CES and How Consumer Tech is Starting to Change the Enterprise in Profound New Ways

The first week of the year is all about gadgets. Forget about the tech toys you just got for the holidays. They are already yesterday’s news. The Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas has emerged as the debutante ball for every new device, game and even tech concept to delight the masses. And while CES has a mixed track record — launching everything from smart phones and tablets to virtual reality headsets and curved 3D TVs – it sets the agenda for the tech year ahead.

I didn’t pay much attention to CES in previous years, unless I needed to upgrade my phone. What did gaming consoles or razor thin TVs have to do with enterprise technology? Increasingly consumer technology is finding its way into the enterprise and even driving major trends. Beneficial trends, to be exact.

Gamification, for example, is finally getting serious as a means for employers to incent positive behavior and boost productivity. Disposable apps are another great example — a business side effect from the competitive “There’s An App for That” culture. User-friendly collaboration apps for smart phones have all but rendered Unified Communications vendors useless. And of course there is BYOD, the poster child for consumer tech’s influence on the enterprise.

The Millennial Effect

Speaking of BYOD, we can’t discuss the rise of consumer tech in the workplace without acknowledging Millennials, sometimes called Generation Y. Where as my generation accepted mandates to use company issued PCs and desk phones, Millennials are persistent in finding ways to use the technology they prefer. Which is typically the easiest way for them to complete tasks, meaning it also boosts productivity.

For all the negative we hear about Millennials, they have a different and often more efficient way of operating when it comes to technology. I see this in my daughter. They’ve grown up immersed in technology and have tremendous insight. Plus that tenacity that makes them not Gen Y, but Generation Why Not?

Usability Advantage

The other driving force is usability. Where enterprise technology in the past often skewed heavily toward functionality, consumer tech has to appeal to a broad, mass audience. Usability is key to attracting a critical mass. It’s one of the great benefits of the free market. And as consumer tech creeps more and more into the enterprise, we also see a growing emphasis on usability.

In fact, it’s one of the biggest trends for 2016. Software is starting to break down silos, as we see integration of key business apps. CRM with ERP, for example, supply chain with back office and analytics with virtually every business application. This is allowing more users within the organization to leverage apps, creating lucrative new opportunities. That ‘proprietary’ supply chain application that only three people in the organization know how to use is now a roadblock.

We are entering an age where more universal access is business advantage. That means usability becomes a premium. Millennials understand this. So perhaps don’t be so afraid when they suggest new consumer apps for the business. Within reason of course. No need for Snapchat collaboration yet.