These days technology seems to go out of fashion fast than last year’s X-Factor winner. It is a battle virtually impossible to win, and that goes for every part of the tech world. You spent six months saving up two months salary to buy the new iPhone and six weeks later they announce they are releasing the next generation in a month’s time. The same goes for laptops, coffee machines, games consoles, smart watches and just about everything else that operates on a lithium battery.
However, with every new announcement of the latest must-have technology, more and more people are learning how to incorporate these gadgets into their everyday lives. They have learned the benefits of owning technology that – in a world that seems to have fewer hours in the day than ever before – will allow them to take on tasks more efficiently and more effectively. A great example of the ever-tightening grip tech has on us can be found in the Internet Of Things, the latest buzzword to spring up and describe the way the 21st Century is headed. While it remains a very broad and generic term, what the Internet of Things alludes to is domestic appliances combining with smart-home technology. You can now control your central heating on your phone so that it will be on for when you get home. Your fridge can contact Amazon and say you’re out of a certain product. It’s amazing.
However, this rapid rise in all things tech has not hit the office world yet and, while some advancements may have been made, the change has been incredibly slow in comparison to the domestic market. Think about it. There is an incredibly noticeable gap between them. Chances are, the gadgets you use at home far surpass your office counterparts, and this can lead to annoyances arising.
But it isn’t just employee annoyances that businesses need to be concerned about, it is also the fact better tech means better productivity and better efficiency, and that means bigger growth.
Laser-Projected Keyboards
This has been getting a lot of attention recently and for a good reason. They are almost a thing of the future, something imagined by the filmmakers of Minority Report and Blade Runner, and yet here they are, allowing people to type wherever they are, so long as there is a flat surface. Why is this good? Well, with the rise of 3G and 4G signals, as well as smartphones and tablets, working on the go has become the thing to do. Tablets are incredible and used by so many businesses because of their lightweight and mobile capabilities. However, typing is slow, but this is completely eradicated by having laser-projected keyboards. Typing now becomes faster and more accurate, so much so it could be that tablets replace your office desktops, allowing users to have one machine that does all. Of course, there are risks with mobile technology, so make sure that you know how to properly protect against cyber crime because tablets and smartphones still pose a risk due to their increased vulnerability. But even with all that in mind, investing in laser keyboard that operates over Bluetooth and is compatible with most devices could be one of the smartest moves you make.
Keeping Active
Studies show that Millennials now make up the majority of the workforce, and this will only grow. Why is this important? Well, characteristics of the millennial worker are the complete opposite of the baby-boomer. They care about different things, from the impact they have at a company to the work-life balance they get to flexible hours and their wellbeing. The latter is particularly important to them, so why not invest in tech that allows this want and need to bloom. A great example of how to achieve this is the Stamina Elliptical Trainer, a small pedal machine that allows users to exercise discreetly without leaving their desk. It may seem bizarre to you, but it will make your place more attractive to employees and close the tech gap.
Scanners
The area in which most offices have grown and excelled and almost kept up with the domestic strides made by technology is in their mobile abilities. We touched on it briefly, but the rise of smartphones, tablets and even laptops has allowed employees to work while on the go. It allows people to work on the train instead of waiting to get to work. It has allowed them to do research in the airport instead of just waiting to take-off, touchdown and then go straight to their meeting. It has allowed them to work at home when they would prefer to. All of these are huge steps that increase productivity. What’s more, this mobile capability is growing. Portable scanners are becoming the latest must-have tool for offices to buy and store, and that is because they allow people scan almost anything with incredible ease and still produce incredible quality. They can also transfer files wirelessly and in a variety of file formats. So instead of taking a dodgy and blurry photo of a document, or idea, or anything at all, this tech will allow you to produce professional documents that can be shared and saved without hassle.
Infrared Laser Tech
While it’s still relatively early days for this strand of technology, there have been some fantastic results. What it does is allow you to record date by writing on virtually any surface you so please, thus making any surface you can imagine into a notepad. It could be a tree, a tabletop, your hand, literally anything. All you have to do is write your thought or idea down, and it will work in cooperation with your chosen device, on which it will appear. This means any idea can be stored without any pause or frantic searching, and will prevent you from panicking when you kind find that napkin on which you wrote down the million-dollar idea you can’t recall now. It is little pieces of technology, like this, that will help your business climb the rungs of the tech ladder and bring you into the future.
Humidifiers
Every office has one thing in common; they are stressful environments. They breed stress, with the exception of Google of course. There are deadlines, early starts, long nights, the occasional weekend, annual reviews, shareholders, investors and bad months. All of this breeds stress. As such, the company that cares about the mental health of their employees is going to be the company that attracts better talent, keeps their top talent and sees growth in productivity. That’s why we have given the VicTsing humidifier a place on our list. The home is a comforting environment, so why not mimic this at work. How it works is incredible. It produces different scents designed to sooth and calm, and puts moisture in the air to prevent dry skin and sore throats, and uses led lighting to encourage good moods. Seriously, it looks fantastic. Of course, this cannot be classed as an office essential, but the mentality, morale and stress levels of your workforce should be at the top of your priority list and, in that sense, investing in the tech that protects and enhances people’s wellbeing is one of the best investments you can make.
Dyson Fan
We have to add this on to the list because, well, it is a bladeless fan. It is the epitome of cool. It does a basic job but it does to the highest standard, and the fact Dyson is now a symbol of high-class tech, the inclusion of them in your office will have an affect on your workforce. They will start to believe that you are moving forward on the tech front and taking them into the 21st Century.
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