Stamford, Conn.--Gartner Group, Inc. (NYSE: IT and ITB) and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) School of Architecture and Planning today announced a collaborative research project to study the global trends, best practices and new business models that will create, maintain, and service the 21st century workplace.
Gartner and MIT have combined their research capabilities, resources and global market access for this study. This project brings together two world-class competencies: Gartner's unique perspective on the e-business environment and IT, and MIT's world-renowned knowledge of changing workplace trends. Gartner and MIT will work with sponsor-partners that are actively contributing to the development of this new industry. Multiple sponsor-partner workshops will focus on specific topics and participate in case study work, and a monthly publication of research units will be delivered to sponsors on preliminary findings.
For more information on this collaborative research project, please contact Clem Natale, Gartner research analyst, at (203) 316-3534 or clement.natale@gartner.com.
"Drawing from the domains of brick-and-mortar elements, cyberspace and logistics, this new workplace started to take form in the last decade to serve enterprises faced with relentless pressure to create and manage cost-effective, lean and agile infrastructure aligned with radically changing work," said Michael Bell, Gartner's research director of the business management of IT. "Today, the Internet economy dramatically increases the pressure as it rapidly transforms the nature of work, business models, value chains and business processes."
Michael L. Joroff, senior lecturer in MIT's school of architecture and planning, commented, "As traditional organization structures and business processes change, the workplace is morphing into a blend of traditional brick-and-mortar elements and cyberspaces. This new workplace is characterized by flexible work arrangements, social and collaborative work settings and new forms of urban and cybercommunities."
Mr. Joroff and Mr. Bell serve as co-directors of the project. Some of the sponsors, including innovative corporate real estate groups and leading service and product providers, are: British Telecommunications, Sun Microsystems, Procter & Gamble, Cisco Systems, U.S. General Services Administration, Cigna, Johnson Controls Integrated Facility Management, Peregrine Systems, Jamcracker, Regus Business Centers, Teknion, UrbanMedia, Interior Architects, Trillium, Cushman & Wakefield, Liberty Property Trust and Takenaka Corporation.
At their first project meeting in July, the sponsors were particularly interested in understanding how work style will change in light of new Internet-enabled tools and communication processes. Mr. Joroff noted that a sense exists that the workplace is no longer just a place but a bundle of services and settings that support the individual worker regardless of where or when they work. Mr. Bell emphasized that the study has brought together a diverse group of enterprises that span the industry spectrum and service product companies from high tech to global consumer products, which will give the project a unique multifaceted perspective.
"We believe this project will help redefine a new concept of the workplace and the industry that supports it," Joroff stated. "Tremendous confusion exists on how the various forces of change will affect people in their work and personal lives. A key theme of this project is to bring clarity to a highly diverse yet critical topic for global enterprise. All sponsors agreed that new patterns of work are demanding a renewed focus on creating and supporting highly flexible, customized, and quality work environments that will help to attract and retain talented employees."
About MIT
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is one of the world's pre-eminent research universities, dedicated to advancing knowledge and educating students in science, technology, and other areas of scholarship that will best serve the nation and the world in the 21st century. MIT is known for rigorous academic programs, cutting-edge research, a diverse campus community, and its longstanding commitment to working with the public and private sectors to bring new knowledge to bear on the world's great challenges. For more information on MIT, go to: http://web.mit.edu/.
About Gartner
Gartner provides unrivaled thought leadership for more than 10,000 organizations, helping clients to achieve their business objectives through the intelligent and efficient use of technology. Additionally, Gartner helps technology companies identify and maximize technology market opportunities. Gartner's technology content and strong brand reach IT professionals globally through Gartner Research, its research and advisory unit; Gartner Services, its custom consulting unit; Gartner Events, including Gartner's renowned Symposia; and www.gartner.com. Gartner subsidiary TechRepublic, Inc. (www.techrepublic.com) is the leading online destination developed exclusively for IT professionals by IT professionals. Gartner, founded in 1979 and headquartered in Stamford, Connecticut, achieved fiscal 1999 revenues of $734 million. Gartner's 3,600 associates, including 1,200 research analysts and consultants, are in more than 80 locations worldwide. For more information about Gartner's industry-leading products and services, go to: http://www.gartner.com/.
Media Contacts:
Allison Haines, Gartner Public Relations, tel: 203-316-6216, email: allison.haines@gartner.com
Kenneth D. Campbell, MIT News Office, tel: 617-253-2703, emai: kdc@mit.edu
