As organizations grapple with the dizzying pace of technological change, the communications industry is shifting toward on-demand services, including cloud communications, unified communications, and IoT.
At the same time, we are seeing an increasing emphasis on privacy and security amid growing federal, state, and international regulations.
Ensuring communication compliance in’s just about avoiding fines and penalties, it’s about protecting customers and your business. That’s why it’s crucial to always stay on top of compliance trends and mitigate compliance risks before they come knocking at your door.
What we learned in 2021
In 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended traditional work patterns, The "future of work" gained hold, compelling many businesses to embrace remote and hybrid work patterns indefinitely.
As a result, many enterprises have been seeking innovative communications solutions, from cloud communications to real-time collaboration, in order to remain competitive.
At the same time, privacy concerns and data protection regulations are putting additional pressure on organizations to protect customer data and ensure compliance.
Compliance and ethics continued to top the list of top risks in 2021, as businesses struggle to comply with the growing requirements of an increasingly fragmented regulatory environment.
What can we expect in 2022
Demand for collaboration technology will continue to rise
Collaboration solutions like Microsoft Teams and Zoom are increasingly seen as essential building blocks in almost every organization's communications foundation. Hybrid work, in which workers divide their time between the office, home, and wherever they choose to work, will further drive demand for these collaboration technologies.
At the same time, concerns about privacy, cybersecurity, and regulatory compliance will continue to drive demand for solutions that ensure strong data protection. Compliance requirements must be as effective whether they are used in a conference room, at home, or on a mobile device.
The usage of cloud computing and artificial intelligence (AI) will accelerate
Companies are starting to recognize the tremendous impact of the cloud and AI in digital communication technologies.
The capacity to efficiently store rising data volumes and interpret what was said within a voice recording or through a series of emojis or dialogues that leap across networks will put compliance employees and old technology to the test.
More businesses will increase their expenditures on cloud archiving technologies in order to reach the hyper-scaling capacity needed to index and store large amounts of communication data.
Once built, these cloud data warehouses will allow AI technologies to be deployed more efficiently at the enterprise scale, as well as more effectively using an underlying clean, standardized, integrated content source.
Regulations will not be able to keep up with technological advancements
Waiting for regulatory advice before making a policy judgment on the usage of a communications medium is now obsolete.
Over the last two years, the technology innovation curve for these tools has been broken, with new features and modalities being added to current platforms at a dizzying rate — causing enormous dissatisfaction for regulated organizations.
Even with the anticipated modification of legislation governing digital communications, advice will lag behind new communication modes.
Expect to see more businesses evaluating the merits and dangers of supporting a new communications capability from a holistic, cross-functional perspective that includes legal, security, privacy, and intellectual property protection, rather than simply explicit regulatory duties.
The communications compliance landscape will become even more fragmented
The communications compliance landscape is already incredibly fragmented.
In 2021 alone, the 2020 California Consumer Privacy Act, the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), and the CLOUD Act each took center stage.
Each of these regulations is significantly different from the others, and there is no clear picture of how regulators will interpret their requirements or enforce compliance.
The increasing use of cloud communications, real-time collaboration tools, and IoT technology will further complicate the compliance and security landscape.
Organizations must emerge in 2022 with a multi-faceted, risk-based compliance strategy, utilizing technology, employee training, and expert guidance.
By understanding the risks that your organization faces, you can develop an effective strategy to mitigate those risks.
Cyberattacks will continue to rise
The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the vulnerabilities of the digital world, as hackers and cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in communications technology.
In 2021, cyberattacks on businesses have risen steadily, as hackers and cybercriminals take advantage of weak passwords, poorly encrypted data, and lax cybersecurity practices.
Phishing scams and ransomware attacks have become more prevalent as hackers increasingly target employees for data theft.
The COVID-19 crisis has elevated cybersecurity to the top of CEOs' minds.
As a result, more businesses will be investing in cybersecurity training and technologies as they race to keep their customers' data safe.
Wrapping up
The 2020s have been a period of tremendous upheaval for the communications industry — and 2022 won’t be any different.
The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many organizations to rethink how they operate, and regulatory compliance will continue to strike fear into the hearts of many executives.
That’s why it is more important than ever that organizations embrace compliance best practices.
By staying on top of compliance trends and mitigating compliance risks before they come knocking at your door, you can protect your business, your customers, and your bottom line.
Alex is a passionate tech blogger, internet nerd, and data enthusiast. He is interested in topics that cover data regulation, compliance, eDiscovery, information governance and business communication
