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Hype analysis: So what will the next 10 years bring?

IT Week asked industry experts from BT, the Chartered Management Institute, the Technology Strategy Board and analysts Gartner and AMR Research how they saw technology and the role of the IT director changing in the future. The feedback was then fed through our patented Hype-o-meter to assess its reliability

Rosalie Marshall, IT Week 19 May 2008

Prediction: IT directors will be far less geeky
The internet will soon be used to deliver all of a business’ core computing services, while consumers and businesses will be able to configure and integrate the software services they need at a moment’s notice, with full knowledge about the expected levels of security and performance levels. IT leaders will no longer be expected to have high levels of computing know-how. Instead, they will need to focus on skills that deliver competitive advantage for their businesses.
Hype score out of 10: 6
Even though business acumen and soft skills are becoming increasingly important in corporate IT, there will always be a need for specialists with enough technical knowledge to be able to drive innovation and recognise technology-based opportunities.

IT will adopt the language of business staff
As IT becomes less of a sidelined department, technical staff will need to learn how to speak in natural language rather than in acronyms.
Hype score: 9
It is more likely that the business side of the organisation will have to adapt as their knowledge of IT expands. After all, abbreviating terms such as Remote Authentication Dial-In User Service to Radius is just plain common sense.

IT will take over the role of human resources
Organisations will increasingly turn to social networks to hire staff. Psychometric testing systems will be used to gauge candidates’ social skills. Employees will have their performance constantly monitored by special software that will be able to issue alerts when it detects a drop in motivation. Microchips could be introduced to enhance employees’ abilities or even monitor and control staff behaviour.
Hype score: 4
Many organisations already have some kind of employee-tracking system in place, and there have been a number of cases recently of firms using social network sites to assess potential employees.

Datacentres will be used to heat swimming pools
Concerns about the environment and energy costs will increase pressure on datacentre operators to find ways to put the heat their systems generate to good use. One scenario could be to use it to heat swimming pools.
Hype score: 1
Admittedly, ensuring members of the local swimming club do not catch a chill is never likely to be high up on most IT directors’ list of priorities, but the issue of minimising waste is becoming increasingly important. And yes, a datacentre can be used to heat a swimming pool: IBM is already doing it in a town in Switzerland.

Fewer people will be tied to the office
So-called travel offices where people will have access to the latest in communications technology will spring up all over the country. The idea is that instead of trudging into their normal place of work, people will just pop into their nearest travel office.
Hype score: 5
The rise of teleworking and hot desking shows that the bond between work and the traditional office is weakening. However, the idea that people will prefer to work in some soulless halfway house than in the comfort of their own home or among colleagues back at base is a little bizarre.

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