Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Work Together Better

O happy day!

The final installment of our Future of Work video series has arrived. Over three short videos, we have followed Paula and Sam as they found a new office space at an innovative Realtor and then watched as they collaborated with an Interior Designer to plan their new space. Finally on the latest installment Paula and Sam move into their new office space, complete with cutting edge collaborative innovation.

Work Together Better Video Series

As a team they use nsquared milestone to plan their projects and define their tasks effectively together.

Once project planning is complete the team uses their new touchscreen technology to have quick, pointed meetings. They load PDFs, Word and PowerPoint documents from their local network directly onto the DIGITABLE, annotate together and finally send the annotated files straight to their colleague's desktop device using nsquared presenter.

Team work isn't all serious. Immersive multiplayer games bring everyone together at the end of the day.

Smart tables, smart work flow. The future of work is here.

Click here to watch the Future of Work series now.

Thursday, December 3, 2015

Ho ho ho! You are invited to our special Christmas offer


Recently nsquared launched our very first iBook, The Digital Table. In the spirit of Christmas, we are running a special offer and spreading some festive cheer… We are giving away the iBook FREE for the entire month of December.

'The Digital Table' is a beautiful, interactive and fully illustrated 56-page iBook taking a look at our changing relationship with technology, and what this means for our future.

Smart screens, touch screens, smart everything.  Interactive tables, interactive shoes, interactive everything. The future of work, the future of play, the future trends. Human behaviour, innovators, innovation and new technology. The world is changing, but how?

Click on the below banner to get your copy of The Digital Table today!

Have a great Christmas from the team at nsquared!

 https://itunes.apple.com/au/book/the-digital-table/id1054832616?ls=1&mt=11

Thursday, November 19, 2015

More Personal World

"The future is already here — it's just not very evenly distributed" 
- William Gibson

Everything we need to make computers more personal already exists and has existed for a long time. The main change is the price point. You no longer need to be as rich as Tony Stark in order to have this tech in your hands.

Futuristic tech is no longer limited to the richest few. Real life Tony Stark, Elon Musk. Source: amazonaws.com
Over the coming few years, Moore's law will continue to apply and technology will become more and more personal.

Today on the sunny Gold Coast of Australia, our very own Dr. Neil Roodyn is presenting at Ignite Australia on how to build more personal software for more personal computers. In his talk he will be showing developers how they can build software that has more context awareness and more natural interfaces using common hardware available today.

"Multi-touch technologies have a long history. To put it in perspective, the original work Undertaken by my team was done in 1984, the same year that the first Macintosh computer was released, and we were not the first." 
-Bill Buxton
 
Consider how a modern computer (yes, this includes your phone) can receive inputs; vision (camera), touch, gestures, ink (stylus), speech, identity (fingerprint scanner, face recognition, etc.) These inputs can be used by software to change the way people interact with computers, making the interaction more personal and more natural.

This leads to output from new computers that is more natural as well, computers that speak to us, present emotional content that is tailored to our needs and output that is tangible, touchable, interactive, and even present in our spaces. Technologies such as HoloLens are providing a glimpse into an exciting future on new modes of interactions.

More emotional content fed to us by our devices will mean a limitless number of exciting possibilities. nsquared's iBook, The Digital Table, presents our vision for how we see technology, and simultaneously, our relationships, changing.
 
Technology tailored to us, the future is looking good.

For more on how technology is changing the way we behave, follow nsquared on Twitter, LinkedIn or Facebook.


Thursday, November 12, 2015

Enriching the Real Estate Experience



Paula and Sam and looking for a new office space. Sebastian, their real estate agent, uses his DIGITABLE to dynamically present information.

The Real Estate Experience is transformed from a one-way message into a two-way conversation.

Follow Paula and Sam's collaborative journey to opening their own business.

nsquared is rethinking meeting spaces in the digital age. What could be more exciting than buying a house or property?  The nsquared DIGITABLE reimagines the old, static Real Estate Agency. Forget about conference tables and meeting tables, touchscreen and interactive tables are proven to provide rich, emotional experiences for customers and employees alike. Smart tables, smart decisions and the future of work. Check out our video below.



