁布塔姆(Girish Mathrubootham)和谷歌“Google for Work”部门总裁阿米特·辛格(Amit Singh)就未来的生产力和工作等问题交流了他们的看法。在他们看来,随着云计算业务的稳步发展,移动设备的不断涌现,未来人们的工作将主要通过移动设备和云基础设施来完成,而不是再依赖传统的办公桌。
辛格认为,桌面应用正在走向灭亡。他称:“没错,一些人仍在电脑上工作,但是他们也越来越多地通过移动设备来完成工作。将来,你可能会花费更多的时间在移动设备上,并因此而远离桌面。”
马斯鲁布塔姆也引用他公司的桌面支持服务相关的内容对辛格的发言进行了补充。马斯鲁布塔姆称:“最近一段时间以来,我们希望能够通过使用移动设备来了解到我们客户支持电子邮件,无论你身在何方。传统的软件将人们束缚在办公桌前,并要求人们在工作过程中使用VPN。
在移动设备上工作,没有地理位置的限制,这样工作的便捷之处完全是由现代化的应用所提供,这样的便捷之处也是推动人们从桌面设备向移动和云解决方案迁移的一大重要原因。”
为未来设计各种工作应用:
辛格认为,新应用将越来越具有协作性,可以提高生产力,而不是仅仅围绕个人的贡献。辛格对此称,“新的共享经济和千禧一代的思维方式,已经共同打造了一个全新的协同工作文化。我们如今可以一起处理同样的文件,并在同一地方彼此发送消息。这更多的是一种实时的团队工作,而且也更透明,这大大强于传统的个人单独工作模式。”
电子邮件会消失吗?
电子邮件的一些功能仍是非常有效的交流与沟通方式,例如可检索性和记录交流内容等。但是,在未来的几年时间内,电子邮件将不会消失——而且还可能会进一步进化并适应未来更快更精简的协作需求。
辛格声称,“事实上,现在的电子邮件量比此前更多,人们花在电子邮件上的时间也更长。然而,使用电子邮件的方式正在发生变化——变得更快、更加实时。例如,Gmail的收件箱就已经朝着那个方向在进展。”
企业将他们所有的数据都放到云平台,难道这不是风险吗?
辛格认为,云基础设施值得依赖,不管是现在,还是在将来。他还进一步表示: “云平台比企业自己定制的安全平台要安全得多。我们知道是什么让谷歌系统更加安全。我们已经打造了一切云服务,从碎片信息、从我们的数据中心到平台等,与此同时,我们还花费了大量时间来保护我们的网络。
这并不是说糟糕的事情就不会发生。打造一个安全可靠的解决方案需要花费很长的时间、金钱和努力。向云基础设施过渡即将发生,当然还会考虑安全性,而不是置之不管不顾。”
马斯鲁布塔姆一直忠诚于大规模的云系统。他表示:“你的钱放在哪儿更安全,是在家里还是存在银行?云公司都在销售数据安全业务,而不仅仅是软件。如果我们丢失了客户的数据,那么我们就要关门走人了,因此,对我们而言,至关重要的一点就是要重点关注真正安全可靠的稳定系统。”
我们未来5年的工作方式会发生什么样的变化?
辛格预计,基于人工智能的助手应用将在提升人类生产力的过程中发挥非常重要的作用。他表示:“我们一直在大量思考移动在工作中越来越大的重要性这一问题。我们目前仍在谈论传统数据和工具,并将这些传统数据和工具从办公桌前移走。但是,打造一个让你随处可以工作并在你需要时通过显示数据来给你提供帮助的智能化助手,是可以即时实现的——而且我认为,这就是未来的模样。 ”
去年,谷歌收购了人工智能公司DeepMind,以此增强谷歌公司的人工智能能力,因此,值得关注的一点是,谷歌将如何遵循辛格的预测,或者会在未来推出什么样的人工智能工作模式。
马斯鲁布塔姆曾经非常简洁地表述过:“全世界的数据消费量占90%,而数据创造量只占10%。消费的内容已经稳步向云平台和移动设备上转移,尽管创造工具仍然与桌面有关。预计到2020年时,所有的一切都将从传统的计算设备转移到更加个人、更加可携带的解决方案上来。”(悦潼)
What does the future of work look like?
