(From The Citrix Blog) -- We have known for a long time that the way we work is evolving. More people are working outside the office, demanding greater flexibility to get work done wherever, whenever and on whatever device works best for them. In response to this demand, workplaces are getting smaller. They’re being better designed, and we’re seeing a reduction in the number of desks per person.  We’re also seeing people choose and use consumer devices to do their work.

The workplace of the future – today

According to the Citrix Workplace of the Future report, organizations will have almost a fifth less workspace by the end of 2020, provide just two-thirds of a desk for each office employee, and completely redesign their workplace.

That’s a big change in the way businesses operate and is made possible by the adoption of a trend we call workshifting – where people move work to more optimal times and locations. This increases people’s flexibility and mobility, offering them access to their business apps, files, and services anytime, anywhere. It’s a hot trend – worldwide, 91 percent of organizations are adopting workshifting. In fact, those organizations that have already, or plan to embrace workshifting, predict that one third of the workforce will no longer even access the corporate network from their local office. Almost all (96%) of the respondents in our survey say they are enhancing the design of their corporate real estate.

They also predict that each person is expected to access the corporate network from an average of six different computing devices. In recent years, corporate attitudes toward the use of personal devices in the workplace have changed dramatically. Currently, two-thirds of organizations do not have an enforced ban on people’s use of their own devices for work, although 84 percent have had such a ban in place in the past. We’re seeing widespread adoption of bring-your-own-device (BYOD) programs. In fact, 55 percent surveyed say they now actively accommodate and encourage the use of personal devices for work purposes.

Lots of locations, more devices

People are demanding the ability to seamlessly work anywhere, whether it is within the workplace, from customer sites, at home, or while on the go. People are also demanding to use their own, consumer-grade devices for work. It’s no secret that organizations realize the benefits of workshifting and BYOD.

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