Is IoT essential for the modern office environment?

From shared documents and digital timesheets to updates in computing, employees have never been afraid of change and continue to evolve. Currently, the ‘smart office’ concept is something that has gone from sci-fi suggestion to become a logical and widely-embraced next step in the world of work. Imagine a working environment where lighting and heating are automatically adjusted depending on the number of people in the room, sensors help to log time and manage productivity, and repetitive tasks are automated. These innovations are no longer in the far future, as the Internet of Things (IoT) is projected to reach 26 billion connected devices by 2021. The number of potential benefits that come with workplace smart devices is not in question, but the adoption of IoT poses several risks around the security and financial cost of implementing these changes – especially for small businesses. In order to make an informed decision, business owners need to carefully balance the pros and cons, to identify which elements of IoT will bring the most improvement and which are best avoided.