The office of the future: today or tomorrow?

Competing for talented specialists, companies stop looking for a comfortable office as just an element of prestige or status. The work environment becomes an effective tool for building a company's corporate culture and enhancing the employer's reputation.

Offices, which only five years ago looked like the far future or a pretty picture from the Internet, are becoming the reality of today. Today, we will talk about what an actual office space looks like and how technology is making work processes more convenient and efficient.

A place that knows the value of time

Time is our most valuable resource. There is nothing more frustrating than wasting time where it could have been avoided. For example, in the entrance hall of a business center. Queues at the turnstiles, annoyed faces and spoilt mood at the start of the working day — you can see the same thing every day in old-style business centers. At least twice: before the start of the working day and afterwards. But that's not the worst-case scenario either. It's even more scary for an employee to forget their RFID card. In this case, you have to deal with the bureaucratic echoes of the Soviet Union: getting a one-time pass, enquiries to the HR and security departments, long discussions at reception.

Face identification becomes an alternative to the outdated employee pass rules. Keys, cards and magnetic key chains are no longer needed for entrance to the workplace. The face becomes the pass for an employee. This method speeds up the passage of people and avoids queues at the checkpoint. For example, ready-made biometric solution Id-Gate by RecFaces, integrated with most access control systems, is able to identify a person in just 1 second.

Using a software solution in combination with a business center application also allows you to take care of visitors to the office space. A “biometric” pass can be created for the required period of time in advance. You no longer have to waste time going to the security badge office or reception.

A place where you can be confident of your safety...

A sense of security is a basic human need. We spend a large part of our lives at work. That is why it is so important for us to be sure of our safety at work. The implementation of the biometric Id-Guard solution by RecFaces in the operation of the video security systems prevents strangers from gaining access to the building. It also protects the individual areas of the office from people without access rights. The security service is notified quickly and can respond rapidly to an incident and trace the movements of unknown persons in a particular area.

... and in the safety of your business

In the modern world cyber-security is as important as physical security. Complex passwords are not always as effective as they seem at first sight, and they are often forgotten. A modern alternative is passwordless authentication to information systems based on facial identification. Id-Logon software solution integrated with Microsoft Active Directory allows access to the workplace by using biometric data authentication. Even if you step away from your desk to have a coffee, the system locks your computer automatically. Your colleagues will never be able to access your PC. After all, your face is the “password” to the information system.

A place where everyone has a right to choose

Staying in one place of work is an outdated trend. A change of location and work environment boosts productivity and reduces the depressing feeling of routine. For example, you may be in the mood to work in an office one day and in a small individual meeting room for one or two people the next day. Where there is a comfortable work area, smart lighting, charging and connectivity outlets, and even an introvert's dream — curtains to help keep your mind focused on your work and not disturb others.

In designing modern office spaces, attention is paid to zoning. A variety of meeting rooms can satisfy all kinds of purposes and needs. A wide range of interactive features and extensive technical equipment allows both meeting rooms and conference rooms to be used for presentations, online meetings and phone calls with the option of displaying information on a shared screen or PCs.

Thanks to the developed IT infrastructure, all functions of the office space can be accessed contactless via a mobile app with the option of authorization via facial biometrics. Here you can select and book a workspace or meeting room and send invitations to the meeting participants. It is also possible to call for service staff or order tea or coffee in a couple of clicks via the app. In addition, you can always be sure that the meeting will not drag on any longer than usual. The notification system will gently lower the lights about 10-15 minutes before the end of the booking time to notify that the meeting is coming to an end or to suggest prolonging the reservation of the meeting room.

However, office space today is not just about multifunctional work areas, but also about comfortable environments outside the offices. Coffee corners with a wide range of drinks, cozy cafés for breakfast and lunch. Lounge areas inside and outside the building. In the warmer months, for example, employees can take a break from their work tasks in the indoor space with swings, benches and lounge areas. Biometric identification can also be used to move between the different areas and even to pay for an order in the cafeteria.

A personalized locker system with access using facial recognition is available for keeping employees' personal goods. A personalized locker avoids the need to permanently carry a laptop from home if you prefer to use personal devices. It also frees up your workspace from unnecessary items that you only need after hours.

A place where reliable data can be operated

The use of biometric technology in video security systems provides a convenient way of analyzing the occupancy of the office space. You can find out which floor or area is most in demand among employees or visitors, as well as calculate peak hours of office occupancy. The data obtained will help to correct work schedules and notify employees about which work area is most crowded at the moment.

Employers can also automate management accounting processes. For example, employee logbooks and cards are going into the past. The latter, by the way, can easily be forgotten at home or handed over to a colleague to “simulate” an office presence. Logging by face recognition automatically records the time an employee arrived and the time spent at work. You can be sure that the data obtained will always be as precise and truthful as possible.

A place that knows how to adapt to changing realities

Perhaps the world has never changed so rapidly as during the coronavirus pandemic. It is obvious that humanity will not be able to completely abandon the “covid” rules soon. The business has already learned to adapt to the conditions of the “new reality” and expects the same for office spaces. The easiest way to monitor compliance with the mask regime by employees is through the introduction of biometric identification. By configuring the system for certain action scenarios, you can automatically grant access to employees in a mask or prohibit entry if the mask is not on.

A place where they know how to surprise

When you first enter a new generation office space, it's easy to get a wow effect. And it's even easier to get it right from the doorstep. If a business center or office uses welcome messages at the entrance area. The biometric solution Id-Welcome by RecFaces allows you to display personalized messages with a photo on the screen in the lobby of your business center. The camera only needs to detect the face of the person. This function can be used for greeting employees on birthdays or for greeting VIP guests.

The modern office space is a symbiosis of technology, trends, comfort for the user and a stylish package in one key. An office like this makes you want to go to work like a celebration and be inspired to achieve your KPIs.