Visix Launches E-Paper Signs And Software To Support Workplace Hot-desking

March 17, 2023 by Dave Haynes

Atlanta-based CMS software and solutions firm Visix has started marketing a different take on managing multiple workspaces in office hoteling environments, using e-paper displays as reservation screens at desks.

It’s a variation on meeting room signs, the main difference being how these small displays are small, lightweight, affordable and largely trouble-free. Visix has been doing e-paper meeting room signs for many years, so in many ways this is a natural spin-out product.

The signs look a lot like larger electronic shelf labels and e paper-based retail fact tags, and are married to booking software.

Says Visix in PR:

Visix, Inc. has added digital desk signs to their epaper line of products to further support hybrid workplaces. The new EPS 42 epaper desk sign is small, lightweight and affordable, making it a scalable solution for clients wanting to manage multiple workspaces in office hoteling environments.

As more organizations move to a flexible workplace model, workspace booking is a priority for occupancy management, collaboration and employee experience initiatives. Digital desk signs take the guesswork out of hoteling and hot-desking environments by showing availability and upcoming reservations right at the workspace. Employees can easily find their reserved places, check availability of open desks and locate where teammates are sitting at a glance.

“We’re seeing more and more of our clients adapt to a hybrid and nomadic workforce,” says Trey Hicks, COO and CSO for Visix. “Many employees want to work in the office at least one day a week, so companies are adopting more modern space management solutions. The old method of first-come, first-served doesn’t work in some situations, and you can wind up having unhappy employees if they can’t find a desk when they need one. By using booking apps paired with digital desk signs, companies can track reservations and usage, and improve the overall workplace experience for everyone.”

The new EPS 42 desk sign is pocket-sized and easy to place anywhere hybrid offices need to offer reservations. The 4:3 display can be used in landscape or portrait mode, weighs only three ounces, and measures under four inches square for easy mounting on desks, workstations, partitions, walls and glass. Because the signs are wireless and battery-powered, installation doesn’t require any cabling, and is as simple as affixing the signs with 3M Command Strips.

These epaper signs use Visix’s AxisTV Conference software to pull reservation data from popular calendar apps like Office 365, Exchange, EMS, Google Calendar, CollegeNET and more. Text and graphics can include black, white and red ink, and clients can use a variety of screen templates or fully customize their layouts. QR codes on screens allow employees to reserve, check in and cancel reservations when integrated with workspace booking and occupancy management solutions like Tango’s Reserve by AgilQuest.

Meeting room signs very quickly caught on in a lot of larger workplaces because they could help solve the constant problem of allocating and protecting booked meeting spaces. Most systems used LCD-based tablets, but companies like Visionect and Visix have offered e-paper versions that can run on just batteries.

The COVID era cleared out a lot of workplaces for weeks or months, and led to hybrid working arrangements and set-ups like office hoteling, in which staffers don’t have permanent workstations and companies can reduce leasing costs by running smaller footprint offices.

Networked displays indicating someone has a desk booked for a specific time window beats someone draping a coat over a chair, or putting their backpack on the desk while they’re off getting coffee or sitting in a physical meeting somewhere else in the workplace.