A look ahead: workplace and tech converge in 2026

This year, businesses embraced emerging technologies, but they also started to face a growing sense of unease among their workers. In 2026, those two trends will converge to create a new set of challenges and opportunities for Australian businesses, accelerating the shift toward the future of work. 

There's good reason for optimism. The economy is facing some challenges, but inflation and unemployment have moderated, and AI offers a powerful path to the kind of productivity that could fuel real growth. 

For many businesses, success is likely to depend on how they navigate the intersection of maturing technologies and changing attitudes towards work. 

Here are five key trends that I believe will be pivotal over the next twelve months:  

1. Greater emphasis on workplace fulfilment, including hybrid work

Our own research paints a miserable relationship between Australian knowledge workers and their workplaces. In fact, HP's Work Relationship Index (WRI) found that just 14% say they have a healthy relationship with work. 

Businesses already know it, and they will start to change things up. Frankly, they will have to if they want to keep their best workers. Technology could help here. The WRI found that employees who work for companies that invest in providing the right tools and AI are up to five times more likely to have a healthy relationship with work. 

But it's also about the right type of leadership. Employees want to be sure they can achieve their personal goals, and leaders must empower them through recognition, resources and clarity. 

In addition, businesses should be (and increasingly are) taking a more mature approach to hybrid work, formalising policies that clearly outline expectations and backing it up with the right technology. Many, including HP, are doing three days in the office and two remotely. But it's clear that flexibility is an expectation, and employees might vote with their feet if there's not enough of it. 

2. Agentic AI and edge computing will drive automation

Trials and pilot programs have already given way to a more mature approach to AI, focusing on how it can be meaningfully deployed to help achieve cost savings and efficiencies. The next step for many organisations will be to embrace agentic AI, while also moving data and operations out of the cloud and onto edge-centric devices (like PCs with NPUs). This is possible due to the growing capability of modern CPUs. And it's desirable because it's more cost-effective. 

AI agents could be transformative for many businesses. They can automate repetitive tasks, enhance customer service and provide data-driven insights for better decision-making and operational efficiency. 

Our enterprise customers in Australia are already replacing traditional support with proactive, AI-powered agentic services. For example, your bank might use an agent to figure out when a card expires and send an automated reminder. 

This shift is not just about automating tasks. It is about redefining roles, workflows and expectations – all central to what the future of work looks like. 

3. Even stronger growth in subscription models

Why buy it when you can just subscribe? Businesses are already moving from cap-ex to opex - or to put it more simply, they are embracing subscription services to avoid the complexity and paranoia associated with managing rapid advancements in tech, infrastructure and AI.

We're seeing the everything-as-a-service discussion become more common among our customers. It makes sense. There's so much transformation going on at the moment that they don't want to risk a big capital expense that turns out to be worthless in a few years. They don't want to commit, and in 2026, they won't have to.  

Customers want a services type model where everything is taken care of, and they can refresh every few years. For SMBs, the need is often even greater, as they may not have the expertise in house for many functions, and developing it would take away from their core operations. 

4. Digital readiness and always-on productivity

We are more impatient than ever, and we increasingly think all services and devices should be accessible from anywhere. Why can't we check into a hotel before we arrive, and use our phone as the key? Why can't we remotely print out a document at an office while we're in a car on the way to a meeting there?

In 2026, we can. It's increasingly possible, and most large businesses will find that their customers will just expect it. This isn't just about an easier user experience for customers. It's also about productivity. As hybrid work arrangements start to become more formal, knowledge workers will expect their employers to remove the small points of friction that make their jobs frustrating. 

Doing the basics like sending emails or joining meetings remotely has been standard for years. In 2026, we will also start to execute complex tasks and service transactions, often involving physical and digital assets, asynchronously from any location, and it will be easy. 

The expectation will be that work, and work tools, are available everywhere, instantly, and without interruption. 

5. Security in a distributed, AI-powered world

Security will be a growing priority in 2026 due to the rapid uptake of large language models, AI at the edge, and increased device connectivity. All the evidence suggests that cybercriminals are becoming more adept at leveraging AI to stage attacks. Also, most knowledge workers expect some level of hybrid work, which adds another layer of complexity to defence.   

For some time, cybercriminals have been using Generative AI to create convincing phishing lures aimed at tricking victims. There is growing evidence that threat actors are also using GenAI tools to write code. 

All too often it's unsecured devices, that are most vulnerable, because security teams don't regard them as an attack pathway. A defence strategy should involve every layer, from motherboard hardware and firmware, through the OS, to application execution. 

Business leaders should pay more attention to endpoint security, deploying zero-trust devices with features such as firmware verification and isolation engines rather than relying solely on software agents. 

As workplaces become more connected and complex, security can no longer be an afterthought. It must be embedded into every endpoint, every device, and every transaction. 

As technology and the workplace continue to converge, 2026 will mark a turning point in how organisations create value, empower people, and shape what work becomes next. Those that embrace this shift, by investing in meaningful tools, leadership, flexibility and security, will be best placed for continued success.