I recently read an article about how pubs (bars for those of you not in the UK) are increasingly being used as a second office, based on a survey carried out by Wi-Fi provider The Cloud. Apparently four out of five of those surveyed log on to a pub’s Wi-Fi to check emails, and one in six had taken a video conferencing call while in a pub.
I do actually have to admit to taking my MacBook to a pub occasionally myself (and before you ask, mine is strictly an apple juice!). I work best in a busy environment – silence or the tapping of other people’s keyboards are too distracting. Some people would probably, and correctly, say that this ability (and in fact preference) to work anywhere, at any time, is a symptom of being Generation Y. And as even younger generations join the workforce, taking work to where we choose to do it could increasingly become the norm. The extracts we have published in this issue from a white paper created by Esselte paint a picture of the workspace of the future.
This brings me to our major feature of the month – of the year in fact: our Top 100 list of executives from the leading resellers, wholesalers and groups in the office products industry. We have tried to embrace the future when compiling this year’s list, and you will see some new faces and companies that may or may not surprise you. As we have said many times, the OP industry is changing and some people are beginning to say it’s not OP at all any more, but an amalgamation of facilities management, MRO, education and technology products, to name a few, that all influence overall office performance. See if you agree with our additions to the list this year.
Felicity Francis, Editor
