Using the Perfect Office Surface

As part of our innovation spaces we worked with office furniture manufacturers to scope out the needs of the future office.  The question was always if there would be substantial offices in the future at all.   And can such offices significantly influence creativity?   Can the use of 'surfaces' in offices as displays and design spaces make a difference?    While augmented reality all these spaces to exist anywhere?   In Engadget:

Microsoft and Steelcase envision the perfect Surface office
They've unveiled five "Creative Spaces" with office furniture for Surface products.

Steve Dent, @stevetdent

With the Surface Book, Surface Studio and other products, Microsoft has managed to attract graphics pros, designers and engineers, many used to working with Apple products. It's now taking the next logical step by expanding into workspace lifestyle concepts via a partnership with Steelcase. The two companies have unveiled "Creative Spaces," which are office furniture layout concepts optimized to work with Surface products.

There are five sets of new products. The "Focus Studio," designed with Microsoft's Surface Book and Surface Pro 4 in mind, gives workers "alone time to focus and get into flow, while also allowing quick shifts to two-person collaboration." Meanwhile, the "Duo Studio" lets designers work in pairs or individually via a Surface Studio all-in-one. It also includes a lounge area for creative review with others on the giant-screened Surface Hub, an interactive white board.

The "Ideation Hub" is also a conference-style space that lets colleagues work on ideas in person or remotely on the Surface Hub. "Maker Commons" is aimed a rapid prototyping "hackathon"-style teams to "encourage quick switching between conversation, experimentation and concentration," using a mix of devices like the Surface Hub and Surface Pro laptops. Finally, the "Respite Room" is a fully private space that lets you relax and think.  .... " 

May-June 2016 Issue of Analytics Magazine

Informs May/June issue of Analytics Magazine focuses on getting the most out of big data & analytics with both mankind and machines.

Lead Story

Fulfilling the Promise of Analytics 
Strategy, leadership and consumption: The keys to getting the most from big data and analytics focus on the human element.
By Chris Mazzei

Among the articles: 

How to Get the Most Out of Data Lakes
A handful of requisite business skills that facilitate self-service analytics at unparalleled speed.
By Sean Martin

Making Wise Decisions with the IoT
Consumer fantasy comes true with the Internet of Things, but are organizations ready for even bigger, wider, deeper data?
By Tayfun Keskin and Haluk Demirkan

Cloud-Supported Machine Learning Services
Exploring and comparing the potential of big data analytics on selected cloud providers’ platforms.
By Lakshmi D. Baskar, Neil Lobo, Praveen Ananth and Palaniappa Krishnan

Corporate Profile: Steelcase Inc.
Advanced analytics team helps global company unlock human promise by creating great work experiences.
By Tim Merkle