Clearly, change management is not easy, especially when also confronting the realities of on-camera fatigue and the difficulty in compartmentalizing personal versus business head space. Lazar said this is even more complex for regulated organizations that often have policies tied to a previous generation of technology.

While firms would like to establish policies across technologies, the task of discovering and supervising interactive content that can include persistent chats and communications that jump across networks will inevitably cause firms to re-examine whether their currently deployed compliance and data protection controls are suited for purpose.

Warrene echoed this, noting that context is key when it comes to enabling individuals to have a uniform experience across locations, applications and tools — and for compliance teams to build controls that work anywhere. He sees companies working as a triad between themselves, vendors, and content providers to collectively learn how to best manage collaborative platforms.

All panelists agreed on the importance of having executives attached to collaborative technology initiatives, ensuring that business stakeholders along with compliance, legal, infosec and data privacy are also seated at the table to proactively identify and address potential roadblocks before they derail deployment plans.

Working with providers such as Slack and Smarsh as strategic partners can also help in establishing goals and overcoming obstacles that stand in front of ROI targets. Thankfully, Warrene noted that this is one of the most positive changes he has seen since the start of the pandemic, which should help customers and the industry adapt to the next big thing.