Most people have heard of the “smart” terms—smartphone, smartwatch, smart car, etc. MyITpros has even covered smart homes on the blog before. But you shouldn’t leave all the cool gadgets and hacks to your personal life. Now smart offices are on the rise, utilizing technology to make the workspace a more pleasant and innovative place to be! Check out some of the things on MyITpros’ smart office wish list.
Kwikset Deadbolt
No one wants to lose their office keys, and with Kwikset, you don’t have to. Kwikset creates Wi-Fi-enabled deadbolt locks (like the single deadbolt Kevo) that can be unlocked with a fob, a smartphone app or an e-key. The lock is extremely secure, thanks to Kwikset’s patented smartkey technology and layers of encryption for digital security. You can give others access to your lock by sending them a free e-key that will allow them to unlock or lock the door, and you’ll get app notifications about who is entering and exiting. If you lose your phone or the battery dies, you can always unlock the door with the fob or by signing into your app on another phone. The Kevo is compatible with iOS and select Android devices—check the full list here.
Plantlink
Who doesn’t have plants around the office? And who can remember to water them on a routine basis? Plantlink takes care of that for you. It is a soil moisture sensor that will alert you by text, push notification or email when it’s time to water the plant—all you need to do is program the sensor with the plant type, and Plantlink will take care of the rest. You can even install a Plantlink valve to listen to the sensor and water when appropriate. Other features include creation of your own watering schedules and manual activation of a watering session from the app.
The Nest thermostat
People don’t like coming into a freezing cold or boiling hot office in the morning. Luckily, the Nest takes care of this problem using a simple interface and app integration. You can set rules and control the temperature of the office via your mobile phone, and after just one week of use, the thermostat uses artificial intelligence to program itself. The best part? The thermostat allows you to monitor energy usage and choose energy-saving temperature settings (and even rewards you with a leaf icon on the display). What’s more, thermostat wars are a thing of the past since the Nest, as just a few people are allowed to be in charge of settings.
Sonos Connect:AMP
A little music can go a long way. The Sonos Connect:AMP enables you to stream music via Wi-Fi and control it from your phone, tablet or computer to play over your existing speakers. You can play different songs in different rooms, or the same song everywhere. The Connect:AMP has the capacity for up to 32 different devices, meaning people with differing tastes can control the music in their area of the office. There are also over 30 compatible streaming services available, so you can listen to podcasts, audiobooks, music—whatever you’re into.
Going to the office may be mandatory, but being boring isn’t! The products on and beyond this list will allow you to simultaneously streamline office efficiency and bring in an element of fun, while also helping you save money and conserve resources. Do you have any smart office products you love? Tell us your favorites in the comments below!
The purpose of this blog is to answer the questions you ask! For more information about managing the technology in your office, please feel free to contact us!
