Quocirca Future of Work Study Reveals the Hybrid, AI-Powered, Productivity-Focused Workplace of 2030
September 16, 2025
Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation, Sustainability, Artificial Intelligence, Press Release, Cloud, Future of work, Trends
London, UK, 16th September 2025: Quocirca’s Future of Work 2030 study, published today, examines how growing digital maturity and rapid AI adoption are reshaping workplace dynamics and employee expectations, with a focus on the evolving hybrid landscape and the strategic role of print and document services.
This is the fourth edition of Quocirca’s Future of Work study, first published in 2017. It reveals that while organisations are experiencing fundamental change due to advancing digital, cloud, and AI maturity, they are continuing to invest in print infrastructure modernisation to support secure, hybrid work models. This is bringing new demands for technology providers as buyers expect a broad range of expertise across AI, security, and managed services.
Quocirca CEO Louella Fernandes comments: “Organisations are balancing their investments across emerging and traditional office technology as hybrid working practices become more clearly defined. As expected, AI spending is set to increase in the coming year, with productivity gains the primary driver. However, 47% also plan to increase their investment in print infrastructure. We are seeing print volumes stabilise as the shape of the less-paper office becomes clearer, and organisations are seeking secure, accessible solutions to support the continuing demand for print.”
The Future of Work Study is based on research conducted among 400 knowledge workers and 400 IT decision-makers (ITDMs) in small to medium businesses and large enterprises in the US, UK, France, and Germany.
Key findings include:
PLACE:
- 57% of respondents are fully office-based in 2025; this will fall to 49% by 2030.
- In-person collaboration (32%), the ability to socialise (30%), and improved communication (28%) are the most commonly cited benefits of in-office working.
PRODUCTIVITY:
- Improved productivity is the primary benefit expected from AI adoption, cited by 28% of respondents.
- 66% of IT decision-makers expect to increase investment in AI in the year ahead; they expect to spend 22% of the total budget on AI and plan to upgrade 32% of PC fleets to AI PCs in the next 12 months.
PRINT-DIGITAL CONVERGENCE:
- 18% of organisations are now fully paperless. Nevertheless, print volumes are expected to rise by 0.5%, while mobile printing is expected to increase by 2.3%.
- 47% of organisations expect to increase investment in modernising their print infrastructure.
PROVIDER:
- 28% of ITDMs expect to be using IT service providers to manage their print infrastructure by 2030, rising to 32% among the most digitally mature organisations.
- AI services, security expertise, and managed IT services are the top three services ITDMs want from their technology providers.
PLANET:
- 37% of organisations say digitisation initiatives are driven by sustainability, rising to 45% among large organisations.
- Energy efficiency, device longevity, and environmental certifications are the top sustainability features sought by ITDMs.
“Since we published the first edition of this report in 2017, the workplace has witnessed incredible change,” says Louella Fernandes. “However, this study shows that the pandemic only accelerated transitions that were already in progress. As organisations reach digital maturity, the position of legacy technology, such as print, is becoming clearer.
“At the same time, organisations are striving to integrate AI into their workplace technology stack. Our research revealed discrepancies in how knowledge workers and IT decision-makers perceive the benefits and risks of AI, which must be addressed – with the help of technology service providers – to achieve successful adoption.”
Quocirca’s “The Future of Work, 2030” report is available to subscribers and to purchase here. A complimentary executive summary is available at the same link.
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