In this panorama and already in the third year of the pandemic, items such as "gamer chairs", as well as cameras and headphones more prepared for frequent use of videoconferences, are beginning to evolve in purchasing trends.More at the corporate level, “digital twin” technology, VPNs, and new cybersecurity strategies are also moving into work from home.Here some trends.The hybrid model of work has been maintained during the pandemic.The houses are already equipped to have a better and more comfortable work performance.Even complying on many occasions with office standards.According to a study by WeWork and the corporate education company HSM, 88% of people prefer the model with partial presence.In this panorama and already in the third year of the pandemic, items such as "gamer chairs", as well as cameras and headphones more prepared for frequent use of videoconferences, are beginning to evolve in purchasing trends.More at the corporate level, “twin drive” technology, VPNs and new cybersecurity strategies are also moving into work from home.Here some trends.The office category at Sodimac has always been relevant, but the sale of desks and chairs increased during the pandemic.On the other hand, according to Mercado Libre records, the significant rise in the sale of "gamer" chairs shows that there is a need to refurbish the workstation, seeking ergonomics and comfort.On the other hand, from PC Factory, they indicate that the best sellers this year have been computers, a similar trend in Mercado Libre, where notebooks and peripheral output devices (headphones, mouse, keyboards, microphones, cameras) stand out."The computer is the core or engine of remote work" This is what Javier Salazar, product manager of PC Factory's technology area, points out, where the "ultralight" are the preferences, since "they make our lives easier in terms of transport In addition, many people are tending to approach processors with higher performance and better storage conditions, such as SSD drives and equipment with long battery life”, he comments.Although the vast majority of devices integrate webcams, their optics do not provide a satisfactory image, so today accessories have been sought especially for videoconference meetings, seeking higher resolution."With technologies to reduce ambient light or image noise," adds Salazar.Some models are Logitech BRIO, Microsoft LifeCam Studio and Papalook, some even have ring light and tripod.In the case of hearing aids, the most sought after are those that have noise cancellation."People want to be able to isolate external sound and hear with the best possible clarity," adds the executive.In addition, they can be found wireless with integrated microphone and call cancellation.Some examples are Sony WH-100XM5, Bose 700, JBL Club One, Xiaomi Mi True Wireless Earbuds Basic 2 and Jabra Evolve.For Andrés Morales, manager of mobile products at Samsung Chile, the key is integration.For example, from the Korean company, they have long-lasting devices such as the Galaxy Book2, Galaxy Z Fold3 or Galaxy s22, which can be interconnected with other brand products without problems.Morales adds that “what is being used the most are smartphones with multitasking capabilities.In other words, they allow you to access and work on documents in applications such as Excel or in a cloud, while you can continue on a secondary screen on the same device, answering emails or coordinating with your work team in a chat”.Salazar also indicates the need to improve the quality of the internet signal in homes.“Routers have also evolved quite a bit, and they are offering us increasingly better connection conditions.One of the clearest trends today is Mesh technology, which allows us to cover more coverage area and improve the places with low wireless internet connection that exist in our homes”.The key tools that had a boom during the pandemic are those that allow collaborative work and communication between teams, which today, with the hybrid model, remain.Teams (from Microsoft), Meet (Google), Zoom or Webex are some of the most used.Some programs that are used to organize tasks for teams and collaboratively are Trello, SharePoint and Evernote.Virtual storage has been central to the hybrid model.Working in the cloud has facilitated the performance of workers, the implementation of virtual desktops, a computer system that can be accessed from any device through software, whose processing is not found in the "machine" that is accessed, but "lives" on a server.Examples of this are Amazon Web Services (AWS), Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure.Virtual desktops with due cybersecurity are a trend that also allows savings in hardware.For Claudio Ordóñez, director of cybersecurity at Accenture, Chile, companies must have incorporated the concept of Zero Trust (zero trust) and additionally, "increase the level of security through tools such as basic antivirus or EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response or continuous monitoring and analysis) that allows a higher level of protection.Additionally, the business applications that the company delivers to its workers must be through secure systems (VPN, SSL) and authenticated, ideally with MFA (Mutlifactor Authentication or access protection layer).”Marcelo Díaz, CEO of the cybersecurity company Makros, agrees, adding that “from the user's perspective there are several considerations for safer teleworking.Have antivirus software, EDR or XDR (more advanced cybersecurity technologies than antivirus), that has the ability to identify malware in all possible ways, as well as generate a safe browsing environment, have a VPN to access applications corporate and finally have password management software and use some additional authentication plugin.”In terms of trends, the metaverse is drawing ever closer, as internet spaces evolve and interconnect with each other.Virtually experimenting with avatars in real time doesn't seem so far away.This is the case of the consulting firm Accenture that created a metaverse world for its collaborators.It is a virtual campus where you can connect with other professionals in the organization.In order for them to participate, they invested in Oculus, virtual reality glasses that were previously considered for recreational purposes.Today they can be part of an interaction and learning tool.A 360º experience, but virtual.Another software-level tool that is being used are "digital twins", programs that offer the possibility of making a virtual model identical to the real one.This is widely used in construction, large engineering and mining works, where it is possible to work collaboratively on the digital replica, in order to make better decisions and understand the impacts in any scenario.According to an Accenture study, Technology Vision 2022, 55% of Chilean companies are already in the piloting stage of this technology, the highest figure in the region (Argentina, 31%; Colombia, 34%; Mexico, 29%; and Brazil, 36%).This technology requires a technological base on which to operate in order to take advantage of all the advantages it could have in terms of remote management, performance and results.The comments in this section are exclusively for subscribers.Sign up here.© 2022 La Tercera, digital innovation.All rights reserved.