Mobility, cloud and IoT adoption are changing the future and design of workplaces, says IT company Aruba.

Highly-efficient, IoT-enabled smart buildings are intersecting with the mobile-first digital workplace, meaning a whole set of new design challenges for architects are now just on the horizon.

This new paradigm, the company says, is forming “a smart digital workplace that needs to deliver secure and reliable, optimised and personalised experiences that will foster employee creativity, collaboration, speed and freedom.”

This, in turn, is affecting and influencing the design of the modern and increasingly flexible workplace.

For its part, Aruba has expanded its ArubaEdge Technology Partner Program with a new category of partners that include commercial real estate (CRE), connected furniture and new technology.

These experiences range from personalised workspace ergonomics and lighting, to mobile and fully automated conference rooms, to preventive equipment maintenance and automated energy conservation, meaning architects and designers will need to take into consideration a range of new needs and focuses when designing future workplaces.

According to Francisco J. Acoba, managing director, Global Real Estate Transformation at Deloitte Consulting, “The smart digital workplace is now a major point of differentiation for organisations as employers look to attract, retain and grow today’s talent.”

“The future of work will be defined by smart workplace experiences, and corporate real estate leaders along with their IT counterparts should consider embracing how mobility and enterprise IoT will transform the physical office,” says Acoba.

“What constitutes a great workplace experience is rapidly evolving with the addition of digital and data layers”, says Jeff Gibson, director of Advanced Business Development at US manufacturer of office furniture, equipment and home furnishings, Herman Miller.

“People need a variety of settings to perform their work activities and the digital layers that we are delivering are helping to maximise the experience.  We are working with Aruba to create this vision where cloud connected furniture and devices can be deployed to support a mobile-first digital experience.”

“Leveraging data and insights provides efficient usage of space for organisations as well as maximises the performance potential,” says Gibson.