How could the IoT impact the world of work?



The digital transformation occurring in all parts of our lives has also brought many benefits to the office environment that we now couldn’t imagine living without. The pace of this digitisation is something that has been snowballing over the past 50 years, especially since the introduction of computers at work. It wasn’t so long ago that we had to dial-in to network via a modem, faxing clients or using floppy disks to transfer files.
Nowadays, the big changes in workplace technology are less about office mobility and more towards creating the best possible work environment, where the hours spent doing admin are reduced, employee wellbeing is at the center of company policy and monetary and environmental costs are minimised. Implementing smart devices and systems is at the heart of this business transformation, but IoT security needs to be front of mind when embarking on this journey.
With data breaches and GDPR fines at an all-time high, adding more devices that use swathes of data into the office environment certainly needs to be taken seriously. However, it is also worth knowing the benefits the IoT can bring to a business, so companies can make informed choices whether or not to use this technology.
Digital Assistants

One of the most familiar uses of the IoT is digital assistants, which nowadays many people use in their home. However, these devices are still not widespread in the office environment. The obvious use-case of a digital assistant in the office is to help employees with their personal tasks and making calls. However, they have much greater potential than this.
Digital office assistants can, for example, tell you which meeting rooms are free, control conference room equipment settings and order supplies based on the frequency of your order history. In addition, it is possible for a digital assistant to know you have a meeting coming up in your calendar, mine the dial-in information, dial into the conference provider, and start the meeting, all without you having to worry about finding the conference ID and international country code number. Then, once you are in the meeting room, the assistant can turn on the smart TV or screen and dim the lights automatically, without you having to lift a finger.
Smart Buildings

In the traditional sense, smart buildings are those that use IoT systems, such as smart meters and smart security systems for cost savings and for remote operation. A smart heating system, for example, can understand how the temperature in the office changes with different weather conditions and can adjust the air conditioning or heating accordingly. However, with more recent developments IoT smart buildings systems can be linked to the number of people using the computers. Using this data, the system would be able to tell exactly which section of the office may need more air conditioning than another and can therefore more precisely...

Top