PERIPHERALS
Peripheral vision Peripherals have always been important for office tech, but with the return to the office, along with the enduring appeal of hybrid working, they are crucial to employee efficiency and making a working environment as comfortable as possible – and something that help resellers to boost sales.
Working habits have changed greatly in the past four years, with hybrid working now a standard offering in many workplaces. As Holli Hullet, co-founder of Boom Collaboration, notes, an estimated 60% of businesses globally have work from home policies with this number still growing. “In addition, 30% of all employees are full-time remote workers while 62% work from home occasionally,” she says. But, as she notes, “the right equipment can significantly boost productivity while saving corporations money.” This isn’t just about hardware such as laptops and printers, but the peripherals too, which can be just as important, whether people work in the office or at home. “Businesses are being challenged to right-size their offices, and this is having a big impact on peripherals sales,” says James Campanini, head of B2B at Logitech Europe. “To make the most of the existing office footprint, and to help make their office space as effective as possible, businesses are looking to make their offices attractive places to work, which also suit the variety of end users you find in a typical office space. “Accordingly, we’re seeing employers equip their offices with a range of peripherals to suit each worker – ergonomics is an area of growth, for example – and
says. “That extends to the desks and chairs and the whole look and feel of the office. With the advent of hybrid working, it’s important to make the workplace as attractive and comfortable a place to be as possible.” Jamie Hughes, UK sales director at Evolve IP, notes that the COVID lockdowns triggered a major shortage of hardware, which caused panic buying, but now many offices are re- visiting and re-investing in technologies as part of longer-term strategies. “Especially where their voice contracts are coming to an end,” he says. “The quality of headsets, for example, play a crucial role in the customer and employee experience.” Hybrid comes of age Hybrid working has had a big impact on peripheral sales. “The changes that we’ve seen in working habits have really extended the opportunity of peripherals sales,” says Ross. “When they are working at home, people want to be productive, of course, but they also want their computer equipment to look good, so aesthetics and comfort are important here as well. “While the peak of the lockdown demand has certainly dropped, we now have several market conditions that will drive device refreshes and we know peripheral sales are closely correlated to this, so we think the next 18 months look strong.” Mike Barron, managing director, SYNAXON UK, agrees that the increase in hybrid working – and the desire to optimise productivity in the office and home – is keeping sales of peripherals healthy. “Most desktop set- ups now make use of a large-format curved display with a Bluetooth-connected keyboard and mouse, which means fewer cables and easier hot-desking,” he says. “Many users will also have a dedicated camera and speakers or a headset for conferencing. They will usually want to replicate that set-up – or get close to it – in their home office and that’s created a good market for peripherals. “Buyers are discerning – they want their
Holli Hulett co-founder
boomcollaboration.com
which help employees to be as productive as possible. We’re
also seeing interest in premium peripherals, that help make offices feel like special places to be.”
Ross Turner, retail & peripherals director, UK, TD SYNNEX, adds that peripherals are selling steadily. “Businesses are paying much more attention to the aesthetics and
the ergonomics of products now,” he
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