10 Gadgets to Help You Turn Your Boring Office into a ‘Smart Office’

The Internet of Things (IoT) gives you the ability to remotely control and monitor various devices by connecting them to the Internet. For example, it can let you remotely monitor your home’s security camera system while you’re away or set the temperature on your thermostat with a smartphone app. Homes that use various IoT devices are commonly called smart homes.

But if you can make your home smarter, why not take advantage of IoT devices in the office as well? There are many smart office gadgets that you can use in your workspace, whether you work in a dedicated office or have an office space in your home. With IoT technology, offices of the future can be more secure, connected and smarter. This leads to greater productivity and convenience for those who work in them.

We bring you the list of “smart office” gadgets you simply must have:

1. August Smart Lock

While there are now many smart access control systems on the market, the August Smart Lock is one of the most versatile and affordable ones you can find. It can work both in the home and office. This smart gadget lets you replace a standard deadbolt lock with a connected one. It allows you to lock and unlock the door to your office with your smartphone. Other interesting features it provides include the ability to program a defined list of guests who have access to your office at certain hours, as well as a 24/7 activity log that lets you see who opened the door and when.

2. Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat

The Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat is a device that gives you better control over the environment in your office, while helping you conserve energy. This Wi-Fi enabled thermostat comes with room sensors that monitor the temperature at multiple locations in your office and not just where your thermostat is. It can be controlled by using its intuitive LED panel or remotely, as it connects to your Wi-Fi network. 

You can thus control the climate in your office remotely from any smartphone, tablet or computer. By using the Ecobee3 Smart Thermostat, you can also save an average of 23 percent on your office heating and cooling costs.

3. Footbot Air Quality Monitor

Many studies have shown that poor indoor air quality in offices can lead to various productivity problems, including stress and fatigue. With the Footbot Air Quality Monitor, you’ll get a device that helps you stay healthy by knowing what’s in the air. Installing it is simple and takes only a few minutes. It provides you with useful data such as temperature, humidity and levels of particulates in the atmosphere.

Just like many other smart gadgets, it connects directly to your office Wi-Fi network. This allows you to get access to its data from any Internet-enabled device.

4. Philips Hue Lighting

There are many benefits to installing smart lighting systems, not just in your home, but your office as well. The main one is that you can save energy by remotely controlling which lights are on and their intensity. The LED light bulbs used in smart lighting systems like the Philips Hue Lighting are also designed to last many decades, which helps protect the environment and saves you on replacement costs.

The Philips Hue Lighting system can be controlled with a smartphone app. They let you choose between millions of colors of light shades to set up the ambiance you want in your office. When taking a break, you can also have the lighting system sync automatically to movies, games or music. The ability to control the light intensity and color is great when giving presentations too.

5. Synology DiskStation DS115j

The Synology DiskStation DS115j is a cloud NAS (Network Attached Storage) system. It provides you with a simple and convenient way to securely centralize all of your important data. You can use it to store work documents and retrieve them from anywhere or as an efficient automatic backup solution. It also lets you sync files between multiple devices, such as your desktop and laptop computers.

6. Bluewire Headset

The Bluewire Headset is a convenient communication tool that is specially made for those working in an office. It’s a Bluetooth headset that pairs with your smartphone and gives you the ability to automatically record all of your calls. If needed, you can upload the recorded audio to a variety of cloud storage services.



7. Smarter Coffee

If you’re looking for a connected coffee maker, Smarter Coffee is one of the best choices on the market. You can use it as a standard coffee maker, or use its mobile app to remote brew your coffee from anywhere. You can personalize your choice of coffee by selecting your desired strength and the number of cups you need.

8. Tilt Smart Blinds

Remotely controlled blinds are a feature that is common in many smart homes, but they can be used in the office as well. With the Tilt Smart Blinds, you get a full automation kit that lets you open and close the blinds with a smartphone app. You also have the ability to set the blinds to close or open at a specified time.

9. SeeNote

The SeeNote is a digital version of traditional sticky notes. It has an ePaper Touchscreen that provides you with the information you need, whenever you need it. You control what it displays with your smartphone and stick it anywhere you want in your office.

10. Phree

Phree is an interesting gadget that lets you turn almost any surface into paper. It’s a digital input device that lets you write what you want almost anywhere and capture the input on your smartphone. Your words and sketches instantly appear on the screen of many apps that support it.

Final Word

The Internet of Things is a technology that is rapidly progressing and making many devices smarter by connecting them to the Internet. While home automation is a very popular topic in recent times, many IoT devices can be used in the office, helping you simplify your work tasks and making your day more productive than ever before.

Guest article written by: Joe Peters is a Baltimore-based freelance writer and an ultimate tech enthusiast. When he is not working his magic as a marketing consultant, this incurable tech junkie enjoys reading about latest apps and gadgets and binge-watching his favorite TV shows. You can reach him @bmorepeters