Mobile-First Workflow and The Second Screen
Our “A” line of office furniture, Knoll, has come up with another great insight into today’s work environment. They have noted 10 Tech Trends that are Redefining the Business World. In this post we are going to look at two of these trends: mobile-first workflow and the second screen.
Mobile-First Workflow
From the report:
“By the close of 2013, sales of desktop computer sales slumped to record lows as laptop and tablet sales continued to soar, and tech companies sold more tablets than desktop PCs for the first time in history. Meanwhile, people spent more time on mobile devices than desktop and laptops in 2013, and that shift shows no signs of slowing in the foreseeable future. Mobile app sales racked up some $26 billion in sales worldwide last year, prompting software creators to embrace mobile devices as the primary point of contact for most users.
While most of the mobile trend has focused on consumer technology to date, business applications are getting increasingly mobile-centric in 2014. Even Micrososft Office 365, the flagship of all business suites and perhaps the best indicator of where the corporate mainstream is headed, is now optimized for use on iPhones and Android devices.
Mobile-first workers no longer require (some even abhor) a permanent desk. At Intel, for instance, many workers – even relatively senior staffers – no longer require their own permanent desks, and instead drop their laptops on one of a number of flexible workspaces on the days when they work in the office. The arrangement lets the company use its space more efficiently, while giving workers the freedom to work from anywhere.”
Today’s workstyles clearly have new requirements for workplace technologies and workspaces.
The Second Screen
From the report:
“Everywhere we go, smartphones and tablets are supplementing the work experience as we divide our attention between the software on our laptops and the apps on our mobile devices. It’s often an intuitive split that takes the best aspects of computer-based and mobile productivity and blends them into a single experience. It’s now common to see a colleague working busily on their laptop to build a presentation, and then pause momentarily to read a text message on their smartphone about a change in the afternoon meeting agenda.
While the use of the second screen in the workplace is, so far, an ad-hoc affair, it’s evolving into a more sophisticated ecosystem of interoperable apps designed to make the most of the strengths of mobile and desktop devices in a unified way. Increasingly, workers are adding tablet stands to their workstations to enhance the multi-device experience, and this will become commonplace in the coming year.”
Symmetry makes an outstanding iPad stand as well as a desk mount arm. ESI also makes a solid tablet mount.
