INTERACTIVE WORKSPACES: HOW THEY HAVE CHANGED THE WORKPLACE

Abstract
The purpose of this research paper is to give an overview of Interactive Workspaces and how the technology has changed the workplace environment. This research will focus on the start of Interactive technology, products that are created specifically for the Interactive workplace, the Interactive technology that is used in education and training, how lives are being changed by te use of Interactive technology and what is needed by businesses in the future to keep pace with the ever changing environment of the workplace. Interactive technology advantages and disadvantages for corporations will be looked at. This research will also look at some ways how Interactive technologies popularity amongst business owners who are putting this technology to work in order to bring in customers and increase revenue.

Let’s face it; technology has made the lives of everyone much easier. There are so many technological advances I don’t even know where to start. However there is one technology invention that has intrigued me for a long time, Interactive workspaces. The definition of Interactive is “(of a computer program or system) interacting with a human user, often in a conversational way, to obtain data or commands and to give immediate results or updated information” (Interactive, n.d.). Workspace is defined as “space used or required for one’s work, as in an office or home” (Interactive, n.d.). Has technology come this far to do one’s work for them or to augment one’s work by making it easier to accomplish? “Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” (Colossians 3:23). The first Interactive technology that brought my enthusiastic level to an all-time high when I was a teenager was the invention of the Interactive Whiteboard. What is an interactive whiteboard you ask? “An interactive whiteboard that is a touch-sensitive screen that works in conjunction with a computer and a projector. The first interactive whiteboard was manufactured by SMART Technologies Inc. in 1991” (SMART Technologies Inc., 2006). “David Martin is the co-founder of SMART Technologies and the creator of the SMART Board interactive whiteboard. Under David's direction, SMART Technologies created the world’s first interactive whiteboard in 1991” (Geronazzo, 2014). “For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:16).
Interactive technology has made education fun and a little easier on educators in getting the information across to the students. “Keepad Interactive is a company that is headquartered in Sydney, Australia that focuses on the pedagogical benefits of technology and offers a suite of interactive learning solutions that empowers educators, trainers and presenters to more fully engage their audience or class in a Participant Centric manner” (KeepadInteractive, 2014). In my opinion I find that Interactive technology is not only a great discovered concept but a dynamic way to enhance education and the work place in making our lives a little easier when it involves learning new methodologies and raising productivity levels in the workplace. “E-learning is emerging as a popular learning approach utilized by many organizations. Web 2.0 technologies have been widely used in e-learning applications to enhance social communication and networking” (Jia, Wang, Ran, Yang, Liao, & Chiu, 2011). Many businesses and organizations have been adapting the concept of using e-learning and computer based training methods in training their new hires and staff members on the latest information in performing their jobs more efficiently, qualifying members in new positions and recertifying individuals in key positions. There is however the possibility of interruptions while this technology is being put to use. There is the ever increasing use of social media outlets, the colorful display of web pages that attract our attention involving breaking news to the latest fashion items that are on sale. “The use of instant messaging (IM) technology at work is controversial, due to the interruptions it may cause and the difficulties associated with quantifying its benefits for individuals, teams and organizations. Some argue that the highly interactive nature of IM, work interruptions may occur which may negatively influence both communication quality and the development of trust among colleagues. However, the interactive nature of IM may positively contribute to group outcomes through shaping communication quality and trust” (Ou & Davison, 2011). The Interactive nature of IM does contribute to group outcomes. Just take a look at where you and how you communicate to one another while on the job is being revolutionized, as a continuous web of electronic communication. The introduction of e-mail, smart phones, voice mail, laptops, tablets, and interactive video conferencing makes teamwork and mobility a reality. Ten technologies that are changing the way individuals in the workplace are working; “Virtually reality meetings attended by employee avatars, virtual classrooms and job simulation are all heading our way. “People will increasingly be relying on electronic agents, and it will have a profound impact on the workplace. We will have our own personal secretary, with access to all knowledge and all information at all times. “Smartphones and tablets are creating a revolution in computing by allowing individuals to work anywhere and anytime. “Advances in cloud computing will enable hardware and IT services to be done at a fraction of the cost, allowing companies to grow faster. Visual communication is and has changed the way we communicate in the workplace. “Services provided by Skype and others will allow us to attend remote meetings and it will continue to support the trend of people working remotely. “Data mining digs through large masses of information to extract critical pieces of information and with the increasing amount of data for information workers to handle, data mining—an area that straddles computer science and statistics—is growing. Majority of this will help humans work smarter, better, and faster because we have data on just about everything that happens. “The power of social media is likely to have an increasingly important impact on the way companies collaborate and communicate. ‘Businesses can communicate directly to a wider group and source solutions globally. Having 30,000 engineers knowing what others are working on allows for collaboration. What we see from this use allows for people to collaborate better, communicate better, solving problems better and innovation better. The management, design, control and use of Robots are all moving into offices. As they increase in capability, we can expect to see far more of them in everything from storage retrieval and packaging to customer service, health care and medical service. “E-books, e-magazines, e-newspapers and interactive textbooks, are giving office documents a major overhaul. Professional level publishing machines will appear in offices, allowing people to print anything from books to reports and documents. 