01732 759725 magazine 07 BULLETIN OFFICE DESIGN NEWWORK, SAME OFFICE UK businesses are failing to invest in new, collaborative technologies that could entice staff back into the office, claims Microsoft in a new report. Most UK workers surveyed by YouGov for the Microsoft Surface report The re-imagined office: not a re-design but a re-define believe that an office is better than remote work for socialising (57%) and strengthening relationships with colleagues (65%). However, 36% feel they achieve less there than when working remotely and 32% worry about time and money spent commuting. Half (50%) say they only go into the office if they’re told they have to. This is a worry as 80% of UK business leaders surveyed for Microsoft’s recent Work Trend Index report cite getting employees back into the office as a concern. One reason might be that although the world of work has changed, 83% of office workers have the same office environment as before the pandemic and remain stuck in uncollaborative work patterns, with 71% spending time ‘doing emails’ every time they go in. Microsoft suggests lack of investment might be to blame. Only 35% of IT decisionmakers (ITDMs) say they have been asked to consider whether the IT in their office is fit for their workforce and just 6% cite meeting room technology as a priority investment. Less than one third (31%) of office workers say that their organisation has invested in technology to improve collaboration over the past year. Alan Slothower, Surface Business Group Lead at Microsoft UK, said: “Too many UK workers are stuck in the same office spaces as before the pandemic...Our research points to a clear need for businesses to not just re-design their offices, but truly reimagine them for a hybrid future.” E-WASTE NEW LIFE FOR OLD PHONES UK households have accumulated an estimated 24 million unused smartphones with a collective value of more than £1 billion over the last three years, according to new research by Deloitte. Its Digital Consumer Trends survey of 4,160 consumers found that two in five phone buyers hold on to their old phones when they upgrade to newer models. Deloitte estimates that in 2022 alone this will add up to seven million smartphones with an average trade-in value of £75 and a total value of over £500 million. Even so, less than half (45%) of tradedin phones are sold, recycled or given away. In the UK, just 17% of phones in use were purchased second-hand, compared to 82% that were bought new. Emily Cromwell, environmental, social and governance lead for the consumer industry at Deloitte, said: “It is important that refurbished or used phones are no longer viewed as lesser devices, but as cheaper, greener alternatives. Providing incentives to recycle devices will not only put extra pounds in consumer pockets, but also lengthen the lifecycle of the device across more owners and improve its carbon footprint.” www.deloitte.co.uk INVESTMENT FEMALE ANGELS NEEDED The UK Business Angels Association is extending its Women BackingWomen campaign in an attempt to double the pool of women angel investors, from 5,000 to 10,000, and give female-founded businesses better access to early-stage capital. This follows publication of the first Women Angel Insights report in conjunction with Beauhurst, which shows that over the last decade more than £2bn has been invested in over 4,000 UK companies through deals involving female angel investors. Although there are currently more than 5,000 female angel investors in the UK, this is still only 14% of all angel investors (36,800). Moreover, less than 0.5% of female angels (157) have a portfolio of 10 or more investments. The UKBAA claims that the shortage of women angels has a direct impact on female founders as women are more likely to invest in female-founded companies, which tend to be underfunded compared to male-founded counterparts. https://ukbaa.org.uk/our-programmes/ women-backing-women/ BULLETIN In Deloitte’s survey, 18% of those who bought a new phone said they did so because new was ‘more exciting’. This certainly applies to the METAVERTU, the world’s first Web3.0 smartphone.With seamless toggling betweenWeb2.0 and Web3.0 modes, Vertu claims its new flagship 5G mobile will enable users to enjoy instantaneous NFT generation, self-contained peer-to-peer encrypted communication and a curated range of DAPP applications. Owners can customise their phone with a variety of luxury materials, including diamond detailing, gold finishes and platinum additions. Prices start at £2,909 for an entry-level METAVERTU in carbon fibre. www.vertu.com SUSTAINABILITY TCO GROWTH SPURT Demand for more sustainable IT is driving record rates of certification to the latest iteration of TCO Certified, the sustainability certification scheme for monitors, displays, laptops, mobile devices, PCs and other IT products. Since TCO Certified, generation 9 was launched at the end of 2021, more than 1,000 new models have been certified, reaching the milestone one month faster than the previous generation. This acceleration has happened despite stricter criteria, including more than 40 new Sustainability Performance Indicators (SPIs) and an expansion of substances assessments to cover process chemicals used in the manufacture of IT products. www.tcocertified.com Women Angel Insights: The impact of female angels on the UK economy September 2022
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