Interested in cutting-edge, collaborative technology? Follow nsquared on Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin or Youtube.

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Do You Want It Custom?


Digital tables are a unique product, there's no doubt about it.

We get all kinds of requests from people, asking all kinds of things from one-off coffee tables to massive 275 inch displays. We have experience building all kinds of exciting projects too, both software and hardware and we understand better than most the challenges clients can face with a custom project, beyond just financial reasons.

It is an important question to ask, as it is different for every circumstance. Consider your requirements and resources before you ask; do you want it custom?

To help you through your thinking, we've put together a chart:

Do You Want It Custom? Flow Chart

 
Custom projects are great because they are tailored to your precise requirements. They can help alleviate feelings of compromise, or feeling that you are buying unnecessary features, when weighing up options with an off the shelf product. They meet your exact needs. But this, of course, comes at a price.

The nsquared DIGITABLE and DIGITABLE PLUS are our off the shelf tried and tested products, which means a safe and secure purchase. Off the shelf products also have the advantage of a quick turnaround, you can reap the benefits of economies of scale and will likely result in a higher re-sale value.

Take the time to weigh up the pros and cons, it will be worth it in the long run! We are experts in multi-touch smart tables, touch screens and interactive surfaces so don't be afraid to contact us to help make your decision.

Email us here, or follow us on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn.

Friday, October 23, 2015

Tomorrow's Spaces



Tomorrow's Spaces at Novotel Sydney

How will our retail and hospitality spaces look in 5, 10 and 20 years?
What does tomorrow’s workplace look like?
What are the constraints and success factors for transforming learning spaces for 21st century learning?
How will this all affect our interpersonal interactions?

With a stunning view of a vicious storm rolling in over Darling Harbour from our room provided by our friends from Novotel Darling Harbour, last night was the second event in our series of panel discussions. The theme of the night was "Tomorrow's Spaces", following on from the success of our first talk, "Innovating Collaborative Workflow". Braving a miserable October night, a lively audience listened to 5 distinguished panellists from a broad range of disciplines as they shed insight into how our physical spaces will change to reflect, and impact, our changing behaviours.

The storm didn't stop outside, either, with lively debate igniting in our Barossa Room as the event unfolded. If you couldn't make the event, fear not! The whole evening was recorded and the event in its entirety is available in the video below.



nsquared would like to extend a huge thank you to everyone that made the night possible, with a special thanks to Novotel Darling Harbour our panellists:

Sue Beveridge, Electroboard Education
Barry Mowszowski, DT
Scott Smith, Novotel
Daniel Stiffe, GPT Group
Dr Neil Roodyn, nsquared solutions

Thursday, October 15, 2015

How Old Do You Really Look?


The Microsoft How Old? Project has been a phenomenon. The app, built to show off the new Windows 10 facial recognition API and the power of Azure cloud, uses algorithms to determine how old a user's face looks. And, understandably, it has become the definition of viral. It has grown faster than Facebook. It has even grown faster than Angry Birds. The stats speak for themselves:
  • 1.2 million visitors per hour in 48 hours
  • 540 million photos analysed to date
  • More than 1/2 billion photos uploaded in 1 month
  • 0-50 million users in just 7 days.
  • Ellen even tweeted about it:


But don't stop at Ellen. THERE'S MORE.

We have exciting news: in a world first, the nsquared team is helping to bring the How Old? online experience into a real life experience.

All this work on How Old? has seemed to have weathered nsquared's faces by a few years, but stay tuned to see what this wrinkly crew has to offer. 

Thursday, October 8, 2015

Locus: Never Lose Your Friends Again!


Oh Happy Day, nsquared's Locus V2.0 has been released to the world! Locus is the easy peezy friend finding app that keeps you up to date with your friends' whereabouts*.

With brand new shiny app updates available across Android, iPhone and iPad, and with the Universal Windows app coming soon, you can now keep track of all of your friends and loved ones at the tap of a button.