3-D printing will most likely eliminate the need for warehouse space. Work that moves from blue to white collar, might be the equivalent of the production worker of the past is now a consumer agent looking at how to customize products” (Burrus, Jarratt, & Mahaffie, 2012). Technology has impacted the 21st century in major way. The advancement of technology has led to significant changes in the workplace. “For the past generation, technological inventions and improvements seem to be introduced every week. Technology makes it possible to telecommute, work from virtual offices across the globe. Flexible work schedules are popular because so many duties and responsibilities can be accomplished from an employee who’s at home or while the employee is traveling. Remote reporting relationships are also a factor of improved technology. Managers of team members who live and work in different cities, and even different countries is becoming more common” (Mayhew, 2014). Cost of technology will likely increase because of developing and producing applications. Customized programs that meet the specific needs of a business are becoming more popular as companies engage the services of functional and technology consultants. These consultants (experts) can determine the type of solutions necessary to help the business run smoothly and efficiently” (Mayhew, 2014). This also has been a jobs creator here in America and abroad, where work is outsourced. “Careers in computer science and information technology continue to grow. Students in college, universities and technical institutes seeking careers in this industry will likely be recruited upon graduation. Jobs in this career field are among the top 10 careers. Designing, building, maintaining, and integrating those increasingly complex systems continues to be one of the fastest-growing corners of the job market. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports indicate that occupations in computer science and information technology will add more than 785,000 new jobs from 2008 to 2018” (Mayhew, 2014). Globalization and Technology has enabled companies of all sizes to do business with customers all over the world. Businesses can establish satellite offices in practically any country no matter how remote as long as there is Internet access. Multinational countries will engage in international marketing of technology products” (Mayhew, 2014).
Having technology would seem like it’s the best idea since slice bread, but there can be some disadvantages of having technology in the workplace. “While using technology is critical to compete in today’s marketplace, there are disadvantages to consider in choosing the type and scope of use” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). I’m going to talk about a few disadvantages that technology bring to the workplace and they are; officer distractions, loss of interpersonal communication skills, maintenance costs and increased security. Let’s start with the distractions in the office from someone “conducting a job interview via Skype in the next cubicle, a co-worker walking through the office on their cell phone, and another co-worker conducting an interactive webinar” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). If you were to add these distractions to the normal noise of ringing phones, constant emails, and a noisy fax machine, and it’s no wonder that it’s sometimes hard to get work done” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). “Loss of interpersonal communication skills: Cell phones, email, texting and social media have replaced face-to-face communications. Interpersonal communications, critical to building business relationships, are more complicated and require courtesies and listening skills not necessary in social media. Too much reliance on electronic methods of communication not only can increase unnecessary traffic, but can decrease vital personal interaction” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). “Maintenance Costs: Technology is constantly being improved, which requires constant and costly upgrading. Each upgrade requires employee training, taking time away from production. Loss of productivity combined with costs of software and implementation can reduce overall profitability. Each upgrade may also lower morale as employees struggle to learn new applications and to meet new performance standards. Once a system upgrade is completed, ongoing maintenance fees add to the overall cost” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). “Increased Security: There are always hacking risks from the outside and the internal threat of information theft from employees with security clearances. Many employees in staff positions need to have access to financial and personal data from customers and clients. Employee monitoring of information can raise privacy issues. Securing passwords and access to information, and screening employees prior to issuing access are necessary challenges that add to company costs and may jeopardize employee relations” (Nestor-Harper, 2014). Even though there is a good number of disadvantages listed about technology in the workplace, there are some advantages as well. Technologies in the workplace play an important role to