Consumerization of IT, but’s what’s next?

On my recent vacation in India I was amazed how the explosion of new devices, web applications, and social media platforms had not only made its way into my family’s lifestyle but Indian society as well. While the picture of me on a camel in the Thar Desert of India searching for a Wi-Fi hotspot was great fun, it really wasn’t far from the truth as everyone seem to have a smart phone, Internet connections where ubiquitous and our days and nights where filled with emails, text messages, and Skype sessions for both work and play. This is what the consumerization of IT is all about.

We talk a lot about the consumerization of IT these days at Microsoft where the increasing influence that our technology experiences as consumeritconsumers have on the technology that we expect to use at work. When I was a CIO back in the 80’s and 90’s I recall dealing with this consumerization issue, granted not at the scale we have now, but security, standards, and support were all hot topics – as they are today. We have a great Webcast you should checkout where Chris Capossela, Sr. Vice President, Consumer Channels and Central Marketing, Andy Lees, President, Mobile Communications Business, and Tony Scott, Corporate VP and CIO talk about latest trends in consumerization and social media in the enterprise.

But as I step back, I think about what has really sent this consumerization of IT in the warp drive? At least to me it’s clear that it’s the Internet and the almost ubiquitous access where almost any device can connect and to do something. But where are we headed, what’s next? Sounds like a discussion for another blog to me!  - Jon C. Arnold