We have completely rebuilt our app to make it the quickest and best version of Locus yet. With a whole new set of 50+ completely redesigned pins and the ability to sync between all of your devices, no location finding app has ever been this good.
  • Improved performance
  • 50+ new pins
  • Bug and notification fixes
  • New cloud solution
  • Automatically syncs your devices
  • Twitter and Facebook integration
  • Plus many new and exciting features in the coming months! Stay calm and locate your friends. 
https://itunes.apple.com/au/app/locus/id327438816?mt=8https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.nsquaredsolutions.locus
 *Friends not included

Thursday, October 1, 2015

Innovative collaboration using the DIGITABLE PLUS

Meet Mark and San from Appétit magazine, a niche publication for food lovers. Appétit is not made by just one person, it is a team effort. Team efforts deserve team technology.  

 

To get the best photos at the best places, they need to know where to go and who to meet. Using the DIGITABLE PLUS they can work together researching alternatives.


They find out where they need to be. They photograph. They interview. They come back to the office and bring it all to the DIGITABLE PLUS.

San types up an outline for her article, while Mark drops his photos in place. They can simultaneously give feedback to each other and decisions are made quickly.  


The editor of Appétit, Aaron, joins them for a dynamic team experience. Collaboration, and negotiation happen instantly as the team gather around the table in a strategically productive meeting. Losing things in distant communication is a long forgotten past as the outcome is captured in digital form as it happens. 


nsquared designs and builds multi-user technology. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn to learn more today.

Thursday, September 24, 2015

The Digital Table: A Story Part 1


The following is an excerpt from our upcoming illustrated eBook, The Digital Table, available October 22. Follow nsquared here for more information on its release.

The Rate of the Adoption of Technology 

Technology is the tool we use to move the world forward. It is the tool that we invent to meet a need - to count, to cool, to connect.
For this reason it is also a driver of our behaviour. We learn to go to the kitchen for food instead of the market. We learn to check our Maps app and bin the Street Directory. We learn to tap a book.
The graph above demonstrates how new technology is being adopted at an increasingly rapid pace. This also means that our behaviour is changing and adapting at its quickest pace in history. The past twenty years has seen incredible advancements in personal device technology and we have changed our behaviour to meet it. But, in some regards, this behaviour model we have been trained into goes against our nature.
The digital table is a response to this behaviour shift. And to fully understand its place, we will start 200 million years ago…
Our neocortex, the word to make anyone sound smart, developed 200 million years ago. It separated us from our reptilian counterparts for two significant reasons, and explains our drive for constant improvement.
And so the Neocortex has led us to where we are today. In the cloud.

 A Cloud Revolution

The cloud is the latest term given to larger computer power. The cloud, as it appears, is an infinite resource of computing power being used to revolutionalise our communications systems, extending our data from our limited finger tips to endlessly accessible locations.
This means that in many ways, hardware is becoming commoditised. A $99 tablet at the local supermarket is no longer a shock. Our understanding of computers is changing.  Technology has shifted so significantly that instead of technological “silos”, our behaviour is changing in a way that shows we understand everything is, and should be, connected.


Time to Re-Imagine

This siloed technology ignores our natural social drive. We have trained ourselves to behave in this way as this was the only technology available to us. 
The definition of “multi -user technology” is changing. It is not about sharing a computer any more. Multi-user technology isn’t about replacing the individual device. Multi-user technology is about creating spaces to share information together; collaborative spaces to connect meaningfully in the real world again. Multi-user technology is a different mechanism for interaction in the new world.
It’s time to re-imagine technology beyond the single-user.

Check out nsquared here, learn more about multi-user technology here or visit our Facebook or LinkedIn pages

Thursday, September 17, 2015

Size Matters Not

This week's blog is written by our director, Dr Neil Roodyn 


Recently a few things have come together that have me thinking about a question I get asked a lot; 'how big is the company'. Sometimes the question comes in different forms, 'how many developers work there', or 'how many UX designers are in the team', inevitably they come down to a question about the number of people available to work on a project or deliver a solution. The more rigorous form of this questions comes in vendor or supplier questionnaires that ask for a diagram of the organization chart for the organization.

Before I get into a discussion that this question is at best pointless, I would like to take a trip back in time to review how business (especially, but not specifically in technology) has changed in the last 100 years.

