People are returning to work in London – but is the office IT up to the job?

There are more and more signs that office workers in London are starting to return to their desks. Even recent travel disruptions couldn’t stop everyone from heading into the capital.

Even though the signs are encouraging, there are still no guarantees that people will return to the office in pre-pandemic numbers. Add in the fact that hybrid working is becoming more established within companies and it’s clear that the workplace is definitely going through a period of change.

Office revamps need tech changes too

And here at Techsolve, we’re beginning to see those changes starting to happen with the conversations we’re having with clients.

Firms are starting to come to us to talk about helping with their plans to refurbish or reimagine their office space to make them better suited to collaborative work.

In some cases, they simply don’t need the same amount of space and are looking to downsize following negotiations with their landlord.

In other cases, businesses are maintaining their office footprint but deciding to clear out some of the desks to create more social spaces or areas used for creative thinking or interactive work. That includes creating social areas such as working lounges and specialist areas to make high quality video calls.

Workspace refurbs are a good time to audit IT estate

Either way, small and medium sized businesses are using this as a good opportunity to assess their current IT infrastructure and upgrade or re-purpose where necessary.

That can mean installing new wireless networks linked to interactive AV equipment to create an environment that is better suited for productive team get-togethers and client presentations.

It could involve installing new hardware running the latest software rather than relying on old tech that may be nearing the end of its useful life.

And it could provide an ideal opportunity to rationalise a legacy IT estate created for a pre-pandemic office, to one that is better suited to a new hybrid work environment. Not only could such a move improve workspaces, it could also help save money by identifying and removing the need for redundant software licences or kit.

Which is exactly what Augi and Austin – the guys who run Techsolve – did for independent London-based creative agency, The Corner, as they undertook their own business transformation.

IT planning just as important as office design

As well as providing the IT consultancy and support necessary for the office revamp, for Kam Sanghera, Head of Finance at The Corner, it was the personal touch that proved to be a real winner.

“Augi, Austin and the team [gave] us complete peace of mind that our IT needs [were] taken care of,” said Kam. “At the same time, they’re incredibly accessible and easy to work with.”

After the last couple of years, seeing people return to the office is a welcome sight. But what that office may look like in terms of space and technology – and how people interact with it – is already generating plenty of debate.