Virtual office map exits beta amid strong demand
NEW YORK, UNITED STATES — A Harry Potter-inspired digital ‘Marauder’s Map‘ for the workplace has exited its invite-only beta period after strong demand, with over 5,300 businesses still waitlisted.
Founded by veteran entrepreneur Howard Lerman, the cloud HQ app by virtual office software startup Roam offers a unique 2D representation of an office to recreate the in-person office experience to boost communication for remote teams.
While various tools aim to create visual versions of online offices, Roam stands out with its audio-centric approach. The app intentionally avoids the stress of camera choices in certain “rooms.”
It also enables do-not-disturb settings during off-hours, though some meetings remain visible to encourage accountability.
Yet, as physical offices reopen, the need for such digital tools might diminish. Competitors like Kumospace and Zoom’s ‘My Office View’ offer similar functionalities.
Gartner analyst Adam Preset views these virtual office tools as niche, noting a shift in focus towards artificial intelligence (AI) in hybrid work environments. Preset thinks businesses may be hesitant to add additional tools.
Nicholas Bloom, a Stanford economist, sees Roam as a potential aid for managers in hybrid work settings. For Wistia CEO Chris Savage, Roam has been a game-changer, reducing meeting times and enhancing team connectivity.
Over 300 paying business customers used Roam during its beta testing, typically slashing meeting times to around 8 minutes as employees knocked on virtual office doors for spontaneous talks. The $10 per user per year app targets hybrid companies with up to 1,000 workers.
“The challenge companies need to solve is not just ‘should people be allowed to work from home on Fridays or not?’ It’s when you have salespeople located in Texas and a call center in the Philippines and a development center in northern Virginia—how do you get all of those different parts of your company working together?,” said Lerman, who drew inspiration from a Zoom call mishap during the pandemic.
While all-remote teams may shun virtual offices, Lerman, who also co-founded Yext and Confide, argues that distributed workforces need connectivity solutions, not just work-from-home flexibility.
