The Economist Magazine has a 14 page special report on Corporate IT in its latest issue. Most of the articles invariably talk about the “cloud” and how it along with software as a service is changing technology. The key point is that software as a service is transforming the technology industry and its importance cannot be overestimated. Whether it be Google App Engine, Salesforce.com, Netweaver and Windows Strata, all the major technology players are doing more with software as a service in the cloud.

But a critical question is what does this mean for the future of productivity in the workplace? Given less attention in the special section, was a thought that I found rather compelling. The notion that anyone can start programming (in less than 20 minutes!) using a new generation of cloud based, software as as service  tools that make development easy.

Think about that for a moment. Just as finger touch typing is becoming pervasive among the Gen X and Gen Ys so too may basic programming. Imagine the next time an employee needs to mash together data from different databases, visualize them and host a provocative discussion about the implications, he can do so by creating his own program on the fly. As the Economist article emphasized, the geeks would lose their monopoly on programming with these easy tools and employees could dramatically increase their productivity.

Maybe this is a little far fetched, but then again the thought of a computer on every employee’s desk was as well not too long ago. And some of the tools that make programming user friendly, already exist today. Its just a question of whether “self service” can be extended to the domain of employees creating their own programs to meet their immediate business needs.