4 Office Technologies That Would Have Shocked Us 20 Years Ago

Let’s throw it back to 1998! The days when Windows 98 was cutting-edge software, everyone wanted a Furby, and we were all belting out “My Heart Will Go On” by Celine Dion. 1998 doesn’t seem all that long ago, but when you think about it in reference to how technology has changed over the years it’s pretty astonishing! Here is our list of 4 office technologies that have changed the way people do business in the last 20 years:

Floppy Disk to the Cloud Storage

We’ve evolved from floppy disks, moved to CD’S and USB drives, and now we have the almighty cloud! We now have technology like document management services that help to streamline, condense and organize your files. By using document management solutions, your files are secure, accessible and you never have to physically keep track of them.

Brick Phones to Smart Devices

It’s definitely hard to imagine that there was a day when we didn’t have a smartphone in our hands! We’ve come from the days when you carried around a phone the size of a shoe to basically carrying a mini computer in your back pocket. Smartphones can pretty much do it all. Who knows what our phones will be capable of in another 20 years from now.

Placing an Order to Auto Shipping

We’ve come from the days of having to make phone calls to order more supplies to having auto shipping. You no longer have to leave yourself a reminder to call your supplier and order more of whatever you’re running low on, you can just set shipments to arrive every month and replenish your stock. Or, better yet, utilize a seamless monitoring tool that tracks your supply levels and auto-ships replacements before you even know you need them! You can even manage entire accounts online and never have to schedule a meeting or pick up a phone. It’s amazing how many things can be automated in 2018, bills, deliveries, reminders, you name it.

Physical Access to Remote Access

Did you think back in 1998 that technology would be so advanced that you didn’t have to be physically seated in your office in order to access your important documents? Or that the well appointed briefcase would become a thing of the past? Well, that’s where we are now. No matter where you are located, if you have a connection to the internet you are going to have access to your documents.

Technology Of The Future

It’s pretty wild to think about the things we thought were so advanced by means of technology 20 years ago. It really begins to beg the question, where will we be in 20 years? What will office technology look like in the year 2038? We may not know now, but there is a good chance we will look back on it and wonder how we ever made due with the things we consider innovative in 2018!

If you are interested in learning more about how to update your office technology, look no further. SumnerOne wants to help bring you to the cutting-edge of office technology! Contact us and learn about the technological advancements available for your business.

Originally published January 16, 2018, updated October 4, 2018