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2nd February, London, UK – A new awareness day to promote the significance of energy efficiency and its role in reducing impacts to the environment has originated with Turn Down the Heat Day on 17th February. According to National Geographic scientist Katey Walter Anthony[1], the world’s permafrost – the frozen ground beneath the polar regions of the earth – will thaw entirely by 2100. This will drastically change ecologies, raise global sea-levels, and release over 950 billion tonnes of methane into the atmosphere. Turn Down the Heat Day exists to raise awareness for the impacts can be made across homes and offices to help prevent this from happening. Initially coined within the technology sector, Turn Down the Heat Day serves as a platform for consumers and businesses across all sectors to consider how their day-to-day decisions are impacting the environment. Craig Melson, Associate Director for Climate, Environment and Sustainability, said: “"techUK is a strong advocate of a collaborative process between industry, people, and society that will allow us to reach net zero goals by 2050 and welcomes innovative initiatives such as Turn Down the Heat Day as a chance to promote this more widely. By encouraging people to make small, attainable changes in their day-to-day life, we can make a greater difference and provide…
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Uncategorized @en_EU
At their most basic, workspaces and offices are commercial buildings that provide space for employees to carry out the work that affords them their salary. But if we look at the role of offices holistically, then they are so much more than that. They’re a place where people feel comfortable and safe in order to carry out our roles to the best of their abilities, and for the vast majority, there is aspect of social inclusion and belonging afforded within the office. But with the pandemic still gripping the world, offices have had to adapt. Many have tried to remain open to an extent – some to maintain critical continuity, and in many other cases, to support the metal health of their employees; enabling social interaction, all be it in a reduced and socially distanced capacity. In order to do this, HR, Facilities teams and office managers across the globe have had to take the social distancing regulations of their respective governments and implements them into an office context. And this has been no easy feat. The disruption social distancing has caused to our usual office conduct has been considerable. Simple actions we once took for granted, such as making a coffee or collecting a document from the printer are now more complex and…
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Despite most families currently restricted to their homes, and a vast number of parents still working, our children continue to be educated. At considerable effort from teachers and schools, children across the world are being educated via adapted lesson plans and leveraging existing platforms in new ways. Parents too have stepped in to fulfil the role of educator for younger children, delivering the prescribed lessons provided by teachers. And older students themselves are taking responsibility for their learning; some may argue, in a way that will better equip them for their working futures. While these are less than ideal circumstances, the shift to remote, virtual learning was something already anticipated by experts and those working in the field. A previous study run by Epson three years ago looked at the expected changes ahead for the education sector, and at that time 78% of those we spoke to believed that technology would challenge the traditional way of doing things in education. I’m under no illusion that the ideals seen by some at the time of our study and the opportunity afforded by new technologies for the education sector, are being realised at this time. This is a time of massive transformation, driven by necessity and not desire, leveraging available solutions and nots ideals. But it’s…
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Positive space for social distancing As governments across the world begin easing stay at home restrictions, businesses and education leaders have turned their thinking to how they can safely bring people back together in what are typically crowded environments. One theme that is becoming clear across all regions is the continued requirement for social distancing and it’s expected that this will continue for some time. In practice, this makes a lot of sense – allow for increased freedoms, get kids back to school, people back to work and get the economy moving all while maintaining some restrictions in order to keep people safe. In practice, however, social distancing poses a number of challenges. Many education establishments make do with a lack of space at the best of times, and within business, overhead costs dictate that most organisation pay only for the space they require during ‘normal’ times. So what happens now that instead of requiring a few feet of allocated space, each person needs approx. two meters? It’s clear that changes must be made. Technology offers a solution – but make sure it’s the right solution For many establishments, the return will be a phased one – a few classes or a few workgroups or teams at a time in order not to over-crowd…
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There is no question that our working and leaning environments are unrecognisable to those of only a few month ago. Change is inevitable, but the speed at which we have undergone this change is unique. Three years ago, we undertook an extensive research project to better understand the expected changes to work and education. Of course, at that time our circumstances were different, and the predictions made by the experts involved seemed far-away. Back then, working and learning remotely through virtual collaboration were positive trends, still the best part of a decade away and an opportunity to be released by a generation ready to take it on. Turns out, we are that generation. And for the most part, we’re making it work. Knowledge gaps, flagged in our research as threats to future working trends, have been closed by necessity. And for those of us with children, we have witnessed a rapid switch to home learning, with remote lessons and the ability to connect to them established at lightning speed. So what can those past predictions still tell us and how can we learn from them? Looking back over our old report, a few things stand out: Upskill your workforce; they’re ready for it At the time of our research, the majority of those we…
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We’ve spent months in lockdown trying our best to continue under difficult circumstances, but my thoughts were never far away from recovery and life ‘after’. I think it’s fair to say that few of us believe things will become ‘normal’ over night and recovery is likely to take time, but in some markets we’re starting to de-confinement, with school and essential businesses opening first. So how will things unfold, and what can we and our channel partners do to help the process? For one, most people expect that social distancing will remain a requirement, or at least an advisory, for some time. In an office or school that’s designed and laid out to accommodate many people working or learning together, physical changes will need to be made. Ideas about alternating days for classes or teams are circulating, as well as thoughts on how meeting rooms can be adapted to accommodate two-meter distancing. As experts in technology used in work and learning spaces, we and our channel partners are well placed of offer thoughts and ideas on how technology can be used to support these approaches. And an immediate thought for me is of course the printer. Like the coffee machine or the water cooler, the printer is often a place that people gather, and…
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The packaging and labels market is hugely diverse, yet no matter what area is served, there are typical issues that apply to all. Foremost amongst these are the increasing need for more productivity within supplier and producer businesses, the call from the brands for more creativity, and the overriding aspect of sustainability and environmental care, which often now sets the foundation and guidelines for every project. The ‘Convergence of sustainability and productivity’ survey was instigated as part of a knowledge generation initiative, which also included a round table discussion to drill down in more depth as to issues and opinions in the label market. This discussion was then opened up further to include a wider range of companies to identify trends, pressure points, and future needs, whilst also focusing on innovation within labels today. One of the key elements of the existing market is the growth of digital print technology, which allows more companies than ever before to print their own labels in-house. There has long been a requirement for a seamless marriage of label production flexibility and speed without compromising on quality. The challenge has been to develop a label printing solution that offers this agility, productivity and quality, but which is also, ultimately, more commercially beneficial and environmentally sustainable – two requirements…
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Positive signs for the future The business environment affecting Epson is tough, primarily as a result of yen appreciation and a global economic slowdown that was touched off by U.S.-China trade friction. These headwinds will inevitably continue in the new year, so we must quickly respond by executing strategic actions. Despite the challenging environment, however, Epson is steadily launching products and services that will lead to future growth. These include high-capacity ink tank printers, which are catching on in advanced economies; a strong lineup of high-speed linehead inkjet multifunction printers and commercial and industrial large-format printers; inkjet heads for sale to external partners; a projector lineup made stronger by laser light source platforming; analog watches on which wearable products management resources were focused; numerous new robot products; and small, accurate, high-precision microdevices that are more competitive than ever before. Our software and solutions sales are beginning to get on track. We are providing things such as academic plans for Smart Charge printers in Japan, Color Control Technology for commercial LFPs, and improved DX (digital transformation) infrastructure. Our Epson 25 corporate vision serves as a compass that guides the actions we have been taking, so we will stay confident in our plans and move forward. Building and efficiently increasing strong customer touch points The…
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Context matters. Every teacher works in a different setting, teaches their subject in a different style and delivers content to pupils who are working at different stages and abilities. The complexity of the classroom is difficult to breakdown, there is no one strategy to improve outcomes, but there are things we all can consider and do better. Every child is entitled to an equal education but this doesn’t come from simply supporting pupils and treating them equally; true inclusion comes when all pupils have the support they need. What if teachers could genuinely meet the needs of all their pupils? Much has changed in classrooms in recent years, affecting how lessons are taught and how teachers keep students engaged – as children become immersed in technology from such a young age. How teachers use technology to support pupils’ learning rather than hinder it, is relatively new territory. Research by Epson shows that 40% of teachers saw a correlation between children being unable to clearly view a screen or display and lower exam and test scores. Seating plans, the size of a screen and its resolution clearly matter and in a landscape where technology is now dominating work and life, it needs to be taken seriously. The use of audio-visual (AV) technologies in lessons is…
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’Do I need an all-in-one projector solution, a whiteboard or a flat panel?’ That is a good question. Not surprisingly, it’s one which presents itself to many people when they are deciding on the optimum display for their meeting rooms. This post will explore the importance of screen size, cost-effectiveness, image quality and eye health, helping you to find the answer to your question. Afterall, when you’re choosing the right display for your business, there’s a lot to consider. The best place to start is with finding the right screen size for your room. This simple choice is so important – you need to display content clearly to have effective meetings. You wouldn’t be comfortable working at a desk where the screen is too small – it’s not good for your eyes and can compromise the quality of on-screen content. For the same reasons, you need a screen size that is correct for your meeting room. Achieving the optimal screen size means replicating the average desktop experience for all participants in your meeting, including those furthest away from the screen. According to the Snellen eye sight test, to make an image appear the same size when it is twice as far away, it needs to be twice as tall or four times the size in…
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