Trickle-Up Technology
We’ve come a long way since the days when computers were so prohibitively expensive that Thomas Watson, one-time CEO of IBM, famously said, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.” In the last several years, the consumerization of IT has flipped the business technology paradigm on its head. Traditionally, innovative technology would be adopted first at the enterprise level, then slowly trickle down to the small-to-midsize business (SMB) market before finally making its way to consumers.
These days, new technology applications are more likely to originate and develop in the consumer space and trickle up to enterprises. And when they reach the enterprise level, they often debut as a line of business (LOB) application or device rather than one selected, approved and integrated by IT.
So what’s this mean for the channel? New buyers, for starters.
We’ve come a long way since the days when computers were so prohibitively expensive that Thomas Watson, one-time CEO of IBM, famously said, “I think there is a world market for about five computers.” In the last several years, the consumerization of IT has flipped the business technology paradigm on its head. Traditionally, innovative technology would be adopted first at the enterprise level, then slowly trickle down to the small-to-midsize business (SMB) market before finally making its way to consumers.
These days, new technology applications are more likely to originate and develop in the consumer space and trickle up to enterprises. And when they reach the enterprise level, they often debut as a line of business (LOB) application or device rather than one selected, approved and integrated by IT.
So what’s this mean for the channel? New buyers, for starters.
