The PC has been the central fixture of employee IT for more than 20 years.  However, this long stable ground is now shifting.  Devices, such as iPhones/iPads, Androids, Samsung Tabs and the forthcoming Google Chrome OS products can do much of the work of PC’s, but are cheaper, easier to use, and start up instantly or in just a few seconds.  Additionally, new, higher speed wireless options are making it possible to work anywhere and anytime without a traditional PC, as new services in the cloud reduce the need for local storage and processing. 

So, what is not to like?  We have been upgrading hardware for years – what is different this time?

Several things are different and will require thought and preparation.  For one, there will be no single standard such as the Windows PC; firms will have to support Web-enabled devices of many shapes and sizes.  Second, firms will have to deal with a major change in device ownership.  Increasingly, it will be employees themselves who own these devices and set up accounts in the cloud.  We will have to develop a new contract with these Bring Your Own Technology (BYOT) employees.

Additionally, firms will need to figure out what kind of data can live in what kinds of clouds and what kinds of services the new clouds can provide.  A new generation of double-deep employees who know both the business and IT will need education and advice in these areas, not locked down systems.  Legacy systems will need to be adapted or replaced.  Traditional systems of security and identity will have to adjust to an increasingly user-centric and mobile services model.  But there are many hard implementation challenges ahead.  This research will consider what IT needs to do to best prepare for living in a Post-PC World.

Review Doug Neal's recent article on the notable changes surrounding consumerization over the last ten years.

View short video clips of Doug Neal discussing this project. Consider why your organization should worry about a post-PC world and how you should prepare for it.

Read IT Business Edgeblog posting from 7 January 2011 on Coming to Terms with New IT Realities in the Wake of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES)