As the workplace morphs to absorb the Gen X and Gen Y work-styles we are likely to see an increasein the use of HD video conferencing for remote workers, allowing them to stay in touch with the office. One of the key traits of the newer workforce is their desire for the ability to work independently from the corporate office enviroment. Business like this too since it will allow them to reduce the amount of office space they need to lease. Seems like a win-win.

Some of a recent press release:

LifeSize, a division of Logitech (NASDAQ:LOGI) (SIX: LOGN), is joining forces with Regus (LSE: RGU), the world’s largest provider of flexible workspaces, to bring LifeSize HD video conferencing to businesses and the public at more than 240 Regus locations worldwide. Regus customers can now easily communicate with colleagues around the world via video or conduct business over HD video while traveling.

A wide variety of video collaboration scenarios including:

• Seamless video calling with customers and partners, regardless of their video platform
• Remote candidate interviews, connecting candidates to interview teams through local Regus offices
• Data sharing and collaboration with colleagues while traveling

One of the keys to the potential success of the LifeSize program is that it is compatible with multiple video platforms. In other workds, folks at teh head office could be using the LifeSize platform whil the remote worker could be using a basic platform. It will allow for easier integration for eveyone involved.

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I was in Manhattan week before last and attended the Workspace Association of NY’s (WANY) monthly members meeting and made a short presentation on workspace trends for 2012. If you take a look, you will notice that many of my recent Blog posts are related to how business is using office space as workspace and the associated trends. It was great to meet many of the people I have been doing business with "virtually" for many years.

The day after the meeting I went on a tour of 4 Manhattan Coworking spaces. It was a real education for me to see firsthand how some of the most successful NYC Coworking spaces are operating and to learn more about this trend that has caught fire.

Ray Lindenberg, of Select Office Suites in the Flatiron district of NYC orchestrated the tour. What I found out surprised me. It turns out that the most community oriented Coworking space I saw is actually a Business Center AKA Executive Suite; Ray’s business center. Here are his thoughts on the trip.

As you saw during the tours, one may actually be more apt to find spontaneous, energetic, interactive CO-working interfaces at a truly "serviced" Serviced Office Business Center (BC) than at a CO-working Space, and for good reason.

The 3 Essential COs of CO-working (the 3 big features that make CO-working so deliciously appealing to today's work generations), which are: COoperation, COllaboration and COmmunity (spirit, form and structure) can often be more easily delivered, and less interruptive, when applied in a places that include enclosed offices alongside social, common areas, and that go out of their way to encourage the 3 Essential COs -- like they do at Serviced Office BCs.

 You simply don't need to be in an open, wall-less environment to be a good CO-working community provider. Some businesspeople like the open desk plan; some don't; and some can't be in non-private spaces because of how they go about their work, their heavy phone activity, or because of security/confidentiality issues.

Office as a service, relationship and community (as opposed to office as a static location to do work...with "location, location, location" being the prime real estate consideration where one choses to work) is at the core of the whole workspacism movement -- and that includes modern-day CO-working as well as the community-based Serviced Office BC movement that started in the early 90s.

For more background on the advent and distinction of the Serviced Office BC movement that grew out of the Executive Suite BC movement, check out today's Winning Workspaces column on the Business Leader Post. All BCs are not Regus, although roughly 90% share their same category of Executive Suite BCs. The other 10% of the BC world are either Serviced Office BCs or CO-BC hybrids/Workspace Emporiums.

CO-working spaces need to provide an open yet, paradoxically, a relatively quiet environment, sometimes limiting phone activity or volume, as a courtesy to all other attending members (many resembling college libraries)...while at the same time encouraging members to plop-down, brainstorm and collaborate... and that range of open yet reserved interfacing is a compelling, key feature.

At Serviced Office BCs, you can enjoy the privacy of an enclosed office (which gives you the freedom and ability to schedule quiet or loud time -- or face-to-face networking -- if that's what you want). You're also apt to engage in spontaneous, common-area colaborations at a Serviced Office BC, since most people are working behind closed doors, which is what you saw when you visited here, Jim. 

This newfangled simultaneous open & closed CO-working model has actually been getting a lot of play by the CO-working Operators these days, as more of them turn to adding fully enclosed offices into their offerings, with the highly popular and respected Coast-to-Coast Operator WeWork going almost exclusively with fully-glass-enclosed offices as their CO-working winning formula.

As for scheduled networking events, Lunch 'N Learns and other business development activities -- they occur just as frequently in Serviced Office BCs as they do in CO-working Spaces. I know I've recently been averaging over 200 per year in my CO-BC hybrid, and have been offering networking events at my spaces for over 20 years.

Open CO-working spaces are more hip and appealing to the more recent work generations, as they offer a different CO-working experience than a truly "serviced" Serviced Office BC. The 3 Essential COs of CO-working take on a different, yet valuable social form at a CO-BC hybrid, Workspace Emporium or Serviced Office BC. 

Both forms are great. Both may not agree with everyone's taste. It really depends on how much privacy, or more exactly, the ability to spontaneously pivot from full-concentration space to social/interactive/community activity, and back...and for that, Serviced Office BCs are actually a pretty good option.

Posted on the OfficeFinder LinkedIn Discussion Group on Coworking Space

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OfficeBroker.com, one of the top 3 executive suite web brokers, has recently announced that they are changing from a commisson based model to a subscription model. According to an email received by one of our Executive Suite members:

"In January 2012 officebroker.com will be changing the way in which it markets office space, removing the commission structure and replacing it with a simple monthly subscription for listing your office building(s) on our website.

This new subscription model will result in your direct contact details being added to officebroker.com. Instead of charging a commission, you will instead pay just $75 per building location listed per month.

Summary of Changes:

·     Client will be able to contact YOU directly from our website!!  Your contact details will be added to each of your building locations listed on officebroker.com enabling you to get their details before your competitors would!

·     Additionally, any inquiries officebroker.com receive will still be forwarded to you but with no commission payable should you close a sale

·      A simple monthly fee of only $75 per building listed per month to be charged from January 1^st 2012

Best of all you don’t need to do anything to benefit from this change!  Your listings will be updated automatically from January 1^st 2012. "

This is specific to the US. I am not sure how they are handling other markets. It will be interesting to see how well this is accepted by executive suite office space operators. OfficeBroker does have a good track record in providing leads to centers, but I would image only the ones in which have had success with their leads will subscribe.  The smaller centers will probably not see the benefit.  The next question will be whether or not they remove the listings for the properties that do not subscribe or use them as bait for those who do. Another alternative may be that they will keep the non-subscribers on a commission basis.  We will have to wait to see.

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GIST has a great infographic on the changing workstyle from old to new.

Despite being back in the black at the half year mark, Regus's stock has suffered greatly over the past year. Will it continue it's recent climb?

In GB£

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