From wearable fitness trackers to wireless headphones, technology has become ingrained in almost every component of our daily lives. As new technologies are developed, the product lifecycles shorten, rendering your previous purchase outdated more quickly than ever before. For large-scale purchases like vehicles, embedded technology swiftly becomes antiquated and has led to more people leasing vehicles rather than purchasing, so they aren’t stuck with old technology for years to come.
The same situation can often be found in the commercial furniture industry. Many new product launches include chairs that track wellness data or tables with embedded charging docks. On average, the furniture lifecycle is 10 years — but what do you do when the embedded technology becomes obsolete after only two years? As a Knoll partner, we believe that soft technology integration is the key way to protect your investment while still offering a tech-friendly space.
What does soft technology integration mean? Soft technology integration, or tech-agnostic, means that your furniture is adapted to support technology, but still flexible enough to accommodate the advances and upgrades that will inevitably occur during the lifetime of your investment. The furniture itself isn’t considered technology, but it does showcase and support it. This methodology ensures a welcoming environment for all levels of tech users, as well as reduce your long-term replacement costs.
How is this accomplished? We focus on the three following components:
- Connect: We believe it’s important to have power and data access wherever work happens in your space, allowing people to move seamlessly from one space — and device — to the next.
- Display: Furniture should support the fluctuating number of present displays in the environment, from smartphones to monitors and ensure that it accounts for both individual and collaborative use.
- Adapt: Your furniture investment should anticipate the impact of future technology and support the needs of the both the individual and the organization as technology evolves.
Adopting a soft technology approach for your space not only ensures its integrity and usefulness, but it also promotes an open environment where employees can all connect and interact together. If you’re interested in learning more about Knoll and how they can support the technology needs in your space, please contact us via our Contact Us page.
