Consumerization

There are certainly parallels for libraries in the consumerization of IT, which is the notion that, nowadays, innovation in information technology is generated by the consumer market, rather than by what corporate IT shops might develop, distribute, and support, as had been the case up through the mid-1990s. The parallels for libraries are grounded in that, the same way employees aren't solely dependent on corporate IT organization for their IT, people aren't solely dependent on their library organization for their library and information resources and services. 

Two articles by Brien Posey in Redmond Magazine describe the "fundamental truths" underpining IT consumerization. (See also the tag, Consumerization.)

The Real Consumerization of IT, Part 1

Rising user tech IQ, easier-to-use gadgets and the transformation of users into consumers is changing the landscape of IT.

By Brien Posey, 12/12/2013

Lately I have been writing quite a few columns on the future of Microsoft, its various products and the IT industry as a whole. The reason for all of these posts is simple. I have worked in IT for over 20 years and I cannot think of another period of time in which I have seen the potential for such radical transformation. That's a big statement when you consider that less than 15 years ago most households did not even have Internet access.

For this blog post I wanted to take the opportunity to talk about how I see IT jobs changing in the future. Contrary to what some people have predicted, I do not believe that corporate IT is going away any time soon. However, I think that the role of corporate IT is about to change as a result of the consumerization of IT.

When most people talk about the consumerization of IT, the discussion typically centers around end users who want to use their iPad to access corporate resources. Even though the BYOD trend is an undeniable part of the consumerization of IT, I think that most people overlook the big picture. There are three fundamental truths related to the consumerization of IT that I believe will shape IT over the next few years. These truths are:

• Consumers have become far more tech savvy.
• The technology industry tries to appeal to a broader range of consumers by dumbing down tech products.
• Corporate IT is turning users into consumers.

Article continues at link.

The second article discusses what these truths mean for IT professionals and the new (constant) roles for IT organizations (i.e., responsible for infrastructure management, capacity management, policy creation and enforcement).