The evolution of technology has meant we can as do more with less 'resources'. I put resources in quotes because I have loathing for calling people a resource, they are human beings, calling people a resource belittles their value. Yet I am also including other assets in this bundle of 'resources', including computer power, machinery costs, printing costs, marketing, sales, etc….

For example if you wanted to print out 10,000 copies of a professional color flyer for an event 100 years ago, you would have needed some people to help you with design and layout. Then obtain access to some expensive printing equipment  and people to operate that equipment. Today you can spend an evening at home on your laptop, download countless free templates, layout your flyer as you desire and send it to be printed by email, and delivered within a couple of days to your work place. Of course you can also go to countless online resources (such as Odesk or Fiverr) and find someone who will put the whole thing together for you at a low price. Also you probably wouldn’t bother to actually print it any more, instead it would an email newsletter, or web ad. With the capability of profiling people online, it also means that you might only need 1000 targets to get the desired result, rather than 10,000, as you know so much more about the people with whom you are communicating.

The point is you can do a lot more with a lot less and this is validated in the  Scott Galloway talk 'Who is the Fifth Horseman?' . Galloway points out that technology companies that apply technology internally to help drive their own business are managing to reach very high revenues per employee, Amazon generating $10M in revenue per 17 employees and Apple making $10M in revenue for every 5 employees. While the rest of this talk is fascinating and worth watching. A big take away for me was this small number of people required to achieve great results. Technology is the enabler here, the ability to deliver more with less.

I have recently had some interesting conversations with technologists and investors in the heart of the technology world, Silicon Valley. They are discussing the need for rapid growth and old school thinking that in order to be successful you need to have a fast growth company, and fast growth in traditional terms means, people and 'resources'. It is a common concept that in order to scale up the business you need more people, but is it still true?

Read the full article here


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Thursday, September 10, 2015

The One Trick to Skyrocket Your Productivity


Be Active.



Manage Your Energy Levels


Our body is made up of chemicals. We are giant, glorified walking petrie dishes. If you put in the time to ready consider what you are putting into your body and how you are treating your body: what your body responds to, what it doesn’t; then you will see extraordinary effects. Maybe three coffees isn’t as good at improving your productivity in the longer term as it feels like it is. Then again, maybe it is. Keeping account of the food you eat, what hours of the day you feel buzzed and those that you don’t, will help you maintain a consistent energy level the whole day. Suddenly 3pm is as productive as 10am.


Mindful Exercise


Something that has been found to remarkably help people improve productivity is doing 30 minutes of exercise before work begins. The rhythm of a jog creates a mindfulness, preparing people for the day ahead. Already, people have solved problems before they are even in the office. Something you must keep in mind too (and to continue this jogging theme), productivity is a marathon and not a sprint. It is something to work toward, and like a jog, takes effort initially but the fruits will realise themselves quickly enough.

This is not to mention that a daily or even weekly jog will improve your energy levels in the longer term, keeping you alert and energised for the whole day as well as improving your sleeping habits.

 

Active Workplace


Another way to keep active, employed at a management level, is to upgrade your office from a cubicle farm or open plan office into an Activity Based Workplace (ABW). Rather than sitting people in one place and keeping them confined to one particular work station, ABW is about providing a a variety of office environments to create a more social workplace in order improve collaborative workflow. The range of office environments might include hot desks, more casual relaxed workspaces and central team spaces called “anchor points”, where people can share ideas and host meetings. ABW forces employees to be less sedentary, more active and as a result, more productive and enjoy working more. 

nsquared


Keeping active is a mindset not only for you but also a mindset for an organisation. At nsquared we design and build for AWB environments, and staying true to our belief, we also work in an active way. Meetings are often walk-and-talks between pairs, and for larger groups, our stand up DIGITABLE PLUS meetings are dynamic and pointed, keeping us constantly moving. To top it off, running seems to be the default mode of nsquared legs, spurring each other on at our daily stand up meetings. An active office is an engaged office.


Follow nsquared on Facebook, Twitter or LinkedIn or visit our website here. Have a productive day!

