Nice article in the Business Herald last Friday. Republished online 28 Feb.

This from Sydney Central

There are more jobs in Sydney CBD but offices are getting smaller and more cramped, according to Sydney Council’s five-yearly floor space census.

Employment in the CBD increased 32.8 per cent in a 10 year period from 1996 to 2006, but growth in city floor space increased by only 21.5 per cent in that time. The number of businesses in the CBD remained stable from 1996 to 2006.

The finance and financial services sector is the biggest employer with 23.4 per cent of the workforce, and significant gains were recorded in the professional and business services sector – up 97.6 per cent.

Tourism also boomed with increases in floorspace of 61 per cent, mainly because of the Olympics 2000.

Great to see that at the beginning on a new decade such a simple thing as dual screen productivity ranks so high. And this from a Jim Taylor Ph.D Professor at the University of San Francisco who works in performance psychology.

So, to start the year (and decade) on a positive technology note, I want to share with you the ten things I love about technology, in no particular order and with no complaints, just to show you how positive I can be:

1. On-line forums: Communities of helpers and givers; expert, anonymous, altruistic.
2. Skype: The next best thing to being there (for work and family).
3. Facebook: Connecting with your past, enriching your present, expanding your future.
4. Smartphones: So much power and versatility in such a little package.
5. Dual monitors: Maximum productivity; everything I need at my visual fingertips.

Read the full article here.

This post from Jeff Atwood is a great, well researched and well commented summary on ergonomics for those of us who prefer to stay indoors.

A great read with some tips on computer workstation ergonomics.

A quick summary of Jeff’s main points

1. The top of your monitor should be at eye level
2. Your desk surface should be at roughly belly button level
3. Your feet should be flat on the floor with your knees at a ~90 degree angle
4. When typing, your wrists should be in line with your forearms and not bent up, down, or to the side

The last monitor arm you will ever need to buy, the XX has eliminated the gas spring, the most failure-prone component of standard arms, assuring the longest life possible

It is a rather interesting statement on two fronts. Firstly, the last monitor arm you will ever need to buy – really. What happens when you have two monitors? Or three?  The market is certainly moving towards  dual screen setups so I am pretty sure this is not a realistic statement.

Secondly, nice to see they recognise that gas springs are the most failure-prone component. We have been saying this for a while but nice to see.

It was, therefore, interesting to hear the following on ABC now Macquarie Group have finally moved in. From my perspective I find the idea of a “locker” interesting and I would be keen to see how this works in years to come. As someone who travels frequently I do like the idea but I know some would resist.

How, for example, do accounts staff work with this concept?

This award recognises the best use of design to succeed in a global market niche, by using design to anticipate customer needs and by designing innovative products, services and brands.

Winner: Modtec Industries Ltd

Modtec Industries Ltd, a company that has carved out a profitable international niche designing and manufacturing the Integ range of modular monitor arms for commercial furniture and medical markets around the world, has won the award for Best Use of Design in International Business in the New Zealand International Business Awards 2009.

“Monitor arms are being used increasingly as they deliver numerous benefits, including better ergonomics, space savings and increased productivity,” says Chief Executive and founder Bruce Davies. “And with the growth in new technologies such as web cams and laptop usage, mounting solutions are becoming more sophisticated and specialised.”

The Auckland engineering and manufacturing firm has been in business for 30 years, but its focus traditionally was on contract manufacturing. The impetus behind designing the Integ range was to achieve greater influence over the design, manufacture and sales process.

Modtec started selling Integ monitor arms in 2003 after investing considerable time getting the design right. It also took time for the market to come up to speed, recalls Mr Davies. “We knew there was a niche for this product, but in order to tap into that niche we had to build relationships offshore and that was new to us.”

Integ has applications across a wide range of industries, from financial markets where users work with multiple monitors, to media markets, and offices where working with dual monitors is becoming more common as people realise the productivity gains they can achieve, as well as the space savings and ergonomic benefits.

Mr Davies says Modtec is targeting a high value niche market which requires it to regularly demonstrate its design and engineering capabilities under tight deadlines.

“We have a clear advantage over our competitors based on rapid customisation of our monitor arms using a Lego style philosophy. The Lego model means the original template can, with little physical change, evolve as technology evolves. The key component is a unique slot mechanism and alloy extrusion which can hold up to four arms of various lengths and is easily height-adjusted to suit the ergonomic needs and requirements of each operator.”

Australia is Modtec’s largest export market, and it is also achieving good results in the US, Asia and the UK.

Mr Davies says international growth has come through building relationships with commercial furniture from Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs), architects, interior designers and project managers.

“These relationships are critical and are founded on our ability to deliver what we promise. The superior design of our product gives us the confidence to make those promises. Our products are regularly featured in installations with the world’s leading furniture brands such as Herman Miller, and we regularly receive enquiries from OEMs’ sales offices outside of our traditional geographic markets indicating that our reputation is growing.”

