Of course it’s always wise to be a bit careful when making predictions, particularly where technology is concerned, as anything can happen. Innovations that everyone touts as The Next Big Thing can sink with barely a whimper and the idea that gets smirked at or used as bloatware takes off and dominates.
When it comes to workplaces, companies and office space providers want to be ahead of the curve, as this means more profit, better communication with employees and clients, more industry recognition and, well, an easier worklife. This drive helps with predicting office tech trends, because if it lightens the load, it’s probably a goer.
Here are four techie trends that are taking off:
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD)
Smaller companies and start-ups have never had a problem with employees and contractors bringing in their own laptops and tablets to work on. Bigger companies, however, have often nixed the idea – elf ‘n’ safety, insurance, security and so on all get in the way and so everyone uses corporate machines to stay in the corporate machine.
The IT gurus now see how bringing personal devices into work helps with productivity and collaboration, so progressive companies will increasingly allow this. There’ll have to be extra cloud security and more unified comms platforms, but this is no biggie. There used to be that gulf between PC and Mac, but tools like Google Docs are building bridges. When it comes to office design, these changes are making themselves felt too, with power sources and data modules on the furnishings and any spare flat surfaces.
Workflow’s getting niftier
People can now work pretty much everywhere as easily as they can in the workplace. Tablets and other smart devices can handle workloads and tasks just as well as a deskbound PC, so there’s no need to head into the office every day. More and more companies and organisations let staff log in remotely and work, so offices are moving towards smaller or shared spaces that have to really work to get the crowds in. This means that commercial property in St James will look more like a hotel or a campus in the future.
The fully automated office
The Internet of Things didn’t really happen (see above for duff predictions…), and this may have been because of increased costs or the fact that there were just too many Things to Internet. Some aspects caught on, however, like smart household appliances and in-car connectivity. These utilitarian internet thingies are moving to the workplace in the form of smart lighting, room reservation tools and so on. The energy and carbon savings are driving this move, as well as an increased awareness of space efficiency and ergonomic office design.
Enhanced or augmented reality
VR headsets were the preserve of the uber-nerds, but they’re now in the office – this tech is especially helpful for architects, interior designers and office planners as they can “move” through their visions and see how often they stub their toes!
We can expect this tech to move into other fields, like conference calling and industrial design, as well as the military.
What are your predictions? Let us know.
- Homebuilding and Renovating Show Free Tickets - March 19, 2024
- From Fixer-Upper to Dream Home: Investing Returns in Your Property Journey - March 13, 2024
- Leaving on a High Note: Acing Your End of Tenancy Clean - March 13, 2024