As another year draws in, 2024 has seen some notable changes to the way UK businesses operate and, ultimately, communicate. In this article, Kristian Torode, Director and Co-Founder of business telecoms services provider Crystaline, offers his reflections for the year.

A flexible future

This year, return to office orders from big name giants such as PwC, Tesco and Santander have continued to drive the home-office-hybrid debate. With it, we’ve seen the emergence of yet another workplace trend.

Hushed hybrid refers to the term where managers discreetly allow employees to work from home, or more flexibly, despite official company policy stating otherwise. A March 2024 survey from hybrid technology company Owl Labs found that 70 per cent of managers have allowed team members to quietly work from home, going against official return to office protocol.

This year also saw an enhancement to the Flexible Working Request policy, and employees now have the legal right to request flexible working from their first day in a new job. There’s even talk of a government-driven four-day working week request, which employers may need to adhere to in the future.

We’ve still not seen the dust settle on flexible working — and probably won’t for some time. As workplace trends and whispers of new laws continue to emerge, employers must take note and ensure they’re creating an environment in which flexibility can take place. This begins with their technology set up.

The PSTN push back

For the last few years, businesses have been encouraged to prepare for the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) switch off, which was scheduled to take place on December 31, 2025. This is where BT will transition from analogue copper wire communication to a fully digital network using Internet Protocol (IP) technology. Due to the growing reliance on technology, the PSTN has become unreliable and cannot meet today’s digital demands.

After much anticipation, in May this year it was announced that the switch off will be pushed back until January 31, 2027. The extension comes as BT wants to offer businesses, and those in rural areas, more time to transition smoothly.

While the delay has been welcomed, it doesn’t mean businesses should deprioritise making the switch and leave it too close to the new deadline. Doing so could risk being left without a functioning phone system, which could be detrimental to business operations and reputation.

But that’s not the only reason businesses should get ahead. Switching early will give firms a competitive edge as they become early adopters of the advanced communication features digital phone lines can facilitate, as well as allowing more time to adapt staff and processes to the new set up. What’s more, as the UK is already in a stop sell that prevents the sale of PSTN products, switching early makes sense for anybody already contemplating an upgrade.

Crystaline can help businesses navigate the PSTN switch off and has added Vodafone Business UC with Ring Central to its product suite. The new collaboration solution combines voice and video communication to accommodate businesses who make the switch from analogue to IP calling.

Investing in AI

It wouldn’t be possible to speak about this year without addressing AI. In fact, a survey by McKinsey found that 72 per cent of businesses are using AI in 2024.

AI tools have surged in use and are helping to enhance several business functions, such as inventory management, content production and customer service. AI chatbots have taken the customer service industry by storm, helping businesses to improve customer experience by answering customer queries faster, and reducing reliance on human agents.

Artificial intelligence powers these automated chatbots to offer instant customer service support. However, while chatbot technology has received criticism for its inability to understand and resolve complex queries, enterprises such as LinkedIn, Starbucks and British Airways confirmed they will continue using them in the future.

Changes to flexible working, a delay in one of the biggest telecoms changes ever and the emergence of AI have shaped 2024, and the year certainly isn’t short of disruptive trends. What’s certain though, is that having the right technology set up in place will help businesses navigate a changing landscape, starting with the way they communicate.

To learn more about Crystaline’s managed IT services for your business, visit www.crystaline.uk