Thursday, September 3, 2015

A Whole New Interface. A Whole New Opportunity.



Introducing nsquared tabletopTM, our 360 degree multi-user operating system designed especially for the digital table.

The new design had one simple goal: a screen that lets any amount of people do exactly what they want to do.

The result is an intuitive, elegant interface which brings people together to genuinely collaborate, unlike so much technology that exists now. Using free-floating content boxes which are fully manipulable, rotatable and scalable, nsquared tabletop enriches interactions and improves productivity between people.

To bring nsquared tabletop to life, we have developed nearly 20 custom apps which are now available, ranging from productivity tools to multi-user games.

Who did we have in mind when designing nsquared tabletop? The forward-thinking office, lobby, school, library, shopping centre… the possibilities are endless. Anyone who appreciates innovative solutions and understands the value of collaboration, nsquared tabletop was developed for you.

Working together in the same physical space with cutting edge multi-user technology; welcome to the next step in collaboration.

Work. Together. Better. nsquared tabletop is available now. Contact us for more details, or visit our website, LinkedIn, Facebook or Twitter pages.




Thursday, August 13, 2015

Multi-User Collaborative Education on Windows 10

 
nsquared makewords: engaging multi-user educational app available on Windows 10 App Store now

The exciting launch of Windows 10 a couple of weeks ago marks a big moment for the future of apps. As Microsoft moves towards cross-platform responsive apps and collaborative technology (read our posts on Microsoft Continuum and Microsoft Surface Hub), we are excited to see substantial growth in the multi-user app market. Don’t forget to head over to the new Win10 store to check out our great range of multi-user education apps, all engaging games which encourage kids to socialise whilst learning.

Learn object recognition and differentiation with nsquared makewords.

Develop numeracy, pattern matching and object recognition with nsquared herding.

Explore words and letters virtually with nsquared letters.

Explore numbers and equations virtually with nsquared numbers.

Develop pattern matching and object recognition with nsquared snap.

Challenge the mathematical skills of players in nsquared coinswap.

Develop pattern matching with nsquared missing card

To learn more about multi-user educational apps follow nsquared on LinkedIn, Twitter or Facebook or check out our DIGITABLE site for more information.

Friday, August 7, 2015

I'm Sorry Dave, I'm Afraid I Can't Do That


Hal from 2001: A Space Odyssey source: www.monstersinmotion.com

The impending demise of mankind is not something that regularly arises as a topic of international heated debate. Sure, you might come across your odd doomsayer or cult leader espousing the benefits of joining him into eternity, but an international conversation about the future of our race is something else.

As more things move to the internet of things and we learn that hackers can now remotely control your car, the ethics surrounding technology has been sparked by none other than the face of cutting edge technology himself, Elon Musk. 

The CEO of electric car manufacturer Tesla and investor of privateer space exploration company Space X, Musk has described Artificial Intelligence (or AI) as humanity’s “biggest existential threat”. He has made these claims after joining Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and Ashton Kutcher, the actor chosen to portray Steve Jobs in the 2013 film depicting his life, as high-profile investors in an Artificial Intelligence company named Vicarious.

The ethics surrounding AI are not anything new. Stanley Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey had a rogue AI spaceship named Hal that gave humans a less-than-ideal time. 1999 film The Matrix envisaged an extremely pessimistic outcome for humanity, living in underground tunnels as robots farmed us for energy. Musk has taken this debate off the film reel and into our headlines.

Musk has explained that his investments in Vicarious are a way of “keeping an eye on what’s going on”, as opposed to a money-making venture. As the conversation around AI snowballs, he is also one of the high-profile signatures on the recent open letter urging the United Nations to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems, joining Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak. 

The growing rumble of these tech greats surrounding the dangers posed by AI can be interpreted in many ways. Toby Walsh, an artificial intelligence professor, has said that AI is technology “that can help tackle many of the pressing problems facing society today”. Musk has said advancing AI is like “summoning the demon”.

Whatever your take, it is clear that the Point of Singularity, or the point when technology is able to redesign itself and improve, is inching ever closer. 

