Coworking Spaces: VillageOffice wins Cisco as technology partner
Cisco and VillageOffice have agreed to collaborate. Cisco will become the technology partner of the cooperative, which is building a network of regional coworking spaces. This technology partnership creates a powerful force for advancing the new world of work.
Since 2016, VillageOffice has been developing regional coworking and building a network of locally anchored partner spaces - currently there are 73 spread across Switzerland. The goal: By 2030, every person in Switzerland should be able to reach the nearest coworking space within 15 minutes by bike or public transport. This is entirely in line with the "next normal": decentralized working promotes the business resilience of organizations and accelerates the transformation towards a digitalized, more sustainable and more crisis-resistant economy. Cisco's contribution is now to provide the "Digital Village" with the "most modern and secure coworking infrastructure in the whole of Switzerland" and to strengthen local structures through digitization, as it says.
Technological concept for VillageOffice
The technology partnership includes the development of a concept on how regional coworking spaces can be further developed with Cisco Meraki network technology and Cisco Webex Collaboration. In addition, Cisco is assisting with expertise. The two partners have already implemented the technology concept at MountainLab in Adelboden and tested it at the former SBB train station in Eglisau. They are currently analyzing further usage scenarios.
The technology concept includes Cisco Meraki with secure Wi-Fi connectivity based on Wi-Fi 6, high-speed Internet in collaboration with a local provider, and Cisco Webex Collaboration with HD video conferencing. "Because of the Corona crisis, companies and organizations are thinking about what everyday operations will look like in the "next normal": a balanced mix of optimized office space, home offices and coworking locations," says Joel Curado, Head of Country Digital Acceleration for the Digital Village project at Cisco Switzerland. "Coworking spaces will become even more important," says Jenny Schäpper-Uster, "Less commuting, more flexibility, clear separation of work and private life, professional work infrastructure and social exchange."
Outlook
The partnership between Cisco and VillageOffice involves other local partners in the implementation of the technological concept - in line with the cooperative's aim of establishing a strong foothold in the regions. Regional coworking promotes local value creation, increases the quality of life and relieves the traffic infrastructure.
Jenny Schäpper-Uster, co-founder and Chairman of the Board of Directors of VillageOffice, comments as follows: "In Cisco, we have found a technology partner that best meets the IT requirements of regional coworking spaces, coworkers and corporate customers - while remaining simple and secure. This allows users of VillageOffice Partner Spaces to concentrate fully on their business."
Source: Cisco. More information about VillageOffice is available here.
