The high-tech office of the future is now

By ELIZABETH ROSS WHITE
Special to Essex County Newspapers

If your old software system is huffing and puffing its way through the day, you might consider tossing it.

And if your back doesn't benefit after a day in that squeaky, marshmallow-soft swivel chair, it might be time to trade it in for a new, ergonomically engineered model.

The millennium is approaching, and it's time to get up to speed with today's modern office equipment. High-tech products, like state-of-the-art computer hardware and software, can keep the office humming efficiently. Ergonomic furniture can improve job performance and company morale.

One high-tech product in high demand is the hand-held PC, a computer the size of a paperback book, says Steve Baisden of Office Max in Danvers. Some models feature word-processing programs and spreadsheets as well as Internet access.

Office Max sells 3Com's Palm Slim for remote e-mail access and storage of up to 3,000 names and addresses. The store also sells Royal's daVinci, a less expensive model.

At Staples in Danvers, a hot seller is voice-recognition software, such as IBM's Dragon software, which types your spoken words into the computer.

Space configuration can be just as important as what's inside the office.

The new office for software sales company Ives Development at the Cummings Center in Beverly offers 11,000 square feet of space for 25 employees. Formerly based in a cramped, 1,700-square-foot office in Marblehead, the company worked with the Cummings Center architect to design an attractive, modern workplace.

"When we were looking for office space, one of the key things we wanted for everybody was to have lots of windows, which we have. It makes a nice work environment," says office manager Bonnie LoPiano.

An unusual example of a modern work environment will debut next fall in Lynn. Aimed at the Internet entrepreneur, Cyber Coop will include 25-30 offices called "live/work units." Each will feature office space combined with a bedroom, kitchen and access to a common area.

For working, offices will have data ports for high-speed Internet access, built-in surge protectors and backup power sources. For living, the kitchen, dining room and common meeting rooms will boast such hotel-style amenities as housekeeping services, daily fruit delivery, gourmet coffee, access to trade journals and mail service.

Tenants will even receive complimentary memberships to a health club.

With a modern work space and cutting-edge technology, all you need is a place to sit. While you won't replicate the snugly feeling of your favorite home couch, you can find comfy seating for those long hours on the job.

"There is a wide variety in the market," says Beverly Agrella, occupational therapist at Beverly Hospital. "Usually, if you are fitted to it properly, you can make the best of what's out there."

Chair manufacturers, in particular, don't take discomfort sitting down.

Seats with lumbar support, for instance, have sewn-on bulges, almost like pillows, to support the lower back. The more expensive chairs have multiple adjustments for height and tilt, says Staples store manager Dan O'Leary.

At Office Max in Danvers, you'll find the Workshapes Manager's Chair and Executive Chair with headrest, both made of "action-stretch" fabric that expands to conform to your body. "It's supposed to relieve pressure points from sitting in a chair all day," explains Baisden of Office Max.

For the office worker strapped to his desk for hours every day, these kinds of chairs make a difference. At its new Cummings Center office, Ives Development keeps 10 salespeople working comfortably with ergonomic, lumbar-supported chairs that have hydraulic elevation and back-rest control.

"The chairs we picked for the salespeople, who are calling for hours on end each day, are very high-end and very comfortable," says Brad Luebker, company marketing manager.

For people who type at the keyboard all day, help is also at hand. To ease pressure on the back, neck and shoulder, wrists and arms should tilt down, so keyboards shouldn't be placed lower than the top of a desk surface, says Rick Vitale, owner of Capital Office Furnishings of Peabody.

Vitale recommends his sliding keyboards that glide like drawers under desktops or adjustable keyboards that rotate and tilt. For extra support, Staples has gel-filled wrist rests, long, narrow "pillows" used in front of keyboards.

For those who write the old-fashioned way, how about ergonomic pens?

At Office Max, check out the Sanford Ph.D, an oversized triangular-shaped pen with cushioned grip, or Dr. Grip, a similar product.

To ease eye strain, consider a corner desk unit. The triangular shape affords extra surface area, allowing a computer to be placed about 36 inches from the eyes. A conventional rectangular desk is only about 30 inches deep, says Vitale.

You might also want to get in step for the millennium with proper leg and foot support.

Tilting foot stools keep the back straight while sitting and are especially helpful to short people.

So, you've got all the right furniture. Now what? All the equipment in the world won't make much difference unless work habits are changed, advises Agrella. Take time to do some stretching: Five or 10 minutes a day can really help, she says. Also, alternate work tasks and avoid prolonged postures.

Even in the brave new world of high technology, some time-tested rules apply.

"People need to pace themselves," Agrella says, "and take time to take care of themselves."