July 4, 2019

World Economic Forum sets out top tech trends for 2019

by Mark Eltringham • AI, News, Technology

The World Economic Forum has announced its annual list of breakthrough technologies with the greatest potential to make a positive impact on our world. The technologies on the list, which is curated by members of the Forum’s Expert Network, are selected against a number of criteria. In addition to promising major benefits to societies and economies, they must also be disruptive, attractive to investors and researchers, and expected to have achieved considerable scale within five years. This year’s list features several technologies and tech trends directly relevant to the workplace and building design, including telepresence, automation and systems for plastics management.

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July 4, 2019

Smart cities spend to top $189 billion in next five years

by Neil Franklin • Cities, News, Technology

Global spending on smart cities will reach $189.5 billion in 2023, according to the latest IDC Worldwide Semiannual Smart Cities Spending Guide. The report claims that the main priorities for investment will be resilient energy and infrastructure projects, followed by data-driven public safety and intelligent transport. It suggests that these priority areas will account for more than half of all smart city spending throughout the 2019-2023 forecast period. The guide claims to quantify the expected technology opportunity around initiatives at a regional and global level. (more…)

July 3, 2019

Getting a sense of productivity and motivation

by Jeff Revoy • Comment, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

When business operators are planning their company’s office, price is often chief among their priorities. Keeping the fixed cost of real estate low helps companies project—and increase—their expected income. Price is not just a consideration when it comes to rent; assets such as office furniture are often purchased en masse and for purely utilitarian reasons. Sure, a business is saving money by designing a no-frills, utilitarian office, which some Feng Shui experts would agree with, but what they are ignoring is how space affects productivity, motivation and enjoyment. (more…)

July 2, 2019

A Turing Test for the workplace ⁰

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Facilities management, Technology, Workplace, Workplace design

One of the ideas we’re going to hear about a lot over the next few years is the Turing Test. It describes the point at which a machine’s behaviour becomes indistinguishable from a human’s, so that a typical person is unable to work out if he or she is interacting with a machine or an individual. This matters for lots of reasons; functional, philosophical and ethical. (more…)

July 2, 2019

Fears about impact of AI now widespread

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

A significant proportion of the global population is concerned about the use of artificial intelligence (AI), with scepticism about its use by business greater than its use by government, a poll published by the World Economic Forum suggests. According to the poll, which surveys the attitudes of over 20,000 people across 27 countries, 41 percent of respondents said that they were worried about the use of AI. This compares to 27 percent that disagreed and 32 percent that were undecided. When asked whether the use of AI by companies should be regulated more strictly than it is today, 48 percent of respondents said they agreed compared to 20 percent that disagreed. (more…)

July 1, 2019

Modern comms tools can shut out workers

by Neil Franklin • Technology

The use of technology to support communication and collaborative working in an increasingly digital and flexible world is something many of us recognise. However, a global study released today by Avast Business claims this technology is potentially causing a divide in the workplace, with 40 percent of UK respondents concerned that less tech literate employees will be ‘shut out’ unless they embrace the latest chat, collaboration and digital project management tools. (more…)

June 27, 2019

We are running out of time to find the meaning of work

by Mark Eltringham • Comment, Flexible working, Technology, Wellbeing, Workplace design

Last week’s report from the IFS detailing the ongoing rise in the numbers of working poor in the UK highlights just how dysfunctional work can be in the modern era. While depictions of work in the media tend to consist of diverse Millennials clustering around a single laptop in the sun-dappled offices of tech firms, or chilling on the Chesterfield in a coworking space, the reality for many people is somewhat different. (more…)

June 26, 2019

Jobs upheaval as world adapts to era of automation

by Mark Eltringham • AI, News, Technology

A new report from the Economist Intelligence Unit and UiPath claims that organisations around the world currently making extensive use of automation technologies, with 67 percent of UK business executives claiming to be satisfied satisfied with the results of their automation initiatives, 48 percent describing their organisation’s progress with automation as advanced, and 73 percent expecting their company’s operating costs to improve as a result of automating business processes. It is published on the same day as another report suggests that up to 20 million manufacturing jobs could be lost to robots across the world’s leading economies by 2030, replaced by a range of new jobs. (more…)

June 25, 2019

Tech laggards face extinction unless they innovate

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology

Many larger businesses are struggling to implement digital transformation in spite of the dangers to their long term survival, a new joint report from CBI and Oracle claims. According to Bigger, Faster, Stronger, the improved adoption of technology could unlock productivity and wage growth. Research shows that more adoption, coupled with better management practices, could add £100 billion to the UK economy and cut income inequality by 5 per cent. However, only 54 per cent of UK companies believe disruptive technologies play an important role in their organisation, much lower than in countries such as France, Germany, India and Russia. (more…)

June 24, 2019

Cultural issues hold back digital transformation

by Neil Franklin • News, Technology

New research from Oracle and the WHU – Otto Beisheim School of Management claims that many organisations have invested in the right technologies to enjoy the benefits of digital transformation, but lack the culture, skills or behaviours necessary to reap them fully. According to the report (registration), business efficiency increases by two thirds when the right technology is implemented alongside seven key factors but only by a fifth when implemented without them.

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June 20, 2019

EDGE enters UK market with project on South Bank

by Neil Franklin • Company news, Property, Technology

EDGE Technologies, the specialist developer best known for its groundbreaking The Edge building in Amsterdam has announced its entrance into the UK commercial property market with the £50m acquisition of 60 St Thomas Street on London’s South Bank. The acquisition is subject to planning permission, which EDGE will pursue in partnership with the seller. The partners will consult closely with Southwark Council and the local community. After completion of the development – four to five years from now – 60 St Thomas Street will be an optimised office environment and a new workspace fit for the future. (more…)

June 20, 2019

Tech workers prefer to work for larger corporations

by Mark Eltringham • News, Technology, Workplace

UK SMEs are losing out to big tech in the battle to recruit top tech talent, according to Robert Half UK’s new report, Recruiting for the future: The challenges for UK SMEs. The white paper, which was based on an independent study of Chief Information Officers (CIOs) across the UK, found that three quarters (75 percent) of CIOs believe that it is more challenging for SMEs to attract tech workers because they prefer to work for larger technology companies. (more…)