At the Microsoft industry conferences (Envision and Ignite) in Orlando, Steelcase unveiled new ways to improve people’s experiences at work. We formally introduced Steelcase Workplace Advisor and Personal Assistant, new products that are part of our Smart + Connected initiative. These are the latest examples of our collaboration with Microsoft that explores the future of work. Earlier this year, Steelcase worked with Microsoft to design Creative Spaces, an ecosystem of settings designed to boost creative work.
Envision is an event Microsoft hosts for business leaders to explore how emerging digital technologies will transform business, and it runs side-by-side at the same venue with Microsoft Ignite, an even larger event designed for IT professionals.
During a panel discussion at Envision, Jim walked the audience through the transformation of his own office space and work experience. He highlighted the importance of choice and control in the office and promoted new Creative Spaces with the general manager of Microsoft Surface, Ryan Gavin.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2ajQd1jvtA
In addition, Microsoft and Steelcase hosted customers during the three-day conference in a Creative Spaces exhibit space which also demonstrated Workplace Advisor. Clients were excited by the settings they saw and walked away thinking about how thoughtfully integrated furniture and technology can help them achieve their business goals.
Onstage at Ignite, Jim spotlighted the value of space measurement, saying:
“Organizations and their employees know they need to work differently, yet most offices are stuck in the past. People say they can’t find the right places to work, yet valuable real estate sits empty. There’s a lack of real-time data about what’s working in the office and what’s not. Working with Microsoft, we envisioned a digital transformation – in which cloud-enabled technology and big data help organizations serve the needs of human beings at work and create workplaces that respond to the ways people are actually working.”
For more information about Microsoft & Steelcase’s Creative Spaces, check out our website here.