About the Author
Chris Boultwood is the technology manager at Workspace.
Despite London's reputation as a technology hub, the type and speed of connectivity available varies widely, even in the capital. This difference has always had the effect of distorting the rules of the game in favor of larger and more established companies, those with the resources to assign a team to installing, maintaining and updating the company's digital infrastructure. Their offices
Traditionally, this places SMEs at a relative disadvantage when facing competition from large super-fuel companies with high-quality technologies. However, SMEs can consider their approach to new technologies in different ways:
1. Digital infrastructure, services and support.
For SMEs looking to move forward, it is important to use a flexible office provider, focused on digital infrastructure. By occupying an office space with a robust set of infrastructure, services and digital support, companies do not need to deal only with connectivity issues.
Relying on the expertise of a dedicated, pre-established IT team, issues can be resolved in the background, allowing companies to focus on what is most important to them. This will be particularly useful for startups that are moving from a makeshift headquarters to a more formal workspace.
In the UK, keep an eye out for WiredScore ratings for organizations that want to be sure of their workspace connectivity. WiredScore identifies buildings dedicated to broadband Internet that are reliable, robust and secure, for corporate operations in the future.
His independent certification credentials examined some of the UK's most prominent buildings, including The BBC's Shard and Broadcasting House. They also certify flexible office spaces across the UK that offer high-level connectivity to their clients.
2. Cyber defense
Investing in software to reduce risks should be a priority, as cyberattacks become not only more prolific, but also more sophisticated. Startups should look for platforms that allow users to detect and identify cybersecurity threats in real time. In addition to identification, the chosen platform must also offer practical solutions.
About 80% of the data traffic in a flexible office space goes over Wi-Fi platforms, rather than hardware connections. That's why it's important for contractors looking for secure connectivity to choose a desktop provider with more than one layer of security.
Instead, look for a space that offers a distinct and unique Wi-Fi connection for each business under your roof (for long-term tenants and others). By following these steps, it will be much more difficult to infiltrate the information on your local network and online.
Also, it is important that your office provider has regular contact with cybersecurity expertise. Some flexible workspaces will provide their clients with access to cyber defense services that will inform users of the risks their business may be exposed to and how they can be mitigated.
Cyber Essentials, for example, is an impressive government-backed system that helps identify the basic security controls that organizations should have to protect them.
3G
In the near future, customers will decide to use mobile data instead of Wi-Fi, due to the improved speed and capacity that 5G offers. Office providers must be prepared to adapt to change as 5G signals often struggle to find solutions in ordinary building materials; the existing 4G infrastructure is not enough. It is important that companies are able to change the infrastructure of a building to support uniform 5G mobile coverage.
Flexible and sophisticated office providers will already conduct mobile signal surveys to identify "shadows" or gaps in their building coverage, for example when the signal cannot penetrate building materials. construction or due to a bad external signal. This would allow them to know where the coverage problems are when introducing 5G.
Although this approach is still in its infancy, I hope it will become common practice among architects and developers, so that the new offices located in the UK provide the optimal connectivity that is now a core business demand.
Small businesses can now get ahead of large companies by taking these three approaches to workplace connectivity seriously, allowing their businesses to flourish.
Chris Boultwood is the technology manager at Workspace.