As organizations explore the potential of remote connectivity in today’s evolving digital landscape, they’re faced with a multitude of options. The trends shaping this future—including innovations for hybrid work, enhanced security requirements, and the development of sustainability practices—present both challenges and opportunities. Read on to learn how your organization can address these critical areas and, in doing so, embrace the industrial digital transformation across the UK and Europe.
Embracing Technological Innovation
Challenge: Designing Efficient Workflows for a Dynamic Enterprise Environment
In 2024, TeamViewer’s AI Opportunity Report spotlighted AI’s highly influential role in advancing remote connectivity and operational efficiency. Despite the enthusiasm for AI, decision-makers are becoming more pragmatic about its use. The majority (61%) agree that the AI hype cycle is over, and businesses now want practical applications that enhance workflows, including remote operations. AI needs to deliver real-world results.
Opportunity: AI and Augmented Reality (AR) as Enablers of Growth
Moving Beyond AI Hype
A total of 75% of respondents identified AI as critical for driving efficiency, with 69% predicting it will spark the greatest productivity surge in a century – also in context of remote connectivity. With predictive analytics, AI is paving the way for improved efficiency in IT and OT support and operations. For those looking to leverage AI to improve remote connectivity strategies, Mei Dent, Chief Product & Technology Officer at TeamViewer, encourages focusing on its strengths in data processing and generating insights while maintaining human oversight for more critical decisions.
Checklist for Successful AI Implementation:
- Prioritize Collaboration Over Replacement:
- Focus on integrating AI to work alongside employees to enhance—not replace—their abilities.
- Identify AI Use Cases that Support Human Strengths:
- Look for tasks that are repetitive or data-driven, like summarizing remote support sessions, where AI can take the load off human workers and allow them to focus on more creative or strategic tasks.
- Ensure Human Oversight at Every Stage:
- Implement AI-assisted workflows with clear checkpoints for human intervention to maintain accuracy, ethical standards, and adaptability.
- Focus on Employee Training and Adaptation:
- Equip employees with the skills to work effectively with AI, emphasizing collaborative tools and AI literacy.
Smarter Workflows with AR and AI
Augmented reality (AR) integrates AI and machine learning to bridge digital and physical worlds. Today’s AR technology provides visual guidance, allowing technicians to assist clients remotely, thereby reducing downtime and enhancing problem resolution. Users of AR-enabled devices can interact with 3D models, receive real-time instructions, and collaborate seamlessly from anywhere. In the healthcare industry, these devices contributed to a 75% reduction in response times to health issues at Uniting. For manufacturing warehouses, AI works in tandem with AR by analyzing sensor data for environment mapping, creating seamless digital overlays that enhance remote operations by identifying patterns and suggesting better item placements.
A study by ABI Research also emphasizes the role of AR-enabled tools in enterprise digitalization, predicting widespread adoption of smart glasses for remote assistance (71%), assembly (78%), and training (52%) by 2030, far outpacing mobile devices and further demonstrating AR’s transformative role in building connected workplaces.
Enhancing Security Amid Growing Compliance Demands
Challenge: Navigating Evolving Global Standards
Regulatory shifts in 2025, such as NIST 2.0 in the US and the EU’s DORA and NIS2, demand proactive cybersecurity strategies. These frameworks emphasize resilience and security, particularly for industries like finance and academia. According to the 2025 technology predictions of Robert Haist, CISO at TeamViewer, IT executives are becoming increasingly cautious about how they see cybersecurity in regard to national security. Staying ahead of these global regulations is essential for maintaining secure connections in remote and hybrid environments.
Opportunity: Building Resilience Through Pragmatic Solutions
Cybersecurity threats are also evolving rapidly and forcing organizations to reconsider how they secure their digital environments, especially those supporting remote connectivity. In light of this, the most effective strategies today may not be the most sophisticated but rather what some might call the “boring” aspects of security as per Haist’s prediction. Instead of focusing on the latest headline-making cyberattacks, Haist advises that fundamental tasks like patch management, maintaining clean environments, and eliminating redundant data can already provide strong protection against security threats.
However, to safeguard remote and hybrid teams, organizations require protocols that go beyond basic protections. In the context of remote connectivity, enterprise-grade security now offers features such as conditional access, auditability, and single sign-on, offering precise control over data and user authentication. These tools are critical for addressing evolving cybersecurity threats and aligning with stringent regulatory frameworks.
Aligning Sustainability Goals with Operational Efficiency
Challenge: Developing a Scalable Sustainability Strategy
Implementing a sustainability strategy can be daunting, from building new teams to navigating shifting regulations. If you’re focusing on environmental sustainability, it all starts with calculating your carbon footprint. Another important step will be getting employees and leadership aligned. However, for tech companies, focusing on sustainability, remote solutions can offer both environmental and operational advantages while contributing to broader global goals.
Opportunity: Enabling Resource-Optimized Operations
The tech sector is uniquely positioned to drive sustainability through innovation. By offering solutions that reduce emissions—such as remote connectivity and collaboration tools—tech companies can impact global sustainability while improving their own processes. These not only eliminate the need for excessive travel but also enable more energy-efficient ways of working across industries. Companies like United Robotics Group or Bobst have already proven that remote connectivity solutions are helping businesses across all industries to optimize operations in context of sustainability priorities by minimizing travel for on-site troubleshooting.
Additionally, government policies like Germany’s CO2 tax penalize non-compliance, while many investment funds account for ESG (environment, social, governance) criteria when selecting assets. And 74% of professional investors worldwide planned to increase their ESG investments over the course of 2024. This means that companies that prioritize sustainability will secure access to more funding than those that don’t and thus stand to gain a competitive edge. Whether viewed from an ethical, financial, or strategic perspective, investing in both connected and sustainable innovation ensures businesses thrive in an environmentally conscious future.
Conclusion
Thriving in today’s innovative landscape requires solutions that can address current challenges and prepare for the demands of tomorrow. With remote and hybrid work now the prevalent reality in the UK and Europe, TeamViewer is the trusted partner to help you enhance connectivity, safeguard operations, and embrace sustainable practices both now and in the future. With TeamViewer, your business can remain resilient and confidently navigate the demands of an increasingly connected and competitive world.
Sources:
AI + AR
2025 Predictions – AI by Mei Dent.docx
Final AI launch release EN.docx
Frontline_Logistics 4.0 Whitepaper_EN_0923
teamviewer-cio-power-of-industrial-ar-white-paper-en.pdf
Security
2025 Predictions – Security by Robert Haist.docx
Stats: Cyber security sectoral analysis 2024 – GOV.UK
Sustainability
Why sustainability matters in the tech business | TeamViewer
