Convergence, simplicity to dominate 2013

In 2013, laptops will merge with tablets and tablets will overlap with phones, resulting in all-in-one devices that streamline computing, says Elingo's Karl Reed.

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The year 2013 will be characterised by convergence and simplicity in devices, software, and how companies interact with their customers.

So says, Karl Reed, chief marketing and solutions officer at Elingo, who adds that everything points to a massive change coming.

Ahead of 2012, many mused about what developments would occur in the technology space, according to Elingo. These predictions included ideas about the proliferation of tablet devices, the movement towards a more mobile workforce and the impact of social media.

"We're entering a new era, in which individuals and enterprises are more empowered and more connected, and innovation thrives," Reed says.

A key prediction was that tablet computing would come to the fore and this turned out to be one of the biggest growth areas of the year, Reed points out, noting that there are with no signs of this trend slowing down.

In 2013, Reed predicts that tablets and larger smartphones are going to become increasingly prevalent as the desktop PC disappears from the workspace. He believes that people are increasingly cutting back on the number of devices they use, resulting in more convergence - laptops will merge with tablets and tablets will overlap with phones, resulting in all-in-one devices that streamline computing. Speaking of convergence, Reed is adamant that similar things will happen within the app and software space.

Today, enterprises want their entire workforce equipped for mobile productivity, says Reed. "You're seeing everyone from sales and marketing to support and financial clerks going mobile and using devices like tablets to connect to the enterprise from their customers' premises."

According to Reed, empowering the mobile workforce means equipping them with efficient mobile devices with the ability to access their enterprise systems and desktop tools from anywhere, at any time.

Reed predicts that we will see greater interoperability in both the hardware and software arenas and that proprietary systems will become a handicap as cloud applications proliferate.

"As we predicted last year, social media use has increased dramatically, and we see no signs of this slowing down," says Reed.

He believes social media will revolutionise the way enterprises - specifically contact centres - are run, as consumers demand direct and immediate access to companies. This will open up the lines to top management and change the way executives respond to customers, he adds.

Locally, contact centres are embarking on major shifts from call centre to multi-channel contact centre to cater for this new demand, he says. This move not only benefits the contact centre, enabling them to access vast amounts on information on social networks, but also benefits consumers who now have direct access using the channel of their choice. Reed thinks that although payment via social media is a relatively new development, it will likely show steady growth over the next few years.

"In recent years, we've seen some significant shifts we may not have been aware of. But technology has matured; the way people interact has changed; and everything's coming together to cause a sea of change in the way people exist," Reed concludes.