GOLD SPONSORS SILVER SPONSORPLATINUM SPONSORS

The office of the future

2

The danger of predictionsTom Watson, 1874-1956.

IBM’s chairman is reported to have said in 1948 that

he thought there was a market for perhaps five

computers.

Computers were big machines in 1948.

He probably didn’t say it.

3

Bill Gates’ prediction640Kb of computer memory is all anyone would

need. Mid 1981

A misquote, but at the time it made sense.

Gates expected 640kb to be good enough for the

next ten years.

It lasted five.

4

The paperless officeBusiness Week. June 30, 1975

"There is absolutely no question that there will be a

revolution in the office over the next 20 years. What

we are doing will change the office like the jet plane

revolutionized travel and the way that TV has

altered family life."

The paperless office prediction was wrong for the

right reasons. No-one foresaw cheap printers.

5

The office of the past• Was largely unchanged from the end of World War I to the

1960s.

• Then the transistor was invented.

• We saw calculators, smarter typewriters and eventually

computers creeping into small business.

• As telecoms dropped in price, we saw the fax take off, then the

mobile phone, the desktop personal computer and the Internet.

6

Current setupCurrent office is still fairly static

Shared files, contacts, Internet connections

Still discrete devices: Phone, desktop computer,

portable computer.

Decline of the desktop

Convergence

Mobile phone and laptop becoming the office tool of

choice

7

The future officeCommunications

The office

People

Challenges

8

CommunicationsIs the big revolution

Cheaper and faster

The Internet

Mobile devices

Convergence

Always on, ubiquitous Internet

9

OfficeDesktops computer falling away

Increased processing power

Mobile devices

Ubiquitious computing

Web 2.0

Web 3.0

Cloud computing

SAAS

10

PeopleDigital nomads

• Work anywhere, any time

• Rely on wireless Internet

• Always connected

Digital natives

• Born after 1990

• Computers part of lives

• Different learning techniques

11

ChallengesPower saving

• More energy efficient

• New technologies

Environmental

• More reuse

• Longer lifespans

• Friendlier material

Workforce

• Digital natives

• Aging workforce

• Outsourcing

Marketing

• Targets have changed

12

The FutureThe near termLaptops take over from desktop

Batten down the hatches

Laptop computers become more common

The medium termFaster computers

Mobility is the norm, not the exception

The long termRailways started appearing in the late 18th century, it took nearly 100 years for them to mature.

It took 60 years for electricity to roll out across developed nations.

13

The message

Technology is giving big business tools to small business.

• get the fastest connection

• Invest

• Learn

• Be flexible

More than ever before, small business has the opportunity to take over

from big business.

14

ResourcesThe office of the Future, business week 1975.

http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/may2008/tc20080526_547942.htm

Chris Skinkle: The future of marketing

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bECXjebQ3q8

TED: Ideas worth spreading

http://www.ted.com/

The huge laptop

http://archive.laptopmag.com/Features/Attack-of-the-20-inch-Notebook.htm?Page=1