We like to think of Beam as a necessary part of a connected office. Your co-worker might live 3,000 miles away, but there she is, going to meetings right alongside you and playing conference call Bingo.
Since it’s the holiday season, though, we thought we’d share some wish-list additions for a well-connected office — whether that office is downtown or in your den.
We all spend a lot of time under headphones these days, so a pair of quality cans or earbuds can really make life better. Comfortable, regulated sound makes all the difference regardless of what you’re listening to. Bose makes excellent wireless high-end in-ear or on-ear options, both with noise-cancelling capability for an added attraction in noisy environments.
What will you listen to on your headphones? Streaming music options abound, and offer great deals. Connected speakers also abound, in case you’d like to take those headphones off for a while. You can now control Sonos using your Spotify app, or, you can control Spotify using your Sonos app. Whichever you prefer!
Along the lines of a connected speaker, if you want an easy-to-use digital assistant, you can opt for an Amazon Echo or a Google Home. Fair warning: if you’re in an open environment, your co-workers will infinitely prefer you use the keyboard versions. But if you’re in an office or working from home, these devices can provide information quickly and offer some entertainment as well. Or, get both and compare answers. For example: (question) What do you want for Christmas?
Alexa: My two front teeth, or any teeth for that matter.
Google: I’m trying to stay present.
One area you may not be giving much thought to is lighting. You can use light to your advantage during the workday, just as you would any other tool. Swap out those old bulbs with programmable LED bulbs and you can boost your mood, your concentration and your productivity. Cisco has large-scale options but smaller offices can get a Philips Smart Hue kit that comes with everything needed, plus a downloadable app. Great lighting is also helpful for, ahem, Beaming into a meeting.
But the ultimate gotta-have-it tech toy for connected offices is the Jamboard. We love this because it’s fun to use, adds a significant boost to creativity and productivity, and unites teams. Just like the Beam! Google calls the Jamboard “real time collaboration on a brilliant scale, whether your team is together in the conference room or spread all over the world.” Obviously, the combination of Beam and the Jamboard is unbeatable for cutting-edge connected teams!