As robotics, automation and AI steadily improve, I’ve been thinking a lot about what will keep the human workforce busy in the years to come. How much longer will we need to park ourselves at our desks for hours on end in order to pay our bills?
At the Rise conference in Hong Kong yesterday, customer support service Freshdesk’s CEO Girish Mathrubootham and Google for Work president Amit Singh shared their thoughts on the future of productivity.
Singh believes that desktop apps are on their way out. “Sure, some people work on their desktops, but they’re increasingly getting more done on mobile devices. In the future, you’ll be spending even more time on them, away from your desk.”
Mathrubootham added to this with context from his company’s helpdesk service:
These days, we want to be able to access our customer support email from wherever you are. Traditional software chains you to your desk and require you to use a VPN when you’re on the move.
The convenience of working from anywhere that modern apps offer, is what is driving the shift from desktop-focused to mobile and cloud-based solutions.
Designing work apps for the future
Singh feels that new apps are more about collaboration for increased productivity and less about our contributions as individuals.
Google for Work president Amit Singh speaking at Rise Conference 2015
“The new sharing economy and the way millennials think, have combined to create a new collaborate work culture. We’re now working on the same files together and messaging each other all in one place. It’s more about real-time teamwork and transparency than individual effort,” he said.
Is there an end in sight for email?
There are some aspects of email as a method of communication that are useful, like searchability and keeping correspondence on record. But it won’t just vanish in the years to come — it’s more likely to evolve and adapt to our needs for faster and more streamlined collaboration.
Singh said, “There’s actually more email now than before, and more time spent on it. However, the way it’s being used is changing. It’s more about quick, real-time communication. For example, Inbox by Gmail is a step in that direction.”
Isn’t it risky for businesses to put all their data in the cloud?
Singh believes that cloud-based infrastructure can be trusted now and in the future:
The cloud is a lot more secure than companies’ own bespoke security infrastructure. We know what it takes to secure Google’s system. We’ve built everything from scratch, from our data centers to our platforms, and we spend a lot of time protecting our network.
Not to say that bad things can’t happen, but it takes a lot of time, money and effort to build secure solutions. The transition to cloud-based infrastructure will be because of security and not in spite of it.
Freshdesk CEO Girish Mathrubootham speaking at Rise Conference 2015
Mathrubootham has faith in large-scale cloud-based systems. He said, “Where is your money safer, in your home or deposited in a bank? Cloud companies are in the business of selling data security, not just software. If we lost our customers’ data, we’d have to shut shop. So it’s important for us to focus on robust systems that are indeed secure.”
How is the way we work going to change in the next five years?
Singh predicts that AI-based assistants will play a big role in increasing human productivity:
We’ve been thinking a lot about the the increasing importance of mobility at work. We’re currently taking traditional data and tools and unlocking them from your desk. But creating an intelligent assistant that goes where you do and helps you out by surfacing data when you need it, in context, cognitive in real-time — I believe that’s the future.
The search giant acquired machine learning firm DeepMind last year to boost its AI efforts, so it’ll be interesting to see how Google follows up on Singh’s vision.
Mathrubootham articulated it quite simply: “90 percent of the world consumes while only 10 percent creates. Consumption of content has moved steadily into the cloud and onto mobile devices, while the tools for creation remain tied to desktops. That’s all going to move away from traditional computing devices to more personal, portable solutions by 2020.”
