A Really High-IQ Conference Center

By Scott Payne

  GRAND RAPIDS — The term “smart office” may have suffered overuse since it came into vogue, but Central Interconnect is fine-tuning a genius office at the Rapistan Divison of Siemens Dematic.

Actually it’s a teleconferencing center and  — according to Arlen Smith, president of Central Interconnect — the only other office like it is under construction at the headquarters of Rapistan’s parent company in Nuremburg, Germany.

Right: Arlen Smith (seated), Stephen Fry and Scott Mason (right) worked together creating this global conferencing center for the Rapistan Division and the Siemens Dematic headquarters in Germany. Small foreground screen is the center’s control system.