Powering Teams Anywhere at Work
NEW YORK – June 13, 2019 – Steelcase today unveiled its vision for the future of power in the workplace: Steelcase® Flex Mobile Power, which is enterprise-level, contract-grade low voltage mobile power that gives teams the freedom to work anywhere. Sleek, portable and powerful, each Mobile Power unit can charge up to three laptops or personal devices for a full day. It’s easy to carry anywhere, sturdy enough to hold up under heavy use in the workplace, and yet the design was inspired by hand-crafted tableware, so it fits in workplaces that range from upscale to casual.
Steelcase Flex Mobile Power is a collaboration between Steelcase and Anker, the global charging experts for smart devices.
“People work in fast-paced teams with changing activities and they need to be more mobile than ever,” notes Hyun Yoo, Principal Designer, Steelcase. “We wanted to truly empower teams to work however and wherever they want. So we collaborated with Anker to design mobile power for the workplace that is not only functional but beautiful.”
Steelcase Flex Mobile Power not only charges multiple devices simultaneously, it detects which device is running the lowest and directs the most power there, so everyone can keep working. The proprietary charging tray from Steelcase and Anker charges five units overnight, and sits on any flat surface or can be integrated into a Steelcase Flex Collection cart to go wherever teams need it. It is designed for USB-C port connectivity – rapidly becoming the global, universal connectivity standard, and also has a USB-A port, which deliver best-in-class 218 watt-hour capacity with 117W charging output across all ports.
“Whether it’s a lunch meeting in the break room or a creative session on the company couch, battery-powered devices like laptops and tablets have given us the freedom to move away from our desks and work where we feel most inspired. But at some point, those devices will need to be charged, and then you’re back to your desk,” says Steven Yang, CEO of Anker Innovations. “This is why we are excited to announce our partnership and bring Anker charging technology to the new Steelcase Flex Mobile Power. Now teams will be able to free themselves from the constant desk-to-meeting room cycle, and work anywhere they want.”
The design for Steelcase Flex Mobile Power was inspired by Yoo’s artistic work in ceramics and her explorations in fine tableware. “In my ceramic work, my aim is to create objects that are simple and delicate in line but scaled and proportioned to feel sturdy,” says Yoo. “We added 3-D texture patterns on the top cap and body as another way to broaden what might be expected in a charging device. There’s a soft and silky feel of the finish on the main body and the handle flexes ever so slightly to give the user the impression it is responding.”
Steelcase Flex Mobile Power will be available in the US and Canada later this year.
About Steelcase Inc.
For over 105 years, Steelcase Inc. has helped create great experiences for the world’s leading organizations, across industries. We demonstrate this through our family of brands – including Steelcase®, Coalesse®, Designtex®, PolyVision®, Turnstone®, Smith System®, Orangebox® and AMQ®. Together, they offer a comprehensive portfolio of architecture, furniture and technology products and services designed to unlock human promise and support social, economic and environmental sustainability. We are globally accessible through a network of channels, including over 800 Steelcase dealer locations. Steelcase is a global, industry-leading and publicly traded company with fiscal 2019 revenue of $3.4 billion.
About Anker Innovations Ltd.
Anker Innovations Ltd. is a global leader in charging technology and a developer of innovative consumer devices. This is being led by its five key brands: Anker, Eufy, Nebula, Roav and Soundcore. More information about Anker Innovations, its brands and its products can be found at www.anker.com.
Contact:
Katie Pace
Steelcase
312-350-0502
Kpace@Steelcase.com