Steelcase and Microsoft Corp. have joined forces to explore the
future of work, developing a range of technology- enabled spaces
designed to help organizations foster creative thinking and better
collaboration. These spaces seamlessly integrate the best of
Microsoft Surface devices with Steelcase architecture and
furniture. Today the companies unveiled five new “Creative Spaces”
showcasing how Steelcase and Microsoft can help organizations
unlock creativity for every employee.
Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d61a1308-51c6-4c34-ad29-6eec6a036c13
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e57257e1-1dcd-42c5-b177-3a70c3443c51
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/064508dd-7125-4e6d-b70c-15cd38ea2066
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/13b53c9a-8418-4afd-a02f-393317b825db
http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0c537bf5-57ba-493b-bb45-6027ccc34db3
Additionally, Steelcase and Microsoft announced:
- That Microsoft is expanding its partner network into the world
of design by bringing in select Steelcase dealers as authorized
Surface Hub resellers.
- Steelcase and Microsoft are working together to develop
technology-enabled workplace solutions built on Microsoft Azure IoT
technology.
“The problems people face at work today are much more complex
than they used to be. They require a new creative way of thinking
and a very different work process,” says Sara Armbruster, vice
president of strategy, research and new business innovation for
Steelcase. “We believe that everyone has the capacity for creative
thinking, and people are happier doing creative, productive work.
Together, Microsoft and Steelcase will help organizations
thoughtfully integrate place and technology to encourage creative
behaviors at work.”
The Problem: Fostering Creativity as a Business
AdvantageAccording to joint research conducted by
Steelcase and Microsoft, creativity is seen as a critical job skill
driven by organizations’ need for innovation and growth in addition
to employees’ desire for meaningful work. However, today many
organizations invest in technology and space as separate entities
rather than approaching them holistically. The lack of cohesion
creates sub-optimal conditions for fostering creativity at
work.
The research released today (of 515 US and Canadian companies
with 100+ employees)i reveals the pressure people feel about
the shift toward more creative work:
- Seventy-two percent of workers from diverse fields including
Health Care, Retail, Education, Financial Services and
Manufacturing believe their future success depends on their ability
to be creative.
- Seventy-six percent believe emerging technologies will change
their jobs, requiring more creative skills as routine work becomes
automated.
- There is greater need to collaborate in business, yet only 25
percent of respondents feel they can be creative in the places they
currently have available for group work.
- The study also reveals the connection between creativity and
privacy, as employees ranked having a place to work without
disruption as the second highest factor that could improve
creativity, just behind the need for more time to think.
Creative SpacesThe companies’ exploration of
creative work found that creativity is a process in which anyone
can engage and requires diverse work modes as well as different
types of technology. People need to work alone, in pairs and in
different size groups throughout a creative process, and they need
a range of devices that are mobile and integrated into the physical
workplace. Additionally, spaces should inspire people without
compromising performance.
“Every Microsoft Surface device strives to enable the creator in
each of us. Devices like Surface Studio and Surface Hub are
fundamentally designed around how people naturally create, connect,
and collaborate,” says Ryan Gavin, general manager, Microsoft
Surface Marketing. “With Steelcase we have the compelling
opportunity to blend place and technology into a seamless
environment that allows our most important asset, our people, to
unlock their creativity and share that with others. The future of
work is creative.”
“Most employees are still working with outdated technology and
in places that are rooted in the past, which makes it difficult for
them to work in new, creative ways,” said Bob O’Donnell, president,
founder and chief analyst at TECHnalysis Research. “Creative Spaces
were clearly designed to bridge the current gap between place and
technology and to help creative work happen more naturally.”
Five initial Creative Spaces are on display now at the Steelcase
WorkLife Center in New York City. Spaces include:
Focus Studio: Individual creative work requires
alone time to focus and get into flow, while also allowing quick
shifts to two-person collaboration. This is a place to let ideas
incubate before sharing them with a large group, perfect for
focused work with Microsoft Surface Book or Surface Pro 4.
Duo Studio: Working in pairs is an essential
behavior of creativity. This space enables two people to co-create
shoulder-to-shoulder, while also supporting individual work with
Microsoft Surface Studio. It includes a lounge area to invite
others in for a quick creative review with Surface Hub or to put
your feet up and get away without going away.
Ideation Hub: A high-tech destination that
encourages active participation and equal opportunity to contribute
as people co-create, refine and share ideas with co-located or
distributed teammates on Microsoft Surface Hub.
Maker Commons: Socializing ideas and rapid
prototyping are essential parts of creativity. This space is
designed to encourage quick switching between conversation,
experimentation and concentration, ideal for a mix of Surface
devices, such as Surface Hub and Surface Book.
Respite Room: Creative work requires many brain
states, including the need to balance active group work with
solitude and individual think time. This truly private room allows
relaxed postures to support diffused attention.
“We are facing a time of unprecedented change at work. Through
this partnership we will bring together space and technology to
help workers and organizations solve the workplace challenges they
face today and in the future and ultimately perform their best at
work,” explains Armbruster.
Steelcase: Microsoft Surface Hub ResellerSelect
Steelcase dealers are authorized to resell Microsoft Surface Hub as
a part of the Microsoft partner network beginning today in the
United States and Canada, and in later Summer 2017 additional
dealers in Germany and the United Kingdom are expected to be added
to the program. The companies will announce additional markets in
the coming months. As the spaces roll out in the Americas, Europe
and Asia Pacific, the range of spaces will continue to expand and
evolve.
Internet of ThingsIn the coming months,
Steelcase expects to announce new technology-enabled office
solutions built on Microsoft Azure IoT technology, which will
provide companies with analytics that help improve workplaces and
solutions to help employees find the best places to do diverse
types of work within the office.
For more information on Creative Spaces and the partnership
between Microsoft and Steelcase, visit www.steelcase.com/creativity
or www.microsoft.com/en-us/devices/business/steelcase.
About MicrosoftMicrosoft (Nasdaq “MSFT”
@Microsoft) is the leading platform and productivity company for
the mobile-first, cloud-first world, and its mission is to empower
every person and every organization on the planet to achieve
more.
About Steelcase Inc.For over 100 years,
Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world's
leading organizations. We demonstrate this through our family of
brands - including Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex® PolyVision®
and Turnstone®. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of
architecture, furniture and technology products and services
designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and
environmental sustainability. The company is globally accessible
through a network of channels, including over 800 dealer locations.
Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company
with fiscal 2016 revenue of $3.1 billion.
i Based on a Microsoft and Steelcase February 2017 study of
515 US and Canadian companies with 100+ employees.
The photos are also available via AP PhotoExpress.
Contact:
Katie Pace
Steelcase
312-350-0502
kpace@steelcase.com
Microsoft Media Relations
WE Communications for Microsoft
425-638-7777
rrt@we-worldwide.com
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