March 10, 1876: 'Mr. Watson, Come Here ...

    We have reached and interesting point in technological history. It may not be as big as say the invention of the phone, but how we, as a society adapt to this shift will have ever changing ramifications. 


     Device Choice. From smartphones, to tablets to ultra-small laptops to laptops. The number and diversity of devices we are capable of carrying home, traveling with and bringing to work are exploding. For example, laptop prices have plummeted over the last few years. Most people can purchase their own machine for around $500. If you want an Apple machine, then you'll be looking at something over $1000. Still in the disposable income range of most cubicle dwellers. Tablets are even cheaper. Smartphones are already in the hands of virtually every employee. 
This is creating issues for employers.  Should employers continue to purchase devices that will be used for work? Should employers allow devices to be brought to work? Should devices be liberally allowed on the network? I remember turning down a programming position once because the company would not allow employees access to the internet. None. Zero. That was a few years ago. But today, that thought is crazy. Every software developer expects internet access to be part of the deal. It is an important tool for technical people to be able to search blogs and forums for answers and directions. Like many other professions will technologist are soon going to be expected to provide their tools. The next hurdle will be not access to information sources, but the devices we use to access those sources. As devices become a commodity, and how we use them crosses between personal and business, does it make sense for workers to purchase their own and use them in a corporate setting? Some companies give workers a computer allowance and the workers can take the machine with them if they quit, presumably if they work at the company for longer than a few months. Other companies give their employees money for technology, which can be exciting for technical people that might want to upgrade their devices regularly. 
There are definite security and data concerns, but it's possible to get around those issues. There are also employer liabilities for data residing on the devices. Companies can create policies to address these issues and allow employees to work with the tools they are familiar with. I struggled to purchase a $1500-2000 computer. I saw it as an investment in my career. The Fact is, these days, we have even more devices, and while IT departments struggle to secure them, that doesn't stop people from using them, or wanting them. These sound like simple corporate policy questions, but they are in fact, changes to the fabric of our society. Overstatement? Maybe a little, but think about the next generation of devices. They will be smaller and more powerful with a lot more storage. History tells us that is always true. They will be cheaper. But what has always been true, but always gets overlooked is the unexpected factor. A short thought experiment. Let's say I needed  a phone, a camera, a voice recorder, a computer and a clock/alarm. Not very long ago, that would would have required a wheelbarrow. Today, it would require a pocket for my smartphone. I remember the discussion of convergence, but nobody expected the amazing things our smartphones and tablets do today. The next generation will have the same unexpected leap. Todays employers need to think ahead and base their corporate policies on people having access to more capabilities on smaller devices. Imagine in the next few years if the laptop is replaced by your phone. Would you employer provide the new phone? Would that be good for you? What if you worked for more than one company? Would you carry a personal phone/computer, plus 2 company phones/computers? Because of the development of a crop of new devices, I can see a new and very different relationship developing between employers and employees. 


  The classic definition of "employee" and "employer" is fast changing. Companies with the 1950's idea of lifetime employees are as rare as employees who look for lifetime employers. This trend, combined with the explosion in personal mobile computing devices create a perfect storm for the very idea of how, where and even why we work to be radically altered. In a perfect world vacuum, people would create value in some way and the highest bidder would receive that value. Companies would search for the people or groups capable of creating the products and services that best fit their needs. Part of the value proposition for both the company buying and the individual selling would be access to devices and tools needed to do the work. It's not a perfect analogy, but think of hiring a plumber. Would you hire a plumber that required you to provide tools?


  In a few short years, employers will be forced to craft employee agreements, hiring policies and marketing plans that take into account a vast array of devices with amazing capabilities. These changes will fundamentally change the relationship between companies and the people who work for them. How companies evolve and the opportunities created by the process will be interesting. Successful companies and successful individuals will be the ones that can best navigate this issue. Like watching a baseball team progress through the season, it will be great entertainment watching which companies will adjust. These adjustments will foster new ways of arranging work and workers. This will create new devices to meet new challenges. The invention of the telephone did not allow us to speak, but to speak to people in ways never thought of before. The evolution of the telephone is an ongoing story that will change the very idea of work. The new devices will not allow us to do anything we could not do before, they will allow us to do them in new and revolutionary ways.


- Lance Rose