2015: The blossoming of a decade’s progress in technology

2014 was clearly the year when the user side of IT played a key role in the overall enterprise technology sceanrio. Whether it’s the consumerization of IT that has driven mobility policies and BYOD adoption or the Indian government committing to a Digital India vision; at their very core is the user. Infact a very intersting shift has begun to happen, where the user who was earlier considered at the  endof the IT food chain (end- user) is now  playing the most pivotal role while the rest of IT needs to be designed to meet his/her needs. Hence the emerging world is now shifting  from the “end- user” paradigm to a “user-first” one!

From an enterprise perspective, the mobility-transformed business means being able to move projects forward, close deals, serve customers and collaborate with colleagues and partners whenever you need to, wherever you may be, without having to worry about the technical details. We are now moving into an era of hybrid solutions spanning networking mobility and virtualization. Cloud and mobile computing are converging at a rapid rate giving rise to the growth of centrally coordinated applications that can be delivered to any device. This is enabling synchronized content across multiple devices and the ability to address application portability across these devices. Why? For the user’s productivity and convenience.

Another exciting proposition will be the Digital India project, one of the key trailblazing announcements of the new government. A step that promises several new possibilities for India, this project is a testament to how technology can be a key enabler in the economic development and outlook for a country. If implemented correctly, this project will create a new layer of engagement between the government, businesses and citizens. Why? To facilitate access and provide transparency to the user (citizen).

All things considered, 2014 was the year of the user – the year where they set the pace for the future of enterprise mobility and made demands of their technology infrastructure that some very critical innovations will address in 2015. These include:

• User-centric computing will lead: 2015 will be all about putting the user first. Enterprises are realizing the need to push past outdated models of computing that are solely focused on the data center. Moreover, since users aren’t tied to one location, neither should their data. “Computing everywhere” is becoming the norm, and users are expecting any-time, anywhere and secure access to their data. Enterprises will focus on adapting and building their computing environments around the needs of today’s mobile workforce – the kind of environment that doesn’t depend on the data center but considers all aspects of computing. In fact 2014 already saw companies investing in ways to innovate around the user-experience. Everything from intrapreneurship to accelerator programs have been kicked off and I believe that many of these will come to fruition in 2015.

• Apps will be designed to be secure: The increase in data we’ve seen from mobile computing has led to some very high-profile threats over the last year. In 2015, we will see a change in the way applications are developed – security integrated at the design stage rather than an add-on or second thought. Applications will become security and context-aware. Organizations will also choose apps that include policies for adaptive access controls to combat potential threats and security breaches.

• Humanizing of computing: 2015 will also be about the “humanizing of computing.” This means software must have a customer-centric design in order to drive innovation by understanding customer needs. Companies will also focus on the design (User interface etc.) from the perspective of the customer, not just in terms of delivering features and capabilities. By uncovering this new way of evaluating business objectives based on customer-driven thinking, both the business and the individual become more successful

• Work-life device balance: 2015 will be the year BYOD gains further momentum. A recent Citrix survey showed that SMBs use 3-4 devices in their personal life but also 3-4 in their work life. There are likely overlapping devices, so functionality and consistency are paramount for business and lifestyle productivity. If you can't be as productive from your tablet as your desktop, you will lose business and sales. Plus, business apps should be device agnostic – doesn't matter what you use to get it done, you just need to be able to get it done

From all of the points above, it is clear that the center of gravity for organizations has been moving from a physical location to an anywhere, anytime and any device paradigm driven by user demand. Therefore, I truly believe that 2015 will be the year everybody finally starts to put their distributed work skills to the test and get ready to live the “user- first” world.

Authored by Parag Arora, Area VP and country head, India Subcontinent, Citrix