New Ways of Working Network

FORTUNE magazine’s January 16 issue features 12 predictions about how the office will look ten years from now. Basically, not much different from today, but with a bunch of cool tech tools.

FORTUNE’s editors don’t buy the idea that the office is extinct. People will still sit at desks, they believe. “Most futurists predict the demise of a central office, replaced by telecommuters and contractors working from satellite locations,” the authors write. “We're skeptical: If anything, the fast-paced global nature of business is going to call for more collaboration and face-to-face teamwork.”

Here are some of their predictions:

• Smart windows: Office windows will be multifunctional – solar panels, multimedia screens and privacy shades all in one.
• Desktop-size 3-D printers: Speed up the product development cycle with super-fast prototyping 
• Real-time language translation: Teleconferences will be instantly translated and the text will scroll across a computer screen.
• Table-top holograms: Next gen tables will render 3-D holograms of any object. 
• Office matchmaking: Special software will track who is on campus that day, and suggest potential collaboration meetups.