See Tech Trends 2012 for a fairly quick discussion of the more popular and promising aspects of new technologies. Here's a few discussed below and some thoughts on technology in general:
- One promising item is that IT budgets in government are either going up or at least staying the same. While public safety gets some of those increases a larger percentage of responders to a survey (65%) said they were doing across the board increases in IT spending.
- What is getting in the way of telework is people's fears of dealing with the people side of the equation. Yes, there may be some technical details to work out, but mostly it was the people issue and policies keeping organizations from moving forward. This will be changing rapidly in the coming decade as younger managers move into supervisory positions and the old style, "If I can't see you, you must not be working." Will be replaced with performance based supervision.
- The growth in smart phones, up 30% this past year will continue to put pressures on agencies to allow people to use their personal devices at work for work purposes.
- Interestingly, when it came to app development 40% of survey respondents said they are going to use apps and 20% said no. What planet are the 20% living on? 33% said they were not sure. Let me assure you--you will, based on the demands of the workforce and citizens.
- I think the centralization or de-centralization of IT will be debated for decades to come. I've lived long enough now that it has ebbed and flowed both ways over the decades.
- Here's one of the biggest things addressed in the article. Is IT a necessary [evil] or is it beneficiary to the organization? Your attitude towards IT and answer to that question will dictate how you see the modern world.