来源:TNW News
亚洲市场大浪淘沙,这5家SaaS公司值得借鉴
到2015年底,软件即服务 (SaaS) 在亚太地区的市场估值很可能达到43亿美元,而在2008年,该市场估值只有3.8亿美元。SaaS当前正在向客户关系管理、企业信息化、人力资源、以及A / B测试这些领域渗透,所面临的区域竞争者的数量也随之与日俱增。
根据普华永道会计师事务所的报道,到2016年底,对SaaS的投资有可能上升到780亿美元。虽然现在已经有越来越多的企业踏足了SaaS领域,想要从中分一块蛋糕,但是我这里只列出了五家公司。这五家公司从很早就进入了这个领域,SaaS从新生事物发展到今天这个规模,他们功不可没。
在线客户服务平台Freshdesk
2010年,印度金奈人Girish Mathrubootham 和Shanmugam Krishnaswamy联合创立了Freshdesk,这个是一个在线客户服务平台,让企业和客户在各渠道均能便捷互动,包括手机、电子邮箱和社交网络。这是第一家获得Google Capital( 谷歌风投)支持的印度公司 。从2014到2015年,Google Capital、 美国顶尖对冲基金Tiger Global以及世界五大风投公司之一的Accel Partners总计向Freshdesk投资了8100万美元。
Freshdesk致力于根据客户需求提供个性化产品,它在145个国家都有用户基础,最近的一年里更是拥有了4万名企业客户。
Wingify
Wingify于2009年创立,其产品VWO,是一款转化率优化工具,也是一个A / B测试平台。它会将网站设计成两种风格,两个版本网站的流量也会分开计算,这样你就可以看出哪一种更受欢迎。VWO还会提供一定技术支持,让用户可以对网站进行调整,做一些个性化设置,进行网站优化。网站风格非常重要,说不定你改一个字体,就能影响到销售额,进而影响到公司的发展。
Wingify创始人Chopra对用户留存率和产品易用性非常重视,他会不断接受客户反馈,反复打磨产品。
VWO推出后短短18个月,Wingify就获得了超过100万美元的收入。
去年9月,这家初创公司收购了网站产品意见反馈平台Concept Feedback,Concept Feedback有一批网页设计和用户体验专家,正是Wingify所需。很多企业使用Wingify的产品提升了下载率、注册量和网站销售。目前已经有80个国家,4000左右的用户在使用VWO。
TradeGecko
这家新加坡公司成立于2012年,由Cameron Priest、Bradley Priest以及Carl Thompson联合创立。TradeGecko主要是向企业、生产厂商、批发商以及大部分零售商提供进销存管理软件。近期,该公司获得了来自NSI Ventures 以及Jungle Ventures的650万美元A轮投资。
在过去的三年里,TradeGecko获得了来自100多个国家的1万名客户。TradeGecko的目标是,取代当下风行的企业资源规划,做一个与众不同的库存管理软件。该公司整合了电子商务网站和财务管理软件,包括目前市场上最好的用于个人计算机的小型商务财务软件QuikBooks,把库存管理服务集成到一个平台上。TradeGecko已经在电子商务领域和Amazon、Magento(专业开源电子商务系统)以及Shopify(企业电子商务管理平台)达成合作。打个比方,如果一家企业在亚马逊完成了一笔销售,那么库存列表就会自动更新。
SignEasy
SignEasy,2009年由Sunil Patro创立,是一家总部位于新加坡的创业公司。它让人们可以通过智能手机、平板以及网络签署并填写文件。用户注册应用之后,即可实现电子签名,你可以选择手指触摸输入,也可以使用手写笔来一个漂亮的签名。
为保安全,SignEasy还集成了苹果的指纹识别系统,以此作为身份验证的一部分。该应用提供免费下载,但用户也可以选择程序内购买,比如支付5美元,就可以每年签署十个文件。SignEasy在150个国家拥有超过5万名付费用户。
Hoiio
2007年,Ong Kok Choong在新加坡创立了Hoiio。这家创业公司向企业提供云通信服务及应用,当然,你得先订阅它。Hoiio推出了很多应用,像通信应用、合规应用以及人力资源应用等等,它的目标是让用户花最少的钱,享受最高的工作效率。不过,其中有些应用是要另外付费的。
用户可以根据业务的复杂性来订阅Hoiio的服务。Hoiio向开发人员开放了应用程序接口,让他们可以直接访问语音和短信服务,避免成本的重复投入。该公司还推出了 Hoiio Live,这是一个基于云服务的电话簿,有了它,用户就不必随身携带名片这么麻烦了。目前已经有5000家企业使用Hoiio提供的服务。
5 SaaS startups that have withstood Asia’s test of time
The software-as-a-service (SaaS) market valuation in Asia Pacific is set to reach US$4.3 billion by the end of 2015, up from US$380 million in 2008. As SaaS spreads out into customers relationship management, enterprise messaging, HR solutions, and A/B testing, there has been an increase in the number of strong regional SaaS contenders.
