That Gartner Doom-card for the PC

For many, especially in emerging markets like sub-Saharan Africa the talk of the personal computer’s use coming to an end may sound like telling a virtually impaired person to tell the colours of the rainbow. In an analysis on technology innovations and trends Steve Kleynhans, research vice president at Gartner wrote in a 10-pager titled: ‘The New PC Era: Personal Cloud’ that the reign of the personal computer as we know it today maybe over in two years. Incredible – sounds so. “The era of the personal computer is giving way to the new personal cloud age. This will enable new levels of flexibility and functionality for users, but will challenge enterprises to rethink how they deliver services to users,” said Kleynhans. He theorises that by 2014 the present PC role of serving as the ‘master chef’ for corporate business inter-operation could come to end, ushering in another era of entirely new PC – personal cloud. Kleynhans believes this emerging technology trends would deliver more user flexibility with personal devices, delivering more satisfaction. “Major trends in client computing have shifted the market away from a focus on personal computers to a broader device perspective that includes smartphones, tablets, and other consumer devices. “Emerging cloud services will become the glue that connects the Web of devices that users choose to access during the different aspects of their daily life,” said Kleynhans. While the term ‘cloud computing’ may still be a buzz word for most Nigerians, global trend in the last two-three years show a major shift in innovations which includes data storage and virtualization; mobile devices like smartphones and apps have all become part of the cloud integration. Kleynhans notes that: “Many call this era the post-PC era, but it isn’t really about being ‘after’ the PC, but rather about a new style of personal computing that frees individuals to use computing in fundamentally new ways to improve multiple aspects of their work and personal lives.” This fundamental shift in focus however could sound more meaningful to an average young-urban Nigeria between the age ranges of 16 – 25. Their use of the computer aligns with Kleynhans position; they are more adapted to smartphones, iPad and Blackberry for both mobile connectivity and corporate executions. Several university students given a choice would rather buy an iPad or Blackberry than a laptop. For these classes of individuals, the use of desktop computer is too ‘unfashionable’ to even think about. Although it is very debatable that Kleynhans analysis of the cloud over shadowing the present model of PC sounds alarming, yet recent workplace trends indicate information generation and sharing is moving away from the traditional portfolio management system. From the concept of a reporters’ beat news gathering and filing to the newsroom for onward dissemination to the news-consumer; trends have changed threatening to confine the ‘old’ newsroom into the graveyard. In the new style of computer usage, the individual is nolonger wheedle into straight-jacked corporate suit. His corporate operation is defined more by technology than by operational norm. Sumit Agnihotry, vice president of product marketing, Americas region for Taiwan’s leading PC marker Acer notes that innovation would rule the market. He believes that taking the consumers’ perspective into detail designing of the PC would connect the user to the product. “It’s critical that consumers are connected to the design. Design has become one of the most important factors in the PC industry,” said Agnihotry. This perhaps defines the new Acer Aspire Timeline Ultra laptops feature a magnesium-alloy, unibody chassis that looks sweet on top, inside and even underneath. It measures 20 millimetres thick with a consistent eight hours of battery life. “It’s for the consumers who are looking for a laptop that will meet their needs today but also anticipate the things they’ll be doing nine months to a year out,” Agnihotry says Kleynhans’s personal cloud theory could also be linked to a so-called consumerization of IT which is said to be “causing wrinkled brows and sleepless nights for the tech department, but its potential to revolutionize information-worker productivity has generated comparisons to Henry Ford’s impact on manufacturing,” according to Microsoft’s ‘PC Trends for 2012’ review. Key factors in the consumerisation of IT market to note is that: users are getting more technologically savvy and have very different expectations of technology. The rise and rise of both the internet and social media is redefining the consumer power. Increasing high budget spend on R & D by OEMs means manufacturers are able to introduce new affordable mobile devices that are multitasking and user friendly. One critical factor to this innovation is the influence of China and other Far East Asian tigers like Malaysia, Indonesia and Taiwan who continue to challenge traditional Euro-America market place with new technology that breaks status symbol as a result of price tag. The personal cloud factor also defines the scalability and infinite availability of resources available to consumers over the internet. The impact of this IT infrastructure is beyond imagining when measured against the backdrop of where we were a decade back. The convergence of digital mobility has redirected the consumers’ taste bud and this in turn drives IT innovation. The availability of more mobile devices and practical convergence with the cloud gives the user a most fulfilled experience. For a market like ours that hasn’t got a 24/7 power supply experience, the emergence of mobile apps deepens the user experience giving the user that feeling of belonging to the global super highway.