Work has forever been a task associated with a distinct location – the workplace. Many professions, dependent on a phone and PC as primary tools, have changed allowing the possibility to work from alternative locations like the home. The service-centric professional life in the city and widespread availability of tablets and smartphones allow for many tasks to be executed wherever you are. So, how prepared are you for the “here-office” reality?
The services and sales sectors have embraced mobile devices extensively. Initially, the applications have been e-mail and interaction-centric. However, the mobilization of existing online service and sales processes is reshaping what “cityzens” will work with – and where they will work – in the future. Remote access to e-mail was a revolution, and now we are about to enter the next one.
The office is becoming more and more mobile. Expensive floor space in urban areas calls for a continued reduction in office space per employee. Many professions require work to be executed at clients’ locations. Lengthy urban commutes represent valuable work or leisure time, which could be used more efficiently. The sum of all these factors is pushing work out of both the office and the home to ever newer locations.
This evolution makes ubiquitous coverage and capacity a central question in the city. The professional applications and evolving use cases represent the largest untapped potential that network enhancements can serve. “Cityzens” will take it for granted. Employees need it to drive productivity, and the urban society cannot develop up to its potential without it.
My predictions for the future of the “here-office” are:
– More and more work tasks will be executed outside the office and home locations.
– The mobile working standard for a globetrotting salesperson today will penetrate more and more service sectors in the city.
– Increased coverage and capacity for a mobile-device-centric working environment will be vital for societal development in the city.
– The combination of HSPA (urban/suburban coverage), LTE (urban capacity) and Wi-Fi (device availability) will shape the future wireless access networks.
Networked Society Insights 