Are you curious why virtual offices are getting more popular in today’s workspaces in the Philippines? You are not alone, as many people are up to knowing how virtual offices work in providing business support without any hassle.

Serviced offices and the computing and software-as-a-service industries have evolved into virtual offices. While being a part of the flexible workspace business today, serviced offices and virtual offices all have different beginnings. In this article, we will discuss how virtual offices emerge as part of the evolution of workspaces in the Philippines.

Identifying the three significant elements of a virtual office is vital: people, place, and technology. Combining these factors gives rise to a modern serviced office that offers convenience to all businesses.

Let us explore the different milestones on how virtual offices exist in the development of workspaces in the Philippines:

Modern serviced offices in the 20th Century

Concept of the modern workspace environment

The Larkin Administration Building in Buffalo, New York, featured few dividing walls and was designed to resemble a manufacturing floor. Frank Lloyd Wright is regarded as the inventor of the modern open-plan office. This ground-breaking design adhered to Taylorism, developed by industrial engineers, including Frederick Taylor, who was driven by efficiency.

Facilities of modern serviced offices

The early twentieth Century’s technological advancements meant that offices were now fully furnished with electric lighting, the telegraph, telephone, typewriters, and calculators in addition to the new layout. Construction companies decided to develop upwards because land values were rising, laying the foundation for the skyscraper-filled metropolis of the future.

Amidst all the modernization, the rows of the desk, bright lights, air conditioning, redundant sunlight, and fresh air were not enough to differentiate the modern serviced office from the traditional workspaces.

Mid-20th Century of Modern Serviced Offices

According to a study, the formerly Taylorist workplaces in Europe were replaced with the more relaxed office workspace. Moreover, the desks were organized in smaller groups, and areas were loosely divided by plants and furnishings to encourage team interaction. This design was viewed as the new socially democratic workplace. It is also similar to what is currently described as “co-working spaces.”

However, not all workers prefer this concept. There are still employees who choose to work in semi-private cubicles. That’s where flexible modern serviced offices existed.

The emergence of Virtual Offices

Virtual offices started in the 1960s. Clients sign a contract and pay a charge for these services, which can be purchased separately, in packages, or as part of a membership. Companies of various sizes, including independent business owners, like the idea. The ability to work from a satellite office, home office, remote location, or even while on the road using a mobile device is one of the main draws of the virtual office.

In 1962, OmniOffices Group opened the first-ever rented office space, and in 1966, Fegen Law Suites began renting out offices with amenities like reception services, libraries, printing presses, and more.

Ralph Gregory founded the first virtual office in Boulder, Colorado, in 1989. Gregory founded “The Virtual Office Inc.” to enable him to work from home after the birth of his first kid in order to spend more time with his family.

Similar to other modern serviced offices, virtual offices reign in the evolving workspace environment because of the demand of workers’ productivity needs and preferences. The World Wide Web’s introduction in the 1990s allowed providers to offer more sophisticated services like digital receptionists and cloud storage, allowing businesses to operate almost entirely virtually. 

As a result, the virtual office evolved significantly throughout the 1990s and 2000s.

Virtual office spaces are widely used today and may be a fantastic option for business owners to launch their ventures or improve customer service without paying for physical office space. Respectively, COVID-19 entails most employees working remotely, which made most businesses realize the benefits of allowing employees to work remotely.

Aside from saving a significant amount of operating costs, employees are more productive, and start-ups can choose reliable business locations to increase their reputation.

The workspace in the Philippines has evolved immensely during and after the COVID-19 lockdowns. Various real estate properties in business central of key cities offer modern serviced offices, such as Bonifacio Global City, Makati, Ortigas, and more.

Virtual Offices to Optimize Business

The office is and will remain a flexible working environment that changes as necessary to meet the business’s and its employees’ demands. The workplace was designed to address issues and house as many employees as feasible. But, thanks to technology, online working platforms can support any size workforce and allow businesses to scale quickly without geographic restrictions, allowing them to access a much larger pool of qualified potential team members.

Whether you are a local or foreign business owner planning to expand opportunities, Cotoha offers top-notch office solutions, including virtual offices in BGC. Its packages are comprehensively done to cater to all types of businesses. Choose what best fits your business needs: Virtual Standard Package, offering business address with 10-hour monthly access to the conference room, mail delivery address, unlimited coffee, tea, and water; Virtual Premium Package, which offers similar solutions with the standard package plus, mail forwarding and parcel, and scan services.

 Apart from serviced offices, we provide business consultation for start-up businesses in the Philippines. As business registration is tedious in the Philippines, let a reliable business partner do it for you and focus on improving customer experience.