Pictured Above: McKinsey & Company’s Toronto office, which features wireless charging (Photo: ArchiTravel)
The workforce is increasingly more mobile. Mobile phones have become core to business, and without them, work could come to a standstill. Staying connected and powered at all times is becoming extremely important for employees.
The irony is battery life is getting worse. In 2016, average battery life of a new phone decreased by approximately 7%. We’ve tried all kinds of solutions for this: disabling GPS / WiFi / bluetooth, turning off notifications, reducing brightness or sending short messages (in desperation!). But these are all stop-gap solutions. The best way to fix power issues is to either make battery life better (unlikely), or increase the availability of power.
Wireless charging is a great way to make power accessible and convenient. Two years ago, wireless charging was a niche technology only found in tech-forward spaces as showcase pieces. Now, it’s being built into everything, everywhere. Starbucks offers it in their restaurants, Ikea offers it in their furniture and Cadillac and Lexus offer it in their cars. Wireless charging should be a part of your next project as well.
1. Wireless Charging supports flexible workspaces and a mobile workforce
In their 2016 Workplace Survey, Gensler found that “Top-performers have access to, and use, a greater variety of workspaces in and out of the office”. Providing choice is more than just providing more collaborative, meeting room and amenity space. You also need to provide the connectivity and infrastructure to truly enable flexibility. Wireless charging removes the hassle of managing charging cables. It’s also easily integrated into most spaces and surfaces, providing more flexibility and choice to employees.
2. The alternative will ruin your design
Which one do you prefer?
3. It will help future proof your space
Wireless charging will be the standard of mobile power in a few short years. Major electronic manufacturers such as Samsung have adopted the technology and others like Apple are looking at integrating it into their devices as they push towards a wire-free world. Forward thinking designers and clients are incorporating the technology now so that their designs today remain relevant in the future.
4. The other options don’t solve the problem
You might have noticed power outlets or USB in the center of many conference tables (the raceway). What we’ve found is that few people actually use them to charge their mobile devices. First off raceways still require employees to bring their charging cable to the meeting. Secondly, finding power near one’s seat becomes a complication. Either plugs are in use or not nearby. Wireless charging solves this by placing power at each seat. It’s placed where you would put your phone down anyways except now you’re charging! Our studies show smart placement of wireless charging drives the most battery life for clients.
5. Your clients will love you for it
There’s no doubt wireless charging adds value. Employees experience 5+ hours/week of productivity gains through use of mobile devices… so you need to keep them charged. But there’s an even stronger emotional pull. That is, for most clients, this technology “Just makes sense”. This is shown through 95%+ approval ratings for wireless charging. It’s so powerful that 60%+ of people will choose a location based on that technology. For example one Facility Manager of a Telecom company notes that “Everyone uses the meeting room with the best technology regardless of whether it is the right size or not”.
Many of our clients will put wireless charging in THEIR client facing rooms to ensure their guests have a pleasant experience in office. That’s how much wireless charging is loved!
