The Office of the Future

What will a day in your office be like 10 to 15 years from now? Here's a sneak peek, based on reports from the staff of Kiplinger Business Resources.

By Mark Sfiligoj, Deputy Managing Editor, the Kiplinger letters

Peter Goldstein, Senior Economics Editor, The Kiplinger Letter

January 7, 2008

Welcome to the office of 2020 or so. If you still go to one, that is. Thanks to instant wireless communications and encryption technology, remote working -- from home or anywhere else on Earth -- will be commonplace 10 to 15 years from now. But an office in the traditional sense will still come in handy for working on team projects as well as for meeting clients and suppliers.

What follows is a glimpse into a typical office-of-the-future. What the heck -- imagine that it's yours.

Electronic wallpaper covers the walls. When you're not using it to show charts, graphs and other business presentations, it will be easy to switch to between pictures of the kids or some other pleasing images. Office chairs will have built-in sensors to detect your stress level. Depending on the result, the chair can then gently suggest a brief nap or exercises to help decompress.

The "office computer" is just a wide, high-definition laptop monitor with a wireless connection to a central server. If a keyboard is needed, the monitor can project one on the desk or a soft pad for virtual typing. But, more often than not, you'll typically bark out voice commands to the machine. Say "Display the Perkins account," and the computer will oblige with a slew of information about the client: Financial numbers, past orders, a video of a recent meeting, information the client has posted on the Internet recently and more.

Robot assistants handle menial or logistical needs. Robotics programming is sophisticated enough to allow mechanical helpers to maneuver with ease through human spaces, using optical guidance. Sensor-laden robots also provide security for the company, particularly in its far-flung factories, warehouses and branch offices. They can detect intruders, malfunctions, etc. and alert authorities.

After a quick lunch at your desk (yes, sigh, you're still too busy to eat out most days), it's time for your 2 o'clock interoffice meeting in the media room, where wall-to-wall projection screens provide a 270-degree sweep.

Videoconferencing is crystal clear, allowing easy eye contact and reading of every participant's body language and facial expressions. Sales managers love videoconferencing: They can give live demonstrations for potential customers located anywhere. It's popular in homes as well, not only as a communication device, but also as an entertainment medium.

Videoconferencing technology saves the company a bundle on travel costs, too. When you do fly, you usually take the company's VLJ, or very light jet. It was cheap to buy, and it can land at less crowded secondary airports.

Clients in China want a better read on your firm's new product. No problem. Zip them a scale model via a 3-D printer, which rapidly prints layer upon layer until it builds up a 3-D image. This contraption transforms the product specs stored on a computer into an actual model made from plastic or a similarly malleable material. Holographic images are another option. But they're still rough -- years from being perfected. Businesses are eager to use them, though. Showing charts and products in three dimensions creates a bigger impact.

Next up: A visit to a building site for a trash-to-energy plant that your company is involved with. Waste products are a growing frontier in the search for energy sources. This plant will abut a city dump and use enzymes to turn trash into natural gas for powering generators.

Then there's a speech to give, with help from your cyber coach. While talking before an industry group, you sport a small earpiece that communicates with your computer, feeding you information as needed. Market prospects in Iraq? The computer whispers the numbers in your ear.

Quitting time. What color car do you want to drive home today? Materials embedded in the paint let you change colors on a whim. The same option is available on a number of other consumer products. It works by sending a low-voltage electric current through tiny wires in the paint, which contains chemicals that react to the charges.

You're among the 25% of motorists driving a hybrid model. It's not a plug-in, though. Those have only just begun to catch on. The car is nearly 100% recyclable, versus 50% to 60% around 2007.

But alas, STILL no flying cars. They're in the works, though.

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