According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers report, investments in SaaS solutions are set to increase to US$78 billion by the end of 2016. While there are more businesses entering the space to claim a piece of the treasure for themselves, here’s a list of five startups that began early in building what the industry has become today.
Freshdesk
The startup was co-founded in 2010 by Girish Mathrubootham and Shanmugam Krishnaswamy in Chennai. Freshdesk is a customer support software that integrates communication channels like phone, email, and social networks to let businesses communicate with customers better. This is the first Indian startup to receive Google Capital backing. Between 2014 and 2015, Google Capital, Tiger Global, and Accel Partners invested a total of US$81 million. Freshdesk works on personalizing its product based on its customers’ requirements. It has customer bases in 145 countries and has on-boarded 40,000 customers in the last year.
Wingify
Founded by Paras Chopra in 2009, Wingify’s product Visual Web Optimizer (VWO) is a conversion rate optimization tool and an A/B testing platform. It designs the website in two styles and splits the traffic of the websites between the two versions to find out which one is doing better. The user can tweak, personalize, and optimize their website with minimal IT help through VWO. The changes in the versions of the website, even if it is the font, affect the sales and consequently the growth of a business.
Chopra worked on user on-boarding, usability and getting consistent feedback to improve its product further.
In the 18 months following VWO’s launch, the startup crossed US$1 million in revenue.
In September last year, the bootstrapped startup acquired Concept Feedback, a community of web design and user experience experts to strengthen its platform. Businesses are using Wingify to improve its rate of downloads, signups, and website sales. The startup currently has 4,000 customers using VWO, across 80 countries.
TradeGecko
This Singapore-based startup was co-founded by Cameron Priest, Bradley Priest, and Carl Thompson in 2012. TradeGecko provides inventory management software to businesses, mostly retailers, manufacturers, and wholesalers. The startup recently raised US$6.5 million in series A fundingfrom NSI Ventures and Jungle Ventures.
Over the last three years, TradeGecko has acquired 10,000 customers from over 100 countries. TradeGecko’s vision was to supersede enterprise resource planning, another form of inventory management business software. The startup integrated ecommerce websites and financial management software, inluding QuikBooks, to centralize the inventory management service. TradeGecko has tied up with Amazon, Magento, and Shopify, for ecommerce. For example, if a business makes a sale on Amazon, then the inventory list automatically updated.
SignEasy
SignEasy is a Bangalore-based startup founded by Sunil Patro in 2009. It is a mobile-first solution to electronically sign and fill documents from smartphones, tablets, and web. The user can register with the app and use finger touch input or stylus to save their signature.
SignEasy also integrated with Apple’s fingerprint recognition system as part of authentication for security. The app is free to download, though the user can opt for in-app purchases such as pay US$5 to sign ten documents a year. The app has over 50,000 paying customers across 150 countries.
Hoiio
Ong Kok Choong founded Hoiio in Singapore in 2007. The startup provides cloud communication and apps to businesses on a subscription basis. Hoiio also has built communication, compliance, and human resource apps. It aims to boost its customers’ productivity at a lower costs, but does charge separately for certain apps.
Depending on the complexity of the business, Hoiio’s services can be subscribed. It launched APIs for developers to access voice and SMS services without incurring huge costs. The startup also launched Hoiio Live, which is a cloud-based phonebook to avoid the hassle of carrying business cards. Hoiio currently has 5,000 businesses using its services.
Source:techinasia