Johannesburg, 10 Sep 2004
Today, it is hard to imagine the modern office without technology - in fact the modern office will probably not exist at all without technology.
Productivity, security, ease-of-use and mobility are all enabled through the optimisation of modern office technology. In saying this, what can you realistically expect from your working day in the future?
UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunication System) is set to be a major technology within the next few years. Utilising fixed, wireless and satellite systems, this 3G mobile technology promises to deliver broadband information at speeds of up to 2Mbps and delivers voice and data as well as audio and video to wireless devices.
Another emerging technology is OLED (organic light emitting diodes). Compared to LCDs, OLED is an emissive technology that does not require a backlight and indeed promises thinner, lighter display panels that consume less power than conventional LCDs.
Miniaturisation, not a new technology, but more a case of technological development, will in the future drive the industry to produce smaller, fast computing service with more and more functionality.
DMFC (direct methanol fuel cell) is another trend that is set to change the face of the notebook marketplace. A fuel cell is a simple concept - a device that produces electricity by using fuel and chemical which reacts with it. However, Toshiba`s prototype fuel cell operates on a methanol-oxygen fuel mix, and generates and supplies power directly to a notebook.
In one of its design studies, Toshiba combines the advantages of UMTS with OLED, miniaturisation and a built-in camera to produce a UMTS cellular phone. In addition to telephony, the professional worker of the future will be able to use this device for:
* Taking photos and storing large quantities of data on an integrated miniature hard disk drive.
* Accessing corporate CRM systems to look at the status of an account or to download mission-critical information.
* Using the high-resolution display technology to preview high quality audio and video information.
* Downloading PPT presentations for a sales pitches, etc, via a UMTS connection and sending it directly via Bluetooth to an LCD projector.
The Pocket PC has long become a part of our professional lives. Again Toshiba`s design studies show us what we can expect from the "Pocket PC of the near future".
This device will be transformed by swapping an interchangeable panel to become a keyboard-base data entry/look-up service, a biometrics security device with a touchpad module, mobile gaming device with an integrated joystick or an MP3 player/recording device with integrated speaker panel.
It`s quite clear that tomorrow`s professionals will have a wide range of mobile, miniature devices that can be used for a variety of functions, leading to even more flexibility and mobility.
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