To get updates on new and multi-user technology, follow nsquared on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Friday, July 31, 2015

Windows 10 is here!

 The Windows 10 Launch in Sydney  Source: Microsoft

This week, Windows 10 was launched in 190 countries in spectacular fashion. With select cities across the globe ushering in the new operating system with parties worldwide, a few of our team went to join the Sydney celebrations.

Having a number of our machines running the new operating system, the nsquared team have been testing Windows 10 in the office for a few months. As well as a fantastic vision into the future of computing (read our post on Microsoft Continuum here), Windows 10 is a beautiful new interface and we are excited to see the launch of an inspired, responsive system.

The next generation of products is a great way to reflect on the progress of technology, and we can see clear jumps from Windows 8.1 to Windows 10, giving a good indication as to where Microsoft see technology heading. As Surfaces grow, ‘holographic’ technology develops and new team-oriented products such as the Surface Hub become a reality, we at nsquared are excited to see the parochial ‘single-user’ idea of technology breaking down, as the tools for collaboration get more and more traction. Hooray future!

Ok Cortana, you did good. You did good.

To get interesting updated on new and multi-user technology, follow nsquared on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.

Friday, July 24, 2015

‘Innovating Collaborative Workflow’ Discussions By The Fireplace at The Porter


'By The Fireplace' Panel: Neil Roodyn, Arabella Macpherson, Lauren Ryder, Domino Risch, Steve Baty

Last night was the very first ‘By The Fireplace’ panel discussion, launching with the topic ‘Innovating Collaborative Workflow’. Distinguished panellists sat by the (strategically flameless) fireplace discussing new ideas in workplace communication best practise and the future of collaboration; covering everything from the impact of emerging technologies to the importance of a strong, strategic workplace culture. Our multi-talented guest speakers on the night were Steve Baty of Meld Studios, Arabella Macpherson of Resonate Communications, Domino Risch of BVN Architecture and Lauren Ryder of Mirvac, MC'd by nsquared’s very own Neil Roodyn. All experts in their respective fields, the night brought about a fiery, incisive discussion about the future of the workplace. 

As well as an elaborate cheese smorgasbord and plenty of wine, the heated panel session was concluded with a networking session, giving everyone an opportunity to share their ideas about communications workflow. See the below photos for brief snippet of the night, and check our Facebook or LinkedIn page next week for more photo action.

The night also featured a DIGITABLE which is permanently housed at The Porter, where guests had the opportunity to see and play with nsquared’s ideas on the future of workplace collaboration. The evening being a roaring success, the second ‘By The Fireplace’ discussion is already in the works. Because of the fantastic turnout, we want to open the doors a bit wider for our next event. We welcome anybody interested in partaking in invigorating discussions around workplace best practise to please contact us. 

We send our thanks out to everyone that attended the event, especially our distinguished panellists. If you have gone home with a new outlook, a new idea or a new contact, it was a successful night. We look forward to seeing everyone next time!

To get in touch with nsquared about any upcoming events, contact us at enquiries@nsquaredsolutions.com, or message us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.










Thursday, July 16, 2015

Introducing nsquared media viewer



nsquared media viewer 

nsquared media viewer is a digital signage application which allows the public to browse and discover your content on their own. This week, nsquared launched the latest version of nsquared media viewer complete with hi-res camera support and significant improvements in speed and performance, helping to maintain its position as the leader in engaging interactive digital signage.

Using cutting-edge motion sensing technology, nsquared media viewer’s unique gesture- or touch-controlled interface has transformed the digital sign into an interactive digital signage experience. 

Unlike existing technology, nsquared media viewer is intelligently reactive to the presence of people which means a greater potential to captivate passers-by, getting them pay attention to your content and get your brand noticed.

nsquared media viewer gives total power to the small business owner or franchisee. The intuitive cloud-based content management system means nsquared media viewer is also the simplest way for a client to manage their own videos, images, and website signage without a marketing agency in the middle.

Ideal for real estate agents, travel agents, any consultancy based firm or nearly any retail space, nsquared media viewer eliminates the need for any unnecessary expensive and wasteful brochures.

