early 400 employees who work in the General Services Administration’s (GSA) Federal Technology Service (FTS) are now part of a futuristic work environment being showcased at a new site called WillowWood Plaza in Fairfax, VA. FTS, a reseller of net-work services and information technology (IT) solutions, created a facility with flexible work systems and state-of- the-art technology.

An important function of the WillowWood facility is that it gives FTS employees first-hand familiarity with the solutions they sell to other agencies.

The WillowWood site also was designed to facilitate a mobile work-force. At the facility’s grand opening last September, GSA Administrator David Barram said that the new GSA is changing to an "anytime, anywhere" environment in which all employees can carry their technology with them. In fact, last year the International Telework Association and Council presented its Innovation in Telework award to GSA/FTS in recognition of how WillowWood supports telework.

"The future of our workforce includes more teleworking and more hoteling," said FTS Commissioner Dennis Fischer. "In light of our extensive technological capabilities, efforts in these areas are being stepped up." Hoteling, a term used for employees who move from site to site during the course of their work, offers maximum mobility for FTS, which has three locations in the Washington metropolitan area.

Once hoteling is fully in place, employees may, on any given day, work at the site that is most beneficial to the day’s project. Hoteling, combined with more teleworking, reduces the number of permanent workstations needed on the site.

To support mobility, all employees at WillowWood have laptop computers that can be "docked" at their office workstations. Instead of desk phones, employees have cell phones that use just one number for telephone, voice mail, and fax. With mobile computers and phones, employees can take their work with them and be productive whether they are at remote locations, at home, or on travel anywhere in the world.

WillowWood’s open workspaces encourage interaction among the employees, enhancing teamwork and communication. The 39 conference rooms of varying sizes and configurations have modular furniture systems that may be wheeled around to change the arrangement of the rooms. Some are open circular conference rooms with mobile seating, having only chairs with lap desks, a design that allows small groups to meet in closer proximity. All conference rooms have connections for employees’ laptop computers.

Employees’ comfort was a key consideration in the WillowWood design. Natural light from windows is distributed throughout, and indirect artificial lighting is used strategically with flat screen monitors to reduce glare from computer screens and ease eye strain. Ergonomically correct chairs and keyboards add to the comfort and reduce the chance of injury.

FTS’ state-of-the art video conferencing center provides multimedia video and videoconferencing capability with up to 16 channels of simultaneous video input. Fiber optic cabling equips each desktop with a Picturetel video unit and a headset phone that allows the hands to be free while conversing.

The video conferencing center not only opens up new lines of communications and new channels for learning, it also offers the potential to save substantial amounts of time and money on employee travel. Live interactive conversations can take place with several people at different locations. Meetings can be taped and viewed later. The facility is also ideal for training programs and can be connected into remote classrooms in a matter of minutes.

In the future, the video conference facility may be marketed to other Federal agencies and/or private sector companies.

Convenience and security were further enhanced at WillowWood when all employees were issued a GSA/FTS Smart Card, a single, multi-use card that looks like a credit card on one side and an identification card on the other. The Smart Card is used for identification, purchases, travel, building entrance, and computer access. The biometric card replaces pass-words with fingerprints, heightening security and eliminating the need to remember multiple passwords that may be leaked.

Some FTS IT solutions include seat management, call center systems and services, enterprise resource planning, distance learning, and Smart Cards.

For more information, visit www.fts.gsa.gov or call 1-888-FTS-NEWS.

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