Microsoft's Board of the Future Predicts IT Trends

A group of 12 university students representing 10 countries brought together by Microsoft to consider the views of young people entering the workforce, released a list of predictions for information technology (IT) in the next decade. These are the top five predictions determined by the student board:


1. Connectivity will be truly ubiquitous. People will be able to work virtually anyplace, at any time. Firms will support this flexibility, while employees will increasingly supply their own connected systems, blurring the line between work life and personal life.


2. Interfaces will be more natural. The user interface will become more natural, contextually intelligent and adaptive -- just better.


3. Technology at home will be integrated and include all forms of entertainment. Technology's reach will extend to clothing and housewares, and personal finance will tie to the shopping experience. Consumer technology (and content) will pour into the workplace.


4. Learning will be driven by the individual. Increasing job movement will lead to greater self-initiated learning through on-demand, continually available forms of education, both formal and informal. The highly dynamic workplace will drive the need for lifelong learning.


5. Access to information will be smarter. Improved tools for discovering and using information will make possible a "collective intelligence," and managers will benefit by making better-informed decisions more easily.


Members of Microsoft's Board of the Future came from Brazil, China, Hungary, India, Israel, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sweden and the United States.
http://www.microsoft.com