What devices will IT support need to cover in the future?

In the last article we mentioned Ray Ozzie's view on the post-PC era. Now it's time to wonder aloud: can we form a realistic picture of what a post-PC world might actually look like?

The basic direction is not hard to figure out: online services that connect to more simple, purpose-built devices.  But in moving beyond the PC / software interface, it's arguably going to change IT support in the long term.

Connected devices beyond the PC

Imagine a breathtaking number of shapes and sizes of device. It's easy to look at the mobile phone market as a signal for what is due to happen to tablet computers. Mobile smartphones have taken off since Apple's iPhone introduced them to consumer pockets and gave Blackberry a run for its money in the business market. Now Android and Windows Phone 7 will be snapping at their heels, with a mesmerising array of device manufacturers all competing on features. That's four OSs and a myriad of manufacturers. 

Tablet devices (don't call them PCs) will arguably change business computing more than phones will, for their greater usability and power while still packing great portability. 

Across the board, devices will be tuned for a broad variety of communication, creation & consumption tasks. Ray Ozzie, Microsoft's departing Chief Technical Officer, sees one key difference in tomorrow's devices: they're relatively simple and appliance-like by design. They're instantly usable, interchangeable, and replaceable without loss. Storage has shifted to being more cloud-centric than device-centric, and the data we use and share in both our business and personal lives will be synced across a number of devices.

What will happen to IT support?

When you imagine a world like that - perhaps not so different to what's already out there, but becoming more ubiquitous - it's hard not to wonder what will happen to IT support roles. Will they get easier, with fewer storage-related problems and individual device irregularities? Or will they become infinitely more complex, with a barrage of devices and services to learn and support?

We see many companies moving to an outsourced IT services model, using technical experts in 3rd party companies to deliver expertise as required, and to stay on top of the fast-changing IT world as a team. What's more, the delivery of services over the internet can also be applied to the delivery of IT services: remotely, responsively and increasingly independent of hardware.

If you'd like to speak to a company whose IT services Bristol businesses have relied upon for 10 years and more, call us at Chorus IT on 01275 398900.