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WELCOME TO THE INNERCIRCLE:

your monthly recap to stay connected with the world of Smart tech and Smart life.

TWO STEPS FORWARD, ONE STEP BACK

As summer marches forward, so too does news about COVID-19, with a mixture of both hope and uncertainty served up in healthy doses on our daily news feeds. While some cautiously move forward through stage 3 reopenings, others faced rollbacks with burgeoning virus loads on local health-care systems. 

In some areas, masks are now mandatory both in outdoor and indoor public spaces, while in others there’s been swift (and frankly inexplicable) pushback against them. Meanwhile, those hoping for herd immunity in the absence of a vaccine will likely be disappointed with Spain’s recent study that demonstrates how difficult that may be to achieve, with only five percent of that nation’s population having developed antibodies to COVID-19 to date.

As different regions move through different phases, what we know is that our clients are being proactive in their strategies, putting employee safety at the top of the priority list, and ensuring they have the technology to measure compliance, keep employees informed, and ultimately deliver new services to support flexible work policies.

Forward, sideways, onward...

PROPTECH AND THE 'RETURN TO WORK' CONUNDRUM

For many, the eventual return to a physical office space is a big part of getting back to “normal.” Workers who once romanticized WFH life are now missing social connections, in-person collaborations, and even workday boundaries. Company culture, in many cases, has also taken a hit. 

Yet returning to a physical office space seems to cultivate a never-ending crop of questions: do masks in public spaces mean wearing them in the office? If so, how will that be enforced? If COVID is in fact airborne, how does that impact cleaning, ventilation? Will the return to the office mean 5-days or fewer? Will there be flexibility in choosing a schedule or will it be assigned? Will I be in the office with the people I need to connect with? If not, do I need to be in the office? 

Logistics aside, the return to the office directly impacts business models. In a recent law.com article, it was suggested that the WFH model directly impacts businesses that bill by the hour. But those that provide value-based billing have an opportunity to reduce their real estate footprint. 

The issue of privacy, one that we’ve spoken about extensively, is sure to remain top-of-mind too, as employees seek to balance safety with technologies that can feel as invasive as the virus itself, including facial recognition AI and desk sensors to monitor body temperature. Cue the likelihood of employees not wanting to return. 

The likelihood of most companies sticking with an at-home-or-nothing approach is, well, unlikely. Aside from the social and mental health impact, remote work for the long-term requires properly equipping employees with the tools they need to do their job, never mind rethinking entire business models.

YOUR SPACE - PHASED APPROACH

Just as society is opening back up in stages, we believe the workforce will follow a phased approach too:

Phase 1: This phase, which we’re entering now, encompasses evaluation and an exploration of blended workstyles, both at home and in-person, as we gauge comfort levels and the efficacy and practicality of new safety measures. Imperative at this stage is the ability to contact trace -  anonymously respecting employees’ right to privacy*. We recently launched our brand new inTRACK contact tracing system to do just – requiring no app to download, only a building’s existing WiFi infrastructure. 

Through InnerSpace inTRACK, companies can: 

• Quickly measure the impact to employees should someone be impacted by COVID-19
• Ascertain how many people had direct contact, may have been exposed through surface transmission, and those who had no contact
• Empower employees to check their own status to make informed choices
• Ensure business continuity through a potential second wave and ongoing changes to public health policies

Phase 2: This phase likely won’t occur until 2021, so don’t rush it. This next stage will embrace additional normalcy about the office, with increasing cohorts of employees feeling more comfortable about returning in person. Companies will need to be able to assess their real estate and facilities needs with intelligent data to drive decision-making around the best use of space and how to ensure physical distancing can work. This is where our InnerSpace inTELLO analytics solution can surface insights to promote efficiencies and cost-savings. (Bonus, it’s the exact same platform that drives inTRACK. One system, multiple benefits). 

Phase 3: This will be vaccine-based and focused on business continuity should any further health crisis occur. Before it comes, companies must consider investing in technologies that will help maintain their businesses and the economy. After all, not everyone will be able to, or choose to receive the vaccine. These innovations must unite security and operations with health and safety. 

For more on all these important developments and InnerSpace solutions, check out our five-step Return to Work Guide. 

IN OUR SPACE ...

• We launched our contact tracing solution InnerSpace inTRACK. A key benefit is that it solves a short-term requirement for the safe return to the office, and long-term the same data provides insights into your real estate portfolio. Get a demo here: https://info.innerspace.io/en/contact-tracing-intrack 
• We sat down with MaRS Discovery District’s team to talk about why indoor location data is more important than ever before to a Smart strategy https://www.linkedin.com/company/mars-discovery-district/videos/
• We’re giving a shoutout to fellow BDC WiT portfolio company Sampler! They’ve made product sampling in an at-home world breezy for retailers and just secured a $4M Series A! 
• Speaking of retail, did you know that InnerSpace provides occupancy and traffic counts to help automate traffic flow for essential services? Get this and more out of our platform including aisle-by-aisle analytics and measure those end-caps. Now more than ever, every sale counts. 

“I love cats because I enjoy my home; and little by little, they become its visible soul.” – Jean Cocteau

That's a wrap... 

THANKS FOR READING, FOR SUBSCRIBING, AND FOR BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION. AS THE WORLD OPENS BACK UP AGAIN, OUR INDOOR TECHNOLOGY CAN KEEP PEOPLE AND SPACES SAFER. GET IN TOUCH ANY TIME WITH QUESTIONS OR FEEDBACK.

Stay well, stay safe,

YOUR TEAM AT INNERSPACE