Workspaces around the world are changing drastically. The established idea of a desk with a computer and phone are fast vanishing, and is being replaced with a more flexible environment. In this new environment, employees are more connected than before, use a range of devices to communicate with each other and would like to have high levels of engagement.
To cater to this evolving workspace, companies have to come up with the right technologies. One of the areas that companies are currently focusing on is BYOD. Employees are increasingly preferring to use their own personal devices for work, and this brings up many security problems. With BYOD, employees tend to access company's sensitive information through their personal devices, and this is a nightmare for the IT departments. Therefore, companies are forced to come up technologies that will give the additional layer of security needed to support BYOD at the workplace.
Besides BYOD, workplaces have come up with intelligent systems that will support a virtual working environment. These systems help employees to have a meaningful interaction with each other, despite not being physically present within the same building. Such a virtual working environment has been possible due to superior video conferencing and VoIP systems that connect users located in any part of the world.
WebRTC, the real time communications technology putting video, voice and data capabilities in the browser, is the next generation of these virtual working environments for enterprise communications. It bridges the gap between remote workforces and in-office workers, and enables more seamless unified communications.
Another area of focus is the emergence of smart buildings. These buildings can recognize employees as they come in without the need to swipe their cards, scan the devices they carry for security and even change the lighting to suit the personal preferences of each employee. These smart buildings will use the latest technology including M2M to provide such superior features.
In short, workplaces are evolving due to advancements made in technology. As a result, the traditional idea of a desktop and a desk are giving way to virtual working environments and smart buildings.
Edited by
Rachel Ramsey
