What to do with the overload of the emotional system that emerges in the shadow of the hybrid work?　Epson Direct (page 1/3)

Telework has become widespread over the past two years, but now that we are looking at the convergence of the corona crisis, hybrid work is emerging. It is a rational style that adopts telework as a means and changes the place of work every day depending on the day's work, such as home and office, cafes, satellite offices, and client companies.

Productivity, security, privacy... If the way we work changes, new challenges will emerge, but Microsoft's "Windows 11" is a platform that has appeared to prepare for such a hybrid work era. By strengthening security requirements and linking with Microsoft Office and Microsoft Teams, it provides an environment that allows collaboration regardless of the work location, laying the groundwork for improving productivity.

However, the transition to hybrid work is not so easy to actually execute. It may be difficult for many companies to change everything at once due to problems such as budgets and information system department resources. How should we deal with such practical problems? This time, we asked Mr. Wataru Mikoshiba, Manager of Marketing Group, Business Promotion Department, Epson Direct, who has a long track record of business PCs for small and medium-sized enterprises.

――Since the corona crisis, work styles have changed significantly along with changes in society, and hybrid work is becoming central. Have you noticed any changes through communication with customers?

Mr. Mikoshiba: Customers' introduction patterns are changing. There is a tendency for customers who previously chose desktop PCs to switch to notebook PCs, with a focus on portability and space saving, assuming home work and hybrid work. We also offer notebook PCs and ultra-compact desktop PCs that emphasize portability, and these are also popular.

──As awareness of hybrid work increases, companies are also required to change. As you communicate with SMEs, please let us know if you have noticed any problems SMEs are currently facing or points that are considered important.

Mr. Mikoshiba 　While hybrid work is spreading, the overload on the information system department is emerging as an issue. Most of our customers are SMEs with less than 300 employees, but there are also so-called "one-person information systems" and "zero information systems" that do not have a specialized information system department. While the person in charge cannot easily spare man-hours, there are increasing concerns about PC introduction methods and maintenance. In the first place, there are also consultations from the point of "I want to promote hybrid work, but where should I start?"

――　Microsoft has released Windows 11 as an OS that focuses on solving problems in hybrid work. How does your company view this OS? What impact do you think it will have on companies and the people who work there?

Mr. Mikoshiba　The integration of Microsoft Teams into the OS is a big factor. Teams is the key to promoting hybrid work. I feel that it is a great advantage to be able to seamlessly move things across applications centered on Teams, and I think it is an important existence in promoting hybrid work.

On the other hand, there are some companies that cannot install the new OS right away due to reasons such as compatibility verification. We are using Windows 10 Pro for the time being, but we also have an introduction method in the form of downgrading from Windows 11 so that we can upgrade to Windows 11 Pro when the system is ready.

――　Your company's PCs are designed so that Microsoft Office (PIPC version) can be purchased from the BTO menu.

Mr. Mikoshiba: Many people use Microsoft Office in their work, so we have prepared it in the BTO menu. Microsoft Office Personal, Home and Business, Professional and each edition are available. Some people use the cloud-based Microsoft Office 365, but there are cases, especially for small companies, where a one-time purchase of a perpetual license is easier to use, so we encourage customers to choose according to their needs.