many business and employees. “Technology in the workplace has allowed and continues to allow businesses to expand quickly and efficiently. Video conferencing, social networks and virtual office technology has removed workplace boundaries that previously limited business expansion. With the added business technology, companies can target a wider customer base and grow to higher levels” (Scott, 2014). “Communications have improved in the workplace; this has allowed office workers not being limited to phone calls or inter-office mail to interact with one another anymore. Electronic mail allows workers to send messages instantly without interrupting the recipient. Business technology also improves communication with clients and business partners because it allows the clients and business partners to pass information through multiple channels almost instantly” (Scott, 2014). “Businesses utilize the internet to disseminate the word about the organization and advertise potential job openings. Technology in the workplace improves the efficiency of screening, recruiting and hiring potential candidates. Hiring managers can target candidates by using digital advertising technology that tracks the websites they visit. Personality assessments and screening tools allow businesses to determine whether a potential candidate is an appropriate fir for the organization” (Scott, 2014). “Office technology saves time by speeding up the work flow process. Digital filing systems save space, paper and printing costs. The use of computer systems allows corrections to be made instantly. Resources like electronic files and access to information technology are available with the click of a button” (Scott, 2014). “Mobility technology in the workplace practically eliminates space and time. Video conferencing technology lets businesses on any part of the globe interact with one another. Technology reduces travel costs because businesses can set up virtual meetings and distribute data without the need to be in the same room” (Scott, 2014). So I’ve come to the conclusion that technology is a part of our daily lives and you just cannot get away from it all. With all the additions of Interactive technology placed in classrooms and workplaces has the investment paid off? That is the question society should be asking one another. Every year the cost education continues to rise and I wonder is there any statistical data on whether or not that the advancement in technology is paying off. “In education technology, are we missing out on a crucial component of education, which is how to work together? Collaborative technology is a valuable aid in teaching students to engage in meaningful discussion, take responsibility for their own learning and become critical thinkers in a rapidly—shifting world – skills necessary for success in the 21st century workforce” (Dietrich, 2012).
What’s happening in schools is also happening in the workplace. “Today’s student is gathering information from a variety of sources and their access to each other. The development of tomorrow’s successful leaders requires cultivating skills that master how to work with people in a dynamic and effective fashion” (Dietrich, 2012). With the advancement of interactive technology I feel this will cause a tremendous strain on an already problem that we have in the workplace and in the schools.
Now let’s take a look at the latest interactive technologies that we can look forward to seeing in the future. Hologram Greeters, “holographic greeters” are gaining popularity amongst business owners who prefer to pay $2 to $3 per hour in leasing cost for the hologram, rather that $8 to $10 per hour to hire an employee. Experts say the lack of human interaction could negatively impact the department in the long run” (Girard, 2012).
“Holograms are now being integrated into daily visual communications that occur in classrooms and workplaces. This concept is taking hold fast amongst business owners and government and military officials who are constantly searching for more effective ways to communicate with workers” (Eisenberg, 2012).
Interactivity Technology is becoming more and more widespread throughout the workforce. Businesses are becoming more aware of the advantages and disadvantages of implementing Interactive technologies in the workplace, but I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. In order for businesses and organizations preparation for the future must take place now. “To prepare for the globally distributed, highly collaborative, always on-the-go 2020 workforce, you need to start building the kind of workplace that can harness all this new technology” (George, 2013). Companies must start this change “by changing the way your company plans for, hires and engages its talent by understanding what is already possible with today’s cloud, mobile and social technologies” (George, 2013). “Using enterprise social tools like Chatter, Yammer or Tibbr gives you the ability to connect your employees to individuals and teams to collaborate and learn from one another and is far more effective in engaging employees than a handbook, Wiki or FAQ page” (George, 2013). “We are beginning to see a resurgence of the corporate intranet as a way to create these connections and deliver the consumer-grade experience employees expect. Where corporate intranets of the past failed because they were little more than virtual filing cabinets, today’s Social Intranets (intranet + employee portal + enterprise social) are putting the power to create content and connections in the hands of the workforce” (George, 2013).

CONCLUSION
The world as we know it is changing on a constant basis. Interactive technology is one of the major culprits responsible for this change. The start of an Interactive whiteboard has been the subject of Interactive technology and what its emphasis has been on future products. Interactive technology has gone from the classrooms to corporate board rooms to businesses marketing departments. Traditional methods of conducting business the old fashion way will no longer be of any relevance in the future

References
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