Banner Blog

With the Pandemic ensuing turbulence on work life for the past 15 months, a return to pre-pandemic office life is becoming a more frequent discussion these days.

However, it’s suggested that buzz words such as ‘hybrid’ and ‘flexible’ working will still be around for a long while…

With the mass becoming remote workers throughout the pandemic, it doesn’t mean the end of the physical office is upon us. Predictions are that offices will become more hub-based locations for remote workers to meet and collaborate, which means technology will become key to success. These tech-centred spaces will require the usual suspects (Microsoft Teams, Zoom, etc) paired with hardware that makes the workspaces interactive and connectable. This switch in working dynamic will require seamless working between locations to ensure productivity is never compromised.

The shift has definitely changed when it comes to how employers viewed home working and productivity levels, as ironically it can be claimed that workers are seeking the office for the social aspect over anything else.

The new hybrid worker won’t be rooted to one desk/location and therefore will require a toolkit to help them complete their work effectively regardless of location. This is where the importance of the right technology can be seen as key to the success of this new way of working.

Whether it’s hot desking or working from meeting hubs, to ensure employees are connected, digital communication tools such as laptops, mobile and headsets are a few key products to consider when looking at the way you and your team are going to work in the future.

Equipping office spaces to help with this new way of working will also require the installation of new hardware to support employees. Audio and visual products such as interactive screens, video conferencing equipment and speaker systems will help ensure collaborative working is promoted ands supported inside and outside the office.

Further on from this – printing is another key area to look at. People are printing less and with the need for sustainability in the workplace becoming an agenda topic once again, paper consumption is going to take a hit. People are moving towards scanning more and sharing documents through cloud-based solution and also using more mobile printing solutions. Managed print services are another avenue for companies to explore, either implementing them into the business or the homes of employees or adapting the service/offering based on how printing is now used in this new way of working.

While the right hardware is key to successful hybrid working, it requires the correct software to function correctly. As mentioned, the likes of Microsoft Teams & Zoom as well as cloud-based solutions are up there with the most important collaboration tools, but there’s other factors that companies need to consider when setting up hardware for hybrid working. In the past year, 76% of companies adopted cloud services faster than they had planned*. As well as document protection, network protection is also paramount to a successful hybrid way of working. Hybrid working employees are logging on and accessing files and documents from multiple endpoints, devices and locations, so network protection needs to be a high priority.

Technology and Hardware

Here at Banner, we have a dedicated Hardware and Technology team who specialise in technology for both the public and private sector. Our team are on hand ready to help you implement all the essential technology you need to implement and improve your current and future ways of working within your business.

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*https://www.securitymagazine.com/articles/94952-security-implications-of-a-hybrid-workplace