Desk of the future will charge electronic devices
NEW YORK (Reuters) - In the office of the future, desk jockeys who cannot live without cell phones, BlackBerrys and iPods will be able to charge up such devices just by putting them on their desks. — Office furniture maker Herman Miller Inc. …
Context & Ripple Effects
Herman Miller’s concept arrives after wireless-power research was presented as a practical possibility and as pocket-sized personal computing put more electronics in workers’ hands. It applies that technical promise to office furniture rather than to a standalone charger.
The significance is less the desk itself than the shift in where power is delivered: the work surface becomes part of the support system for BlackBerrys, iPods and cell phones.
First-order effects
- Herman Miller differentiates its office desks by making device charging an embedded function for workers carrying several portable electronics.
- BlackBerry, iPod and cellphone users can charge supported devices at their workspace without dedicating desk space to separate chargers.
Second-order effects
- Office-furniture rivals face pressure to treat integrated power as a product feature, not merely an add-on sold alongside desks.
- Corporate buyers gain a reason to weigh furniture purchases against employees’ growing need to keep portable devices powered during the workday.
Third-order effects
- If integrated charging spreads, office infrastructure shifts from fixed outlets and standalone accessories toward power built into the surfaces where mobile work happens.
- The design boundary between workplace furniture and workplace technology narrows as portable computing makes power access a recurring workplace requirement.
The trend: Wireless power is moving from a technical promise toward embedded workplace infrastructure for an expanding set of portable devices.