Interactive signage means immediate results. Interactions with your content are automatically measured and analysed to give feedback in real time. This provides valuable insight into what users respond to, helping better target users in the future. 

nsquared media viewer is a Windows 8.1 application with a free demo download available now. Just visit the website here or go straight to the app download page here.

For more on immersive digital signage solutions, or multi-user software, follow nsquared on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube or Facebook.

nsquared media viewer: simple to use


Thursday, June 25, 2015

What makes a mission statement great?


 
Satya Nadella - CEO of Microsoft Photo: NewYorker.com

This week Satya Nadella, the CEO of Microsoft, sent out a "State of the Union Microsoft" address email to his 118,000 global employees. In it, he detailed a vision for the next year, full of 'tough choices' and mobile-first, cloud-centric computing. As he has been sitting in the role for nearly 18 months now, it came as little surprise that he also announced his new mission for the company, finally updating the much maligned mission statement of his predecessor. It got us thinking in the nsquared office, what makes a good mission statement?

Let's have a quick look at the history of Microsoft's mission statement.

Under Bill Gates, the famous, metrics-focussed mission of an IT revolutionary: "A computer on every desk and in every home."

The more controversial verbosity of Steve Ballmer came next with his idea to, "create a family of devices and services for individuals and businesses that empower people around the globe at home, at work and on the go, for the activities they value most."

And finally, Nadella announced he wants "to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more."

While there is similarities in all of them, you can see a particular preoccupation from each CEO and a clear idea of what they wanted to achieve, some maybe more evocative than others.

So how do other company's compare?

Google - Google's mission is to organise the world's information and make it universally accessible and useful.

Coca Cola - To refresh the world, to inspire moments of optimism and happiness, to create value and make a difference

Amazon - To be Earth's most customer-centric company where people can find and discover anything they want to buy online

Virgin Atlantic - our mission statement is simple, yet the foundation of everything we do here at Virgin Atlantic Airways… to embrace the human spirit and let it fly.

nsquared - putting digital tables everywhere.

So what makes a mission statement great? A mission is basically a giant, long-term objective, a collective goal to strive for as an organisation - what makes a mission statement great is the visionary behind the idea and the people executing it every day.

If you would like to receive more updates about what is happening in our world, follow us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn or subscribe to our VIP mailing list.

Friday, May 29, 2015

Three Tips to Give Your Business the Edge

The new economy is not measured in currency but attention. This is not news - Herbert Simon was talking about it in 1971. Attention demands time, and to get time we need to be smart in how we work. The idea of the workplace ecosystem, a collaborative body, is increasingly being recognised by change innovators as a powerful agent for productivity. We like working together and we work well together.

Here are some ideas for you to help get more time in your life, through smarter workplace practices:



1. Take the initiative to start the conversation.

"Being able to work with others is an important part of being an entrepreneur"
- Amy Rosen, President and CEO, Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship

Actively look for criticism, feedback, opinions from everyone that you can. Even if they are not experts in the field or on the same level as you. Being able to articulate your thoughts to them will help you simplify and distill your ideas. This will create a dynamic, collaborative atmosphere and, as the Work Futurist Jeremy Scrivens says, will create a positive and accountable workplace ecosystem.

 

2. No meeting can ever be longer than 1 hour.

The shorter the better; meetings must be pointed with a measurable outcome. Anything being discussed for longer than an hour is not meant for a meeting: more time talking about doing work means less time doing work. If there is a lot of content to talk about, send it around beforehand and talk about key issues within the meeting itself.


 
 

3. Team spaces are as important as solo spaces.

Why did the "work from home revolution" never eventuate? Because people feed off each others energy. We don't like working in isolation: we are social animals that need others to excel ourselves. Team spaces can be anywhere, for formal meetings or ad hoc conversations, the only rule is no phones, tablets or laptops. Personal devices, while great for certain things, isolate and distract.

nsquared has a vision to move the business world forward by creating better tools for pointed, meaningful interaction in your workplace. If you are interested in what we do, or if you are interesting in joining any of the events we host about workplace collaboration, keep up to date with our Twitter or Facebook or join our VIP mailing list. 

Have a productive day!