Editor's note: As we wind down to the end of 2015, Constellation Research Insights is taking a look back at the year's highlights with perspective from each member of the analyst team. In this installment, we check in with Constellation Research VP and principal analyst Alan Lepofsky for his views on what 2015 meant for the collaboration software market and the future of work. 

What was the most important trend in the collaboration market this year?

Lepofsky: This was not a year of massive innovation, but it was one of resurgence. Startups such as Slack helped spark interest, while Microsoft, Google and IBM put renewed focus into their platforms. Traditional unified communications vendors like Cisco and Unify threw their hats into the ring as well. Perhaps the biggest validation that collaboration is hot was Facebook's announcement of their entrance into enterprise collaboration with Facebook at Work.

What's the most significant piece of research you generated this year? 

Leopofsky: My latest report discusses the advantages of collaboration platforms versus piecing together products from multiple vendors. It’s an important report, because we’re at a time in the market when IT decision-makers are investigating what their next collaboration solution should look like. 

We've provided links to many of your blog posts from 2015, but could you point us to your favorite one?

I was really excited about the introduction of Microsoft’s Project Gigjam. It’s a hard technology to understand, as it’s unlike anything you’re using today. It’s not web-conferencing and it’s not traditional application development. It’s the ability to quickly assemble a “micro-application” and choose what to share and what to hide by simply drawing on the screen before you hit send. I don’t know if this project will become a stand-alone tool in the Microsoft portfolio, but I do think the lessons learned here will have an impact on the way collaboration takes place in the future. 

What was your favorite industry event this year, and why?

Lepofsky: There are lots of great events in the social business market, from small user groups to Salesforce's enormous Dreamforce. There are large events from IBM, Microsoft, SAP, and medium-sized events like BoxWorks. But this year one of my favorite events was a new one: Workfront Leap. This was the inaugural event for the recently rebranded AtTask, now known as Workfront. I found the show top-notch from the first minute to the last. The executives were highly approachable, the customers were proud to share their stories, and product managers and engineers were really open to product feedback. I hope I can attend again in 2016.

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