Developing international markets is one of Modtec’s biggest challenges, says Mr Davies.

“We have to make sure we’ve got a structure and funding that allows regular market visits, which can be difficult for a small business.”

It has also had to ensure it has the manufacturing capability and flexibility to ramp up production to meet future projections.

Mr Davies says investing the time and resources into designing the Integ range of products and taking them to the international market was a radical change in direction for Modtec.

“It was a real risk to take this tack and get out of something we were doing well, which was contracting to organisations. It’s a large risk for any organisation when you design a new product and you won’t see the rewards for perhaps three to five years. We could see the growth of the market would come; it was a case of when it would come. But it has absolutely worked out.”

For further information

Ian Cooper, Head of Sales and Marketing, Modtec Industries Ltd, 09 426 6380,ian@integinternational.com, www.integinternational.com or www.modtec.co.nz

I was in a meeting last week with our electrical partner and we were discussing the developments in USB (Universal Serial Bus) gadgets.  This one tops it. Just imagine powering up your at work chainsaw – it may help you cut to the chase in some meetings.

Just a shame in is a hoax.

You can see immediate benefits with the virtual keyboard and in combination with our Apollo6 solution it would provide immediate benefits to a large number of users.

The possibilties for this sort of set up are wide (ok, outside of the fact that the four guys in the room were all thinking sport at home) and include control rooms & medical installations.

Modtec Industries Ltd has carved out a profitable international niche designing and manufacturing the Integ range of modular monitor arms for the commercial furniture and medical markets in Australia, Singapore, the US, and UK.

Monitor arms are being used increasingly as they deliver numerous benefits, including better ergonomics, space savings and increased productivity, says Chief Executive Officer Bruce Davies.

With the growth in new technologies such as web cams and laptop usage, Mr Davies says mounting solutions are becoming more sophisticated and specialised.

“Modtec operates in a niche market which requires us to regularly demonstrate our design and engineering capabilities under tight deadlines. We have a clear advantage over our competitors based on rapid customisation using a Lego style philosophy.”

The Lego style model means the original template can, with little physical change, evolve as technology evolves. The key component is a unique slot mechanism and alloy extrusion, which can hold up to four arms of various lengths and is easily height-adjusted to suit the ergonomic needs and requirements of each operator. Modtec’s emphasis is on creating a product that is not only functional, but very user friendly.

Modtec’s strong international sales growth has come through building relationships with OEM commercial furniture manufacturers, architects, interior designers, and project managers.

For further information

Ian Cooper, Head of Sales and Marketing, Modtec Industries, 09 426 6380,ian@integinternational.com, www.integinternational.com

Ann Clifford, Corporate Communications Manager, New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, 04 816 8321, 027 283 3858, ann.clifford@nzte.govt.nz,www.nzte.govt.nz

We would like to take this opportunity to annouce our Auckland Showcase to be held September 15-17, 2009 and share with you some of these developments.

We have a range of 1 hour sessions all with limited space.

Tuesday 15 September

10am, 12pm, 2pm (booked) or 4 pm

Wednesday 16 September

10am (booked), 12pm (booked), 2pm (booked) or 4 pm

Thursday 17 September

10am, 12pm, 2pm (booked) or 4 pm

Venue view map

Unit 115, Zone 23,

23 Edwin Street, Mt Eden

We would love to take the opportunity to meet with you and update you on some of our most recent developments and new product ideas. Please make sure you RSVP early.

This is where the Apollo6 solution comes into its own.  These images, from a recent installation, clearly demonstrate the benefit of the Apollo6. Not only does it allow you to mount multiple arms or accessories the cables can be hidden in the pole.

What I particularly like about this article is that Kevin addresses how to tackle the basic setup once you get yours hands on that extra screen.  He also makes an interesting comment with regard to desk space. To quote:

“Do you have enough desk space – this is the most overlooked aspect!  This is often not considered until boxes are being unpacked and there is a reality check about how things are going to be set up”

Clearly, Kevin needs an Integ monitor arm because we have actually gained space with our two screen configuration.  You certainly do not want to fall into the trap of using the plastic stands which often come with most screens as this will just rob you of even more desk space.

We recently converted a number of internal users from single screens to dual screens and the feedback and productivity gains have been huge. Most users admit that they would struggle to move back to a screen single. Not only does it looks cool but the ease of moving data from one application to another is just seamless.

People who use two 20-inch monitors are 44 percent more productive.  So reports the NY Times.

Believe me if you have not done this, then you are losing valuable time. If you have a laptop which is sitting in one of those ugly docking stations under your monitor then pull it out and use it as a second screen. It is amazing the difference it can make.