Out with the Old and in with the New

I found an image doing the rounds of the web recently – everything you apparently need to know about 2013 in one illustration.

It’s aimed at an American audience (created by illustrator Mario Zucca) so some of the references will fall a little flat over here (what’s a Dunder Mifflin when it’s at home… anyone?), but what struck me most is how many references there are to the technology landmarks of 2013.

It’s appropriate – this year we have seen some dramatic leaps forward in what technology can do, and in the way that we consume it.

Netflix – an indication, if you revel in the words of Kevin Spacey, that TV is on the verge of a revolution.  Netflix works by selling subscription services so that viewers can watch content whenever they want. 

It makes a change from the traditional model of releasing TV episodes a week at a time; instead you can enjoy an entire season in one 24 hour period if you’re that way inclined.

Spacey’s political drama House of Cards was the very first show to be released entirely on Netflix, as opposed to one of the American networks.  The producers didn’t want do follow the usual American model of shooting a pilot, waiting for it to be picked up, and timing cliff hangers so they corresponded with key events in the American calendar.  Instead, they put the viewers in control. 

The words ‘on demand’ and ‘subscription services’ aren’t going to go away, and it’s something that we’ve been seeing in the IT industry for some time.

Rather than traditional upgrade cycles, subscription services, whereby you can access everything in the system for a regular fee, are becoming more and more attractive propositions.

There’s some big brand releases in there – iPhone 5S, Samsung Galaxy S4, Xbox One, Playstation 4 – each of them vying to become everything you need in one device, and each having polarised fans.  

My colleague Kunjan Barot recently blogged about brand loyalty – it’s an interesting read and something I’m sure we’ll see more of it as the consumerisation of technology carries on its merry way.

There’s lots of talking points in the illustration, so if you have time whilst making any last minute Christmas preparations, have a little explore (and let me know if you can, in fact, find Wally).

2014 is set to be another transformative year for technology which will put us as users even more in control – and I for one can’t wait. 

More smart devices linking to each other, setting us further on the path to ‘The Internet of Things’ (please can someone come up with a better name for that…), intelligent systems following in the wake of the precedent the Xbox One Kinect has set, 3D printing…

The list goes on, and I’m looking forward to blogging about my thoughts on these trends, and debating the issues with you and my fellow bloggers next year. 

2014 will be a very exciting year for TSG too as we looking to deliver even more solutions to our customers and we’ll have some fantastic product launches. 

In the meantime can I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and have a fantastic New Year.