Smartphones are set to become the main device for enterprise users in the future, taking over from desktops and laptops.
That's the result of a recent Computing poll, which also placed wearable technology such as the imminent Google Glass from internet firm Google high up the list.
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Asked "What will be the dominant technology for enterprise users in three years' time?", over a third of respondents - 34 per cent - chose smartphones. The next most popular selection was tablets at 22 per cent, but, surprisingly, wearable technology secured 20 per cent of the vote despite its current lack of enterprise penetration.
This chimes with what Josko Grljevic, information systems director at The Trainline.com, told Computing at a recent IT Leaders' Forum event.
"Desktops aren't going away any time soon," he said. "But if you look three, four or five years ahead, I think the mobile phone will win out. If you can get great battery life from a mobile phone and it's got the processing power of a PC and can seamlessly dock to your working environment, with multiple screens, a keyboard and a mouse that, to me, is the ultimate device."
The other results of the poll showed that desktops are indeed alive and kicking with 15 per cent, laptops at eight per cent, and "other industry-specific device" at one per cent.
For further expert predictions on the future direction of IT, sign up now to Computing's upcoming Data Centre Summit, which includes a panel session on the data centre of the future.
