For those of us who remember a world before the Internet, and even those who remember when the cool factor about mobile phones was you could make or receive phone calls when you weren’t near a land line, technology is generally viewed as a means to an end.
Not so for the generation that grew up with the Internet in its pocket.
In Cisco’s 2012 Connected World Technology Report, researchers learned just how important technology is to young professionals entering the workforce today. They said, given the choice between more money and access to smart phones, Facebook and other hot technologies, they’ll take the technologies thank you very much. That’s a very different attitude than the generations before them.
These tech-savvy workers expect a certain level of technology sophistication in their workplaces, which means forward-looking companies will have to change their thinking to attract and retain the brightest talent. Good enough isn’t good enough anymore for the up-and-coming generation.
This is great news for the display industry and a high-end panel technology called IPS (in-plane switching) used for monitors. Once the domain of graphic designers, photographers, CAD engineers and others who required the most accurate color representation, IPS displays are now available and affordable to more people in jobs as diverse as paralegals to real estate brokers.
But aside from the potential financial benefits to the display industry and the desires of Millennials, why should anyone else care?
Here are several reasons.
Better Performance
Corporate users are accustomed to cost-effective TN (Twisted Nematic) LCD technology, the basic display brains behind millions of work monitors. Yet that doesn’t mean they like it. Keep in mind that the same users who are staring at ordinary monitors at work also are spending hours upon hours watching high-end LCD LED TVs, and using tablets and smartphones with display screens that deliver bright, exciting colors that “pop.” Upgrading their work displays would be viewed as a real plus, and could even provide a morale boost.
The good news is IPS costs have come down to levels now on par with TN. That’s due to the way the LCD panel is constructed – a great leap forward for IPS since it was first introduced in the mid-1990s. The latest IPS technology is called AH-IPS for Advanced High-Performance IPS.
AH-IPS improves light transmittance, which means the backlights don’t need to be as powerful to drive the units. An AH-IPS panel delivers great performance while reducing the power consumption typical of higher-end IPS panels, saving money while demonstrating greater corporate responsibility.
Better Color Representation
One of the main benefits of IPS monitor panels is that you get the best and the most accurate color representation. More and more workflow requires good color representation – even if you are not a graphics professional.
In a typical work environment, people may be asked to review marketing material on their displays, for example. Without good color representation, they run the risk of misinterpreting what they’re seeing. They may perceive that the colors don’t look right when, in fact, they are. It’s not a calibration or color profile issue, but basic color representation. IPS delivers screen images that are real and life-like, not muted.
Better Collaboration, Multi-tasking
AH-IPS technology also improves off-angle viewing. Think about those Millennials again. They are used to gaming and group thinking, and collaboration is in their DNA. More and more work is done in collaboration – whether through virtual meetings or with groups of people congregating around a computer screen.
With a TN-based display, one needs to be centered directly in front of the monitor to realize the best performance. That’s also the case with multi-monitor configurations. When off-viewing angles aren’t clean, then color and contrast can decrease dramatically.
IPS provides the best off-angle viewing available. When you have people around your monitor, you want to be able to show them something without having to move out of the way. They should be able to view the image correctly on your screen from an off-angle. They should experience good color representation from edge-to-edge across the screen. There shouldn’t be any color shifts in the corners either.
The concept applies to multi-tasking, too. A nurse screening a patient’s blood pressure should not have to strain or reposition themselves just to see the monitor on his or her mobile cart. AH-IPS delivers better performance than an entry-level TN-based product at any angle.
To be sure, high-end IPS color displays will still be the BMWs of monitors for their powerful chip sets, calibration capabilities, and wide color gamuts.
But regular knowledge workers, and especially younger generations entering the work force today, want to be sure the technologies they’re using at work meet the performance levels to which they’ve become accustomed in other aspects of their lives. Taking advantage of the advances in IPS panels will give your workforce the tools they need to do their jobs better while giving you one more edge in the battle to attract and retain the best employees.
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