Since the pandemic, there has been more demand among companies for technologies related to air purification, temperature screening, social distancing and contact tracing, says Mr Alvin Ng, Asia-Pacific vice-president of digital solutions at building technologies and solutions company Johnson Controls.
He believes the office space of the future will involve rapidly advancing technologies, such as artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things.
It might even have blinds and lights that can be easily controlled from one's phone, or lifts that know which floor to go to without the user having to touch any buttons, he adds.
Mr Kenneth Tham, senior market analyst at market research firm IDC, notes that since the Covid-19 outbreak, the digital transformation of organisations across the Asia-Pacific region has accelerated.
"Whether by choice or circumstance, organisations are moving from analogue to digital, and we believe this trend will continue post-pandemic."
With more people working from home, he says organisations might want to ensure that employees' homes are productive and secure, possibly by providing a budget for ergonomic tables and chairs, or by installing certain software tools on computers used for work to ensure better security.
The concept of an office will change, says Mr Simon Piff, vice-president for practice group at IDC. "I don't think the post-Covid-19 future is one where everyone necessarily works from home."
Although people are certainly productive at home, research shows that many workers are missing social interactions with their colleagues, and company leaders are concerned about the lack of "canteen chatter" that drives many social working groups, ideas and cross-team collaboration, he adds.
Rather, he believes the future is one of "extreme mobility", where people can work from any location, whether from home, an office, a cafe or a beach.
"As this period has shown, the need to be tied to an office has vanished. So, as long as you are productive, why should it matter where you work from?"
