HI there, 

STEP INSIDE THE INNERCIRCLE:

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

WELCOME TO 2022

To kick off our first issue of InnerCircle for the year, we thought we’d start by listing some things we are looking forward to in 2022. Because everyone can use a little positivity about now:

1. The Winter Olympics kick off on February 4! Despite diplomatic boycotts, we’ll still be able to take in some of the world’s best athletes from the comfort of our couch. The World Cup is coming later this year, too. 
2. The first images from the James Webb Space Telescope are set to be transmitted back to Earth in about six months. According to NASA, this telescope is exploring every phase of cosmic history – from within our solar system to the most distant observable galaxies in the early universe.
3. Yellow day – purportedly the happiest day of the year and the antidote to January’s Blue Monday – lands June 20. Hopefully by this time we will be celebrating the wind-down of the pandemic along with the summer solstice.
4. All those movies that were delayed this past year will finally be hitting the theatres! We’re excited for Avatar, Turning Red, Top Gun...so many to choose from!  
5. InnerSpace has FIVE exciting deployments underway with industry-leading health care, academic, and corporate institutions! Very happy to welcome several new clients to the InnerSpace family. 

What are you looking forward to in the months ahead?

DYNAMIC WORKPLACE TRENDS: 2022 EDITION

Our intrepid CEO James recently penned an update about where the road forward may lead in office space analytics as we move through 2022. While we’re well aware that predictions and timelines are hard to nail down amidst an ongoing pandemic, it’s still interesting to forecast what’s new and notable – and what companies can get out in front of. The big three: 

1. We Remain Only At The Beginning Of A Long-Term Transformation Of How We Use The Office.
   While the return to the office has been gradual and often stalled, hybrid working models are center stage. A wholesale change of where, when and how we work is dramatic, and 2022 marks just the opening chapter of the office space’s long-term transformation. 
2. People’s Behavior In A Space Will Matter More Than Ever
   Data that can provide insight into the nuances of different team behaviors is now imperative to capture. Without it, companies will have to treat the entire employee base as one monolithic average – limiting how investments in resources and real estate map back to growth plans and employee preferences.  
3. Companies Will Turn To Tech To Fill Productivity Gaps
   Leaders must turn an office space into a service – one that gives employees frictionless access to technology and resources, provides hubs for collaboration, and includes technology for staff to schedule their time, book resources and rooms, and find answers quickly. 

What trends do you see unfolding next year?

HOW WILL WE REBOUND FROM COVID'S "SOCIAL EXPERIMENT"?

We spoke to Matthew Savino who opened up one angle on the hybrid work transition that companies should closely consider. He calls COVID the “largest social experiment” in decades, which has impacted communications, morale, productivity, and employee satisfaction in ways that are both easy to spot and also hard to put one’s finger on. 

As such, the social dynamics of how we work now – and in the future – are prime factors in the success of a business with a deep workforce. Many enjoy working from home, others do not, and the hybrid shift that will take hold must account for the disconnection that’s happened, the potential conflict that could happen, and hit the reset button on expectations, teamwork, and efficiency. 

To that end, he believes existing office space and a smart use of technology can go a long way to supporting teams having to adjust to new corporate realities. Read more in our recent article.

PUTTING THE RIGHT FOOT FORWARD INTO 2022

Just prior to the holidays we posted a short “checklist” to guide business and real estate leaders as they plan and deploy new strategies for their physical office space.

We firmly believe that creating a flexible environment that supports hybrid workstyles needs in many cases just minor, cost-effective changes. To that end, our checklist lays out the considerations about the office, the employees and the technology to guide companies into the future.

NEW IN SMART TECH

The Consumer Technology Association held its 2022 CES event Jan. 5-8, live in Las Vegas and on computer screens. More than 40,000 people attended to check out new avenues in Smart technology of all shapes and sizes from health to home to gaming to transportation to robotics to business. If you missed it, you can catch keynote addresses from Samsung, GM, Abbott and others here. 

Some of the interesting or quirky Smart tech unveiled includes: 

• Smart pepper spray: up the safety ante by alerting one’s emergency contacts know when and where you just sprayed it. 
• Smart rings may finally up the wearable ante (pending regulatory approval!) with blood glucose monitoring, blood pressure monitoring, and more. Meanwhile, Smart light bulbs monitor your sleep, heart rate, body temperature and other biometrics via WiFi radar tech.
• Smart bird watching: It’s the entertainment you never knew you needed. This little bird house not only offers a live feed, it snaps pictures of the birds and identifies what kind they are, too. Dark-eyed Junco, anyone? 
• Residential Smart doors  – A collaboration has made possible the first residential exterior door to integrate power, lights, sensors, a video doorbell, and a smart lock into the door system. 

For more on some of the great tech presented, Check out this round up from The Verge. 

IN OUR SPACE

• As we mentioned above, we have lots of exciting deployments already underway this year in the academic, health care and corporate space. Looking forward to more to come in the months ahead.
• ICYMI… a key differentiator of our technology is that it goes far beyond people counting to offer a true analysis of people’s behavior in a space. Check out our recent blog post on the subject here.

That's a wrap... 

THANKS FOR READING, FOR SUBSCRIBING, AND FOR BEING PART OF THE CONVERSATION.

Stay safe,

YOUR TEAM AT INNERSPACE