Signs of change in PC needs in the "after-corona" What does NEC envision as a business PC in the era of "hybrid work"?

Amidst the drastic changes in the social environment, many companies have adopted telework and other work styles. A new trend called "hybrid work" is emerging, in which employees actively choose a place where they can work with high productivity according to the content of their work, regardless of location.

The “work place” is no longer an office, but a digital workspace that makes full use of various SaaS, and corporate investment in online shifts is accelerating. In response to corporate needs in this new normal era, NEC has released a thin mobile notebook PC "VersaPro UltraLite type VC". How did NEC come up with a business PC that matches the business scene of the future? We asked Noriyasu Sasaki, manager of the NEC Platform Solutions Division, and Mizuki Yagyu of the same division about their aims.

It is still fresh in our minds that demand for business notebook PCs surged due to the spread of work from home and telework due to the corona crisis. , It is said that the appearance of PCs required by companies is changing as new work styles that make full use of online meetings and business chat tools have become the norm.

"The time of 'I want a PC that can be taken home' rather than performance is over," points out Mr. Sasaki, who planned this new product.

``At the beginning of 2020, when the new corona began to cast a large shadow over society, many companies decided to work from home as a temporary measure against infection. Due to the fact that all employees were targeted and the CPU supply at the time was tight, there was a voice in the early days of the corona crisis that ``it doesn't matter if it is a notebook PC'' without much consideration of performance and portability. was driving demand for PCs.

This continued for about half a year, and when I gradually got used to the situation with Corona, it was the first change in the PC needs that companies wanted, saying that ``a mobile PC that is as light as possible is good'' for going back and forth between the office and home. appeared. I think this is because companies have begun to recognize that the changes in the business environment caused by the corona crisis are not temporary." (Mr. Sasaki)

And now, Mr. Sasaki says that the image of PCs required by companies is changing further.

"Regardless of the user's business type, inquiries centered on mobile PCs with high portability are still strong, and sales of business PCs are doing well. In addition, it is not limited to location. With new ways of working taking root and the concept of "hybrid work" in anticipation of the post-corona era, there is an increasing number of users who want PCs that are more productive. In today's business environment, management's awareness is beginning to change, asking what kind of IT investment is necessary to increase employee productivity."

In response to these new corporate needs, NEC introduced the VersaPro UltraLite Type VC. Among the company's corporate PC brand "VersaPro", it is a series that bears the name of "UltraLite" that specializes in mobile use. It's a feature.

And this time, one of the answers NEC gave as a “solution” for business PCs for hybrid work was the adoption of the AMD platform. Focusing on mobility, I would like to set the mass to less than 1 kg. However, as work styles that are not bound by location have become widespread, there has been a growing awareness of improving work productivity, which has led to greater demands for performance. Therefore, AMD's Ryzen APU (GPU integrated CPU) was selected.

Mr. Yagyu said, ``Recently, there are more and more opportunities to use heavy applications, such as projecting materials during online meetings, taking minutes, and using other communication tools at the same time. The 4-core / 8-thread ultra-power-saving design CPU (Core i5-10210Y) that was used was changed to the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, which has 6 cores / 8 threads and is strong in multitasking, and the performance required for PCs during hybrid work. We are putting together with a high balance,” says the aim of adopting AMD.

Mr. Yagyu himself is a native hybrid work generation who has been working in a home environment from the training after joining the company to the present. He feels that it is natural to work without going to the office, but on the other hand, he feels the need for PC power. "This new VC, which is not only pursuing lightness, should meet the needs of many business people," he said confidently.

Regarding the adoption of AMD's CPU, which has excellent multi-performance, "Some of the people in charge of introduction may feel uneasy about the CPU being different from before, but We have passed various tests to measure robustness, durability, and environmental adaptability that meet NEC's quality standards," says Mr. Sasaki. It is safe if it is endorsed by the company, which has a long history as a business PC maker.

In addition, the VersaPro UltraLite Type VC includes numerous functions for hybrid work. The first thing you notice is the screen size. While inheriting the concept of UltraLite, the liquid crystal display has been enlarged from the old model's 12.5-inch to 13.3-inch. The slim bezel allows the screen to fill the entire chassis, letting you immerse yourself in your work.

"While maintaining an overwhelmingly lightweight body of approximately 971 grams (*mass at the lightest weight), productivity is improved." We also paid attention to the size of the screen and the keyboard that are directly connected.This is the result of thinking that a single type VC unit can cover various situations, instead of using different hardware for office and mobile work. We have reviewed the design from the selection stage, and we are proud that we have created a model that satisfies all the requirements required for hybrid work, including performance, mobility, robustness (MIL standard compliant), and biometric authentication (fingerprint/face recognition) security.” (Mr. Yagyu)

In addition, there are many detailed functions that reflect user feedback. For example, in an online meeting, the environment in which users participate differs, so it is not uncommon for the noise of everyday life such as air conditioners to come in and the network environment to become unstable.

"In a work style that involves web conferencing on a daily basis, even a little stress can reduce work efficiency. By adopting Yamaha's AudioEngine that eliminates indoor noise and typing sounds to clearly transmit sound, and a wired LAN port housed in a thin body, we have dealt with the minor dissatisfaction that we have had with web conferences so far. For example, many people are worried that the camera may have been turned on unintentionally during a meeting, or that it may have been turned on. It's a problem, but the type VC has a shutter on the camera part, so we have taken into consideration the problem of "hybrid work".

Hybrid work, which allows you to flexibly change your work place and work style and actively choose the most productive work style, not only improves work efficiency It is also attracting attention as a corporate stance that recognizes diversifying individual values ​​and work-life balance.

"Even if you say hybrid work in one word, the environment varies greatly depending on the person. We incorporated the performance and functions necessary to support such diverse work styles into this type VC. Looking ahead to the after-corona If you are considering how hybrid work should be in the future, I would like you to pay attention to the VersaPro UltraLite type VC." (Mr. Sasaki)