How to Make Your Home Office as Smart as You Are
A few smart upgrades will make your home office a more comfortable and productive place to work
The global coronavirus pandemic of 2020 fundamentally changed the way people work. According to a study from Pew Research Center, 71% of employed adults with job responsibilities that could be done from home were working remotely as of December 2020. That’s up from 20% of people who were working from home before the pandemic. Now, even as businesses begin to call employees back to the office, part-time remote opportunities and flexible scheduling are here to stay.
If you work fully or part-time from your home in Reno, NV, you need a home office that supports creativity, productivity, and comfort during the day. We have some great ideas on how you can use technology to upgrade your office into a smart office — keep reading to learn more!
SEE ALSO: Stay Connected in the Fast Lane With Pro-Quality Networking Solutions
Upgrade the AV Equipment
Now that you’re not in the office, your meetings will take place over phone or video conferencing — and for that, you need better audiovisual equipment. Sure, your work-issued laptop can get the job done with an integrated camera and mic, but it’s relatively easy to upgrade your AV setup without breaking the bank. An external webcam with high-definition resolution will produce sharper, more detailed images than your laptop camera. Pair your new webcam with an external mic to boost audio intelligibility and a headset to minimize echo and ambient noise.
One other AV solution we recommend for the home office is a multiroom audio system. Skip the tinny sound from your laptop and instead envelop the office with your favorite playlists for focus, creativity, and motivation. It’s easy to adjust the volume, skip a song, or change the playlist with a single tap on your smartphone.
Add Smart Lighting and Shading
Lighting and shading are crucial to create a comfortable and productive working environment. With a tunable white lighting system, you can use your smartphone to adjust the color temperature and intensity of light for optimal illumination and stimulation during the day. Balance your use of artificial lighting with the help of motorized shades that you can raise or lower to let in natural sunlight while blocking glare.
Integrating your lighting and shading with a centralized control system allows you to build personalized scenes that match your daily work routines. For example, scenes for “Video Call,” “Focus Time,” and “Brainstorm Session” will instantly set the right lighting and shading in your office with the press of a button on your smartphone or custom keypad.
Upgrade Your Network
Working from home requires a high-speed, reliable, and secure network installation. An enterprise-grade networking solution offers you the bandwidth and traffic prioritization you need to download or upload documents with speed and host video calls without buffering, lags, or dropped connections. Additionally, professional-grade solutions come with better firewalls and encryption options to protect sensitive work data and programs.
Are you ready to work smarter at home? Call Sierra Integrated Systems for help upgrading your home office into a more comfortable and productive place to be. Call 775-853-4800 or fill out an online contact form to get in touch!
