The history of coworking is not particularly long, but is explosive! This history started in 1990 with the spread of the internet and new technologies and, in just a few years, it has gone from a part-time small-scale business to a global worldwide phenomenon. Nowadays it is widespread all around the world, and everywhere people can benefit from shared working spaces. Even if the core business is always the same, in the latest years many different types of businesses have seen the light (The History of Coworking). For example, in Lisbon there is a space called Village Underground made by recycled shipping containers and double-decker buses reimagined as offices, meeting rooms, and studios. In London there is a coworking space called Uncommon that is fully covered by plants, or in Indonesia there is a space called Hubud fully made of bamboo. Other types of businesses can be distinguished by the niche market that they host, for example in Milan the BePrime24 is designed for accountants, while in Australia there is a space, One Roof, thought for freelancers or entrepreneurs women.
Despite fast growth pace and the peculiarities of each single business, the principles they share are always the same, that is the creation of a culture and a community. The focus is always on ethics, the idea of creating a cohesive group of people and providing a productive and stimulating working place. From the part-time small-scale business to the big ones of the last ten years, this innovative and forward-looking venture type can be represented by the key moments of its own short history of success.
Here is an infographic representing the history of coworkings:
Source: https://bit.ly/3MDVumm
As of 2021, coworkings have become a new standard all around the world, because of the several different types of businesses established. There are franchising with seats in multiple cities, like Talent Garden and Wellio (by the way, they both integrate Sofia Locks solutions!), independent business quickly scaling to the range of 5 to 10 locations that dominates certain areas, and one-off locations. What all these businesses have in common is the need for innovative solutions. Technology is no longer just an instrument to optimize the operations, but it allows to better the building and create added value. It is a key factor not only for tenants, but also for the landlords that can offer flexible, modular and comfortable spaces. Among other advantages, managers of any type can have information on the number of users attending any space at a requested time, but also: manage the spaces and the resources with a single panel, have statistics on the use of spaces to optimize them in the future, and improve the security and safety of the building. Also users can benefit of many advantages through the self service logic, they can for example verify the availability of working settings in real-time with their smartphone, book them autonomously, and have information on the state of the building.
Just like many other modern businesses, coworking relies very much on fresh data. Sofia Locks cloud native solutions provide an exhaustive analysis of data and the full control over space and information. By understanding data and creating charts it is possible to observe the exploitation of spaces and resources, and to foresee future scenarios and take appropriate actions.
Last but not least, wireless technologies are a key contributor in the success of coworking business. They enable the easy arrangement of fully functional areas, as well as pilots to test new ways of working without having to face big initial investments, hinder the operations of the building, or struggle with technology replacements. Sofia Locks provide fully wireless solutions, designed to enforce a flexible approach to the introduction of smart technologies for modern buildings and businesses. Sofia Locks allows to embrace flexibility and modularity without compromising security and privacy.