An overriding concern for businesses selecting office space is whether the premises can accommodate their IT requirements, it has been reported.
According to Virgin Media Business, the desire for business grade connectivity and full IT support is now deemed to be more important to many firms than the location itself.
Businesses are increasingly asking whether hot-desking is possible before taking on a new office, with 60 per cent of firms enquiring about the potential for remote and flexible working.
Some 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,” said Virgin Media Business.
“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, chief operating officer at 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,” he commented.
“Nearly one in five (16 per cent) companies already offer ‘Bring Your Own Device’ schemes, with a further 20 per cent looking to roll-out similar initiatives in the future.”
Mr Grace said that as we move 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,” he claimed.
“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.”
