As a university CIO I constantly wrestle with the consumerization of information technology. I wrestle with the benefits and the dangers; I wrestle with increased expectations and increased possibilities. It’s hard to imagine a time where the potential for truly paradigm-shifting change was greater. I agree completely with Peter Sondergaard of Gartner who recently said that the impact of consumerization is the single most important trend that will impact IT in the coming decade.
One of the most exciting aspects of consumerization is the convergence of technologies. I recall just a few years ago thinking that combining a cell phone and a camera was a ridiculous idea. After all, who would ever use their phone to take pictures? Well, clearly my ability to read the tea-leaves was very, very wrong. Many of us are just now starting to grasp the power of convergence and I for one don’t want to miss out on the next wave of innovation.
Which brings me to the iPhone. The world’s most hyped device is just starting its season of scrutiny and so far seems to be faring well. Someday I’d like to invite the readers of this blog to explore the impact of ubiquitous deployment of iPhones on a college campus. However, I think we first need to explore what impact they’re having right now in more focused ways.
Is the iPhone just the latest in a long line of consumer devices that will be quickly replaced by the next “shiny toy?” Is the iPhone a truly revolutionary device that will change everything? Is it somewhere in between? Maybe the most important question we’ll have to face involves what indicators we should be using to correctly predict its impact?
At my institution, Abilene Christian University, we’re committed to exploring these kinds of questions and sorting out the answers. We want to look for ways the iPhone can enhance learning, grow community and facilitate administrative tasks. We have several formal and informal research initiatives under way and plan to use this space and others like it to discuss our findings, sharing them with our colleagues at other institutions. I hope that others will join in the discussion with us.
Our students are arriving with these devices at this very moment. They’re weaving them into the fabric of their lives. So the question is, do we embrace these devices and the risk that goes along with them or do we resist the temptation of hype and remain solid and predictable? What do you think is the right strategy and why? We’d love to hear from you…