Years ago there was a debate in the Oxford Union sponsored by IBM which was titled: ‘Is the mainframe dead.'

As is usual with these things it didn't really come to any conclusions and the arguments revolved around how many angels you could get to dance on a transistor - all very rarefied and technological stuff.

It was interesting that Bill Gates and Larry Ellison have had a similar sort of row, they may have even had some self interest in the issue.

Now though, things are a little different because the main driver of technology is the man and woman on the street, and they are now deciding how the technology of the future develops and even the sort of technology that will get used in the office.

How is that?

Well, ironically the thing that has taken technology development out of the hands of companies is the mobile phone - the device companies have long seen as the means to increase control over their employees has actually liberated those employees.

The mobile phone spawned the smartphone and mobile working which in turn led to the trend for remote working and it is that trend that is killing the desktop.

Speaking at Microsoft's recent awards for mobile working Gordon Fraser, the company's UK MD, pointed out that Microsoft's research had discovered that 73% of new graduates will now consider whether an organisation offers remote or flexible working when they are applying to a company for a job.

"There is no need to sit in front of a desk," said Fraser. And in all likelihood, if you do have to go into the office you will probably take your technology in with you and put it on the desk, because now the new industry buzzword is ‘consumerisation' – the use by a company of the technology that an individual tends to use at home. Increasingly this technology is looking like it's going to be a very high powered smartphone that can link into a central office computer via a secure internet connection.

Which is presumably why Bill Gates is now so interested in mobile devices - because it does look as though the mainframe might not be dead.