Every once in a very long while I bump into an online rant that makes so much sense it takes my breath away.
I've mentioned Hal Berenson before, in the context of Microsoft ripping out the heart of Windows Phone and replacing it with a MinWin kernel. Berenson, a former general manager and distinguished engineer at Microsoft -- currently running his own company -- has a knack for cutting through the fog and zooming straight to the jugular.
Yesterday Berenson posted a rant entitled "Dear Developer, excuse me while I slap you silly." It's a must-read for every IT developer.
The gist is that developers think they're in the IT driver's seat, but it's an illusion -- one that will come to a very abrupt halt as key VPs start to demand tablet apps for their workers. "[W]hen the VP of retail decides she's handing all 10,000 store associates tablets, you are going to be writing tablet apps. I don't care if you are working in IT, or for a retail system software supplier, you will write tablet apps or be out looking for a job."
Berenson gives a good argument for Metro apps running Windows on ARM as the general-purpose corporate platform. I'm not convinced that will be the preferred corporate approach, but it raises an interesting scenario: "This consumerization of IT thing has been the trend for about five years. Consumers increasingly reject the old experiences in both their personal and work lives. For the 20-something and under crowd, the current Windows desktop experience is about as attractive as the thought of visiting a 19th-century dentist."
If you're a corporate developer, Berenson's rant is well worth reading.
This story, "It's time for corporate developers to get on board with Metro apps," was originally published at InfoWorld.com. Get the first word on what the important tech news really means with the InfoWorld Tech Watch blog. For the latest developments in business technology news, follow InfoWorld.com on Twitter.