According to research conducted by Virgin Media Business, every major commercial property agency surveyed believes IT infrastructure is now more important than the location for companies looking for office space.
Businesses are also increasingly (60 per cent) asking whether hot-desking is possible before taking on a new office. Half (50 per cent) of companies are looking to rent smaller premises due to less space being needed to house servers and fixed PCs. This shows more and more businesses are beginning to outsource IT infrastructure to offsite data centres and are opting for more mobile devices for work use rather than desktop computers. As a result of this, 80 per cent of commercial property owners are offering new premises that can cater specifically for changing IT requirements.
Tony Grace, COO, Virgin Media Business said: “IT infrastructure has undoubtedly become a bigger issue for businesses looking to buy or rent property.
“Employees no longer expect to be tied to one desk and want to be able to work more flexibly. This is supported by research we carried out that showed nearly one in five companies already offer ‘Buy Your Own Device’ schemes (BYOD), with a further 20 per cent looking to roll-out similar initiatives in the future.
“As we continue moving full-speed ahead with exploring how consumer devices and brand-new technologies can be used in the workplace, we have a world of opportunities at our fingertips to revolutionise the working environment. It’s never been easier to make it more flexible, productive or more profitable. From hot-desking and BYOD, to increased use of external data centres – future office space will need to reflect these new trends to make sure they cater for modern UK businesses.”
