We are entering a new era of Information Technology (IT) that reimagines where we work, the way we work, and how we provide the tools for work. The first era was the mainframe where highly centralised computing was controlled by programmers and system operators. Then came the second era (client/server) that provides internet/computer users with services and capabilities, such as storing data, serving up web pages, and managing network activities. We are now embarking on the Third Platform era: a confluence of the Internet of Things, Big Data, Social and Mobility. Today is only the beginning of this paradigm shift. Businesses are yet to catch up to the cultural and technological changes occurring around them. In the future and as 5G emerges, workplaces will become a new wonder for employees.

Getting rid of outdated technology 

Outdated hardware already harms productivity, but by 2020, such technological laggardness will be commercial suicide. Survey showed that outdated technology is harming workers’ productivity. The survey found that 62 percent of employees reported feeling their time is being wasted at work by outdated tools of technology – adding up to more than their annual holiday entitlement. Across the board, almost one third (27 percent) of public sector workers said their organisation is not so supportive when it came to boosting productivity. 

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Despite the lack of recognition of technology, the majority of IT spending is siphoned off by maintenance, leaking money from innovation while hardware calcifies. Overall budgets are growing, but it is chiefly to accommodate increased spend on services and software. Gartner projects a 33.7 percent CAGR on cloud services by 2020, 6.9 percent on Enterprise software. The hardware that workers will use to access this life-changing, world-beating SaaS will be the same as they’re using today. Once the Third Platform Paradigm Shift is complete, businesses will start using Windows 10 on a 4G connection, persistently pausing meetings to buffer colleague’s holographic faces. 

The right technology for the majority of employees 

As of 2015, Millennials made up more of the workforce than any other generation, and by 2020, they will account for 50 percent of workers. This means HR and business leaders should be ready in welcoming this tech-savvy generation entering the workplace by ensuring the company has the latest of technology. But what do young generations truly want in terms of IoT? Here are ways to ensure you have the right tech for the majority of the workforce in the future. 

• Design an agile Choose Your Own Device (CYOD) policy – Millennials like the technology they know, which is often better than what is provided by work. A fast and flexible CYOD policy that offers the latest tech and regular upgrades cuts down personal device use, streamlining logistics and security. 
• Keep on top of the update cycle – New technology is a major draw for the new generation. But it has to be a continuing policy. You can’t provide the latest gadgets now and not upgrade until 2025 because it might harm productivity, decrease competitive advantage, and you might experience talent turnover.  
• Implement remote collaboration solutions – Flexible working means running everything in the cloud. This will likely be a combination of tools like Basecamp and Slack, alongside social media. 49 percent of Millennials support the use of social tools in the workplace and 50 percent feel social networks boost productivity, survey says.
• Consult with Millennials before committing to devices – Millennials have a personal relationship with technology. They care about design. Everything from hand-feel to GUI. When introducing new tech, assemble a team of representative Millennials to test it. If they don’t like how it feels, they won’t use it. Build communication before investing anything for your employees, otherwise you might waste a lot of investment. 

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