2008 predictions: mobile phones replace laptops

Along with various legal and technology experts, Computers & Law magazine asked the lawyers at IMPACT to give their predictions for developments in 2008. Here's my contribution...

I believe that the most important new technology trend in 2008 will be the mainstream use of mobile phones for activities that would previously have been done on computers. Smartphones, able to edit office documents, run software, send and receive e-mails and surf the Internet, and even manage bank accounts, are featured in the phone ranges of all the major operators; this is no longer a Blackberry-only zone. The falling price of smartphones combined with sensible data rates will see these phones become increasingly mainstream in 2008. Whilst small screen sizes will mean that most people will not use phones for serious document editing or research, they will replace laptops for quick tasks such as checking e-mails, looking up information on Web sites and (probably using a wireless keyboard) making minor tweaks to office documents.

Many will forget that phones were originally designed for making calls. For those that nostalgically remember such functionality, 2008 will see the increasing use of VOIP via mobile phones, making the most of those cheap data rates.

The mainstream use of such phones will present new opportunities and challenges. The increasing number of Web sites designed for use on phones will raise the possibility of the mobile Web effectively becoming a separate entity. Software and Web site developers supplying the mobile software market – or more accurately, their advisors – will have to get creative in ensuring that terms & conditions and privacy policies are incorporated into end-user contracts whilst only working with screens smaller than business cards. Businesses will have to confront the security, confidentiality and compliance issues raised by their employees carrying (whether or not with permission) sensitive information on such devices.

2008 will also see the snowballing (no festive pun intended) of existing key trends such as:

• A recent survey by the Information Commissioner’s Office suggests that the majority in the UK are concerned about how others use their personal data. This general concern, plus the following likely developments, will see data protection and privacy issues remaining high on the agenda in 2008:
  • the UK government announcing the outcome of its review on data sharing;
    o more scandals involving theft and accidental disclosure of personal data by the private and public sectors;
  • the Information Commission getting new investigatory powers in the wake of the HM Revenue & Customs fiasco involving the loss of 25 million child benefit records - in anticipation of these new powers, 2008 will be a good time for organisations holding large amounts of personal data to review and tighten their security and data protection policies and procedures.
• Free and open source software will be increasingly recognised as a credible alternative to ‘proprietary’ software, both in businesses and at home.
• Online office applications will emerge that are serious competitors to their software equivalents, with the developers of such applications releasing ‘enterprise’ editions. At a cost, these will deal with the concerns that businesses have with using such applications, such as service levels and document security.

Finally, in a prediction that will delight many (if it were to come true), FaceBook will cease to be mentioned in every sentence used in technology circles.

Notes

Thanks to Computers & Law magazine for allowing us to reproduce the above content. Picture of a Nokia N95 running QuickOffice taken from the PMP Today blog.