Over the past couple of decades, there has been a boom in office technology which has seen numerous once time-consuming tasks automated, but while this has solved a lot of problems, it has created others. Running around between devices can create a lot of foot traffic in the office, with the potential for delays and accidents. Queues for physical access to machines cause delays and tangled cables underfoot create a hazard. It’s also easy for systems to become overloaded. The new generation of USB-C docking stations let you solve many of these problems in one go, bringing your physical environment up to speed with the best of what technology has to offer. So what do you need to know about it?
Reliable Wired Internet
Most businesses now prefer laptops to desktop machines. They take up less space, they can be used while commuting and they make it easy for employees moving between meetings and the office to make sure they always have access to the data they need. However, running lots of laptops on wireless internet in a busy office can quickly lead to problems as the system gets jammed up. Using a USB-C docking station makes it easy to plug in a laptop and give it instant access to a wired network, which can significantly reduce delays, enabling employees to work more effectively. Saying goodbye to the frustrations of wireless can also do a lot to boost office morale.
Faster Data Transfer
The new USB-C technology is designed with the future in mind, so it doesn’t just offer speeds that meet your needs today, it will remain useful as technology advances and data loads inevitably get bigger. Faster transfer makes day to day work easier and also means you can work with bigger files, so if you’re dealing with audio or video you won’t need to cut files into pieces or compress them before passing them to colleagues. This reduces the risk of material getting lost or corrupted and it saves a lot of time and trouble.
Reliable Power Delivery
Using a docking station that supplies everything through a single cable, including power, means workstations can be positioned more economically and ergonomically, without the need to be able to plug in machines at the wall as well as connecting them to the network. It means there’s no need to worry about battery life or wait for the opportunity to recharge, even when dealing with heavy loads. Having the freedom to rearrange the office makes it easier to group people who are working on the same projects so that they can talk to one another from their desks rather than having to get up and walk around to exchange ideas or do everything through chat software.
4K Multi-Screen Display
The USB-C docking station is equipped to deliver 4K quality video so you can stream it across multiple machines. If you work in the film or video industries or within advertising, the usefulness of this will be immediately apparent; for other types of business, it’s future-proofing. It’s also convenient for managers who want to give all their staff access to the same filmed announcements or training videos. Although it will only be relevant if the devices are plugged into a 4K display, that's becoming more and more common and it will soon be a must for any video-related work.
No More Messy Cables
All these great technical features aside, one of the best things about these new docking stations is that they do away with the need to have cables trailing everywhere. Just a single cable supplies power, network connection and access to all the necessary office devices, from scanners to printers. This reduces office trip hazards and makes it easy to ensure cables are properly in place instead of being half pulled out, which is a common fire hazard. It also makes the office look a lot smarter, a big asset if potential customers are visiting.
At Kensington, we’re excited to have docking stations like these in stock. We’re always trying to find the best solutions for our customers and this one allows us to kill several birds with one stone. Compact, convenient and easy to use, it’s a great addition to any office.