Metaverse, the 2022 intranet and security – a trendspotting exercise

Trend 1: Metaverse

Metaverse. A big buzzword right now – and an amalgamation of the words "meta" and "universe". The Metaverse is a new 3D internet world where you can socialise, play and work. The new universe is not owned by one company but is a shared space for everyone – like the internet itself. It's exciting. And when it comes to the digital workplace, it gets even more exciting.

We know that there is strong support for teleworking. We also know that leadership and engagement are the two areas that easily suffer. Through Metaverse, however, it is possible to digitalise senses with technologies such as VR, AR and 3D.

Imagine being able to gather your dispersed project team around the kitchen table, smell the freshly brewed coffee and feel the joy of your colleagues when you present a really good result – all from the comfort of your living room.

Trend 2: The intranet in 2022

I've previously covered the role of the intranet in the digital workplace – but I'd like to take it up a notch to the role of the intranet in business. The role is influenced by many factors such as how big the organisation is, what the target audience looks like and what other channels there are to consider.

In my experience, those who have a clear owner of the intranet succeed best in working it into the business. It becomes easier to strategise and set measurable goals together with other system owners – and work together towards the business-wide goals. Whether the intranet function then becomes a news feed or a fully-fledged digital workplace is secondary.

According to the latest WSA report, many organisations say they will rebuild their intranet in 2022. I think this is an effect of employees being spread across many different systems – and the intranet is a great place to bring those systems together and keep communication flowing.

Perhaps the most common system affecting intranets today is Microsoft 365, and the WSA report shows that most organisations separate the intranet from Microsoft 365. However, if you choose to combine the two tools, you can get a really good effect.

Region Värmland's intranet is a mix of editorial content and apps from Microsoft 365. Users can decide for themselves which functions are to be displayed on the personal start page. The reason for this is that the region consists of many different types of businesses – which have different needs for the intranet. Some want a news feed, while others need collaboration features and productivity apps. Smart.

Software reduction

There has also been a lot of investment in new technology in recent years. The challenge, in many cases, is that the systems' functions blend into each other, creating a lack of clarity about 'where I do what'. The systems simply create small islands. I notice in customer meetings that many are planning to clear these islands and clarify the functions.

Total experience

To avoid small companies forming within the company, whether physically or digitally, it is important to have a holistic view of the workplace. Get to know the employee journey through the workday. What systems does your employee use and why? I wouldn't be surprised if a new role emerges in the workplace – a kind of hybrid workplace office manager who keeps track of these elements.

Trend 3: Security

Data is the key to increased productivity, profitability and well-being – but it is also the most vulnerable. IT security becomes a burning issue.

Every time you use APIs, a cloud service or other integrations, you open a new door to your intranet or digital workplace. At the same time, many people work from home and need to access systems from different locations. Security assessments and risk analysis will be key to protecting critical information such as personal data.

Speaking of security, I hope 2022 will be the year when we get a precedent on the Cloud Act issue. It has kept the public sector on its toes for a long time – and the City of Stockholm, for example, chose to back away from Microsoft 365 because they cannot provide sufficient guarantees that personal data is protected.