PERIPHERALS IN THE HYBRID WORKSPACE
Peripheral vision With hybrid working here to stay, many employees are upgrading their home workspaces, and peripherals are playing an important part in that.
The pandemic had many effects on the UK, but one of the longest-lasting is increasing the amount of people who work from home permanently or several days a week. In February, 44% of employees reported working at home all or some of the time, according to the Office for National Statistics. As home workspaces are increasingly becoming permanent fixtures, many employees are now looking to upgrade it to ensure it has the same standard of equipment as they have in the office. “At first, peripherals in the homeworking sector were centred on core kits – laptops, headsets that sort of thing,” says Paul Burn, director of Nimans. “Now, most people have a proper workspace, they are adding to their equipment.” Paul says this includes things like webcams, microphones, additional screens and desktop conferencing devices. He adds that the quality of things like equipment being purchased is increasing. “People want the dedicated cameras rather than just use the one installed on their laptop because they want that better video experience at home because it’s so important now as so many meetings are conducted through video calls. “We’re finding that spins into the audio too; people are moving away from wearing a headset because it doesn’t feel as natural.” Paul says these are the two main areas that are increasing in sales – not just at home but in the office as increasing numbers of meeting rooms are becoming video enabled. Alongside the explosion in demand for video capability is resellers looking for accreditation for their products. “We’re finding many of the resellers want to make their products Zoom accredited, or Microsoft Accredited, so they can sell into those areas that are using those technologies,” says Paul. Eamon O’Doherty, head of UC and collaboration UK&I at Logitech, agrees: “The focus now is not only about being able to get the work done, but how best it can be done and having the right mice, webcam or headsets can
be a gamechanger to help employees to be at their most productive, wherever they are.” He adds that noise-cancelling headsets are popular, as they can help to eliminate distraction. Likewise, more businesses are adopting webcams that can automatically optimise lighting while providing HD video. “This is an efficient and low-cost way to boost focus and confidence in meetings, making participants more likely to provide useful contributions. Tools such as these are providing real value, making sure meetings are productive as possible.” Demand for traditional peripherals Miguel Rodriguez, managing director of SYNAXON Hub, adds that there is still a good market for traditional peripherals too. “Sales of peripherals were really strong during the pandemic such as screens, keyboards and mice, docking stations, storage devices and multi-format printers we still see a demand for – anything that will enhance the user’s experience. Indeed, this is a very good way for partners to add value.” Jeremy Cooper from Fellowes notes that there is interest in peripherals that transition effectively between working environments. “These include lightweight solutions for keyboard supports, lumbar supports and intuitive carry cases,” he says. “Monitor arms are especially popular, as they accommodate dual screen viewing and help workers to have a clearer, more organised desktop workspace.” Ergonomics are also an important consideration, Jeremy adds. “Employers have a legal obligation to look after their employees wherever they are working,” he says. “In the mobile laptop world, poor posture and bad working habits can have devastating long-term results – yet they are all too often overlooked, even though back ache and musculoskeletal disorders are two of the major causes for absenteeism. A good ergonomic working set- up which includes laptop supports, monitor risers, monitor arms, back supports keyboard and wrists rests should be essential kit.”
Paul Burn director
nimans.net
Eamon O’Doherty head of UC and collaboration UK&I
logitech.com
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