Today I’m excited to introduce Microsoft Places, our new connected workplace platform that will reimagine hybrid and in-person work. This platform delivers solutions that coordinate where work happens, modernize the office with intelligent technology, and optimize the workplace for changing needs. This resource forms part of the Secure Connected Places Playbook developed for local authorities by DSIT in collaboration with Plexal, Daintta and Configured Things. The resources in the Playbook are alpha-grade and will be subject to further testing and iteration. 1. Executive summary 1.1 What is this resource? Technology can dramatically improve the in-office experience, especially places that were not built for hybrid work. With wayfinding, you’ll no longer waste time looking for the right conference room or following outdated building signs; instead, you’ll be able to access a map on your mobile device that guides you to the right place. Hot desk booking will allow you to see where your closest colleagues are sitting and choose your desk accordingly. And once you get to the right room, Microsoft Teams Rooms empowers everyone to participate regardless of location, thanks to its thoughtful, inclusive features. With the goal of rebuilding and strengthening bonds, Microsoft Places will also facilitate serendipitous meet-ups, allowing colleagues to easily create impromptu meet-ups and share with others in the office. With Places, offices are more responsive to everyone’s needs. Screens simulated and reflect the vision for the product. Features shown may not be available when the product becomes generally available. Optimize space and costs for changing needs

We recommend that you discuss these questions with the relevant teams within your organisation. 3. Next steps A traffic light prioritisation system that does not authenticate emergency vehicles would be open to anyone changing traffic signals to green, potentially risking lives and damage to vehicles. The ‘future of work’ necessitates a new approach—one that helps people connect to space and to one another in considerably more dynamic and engaging ways. Technology will play an essential role in enabling individuals to make daily decisions that optimize how they work and offer insight to organizations that are focused on managing their environments and operations with greater agility.” — Georgia Collins, Executive Managing Director, CBRE. Introducing Microsoft Places Waste management: using sensors to improve the visibility of waste levels and oversight of suppliers, measuring their ability to meet their agreed service levels. Then, having followed the connected place design principles, the priority should be to manage the connected place’s privileged accesses and supply chain throughout its life cycle. This will include managing incidents, and planning for response and recovery. Importantly, this is not just for whole connected places, but should also be considered for each connected places project. 5.1 Understanding your connected place

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Technology can dramatically improve the in-office experience, especially places that were not built for hybrid work. With wayfinding, you’ll no longer waste time looking for the right conference room or following outdated building signs; instead, you’ll be able to access a map on your mobile device that guides you to the right place. Desk booking will allow you to see where your closest colleagues are sitting and choose your desk accordingly. And once you get to the right room, Microsoft Teams Rooms empowers everyone to participate regardless of location, thanks to its thoughtful, inclusive features. With the goal of rebuilding and strengthening bonds, Microsoft Places will also facilitate serendipitous meet-ups, allowing colleagues to easily create impromptu meet-ups and share with others in the office. With Places, offices are more responsive to everyone’s needs. Screens simulated and reflect the vision for the product. Features shown may not be available when the product becomes generally available. Optimize space and costs for changing needs The sessions are free and there is no need to book. You can find out what sessions are on offer by calling into Blaenavon, Cwmbran or Pontypool Library or following Torfaen Libraries on Facebook. Westminster City Council is embarking on a project to develop a Smart City Operating System, which is a modern data platform that aggregates and shares connected places data both internally and externally to deliver economic and social value for the organisation. Critical infrastructure and utilities: crowd monitoring to determine town centre business and provide citizens with information on the best times to shop, or the use of smart local energy systems to reduce pressure on the grid. Social care, health and wellbeing: the deployment of temperature and moisture sensors in houses to monitor and improve living conditions, or the use of sensors that help facilitate assisted living and improve accident response times.

Welsh Libraries are working to provide that connection within their local communities, through events and activities, signposting to other services or simply by providing people with a space to relax and chat with others. To find your QR code, go to the membership area and select 'My QR codes'. Tell me about the virtual workouts The cosy spaces are open to anyone for as long as they need while the libraries are open. You can read more about warm spaces in Torfaen here.Cuppa and a chat: Tuesdays 9.30am-12pm Cwmbran Library,Thursdays 11.15am-12.15pm Blaenavon, Fridays 2pm-4pm Pontypool Appendix: How this resource has been used by local authorities 7.1 Case study: Westminster City Council Need

One consistent question I hear from customers is what is the purpose of the office? It’s clear that the role of the office has changed. To make the office worth the commute, employees need a good reason—more than simply “because I said so.” That reason, we’ve found, is each other. 1 But it’s hard to know when colleagues are coming in, and too often, employees have commute-regret: the unique frustration of making the commute just to be alone in the office, doing work they could have done from home. And to make matters more challenging, people returning to the office often find spaces that haven’t evolved since 2019.Reimagining the workplace to support true flexibility will require technology to bridge the physical and digital divide. To do that, a new category of technology solutions is emerging called Connected Workplace. The Connected Workplace helps create modern workplaces equipped with technology that enables every employee to achieve their best outcomes. It then uses the information collected from modern workplaces to learn so places can easily adapt to employees’ changing needs. Products with technology built in that allow them to connect with their environment and other products, for instance, Internet of Things devices

The fundamental aim of a connected place is to enhance the quality of living for citizens through collaborative, interactive, and connected technology. A connected place will use a system of sensors, networks, and applications to collect data to improve its operation, including its transportation, buildings, utilities, environment, infrastructure, and public services. Understanding the risks to your connected place. Knowing what assets and projects make up your connected place, as well as their dependencies and inter-dependencies is essential to know what risks exist. Knowing this, a risk management process can access what risks are acceptable and require treatment. Understanding the risks is vital to knowing which business outcomes will be affected by any risk being realised. Please consult the Governance in a box resource for further details.

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Let’s go deeper into each of these areas to bring Microsoft Places to life. Coordinate where work happens to achieve the right outcomes They offer skilled and knowledgeable staff that can provide people with help and assistance to access information that supports their health and wellbeing, and can signpost to further support services. Apple today introduced Apple Business Connect, a free tool that allows businesses of all sizes to claim their location place cards and customise the way key information appears to more than a billion Apple users across Apple Maps, Messages, Wallet, Siri, and other apps. Microsoft Places hybrid scheduling will leverage common data signals from Outlook and Teams to allow you to view the week ahead and see when your co-workers and close collaborators are planning to be in the office. You’ll understand the days with the most in-office attendance, allowing you to adjust your schedule to take advantage of valuable in-person connections. Intelligent booking will help you discover available spaces with the right technology to match your meeting purpose and mix of in-person or remote participants. And you’ll get recommendations for the shortest commute times—with prompts telling you when to leave based on that day’s traffic and when your meetings are scheduled. With Microsoft Places, you can prioritize your time while maximizing in-person connections. Screens simulated and reflect the vision for the product. Features shown may not be available when the product becomes generally available. Modernize the office with intelligent technology To help this, Torfaen Council's library service is supporting a Welsh Government campaign to promote opportunities to connect.