Konica Minolta on the Edge

The following appears on workflowotg.com

By Patricia Ames – Konica Minolta just rolled out an ambitious new global initiative in Berlin that promises to transform the way we work. Dubbed by Konica “the world’s most connected intelligent edge platform for the workplace of the future,” Workplace Hub promises an environment of seamless collaboration in a mobile, “always-on” world.

That sounds great, right? But what does that really mean? I think the answer might be a little different for every person, and that might end up being the most valuable aspect of this entire effort. The platform is about “you” — how you work, how you access data from the network, what details you need and when, who you share information with and collaborate with. In a world where the importance of people as individuals seems to be receding in the rear view mirror, the Workplace Hub may be giving the power back to the individual.

Let’s take a step back and look at what was launched on March 23 in Berlin to get some context. This was a global launch. Konica Minolta clearly spent many months planning this event and that was apparent from the caliber of speakers. One of the most interesting keynotes I have heard lately came from novelist and artist Douglas Coupland, who is responsible for popularizing the term “Generation X.” His post-modernist view of the world allowed for many provocative sound (and visual) bites during his presentation that were ideal for sharing on social media. I’d love to know what the overall engagement and reach on social media was during the KM Spotlight launch – I have a feeling the number was astronomical given the international room of media clicking away and posting live.