Observed Signal · Nov 3, 2020 · Survey · Source: OnlineMarketing.de · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
New Normal or Status Quo After COVID-19
Germany is debating what life after the Corona crisis will look like for work, with employers and employees recognizing a need to push digitalization. A global study commissioned by ServiceNow and summarized by Michael Kroker indicates cost cuts during the crisis (88% of companies) and an intent by 70% to reinvest freed capital in digitization. Germany leads Europe in planned tech investment, with France and the Netherlands at 54%. The transition to home office progressed faster than expected for 88% of employers and 85% of employees, and the shift has improved perceptions of flexible work. However, 96% still rely on offline workflows, while 82% say new working methods were introduced since the pandemic. About 45% want to return to the pre-COVID status quo, complicating the path to a definitive New Normal.
Industry trend: post-COVID workplace digitalization and remote-work adoption; moderate impact on AdTech/MarTech infrastructure.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- 88% of surveyed companies reduced operating costs during the COVID-19 crisis; 70% plan reinvesting freed capital into digitalization.
- Germany tops Europe in investment in technological progress; France and the Netherlands each at 54%.
- 88% of employers and 85% of employees say the home-office transition occurred faster than expected.
- 96% still rely on offline workflows, while 82% say employers created better working methods since the pandemic.
- 45% of workers want to return to the status quo post-COVID.
Connected Companies & Entities
2 Entities mappedRelated Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
AI Labs Own the Next Software Moat: Distribution
In an opinion piece for The Drum, R/GA's global chief technology officer Nick Coronges argues that agentic AI is not killing SaaS but shifting the value layer. He contends that AI labs like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Google are building a new moat through distribution, owning the general-purpose surfaces (desktop apps, agents, plugins) where work happens. The piece highlights Anthropic's partnership with Salesforce ('Claudeforce'), enabling Claude to access Salesforce data and workflows. Coronges predicts a Cambrian explosion of short-lived, composable software products, where enterprises assemble custom tools. He also notes that services firms like R/GA are increasingly delivering 'tools that make things' rather than just outputs, blurring the line between software and services.
OpenAI's Dev Day features challenge app store model
OpenAI's Dev Day updates position ChatGPT as an app discovery and launch platform, challenging traditional app stores. ChatGPT now has 1.2 billion weekly users and will suggest apps within conversations, allowing users to connect and use them directly. The company expanded its plugin architecture to support interactive panels, turning apps into ChatGPT-integrated experiences. "Sign in with ChatGPT" lets users bring their AI allowance to third-party apps, with 16 launch partners including Cognition, Notion, and Vercel. OpenAI also introduced an enterprise app marketplace with 30+ partners like Adobe, Figma, and Salesforce. The launch of autonomous agents, "Dots," further automates tasks using connected apps across an ecosystem of over 4,000 apps. OpenAI did not announce a billing or revenue-sharing system to fully replace app store economics.
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