01732 759725 4 BULLETIN Top office arguments A new survey of 2,000 UK office workers conducted by BizSpace has uncovered the most contentious issues causing friction in workplaces across the UK. Almost half (42%) of workers admitted that arguments over office temperature are their biggest source of frustration. 37% of respondents said noise disruptions from colleagues are the most grating issue. One‑third (31%) pointed to arguments about dirty dishes and leftover food in shared spaces as a major annoyance, while a quarter of workers cited passive-aggressive emails or unnecessary CCs as sparking office conflicts. www.bizspace.co.uk Research conducted by the Cloud Industry Forum (now under new management and has morphed into Tech Industry Forum) revealed that ESG and sustainability is important to the majority, (86%) of businesses when deciding which cloud vendor to work with, with almost half (44%) considering it extremely important. Data from the 2024 report indicates that organisations value ESG highly, with 40% of respondents reporting that IT sustainability is an important project for their organisation. Avoiding automated chatbots ServiceNow, the AI platform for business transformation, has highlighted the challenges brands face in dealing with today’s tech-savvy consumers, with almost four out of five people (77%) looking up tips and ‘hacks’ online to avoid speaking to a chatbot when engaging with customer service. Just under three-quarters (73%) also turn to friends and family for advice on how to avoid automated customer service. ServiceNow’s research demonstrates that British consumers have become experts in avoiding interactions with tech solutions such as chatbots. Three out of four people (75%) say that they opt to press no menu options at all on customer service lines in the hope that this will get them through to a human being. The dedication among consumers to embracing these hacks is so strong that one in two (49%) admitted to having posted advice online on how to sidestep automated responses. Simon Morris, VP Solution Consulting at ServiceNow said: “This research and the very existence of these ‘hacks’ reveal that businesses have yet to figure out how to get their customer experience right. Automation is here to enhance customer service and help increase both customers’ and agents’ satisfaction. For this to happen though, companies must get the right mixture of ‘high-tech’ and ‘high-touch’, one where AI and workforce work hand in hand rather than compete.” www.servicenow.com Katun recognised for sustainability efforts Katun’s EMEA division has been awarded the prestigious Environment Betterment Award at the RT Global Imaging Industry Awards. The award recognises Katun’s significant contributions to sustainability, including its commitment to the circular economy through remanufactured products, recycling programs, and initiatives like the Print It, Plant It reforestation program. Katun was also honoured for the invention of the ecoKAP Toner Cartridge, which features a patentpending cap designed for reuse, further enhancing the company’s environmental impact. www.katun.com This ranks equally with other areas of business such as security and cloud migration and is second only to artificial intelligence (42%). Despite this, when deciding on whether or not to work with a cloud service provider, cost is still king, being the most important priority for 45% of respondents. Next, 41% referenced the availability of services and 39% mentioned partnering with a trustworthy company as being key factors, all ranking more highly than sustainability credentials (28%). However, the research also found that 49% of organisations said they would always reject a prospective vendor if they gave a poor response on their ESG and sustainability strategy. This continued emphasis on sustainability is supported by the finding that 79% of organisations are now measuring the carbon footprint of their existing data storage infrastructure in the cloud. According to the data, 47% of organisations have already been measuring this for more than 12 months, and just 7% indicated that they do not have any plans to measure this in the future. Further, organisations are taking crucial steps to reach net zero despite economic constraints, with 87% of organisations planning to reach net zero by at least 2050. More than a quarter (26%) of respondents plan to achieve the milestone before 2030. David Terrar, Tech Industry Forum’s CEO said: “Cloud service providers should take note that a large proportion of businesses are prepared to reject partnerships on the basis of sustainability alone and should ensure they are setting themselves high standards in this area. Those companies able to demonstrate clear consideration of sustainability issues will stand ahead of those relying on the prospect of cost savings alone.” https://cloudindustryforum.org ESG valued as high as security and cloud migration projects David Terrar
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