My desk can seem like the centre of my working world. It’s all there: my phone, computer, emails, files… But life is busy, and inevitably work goes on beyond the office. Meetings are scheduled when I’m not in the office, or someone emails me something urgent to work on while I’m travelling. And while I love my laptop, it’s a bit heavy to carry all the time.
I imagined what a working day might be like if I made myself as mobile as possible. If I used all the technology available to help me work wherever the office of life takes me. Here’s what a perfectly connected day would be like:
Tapping on my own tablet in the canteen
I can work a lot more flexibly and comfortably if I can use my own devices, including my personal tablet and smartphone. It helps me to be a lot more mobile, and it cuts down on the amount of baggage. Being able to take my own devices to the office and set them up quickly, easily and securely makes a world of difference.
However, I’m not sure my other half will let me justify upgrading to the shiny new tablet I’ve got my eye on because it’s a ‘necessary work expense’… but I can try.
Taking my entire desktop on the train
Working on the move is more productive with Virtual Desktop
Imagine how much more you’d accomplish if you could bring your computer desktop with you wherever you go: all the files and apps you need. That’s where desktop virtualisation comes in handy.
It means you can use any device to access work applications and documents stored remotely. So I can be on the train home but I’ll still have everything I need to finish one last-minute task on my trusty phone or tablet, or my laptop if I have it with me. And then the evening’s free to relax.
Using the living room as a meeting room
Staying connected and ‘virtually travel’ from your living room
When I’m away from the office, I don’t like missing meetings. Having to play catch-up when I get back, being out of the loop – I could definitely do without all that. But thanks to the wonders of modern technology, I can now attend them from the sofa at home. That’s what I call progress.
Using video calls, I can talk face-to-face while the kids watch a movie in the background. With the sound turned down, obviously – unless the other attendees want to sing along to Frozen too.
Being able to ‘virtually travel’ via video and other virtual collaboration tools can also save a lot of travelling time and expense. If you’ve ever had to jump through hoops to file an expense report, or fallen victim to a cancelled flight, then you’ll know what I’m talking about here.
Keeping in touch securely from the café
It seems just about everywhere offers free Wi-Fi hotspots these days: hotels, cafes, airports… it’s become expected now. “You don’t have free Wi-Fi?! What is this, the Stone Age?”
The problem is, these free Wi-Fi hotspots aren’t always particularly secure. And when I’m dealing with private work documents and other sensitive data it just adds to the risk.
Today’s office of life offers many ways to get more work done, and fit work into my lifestyle better, but if I don’t make sure it’s all secure, it’s like going to work and leaving your front door key under the mat with a note showing where all the valuables are. That’s why it’s crucial that I have integrated security across all my mobile working – it means I don’t have to worry.
Well there you have it: a perfectly connected day in the office of life. Or at least a few of the possibilities. Life is busy and unpredictable, and we can’t plan for everything that might happen. But the right kit can certainly help us be prepared.
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Love it Ben. Do your kids really turn down the sound on their movie so you can make a video call? I must be doing something wrong!