'Office as a service' could become a reality, claims Intel

'Office as a service' could become a reality, claims Intel

Tech giant Intel has predicted that the rise in cloud computing popularity and fast internet networks could put an end to the need for physical office space completely, leading to an 'office as a service' situation.

Steve Brown, Intel's 'chief futurist' predicted that with more and more of the world's population moving to large cities, commuting will become increasingly time-consuming. And with the proliferation of cloud computing and remote working technologies, it will become less and less necessary.

He told press in Australia: "Office space is the second biggest overhead in companies after salaries. It is a significant piece of the cost of running a business, and yet they are delivering less and less value as people are travelling a lot."

He added that the approach to management will have to change in response to this and staff will increasingly to be evaluated more on what they produce and the quality of their work, rather than the time they spend in the office.

The 'office as a service' idea is one that could take off, Mr Brown claims, adding that it would involve companies outsourcing offices and sharing spaces. Then, the office becomes a place people can come to when they need to meet with colleagues and share ideas face to face. This will replace its former purpose as a "daily destination that you go to as part of the grind of life," he explained.

Mr Brown added that workers' attitudes towards their offices are becoming more clear as they realise that there are alternatives to going into the office every day. "Space doesn't make so much sense anymore," he stated. "Workers, as they get empowered more, increasingly say they don't want to be in the office. They don't want to have to deal with that commute."

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