【Kurt Meinicke】

Have you ever wished your office desk was,Kurt Meinicke like, smart? Well then the good folks at Herman Miller have you covered.

Barreling toward an inevitable future teeming with cloud-connected furniture, the renowned designer of the Aeron chair has developed an internet-of-things product that aims to transform the way data is gathered on you while you work.

Sounds fun, right?

Dubbed Live OS, the system pairs sensors with desks to track the amount of time employees spend standing or sitting. And you better believe there's an app to go with it. I mean, would you expect anything less from the people who brought you the cubicle?

"With Live OS, people take charge of their work experiences," explains some buzzword-laden ad copy. "By pairing the app with any connected desk, people can set preferences for sitting and standing and move comfortably between the two throughout the day."

But wait, there's more: The cloud-connected furnishings have the capability to prod office drones to change positions — from seated to upright and vice versa — in order to "[encourage] people to be more productive, efficient, and engaged."

However, managers who decide to drop $100 per sensor plus the $36 annual per-desk fee may hope to gain more than just increased productivity from their workforce.

"The second big benefit of Live OS is that organizations that deploy it will get an unprecedented glimpse into how their facilities are actually used," the press release continues. "By applying digital technology to furniture and settings, Live OS will deliver data that companies can utilize to make more informed decisions about one of their biggest assets: the places where their people work."

In other words, a boss looking to move to a smaller office could take data gathered by Live OS to argue that the workforce isn't using the allotted space to its mathematically calculated maximum potential. You know, the use-it-or-lose-it mantra.

And while the average consumer may wonder if the internet of things really needs to encroach upon his or her office desk, Herman Miller’s director of workplace strategy, design, and management knows what this is really about (hint: making sure you never leave work).

"If you were to walk up to any place in the environment and it automatically adjusts to receive you," explains Joseph White, "any spot can be your home."

So welcome home, workers of tomorrow. Oh, and get back to work.