"Come gather 'round, people, wherever you roam. Admit that the waters around you have grown. And accept it that soon you'll be drenched to the bone…For the times they are a-changin'."

Although Bob Dylan had something else in mind when, five decades earlier, he wrote The Times They Are a Changin’, his message is no less poignant today; especially in the world of mobility.

In Part One of this series, I discussed the three trends that are enabling workplace modernization and how a combination of people, space, technology and the expected experience helps channel partners engage their entire workforce. Today, in Part Two, I focus on anywhere, anytime digital workforce, another trend that is driving the workplace modernization opportunity in the U.S market.

Before I sold tech, I sold lipstick.

In June of 2011, I joined the Sephora family at their Chestnut St. location in Philadelphia. I was excited to come on board with such an innovative retailer. Prior to Sephora, I had spent my career in the department store drag (*).

I recently began an internship with Tech Data’s Mobility Solutions team. At the time I joined as an intern, I thought I had a good handle on what mobility was all about. I’ve since learned that its role is much broader and has a far bigger influence in the daily lives of everyone - globally. The future of mobility is going to be exciting.

“5G” – It means the 5^th generation of wireless technology used in cellular and broadband connections; it’s been the buzz for a while now. Nearly a decade in development, it’s just about ready to make its debut. Mobile 5G is set to appear in some U.S. cities by mid-late this year, with an expansion of rollouts by 2020.

In some tech circles, the emergence of 5G and all its promises, has all the signs of a well-executed Wi-Fi coup d’etat. With substantially higher data speeds, ease of connectivity and the inherent security of LTE, many would argue that even the most uninformed can see the dominion of 5G over Wi-Fi. However, given a little more scrutiny, a future defined more by cooperation rather than competition is predicted; a coexistence of collaboration and partnership, opening the door for a huge new market opportunity for those prepared.

I am a Millennial… The most misunderstood generation. Often seen as entitled, whiny, self-absorbed and a general thorn in the side of the generation(s) preceding us. The truth is that we are the driving force for workplace transformation.

I have sat in countless meeting where partners and vendors, complained of the impact the Millennial generation was having on their business.

How familiar are you with Augmented Reality (AR); do you know what it is? What if I said that most of-us have already been exposed to -even use- AR daily. So here’s a quick Q&A before we get started.

Q: What do Snapchat filters, CAD drawings, vehicle backup cameras and Medical teaching tools have in common?
A: All utilize AR technology

Tech Data is a leader in technology solutions. Representing all of the top vendors enables Tech Data to offer its channel partners a vast array of solutions configured to the needs of their customers. This breadth of offering and the depth our experience as a legacy distributor for all the major brands, solutions consultants and experts in customization predisposes us to providing the right choice and the right solution.

This blog aims to look at the previous generation of mobile connectivity technology to help understand the evolution of mobile technology, as well as to introduce the immense power that will be unleashed in terms of opportunities in the market with the advent of 5G. I will also present the immense device refresh opportunities that exist in the market today.