In January 2016 I published a report titled Collaboration Vendors Shaping the Future of Work. The report highlights 18 companies/products that show vision in improving the way people get work done. One of the vendors included was IBM, specially their IBM Verse messaging client. Today I've published a guest blog post on IBM.com that dives deeper into the why IBM Verse plays an important role in shaping the Future of Work.

An outline of the key points are listed below, and you can read the entire post here on IBM's site.

Why IBM Verse

  • Recognizing Email Needs to Evolve, Not Die: While it’s common to hear discussions about the frustrations people have with email, the reality for most workers is that it’s still a critical, even if frequently misused, communication tool.
  • The Bridge to Collaboration: With IBM Verse, they have started down the path of removing the distinction between the various product families.
  • Investment in Design: This IBM Design team’s work does not just impact individual products, but instead ensures consistency that spans the collaboration portfolio. 
  • Introducing Cognitive Computing: Of all the things IBM Verse is doing, the most significant potential contribution to shaping the future of work is the proposed integration with IBM’s “cognitive computing services” from IBM Watson. 

Conclusion: For more than 20 years IBM has been one of leaders in communication and collaboration tools. Their products are used by millions of employees around the world every day. With their renewed focus on design and the ability to leverage IBM’s Watson’s cognitive services, IBM Verse is an important product in shaping the future of work.