COVID-19 changed all of our lives, from the lockdowns all the way through to working from the comfort of our own bed. What came from this? Digital transformation accelerated at a pace we have not seen before and juggling work and home life were slammed together as one, meaning home and hybrid working became the norm for millions.
Whether it’s going to be the start of touch screen computer screens or human-like AI in the distant future, technology is evolving. Here are a few of the new technology trends you will start to come across in post-coronavirus working spaces.
Cloud Tech
This new wave of technology will make on-demand access to digital resources possible without the direct and active management of the user. Your data is stored on a server somewhere else, not on a server on your premises. Lunges in internet connectivity, security, reliability and network access have made this increasingly accessible and desirable.
The cloud will ensure that all of your files, data and everything else important is always there, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The access is most definitely always on. It will support a more mobile, flexible and hybrid way of working.
Print From Your Palm
Working from the palm of your hand isn’t new, at all. Printing straight from you desk definitely isn’t. But, putting those two together will make workplace technology and productivity its very best. As businesses are becoming more flexible about working hours and locations, there is demand to do anything and everything from your office space or even desk!
With the inevitable end of Google Cloud Print, new forms of mobile printing have taken over. The most notable for mobile phone users nowadays is Apple AirPrint. Anything more? There are also many ways to ensure that prints are secure until it is safe to release them from a nearby printer directly into the right persons hands.
A Touchless Office
Even though we are through the thickness of lockdowns, the impact that the coronavirus has left on is will remain for many years to come. We think this will influence everything, from touchless tech (by reducing the number of touches on a shard control panel) to physical office design (having desks 2 meters apart and perhaps a reversal of the hot desking trend). There may also be apps and technology to reduce occupants within a certain size office or manage workers in remote locations.
There is even talk of smart badges being introduced. Their job will be to alert us – all through the power of IoT (The Internet of Things) – if we get too close to our colleagues.
BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) is More Common
As we start to share fewer devices with our colleagues, teams will become more equipped to use more personalised and specific devices. Such technology can often be more easily managed, this can be through an ‘as a service’ model. There are subscription-style contracts that can make changing and adaptive office devices more straightforward, along with cloud technology, will have a definitive impact on reducing up-front hardware costs.
There are many offices that allow their workers to bring their own device to work, and many are starting to allow it. Businesses can achieve efficiencies by enabling employees to use their own smartphones, for example, but there are some cons that you must take on board. BYOD can bring in ‘shadow IT’ problems – these are issues that are not supported by I departments – and can introduce privacy and security complications.
Sustainability Will Move Back Up the Agenda
Last but not least, sustainability and climate change will most likely move back up in the agenda of importance for employers and employees. The immediate threat if the coronavirus has diminished, so the environment has come in the forefront of talks in recent times. The cuts in carbon emissions from travel reductions were among the positives from the affect of the pandemic, but we now hope businesses can grow back greener.
We all should be looking into our office products entire lifecycle, making sure that products are used again in whole, in part, or recycled into something new. Paper products need to be more sustainable and waste in our office spaces should be highly limited.
The emergence of new technologies, or even the reemergence of older technology will power the hybrid and flexible working styles across teams. the tools that we use to do that with will continue to improve, quietening the noise with a drive for efficiency, security and productivity. We also think that environmental matters and concerns will also rise up the pecking order as we continue to push through the aftermath of the pandemic.
Do you like the sound of these new technologies? Do you agree with the importance of environmental topics? You can find you new advanced and sustainable office space now, with Officio always being happy to help. Just call the number 020 3053 3882 or email hello@askofficio.com.