Working without boundaries: How hybrid working is reshaping product strategy

Mark Moniz – R&D Director 

How is Trust seeing the balance between office, hybrid, and home working shift across its key markets, and how does that influence your product strategy? 

At the beginning of the evolution of working from home (started by Covid), consumers were all about setting up a workable home office. There weren’t many specific requirements at that time, but as hybrid working has become a long-term norm, this has shifted, moving the focus from a fixed setup to flexibility across multiple environments.   

Now, consumers require more qualitative and hybrid products, so we’re prioritising portability, wireless connectivity, and ease of use across various locations, moving away from single-desk solutions. With employees now spending more hours in front of screens—up to seven or more daily, according to research—this underscores the need for consistent, reliable products that enable employees to work freely and flexibly.   

What does a ‘modern workspace’ look like from Trust’s perspective, and which technologies are becoming essential for productivity? 

The modern workspace is much cleaner, with fewer wires (thanks to Bluetooth technology), and for a typical group of consumers, it looks more colourful than the typical office you would expect from years ago.  

We’re seeing a clear shift towards essential technologies such as wireless peripherals, ergonomic designs, and devices that integrate seamlessly across multiple systems. At the same time, aesthetics are increasingly important — people want setups that feel cohesive and reflect their personal workspace using fewer ‘all/only black’ products and more white or colourful products. 

Which pain points do employees most commonly experience in hybrid or home‑working setups, and how are your products designed to address them? 

The traditional pain points have faded over the last couple of years, including low-quality video and uncomfortable seating from kitchen table chairs. Slowly but surely, these everyday and low-level annoyances have been eliminated step by step.  

Our products are always and will always be designed to contribute to a comfortable way of working. The most obvious change is in the chairs category, where we were formerly focused solely on gaming but are now increasingly focused on hybrid use. 

Our Keyra Ergonomic multidevice wireless keyboard is another example of us designing products for office use that are centred on comfort and healthier working. Its curved shape helps keep your hands in a natural position and reduces strain during long periods of use. Alongside this, its ease of use with multiple devices means the Keyra Ergonomic Keyboard and our other office products are all about addressing the everyday pain points employees experience.    

How are peripherals evolving to support more flexible working patterns, particularly around connectivity, ergonomics, and portability? 

The most significant evolution is in connectivity. This includes fewer wires, a shift to Bluetooth, and multi-connectivity, all of which directly support switching between workstation and home setups. 

Alongside this, we see a rise in ergonomics across all categories, where it is no longer a niche requirement — it’s becoming a baseline expectation, driven by both employee wellbeing and employer responsibility. That is why we are prioritising our ergonomics range not just for employees but also for employers. 

What expectations are IT teams placing on device reliability, security, and manageability, and how is Trust responding? 

IT teams are tackling the common problem of lost batteries and USB receivers. Switching to Bluetooth and rechargeable batteries has helped IT and other teams address these issues, and our current product range reflects this shift, offering a wide selection of Bluetooth and rechargeable options. 

At the same time, reliability is more important than ever as workforces become more spread out across multiple locations, both remote and in-person. Devices are set rightfully to such a gold standard that they must work smoothly in any environment without creating support challenges.  

Our approach is to provide reliable, suitable products supported by solid service, allowing us to consistently meet these expectations at scale.   

How is sustainability shaping your product development? 

Sustainability has become a key aspect of how we design, source, and deliver our products, moving beyond an optional consideration. We focus on two main areas: using recycled materials and creating durable solutions. Regulations such as the right to repair and supply chain transparency enhance our product design and materials, supporting our ongoing commitment to meeting standards.  

Our ongoing efforts include being awarded the EcoVadis gold medal four consecutive times, reflecting our commitment to integrating sustainability into all areas of our operations, beyond product development.  

Are you seeing employers take a more active role in equipping home offices, and how does that shift your messaging to retailers, resellers and end users? 

Employees often receive a budget to set up their home and office workspaces to ergonomic standards, allowing them to select the products that best meet their needs. Our extensive assortment highlights that there is no one-size-fits-all solution, supporting our tagline, "Your work, your way."  

We focus on personalised workspace solutions, especially in B2B sectors like education, healthcare, and local government, where employers are adopting more structured approaches to equip remote and hybrid workers.  

This shift is affecting how products are specified and purchased, with greater emphasis on reliability, value, and ease of deployment for larger groups. It underscores the importance of strong B2B partnerships and tailoring our messaging for organisations and channel partners involved in the purchasing process. 

How do you help channel partners communicate product value? 

We focus on clarity and simplicity — helping partners move beyond price-led conversations to highlight quality, reliability and overall value. That includes clear product positioning, strong use-case messaging, and support materials that make it easy to communicate benefits to different audiences, whether that’s consumers or procurement teams. 

In practice, we stand behind the quality of our products through third-party certification and a five-year warranty. This includes our sustainability claims, validated by EcoVadis for the company and supported by product-level certificates such as GRS/RCS, FSC, and Intertek Green Leaf, as well as our ergonomic products, supported by the ErgoCert certification.  

What emerging technologies do you believe will define the next phase of workplace evolution? 

The upcoming phase will be defined less by individual breakthrough technologies and more by the integration of existing technologies into daily workflows. These technologies include  multi-connectivity, which will remain essential, Bluetooth continuing as the primary connection method, and rechargeability becoming the norm.